Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Honor, unveiled new AI capabilities during a recent event. The company’s CEO, George Zhao, made the announcement in Shanghai on the 26th of June, 2024. Honor, which is a subsidiary of Huawei targeting the premium device market, stated that the new version of its Android-based Magic operating system will emphasize AI assistance.
The company demonstrated the new feature, showing how the phone could seamlessly order coffee through a simple voice command like “I’m tired, order something”, without the user having to interact physically with the device. The AI system emulates actions on the touchscreen, with human involvement only required to finalize the payment.
For its Chinese devices, Honor collaborates with Baidu and other local companies for some AI functionalities, while also developing some independently. For devices aimed at international markets, Honor works in association with Google.
The newly unveiled AI features are scheduled to make their debut on Honor’s upcoming Magic 7 smartphone, which is set to launch on the 30th of October. The company also plans to incorporate AI features into all its devices by the early months of next year.
The Magic 7 will be powered by Qualcomm’s recently revealed Snapdragon Elite 8 chip. Honor had earlier hinted at its new AI features during Qualcomm’s annual event.
Another Chinese smartphone and home appliance manufacturer, Xiaomi, is also planning to launch a new smartphone this month that features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Elite 8 chip. However, Xiaomi has been relatively quiet regarding its AI capabilities for smartphones.
Senior analyst at Canalys, Toby Zhu, stated that the new AI features represent a significant advancement and could potentially persuade consumers to switch devices. He also mentioned that despite facing challenges in China, Apple is unlikely to experience a significant decline.
Apple, unlike Honor, Xiaomi, and Huawei, has not yet ventured into the foldable device market. Approximately 17% of Apple’s revenue for the quarter ending on June 29 came from Greater China, a decrease from 19% in the previous year. Apple’s quarterly results are due to be released on the 31st of October.
Apple CEO, Tim Cook, recently met with China’s Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Jin Zhuanglong, to discuss topics including data security and cloud services. The company has not yet responded to requests for comments.
The value of Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro Max, launched on September 20, experienced a slight decrease on the second-hand platform, Xianyu. Huawei launched its trifold Mate XT on the same day, with second-hand prices for the device nearly halving since its release.
CNBC’s Dylan Butts and Sonia Heng contributed to the original report.
