“? Phone:” China-made Honor lets users question its future Robot Phone
The bad news is that you can’t buy it yet, but the good news is that you can register to participate in Honor Robot Phone’s creation process.
Image by Cybernews
The bad news is that you can’t buy it yet, but the good news is that you can register to participate in Honor Robot Phone’s creation process.
Every year, tech companies release upgraded smartphones that are thinner and lighter and can fold or flip. With users basically seeing it all, it’s getting harder to come up with something groundbreaking.
But this doesn’t seem to be a problem for the China-based consumer electronics company Honor, which recently gave a sneak peek at what could be its next device.
In the video, the company shows what is presumed to be its future smartphone, the Honor Robot Phone.
What makes it stand out from other smartphones is that it includes a camera that resembles a little robot that folds out from the smartphone.
Honor Robot Phone: just an idea
On its website, the company shares the design idea behind the future device. Referring to it as “? Phone,” the company questions what could be the new future smartphone that would include “the brain of AI and the super mobility of a robot,” and could “transform into your personal camera.”
These questions led Honor to come up with a Robot smartphone with a built-in camera that comes out of the device and is capable of checking its surroundings, working as a photographer, or an assistant in various everyday situations.
While the company doesn’t provide much detail on the device’s features, capabilities, and release date, the information on its website suggests that the smartphone has yet to be developed.
Nevertheless, Honor has introduced the “Users' Wish Plan.” For registered users, the company promises a behind-the-scenes look at how the device’s idea was turned into an actual phone. Users will also be able to contribute their two cents to user research and become the first ones to try the new device.
Netizens' reactions to Honor Robot Phone
Honor's ad video started a discussion online, with some enjoying the idea behind a new smartphone.
“I think I will like it,” wrote one user on Reddit.
However, multiple users agreed that such a concept would be hard to execute in real life.
“That's a very original idea. I love it. But making this work would be a pain in the butt, and I bet it will be pretty pricey. It's pretty cute, though. I want one,” shared another netizen.
“Those motors ain't lasting a year,” added another Redditor.
“Autobot transforms into an Honor phone!” joked one of the users.
One aspect that users debated was Honor’s ad video itself. Some refused to believe that it was an official video released by the company due to how AI-made it looked.
“There is so much AI bs video in this ad, is this fan-made or official?” asked one Redditor, with others confirming that it was released on the official Honor account on YouTube.
Details such as the videos’ quality and “the music sounds a cross between Disney and Hallmark TV movies,” as noted by one viewer, could give the impression that it was something created by a fan rather than the company.
It’s not clear when and if the company will release the Honor Robot phone, but it did share that more details should be unveiled during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona in 2026.
The company’s latest smartphone launch was the Honor Magic 7 Pro in January 2025.
Unlock more exclusive Cybernews content on YouTube.