Honor announces MagicOS 9.0, its AI-filled Android 15 update

Honor is packing a ton of focus on AI in MagicOS 9.0, which is based on Android 15. The new OS brings an upgrade to the company’s voice assistant that positions it as an LAM.

Like other companies such as Google, Honor is making the decision to reposition it’s virtual voice assistant as an AI helper. In the same way that Google Assistant has been slowly retreating in favor of Gemini, Honor is changing how “Yoyo,” its voice assistant used in China, operates.

In an announcement detailing MagicOS 9.0, Honor notes that it’s virtual assistant has been completely upgraded. It can now put commands into action, theoretically ordering users coffee or carrying out other tasks.

YOYO can accurately understand user needs, decompose task steps, and independently operate and retrieve various resources and third-party services on the phone, meeting user needs based on its learning of user behavior habits and usage scenario.

This shift is similar to how other companies like Motorola are incorpoating AI, though this seems to be a real-world release. The new sort of AI model has taken on the name “LAM,” for “Large Action Model.’ The term was coined by Rabbit in the debut of its R1 device. Rather than spitting back words or language, the AI model is able to put commands into action.

At Snapdragon Summit, where Honor also showed off the Magic 7 Pro for the first time, the company offered further details on the “Autopilot” portion of its new AI features.

The HONOR Magic7 Series will debut the industry’s first on-device AI Agent for an open
ecosystem. From a simple text or voice prompt, the AI Agent can order takeout on the user’s behalf. With consent, it can learn from users’ habits to make intelligent decisions, for example it can understand if the user prefers their coffee with coconut milk, and order accordingly.

These will be impressive if they work as described, but it remains to be seen how all of this will work with third-party Android apps, especially outside of China.

Beyond that, the MagicOS 9.0 upgrade is also bringing upgrades to Magic Portal and Magic Capsule for the company’s devices. The features allow users to circle and access text easily, along with image comprehension. This is another way Honor is pumping AI into it’s latest software. With that, MAgic Portal is expanding with a 255% increase in service integration over MagicOS 8.0.

MagicOS 9.0 also emphasizes deepfake prevention with a new detection feature. The feature will be useful in detecting scams as AI-powered malicious actors become more empowered.

MagicOS 9.0 launches today in China and should expand globally in the months to come.