I Spent Time With Honor's Robot Phone. The Gimbal Camera Is Just the Start

Jennifer Moore · 2026-08-31

I first saw Honor's Robot Phone at MWC earlier this year, but that was a strictly hands-off demo. Now, I've finally had a proper close-up look at this wild device, and I have to admit—it's far more than a gimmick. The headline feature is that mechanical camera arm on the back. It's essentially a DJI Osmo Pocket 4-style gimbal tucked inside the phone's chassis. For something so small, it's an impressive feat of engineering, and it looks much better in person than it does in press photos. ### The Gimbal Is the Star Read through Honor's press release, and you'll find bold claims about manufacturing steps, patents, and movement speeds. Each little feature gets its own brand name, but what matters is that the gimbal is built to be durable, move quickly, and track accurately. Why add a gimbal? Simple: it gives you super steady footage without relying on algorithms or electronic stabilization. You can manually pan the camera across a scene, and there are pre-programmed cinematic movements that let you capture dynamic shots with minimal effort. Here's what impressed me most: - **Smooth tracking:** The gimbal can automatically follow a subject, panning and tilting to keep them in frame. During my time with the phone, it worked surprisingly well, aside from a few teething issues because the device is built for the Chinese market. - **Versatile cameras:** The main sensor packs 200MP with a wide f/1.6 aperture. It's joined by a 200MP telephoto zoom and a 50MP ultrawide—a very versatile setup for video. - **Pro-friendly features:** You get 14-bit RAW processing, Log shooting, and real-time ARRI look previews. For video enthusiasts, this is a treasure trove. ### Under the Hood: Power and Endurance Powering all these features is the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, paired with Honor's H1 chip and an effective cooling system designed for long shooting sessions. The 7060mAh battery supports 120W wired and 50W wireless charging, so you won't run out of juice quickly. The gimbal works as expected, and the footage really does look good—even on the device's slightly chunky screen. But here's where I get less enthusiastic: the AI and "robot" aspects. The gimbal can dance, act as a personal assistant, and answer questions while it looks you in the face. Those are gimmicks, pure and simple, and not a reason anyone should buy this phone. ### Should You Care? If you're a mobile videographer, the camera system alone makes this worth watching. The gimbal is a genuine innovation, and the image quality is impressive. But the AI tricks feel like they're trying too hard to justify the "robot" label. The Robot Phone is on sale in China right now, but you won't find it in Western retail stores. A wider release doesn't seem planned. Still, I'd bet we'll see this technology, in some form, hit future Honor flagships. For now, it's a fascinating glimpse into what's possible when you rethink smartphone design. And honestly, that's more than enough to get excited about.