Whereas Honor has already made loads of product bulletins, with tablets, foldables and extra, its most fascinating system at MWC 2026 is the Robotic Cellphone — and perhaps the humanoid robotic that got here alongside it.
After briefly exhibiting off a mannequin at CES, Honor is not fairly able to launch its Robotic Cellphone. Nonetheless, we acquired extra specs, tech demos and a more in-depth look following the corporate’s MWC press occasion in Barcelona. The Robotic Cellphone is presently set to launch later this yr.
Picture by Mat Smith for Engadget
Honor has put plenty of effort into guaranteeing its digital camera gimbal is very cell, to the purpose of making a tiny private robotic that’s, dare I say, cute? The Robotic Cellphone’s pop-up digital camera can cock its head, shake to say no, nod to agree, and even “flip” – or no less than rotate 360 levels. In line with Honor’s presentation, it could actually even bop alongside to songs. A spokesperson instructed me that it is acquired 5 songs in its repertoire, so it isn’t clear whether or not they’re programmed for these sort of demos, or can be a function of the ultimate retail system.
One other demo right here at MWC confirmed how you may make the Robotic Cellphone “sleep” by masking its gimbal eye, although it is odd that the digital camera remains to be uncovered somewhat than folded away. My fundamental concern with the Robotic Cellphone is the robustness and sturdiness of its robotic mechanisms. We have lived by a number of waves of smartphones that tried a lot less complicated mechanical digital camera features and the specter of mud or heavy-handed customers cannot be ignored.
Picture by Mat Smith for Engadget
The corporate says it is taken what it discovered from foldables, concerning high-performance supplies and simulation accuracy, and utilized it to shrinking the digital camera module. On stage, Honor CEO James Li revealed what he calls the trade’s smallest micro motor, a lot smaller than a 1-euro coin and, he added, 70 % smaller than current micro motors.
As this part has been lowered considerably, the Robotic Cellphone’s gimbal would be the trade’s smallest 4-degrees-of-freedom gimbal system. That is a spec – we lastly acquired a spec! It’s going to additionally provide three-axis stabilization on this tiny digital camera package deal, with the first digital camera utilizing a 200-megapixel sensor.
The fold-away panel that the first digital camera tucks into additionally reveals extra typical cameras, so you are not compelled to make use of the gimbal if you happen to do not want it. Nonetheless, that is one very thick digital camera unit:
Picture by Mat Smith for Engadget
Honor has already began constructing out digital camera modes and options, with a Tremendous Regular Video mode that enhances stability whereas swinging the Robotic Cellphone round to seize video. AI Object Monitoring will apparently intelligently comply with topics, whereas AI SpinShot helps clever 90-degree and 180-degree rotational motion for extra cinematic transitions. We have seen these kinds of pre-programmed actions and features in full-size cellphone gimbals and motion cams. If Honor can nail it in such a tiny type, it’s going to be spectacular.
Different specs throughout Honor’s press occasion had been sparse, though the corporate introduced a collaboration with ARRI Picture Science to carry its cinematic smarts to the Robotic Cellphone’s gimbal digital camera.
In a press launch, Honor’s Li mentioned the collaboration would carry ARRI’s “cinematic requirements {and professional} workflows” into cell imaging. It is apparently the primary time parts of ARRI Picture Science are being built-in right into a client system. Dr. Benedikt von Lindeiner, VP at ARRI, mentioned the aim is to carry a real cinematic aesthetic, akin to “pure coloration, light spotlight roll-off, and a way of depth,” to taking pictures with an Honor smartphone.
Picture by Mat Smith
Honor additionally made a humanoid robotic companion for its Robotic Cellphone. The bot took to the stage alongside the Robotic Cellphone, danced alongside human dancers, did a backflip and shook palms with CEO James Li. It did not say a factor, however thankfully, throughout some on-the-rails banter between the robotic, Robotic Cellphone and Honor’s CEO, the Robotic Cellphone was notably chatty.
Like the numerous humanoid robots we have reported on and seen in individual, Honor hopes to place it to work in each industrial and home settings, pitching it as a central a part of the corporate’s multi-million-dollar push into AI. For now, it is being referred to as Honor Robotic.
