Honor’s bizarre Robot Phone with a pop-out camera will launch early next year

During the launch event for its Magic8 series, Honor teased an upcoming device, which it calls the Robot Phone. The company says that’s the next step in smartphone development after the basic AI-powered smartphones of today, and it’ll launch it in Barcelona next year.

Honor’s Robot Phone will launch at MWC 2026

Honor is teasing the Robot Phone, which it says will be presented during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona in the beginning of March next year. The device features an AI-powered camera mounted on a gimbal, which can unfold from the back of the phone and capture photos and videos in various directions.

The Robot Phone is a concept device, and Honor hasn’t shown any real hardware. Instead, the company shared a teaser video, which appears to be made with AI-generated images. The device in that video looks like a thick but typical smartphone, at least when its robotic arm is folded in its back.

Instead of the company’s logo, the Robot Phone features an alpha on its back. That’s a reference to Honor’s “Alpha Plan” for AI dominance, which the company announced during the MWC this year.

Your future emotional companion

When the gimbal camera is folded, the Robot Phone looks like any other smartphone. | Image credit – Honor

While the device looks like a crossover between a phone and a DJI Osmo Pocket, it apparently can process more information. In the teaser video, the camera looks like a Pixar movie character that’s looking around and gasping at the beauty of nature.

Honor’s vision is for something more than just a gimbal on the back of a smartphone, though. The company says its vision is that the Robot Phone will be more than a tool for its users. Instead, it could serve as an adaptable emotional companion.

It becomes an emotional companion that senses, adapts, and evolves autonomously like a robot, enriching its users’ lives with love, joy, and wisdom.

Honor, October 2025

What’s still missing are more details about the device. The company has promised to reveal more details about it at the MWC 2026, but it hasn’t clarified whether that’ll be a concept showcase or a consumer product launch.

Too good to be true

I don’t need or want an AI-powered gimbal friend, but I’m still intrigued by Honor’s idea. Considering the company is only sharing a CGI video, which is probably AI-generated, I’m skeptical of how close to reality it is, though. I don’t believe we’ll get a Robot Phone next year, but whenever Honor’s ready, I’ll be glad to test it out.

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Ilia, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been covering the mobile industry since 2011, with experience at outlets like Forbes Bulgaria. Passionate about smartphones, tablets, and consumer tech, he blends deep industry knowledge with a personal fascination that began with his first Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices. Originally from Bulgaria and now based in Lima, Peru, Ilia balances his tech obsessions with walking his dog, training at the gym, and slowly mastering Spanish.

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