Honor plans robot-armed ‘Robot Phone’ launch in China in late 2026, reports say

Honor is preparing to sell a “Robot Phone” featuring a retractable robotic arm and a 200-megapixel camera in the second half of 2026, according to reports from The Verge and CNBC - though the device is expected to be limited to the Chinese market.

A smartphone concept built around a robotic selfie camera

As smartphone designs increasingly converge, manufacturers are looking for ways to stand out. Honor’s approach is a handset that blends phone hardware with robotics, aimed at people who regularly shoot selfies, record videos or create content.

At the centre of the concept is a 200MP camera mounted on an articulated robotic arm. When not in use, the arm sits folded into the rear of the device; when activated, it extends out to take selfies, track the user’s movement, and interact with the person holding the phone using AI features.

Stabilisation and AI subject tracking positioned as key selling points

Honor says the mechanical design enables advanced stabilisation through a three-axis gimbal-style system to produce smoother, more accurate movement while filming. The company also highlights a “Super Steady Video” mode designed for fast-moving scenes, alongside AI-powered object tracking that can follow subjects in real time.

From prototype to product - but only for China

So far, Honor has shown the Robot Phone as a concept or prototype rather than a device you can buy today. However, the company appears to be moving towards commercialisation, with The Verge and CNBC reporting that Honor has indicated a sales launch in the latter half of 2026.

For now, the planned release is said to cover only China, with no announcement of availability in the UK or other international markets.

Honor leans into an innovation narrative

By unveiling a handset built around a robotic mechanism, Honor is positioning itself as an innovator. The firm says integrating robotics into a smartphone required rethinking internal space, durability and weight at a microscopic scale, and that it drew on materials and reliability techniques developed for foldable devices to engineer an in-house micromotor that is compact yet robust.

MWC showcase also included the Magic V6 foldable

Alongside the Robot Phone concept, Honor used Mobile World Congress to introduce its latest foldable, the Magic V6. The company claims it has achieved a notably slim design despite using a large-capacity battery, using battery technology intended to store more energy within the same physical volume.