Alex Jackson · October 20, 2026 
HONOR Robot Phone Earns TIME’s Recognition
HONOR has scored a major global honour. The company’s experimental HONOR Robot Phone has been named one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2026, in the Robotics category. The device stands out for one reason above all: a motorised camera that physically moves. Instead of a fixed camera bump, the Robot Phone carries a 360-degree rotating gimbal that swivels out from the back of the phone and uses AI to track subjects as they move.
TIME described the device as a gadget that “gives your cell phone a more engaged camera.” When activated, the gimbal lifts the camera out from the rear panel, and AI software helps it track and interact with subjects — including the user in selfie mode. When not in use, the mechanism folds itself back flush with the camera panel.
How the Robotic Camera Works
The core idea is simple but ambitious: a camera that behaves more like a living eye than a fixed lens. The gimbal extends from the phone’s body, rotates through a full 360 degrees, and locks onto a subject in real time using AI tracking algorithms. That opens up new possibilities for moving subjects, group shots, and creative video work, where a static camera would miss the moment.
Getting the mechanism right was a serious engineering challenge. HONOR’s AI product expert Thomas Bai told TIME that the company self-developed a dedicated micromotor for the system and packed in more than 100 new components to keep the gimbal stable. Gimbal stabilisation is built into the module, so footage stays smooth even while the camera itself is moving.
HONOR Robot Phone Camera Specs
Beyond the robotic tricks, the hardware is genuinely flagship-grade:
Triple Camera Setup
- 200MP main camera with a 1/1.28-inch sensor and f/1.6 aperture
- 50MP ultrawide camera
- 200MP zoom camera with a 1/1.4-inch sensor and f/2.6 aperture
Display and Design
The phone pairs its robotic module with a 6.3-inch LTPO display in a compact body. The whole device is designed as an experimental platform — HONOR has said it is being sold at a loss, with the goal of advancing its work with camera specialist ARRI and developing technology that could inform future Magic-series devices.
Price and Availability
In China, the HONOR Robot Phone is offered with 12GB RAM and 512GB storage for roughly €1,330, alongside a 16GB RAM and 1TB storage variant. So far, HONOR has not confirmed timing or pricing for an international release, so it remains unclear when — or if — buyers in India and other markets will get their hands on it.
Still, the TIME recognition puts the Robot Phone on the global stage before its international debut. It was featured alongside other notable 2026 innovations, including Apple’s iPhone Duo, underlining just how experimental — and exciting — smartphone design is becoming again.
Why It Matters
Smartphone cameras have mostly improved through bigger sensors and smarter software. The Robot Phone tries something different: changing the physical behaviour of the camera itself. If the motorised concept proves reliable in daily use, expect its ideas — AI subject tracking, self-folding camera modules, gimbal-level stabilisation in a phone body — to trickle into mainstream flagships over the next couple of years. For now, it is one of the boldest phones of 2026, and TIME’s list agrees.
RELATED STORIES
