you need a microscope to read it

The foldable phone market has matured a lot in recent years. The benchmark remains Samsung with its Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip, but there is no shortage of competitors; brands like Xiaomi, OPPO and Huawei have proven themselves capable of producing devices that are just as good, if not better in many respects. Another alternative will be presented very soon, and it is coming in force.

We are talking about HONOR, which has confirmed that, at the next IFA 2024 to be held in September, it will present the new HONOR Magic V3. Although this foldable mobile phone has already been launched in China, the event will mark its global presentation and the confirmation of the countries that will receive it. And it will be an important launch, because HONOR has managed to get ahead of Samsung and the rest of the brands in a key detail: thickness.

The HONOR Magic V3 is the thinnest foldable As of today, it remains at 9.2mm closed, and 4.35mm open, for a weight of 226 grams; for context, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 it faces is 12.1mm thick closed and 5.6mm open. While that may not sound like much, HONOR hopes users will realize what a big difference it makes in the hand, especially when the device is opened and reveals its 7.92-inch, high-resolution, 120Hz AMOLED internal display.

In fact, the difference is so great that HONOR felt the need to “apologize” to Samsung foldable users for making their phones obsolete; in one of the most absurd ads in living memory, it tapped artist Graham Short, nicknamed “The Hands of a Genius” for his incredible ability to work on tiny surfaces.

Short used this skill and diamond-tipped instruments to write 166-word apology on the edge of the HONOR Magic V3; a hard work that lasted no less than 90 hours. The result is a text that is unreadable to the naked eye and requires a microscope to read. Instead of writing the text directly on the side, it is engraved on the metal frame, which guarantees an eternal life.

The text is a “troll” from start to finish, in which HONOR apologizes for taking away the enthusiasm of Galaxy Z Fold users who compare it to the new Magic V3. It’s a sentiment similar to “being a favorite for a gold medal and coming last”according to the company.

Far from mocking Samsung users, the company applauds them for being “brave pioneers” who are venturing into the uncharted territory of foldable phones and who deserve better than Samsung’s phone.