Honor GT Series: A No-Expense-Spared Push for Online Dominance?

Honor GT Series: A No-Expense-Spared Push for Online Dominance?On December 9th, Honor officially announced the launch of its Honor GT series on December 16th. Honor CEO Zhao Ming reposted the news on his Weibo account, emphasizing, "The new GT series is of significant importance to Honor

Honor GT Series: A No-Expense-Spared Push for Online Dominance?

On December 9th, Honor officially announced the launch of its Honor GT series on December 16th. Honor CEO Zhao Ming reposted the news on his Weibo account, emphasizing, "The new GT series is of significant importance to Honor. We will spare no expense in creating it. Please look forward to it!" This bold declaration of "no expense spared" highlights the central role of the Honor GT series in Honor's overall strategy and has garnered significant industry attention. Looking back at Honor's four years of independence, we can gain a deeper understanding of the strategic significance of the GT series and its far-reaching implications.

Four Years of Independence: A Stunning Transformation and Resounding Success

Four years ago, the newly independent Honor faced immense challenges: supply chain transitions, product restructuring, and the rebuilding of its system capabilities. Market share plummeted to 3%. However, fueled by its "Perseverance and Transcendence + GOBEYOND" brand spirit, Honor miraculously transformed from an industry follower to a leader. Counterpoint data shows that Honor shipped 14.2 million smartphones in Q3 2024, strongly reclaiming its position among the top three in the Chinese smartphone market. Even more impressive, Canalys data for Q3 2024 revealed Honor's entry into the global top five in the premium smartphone market, capturing a 2% share and demonstrating strong global competitiveness.

Over these four years, Honor achieved remarkable breakthroughs not only in market performance but also in technological innovation and product development. The Honor MagicV series ushered in the millimeter-level era of foldable phones. Innovations like the Oasis eye-protection screen, Qinghai Lake battery, and Hongyan satellite communication have not only enhanced its product competitiveness but also driven the transformation and upgrading of the entire smartphone industry chain. Honor has continuously invested in its end-side AI strategy, and its four-layer AI architecture, proposed in the first half of this year, has led AI development trends, even prompting a follow-up from international giant Apple. Recently, Honor launched China's first personalized all-scenario AI operating system with an AI entity, MagicOS 9.0, and the industry's first AI entity phone, the Honor Magic7 series, further solidifying its leading position in technological innovation.

In four years, Honor has not only overcome its darkest hour but has also forged its own path to glory. Following a successful "smile curve" strategy, it has secured its position in the high-end market while cultivating deep roots in offline channels, accumulating strong R&D capabilities and technological foundation.

Honor GT Series: A Strategic Layout for Rebuilding Honor

How can Honor take it further? The Honor GT series may be the answer. Positioned as a "new performance technology series that understands young people better," the Honor GT series perfectly combines "fast technology," "powerful performance," and "avant-garde design," potentially accelerating the widespread adoption of Honor's flagship technologies. As a new independent product line targeting online channels, the GT series will inherit the attributes and role of Honor's internet-focused smartphones before its independence.

Honor was once a sub-brand under Huawei, focusing on the internet smartphone market. As early as 2014, Honor achieved sales exceeding 20 million units, with products like the Honor 3C and Honor 3X becoming bestsellers. In 2017, Honor claimed the title of the leading internet smartphone brand. As Zhao Ming stated in an interview, "Honor GT is like Honor guarding the northern slope for Huawei back then, but we are not targeting any competitor." Honor GT will adhere to Honor's original intention, relying on product and experience to expand its market share in internet smartphones and gain user recognition.

The birth of the Honor GT series marks a milestone event for Honor, signifying its maturity after four years of independence, and the consolidation of its organizational structure, operational system, technological foundation, and product layout. Today's Honor is like Huawei once was, and the Honor GT series is akin to the former Honor, making its strategic significance and market value self-evident. The "no expense spared" commitment, therefore, carries significant weight.

Honor GT Series: Reclaiming Online Supremacy

So, how will the Honor GT series "reclaim its online glory"? Insights might be gleaned from Zhao Ming's livestream interview with renowned tech blogger, Ying Shi Ju Feng Tim, on November 27th. Zhao Ming revealed that the first product in the GT series will be named "Honor GT," boasting exceptional gaming performance and a design language entirely different from existing models, showcasing a trendy and fashionable style. This statement clearly establishes the GT's performance-focused identity.

Honor officially announced that KPL champion player Yi Nuo will serve as the "Honor GT Performance Tuning Officer," deeply involved in product tuning, further reinforcing the GT's focus on gaming experience and meeting the performance needs of young people. Current online leaks suggest the Honor GT phone will feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, a 1.5K resolution straight screen, 100W fast charging, and a "larger cup" version with a contemporary flagship chip planned for next year. On December 4th, Honor GT's product manager, @Du Yuze Charlie, shared a frame rate graph of the new phone. In a 30-minute test of the high-graphics game Genshin Impact, Honor GT's frame rate curve was almost a straight line, demonstrating astonishing performance.

It's foreseeable that Honor GT will adhere to its initial positioning of "fast technology," "powerful performance," and "avant-garde design," and as an online internet series, accelerate product iteration speed, using stable product updates to quickly compete for online market share. Honor's long-term accumulation in AI entity, Qinghai Lake battery technology, communication capabilities, image processing, screen eye protection, and chip innovation will be fully and rapidly applied to the Honor GT series, achieving a new round of performance improvements. More consumers will enjoy the convenience brought by cutting-edge technology, which will help Honor GT restructure the online market landscape.

With this product strategy, Honor GT's return to the online pinnacle is not an unattainable goal.

Conclusion: A Future Worth Anticipating

Facing increasingly fierce market competition, Honor is gradually achieving its ambitious goal of "rebuilding Honor" through continuous technological innovation and service upgrades. Currently, the Honor GT is available for pre-order on platforms like Taobao and JD.com and will be officially launched on December 16th. Honor's no-expense-spared approach to this new series' first product is undoubtedly worth watching.