When Honor’s new models launch later this month, users can look forward to getting some hands-on time with Google Gemini’s new Veo 2 image-to-video converter update before anybody else. It’ll roll out to the greater Gemini audience eventually, but not before buyers of the Honor 400 and 400 Pro have their fun first.
Google is Honor-bound
Beyond a snapshot.
HONOR 400 Series can effortlessly transform your images into captivating videos with AI Image to Video – breathing new life into your stills. Spark Daily Wonder with HONOR 400 Series – coming 22nd May, 2025. #HONOR400 #SparkDailyWonder pic.twitter.com/ddRPYohGit— HONOR (@Honorglobal) May 12, 2025
Google’s Veo 2 model powers the new update, which can create five-second clips from a static image, in either portrait or landscape. To simplify access, the function is built right into the device’s Gallery app. Users simply select a photo and upload it to the AI platform, and voila. There’s no option to add a little oomph through a text prompt, so you’ll be at the mercy of Veo 2’s brain, hoping for something Instagram-worthy.
You didn’t really think you’d be getting this all for free, right? The phones come equipped with these AI powers for free at first, but only for the first two months, and with a limit of ten videos generated daily, after which the company will revert to a method that earns it, and Google, a few extra bucks. It’s unclear if this is only for buyers of the new phones or if the limit will still hold even when the feature gets rolled out to the general public.
Read More: Honor Magic 7 Pro review – Formidable flagship
Google already allows video generation through the Veo 2 engine with its Gemini Advanced subscription tier, though it’s only text-to-video. Image-to-video is available in limited capacity to Google Cloud “approved” users for what evens out to about $50c per second of video output.
Google is shifting from a strategy of hoarding Gemini for its own Pixel ecosystem, seemingly following Microsoft’s Copilot route by stuffing all producers of Android-bound hardware (Windows, on Microsoft’s part) with wads of cash to get special treatment for its Gemini platform, thereby becoming the premier mobile AI provider, while also keeping its foothold in the Chinese market a little while longer.
Whether Honor will bring these new devices – currently scheduled for a worldwide release on 22 May 2025 – to South Africa remains to be seen. The company recently announced that the Honor 400 Lite was heading to local stores soon enough, sparking hope for a follow-up with Gemini’s new AI powers.
