Just when I think I’ve seen screens in every possible place that screens could be, some Chinese company comes along and reminds me that I ain’t seen nothing yet. Honor has announced its newest 700 series, and it looks a heck of a lot like the iPhone 18 Pro, as Honor’s numbered phones tend to these days. Oh, except for one thing: there’s literally a screen on the camera bump.
A whole bunch of stuff about these phones had already been leaked by the credible tipster Digital Chat Station on Weibo, including that the company had previously been “evaluating” a 1.7-inch rear display. Honor’s 600 series also had a magnetic screen sort of accessory. But this is the first time we’ve seen Honor confirm a built-in rear screen on a specific model.
The series has three models—700S, 700, and 700 Pro—and all will include this screen, according to Honor’s website. What purpose might this serve, exactly? For one thing, these product photos suggest it can display the time and date. The phone’s front screen can presumably do that too, as can, say, a clock, but I guess it’s good to have options.
Honor has left other use cases largely to the imagination, since all the product photos I can find on its site just show this camera-bump screen displaying the date and time. (Okay, in fairness, one graphic does show a cute cat popping out of the clock, of which I am very much in favor.) I’m guessing it could also show alerts if you happen to have your phone lying face down, don’t want to turn it face up, and don’t have a smartwatch to check your notifications. Oh, and Honor’s magnetic screen attachment thing does have one pretty solid use: selfie viewfinder. If I could use this screen to take selfies with my rear camera instead of the likely grainier front camera, that feature would be very dope should Honor choose to port it over. Please do that, Honor, if you’re reading this.
As for other details about this new 700 line: well, there aren’t many. Preorders are open, but there’s no launch date yet, nor does Honor’s product page list a confirmed price. It lists RAM and storage options but doesn’t confirm screen dimensions, resolution, refresh rate, or any other numbers regarding, say, battery size. (Digital Chat Station has also mentioned before that a 12,000mAh battery was in the works over at Honor, though that prediction wasn’t tied to this particular line—insert thinking emoji). We do appear to have some cool color options, including weirdly soothing shades of pastel pink and blue. So that’s neat.
Honor isn’t the first company to put out a camera-bump screen, though it’s notable that yet another major manufacturer is jumping on the bandwagon. Xiaomi has been doing this across several generations: its 18 Pro and Pro Max feature teensy AMOLED displays of the same sort (which, yes, can be used as selfie viewfinders). Some manufacturers have even taken this further: Vivo’s NEX Dual Display Edition, for example, had a whole 5.49-inch screen on its back. Acer released a phone with a similar back screen earlier this year.
Much of my opinion of this teeny thing, though, is going to hinge on the phone’s price. Xiaomi’s 18 Pro and Pro Max are stunning phones, but heck are they expensive. Honor’s numbered phones, by contrast, tend to be midrange models targeting the price-conscious. That means the amount of money this teeny screen heaps onto the Honor’s usual midrange pricing is going to matter. Would I pay slightly more to have a tiny cat pop out of my rear screen? Sure, provided that the premium is small enough that this line retains its usual appeal. I do want to see that cat for myself.
