The Honor Robot Phone is a bold and innovative device that aims to revolutionize the smartphone market. It introduces a unique feature - a compact, robot arm-like gimbal that adds a new dimension to mobile photography and videography. This gimbal, weighing only 2.6g and 6mm thin, is a marvel of engineering, offering the best stabilization on a phone ever. It smooths out not just walking but running, too, and allows for tricky shots and high-quality selfies with the main shooter.
What makes the Robot Phone truly stand out is its partnership with ARRI, a professional-grade cinema equipment manufacturer. This collaboration brings native Log-C3 video encoding, LUT color grading, and a dedicated cinema mode, making the footage look like it's captured on a proper ARRI camera. Honor uses the Robot Phone as a wide-scale, open-world testing of the ARRI color profiles before implementing them in the Magic9 series.
However, the Robot Phone is not without its flaws. The weight of 248 grams for a 6.3-inch phone is significant, and the glass covering the gimbal is flimsy and easy to move when used. These issues are a nuisance, but not a deal-breaker.
Despite these minor setbacks, the Honor Robot Phone is a proper flagship. It offers a super-bright 6.3-inch LTPO OLED screen with an anti-reflective coating and a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. The memory configurations go up to 16GB/1TB, while the battery is rated at 7,060 mAh with support for 120W wired and 90W wireless charging.
The surprisingly low price of CNY 9,999 ($1,482) for the base 12GB/512GB version suggests that Honor is treating the Robot Phone as a marketing piece and a tech showcase. The company sees it as a tech showcase aimed at enthusiasts, not a proper commercial product, and it's unlikely to see a sequel.
In a market that has become somewhat stale, the Honor Robot Phone is a refreshing attempt to rethink the whole smartphone thing. It's a device that pushes the boundaries of what a smartphone can do, and it's a testament to the creativity and innovation that can be found in the tech industry.
