LIVE FROM MWC 2025 BARCELONA: Honor announced a strategic overhaul with a $10 billion investment geared towards transitioning into an AI-first device ecosystem company, marking a shift from the vendor’s existing focus on smartphone hardware manufacturing.

The strategy is spearheaded by the company’s newly appointed CEO James Li, who outlined a three-step roadmap for the transition highlighting collaboration as a key priority.

The vendor announced partnerships with Google Cloud and Qualcomm to develop AI-driven offerings, including its first intelligent smartphone set to launch later this year. The device will introduce agentic AI capabilities with a GUI-based personal AI agent capable of managing schedules, making reservations, and optimising daily tasks by using contextual awareness and adapting to user behaviour.

According to Li, the investment is “a reflection of our confidence in the potential of AI device technology”, highlighting the company’s “mutual trust” with industry collaborators in pushing AI innovation.

Orange, Telefonica and Vodafone are also amongst the vendor’s partners for the shift.  

As part of its AI push, Honor launched a file-sharing system dubbed AI Connect to join its AI-driven ecosystem. Claiming it as the world’s first cross-platform file-sharing system, the vendor touted the technology’s capability to enable file transfers between iOS and Android operating systems.

Other AI innovations introduced include an AI-powered image restoration tool launching on the Magic7 Pro, and an AI deepfake detection feature for video calls to enhance digital security.

In a bid for longevity and sustainability, Honor also confirmed it will provide seven years of Android OS and security updates for its flagship Magic series devices, in what Li touted was a “consumer-centric approach to our future products”.

The company also expanded its hardware lineup with new AI-powered devices including a laptop, tablet, smartwatch and earbuds.