At a recent product launch event in Palm Jumeirah, tech brand Honor unveiled its latest flagship device — the Magic V5 foldable smartphone. The session was more than a product showcase. It was a comprehensive look into Honor’s roadmap for AI integration, foldable phone innovation, and market strategy for the GCC region. Laurance Li, General Manager of HONOR GCC, shared detailed insights into the company’s hardware and software advancements, strategic priorities, and long-term vision in an increasingly competitive mobile landscape.
The GCC: A Strategic Growth Market
Laurance Li emphasised the critical role of the GCC region — particularly the UAE — in Honor’s global strategy. According to Li, the UAE and neighbouring markets are home to a tech-savvy population eager to embrace innovation.
UAE and GCC are the most important regions for our planning. Users here are open to new technology and want something different.
This consumer behaviour has made the region a testing ground for new product categories, especially foldables and AI-centric smartphones.
Magic V5: Form Meets Function
The centrepiece of the event was the Honor Magic V5, the company’s latest foldable device. Designed to be thinner, lighter, and more durable, the Magic V5 addresses long-standing pain points in the foldable category, particularly in terms of battery life, screen durability, and daily usability.
With this design, we can offer customers a 5,640mAh battery — a huge improvement in this industry.
The foldable phone features:
- A Super Steel Hinge rated for 500,000 folds
- IP58/IP59 water resistance
- Advanced AI functionality, including camera zoom, translation, and smart assistant tools
- A 12-month screen replacement insurance plan
Li mentioned that users can feel confident using the device without a case, though premium covers are also available as part of the experience.
Standing Out in the Foldable Phone Market
When asked how Honor plans to distinguish itself in an increasingly crowded foldable market, Li pointed to both performance and customer experience. The company has seen 100% growth in foldable shipments year-over-year and aims to continue leading the space with a balance of hardware and AI innovation.
We’re not just offering the best hardware — we’re also offering the best AI experience.
Despite competitors experimenting with tri-fold phones, Honor remains focused on consumer practicality.
We can do it too. But the technology isn’t right yet. It’s too heavy for daily use.
The AI Edge: From Utility to Everyday Experience
Honor is investing heavily in on-device AI features, moving beyond gimmicks to solve real user problems. With its in-house “AlphaPlan” strategy, the company is developing AI-driven operating systems and user experiences that learn from and adapt to the individual.
Our Magic Sidebar learns from your actions. It knows what you’ll do next — that’s real utility.
AI-driven features include:
- Real-time call translation
- AI meeting summaries
- Deepfake detection in video calls
- Webpage comparison tools through agentic AI
You can open three websites, compare offers, and get a recommendation — all without switching screens.
These features are already live on new devices, further embedding AI into the smartphone experience.
Hardware Innovation: The Silicon-Carbon Battery
Honor’s in-house battery R&D is a significant point of pride. Its silicon-carbon batteries are designed to handle extreme temperatures — a critical advantage in regions like the UAE.
We started at 0% silicon-carbon. V5 has 15%, and we’re targeting 25% in future models.
This enables higher battery capacity without increasing device size, ensuring users don’t sacrifice portability for performance.
Looking Ahead: Next-Gen Devices and AI Ecosystem
While Honor plans to launch more foldable variants, those won’t arrive until next year. Instead, the focus remains on improving current product lines and integrating them into a broader ecosystem of connected devices.
The future is about IoT. Your phone, watch, router — they should all learn from you.
Honor’s long-term ambition includes greater interactivity across smart home products and cloud services, leveraging AI to create seamless, personalised user experiences.
Honor is carving out its space in the premium smartphone market through a dual focus on hardware innovation and AI-led user experience. With the Magic V5, the company isn’t just iterating — it’s signalling a shift in how foldable phones can move from niche to norm. And with the UAE positioned as a launchpad, the message from Laurance Li, General Manager of HONOR GCC, is clear: the future of mobile starts here.
