Honor Unveils Android 15-Based MagicOS 9.0 With These Features

Honor MagicOS 9.0 update for smartphones and other devices was unveiled in China on Wednesday. The update is based on Android 15 and brings features such as a smart capsule, which is Honor’s own take on Apple’s Dynamic Island, a new and intuitive animation engine, face swap detection, and an upgraded Turbo X system. Additionally, it also leverages artificial intelligence (AI) at its core and bundles several related features AI Notes, AI Translation and more.

Honor Magic OS 9.0 Compatible Devices, Release Date

MagicOS 9.0 update will be available in public beta starting November 2024 through March 2025. A total of 36 devices, including smartphones and tablets will be compatible with the update. The list of models receiving Honor MagicOS 9.0 is as follows:

Honor MagicOS 9.0 Features

Honor MagicOS 9.0 brings over 20 lock screen styles with customisation options and the ability to choose from 3D and anime elements. It includes a smart capsule feature that can provide alerts about the weather, face swap detection or medical appointments in real-time without taking up the entire screen. Honor has introduced a more intuitive animation engine which is claimed to result in more fluid interactions while changing the home screen layout, switching between apps or simply viewing information on the lock screen. The Turbo X Engine has also been upgraded to achieve 11 percent reduced power consumption during unified rendering while also increasing the power by up to 40 percent.

AI is a big part of MagicOS 9.0. It brings a face swap detection feature that is claimed to protect users against deepfakes during video calls or other online interactions. The YOYO Agent — Honor’s AI assistant — gets new capabilities including managing notifications, ordering drinks and comparing prices. Honor says it leverages the Magic Model family which includes a large language model, a large image model, a large voice model, and a multi-modal model.

There are AI features in other system apps too. Users can take advantage of new capabilities courtesy of AI Notes, AI Documents, and AI Translation. The Magic Editor can remove unwanted objects from images, improve them with filters and even restore old photos. For daily task accomplishments, MagiOS 9.0 bundles a smart fitness coach which can generate personalised workout plans and provide adjustments in real time based on the user’s routine. There is also a new travel assistant that provides recommendations for accommodation and transportation.

Other features of the update include dual-device messaging, home and car integration, cross-device security, and a Circle-to-Search-like visual lookup feature dubbed Anydoor.