Among all the devices released by HONOR this year, we feel that the HONOR 200 Series stands out as the brand’s most significant project to date. While it continues HONOR’s tradition of mid-range excellence (following the HONOR 90 5G), the HONOR 200 takes a bold step—the tech giant’s first collaboration with another brand to redefine mobile photography in a time of AI.
Enter Studio Harcourt, one of Europe’s storied art studios. By partnering with them, HONOR sheds light on what AI can truly achieve in mobile photography. Until now, AI photography often revolved around generic image enhancements via Generative AI. But there’s a catch: the stigma around “Gen AI” is still very present and concerns about creativity being taken over by machines. After all, while AI streamlines processes, it shouldn’t replace the artist’s touch entirely.
This is why this partnership is so interesting as both brands were able to achieve a delicate (and difficult) balance.
HONOR wraps its tech advancements and AI innovations in the guise of an art studio with deep-rooted traditions. And don’t mistake it for just another filter—HONOR employs rapid processes to replicate lighting conditions, creating the signature Harcourt Studio Portrait Photography. Think of it as a session once reserved for elite French actors, now accessible through the HONOR 200 Series.
The Harcourt Style: A Glimpse into A Glamorous Past
To further appreciate the partnership, let’s dig a little bit deeper into the institution behind HONOR’s partnership: Le Studio Harcourt. Gaining notoriety during the Golden Era of Cinema (1920’s-1960’s), the studio was founded in 1933 by Cosette Harcourt (real name Germaine Hirschfeld) in Paris, with their signature style further realized by via the dreamlike aura finished on Black & White Portrait Photographs. Their founder masterfully combined various techniques to light her subjects, their clothing, their hair, and the backdrop. This meticulous set-up is what separated Harcourt Studio from the rest of photography studios back then.
Exuding glamour and sophistication, at the peak of their success, having a photo taken by Studio Harcourt became a badge of honor for proper French actors.
The timeless technique endures, even as more modern lighting and picture-taking technique evolves. In fact, a photography session at Studio Harcourt today could cost you upwards of 2,000 euros or about 130-150k Pesos. A Harcourt-style session is now within reach through the HONOR 200 Series.
Beyond Filters: AI’s Role
In the consumer tech landscape of 2024, AI reigns supreme. For smartphones, AI typically optimizes productivity or operates as generative AI. But HONOR takes a different route. They’ve tasked AI with perfecting the Harcourt Studio Portrait Mode in the HONOR 200 Series. Both the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 and 8s Gen 3 boast NPU nodes (neural processing units) responsible for in-device AI computing. Crucially, this AI isn’t tethered to cloud servers—it analyzes your photos right on the device.
Unlike most AI mobile photography relying on cloud computing, the integrated Harcourt Studio Filter keeps everything local. This significantly improves security and people’s apprehensions about artificial intelligence become more manageable.
But while Photo filters aren’t necessarily new, does the Harcourt Studio Portrait Mode really need AI? We asked our friends from HONOR Philippines this and their answer might surprise you.
According to them, the relentless pursuit of innovation and a shared goal to take portrait photography to new heights, the HONOR 200 Series Product Team as well as Studio Harcourt co-engineered the HONOR AI Portrait Engine, unlocking the mastery of studio-level portrait photography on smartphones.
“The mutual ideation process involved an extensive exploration by more than 20 Studio Harcourt and HONOR imaging experts over 400 days, streamlining the two-hour photoshoot process into nine simple steps. With a meticulous analysis of over 1,000 lighting scenarios and millions of datasets, the team ensured that Studio Harcourt’s timeless essence could be faithfully captured on smartphones via the HONOR AI Portrait Engine.”
Future of AI Mobile Photography
Personally, we feel that this approach in using AI especially in mobile photography is one of the best approaches a brand could do. While Gen AI is fun, there’s always that fear where the final output might infringe on another artist’ work. And let’s face it: transforming yourself into an action hero or a Disney cartoon loses its charm after the novelty wears off.
With HONOR’s Harcourt Studio Portrait Mode, images become more polished, a bit more dramatic but still keeping within your artistic control. You’ll still have to frame the subject the well and understand a bit of photography basics, but because of how wonderful the processing is your photos look marvelously enhanced and, dare we say, glamorous. There’s a certain, je ne sais quoi to it, no?
Enhances Portrait and the Art of Photography
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- Harcourt Classic
The marriage of decades-old expertise from Studio Harcourt plus cutting-edge technological advancements in mobile photography by the tech wizards from HONOR makes the HONOR 200 Series a truly special release. It becomes one of the most important releases from the brand because of how impactful this will be for the future of the brand. If HONOR succeeds with the 200 Series, we hope the partnership with Harcourt Studios will continue, evolving through their mid-range and flagship offerings.
Ready to explore? The HONOR 200 Series awaits at various HONOR Concept Stores, partner retailers, and official e-commerce channels like Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok Shop. The HONOR 200 is priced at Php 24,999, while the HONOR 200 Pro comes in at Php 29,999—making them highly competitive mid-range options for 2024.
For more insights, check out our reviews of the HONOR 200 and HONOR 200 Pro on the site. And don’t forget to follow HONOR Philippines’ official social pages for the latest updates on their remarkable devices.