A silent revolution in mobile interaction is quietly taking shape within China's smartphone industry. Renowned tech blogger "Smart Pikachu" recently revealed that the top 5 smartphone manufacturers in China—most likely Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo, and Honor—are simultaneously testing a new design that appears retro but holds hidden potential: AI physical buttons.
Upon the release of this news, public opinion quickly split. Some users questioned its necessity: "Other than quickly launching the camera or payment, what's the point?" Others bluntly said: "This is just a programmable shortcut key, why make such a big deal out of it?" In response to the controversy, the blogger did not directly refute it, but emphasized a key fact: all leading manufacturers are seriously evaluating this solution—indicating that AI physical buttons are not a spontaneous idea, but the vanguard of a system-level interaction revolution.
Notably, the leaked image focuses on the Honor MagicOS interface and includes the hashtag "#Honor Magic8 RSR," almost explicitly indicating that this upcoming flagship may be the first to adopt an upgraded version of the AI physical button. In fact, Honor is no stranger to this concept. As early as the Magic8 series, it introduced a dedicated physical button, supporting one-click camera activation and deeply integrating its self-developed YOYO intelligent agent. This module, called "self-evolving AI intelligent agent," can automatically identify and execute over 3,000 daily usage scenarios, from meeting voice-to-text conversion to travel route optimization, achieving truly proactive service.
With the arrival of MagicOS 10, Honor has further extended its AI capabilities into cross-ecosystem areas—enabling seamless integration even when users use iPhones, allowing smooth operations such as file transfer, notification synchronization, and clipboard sharing. In this context, the AI physical button is no longer just a trigger switch, but becomes the "neural synapse" connecting hardware, systems, and multi-device collaboration.
While the industry is generally caught up in screen forms and camera parameters, domestic manufacturers are trying to redefine the relationship between people and smart terminals through a small physical button. It may not be as impressive as a full-screen display or as eye-catching as a periscope long focal length, but if it truly shifts AI from passive response to proactive prediction, this button could be the gateway to the next generation of smart experiences.