Honor 10 Launch: A Live Blog on an Honor 10 (1pm UTC, 9am ET)

Read our hands on for the Honor 10 here: 

https://www.anandtech.com/show/12751

 

08:38AM EDT - In the next leg of the Honor journey, the flagship Honor 10 is being announced today in London as part of a worldwide launch. We are here for a Live Blog, and in an AnandTech first, I am actually going to be using our Honor 10 sample to do the pictures for the Live Blog. Unfortunately I can't tell you about the device until our embargo lifts! But Honor has pulled out all the stops for the event, with the CEO George Zhao set to take the stage, and Honor promoting some Youtubers.

08:39AM EDT - We're sat in the middle, three rows back. First two rows are reserved for customers

08:42AM EDT - Show starts in 20 minutes or so

08:43AM EDT - My current view

08:43AM EDT - Running off of mobile data is usually preferred at these events

08:44AM EDT - I'm using our Honor 10 review unit for the photos in this live blog

08:44AM EDT - With AI enhanced mode enabled

08:44AM EDT - There's no wide-angle lens for the wide shots like the V30, unfortunately

08:45AM EDT - Apologies in advance for having a head in most of the photos - for some reason Honor has put the press three rows back, behind the customers. It makes for some shiny photos with reflections

08:46AM EDT - Taking a front-facing camera shot in this low light causes the screen to light up as a light source, rather than using a front facing LED

08:47AM EDT - Looks like some angry people are behind me

08:54AM EDT - Honor does something different to most smartphone brands: they have a jingle, a music track

08:54AM EDT - it is being played over and over

08:55AM EDT - Honor has invited a fair few Youtubers to the launch for marketing

08:58AM EDT - Discussions about Youtubers taking money for direct product advertising compared to written media is a discussion for another time

08:59AM EDT - I've actually had my Honor 10 unit for a few days now. The embargo for my hands-on is in 90 minutes, I really can't say anything until then and have to wait until the features are announced

09:01AM EDT - Normally we do these live blogs with smartphones on the lowest image setting, usually 2.1MP or lower. The lowest the Honor 10 goes is 10MP, so hopefully the photos will still come out in order at the right time

09:02AM EDT - No announcement on 'X minutes to start' yet

09:05AM EDT - Of course, it's odd that a brand called HONOR is launching in London, where it should be spelled HONOUR. Let the battle commence

09:07AM EDT - More videos about Honor being 'for the young', 'for the fashionable', still no announcement

09:13AM EDT - Just playing around with the Honor 10 for photos for the live blog

09:13AM EDT - I don't think AI mode is activated when requesting the camera from a different app (in this case, we're uploading through Chrome)

09:14AM EDT - I've noticed in previous phones that Chrome doesn't get the full range of camera options

09:14AM EDT - Here we start

09:16AM EDT - Opening sequence with a ballerina on stage and a video behind her doing the same thing but opposite

09:17AM EDT - Now showing AI mode options

09:17AM EDT - President of Honor, George Zhao to the stage

09:18AM EDT - 3 years ago, Honor 7 launch in London

09:19AM EDT - 'London is always a good idea!'

09:19AM EDT - Global strategy made last year: top 5 in three years, top 3 in five years

09:20AM EDT - 200% growth in UK last year, lots of reviews and awards

09:20AM EDT - Partnerships with UK carriers and retailers to build a foundation to grow

09:20AM EDT - Also strong growth in France, Italy, Spain

09:21AM EDT - In Q1, Honor 11.5% market share in Russia, top 3. In india, top 5 brand

09:21AM EDT - Globally, in Q1, Honor grew 100% in overseas market

09:22AM EDT - Honor is a brand for people 'young at heart'

09:22AM EDT - More and more honor fans joining the family

09:22AM EDT - Honor as a young brand always wants to break the tradition

09:22AM EDT - 2016 Honor breaks tradition with Sapphire Blue

09:22AM EDT - >Honor 8 was a nice phone

09:23AM EDT - In 2017, Honor 9 got Glacier Green

09:23AM EDT - For Honor 10, want to redefine the industry

09:23AM EDT - Redefining the color trend

09:23AM EDT - >It is funny that the company called HONOR used the UK spelling of COLOUR on the slides

