Honor unveils first humanoid robot at MWC 2026, entering booming AI robotics market

Phone-Maker Honor Will Unveil Its First Humanoid Robot Next Week

Katie is a UK-based news reporter and features writer. Officially, she is CNET's European correspondent, covering tech policy and Big Tech in the EU and UK. Unofficially, she serves as CNET's Taylor Swift correspondent. You can also find her writing about tech for good, ethics and human rights, the climate crisis, robots, travel and digital culture. She was once described a "living synth" by London's Evening Standard for having a microchip injected into her hand. When Honor announced its upcoming Robot Phone in October last year, it was a genuine surprise, promising a refreshing break from the relatively predictable phone designs we see on a daily basis. But it turns out the Chinese phone-maker had something even more ambitious and impressive up its sleeve: an actual robot. Honor will unveil its first humanoid service robot during its launch event at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Sunday March 1, the company said on Monday. It is set to display the robot alongside the first working prototype of its Robot Phone, as well as new phones and tablets. The market for humanoid robots is currently experiencing a massive boom -- with IDC noting a 508% year-on-year growth in revenue in 2025 -- thanks to rapid advances in AI. Chinese companies are far ahead in this race, with leaders such as Agibot and Unitree already shipping out units, while US competitors trail behind. Still, most of these humanoids are designed to be used in industrial or service settings. Very few are ready for deployment into people's homes. We don't have many details about what to expect from Honor's robot at this stage. An AI-generated video posted by the company shows a humanoid robot with a glowing neon blue lights interacting with its Robot Phone. Last year at MWC, Honor announced a $10 billion investment into AI, with a range of devices promised. Compared to other phone-makers, the company is early to jump into the world of robotics, potentially giving it early-mover advantage in an increasingly crowded market. What isn't clear at this stage is how far along Honor is in its robot development. At MWC, it could unveil a full working prototype on stage, or it could show us another video of the robot. Either way, CNET will be in attendance at the company's kenynote to bring you all the news as it happens.

Honor Teases New Humanoid Robots, First Model Will Arrive at MWC 2026

With over a decade of experience reporting on consumer technology, James covers mobile phones, apps, operating systems, wearables, AI, and more. Most people know Honor for its smartphones and other gadgets, but it's now set to pivot into robotics as the next step in its AI-focused strategy. Announced on Monday, Honor debuted a teaser for its MWC 2026 launch event with the tagline "Believers in AI Future." Its save-the-date video for the launch, set for Sunday, March 1, gives a quick glimpse at its first humanoid robot. Spotted at the end of the video, the robot appears to have a singular camera and a light toward the top of the head, with it being shown bending at the waist to look down. It also shows an arm on its left-hand side, with a blue light running down the center of the chest. It's set to come in matte black, though it's hard to see the exact color in the video, which is designed to just tease the innovations. Little else is known about the robot. The launch event should see Honor share more about what this robot is capable of and whether it is a concept device or a gadget the brand intends to sell to customers. If it does sell this first-gen model, it's unlikely we'll see it come to the US, as historically Honor hasn't focused on the US market. It may be that this launch will focus on its home market, China, as the brand begins to build out its robotics expertise. Some Honor products launch in other parts of Asia and across Europe. The brand is also set to talk more about its Robot Phone, a concept device it previously showcased, featuring a robot arm with gimbal capabilities to adjust the rear camera. Honor says the phone has a "super brain of AI" onboard. Other new products confirmed for MWC 2026 include a Magic V6 foldable phone, a MagicPad tablet, and a MagicBook Pro laptop. The brand will be hoping its MWC 2026 robot reveals go off without a hitch. One recent robot launch from Russian brand Aidol saw its creation face-plant live on stage during its November 2025 debut.

Chinese Smartphone Maker Honor Plans Humanoid Service Robot

Honor Device Co. will unveil its first humanoid robot later this week, joining a rush by Chinese companies into a burgeoning sector of new technology. The robot, aimed at consumer services such as shopping assistance, will make its debut at the MWC Barcelona tech conference this weekend, the Shenzhen-based smartphone maker said on Monday. Honor, which went independent from Huawei Technologies Co. in 2020, says it will be first among its peers to enter the humanoid segment, though Huawei is also developing AI models for such tasks. Honor will also show off its latest artificial intelligence advancements, under the banner of what it calls the Honor Robot Phone. The race to build artificial intelligence into physical products is now led by Chinese startups like Unitree, whose machines were featured in a spectacular acrobatic showcase during the country's Lunar New Year gala broadcast. Honor has set up a multibillion-dollar initiative to expand into new industries, with a focus on AI and novel applications. Like rivals Xiaomi Corp., Oppo and Vivo, the company is also building its own agentic AI services that will be integrated into its software for smartphones and other devices. Closely held Honor, which has backing from the Shenzhen government's investment vehicle and an array of state-owned enterprises, has said it's on track to a public listing, though it hasn't yet fixed a timeline. Recent debuts by Chinese AI-focused companies, such as large language model developer Zhipu, have been greeted with enthusiasm by investors seeking domestic competitors to the likes of OpenAI and Anthropic PBC. Read more about China's lead in robotics Chinese Firms Dominated Global Humanoid Robot Shipments in 2025 Chinese Startup's Kung Fu Robots Fire Up Tech-Wary Investors China Warns of Bubble Risks in Booming Humanoid Robots Arena China's Honor Developing Humanoid Robots in $10 Billion AI Plan

