“Massive” investment in R&D leads to China’s honor of launching the thinnest foldable phone in the world

The thinness of the Magic V5 is possible through the innovation of silicon carbon batteries. This stacks 0.2 mm thick cells to create a battery that is as thin as a bank card. The new phone is also lightweight. At just 217 grams, the Magic V5 weighs less than the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Behind these innovations is “amount of research and development,” says Hope Cao, Honor’s product expert Foldables. luck It’s ahead of the release of the Magic V5.

Honor has invested 1 billion Chinese yuan ($139 million) in research into silicon carbon battery technology. The company invests more than 10% of its total revenue in R&D every year.

“When it comes to materials, structure and craftsmanship, everything is very costly from an R&D perspective,” says Cao.

Folding represents a small but rapidly expanding segment of the Chinese smartphone market. Sales in this category Last year it increased by 27%according to a study on counterpoints. Book folding is especially popular, opening along long edges to create a larger screen.

The CAO suggests this coincides with Chinese consumer preferences for devices that are versatile for both work and entertainment. The larger the screen, the more space you have for your productivity app. This means that users can work on a foldable smartphone rather than a laptop. The rise of “short dramas” – SOAP operas designed to be viewed on the phone and easily shared on social media – are urging shoppers to invest in large displays.

Honor was once Huawei’s budget smartphone division. US sanctions forced the Chinese technology giant to offload the company in the second half of 2020. Q1 of 2025According to counterpoint, it’s close to the back of Vivo, Oppo and Apple.

Currently, Chinese budget brands are entering the premium market and are looking for growth by selling more valuable mobile phones rather than more cheap models.

Still, Huawei’s return to the smartphone market in 2023 focuses on Honor’s business. Counterpoint research has led Huawei to rank number one in the Chinese smartphone market alongside Xiaomi.

Huawei’s success also emphasized Apple, and its iPhone once dominated the Chinese market. Local smartphones currently offer designs and features that Apple’s proven iPhones struggle to match. Apple plans to release a foldable phone in this style in 2026. information It was reported last year.

iPhone manufacturers are also struggling to launch AI services in China. Earlier this year, Alibaba announced it You’ll be a local Apple partner Provide Apple Intelligence to users. However, the transaction is reportedly being scrutinized in both Washington and Beijing.

AI is becoming an important differentiator for Chinese smartphones, including those designed by Honor. Chinese companies are experimenting with services running on AI or phones on devices, as opposed to the cloud. Honorary Plan Invest 10 billion dollars Over the next five years, we hope to develop AI in our product lineup and expand it to include PCs, tablets and wearables.