Honor Commits To 7 Years Of Android OS Updates As It Unveils 'Alpha Plan' Strategy

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Honor flagships now get 7 years of Android updates

Honor Alpha Plan will bring many more AI features… probably

Honor flagships now get 7 years of Android updates

Starting with the Magic 7 Pro that launched earlier this year, Honor is now committing to a 7-year update schedule. The company will provide both 7 years of Android OS updates as well as security patches.

As detailed on its website, Honor provides monthly updates for its flagship devices which eventually drop down to quarterly updates. There’s no word on how this will break down over time, but it’s a welcome extension nonetheless.

For now, this only applies to Magic 7 Pro, but will extend to future “bar phone and foldable phone” devices that are flagship releases.

Honor says:

The extended support not only extends the lifespan of devices and reduces e-waste, in line with the sustainability standards, but also ensures users enjoy secure, high-performing devices with the latest AI technology throughout their extended lifecycles.
HONOR Magic7 Pro users in the EU are the first to benefit from the support extension. In the future, HONOR will offer the extended support to more flagship models, including bar phones and foldable phones.

The extension is a part of the new Honor “Alpha Plan,” also being announced at MWC 2025.

Google was the first to adopt a 7-year update commitment for the Pixel 8 series in 2023, and has since extended the same to Pixel 9. Samsung also supports its flagship devices for 7 years, including the Galaxy S24 series, S25 series, Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5, Z Fold 6, Z Flip 6, Tab S10 series, and select others. Samsung also offers a 6-year promise for some of its lower-end devices, such as the recently-announced Galaxy A phones for 2025.

Honor Alpha Plan will bring many more AI features… probably

So what is Honor’s “Alpha Plan” announcement?

Under its new CEO, Honor says it will transition from being a “smartphone maker” to being an “AI device ecosystem company.”

Honor explains:

THE HONOR ALPHA PLAN comprises three steps: The first step begins with the development of an intelligent phone. HONOR will work with partners to open technology boundaries to co-create a new paradigm for AI devices in the agentic AI era. Next, HONOR will open industry boundaries and co-create a new paradigm for AI ecosystem in the physical AI era. Finally, in the AGI era, HONOR will open human potential boundaries and co-create a new paradigm for civilization.

Working with Google and Qualcomm, Honor says that its “personal mobile AI agent” will be able to use context in other apps to help you perform tasks. The company offers the example of making a restaurant reservation through a service while being able to look at your calendar and plan around existing appointments, and take traffic details into consideration.

Honor’s “AiMAGE” is also being used to boost image quality, including “AI Upscale” which is able to improve existing shots. That feature will come to Magic 7 Pro “gradually’ starting in March. Honor showed off some examples of its upscaling features on Twitter/X ahead of today’s announcement.

Other features being announced under the Alpha Plan include AI Deepfake detection (coming soon to flagship phones) and a new file-sharing feature that will work across Android and iOS devices.

The first devices being announced in the Alpha Plan include the Honor Pad V9, a thin 11-inch Android tablet, the Honor Watch 5 Ultra, a smartwatch with 15-day battery life, and Honor Earbuds Open, which supports AI translation for real-time interpretation. These are launching for €250, €279, and €149, respectively. Honor also teased its next laptop, the MagicBook Pro 14, which is launching soon.