The Chinese company of smartphones Honor has released devices that consist of being almost as thin as the iPhone.
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Barcelona – Honor on Sunday promised $ 10 billion in artificial investment intelligence in the next five years and announced a deepening partnership with Google, because the Chinese smartphone manufacturer wants to strengthen his market share abroad.
The investment plan, disclosed on the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, aims to change the location of the company from a smartphone player to the “ecosystem company of AI devices”, according to Honor.
The Chinese company is slightly higher in the world of smartphones, after it turned from Huawei in 2020, when the technological giant was affected by US sanctions. Since then, honor has expanded outside China and press The higher part of the market Where Apple And Samsung plays.
The company has made progress Release of some innovative devicesincluding folding phones, but he still remains a small player around the world. The share in the smartphone market outside China was 2.3% in 2024 compared to 1.7% in 2023, according to IDC data.
A spokesman for Honor told CNBC that the money would be allocated to placing artificial intelligence on equipment, as well as new generation AI agents, which are often described as more advanced virtual assistants.
The next part of the investment will be used to create a “platform for a wide range of AI devices”.
“This is not limited to our own devices, but also AI devices from different partners, so different types of AI devices can talk to each other, and consumers can have more choices and smooth experiences,” said spokesman Honor.
A small part of the investment will also be used to “prepare for the AGA era (artificial general intelligence)”.
Aga generally refers to artificial intelligence, which is smarter than people.
Closer to Google's bond
On Sunday, honor showed the proof of the “AI agent” concept. One example included a user asking an agent to book a restaurant with specific requirements, such as the type of preferred kitchen and distance from the user. The agent went forward and made a reservation. Honor said that he cooperates with Google and Chip Qualcomm designer on developing his AI agent, but he did not give a schedule of his release.
Meanwhile, Honor also uses Google Gemini technology, the American company AI, for AI functions on the latest devices.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Honor announced that he would oblige himself to seven years of using the operating system and Android safety in the scope of magic series of flagship smartphones – becoming only one of the few suppliers who oblige this. Own Pixel Google devices and a series of flagship Samsung smartphones are the only other devices that offer similar support.
Android is an operating system created by Google. Although seven -year support is not directly related to Google, he emphasizes the commitment of Honor in the operating system.
While there are many players for Android smartphones, not everyone has such a close draw with Google as Samsung, the largest Android user in the world, and Xiaomi, the second largest. Honor now joins this list.
“The deeper partnership Honor from Google is very significant,” said CNBC Ben Wood, the main analyst at CCS Insight. “Until now, it seemed that Google maintains Chinese smartphone producers at ARM length in terms of the most advanced aspects of AI Gemini, but it seems that it distinguishes honor on an equal footing with Samsung Galaxy and its own Google pixel products, which are quite an attack.”