Earlier this year, Honor showcased the world’s first phone with a built-in gimbal camera system at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and Mobile World Congress (MWC). While it was exciting to see a working demo in-person, it felt like a concept product that would be years away from going mainstream. But it is real and already has a launch timeline. The Honor Robot Phone is coming this year. More specifically, it will be launching before the end of September.
Honor took to Cannes China Night to showcase the Robot Phone in partnership with ARRI, the German camera maker known for high-end cinema and motion picture equipment. The company says its collaboration with ARRI “represents a major milestone in bringing professional cinematic imaging closer to consumers through AI-powered mobile innovation.”
The Honor Robot Phone aims to bring robotic imaging capabilities and film-grade motion control into a smartphone form factor. It has a 200MP camera sensor that’s built into the “smallest 4DoF gimbal system in the industry,” according to Honor. It is like a head on an arm that can swivel around on a three-axis gimbal to nod or shake its head in conversation. This system is made out of the same material – super steel and a titanium alloy – that Honor uses for its folding phone hinges.
At the MWC demo, I asked the Robot Phone about my outfit. It tilted its head (to indicate it was thinking) while the phone processed this information through AI. It recognized my outfit color, complimented me on the dressing style with “SAFF” lettering (which didn’t exist, btw) and had a fun, playful vibe to this whole interaction.
Back then, AI needed more polishing and Honor only confirmed that the phone would launch in the second half of 2026. However, it has now narrowed things down further by confirming a Q3 2026 launch window. It’ll likely be a China-only product when it goes on sale.
I still have questions about the long-term durability of a robo arm on my phone, but Honor looks confident as it positions the Robot Phone as the next evolution of “mobile filmmaking and AI hardware innovation.”
