There is a distinct separation between folding phones, with the more compact fold models marketed as stylish fashion accessories, while the larger book-style foldables target power users who require multitasking capabilities on the go. Honor has attempted to blend both style and productivity with the V Purse, and we recently had the opportunity to test the device to see how it performs in daily use.
During its unveiling, Honor CEO George Zhao referred to the V Purse as a “phy-digital fashion statement” – a digital purse with interchangeable straps that also functions as a large screen foldable with a spacious wrap-around 7.71-inch OLED screen. Initially planned as a concept device, Honor ultimately decided to launch the V Purse in China.
Unboxing
The Honor V Purse comes in a large box containing the phone with its display unfolded. Also included are a 35W charging brick, a USB-C to USB-A cable for charging, and a SIM ejector pin. Additionally, Honor provided us with its strap accessory, which connects to the phone’s frame on the right-hand side, allowing it to be worn over the shoulder like a purse.
As a personal preference, this reviewer chose to use the phone without the chain attachment, but many users may find it convenient for carrying their devices around.
Design
The most noteworthy aspect of the V Purse is its size. When folded, it measures 156.5mm tall and 74.7mm wide, with a thickness of 8.6mm and a weight of just 214 grams. For comparison, a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9mm and weighs 234g, while an iPhone 15 Pro Max is 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.3mm and 221g. This means that the V Purse occupies less space and weighs less in your pocket than a flagship bar phone, while offering a large 7.71-inch OLED screen at the press of a button.
The Honor V Purse is also the “world’s thinnest foldable,” measuring just 4.3mm when unfolded, making it easy to hold with one hand and convenient to carry around.
Honor V Purse is remarkably thin
The Honor V Purse features an outward folding design that wraps the screen around the back of the device, providing a 6.45-inch screen when folded, with a 19.4:9 aspect ratio like a regular bar phone, making typing and general usage less cumbersome than most large folding phones.
When additional screen real estate is needed, the screen can be unfolded via the clasp mechanism and its dedicated release button. The release mechanism is sturdy, offering confidence in its longevity.
The full 7.71-inch screen has a resolution of 2,348 x 2,016px, a 10.5:9 aspect ratio, a 90Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 1,600 nits.
The display is stunning, offering ample resolution, color accuracy, and brightness to create an immersive content viewing experience. However, the fact that the screen is always exposed on outward folding phones is a concern, especially with the V Purse being positioned as a fashion accessory, increasing the risk of damage. Nonetheless, the display crease is less prominent than on inward folding phones, enhancing the viewing experience.
Another notable design feature of the V Purse is its ergonomic design for reading, thanks to the bulge on the side, serving as a natural resting position for your hand, providing greater comfort for reading compared to its inward-folding competitors.
Software and performance
The Honor V Purse runs on MagicOS 7.2, based on Android 13, offering a familiar interface for users familiar with Honor smartphones over the past two years. MagicOS is a heavily customized Android skin with a distinctive appearance. It includes full Google app support, no app drawer, and numerous home screen and lock screen customization options.
One of the key software additions for the V Purse is the Magic Wallet, which allows the back part of the screen to display a custom AOD (Always On Display) wallpaper with 47 options to choose from and the ability to add images from your gallery. Some of Honor’s designs are interactive and include moving elements simulating items found in a real purse, such as makeup and jewelry.
You can also add a text prompt on the side of the device for added personalization. Magic Wallet can be accessed via a triple tap on the secondary part of the screen or through a widget shortcut on the home screen. It can even be set to remain on for up to 30 minutes, though this may significantly impact battery life.
The Honor V Purse as a purse
Large foldables enable users to group apps on the home screen and launch them with a single tap. The device also supports Honor’s Yoyo assistant and Multi dock, allowing for faster app switching. The UI has been optimized for the larger screen, with the option to resize all Android apps to fit the large screen in tablet mode.
Honor V Purse homescreen, settings menu, dual app multitasking and Magic Wallet
The settings app features a dual pane, allowing apps to be resized in pop-up windows or positioned side by side. However, it does not support multiple instances of the same app, which is an area for potential improvement.
Overall, the software optimizations on the Magic V Purse fall slightly behind those on Samsung and Oppo foldables. Some areas for improvement include an app dock, the ability to run multiple instances of the same app, and a quick snap resize option for multitasking with more than two apps at a time.
The Honor V Purse is one of the few foldable devices that does not use a flagship chipset. The Snapdragon 778G is an upper midrange chip from 2021, not typically found in a foldable phone. However, it offers stable performance and efficient heat dissipation. The V Purse comes standard with 16GB of RAM, providing ample multitasking capability.
Honor V Fold brings a Snapdrgaon 778G SoC alongside 16GB RAM and 512GB storage
Unfortunately, our Honor V Purse review unit did not allow us to install benchmarking apps, so we were unable to conduct our usual array of performance tests. However, in general use, the user experience was smooth and responsive. We did not encounter any visible lag while navigating the UI or switching between apps.
The Snapdragon 778G is a capable chip, providing sufficient power for most tasks, including gaming with high-quality graphics. The phone remained cool to the touch, even during more demanding tasks, which is impressive given its slim profile.
Camera
Honor equipped the V Purse with a 50MP main camera featuring a Sony IMX800 sensor with f/1.9 aperture, producing shots in 12.5MP resolution by default. The main camera is complemented by a 12MP ultrawide lens with f/2.2 aperture, covering 0.6x, 1x, and 2x zoom ranges with a 2x crop option on the main sensor. Unfortunately, neither of the two cameras offers optical image stabilization (OIS).
