Honor

Honor is developing a “robot phone” featuring an AI-connected camera mounted on a robotic arm that extends from the device. The company plans to showcase this innovation at Mobile World Congress. This project reflects a trend among Chinese tech firms to integrate AI and robotics into consumer devices. Honor’s $10 billion investment over five years aims to make it a leading AI-driven device company, offering AI-powered tools for personalized shopping, taxi hailing, and intelligent camera adjustments. This strategic focus aims to differentiate Honor in the competitive smartphone market.

Former Honor CEO Zhao Ming will make his first public appearance since leaving the company at Fudan University’s “Leader’s Transformation Forum” on September 14th. He will engage in a dialogue with Dean Lu Xiongwen, focusing on strategic pivots, preserving core values, and individual resilience during career transitions. The discussion will explore how a commitment to technology can fuel future endeavors and offer academic-industry insights into leadership in the tech sector. Zhao’s departure from Honor earlier this year concluded a decade-long tenure that saw the company’s significant growth.

Honor Device Co., Ltd. has initiated its IPO on the A-share market, filing for guidance with the CSRC. The company restructured to a joint-stock entity in late 2024, a key step towards public listing. Shenzhen Zhixin New Information Technology Co., Ltd. holds a controlling stake. With the backing of multiple investors including China Mobile and China Telecom, Honor aims to fuel its strategic growth through public markets.

Honor CEO Li Jian announced the company’s entry into robotics, highlighting a prototype robot capable of 4 meters per second, potentially surpassing competitors like Unitree Robotics. This launch, backed by a $10 billion investment over five years, follows Honor’s “Alpha Strategy” focusing on AI and robotics. Subsidiaries like Guiyang and Harbin Xingyao Terminal Co., Ltd. have been established to support their robotics endeavors, indicating a growing trend in the smart hardware market.

Honor executives, including CEO Li Jian, discussed the company’s IPO plans after launching the Honor 400 series. CFO Peng Qiuen confirmed completed shareholding restructuring and engagement of financial advisors, legal counsel, and accounting firms. The IPO timing will depend on market conditions and strategic development, aiming for stakeholder satisfaction. This follows Honor’s legal transformation into a joint-stock limited company. The company intends to pursue an IPO to fuel strategic growth.

Honor CEO Li Jian launched the “Global Million Eagles Program” and opened a personal microblog for direct engagement. The event also showcased Honor’s robotics, highlighting a platform achieving a new running speed benchmark. The upcoming Honor 400 series was previewed, with an emphasis on user feedback, challenging established market leaders. Li, formerly of Huawei, has a strong background in strategic management.