Chinese vendor Honor followed through with the release of a fashion-focused concept device, modelled after a small handbag, sporting an outward foldable display and the thinnest design in the category.

CEO George Zhao (pictured) said at a launch event in Shanghai the Honor V Purse “seamlessly combines cutting-edge innovation with a chic design”, adding the release is “testament to our commitment to constantly exploring bold new form factors to keep up with the latest lifestyle trends.”

At IFA Berlin 2023 earlier this month, Zhao teased the release of the new form-factor smartphone, with an outward facing screen used to display branding and featuring a handbag-style clasp.

A spokesperson for Honor touted it as “the first time that Honor has turned a concept into a commercial product.”

The device weighs just 214g, making it lighter than the Galaxy S23 Ultra or iPhone 15 Pro Max, and is 8.6mm thick when folded and half that when opened, thanks to a breakthrough in the hinge design. The vendor explained a new folding mechanism is enabled by 1.2mm-thick springs and miniature gears with a diameter of 1.7mm.

It has dubbed it “the world’s thinnest foldable phone”.

The device is powered by the Snapdragon 778G chipset and has a 7.7-inch 2K flexible OLED display. The main camera features a 50MP IMX800 sensor and a two-in-one 12MP ultra-wide and macro lens.

Two silicon-carbon batteries deliver a capacity of 4,500mAh. The vendor said the cells have redesigned circuitry and a new discharge system to provide 360 per cent more charge compared with traditional graphite-based batteries. With the display unfolded, the device can play videos for 8.7 hours or online music for 16 hours.

The 16GB model is priced at CNY5,999 ($823). The device is available in gold, blue and black.