The story behind Honor's "Wall of Smiles"

BEIJING, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China.org.cn on Honor:

At Honor's intelligent manufacturing industrial park in Shenzhen's Pingshan district, you can find a "Wall of Smiles" featuring photos of its employees. In the center, a cheerful cartoon sun asks, "Have you smiled today?" Behind these smiling faces lies the story of Honor's journey from surviving a crisis to embracing brighter days.

In November 2020, Honor spun off from Huawei and embarked on a new journey. But the road was not easy. Its domestic market share plummeted to 3%, and its team of roughly 7,000 faced huge pressure and uncertainty. And yet, with neither an operating system nor its own factories and production lines, they refused to back down. They focused on their core strengths, maintained a systematic approach, and drew on an unyielding spirit to keep pushing forward.

In Shenzhen's Futian district, employees drew inspiration from the Nanniwan spirit of self-reliance and hard work in the face of difficulties. In Beijing, technicians squeezed together around long tables, ice packs dangling from fans overhead, gritting their teeth through the summer heat to push through tough challenges. No one waited for a better time. Everyone actively sought solutions in their respective roles.

To win back lost ground, Honor raced ahead at an astonishing pace. In Pingshan, the team built a smart manufacturing line in just 211 days, achieving the incredible feat of producing a phone every 18.5 seconds. In 2025, Honor's global shipments topped 71 million units, making it the fastest-growing leading smartphone vendor. In the first quarter of 2026, shipments surged another 25% despite market headwinds.

From a low of 3% market share back to the center of the industry, every step that Honor took was not the work of a single person, but a collective team effort. From all-nighters pulled by the R&D team to the quick decisions made by the marketing team; from the 18.5-second smart manufacturing pace at the Pingshan factory to Lu Qingyun's pursuit of perfection in testing 10,000 battery cells; from Chen Weilong and Qiu Fuliang's unwavering commitment on the production line to Liao Hua's innovative breakthroughs in overcoming extreme limitations — behind every name lies Honor's values: Consumer focus; hard work and dedication; unity and entrepreneurship; openness and innovation; and jointly creating value and sharing glory.

"Pride in Honor" is more than a slogan on a wall. It's a shared sense of pride and mission deeply rooted in every Honor employee. Adapting to the times and trends, they opened new ground amid difficult circumstances and reshaped the landscape through innovation. This team, through their sheer courage and determination, is set to write a new chapter in the company's history.

As China's private economy moves toward high-quality development, this spirit deserves to be highlighted and shared.

China Mosaic
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm 

The story behind Honor's "Wall of Smiles"
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2026-09/24/content_118711378.shtml 

SOURCE China.org.cn