The Honor Robot Phone is real and it looks every bit as wild as it sounds. Hands-on photos of a prototype have surfaced from the Honor User Carnival in China, showcasing one of the strangest camera designs ever put on a smartphone.

Honor Robot Phone has a fold-out camera on a motorized gimbal

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Unlike any phone on the market, the Robot Phone mounts its main camera on a robotic arm, complete with a motorized gimbal. When folded in, the camera behaves like any other primary shooter. But with the press of a button, the module swings outward, unlocking features a standard phone simply can’t pull off.

This mechanism lets users take high-quality selfies using the main sensor, ditching the front-facing camera altogether. More than that, the gimbal enables stabilized video recording, and the robotic mount allows for smooth motion tracking, whether the phone is on a tripod, a desk, or even in your pocket.

First photos reveal black, white, and gold finishes

At the Honor User Carnival, the prototype was displayed behind glass so no working demos yet, but it did appear in three color variants: black, white, and gold. Some finishes use glass, while others seem to feature faux leather backing.

From the back, the Robot Phone almost mimics the iPhone 17 Pro, until you notice that camera arm, which immediately sets it apart.

Honor Robot Phone’s key features teased so far

The Robot Phone isn’t just about quirky hardware, it’s designed to work with AI-assisted camera tracking, allowing it to follow subjects automatically. This could turn the phone into a mini camera operator, ideal for content creators, vloggers, or solo filmmakers.

Honor is also teasing star tracking, which uses the motorized gimbal to align with celestial objects. That means sharper, long-exposure night shots without needing a manual setup.

Here’s what we know so far:

• Motorized, fold-out camera arm with gimbal
• Main camera doubles as selfie shooter
• AI subject tracking for automated recording
• Star tracking mode for astrophotography
• Available in black, white, and gold
• Faux leather or glass rear finish

More to come at MWC 2026

Details remain scarce, and Honor hasn’t confirmed whether the Robot Phone will ever make it to retail. A full reveal is expected at Mobile World Congress 2026 next March. Until then, the Honor Robot Phone remains the boldest concept device we’ve seen all year and maybe the most ambitious camera experiment on a smartphone to date.