“Honor isn’t dying—it’s being reborn.”
That was how Honor CEO Li Jian responded to doubts in mid-2025.
But the numbers tell a harsher story. After briefly leading China’s smartphone market in 2024, Honor’s shipments slid sharply in 2025, dropping it out of the top five. Leadership changes and internal restructuring further slowed momentum.
Honor’s real problem isn’t weak products—it’s the lack of a clear brand strength.
Xiaomi equals value, vivo equals portraits, Huawei equals HarmonyOS. Honor, by contrast, is hard to summarize in one word.
Li Jian has pushed a bold new narrative: transforming Honor into an AI terminal ecosystem company. AI platforms, operating systems, cross-device ecosystems—even robots—are all part of the plan.
The challenge is timing.
The vision is long-term, but sales pressure is immediate. Until new growth curves truly materialize, smartphones remain Honor’s core lifeline—and they must hold.
