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Chinese smartphone maker Honor has launched a handset with a motorised robotic camera that nods back at users, betting that its interactive hardware will spark growth in a cooling global market for the devices.
The new Robot Phone, unveiled on Wednesday, features a three-axis mechanical gimbal with four degrees of motion, allowing for video stabilisation and interaction via nodding and tilting.
Activated by a hand gesture, the gimbal camera unfurls from the back of the device – a mechanism that required 60 manufacturing processes and 100 precision components, according to the Huawei Technologies spin-off.
Beyond standard artificial intelligence agentic capabilities that execute tasks across apps, the Robot Phone uses embodied AI to enhance physical video performance. It is designed to automatically pan and tilt the gimbal camera to keep users in the frame as they move about during phone calls or live streams.
And in a bid to woo mobile filmmakers, Honor has partnered with German cinema camera maker Arri to power the handset’s imaging technology.
The Robot Phone is slated to go on sale in mainland China on Tuesday, with prices starting at 9,999 yuan (US$1,482), according to the company.
Honor’s gamble comes as hardware makers face severe headwinds.
Beyond intense rivalries among companies to integrate AI features across the board, the sector is also grappling with rising memory costs, component shortages and a projected 14 per cent decline in global smartphone shipments this year, according to research firm IDC.
The launch on Wednesday aligns with a broader push by the Shenzhen-based company, which is seeking an initial public offering in mainland China.
Following a pledge in 2025 to invest US$10 billion over five years into its AI transformation, Honor is attempting to transition from a traditional smartphone brand into part of the broader AI device ecosystem.
The company is also increasingly tying its identity to robotics. Earlier this year, it unveiled its first humanoid robot, which won a gold medal at a humanoid half-marathon in Beijing in April.


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The Chinese smartphone maker has integrated embodied AI to control camera movement, along with other features to boost interest amid a cooling market


The Chinese smartphone maker has integrated embodied AI to control camera movement, along with other features to boost interest amid a cooling market.


Honor’s new Robot Phone looks to boost global appeal with its nodding camera

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The Chinese smartphone maker has integrated embodied AI to control camera movement, along with other features to boost interest amid a cooling market

The Chinese smartphone maker has integrated embodied AI to control camera movement, along with other features to boost interest amid a cooling market