Honor Unveils AI Robot Phone, Humanoid Assistant at MWC Barcelona
Honor, a Chinese smartphone maker, has unveiled an AI robot phone and its first humanoid assistant. These introductions, made ahead of MWC Barcelona, signal an aggressive move into artificial intelligence-powered hardware.
Honor showcased its AI Robot Phone in Barcelona. The device features a motorised, three-axis gimbal arm that tracks motion and interacts with users via camera movement.
The camera arm and multimodal AI enable all-angle video calls. The phone can also respond to user commands with nods or dance to music.
Honor’s robot phone vision contrasts with other AI agent handsets. These typically rely on screen capture and voice commands for task implementation. The gimbal-attached camera's stability and object-following abilities could challenge action camera makers such as DJI.
The Shenzhen-based handset maker also debuted its first humanoid robot. It is expected to act as a shopping assistant, a workplace inspector, and a companion, leveraging Honor’s technology expertise.
This aggressive pivot to AI hardware follows Honor's pledge to invest USD 10 billion over the next five years. The "Alpha" investment plan aims to transform Honor from a smartphone maker into an AI device ecosystem company.
Honor also launched its latest flagship foldable phone, Magic V6. The device features an enhanced hinge and a silicon-carbon battery to extend power while keeping it slim.
Magic V6 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, a 3-nanometre mobile platform. Its integrated AI capabilities enhance productivity in multitasking and content creation.
Cross-operating system tools in Magic V6 enable seamless operation within Apple’s iPhone ecosystem.
Honor's shift occurs amidst declining sales in China due to fierce competition from Huawei Technologies and Apple. Its domestic ranking fell to sixth place in 2025 from fourth the previous year.
Shipment volume decreased by 12.6%, according to Counterpoint. Conversely, Honor maintained momentum in Europe, recording 4% shipment growth for the full year 2025, with Omdia data showing a fifth-place ranking and 3% market share.
Honor launched an AI robot phone featuring a motorised gimbal arm and a humanoid assistant.
The robot phone offers all-angle video calls and interacts through camera movement.
The company pledged USD 10 billion over five years for its "Alpha" AI transformation plan.
Source: SCMP
