what you need to know
- Honor will follow in the footsteps of the Samsung Galaxy Ring showcased at MWC 2024 and launch its own smart ring.
- Zhao hinted at an imminent release of Honor’s smart ring, which will apparently hit shelves before the end of the year.
- Honor has also entered the clamshell foldable phone market with a clamshell device.
Samsung’s Galaxy Ring showcased at MWC 2024 attracted people’s attention, and now Honor has joined the ranks of smart rings.
Honor CEO George Zhao revealed the company’s move into smart rings in an interview with CNBC at the Barcelona mobile trade show.
“Internally, we have such a solution and now we are working on this part, so in the future, you can have Ring of Honor,” Zhao told the publication.
The future hinted at by George Zhao may be just around the corner. According to CNET, Honor’s smart ring will be on shelves before the end of 2024. This move by the Chinese phone maker will shake up the wearables market, giving consumers more choices in a category dominated by a few major players like Oura.
While Zhao didn’t reveal all the details about the Honor Ring’s functionality, he hinted that it fits into the company’s larger health-oriented strategy. Zhao emphasized the importance of artificial intelligence, arguing that it plays a vital role in providing users with a wide range of health insights.
“This hardware capability will work with artificial intelligence applications to help you tailor professional training sessions to you as they study your habits and health data to provide you with professional recommendations,” Zhao said. “I Think AI will change this application.”
Smart rings cater to health-conscious individuals who prefer a discreet alternative to wearing a smartwatch to track workouts and vital statistics. For companies like Samsung and Honor, it’s a means to launch devices that sync with phones while taking advantage of health monitoring features developed for mobile devices.
Honor joins flip phone craze
Zhao also told CNBC that Honor is delving into the foldable phone trend to develop its first clamshell device. The move is in line with a trend from brands like Samsung and Motorola.
“We are preparing for the launch of flip phones this year, and now we are in the final stages internally,” Zhao told CNBC.
Previously, Magic 6 Pro and Porsche Design Honor Magic V2 RSR were released globally during the event.
By delving into clamshell folding devices, Honor is exploring new market possibilities, targeting a potentially unique price range compared to traditional horizontal folding devices.