George Zhao, current CEO of Honor, is one of the most influential figures in the global technology landscape. Under his leadership, Honor has transformed from a Huawei brand to an independent and innovative player in the smartphone industry. With a solid background in technology management, Zhao has helped position Honor as a leading brand, especially in the field of foldable phones and advanced devices, by focusing on cutting-edge design and high performance.
Zhao has a clear vision: to compete directly with giants such as Apple and Samsung, launching the challenge not only in terms of foldable devices but also in the digital ecosystem and artificial intelligence. Honor, under his leadership, has made great strides in the European and Asian markets, establishing itself with innovative products and technologies that push the limits of what is possible.
In this exclusive interview, Zhao talks to us about the challenges and strategies that have led to Honor’s success, offering in-depth insight into the future innovations that the brand intends to introduce into the global technology market.
Let’s start by talking about the innovative design of your phones. You have focused heavily on thinness: the Magic V3, when closed, is just over 9 millimeters thin. What was the inspiration behind this design and how does it set you apart from others, like Google and Samsung, in the foldable market?
We have invested heavily to innovate our foldable phones. Two years ago, when we entered the market, there was only Samsung. So the question we asked ourselves is: how can we stand out? The answer was to change philosophy. We didn’t want to follow the same path, because in this way we wouldn’t have built our own community of users. We have faced many challenges, but we have maintained an unwavering focus on the end user, ensuring that each innovation concretely responds to the needs of the market, revising everything from the display to the fingerprint sensor, up to a thin and reliable design.
Going back three years, foldable phones were considered too heavy and expensive. How did you overcome these challenges?
When we started working on the Magic V2, we were aware that we would face many technical difficulties. For example, reducing the thickness was key. Some said it was impossible, but in the end we managed to bring the thickness to 9.9 mm, an extraordinary achievement for our technical team. Despite the difficulties, the foldable phone managed to maintain high reliability and all the features requested by consumers, such as a good camera and waterproofing.
It’s clear that you focus a lot on the thinness of the phones. Do you think consumers will continue to prefer such thin phones? Samsung and Huawei have thicker devices.
Absolutely. The competition, for us, is not just about foldables, but also devices like Apple’s iPhone Pro Max or the Samsung Galaxy S Ultra series. We are convinced that we have a competitive advantage in this sector. We have very competitive hardware, and our priority is to make devices thinner and more powerful.

Are you considering entering the US market in the future?
For the moment we are focusing on the markets in which we are already present. Europe is our second market. We must first strengthen our R&D and marketing capabilities in current markets before expanding further. The Magic V Flip is scheduled to launch in Europe, the Middle East and Malaysia. We have been in discussions internally and are preparing for a global launch of the next generation of the Magic V Flip.
You are investing a lot in the ecosystem. How do you see its development in the future?
The ecosystem is fundamental to us. We plan to launch new products and believe that artificial intelligence (AI) will play a key role. We are investing in both on-device AI and cloud AI to deliver a seamless and secure user experience. AI will be instrumental in improving hardware features, such as cameras and customization of operating systems. We invest heavily to offer a more personalized and intelligent AI system for our users.
In the past you have collaborated with Porsche Design. Will you continue to focus on this type of luxury partnership?
Yes, we are collaborating with Porsche Design and have already launched two special editions of Magic together. The results have been very positive, and we will continue to collaborate on future projects.

Do you see a future for triple-fold or rollable phones?
We are exploring several ideas, including rollable phones. However, we need to be sure that these devices meet the real needs of consumers before launching them on the market. We are currently focusing on phones, tablets, laptops, watches and wearables. We are also exploring how to apply foldable technology in areas such as laptops to further transform the industry.
Finally, what do you see as the next step for Honor?
We want to continue to innovate in the field of artificial intelligence, making our devices smarter and more personalized. We believe the future lies in the integration of AI and hardware to deliver an unprecedented user experience.