Honor has officially announced its newest smartphone lineup, the 700 series, bringing an unexpected hardware twist to the midrange market. While the overall design resembles devices like the iPhone 18 Pro, Honor has set its new phones apart by placing a literal secondary screen right on the camera bump. The lineup consists of three distinct models: the Honor 700S, the standard 700, and the 700 Pro. According to official product pages on Honor's website, every single model in this new series will include the rear-facing display.
Key takeaways
- Honor announced the new 700 series featuring three models: 700S, 700, and 700 Pro.
- All three models include a built-in secondary screen located on the camera bump.
- Official product photos show the rear display rendering the date, time, and a graphic of a cat.
- Preorders are currently open, but Honor has not yet confirmed pricing or an official launch date.
Features and functionality of the rear display
Before this official confirmation, credible tipster Digital Chat Station leaked details on Weibo indicating that Honor had previously been evaluating a 1.7-inch rear display. Honor's previous 600 series utilized a magnetic screen accessory, but the 700 line marks the first time the company has built a secondary screen directly into a specific device family. Current product imagery shows the camera-bump display functioning primarily as a clock showing the date and time, alongside a graphic of a cute cat popping out of the clock interface.
While Honor has left other software use cases largely to the imagination, potential practical applications include displaying incoming alerts when the phone lies face down. Furthermore, similar implementations by competitors like Xiaomi allow rear displays to act as selfie viewfinders, letting users snap photos with higher-quality rear cameras. Honor has previously offered a magnetic screen attachment that functioned as a selfie viewfinder, leading observers to hope for similar built-in functionality.
Industry context and missing specifications
Honor is far from the first manufacturer to experiment with rear-facing screens. Xiaomi has incorporated tiny AMOLED displays on the backs of devices across multiple generations, while brands like Vivo and Acer have also explored dual-screen or rear-screen concepts in past hardware releases. However, Xiaomi's secondary-screen devices tend to command high price points, whereas Honor's numbered series historically targets price-conscious consumers looking for midrange options.
As of now, major hardware specifications for the 700 series remain under wraps. Honor's product pages allow for preorders and list various RAM and storage configurations, but omit screen dimensions, resolutions, refresh rates, and battery capacities. Digital Chat Station previously referenced a 12,000mAh battery in development at Honor, though that rumor was not explicitly tied to the 700 line. Cool color options, including soothing pastel shades of pink and blue, are confirmed, but the overall success of the device will ultimately depend heavily on how much the tiny secondary screen adds to the final retail price.
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