Honor Unveils AI-Powered Robot Phone with Gimbal Camera at User Carnival

Honor shows off its wild 'Robot Phone' prototype in real life, with Sony Alpha logo removed

The Robot Phone is Honor's approach to an AI-first device, and the company teased the somewhat unsettling concept last month. Even though users were promised a better look at MWC 2025, the company decided to show the phone off a little early, and it's no less wild than you'd expect. Honor unveiled something it called the "Alpha Plan" in October, and with it, a debut device that would incorporate AI that bridged the gap between human and code. The phone utilizes a gimbal camera that tightly packs into the back of a device, which looks similar to Apple's iPhone 17 Pro. The subsequent teaser video touted a device with a mind of its own, and its own anthropomorphic way of showing emotions using an XYZ motor assembly. The teaser film had all the makings of a Disney film about an unexpected friendship between AI and human. Like Wall-E, but pointedly existential. Digression aside, Honor's Robot Phone is an interesting concept, but likely one that would be incredibly difficult to pull off well. Prior to showcasing more at MWC 2025, as Honor had announced, the company decided to unveil the device during the Honor User Carnival in China (via GSMArena). The phone is clearly in prototype form, but the featured gimbal is shown in two states - tightly packed into a camera island, and extended to its action mode. The phone is also noticeably thick, given that the USB-C port seems to be swallowed by millimeters of phone on each side. That isn't quite so unexpected, considering the star feature can only fold up so tightly inside. Honor seems to have also dropped the Alpha Plan logo from its Robot Phone concept. This could be because of its pre-production nature, or it could be that the logo was a little too similar to the Sony Alpha logo photographers and videographers have come to know for years. In any case, only a couple of demo units have a printed logo near the bottom, but nothing like what was shown in previous assets. It appears that a black, white, and gold variant of the phone will be available when/if it launches, complete with a faux leather or glass rear panel, depending on the colorway. There are no further details on when the device could launch, though more teasers may be on the way moving into 2026.

Honor's Robot Phone With AI-Powered Gimbal Camera Spotted in Live Images

Honor has not revealed availability details of the Robot Phone Honor first showcased its Robot Phone concept earlier this year. The global unveiling is scheduled for Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026 in March, but ahead of it, the company has offered a preview of the device at the Honor User Carnival in China. The Robot Phone features a gimbal camera mounted on a robotic arm attached to the phone's rear, and it can automatically rotate to track subjects and capture video. The Robot Phone was showcased in three colourways. Honor Robot Phone Design, Colour Options (Expected) Real-life images of the Honor Robot Phone have surfaced on Weibo, offering the first detailed look at the prototype concept device. As per user reports, the device was displayed inside a glass case during the Honor User Carnival in China. The phone was shown in Black, White, and Gold colour options with either leather or glass back, depending on the finish. The Honor Robot Phone seen inside a glass case Photo Credit: Weibo/ Squad Leader Huang The overall design of the Honor Robot Phone resembles the iPhone 17 Pro and Magic 8 series, featuring rounded corners, a flat frame. It appears to have a glass portion beneath the camera island. The gimbal stabilised camera is the standout feature of the handset that tucks into the rear camera module and extends outward when activated. This works like regular gimbals and allows the phone to track subjects and adjust automatically using AI. The gimbal camera would be ideal for vloggers and content creators to get hands-free recording without a tripod. The rotating gimbal module adjusts itself using AI to keep the subject framed at all times. The movable camera on the Honor Robot Phone appears to house a USB Type-C port, possibly for connecting external accessories. Another USB Type-C port is also visible on the bottom edge of the handset. Honor has not revealed the sale and availability details of the Robot Phone, but the company is already scheduled to showcase the device at the MWC 2026, Barcelona, Spain. Honor first teased the futuristic device at the launch event for the Honor Magic 8 and Magic 8 Pro.