Honor is reportedly working on a flip phone slated to launch later this year

Honor made several new announcements at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024 in Barcelona. The company launched the Honor Magic 6 series and the Honor Magic V2 foldable range in international markets and showcased its artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities on the device. The Chinese smartphone maker also revealed that it is working on a clamshell-style flip phone that will launch later this year, and that it wants to further expand its portfolio with a smart ring that is also in development.

In an an interview with CNBC at the event, Honor CEO George Zhao was asked if a flip phone was in the works after the smartphone maker held the global debut of the Honor Magic V2 foldable series. In response, Zhao said, “This year we are preparing to launch a flip phone – now that we are in the final stages internally.” He also stressed that the company feels confident in the future of foldable phones and wants to invest in it. “I believe this will create some market gap for newer vendors to enter or expand into the flip segment and test the market,” he added.

Details of an Honor smartphone with a horizontal hinge and clamshell design have been circulating since August last year. A report has highlighted that the phone may be called the Honor Magic V Flip, but not much has emerged in terms of specifications. Tipster Digital Chat Station (through GSMArena) claims that the smartphone could be backed by a 4,500 mAh battery, which could make it the largest battery capacity on a flip phone. Right now, the Oppo Find N3 Flip with a 4300mAh battery takes the crown.

Zhao also teased that the company is working on a smart ring in the an interview. He said, “We have that kind of solution internally, we’re working on that part now, so in the future you can have the Honor Ring.” The Honor Ring might just be what the wearable is called. The timing of the information was also interesting as it came just days after the Samsung Galaxy Ring was officially unveiled for the first time at MWC.

However, Honor is eyeing an AI-enabled health-focused device with the Honor Ring. Explaining the company’s vision for the smart ring, the CEO said the wearable will be paired with AI-powered apps that will offer professional training courses based on habits and health data tracked by the device. “I think AI is going to transform these kinds of applications,” he added.