APPROACHING MAXIMUM THINNESS

That’s what Pekko Honkasalo, Nordic PR and marketing manager at Honor, says when we meet him at MWC in Barcelona during the first week of March.

– Last year, our thinnest model was 8.8 millimetres. This year’s white V6 is 8.35 millimetres, and being IP68 and IP69 certified makes us quite unique, Honkasalo tells the trade magazine Elektronikkbransjen.

He believes the market for foldable phones is developing.

– Interest is growing steadily. Since we are not as well-known as, for example, our Korean competitor, it has been challenging to gain a foothold. With V3, we broke the curse of being a new and unknown brand, and it sold quite well throughout the Nordics. And V5, which we launched in August, has also found its place, with several awards and top tests in the Nordics.

Yesterday, Motorola entered the market with its first foldable, and all suppliers seem to focus on their own, says Honkasalo.

Honor Magic V6 features silicon-carbon battery technology, dual LTPO displays, improved folding glass, and high brightness.

– It is aimed at productivity and flagship performance in a robust, lightweight, and refined form factor, says Honkasalo.

He says Honor's position as a challenger in the Nordic market is about to change.

Honor robot phone

– Our new products are introduced simultaneously in all Nordic countries, and the mid-range models around 500 euros are very well received, says Honkasalo to the trade magazine Elektronikkbransjen.

He believes Honor's great advantage is the ability to develop new solutions.

– We follow trends, but also want to show what we can do. Research and development are at the very top. We want to be first in certain things, and during yesterday's keynote here at MWC, we launched the robot phone. This is something completely unique in the market. We show new ideas while offering today's products, long lifespan, and support, says Honkasalo.

– Honor Robot Phone is conceptual, on the threshold of being launched. The user interface is familiar, and the hardware is ready to be shown. But we need to decide how the interface and agent mode should work in this form factor, says Honkasalo.

The robot part is in the integrated motor-gimbal camera.

– The phone looks like a regular phone until the main camera transforms into a stabilised robot camera arm that follows the subject, registers sound, and reacts with movements for more natural interaction, says Honkasalo.

Techstone

Honor MagicPad 4 is part of the company's expanded portfolio and is aimed at users who want more advanced, comprehensive hardware support in combination with mobile phones.

Honor MagicBook Pro 14 is an AI-driven laptop that focuses on performance, productivity, and close integration with the company's other devices through human-centric AI features and improved hardware design.

Honor Watch 5 Ultra is said to be a robust premium smartwatch with a titanium frame, sapphire glass, and octagonal design. It has a 1.5" AMOLED screen, e-sim, 15 days of battery life, 5ATM/IP68 certification, and a multi-band GPS system.

Honor's Nordic headquarters is located in Finland.

– That's where we handle everything locally. We also have third-party assistance from Techstone in Norway, which are also our helping hands in non-EU countries and assist with Nordic sales, says Honkasalo.

He believes the region has gained an interesting position globally.

Role model for others

– Compared to larger markets, we are an exciting sales area. All the Nordic countries outside Finland are growing steadily, and this is probably because Finland has been the Nordic headquarters since the start of today's Honor. The Nordics are seen as front-row students and a good role model for other countries, says Honkasalo.

Although phones are still the core, Honor is working more broadly than before.

– In Finland, we also have ecosystem products such as wearables, headphones, and watches. We also sell tablets, mostly in the more affordable segments. But, we can soon show a broader ecosystem, perhaps also with health and home products, says Honkasalo.

Honor also uses partners outside the mobile industry.

– Yesterday we launched a collaboration with ARRI, which makes cameras for the film industry. We are looking for partners who can benefit from us, whom we can benefit from, and perhaps have something we can implement in our phones, says Honkasalo.