Honor just turned a smartphone into something that can look around, follow its owner, and even dance.
Honor launched its Robot Phone in China on Wednesday, introducing a flagship Android device with a motorized 200-megapixel gimbal camera. Starting at 9,999 yuan (approximately $1,480), the phone is designed primarily for vloggers, livestreamers and mobile filmmakers who might otherwise carry a separate gimbal camera.
A protective rear cover slides open before the camera rises above the phone. It can pan, tilt and rotate to stabilize footage, track subjects and automatically frame supported video calls and livestreams.
According to Honor, the gimbal mechanism required more than 60 manufacturing processes, over 100 precision components and more than 100 patents. The company says the titanium gimbal system is significantly smaller than traditional handheld gimbals, while fitting inside the phone's 9.6 mm body.
Flagship hardware and camera specs
The Robot Phone includes a 200-megapixel main camera mounted on the gimbal, a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto camera with 2.7x optical zoom and a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera. It supports 4K video recording and AI-powered subject tracking with real-time auto-framing.
The phone also features a 6.3-inch LTPO OLED display with a 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate and up to 6,800 nits peak brightness. It runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip with up to 16 GB of RAM, up to 1 TB of storage and a 7,060 mAh battery supporting 120 W wired and 50 W wireless charging.
Honor partnered with cinema camera manufacturer ARRI to add LogC3 recording, ARRI Looks, LUT monitoring and a dedicated ARRI Cinema Mode.
AI assistant with a personality
The robotic camera is not only for photography. It also works with Honor's Yoyo AI assistant, allowing the phone to observe its surroundings, recognize facial expressions and perform physical gestures such as nodding, peeking and moving to music.
During the launch event in Guangzhou, Honor CEO James Li said, “In the age of AI, not every phone should be just ‘another black slab,’” according to CNET.
Pricing and availability
The Robot Phone starts at 9,999 yuan (approximately $1,480) for the 12 GB RAM and 512 GB storage version, while the 16 GB RAM and 1 TB model costs 12,999 yuan (approximately $1,930). Open sales in China begin Aug. 18. Honor has not announced plans for a broader international release, and several reports suggest the device may remain China-only for now.
The bigger picture
The Robot Phone stands out for combining a smartphone, an AI assistant, and a stabilized camera system into a single device. For vloggers, filmmakers and livestream creators, it could reduce the need to carry a separate pocket gimbal camera while offering direct editing and sharing from the phone itself.
The trade-off is complexity. Moving mechanical parts raise questions about durability and repair costs. The phone carries an IP54 rating when the gimbal is stowed, and Honor says users should not expect the same protection while the camera is deployed.
Even if it never reaches global markets, Honor's launch signals that smartphone makers are experimenting with hardware again instead of relying solely on software and AI features. The Robot Phone may not redefine the industry overnight, but it shows one possible direction for phones that are designed to interact physically with the world around them.
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on our sister publication, TechRepublic.