On May 28th, according to Pulsestacks, on May 27th, the new Honor 200 series was officially released. In response to doubts about the "co-branding" between Honor and Yagu from the public, Honor CEO Zhao Ming stated in a group interview after the meeting: Simple co-branding has no value, and Honor still adheres to the value proposition of not engaging in co-branding.
Previously, Zhao Ming publicly stated that joint efforts have limited impact on mobile imaging enhancement, and Honor phones will not seek imaging collaborations. Zhao Ming explained that the cooperation between Honor and Yagu is different from the common industry practice of imaging collaborations, but rather a joint exploration based on art and technology, a deep technical collaboration born from the collision of AI technology and portrait aesthetics.
As Zhao Ming mentioned, most common cross-industry collaborations in imaging are primarily centered around camera brands. While these collaborations initially provide a "borrowed influence" for smartphone brands, over time and with further product development, limitations in terms of lens design, lens craftsmanship, and other hardware adjustments become gradually apparent, especially in the era of AI.
Under the continuous impact of AI technology, smartphone manufacturers previously keen on partnering with camera brands have gradually realized that mere collaborations do not add value to image technology enhancement. They have started introducing their own imaging technology brands. Honor, which early on recognized the futility of collaborations, has leveraged technical cooperation to advance its Honor 200 series, taking the lead in presenting a new value proposition for future portrait photography.
It can be said that Honor values not the short-term popularity brought by brand collaborations, but rather aims to achieve mirrorless camera-like light and shadow effects through in-depth technical exchanges and AI capabilities benchmarked against professional photography standards. Perhaps for Honor, which advocates for long-termism, strength is more important than fame in imaging collaborations.
