Honor Launches Robot Phone

Honor launched its Robot Phone almost six months after first teasing the device. The smartphone features a camera mounted on an articulating arm.

The handset, which was initially showcased at MWC26 Barcelona, uses a four degrees of freedom (4DoF) mechanical gimbal system to provide what it calls AI-powered, robot-grade motion control. It is priced at CNY9,999 ($1,483) for 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, rising to CNY12,999 for the 16GB and 1TB version. Sales of the device start on 18 August.

Honor promoted the device as being part of a push into embodied AI, with a camera mounted on an articulating arm able to track users, capture stabilised footage and respond to gestures. The main camera is 200MP and comes alongside a 200MP periscope telephoto lens and 50MP ultra-wide camera. Honor stated the gimbal system, which uses more than 100 precision components, is 65% smaller than conventional gimbals and offers 200% greater structural strength.

Aiding the camera, the device’s YOYO Robot Mode combines gesture recognition, contextual understanding and physical movement to automatically pan and tilt the arm to keep users in frame, while gesture controls allow hands-free operation. Beyond taking photos and video, Honor highlighted its YOYO Auto Execution system can interpret user intent and carry out multi-step tasks across supported apps and system settings.

Honor also revealed a partnership with cinema equipment specialist Arri aimed at integrating professional post-production workflows into the device’s imaging capabilities. The Robot Phone will initially launch in China before a global rollout. Although the company did not provide details of an international launch, it said technology developed through its partnership with Arri will also feature in its upcoming Magic9 series.