HONOR just revealed it's bringing a humanoid robot to MWC - Phandroid

Most people already knew HONOR had something wild planned for MWC 2026 in Barcelona. The company has been teasing its Robot Phone for months. But buried in that announcement was something nobody saw coming. According to Bloomberg, HONOR will also unveil its first HONOR humanoid robot at the show this weekend. It's the company's first step into full-body robotics. HONOR dropped the news Monday via a teaser on X. The clip showed both the Robot Phone and the unnamed humanoid side by side. The robot looks exactly how you'd expect: a matte black figure with a glass face, a light bar where its eyes would be, and a single camera on its forehead. Its purpose? Consumer services, with shopping assistance as one of the key use cases. HONOR split from Huawei back in 2020 and has been pushing hard into AI ever since. The company has poured a reported $10 billion into what it calls its Alpha Plan. Per Bloomberg, HONOR claims it will be the first among its peers to enter the humanoid segment. Huawei is also developing AI models for similar tasks, so that title could get contested quickly. The humanoid ties into the bigger story HONOR is telling at MWC. The Robot Phone debut is officially confirmed for March 1 at the Palau de Congressos de Barcelona, and the humanoid robot should appear at the same showcase. HONOR isn't alone in going big this year either. TECNO is also bringing a major AI push to MWC 2026, and Chinese brands in general are treating Barcelona as a statement moment. Details on the humanoid are still thin, but March 1 isn't far off.

Here's When Honor Will Showcase Its First Humanoid Robot

* Honor's humanoid robot will feature a forward-facing camera * Honor's humanoid robot will ship with AI functionality * The company will also launch the Robot Phone on the same day The Mobile World Congress (MWC 2026) is scheduled to begin on March 2 and will go on until March 5. During the four-day event, various smartphone makers and tech firms will showcase their new products and innovations. Ahead of MWC 2026, various Chinese companies, including Xiaomi and Honor, will also globally unveil new devices. Recently, Honor confirmed that its Magic V6 foldable and the Robot Phone with a pop-out camera will be globally launched a day before the event starts. Now, the Chinese smartphone maker has confirmed that the handsets will be accompanied by a humanoid robot. Honor to Showcase Its First Humanoid Robot on March 1 at MWC 2026 In a post on X, the China-based tech firm announced that it will showcase its first humanoid robot with AI features on March 1, a day before the MWC 2026 begins, in Barcelona, Spain. Honor said, "We've combined cutting-edge robotics with the ultimate mobile experience." While most details about it remain under wraps, the company has also shared a video as part of the announcement showing the design of the humanoid robot. The humanoid robot appears to have some sort of visor, placed on its forehead, which could feature a camera to help it in avoiding obstacles while also allowing the robot to answer environment-based questions and take context-based actions. The hollow face of Honor's first humanoid robot will be covered with a glass panel. The "alpha" branding, which is also seen on the Honor Robot Phone, will be placed on the back of the humanoid robot, according to the landing page on the company's website. Like other humanoid robots, it will also feature a full-set of limbs, allowing it to move around and interact with other objects in its surroundings. Honor is expected to reveal more details about the new device in the coming weeks. This comes soon after the company announced that it will launch the new Honor Magic V6 and Robot Phone at MWC Barcelona 2026 on March 1. Honor is set to host the 'AI Device Ecosystem Era' showcase between 1pm to 2pm CET (12:30am to 1:30am IST) on the day. While the Magic V6 will be a foldable phone, the Robot Phone is teased to feature a pop-out camera on the back.

HONOR MWC 2026: Humanoid Robot, Magic V6 and more

HONOR has released its official "Save the Date" communications for Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2026. Operating under this year's theme, "Believers in AI Future," the company has outlined a series of upcoming hardware and conceptual announcements. A focal point of the upcoming presentation is the unveiling of HONOR's first embodied AI humanoid robot. This introduction positions HONOR as the first major smartphone company to expand into the humanoid robotics sector. Further context on this strategic move was recently detailed in a report by Bloomberg. At the Global Launch Event, HONOR plans to showcase several new devices alongside its robotics debut: This year's showcase serves as a continuation of the HONOR ALPHA PLAN, which was initially introduced at MWC Barcelona 2025. The 2026 event will highlight the company's ongoing technological developments -- spanning flagship mobile devices to robotics innovations -- as part of its broader vision for a "human-machine synergized future." The HONOR Keynote Launch Event is scheduled to take place in Barcelona, Spain on March 1, 2026, at 1PM CET (5:30 PM IST) at Palau de Congressos de Barcelona.