The battle of the foldable smartphones is heating up, and the latest shot has been fired by Honor, in the form of a PR move that could be perceived as anything from amusing to petty. The Chinese brand has partnered with British micro-artist Graham Short to engrave a microscopic apology note on the folding hinge of its upcoming Magic V3, addressed to owners of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6(reviewed here).

The message speaks to the buyer’s remorse Honor imagines Galaxy Z Fold 6 owners would feel upon the announcement of its Magic V3 – the soon-to-be slimmest foldable smartphone on the market, at just 9.3 mm thick (against the Z Fold 6’s 12.1 mm). Here is the message in full:

Dear Samsung Galaxy Z Fold owners, we’re sorry. We know you were excited to buy a phone that folds in half and fits in your pocket, awkwardly. You were promised the future, a technical marvel, a world of boundless multitasking and performance.

And now, you're probably looking at the new HONOR Magic V3 and feeling a little... betrayed. Size matters, and we feel your pain. Like being tipped for a gold medal and then coming last in the race, the knowledge that a thinner, lighter, and more durable foldable exists is enough to make anyone question their choices.

We get it. You were an early adopter, a pioneer bravely venturing into the uncharted territory of foldable screens with questionable durability. You deserve better. In fact, you deserve a gold medal.

In all seriousness, we at HONOR are committed to pushing the boundaries of technology and bringing you the best possible foldable experience. We're just saying... it's okay to feel let down. We'd feel the same way.

The text was engraved on the hinge plate of one Magic V3 unit by Graham Short; production models will not feature it. The painstaking process was done by hand using diamond-tipped needles, and took over 90 hours to complete. Each line is said to be around 100 microns tall – roughly the thickness of a human hair.

Honor has made it amply clear that it has the Galaxy Z Fold 6 (currently discounted by 18% on Amazon) squarely in its sights, and is not shying away from taking jabs in the run up to its official launch event, which will take place on September 5. Below is another not-so-subtle ad targeting Samsung’s flagship foldable.

While such marketing strategies undoubtedly grab headlines, the somewhat heavy-handed wording of the taunts might not be the best strategy for converting existing Samsung customers, and perhaps even risks creating a negative brand image.

Creating the world’s slimmest (by no small margin) foldable phone isn’t the only thing Honor has been bragging about. The Magic V3 is also claimed to be exceptionally sturdy and durable. Moreover, it features a unique ‘AI Defocus Display’ system that prevents nearsightedness, in addition to the now-standard AI image-editing tools.

It is not yet known if the Magic V3 will be launched in the US; its predecessor, the Honor Magic V2, was globally launched in the UK, Europe, Asia and, of course, China. Meanwhile, Samsung is gearing up for the launch of its premium Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition, hot on the heels of Google’s release of its Pixel 9 Pro Fold.