Pop Mart teams up with HONOR to launch first art toy phone

China's phone maker HONOR said it will engage in an Intellectual Property collaboration with Pop Mart International (9992) for its 500 series, positioned as the industry's first smartphone featuring the art toy, which is set to be unveiled on January 19, according to mainland media.

Earlier, the fashionable toy maker noted that it will team up with a famous Chinese phone brand to launch an IP collaboration, while it emphasized that it has no plan to develop phone products.

It's reportedly to create co-branded phone cases or models by integrating smartphone aesthetics with art toy elements.

It's not the first time for the toy giant to partner with phone makers. Previously, the doll maker collaborated with the Chinese phone brand VIVO in Taiwan to launch its IP ZSIGA photo frames.

Pop Mart has actively expanded its IP licensing business in recent years. It collaborated with the Macao government in June last year to merge its popular IP, including Baby Molly, CRYBABY, DIMOO, and LABUBU in a selfie spot creation, featuring foods and city cultural attractions as themes.