MWC 2025: Honor unveils US$10 billion investment to drive AI upgrade in smartphones

The Huawei spin-off aims transform from a smartphone maker into an ecosystem company focused on AI devices, CEO James Li Jian says

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An Honor Magic 6 Pro smartphone seen during last year’s MWC in Barcelona, Spain. Photo: AFP

Iris Dengin ShenzhenandXinmei Shenin Hong Kong

Published: 7:00am, 3 Mar 2025Updated: 10:34am, 4 Mar 2025

Honor’s newly appointed CEO pledged to invest US$10 billion over the next five years to drive the artificial intelligence (AI) transformation of the Chinese smartphone maker, as it seeks to integrate the technology across the company’s devices.

The “Alpha” investment plan would support Honor’s new strategy to evolve from a smartphone maker into an ecosystem company focused on AI devices, CEO James Li Jian announced on Sunday in Barcelona ahead of the annual MWC mobile trade show.

The initiative would begin with the launch of an AI smartphone designed to change the way users interact with their handsets, eventually expanding into an ecosystem of other devices, including personal computers, tablets and wearable devices, Li said. He did not specify when the AI smartphone would be released.

Honor plans to invest most of the US$10 billion to collaborate with global partners to “open technology boundaries” and “co-create a new paradigm for AI devices in the agentic AI era,” according to a company representative. That includes enhancing traditional hardware with AI and developing next-generation AI agents for human-device interaction.

The remaining funds will be allocated to enabling various AI devices to communicate with one another and to prepare for the era of artificial general intelligence.

Former Huawei executive James Li Jian was appoint CEO of Honor earlier this year. Photo: Handout

Li, who took over from long-time leader George Zhao Ming in January, urged industry partners to share their AI capabilities to create a platform for multiple AI-powered devices.