In an interview with CNET at MWC, HONOR CEO George Zhao talks about his brand ambition, flagship strategy, and future trends
SHENZHEN, China, March 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Following its first global flagship launch at MWC 2022, global technology brand HONOR took home 29 Best of MWC awards. The recognition creates a strong momentum for the brand’s global growth in 2022. Its CEO, George Zhao, shared in a recent interview that his goal is to turn HONOR into an iconic global brand.
“The most important thing for us is to develop the flagship product, and the experience should be better than today’s most popular smartphone,” said Zhao. Positioned as a pain point killer, the brand’s newly launched flagship Magic4 Series boasts cutting-edge technology to deliver new breakthroughs in smartphone display, photography, performance, and privacy.
“Innovation within the mobile industry has reached something of a bottleneck, but HONOR means to break through that ceiling.” Zhao shared in the interview that his approach is to value customer needs as highly as technological innovation to really solve user pain points.
HONOR’s first foldable Magic V launched earlier this year is a testament to that. The product was Zhao’s first big decision in product development for HONOR as an independent company. “It’s the most difficult product to make. But we want to show the industry that Honor not only can compete in this product category but can do it better than others.”
Thanks to its self-developed ultra slim floating waterdrop hinge, Magic V is the world’s thinnest inward foldable and features an uncompromised screen experience. The product has received strong market demand after launch. As an industry leader, Zhao firmly believes that foldable phones will at some point become mainstream, and Magic V will be uniquely positioned to win that market.
Zhao attributed HONOR’s continued innovative breakthroughs to the “Can Do” attitude of his team. “They always pursue the best in class. They say, Honor can solve these challenges, these difficulties, these problems. This spirit and attitude really is the future of the company,” said Zhao.
Honor not only developed the Magic V, but also released a range of phones, tablets, PCs and accessories. All were part of Zhao’s bid to prove that “in each area, we can compete with industry leaders.”
HONOR also worked closely with its industry partners such as Qualcomm to make the innovation happen. “Honor will rely on global ecosystem partners,” shared Zhao. Taking Qualcomm as an example, he said “the two companies’ R&D departments are working more closely together than ever” to bring the best of the best to consumers.
The Magic4 Series is one of the first to be powered by Qualcomm’s latest 5G Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip. It delivered unrivalled gaming performance, photography capabilities and privacy solutions by fully unleashing the power of the chipset.
“We’re so thankful and proud of the strong collaboration between our two companies, which has led to the development of truly amazing devices.” Qualcomm President and CEO Cristiano Amon said.
With the strong industry recognitions, Magic4 Pro is well positioned to be one of the most exciting Android phones in 2022, bringing another banner year for HONOR. In the future, HONOR will also embrace the possibility of VR, AR, AI and other emerging technologies that can be integrated with smartphones.
“Honor is starting to think about a mixed reality and metaverse-ready product,” said Zhao, “But it’s all about timing.”
About HONOR
HONOR is a leading global provider of smart devices. It is dedicated to becoming a global iconic technology brand and creating a new intelligent world for everyone through its powerful products and services. With an unwavering focus on R&D, it is committed to developing technology that empowers people around the globe to go beyond, giving them the freedom to achieve and do more. Offering a range of high-quality smartphones, tablets, laptops and wearables to suit every budget, HONOR’s portfolio of innovative, premium and reliable products enable people to become a better version of themselves.
For more information, please visit HONOR online at www.hihonor.com or email newsroom@hihonor.com
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