Honor launches phone with robotic camera, teases humanoid robot

Honor on Sunday showed off the capabilities of its Robot Phone, which the Chinese electronics firm aims to stand out from some of its bigger rivals like Samsung. Apple.

The company, which left Huawei in 2020, also launched its newest foldable smartphone, Magic V6, as part of the Mobile World Congress event held in Barcelona on Sunday. Additionally, Honor also teased a humanoid robot, but with little detail.

These releases come at a time of ongoing shortages and unprecedented price increases for memory chips; This situation is expected to cause device manufacturers to increase prices for smartphones in 2026 and strain demand.

Honor introduced the Robot Phone for the first time in October. There is a camera on the robotic arm protruding from the main body of the device. For those interested in video work, it seems to be inspired by the Osmo product line of Chinese drone manufacturer DJI.

Powered by a small motor, the camera can lock onto an object or person and follow it as it moves. A user can talk to Honor’s AI assistant, and the camera can then respond with a yes or no with a nod.

Honor said that they aim to make the phone commercially available in China in the second half of the year.

The Robot Phone shows how companies like Honor are trying to stand out in a sea of ​​similar-looking smartphones, giving users a compelling enough reason to upgrade or replace their existing devices.

The device is expected to be expensive and continues to fall into the high-end segment of the market where Honor is looking to challenge Samsung and the like. AppleEspecially in foreign markets such as Europe.

Honor finished the year as the sixth-largest smartphone player in China, with a market share of just over 13%, according to Counterpoint Research. However, it is a much smaller player trying to establish a brand presence abroad. According to Omdia research, its market share in Europe was 3% in 2025.

Honor broke into the list of top five players in the region for the first time at the end of the year, but its gains were largely driven by sales of its lower-priced devices.

Francisco Jeronimo, vice president of data and analytics at IDC, told CNBC that the launch was more of a “marketing push” to create excitement around the brand, aiming to build market share outside of China.

“There are some innovations in this and they need such innovations to show their capabilities,” Jeronimo said. “It will attract everyone’s attention. Even if it means sales when it is released, it will be difficult to sell, especially if it is a high-priced or large phone.”

While Samsung dominates the foldable smartphone category with the Galaxy Z Fold series devices, Honor is also trying to gain a place in the premium segment. foldable V series devices with ultra-thin batteries.

Meanwhile, Honor showcased its first humanoid robot on stage at the MWC launch event. While few details are given about the device, it does show how Chinese companies in particular are expanding into the field of robotics. Chinese electronics giant XiaomiFor example, it has developed its own humanoid robot called CyberOne. Meanwhile, electric car manufacturer Xpeng also has its own humanoid robot model.