The latest operating system upgrade from HONOR isn’t just another Android skin – it’s the company’s ambitious attempt to turn smartphones into genuinely autonomous assistants. The newly announced MagicOS 9.0 introduces YOYO, an AI agent that can independently operate apps and execute complex tasks across your phone.
During the launch announcement in China, HONOR CEO George Zhao showcased how YOYO differs from traditional smartphone assistants. Instead of simply responding to commands, YOYO can string together multiple actions across different apps. Want a hot latte? Rather than launching your favourite food delivery app, selecting the coffee shop, and placing the order yourself, you can simply tell YOYO what you want. The AI will handle everything from selecting your usual café to confirming payment.
This cross-app functionality is powered by HONOR’s new MagicLM language models, which notably include a three-billion parameter on-device model. Compared to its predecessor, this slimmed-down version delivers an 80% reduction in power consumption while operating 77% faster – crucial improvements for real-world usability.
YOYO’s capabilities extend beyond coffee runs. HONOR claims the AI can understand 600 different types of user requests, remember 950 personal habits, and autonomously execute about 900 different tasks. These range from managing app permissions to filling out forms and converting documents.
Perhaps most intriguingly, HONOR is opening up YOYO’s capabilities to third-party developers through an AI Agent store. This marks a significant departure from the walled-garden approach typically seen with AI assistants.
The operating system also introduces practical security features, including what HONOR calls the industry’s first AI-powered deepfake detection system. This comes alongside improvements to the Magic Portal feature, which now lets users circle objects on-screen to trigger contextual actions, and an upgraded Magic Capsule that covers everything from flight tracking to gaming.
For office workers, MagicOS 9.0 includes AI-powered meeting tools that can identify speakers and automatically generate meeting summaries. The system also features enhanced document handling with AI-assisted reading, writing, and translation capabilities.
HONOR will showcase some of its cutting-edge technologies at the upcoming Africa Tech Festival in Cape Town from 12-14 November 2024. While the global rollout timeline of MagicOS 9.0 hasn’t been announced, this version of MagicOS represents HONOR’s most significant push yet into AI-first mobile computing.
The question remains whether users will trust an AI assistant with this level of system-wide access. But if HONOR can deliver on its promises, MagicOS 9.0 could represent a meaningful step toward truly autonomous smartphone assistants.
