The foldable smartphone market is entering a new phase of competition as manufacturers increasingly explore horizontally folding designs with wider inner displays. After Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Apple's rumored iPhone Duo, Honor is reportedly preparing to enter the race with an entirely new foldable.

The device is now tipped to launch in January 2027, although Honor has yet to officially confirm its existence or release schedule. Recent reports citing Weibo tipster Smart Pikachu point to a January launch, while earlier leaks had suggested a broader first-half 2027 timeframe.

Honor's wide foldable tipped to start at around $1,470

The first rumors about Honor's new foldable emerged around eight months ago, when a Weibo account specializing in leaks posted a cryptic message suggesting that a foldable device with an entirely new form factor was under development.

The information was subsequently reported by Huawei Central before Digital Chat Station, one of the best-known tipsters on Weibo, disclosed additional details about the rumored Honor device's hardware.

More recently, another active Weibo tipster using the Smart Pikachu account provided a further update, saying Honor's wide-screen foldable is expected to launch in January.

If accurate, the reports would make Honor one of the latest smartphone makers to pursue the wide-foldable form factor, which is emerging as a new direction for premium foldable devices.

Honor already has its familiar book-style foldable smartphone lineup under the Magic V series. The company previously also developed the Vs line, positioned between major flagship foldable generations to maintain a more regular product release cycle.

In effect, the approach created a "tick-tock" development cycle with two devices introduced within a year.

According to reports from China, however, the new wide-format foldable is expected to take over the role previously occupied by the Vs series, including its position in Honor's product portfolio and its pricing.

The new device is tipped to start at CNY9,999, or around $1,470. While hardly inexpensive, the rumored specifications suggest buyers could receive formidable hardware for the price.

Flagship hardware could put Samsung and Apple on notice

Hardware is where Honor's rumored wide foldable could stand out. The device is expected to compete directly with Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Apple's rumored foldable iPhone.

According to leaks, the engineering prototype uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 platform. It is also tipped to feature a 7.6-inch inner display and a 5.5-inch cover screen.

The wider approach could offer a distinctly different user experience. When unfolded, such a display could provide more room for reading documents, browsing the web, watching videos and running multiple applications simultaneously.

Honor also appears to be positioning the device as a premium camera phone. Leaks point to a 200-megapixel main camera paired with a periscope telephoto camera. The cameras could sit within a horizontal module across the rear of the device, giving it a distinctive appearance compared with many current foldables.

One of the most striking rumored specifications is the battery.

The device could carry a battery exceeding 7,000mAh, which would place it among the largest batteries in the emerging wide-foldable segment.

Such a large battery could help Honor address one of the persistent weaknesses of foldable smartphones: battery life that can struggle to match conventional slab-style phones of comparable size.

With a 7.6-inch inner display, flagship processor, high-resolution camera system and battery exceeding 7,000mAh, Honor appears to be targeting premium users rather than simply experimenting with a new form factor.

If the rumored CNY9,999 starting price holds, the device could emerge as a notable competitor to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone.

For now, however, the specifications, price and launch timing remain leaks rather than official Honor announcements.

Hai Phong