Back in 2007, Steve Jobs posed a pivotal question, “What if your phone was your computer?”. This idea led to the birth of a hugely successful industry — the smartphone. Now, two designers from South Korea are asking, “What if your laptop bag was your laptop?” While it’s obvious these two questions aren’t exactly equal in practicality, Jung Sunghun & Cho Changhui’s creation, the Haru, shifts how we perceive laptops.
The Haru transforms the laptop bag into a portable workstation. It boasts a side-to-side lid that acts as a foldable laptop. Just detach the lid, unfold it, and part of your bag essentially becomes a laptop. Its compartments allow you to carry accessories, cables, folders, stationery, or whatever else you might require to establish your portable setup. It’s a bit wild, flirtin’ with impracticality, but the more I ignore the ‘boring’ practical issues, the more I see how fun this gadget could be!
Designers: Jung Sunghun & Cho Changhui
“Haru opens up new options for ‘workation’ by merging flexible displays with the shape of bags. Designed for those constantly on the move, the Haru ensures expandable workspaces that are easy to organize and carry. It has three modes – hanging, compact, and expanded – tailored to fit different scenarios,” says the designers, who were awarded the Red Dot Award: Design Concept for the Haru. The concept is straightforward yet impactful – foldables right now don’t have a clear direction… but with the Haru, they surely do.
Foldable phones have been trying for over six years now to establish themselves. Foldable laptops haven’t really hit the market yet (mainly because of the costs or fragility of large bending screens), but the Haru moves closer to making those dreams a reality. The twist is that your laptop wraps AROUND your bag rather than fitting inside. The rear is crafted from faux leather, seamlessly blending the laptop (or tablet, to be more accurate) with the bag, and the hinge allows for a generous radius, so no worries about creases.
Not too long ago, Microsoft was developing a single-screen foldable laptop called the Surface Neo. Sadly, it got delayed indefinitely before it saw the light of day, leaving what could have been a fruitful testing opportunity just a mere idea. The Haru sits in that same conceptual space, attempting to build support for the large-screen foldable laptop, paving the way for the day Surface Neo might finally come to life.
Using the Haru is quite a refreshing experience. Just put your bag on your desk, detach the lid, and open it up—a massive widescreen tablet monitor awaits you, or you can fold it at a stylish 60° angle to use it as a laptop with a touchscreen keyboard. Plus, the strap can be taken off and used as a hanging accessory while in tablet mode, adding a nice touch of versatility. The final display is pretty sizable too, estimating around 24 inches diagonally (if not larger).
However, we must also consider the practical aspects of such a concept. Besides the probable high price tag (comparable to an LV or Hermès bag), it’s hard to say if it’s really worth it. The laptop functions as the outer lid, which makes it susceptible to weather damage, accidents, or everyday wear. Unless built to be incredibly durable, a luxury laptop bag that doubles as a laptop seems somewhat illogical. Plus, with such a slim build, the device would likely miss out on many ports, fans, and a solid battery. I still think this device looks super cool, and I’m hoping that some company like Lenovo or Tecno decides to make a rough prototype, just to show Microsoft how to do this right!
