[News] : Honor Unveils Behind-The-Scenes Technology For New Honor Magic4 Pro Production Line

The unique synergy between R&D and manufacturing capabilities

Global technology brand HONOR today revealed the proprietary technology behind the manufacturing of HONOR Magic4 Pro, the brand's latest flagship smartphone made exclusively in HONOR Intelligent Manufacturing Industrial Park. Demonstrating manufacturing excellence, the flagship smartphone exemplifies the brand's commitment to delivering cutting-edge innovation and is a testament to HONOR's capability to manufacture high-quality premium products at scale. The HONOR Magic4 Pro is set to arrive in select international markets starting this month. 

"The opening of the HONOR Intelligent Manufacturing Industrial Park last year was a significant milestone of our success in integrating our R&D capabilities into our manufacturing processes. The consolidation allows us to better harness our expertise across both fields," said George Zhao, CEO of HONOR Device Co, Ltd. "In addition to bolstering our manufacturing capacities, the smart manufacturing facility houses world-class production, testing and quality control equipment that ensures our premium products live up to our customers' high expectations."

Seamless Integration between R&D and Manufacturing

Operational since September 2021, the HONOR Intelligent Manufacturing Industrial Park is the brand's first self-funded factory. Equipped with cutting-edge manufacturing and testing facilities to support every aspect of smartphone manufacturing, the Park is integral to assuring the quality of the brand's premium offerings. With 20 percent of the staff working in the Park being R&D personnel, HONOR weaves its R&D resources into the Park's core capabilities, maximizing the synergy between the two and enabling manufacturing technology to keep pace with innovation.

Custom Production Line for HONOR Magic4 Pro Innovations

Arriving to select international markets beginning this month, HONOR Magic4 Pro debuts with AI Privacy Call, a pain point killer feature that massively minimizes sound leakage during voice calls; Ultra-Fusion Computational Photography, a camera solution that enables users to take full advantage of the smartphone's multiple rear cameras; and the Quad-Curved LTPO Display, a stunning display that provides immersive viewing experiences. Each of these features poses a set of unique manufacturing challenges, the solutions to which are only made possible by HONOR's R&D and manufacturing synergy.

With each generation of smartphones, smartphone makers have been continuously shifting the receiver towards the top bezel in attempt to achieve an increased display area. However, the closer the receiver is placed near the edge, the more pronounced the sound leakage during voice calls, leading to privacy concerns.

To address this user pain point, HONOR identified and solved over 100 technological challenges and created AI Privacy Call. This innovative feature leverages the industry-first Intelligent Dual Sound-Emitting Unit, which includes a bone conduction component using piezoelectric ceramics that is mounted directly to the display. Due to the nature of glass, the assembly process requires extreme precision – even minor manufacturing deviations will permanently damage the panel. Working hand in hand, the R&D and manufacturing teams were able to overcome the challenge in three months' time. The concerted efforts resulted in the creation of the automated high-precision mounting equipment, which leverages computer vision and optimized algorithms to achieve an accuracy of 0.01mm and a yield of 99.99 percent, contributing to HONOR's ability to meet consumer demands for the HONOR Magic4 Pro.

The HONOR Magic4 Pro is also equipped with a powerful Triple Camera combination supporting Ultra-Fusion Computational Photography. The complexity of the solution in the new flagship smartphone necessitated double the camera calibration equipment compared to what was required for its predecessor. Benefitting from improved calibration and testing procedures, the Triple Camera system, combined with AI algorithms, delivers more detailed images with more authentic colors across the full supported focal range.

Advanced assembly processes are also adopted for the Quad-Curved LTPO Display on HONOR Magic4 Pro.  Leveraging a cutting-edge setup of six-axis robotic arms, high-precision cameras and HONOR-developed computer vision algorithms, the mounting equipment operates with an accuracy range of ±0.075mm and outputs products with a low manufacturing tolerance of just 0.1mm, further demonstrating HONOR's superior manufacturing capabilities.

The Park is also equipped with industry-leading laboratories, including a reliability laboratory, regulatory laboratory and environmental protection laboratory, with which HONOR conducts over 200 reliability tests on the HONOR Magic4 Pro to ensure its premium quality. For instance, the HONOR Magic4 Pro is tested to have a Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) value – which measures smartphone radiation emission – that is 56 percent below the limit of the most stringent industry standard.

Three Pillars of Manufacturing Excellence

Automation, digitalization and intelligent technology serve as the cornerstones underpinning the Park's core manufacturing capabilities. The Park operates with 75 percent of its production line automated, minimizing the risk of human error. Additionally, more than 40 percent of the automated production equipment is developed in-house, which serves as further evidence of the tight integration between R&D and manufacturing capabilities at the Park.

All key equipment in the production facility supports digital control systems, allowing HONOR to better manage the entire production line and reap better efficiency as well as improve product quality.

Manufactured exclusively in the Park, the HONOR Magic4 Pro represents the best of HONOR's manufacturing capabilities, which international consumers will soon be able to experience firsthand when the flagship smartphone arrives in select markets starting this month.