Whereas Honor has already made loads of product bulletins, with tablets, foldables and extra, its most attention-grabbing 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 isn't fairly able to launch its Robotic Cellphone. Nevertheless, we acquired extra specs, tech demos and a better look following the corporate's MWC press occasion in Barcelona. The Robotic Cellphone is at the moment set to launch later this yr.
Honor has put loads of effort into guaranteeing its digicam gimbal is very cellular, to the purpose of making a tiny private robotic that’s, dare I say, lovely? The Robotic Cellphone's pop-up digicam can cock its head, shake to say no, nod to agree, and even "flip" – or at the very least rotate 360 levels. In line with Honor's presentation, it could possibly even bop alongside to songs. A spokesperson informed me that it's acquired 5 songs in its repertoire, so it's not clear whether or not they're programmed for these form of demos, or can be a function of the ultimate retail system.
One other demo right here at MWC confirmed how you might make the Robotic Cellphone "sleep" by overlaying its gimbal eye, although it's odd that the digicam continues to be uncovered reasonably than folded away. My major concern with the Robotic Cellphone is the robustness and sturdiness of its robotic mechanisms. We've lived by way of a number of waves of smartphones that tried a lot easier mechanical digicam capabilities and the specter of mud or heavy-handed customers can't be ignored.
The corporate says it's taken what it realized from foldables, concerning high-performance supplies and simulation accuracy, and utilized it to shrinking the digicam module. On stage, Honor CEO James Li revealed what he calls the business's smallest micro motor, a lot smaller than a 1-euro coin and, he added, 70 p.c smaller than current micro motors.
As this element has been lowered considerably, the Robotic Cellphone's gimbal would be the business's smallest 4-degrees-of-freedom gimbal system. That's a spec – we lastly acquired a spec! It'll additionally supply three-axis stabilization on this tiny digicam package deal, with the first digicam utilizing a 200-megapixel sensor.
The fold-away panel that the first digicam tucks into additionally reveals extra typical cameras, so that you're not compelled to make use of the gimbal in case you don't want it. Nonetheless, that's one very thick digicam unit:
Honor has already began constructing out digicam 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've seen these types of pre-programmed actions and capabilities in full-size cellphone gimbals and motion cams. If Honor can nail it in such a tiny kind, it'll be spectacular.
Different specs throughout Honor's press occasion had been sparse, though the corporate introduced a collaboration with ARRI Picture Science to deliver its cinematic smarts to the Robotic Cellphone's gimbal digicam.
In a press launch, Honor's Li stated the collaboration would deliver ARRI's "cinematic requirements {and professional} workflows" into cellular imaging. It's apparently the primary time parts of ARRI Picture Science are being built-in right into a shopper system. Dr. Benedikt von Lindeiner, VP at ARRI, stated the purpose is to deliver a real cinematic aesthetic, akin to "pure shade, light spotlight roll-off, and a way of depth," to capturing with an Honor smartphone.
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 didn't say a factor, however happily, throughout some on-the-rails banter between the robotic, Robotic Cellphone and Honor's CEO, the Robotic Cellphone was significantly chatty.
Like the various humanoid robots we've reported on and seen in particular person, 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's being known as Honor Robotic.
This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cellular/smartphones/a-closer-look-at-honors-robot-phone-145935198.html?src=rss