HONOR, Snapdragon & AI: The Future of Smartphone Photography
HONOR Magic7 Pro, powered by Snapdragon, is transforming mobile photography through AI by restoring historic images and enhancing photos like never before.
Smartphone photography has evolved dramatically, with AI now at the centre of this transformation. In partnership with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon® 8 Elite Mobile Platform, HONOR is pushing the boundaries of AI-powered imaging. From upscaling historic Manchester United photos to enhancing everyday photography, this collaboration demonstrates that AI is no longer just a feature, but a standard requirement.
The Future of Smartphone Photography
HONOR’s latest flagship, the Magic7 Pro, introduces AI Upscale, a feature designed to restore and enhance old or low-quality images. It revives historic photographs with impressive clarity by eliminating scratches, improving resolution, and refining details.
In partnership with Snapdragon and Manchester United, HONOR applied AI Upscale to over 40 images from Old Trafford’s archives, celebrating the stadium’s 115-year history. The results? Faded, century-old photos transformed into sharp, high-resolution visuals that modern fans can appreciate.
Snapdragon 8 Elite
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform is at the heart of this innovation, a cutting-edge chipset designed for high-performance AI-driven imaging. Built on a 3nm process, it features the second-generation Qualcomm Oryon™ CPU, delivering up to 4.47 GHz peak speeds—a 45% performance boost with 44% greater power efficiency than previous models. This ensures smoother multitasking, improved responsiveness, and longer battery life.
For photography, the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s AI-driven Image Signal Processor (ISP) plays a crucial role in enhancing image quality. It enables features like:
- AI-based restoration that intelligently detects and rebuilds missing details in old photographs.
- Low-light optimization for brighter, more detailed nighttime shots.
- Advanced portrait enhancements that refine facial features while keeping images natural.
HONOR’s AI-powered photography isn’t just about improving smartphone images—it’s about bringing the past into the present. As Jason Leach, Manchester United’s club historian, explains.
These restored photographs are an invaluable contribution to celebrating Manchester United’s history, offering a glimpse into the very first moments at Old Trafford. Some details that were lost to time are now visible, bringing the atmosphere of that first game in 1910 to life for modern fans.
Jason Leach, Manchester United’s club historian
Snapdragon & HONOR
The collaboration between HONOR and Qualcomm Technologies highlights how AI is reshaping smartphone photography. With Snapdragon’s powerful AI computing, HONOR’s Magic7 Pro is setting a new standard for mobile imaging, offering users next-generation AI enhancements in the palm of their hands.
With AI upscaling, intelligent image processing, and Snapdragon’s next-gen performance, smartphones are no longer just capturing moments, they’re reviving history.
New Deepfake Security
HONOR has officially announced the global launch of its AI Deepfake Detection technology, set to roll out in April 2025. This feature is designed to combat the rising threat of AI-generated deepfakes, which have become increasingly difficult to detect.
According to industry reports, a deepfake attack occurs every five minutes, highlighting the urgency of advanced detection tools. HONOR’s AI-powered system will analyze video and image content in real-time, identifying signs of manipulation and providing immediate warnings to users.
With 59% of people struggling to differentiate between AI-generated and genuine content, this innovation aligns with growing concerns about misinformation and digital trust. HONOR joins industry leaders working toward proactive detection solutions, emphasizing human-centric AI innovation to protect users worldwide.
HONOR’s AI Deepfake Detection system, included in its latest flagship handset, the Magic7 Pro, uses advanced machine learning algorithms to spot inconsistencies invisible to the human eye.
The AI can detect whether an image or video has been artificially altered by analyzing pixel-level anomalies, border artefacts, lighting irregularities, and facial mismatches. Unlike traditional detection methods, which rely on static image scanning, HONOR’s system evaluates multiple frames in real-time, ensuring accuracy even in complex, high-resolution content.
If a potential deepfake is identified, the system issues an instant warning, allowing users to make informed decisions before engaging with manipulated content. This technology is part of a broader industry push, with organizations like C2PA and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Trusted Execution Environment working on secure verification measures.
HONOR’s approach focuses on on-device detection, enhancing privacy while minimizing reliance on cloud processing.
