Honor to Bring Google Cloud-Powered Generative AI Features to Its Devices, Shares AI Strategy

Honor became the latest smartphone brand to enter the artificial intelligence (AI) race after it announced its four-layer AI strategy and AI integration plans for the future at a VivaTech 2024 session on Wednesday. The company also announced it will introduce generative AI features by leveraging Google Cloud. However, the Chinese smartphone maker also intends to build an AI-focused user interface within its Android-based MagicOS skin. The interface will be integrated with cross-device and cross-OS functionality at its foundation and will build up from there.

Honor’s four-layer AI architecture

During a session at the VivaTech 2024 event in Paris, Honor highlighted how it plans to integrate AI into its MagicOS UI. There will be four layers to this architecture. At the foundation level, cross-device and cross-OS AI capabilities will be prioritised to create an open ecosystem.

Honor’s four-layer AI architecture
Photo Credit: PR Newswire/Honor

The second and third layers will subsequently focus on platform-level AI and app-level AI. The company said a platform-focused AI would help create a personalised OS experience, whereas app-level integration will allow developers to build generative AI-powered apps.

Finally, the fourth and topmost layer will focus on the cloud-based integration of AI services. These can include features provided by the company that run on Honor’s servers or partnerships with other companies that offer similar services. Notably, the smartphone maker confirmed that it will use Google Cloud to bring AI features to its devices.

Honor to leverage AI features via Google Cloud

Partnering with Google, Honor will integrate cloud-based AI features from Gemini and extend them to its devices. While the Chinese brand did not confirm if these features will include just the Android-based AI features the Mountain View-based tech giant includes or exclusive cloud-based features during the event, a company spokesperson did shed more light on it.

According to a report by CNBC, the spokesperson confirmed that Honor will leverage the Gemini AI assistant as well as its text-to-image generator Imagen 2. This could be a unique offering by Honor as no other smartphone brand has offered this image-generation model to users so far.

Separately, Honor CEO George Zhao, in a statement to TechRadar said the company believes its four-layer AI architecture will deliver an intent-based user experience that can rival Samsung’s Galaxy AI. Notably, MagicOS 8.0, which started rolling out last month, will get this integration.