Is Honor’s New Robot Phone a DJI Killer or Just a Mechanical Nightmare?

Sunday, 21 December 2025 at 09:25

Honor is looking well past its usual smartphone rivals with its upcoming Robot Phone, and if the rumors are true, they aren't just aiming for Apple’s video crown—they’re coming for DJI.

We’ve known for a bit that this thing is real. Honor actually brought a working prototype to the Honor User Carnival in China last month, and it’s... weird. At first glance, it looks like a standard flagship, but the rear camera module hides a literal mechanical arm. I've never seen anything quite like it in a phone; it looks more like a miniaturized DJI Osmo Pocket grafted onto the back of a handset.

Key Points

Mechanical Innovation: Features a pop-out mechanical camera arm that acts as a physical gimbal.

Direct Competition: Honor’s Chief Imaging Engineer explicitly named DJI as the primary benchmark to beat.

AI Integration: Part of Honor’s "$10 Billion Alpha Plan," using AI for autonomous tracking and "emotional" interaction.

Prototype Preview: A working version was showcased at the Honor User Carnival; global launch is set for MWC 2026.

Physical Stabilization: Moves beyond digital EIS/OIS by using motorized XYZ axis rotation for video.

A Shot Across DJI’s Bow

The most interesting part of this isn't just the hardware, but the intent behind it. Luo Wei, Honor’s Chief Imaging Engineer, recently posted what he called an “official announcement” on Weibo, stating that he’s just finished a massive project that's been a year in the making. He didn't name the Robot Phone specifically, but the timing is too perfect.

When people in the comments started comparing his work to Apple’s video benchmarks, Luo didn't hold back. He flatly asked, “The benchmark for mobile video is DJI, right? Let’s compete with them next year.” It’s a bold, almost arrogant move for a phone company to call out the undisputed king of gimbals and stabilized video.

More Than Just a Gimmick?

The Robot Phone isn’t just a regular phone with a pop-up camera. The mechanical arm can swivel, track subjects, and stabilize shots physically, rather than just relying on the digital cropping (EIS) we see in most phones.

Leaked teasers from Honor's "Alpha Plan" show the camera acting almost like a companion—nodding to confirm an outfit choice or tracking a baby’s movements automatically. It’s powered by a high-end "AI brain" that Honor says will make the device "sense and adapt." While the prototype shown in China looked a bit thick (no surprise given the motors hidden inside), Honor seems to be betting that creators will trade a bit of pocket space for a built-in gimbal.

We’re expecting the full, global debut at MWC Barcelona 2026. Whether it can actually replace a dedicated DJI gimbal remains to be seen, but Honor is clearly tired of making "slabs of glass."