I noticed HONOR’s Robotic Cellphone, and it is in contrast to any Android cellphone earlier than

One of many coolest issues we noticed at CES earlier this yr was the HONOR Robotic Cellphone — HONOR’s Android handset with a built-in digicam gimbal on the again. On the time, the Robotic Cellphone was a nonfunctional prototype.

Simply a few months later, at MWC 2026, I acquired to see the Robotic Cellphone in motion for the very first time. And I’ve to confess, I got here away fairly impressed.

The design of the Robotic Cellphone hasn’t modified since we first noticed it at CES. After sliding a canopy on the rear digicam housing, the 200MP digicam on the again swivels out to the highest of the cellphone after which freely strikes round utilizing its three-axis gimbal system. To activate the digicam throughout my demo, I held my hand up, palm going through the Robotic Cellphone, then turned my hand round. Virtually instantly, the Robotic Cellphone’s digicam revealed itself and began monitoring me across the present flooring.

HONOR’s large pitch for the Robotic Cellphone and its digicam is that the entire thing acts as a kind of AI/robotic companion. The Robotic Cellphone can interpret the world round it by way of its digicam and helps back-and-forth conversations much like Gemini Dwell. Extra importantly, for those who play music on the Robotic Cellphone, the digicam strikes round and dances to the beat. I didn’t assume I’d ever see an Android cellphone dancing to an Think about Dragons tune, however that’s precisely what occurred throughout my demo.

Whereas I’m not fully bought on the companion facet of the Robotic Cellphone, that doesn’t make the digicam gimbal design any much less spectacular. Even for those who ignore the entire AI trimmings, you’re nonetheless left with what’s successfully an motion digicam constructed right into a flagship Android cellphone. Not solely ought to the 200MP sensor ship handsome images/movies, however the Robotic Cellphone additionally helps locked object monitoring and an AI SpinShot characteristic that allows “clever 90° and 180° rotational motion for fluid, cinematic transitions.”

As you’d anticipate from a digicam gimbal, the Robotic Cellphone additionally gives actually good stabilization. HONOR had a demo with the Robotic Cellphone and an iPhone recording video side-by-side, with each telephones transferring wildly on a contraption that moved them forwards and backwards and thru varied rotations. Wanting on the viewfinders on each telephones, the Robotic Cellphone’s video virtually seemed prefer it wasn’t transferring in any respect, whereas the iPhone’s video was noticeably shaky.

At the same time as a semi-casual photographer, that is what excites me probably the most concerning the Robotic Cellphone. It was probably the most promising facet when HONOR first introduced the machine, and now that I’ve seen it in motion, I’m much more impressed.

HONOR says the Robotic Cellphone will probably be launched someday within the second half of 2026, however we nonetheless don’t know the specs, pricing, or whether or not it’ll launch in some other international locations outdoors China. Even when the Robotic Cellphone does get a world launch, as with different HONOR telephones, it virtually definitely received’t come to the US.

Is the HONOR Robotic Cellphone probably the most sensible Android smartphone I’ve ever seen? Completely not. Is it doubtless going to be very costly at any time when and wherever it launches? Completely sure. Even when I’m not bought on HONOR’s AI ambitions for the Robotic Cellphone, I nonetheless love that it exists — and that I acquired to see it working with my very own eyes. The world wants extra bizarre Android telephones, and undoubtedly, that’s precisely what the HONOR Robotic Cellphone is.