Honor Prepares a "Robot Phone" to Challenge DJI's Video Dominance in 2026
JAKARTA - Honor is preparing to go beyond the limits of conventional smartphone design through its latest innovation called the "Robot Phone". The device, whose prototype was exhibited in China last month, at first glance looks like an ordinary mobile phone, but it has unique mechanical technology on its rear camera module.
The phone is equipped with a robotic camera arm that can move on its own, a first in the mobile industry and is planned to be officially launched next year.
Honor's ambitions with this robotic phone are no joke, as they are openly targeting DJI as a major competitor, no longer just fellow mobile phone manufacturers or Apple, which has been the standard in the mobile video industry.
Honor's Chief Imaging Engineer, Luo Wei, stated that Honor's video technology next year will be powerful enough to leave competitors far behind. When responding to public comments, Luo emphasized that the true benchmark for mobile video is DJI, and Honor is ready to compete directly with gimbal and drone manufacturers in 2026.
Speculation has been growing that the mechanical camera arm on the "Robot Phone" is not just a visual decoration, but Honor's attempt to embed stabilization, object tracking, and gimbal-like cinematic motion directly into the body of the phone.
The technology is powered by a powerful artificial intelligence (AI) system, which Honor calls its "AI brain", which allows the phone to function as an adaptive personal camera and be able to move following an object, instead of just being a static device.
Honor is scheduled to officially launch this "Robot Phone" in Barcelona in 2026. This device is positioned as a merger between advanced AI, intelligent systems, and high-definition imaging that is expected to change the way users take professional videos with just a smart phone.
The presence of this technology marks Honor's shift in focus to capture the videography market, which has been dominated by DJI-made external stabilizers.