09:24AM EDT - Person from Paris Aesthetic Center on the stage

09:25AM EDT - Video with lots of hashtags

09:25AM EDT - Draw on inspiration from movement, motion, and dynamics

09:26AM EDT - Express fast moving life with color - designs should speak to end users like young and creative players

09:26AM EDT - Discovering places and perspectives never seen before. No confirmation to the rules

09:26AM EDT - Designing products to fit user personalities and the urban landscapes

09:28AM EDT - Imagination creates colorful moving shapes and magical phenomena

09:28AM EDT - >This is a load of buzzwords that does not mean a lot. Really.

09:29AM EDT - Now showing a video of people reacting to the Honor 10, going over the top on the reactions. This is a useless video for the press

09:29AM EDT - President back to the stage

09:30AM EDT - 'It is difficult to explain the Honor 10 colors - it is dynamic based on angle. It never happened before in the industry'

09:30AM EDT - >Err, yes it has. Many times

09:31AM EDT - Four months to finalize the color process

09:31AM EDT - Strict environment to create the design. 1 in 5 units still fail the process

09:31AM EDT - Phantom color

09:31AM EDT - No two phones are the same

09:32AM EDT - >If it's unique, how do they have a proper QA procedure?

09:32AM EDT - Honor 10 as comfortable as baby skin

09:33AM EDT - Video time

09:34AM EDT - Everyone will see a different color

09:34AM EDT - Phantom Grey and Phantom Blue on stage

09:34AM EDT - Four colors total

09:36AM EDT - Also Glacier Grey

09:36AM EDT - Final color is midnight black

09:36AM EDT - Every design of Honor 10 has to be a WoW

09:37AM EDT - Honor 10 uses 5.84-inch display with removable notch

09:38AM EDT - Some notch

09:38AM EDT - Designed to be like a one-hand 5.2-inch phone

09:38AM EDT - Front facing under glass fingerprint sensor

09:38AM EDT - Supports one handed navigation

09:39AM EDT - Proud to keep the fingerprint sensor

09:39AM EDT - 3.5mm jack, Type-C

09:39AM EDT - Now a video example about taking video of waves

09:40AM EDT - 'Waves blend into color, like the Honor 10'

09:41AM EDT - See the beauty from any angle

09:41AM EDT - New OS themes from photographers - wave, aurora

09:41AM EDT - Prepare a lot of beautiful themes

09:42AM EDT - >I don't think I've had time to set a theme on my main phone since I was 15. Before the internet it was a thing, but now

09:43AM EDT - Honor 10 Global Theme Design Contest, starts May 25th

09:43AM EDT - Now about AI

09:43AM EDT - Beauty is Honor's philosophy

09:43AM EDT - Honor 10 AI Experience

09:44AM EDT - Honor Magic / View 10 for AI ecosystem

09:44AM EDT - Now with Honor 10, upgrade the AI experience with NPU of Kirin 970

09:45AM EDT - 'What can AI do for you?'

09:46AM EDT - Accurate dynamic image recognition

09:46AM EDT - example of keying with green screen during video

09:47AM EDT - This is by an app

09:47AM EDT - Prisma + AI = special effects recommendations 3x faster than iPhone

09:47AM EDT - Honor 10 takes 3.2 seconds, iPhone X takes 9.6 seconds

09:48AM EDT - Advanced AI Photography

09:48AM EDT - For the Honor View 10, used millions of photos to train AI

09:48AM EDT - Now we also focus on specific photography styles

09:49AM EDT - Study how to make people and photos more beautiful

09:49AM EDT - AI 2.0

09:49AM EDT - Experience is embedded in the Honor 10

09:49AM EDT - 24MP AI Photography

09:49AM EDT - 24MP + 16MP dual camera, dual f/1.8, dual-core PDAF

09:50AM EDT - Detect 500+ scenarios in 22 categories

09:50AM EDT - There's a panda mode

09:50AM EDT - AI Semantic Image Segmentation - segments an image for different detection

