Highlights
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Honor 200 series launched with cutting-edge technology and government compliance.
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Partnership with Studio Harcourt enhances portrait photography with unique filters.
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Introduction of silicon carbon batteries for longer battery life and improved efficiency.
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Focus on local manufacturing and customization for the Indian market.
HTech is making significant strides with the launch of the Honor 200 series in India.
This new release marks a pivotal moment for the company as it seeks to establish itself as a major player in a market dominated by Chinese brands.
HTech aims to differentiate itself through innovative technology and a strong focus on compliance with government initiatives.
In an exclusive interview, HTech CEO Madhav Sheth shares his insights on the Honor 200 series, the strategic partnership with Studio Harcourt, and the company’s future plans.
Sheth emphasizes the importance of breaking the oligopolistic nature of the current market by offering truly unique products.
He also discusses the role of AI in enhancing user experience and the groundbreaking introduction of silicon carbon batteries.
Join us as we delve into HTech’s vision for transforming the smartphone landscape in India.
What are your views on the Honor 200 Series launch and what it means for HTech in general in India?
Madhav Sheth: The Honor 200 is trying to break the clutter in the Chinese smartphone industry, especially considering that many view Honor as a Chinese smartphone brand.
At HTech, our goal is to bring cutting-edge technology through a 100% Indian company.
Right now, a significant portion of the market, around 80%, is managed by Chinese brands.
Our aim is to disrupt this oligopolistic approach, where multiple brands offer essentially the same product under different sub-names, what I refer to as salubriate products.
Honor is seeking to disrupt this space by focusing on two main aspects.
Firstly, we are bringing truly differentiated products to the market.
We recognize that while there are numerous products, they are often variations of the same model.
We aim to offer something genuinely different.
Secondly, we are ensuring that we are fully compliant with the government’s vision.
We want to bring technology transfer to India, with Indian people having control over it in the long term.
The Honor 200 series embodies this approach by focusing on crucial aspects such as display quality, durability, and battery efficiency.
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What was Honor’s vision in partnering with Studio Harcourt, especially when others are partnering with well-known camera makers like Leica?
Mdhav Sheth: There are two distinct reasons for partnering with Studio Harcourt.
First, Studio Harcourt brings a unique approach to portrait photography, offering different types of portrait lenses and photography techniques.
This partnership goes beyond mere marketing association; it brings a new perspective to our imaging capabilities.
We wanted to provide consumers with a unique portrait photography experience that stands out in the market.
Is there any inbuilt technology that Studio Harcourt is providing to make the photos better?
Madhav Sheth: Yes, Studio Harcourt provides specific filters that enhance the portrait photography experience.
These filters are designed to deliver studio-quality portrait images, making our cameras stand out in terms of photo quality.
This is the third launch for HTech in India, following the Honor 90and X9B in different price brackets.
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The Honor 200 seems to be a flagship offering. How do you position the Honor 200 in the Indian market against competitors?
Madhav Sheth: Studio Harcourt focuses on integrating AI into camera photography, particularly for studio-level portrait photography.
This means our smartphones can offer a unique, high-quality portrait photography experience.
On the OS side, our Magic OS 8.0 features a four-layer architecture that addresses common issues users face with AI.
This architecture ensures that AI is used effectively across the app, platform, and cross-device levels, providing a seamless user experience.
Features like Magic Window and others are designed to enhance this experience.
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AI is clearly a big part of Magic OS. Could you tell me more about the future AI features HTech is planning to bring to Magic OS?
Madhav Sheth: I appreciate how technology can simplify life, often in ways that go beyond marketing.
One significant advancement we are introducing is the silicon carbon battery, a first in India.
Unlike standard lithium-ion batteries, silicon carbon batteries offer longer battery life, better resale value, and the possibility of slimmer phones with larger batteries.
This technology leverages graphite anodes, which have a capacity of around 350-400 milliampere-hours per gram, whereas silicon carbon anodes can hold up to 9.5 times more, translating to approximately 3400-3500 milliampere-hours per gram.
This means our phones will have longer-lasting batteries, higher resale value, and slimmer designs.
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Could you shed some light on what kind of future smartphones HTech is planning, perhaps in the foldable segment?
Madhav Sheth: Honor has a vast portfolio of smartphones globally.
Our initial focus is to bring these advanced technologies to India, allowing Indian consumers to experience what the world is currently enjoying.
Additionally, we are working towards local manufacturing, which will enable us to offer products that are customized to local preferences.
We are in discussions with several EMS partners to make this a reality.
Once local manufacturing is established, our next step will be to focus on local customization and product development to better meet the needs of the Indian market.
FAQs
What makes the Honor 200 series unique?
The Honor 200 series features advanced display quality, durability, and innovative silicon carbon batteries, setting it apart from other smartphones.
Why did HTech partner with Studio Harcourt?
The partnership with Studio Harcourt brings unique portrait photography techniques and filters, offering superior camera capabilities.
What are the AI features in Magic OS 8.0?
Magic OS 8.0 includes a four-layer AI architecture that enhances app, platform, and cross-device functionalities for a seamless user experience.
What benefits do silicon carbon batteries offer?
Silicon carbon batteries provide longer battery life, higher resale value, and slimmer phone designs compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries.
What are HTech’s plans for the Indian market?
HTech aims to focus on local manufacturing and customization, introducing advanced global technologies and developing products tailored to local preferences.
Also Read: Madhav Sheth is joining Honor, teases new product launch soon which could be Honor X9a
Also Read: Honor X9b Ready to Debut in India After Being Teased by HTech’s Madhav Sheth
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