Eye tracking is big news in 2024. It’s fundamental to the way Apple’s Vision Pro works, enabling a range of different experiences using the headset.
Chinese tech company Honor has jumped on the trend, adding eye tracking to the Magic 6 Pro, its new flagship smartphone. It relies on a 3D Time of Flight (ToF) sensor next to the usual selfie camera, with both arranged in an iPhone-esque layout that mimics the Dynamic Island.
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Eye tracking isn’t available on the Magic 6 Pro at launch, but it’s coming very soon. And I was able to try it out ahead of time at the MWC tech show in Barcelona.
You’ll need to set it up to work specifically for your eyes, but this is as simple as looking at a few different on-screen numbers for a few seconds. However, you’ll have to hold it in line with your face – fairly awkwardly – to get things to work.
The first thing that hit me was how limited the technology currently is. Eye tracking can only be used to interact directly with notifications, even if that includes answering calls.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Once you’re in the relevant app, there’s no functionality. This was particularly frustrating when a timer ended, meaning I could open the Clock app but not actually stop it from ringing.
However, provided I focused on a very specific part of the notification tracking, eye tracking works well. It can be impressively precise, and waiting a couple of seconds helps it to avoid accidentally triggering.
And I’d be shocked if this isn’t just the start for eye tracking on Honor devices. The company will surely want to expand its application, both to different forms of smartphone interaction and other hardware.
It begs the question: will Honor be expanding into VR headsets, either to rival the Apple Vision Pro or more affordable devices such as the Meta Quest 3?
The answer appears to be no, if comments from Honor CEO George Zhao are anything to go by. In a group interview at the MWC tech show in Barcelona, Zhao expressed his disappointment with the VR headsets already available:
“To be frank, I still do not find any [VR] product to satisfy my requirements. They do not meet my target, I will say. Even for the Vision Pro.
“I know it has the eye tracking interaction, but still from the efficiency point of view and for the interaction, they can improve a lot.”
Zhao didn’t deny that Honor was working on a VR headset, but it seems highly unlikely that we’ll see anything in the near future. If the $3,499 Apple Vision Pro still isn’t good enough, why would a company that prides itself on value for money want to release a rival?
It seems that Honor wants to explore the technology behind VR headsets, such as eye tracking, without releasing a dedicated device. Don’t rule it out longer-term, though – Zhao is a fan of the concept:
“I do believe that it [VR] will be the future…I really love that future, but we will still work hard to meet all your requirements.”
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Author: Anyron Copeman, Mobile Editor, Tech Advisor
Anyron is Mobile Editor at Tech Advisor, where he’s been a mainstay of the editorial team since 2019. In his current role, Anyron is responsible for all smartphone, tablet and mobile network coverage on the site. A BA Journalism graduate, he has experience with a wide range of consumer tech products and services, including smartphones, tablets, foldables, wearables and more.