09:51AM EDT - Human, Animal, Greenery, Sky - all in the same photo detected by AU

09:51AM EDT - AI*

09:52AM EDT - We have some examples of this in our hands on. Goes live in 40 minutes

09:52AM EDT - Identify up to 10 scenarios in a single photo

09:53AM EDT - Honor 10 can be used easily to take these types of photos

09:54AM EDT - Normal technology should close the gap between users and professionals

09:54AM EDT - We do not need professional photographer to take photos for presentations

09:55AM EDT - Portrait mode - Bokey, AI Imaging

09:55AM EDT - *Bokeh

09:55AM EDT - 'Help boyfriends take better photos of their girlfriends'

09:55AM EDT - >what

09:57AM EDT - 3D Portrait lighting at a glance

09:57AM EDT - Group photo - some AI approach blur out people. Honor 10 is accurate

09:58AM EDT - AI intelligent group photo framing

09:59AM EDT - AI Portrait + Dog to give pets a bokeh

10:00AM EDT - Panda mode

10:00AM EDT - 'Panda is not only black and white'

10:01AM EDT - Video of the creepy Sophie robot

10:02AM EDT - > Isn't that the robot that said to kill all humans

10:02AM EDT - 24MP front facing camera with AI

10:03AM EDT - >Huh, my sample didn't have AI in selfie mode

10:03AM EDT - AI-bokeh in selfie mode

10:04AM EDT - Recognize the hair vs face

10:04AM EDT - Optimize parts of the face by detecting eyes/nose/mouth

10:05AM EDT - Smart Scenario Categorization in the AI Gallery

10:05AM EDT - Can search through photos based on scene detection

10:05AM EDT - Also recognize specific faces

10:06AM EDT - Highlights 2.0

10:07AM EDT - Creates videos from the gallery with photos and music

10:07AM EDT - Now demo with the Honor music

10:07AM EDT - >I hope not all the videos have that music

10:08AM EDT - Honor 10 Global Photo contest being announced

10:08AM EDT - Now for some reason the CEO of VisitBritain is on the stage

10:09AM EDT - Subtle mention of the royal wedding

10:10AM EDT - 'It would be great if they recorded the wedding on an Honor 10'

10:10AM EDT - >Yeah, that would cost you a bit

10:10AM EDT - 'London is always embracing the new'

10:11AM EDT - Strong link between tourism and technology

10:12AM EDT - Teaming up with Honor to innovate around technology and sharing pictures of Britain

10:12AM EDT - >This is basically an advertisement for the UK

10:14AM EDT - Now speaking about the phone again

10:14AM EDT - Front-facing fingerprint sensor under the glass, ultrasonic

10:15AM EDT - Second generation sensor

10:15AM EDT - Ultrasonic means never have to worry about wet hands

10:15AM EDT - Also face unlock

10:17AM EDT - 5V 4.5A Supercharge - 50% in 25 minutes, 3400 mAh battery

10:17AM EDT - Support Honor EIS

10:18AM EDT - Play games on the lock screen for kids

10:19AM EDT - Is that a security issue...?

10:19AM EDT - EMUI 8.1

10:19AM EDT - Party Mode 2.0 - 7 channel audio experience with more phones

10:19AM EDT - Play the same sound from multiple devices at once

10:20AM EDT - Honor cooperate with Monster earphones

10:23AM EDT - Honor 10 to global market. 128GB storage

10:23AM EDT - >Stop saying ROM. It's not read-only. Call it storage.

10:23AM EDT - Pricing

10:23AM EDT - 400 euro for 4gb/64gb

10:24AM EDT - 450 euro for 4GB/128GB model

10:24AM EDT - On sale from 4pm UK time today

10:25AM EDT - Over 50+ retail and channel partners

10:26AM EDT - Looks like that's a wrap. Sorry, they're doing three models, 4/64, 6/64, and 6/128. These prices are likely the 6GB DRAM models