Always read the small print, they say. Phone maker Honor has just launched its latest foldable, the Magic V3. It’s the world’s thinnest, the company claims, measuring 4.35mm unfolded, 9.2mm folded. So, Honor has opted for a way to celebrate this fact that’s clever, snarky and funny all at once.
The Magic V3 has a slim hinge and Honor has inscribed it with a message to rival manufacturer Samsung to let it know that Honor’s managed something slimmer. Not every phone, you understand, just the one. It enlisted a man called Graham Short (his name hinting at the smallness that’s essential to the project) who is a well-known British micro-artist.
Short spent 90 hours to etch a message by hand, and diamond-tipped pins, on hinge of the phone. That kind of pin was needed because the metal of the hinge was “surprisingly durable,” in Short’s words.
Honor describes it as the world’s smallest apology because each line of the 166 words of text is “the height of a human hair at 100 microns tall.” I think Honor means the letters are as tall as a human hair is thick. Whatever, it means you need a microscope to read the words.
To save you getting one, I’ll tell you what the small apology says:
“Dear Samsung Galaxy Z Fold owners, we’re sorry. We know you were excited to buy a phone that folds in half and fits in your pocket, awkwardly. You were promised the future, a technical marvel, a world of boundless multitasking and performance.
And now, you’re probably looking at the new HONOR Magic V3 and feeling a little… betrayed. Size matters, and we feel your pain. Like being tipped for a gold medal and then coming last in the race, the knowledge that a thinner, lighter, and more durable foldable exists is enough to make anyone question their choices.
We get it. You were an early adopter, a pioneer bravely venturing into the uncharted territory of foldable screens with questionable durability. You deserve better. In fact, you deserve a gold medal.
In all seriousness, we at HONOR are committed to pushing the boundaries of technology and bringing you the best possible foldable experience. We’re just saying… it’s okay to feel let down. We’d feel the same way.”
Cheeky, isn’t it? Or tongue-in-cheek at the least.
Well, it’s a way to draw attention to the new phone, which goes on sale in Europe in the coming weeks.
