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This wild phone with a pop-out camera is actually real, but you may never be able to buy it

The Robot Phone and its pop-out gimbal camera are more than empty promises after all.

By Ilia Temelkov

Published: Nov 20, 2025, 11:26 AM

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Honor

Honor teased the so-called Robot Phone during the Magic8 series launch event last month, promising it would show it next year. However, only a month after that initial tease, the company decided to showcase the device for the first time.

Honor displays the Robot Phone

Honor hosted a preview of its Robot Phone during its User Carnival event in China. The prototype device that features a pop-out gimbal camera on its back was displayed in a glass case at the event. Various photos of the device showed up on Chinese social media, including Weibo.

When the company first teased the device, it promised to showcase it during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in March next year. However, that first look came months earlier with various iterations of the design, including a few color options.

The Honor Robot Phone prototype. | Images – Weibo

Apparently, Honor will offer the device in at least three colors: black, white, and gold. Its back is reminiscent of the iPhone 17 Pro and combines what looks like an aluminum chassis with a glass window below the oversized camera island.

What about the AI?

Honor’s AI-generated teaser for the Robot Phone made the device look like an AI-powered Pixar character gasping at the beauty of our world. The company said the device would serve as an “emotional companion that senses, adapts, and evolves autonomously.”

Do you believe Honor will release the Robot Phone next year?

The company still hasn’t confirmed if it’ll launch the Robot Phone commercially, but even if it does, it’s unlikely to sell it outside of China. Hopefully, we’ll be able to see a fully functional prototype and more details about it at the MWC 2026.

What if it’s real?

I’m very skeptical about the Robot Phone, though those prototype devices make it feel a little more real than before. I still don’t think the device will have a wide release anytime soon, and I doubt that the AI-powered gimbal friend will be even remotely close to the teaser video. However, I’d like to test the device once it’s out there.

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Ilia, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been covering the mobile industry since 2011, with experience at outlets like Forbes Bulgaria. Passionate about smartphones, tablets, and consumer tech, he blends deep industry knowledge with a personal fascination that began with his first Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices. Originally from Bulgaria and now based in Lima, Peru, Ilia balances his tech obsessions with walking his dog, training at the gym, and slowly mastering Spanish.

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