Honor CEO George Zhao: Joint Branding of Smartphone Imaging Is a Gimmick

On July 14, George Zhao, CEO of Honor, a smartphone brand, spoke at a recent meeting that the co-branding of imaging between cell phone manufacturers and camera makers is “simply a gimmick”. Zhao went on to say that “We must avoid any short-term interests. It’s no longer possible to meet the needs of consumers when others have it and we have it too. Innovation, experience, and service are the essence and core”.

One reporter asked about the Eye of Muse design in Honor’s recent Magic Series designed specifically for imaging, and said another phone maker had similar designs and launched joint-brand name on the images.

In response, Zhao said that there should be something unique and different on flagship smartphones, and that the uniqueness must be distinctive. This is what Honor has always insisted on. As such, the Eye of Muse is a unique logo, and Honor applied for a patent for it.

“There are some similarities between our products and other phone makers’. This judgment is made by consumers and industry media. We don’t evaluate their products in this respect. I think the Honor team, including the designer team, is okay with this. Honor will continue to propose better designs.”

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Zhao went on to say that many partners seek joint branding with Honor, but he holds that it is still necessary to find an improvement in the value of the customer’s experience.

In terms of imaging, many mobile phone manufacturers are looking for co-branding agreements with camera brands. Xiaomi announced recently a deal with Leica, a well-known camera brand. Since the company’s official announcement at the end of May, Lei Jun, CEO of Xiaomi, has made 91 posts related to Leica on Weibo, with the latest one on the afternoon of July 14.

Lei Jun recently posted that joint research and development with Leica would enhance Xiaomi‘s strength and increase the photo capapbilities of mobile phones overal. He said that “image upgrading is a CEO project for Xiaomi, and for everyone”.