Never before have design and technology boundaries been pushed so far in the smartphone world. Honor, with its unconventional “Robot Phone,” is not only challenging rival phone brands but also directly intimidating DJI, a giant in camera and gimbal technology. A working prototype of this device, showcased at an event in China last month, looks like a standard phone at first glance, but the secret on its back panel could fundamentally change mobile photography.
Mechanical Camera Arm: Your Phone Will Follow You!
The key feature that makes the device “robot” is the movable mechanical arm hidden within the rear camera module. This hardware, which we haven’t seen in any other brand yet, allows the camera to move on its own. Honor’s goal is to offer professional video stabilization and object tracking with a mechanism embedded within the device, without the need for a gimbal or external stabilizer.
The vision behind this ambitious project became even clearer with the statements of Honor’s Imaging Unit Chief Engineer, Luo Wei. Wei announced that the project, which they have been working on for about a year, is complete and that they will leave their competitors far behind in video technology next year.
Upon followers referencing Apple for video performance, Wei gave a groundbreaking response:
“Isn’t DJI the benchmark in mobile video? Let’s compete with them next year.” A smartphone brand choosing DJI, the drone and stabilizer giant, instead of Apple as a benchmark, has sparked great curiosity about the capabilities of the Robot Phone.
The Honor Robot Phone is not just a moving mass of glass and metal. At its heart lies a powerful artificial intelligence system that Honor describes as its “AI Brain.” Thanks to this system, the phone combines AI-powered smart systems and high-resolution imaging technologies, acting more like a “personal cameraman” that adapts to its environment and follows the user, rather than a static device.
Honor is expected to officially unveil this revolutionary device at the MWC 2026 technology fair in Barcelona in 2026.
