HONOR Robot Phone in hand: The device is compact, well finished, gimbal camera cooperates with ARRI
The HONOR Robot Phone when I went to HONOR's HQ in Shenzhen is still not the most complete version, and the Robot Phone in my hand today is 99% ready. Actually holding the Robot Phone in my hand is not as heavy as I thought, the device is well finished and the gimbal camera is really interesting, but whether it will come into practice or not remains to be seen by the market. Video is being updated guys. According to the information I know, Robot Phone has no official distribution plan in Vietnam, meaning the version in my hand is the Chinese domestic version, the software and features are therefore not suitable for the Vietnamese market. But considering the camera features alone, it works quite well.
HONOR's solution is clearly to turn the main camera of a pocket camcorder (like the pocket 4) with the anti-shake capabilities of a gimbal. Some people will wonder if Robot Phone is different from phone models with OIS anti-vibration or even combined with anti-vibration on the sensor and the "gimbal standard anti-vibration" solution of ASUS Zenfone 9/10, is HONOR's solution superior or not? I will answer below, guys.
Open the box, what's inside?
Robot Phone has full accessories from chargers, cables, cases and hand straps. I'm impressed with the tiny and pretty 120W GaN charger of the HONOR Robot Phone, it's really cute to hold.
HONOR also includes a case with built-in magnets and rings for you to hold and use like a popsocket.
What can the gimbal camera on Robot Phone do?
It can be said that after the trend of retractable cameras on phones, Robot Phone is the next innovative device, or not to say a pioneering device to test the market, not afraid of current difficulties and possibly even the acceptance of users (but China seems to be selling out Robot Phone).
Basically, you can understand Robot Phone as if you have both a phone and a Pocket 4 in the same form factor. It can record 4K@60fps ARRI 10-bit LogC3 and is compatible with Davinci Resolve for professional post-production.
When taking photos, you can just use it like a normal phone, even record basic videos, but if you want better anti-shake capabilities or vlog-style recording, just turn on the gimbal. As you can see in the picture, setting up a tripod to shoot is no different from a camera.
For those of you who don't know ARRI, you can watch movies like Dune: Part Two, Avengers: Endgame, Oppenheimer, The Revenant and some other movies all shot with ARRI's ALEXA 65 camera (or some other model). LogC3 video is recorded in 10-bit 4:2:2, H.265 codec according to HONOR's published information.
If not aimed at professional needs, Robot Phone still helps you record daily vlogs well with ARRI's available color Look fish, after recording, post on social networks, that is the advantage of a 2-in-1 device. You can even put footage through a color process similar to projects using ALEXA cameras at the workflow level, although the sensor quality and codec are still different from dedicated cinema cameras.
On the Robot Phone there will be 3 lenses, the main lens has a 23mm focal length with a 1/1.28-inch sensor with 200MP resolution, f/1.6 aperture, the second lens is a telephoto with a focal length of ~62mm, a 1/1.4-inch sensor also has 200MP, 2.7x optical zoom and a maximum zoom of 200x (digital zoom). Ultra-wide lens with 50MP sensor for 122-degree viewing angle.
Protecting the gimbal camera area will be a plastic shield. If you want to use the gimbal, you must open it, but to take photos it is not necessary, or you can open it for the best optical quality.
To answer the question above, traditional OIS mainly keeps still images and reduces small vibrations. ASUS's way with Zenfone is to use a very small gimbal to move the camera module in the camera body. The HONOR Robot Phone puts the camera on a robotic arm, allowing the camera to both prevent vibration and actively change direction of view.
Obviously, with HONOR x ARRI's robot hand and face tracking feature, Robot Phone is superior, ARRI's support with color LUTs and color looks is also a plus. Robot Phone also supports you to record videos in 2.39:1 cinematic format, in addition to the traditional 16:9 format. You can record vertical and horizontal videos on Robot Phone without turning the phone horizontally, which means it works the same way as Pocket 4.
The ability to track faces is also a highlight on Robot Phone. You can use this feature when fixing the device in one place. The tracking ability, as you can see (you can see in the video), is quite good, not inferior to Pocket 4, it can track you almost 360 degrees. HONOR said the tracking system is trained with millions of scene simulations, to predict motion trajectories and respond in a very short time.
The operating modes of the gimbal include:
In short, the core of Robot Phone is the combination of a 200 MP camera, active mechanical gimbal, AI tracking and ARRI color workflow. The camera not only records stably but can also choose the direction of view, track the subject and perform some rotation movements; This is what makes it significantly different from smartphones that only have OIS or a fixed hardware gimbal.
Design & screen of Robot Phone
The HONOR Robot Phone is neat and compact to hold in the hand, not as bulky as I thought. I have seen Robot Phones in real life quite a lot but have never held them directly in my hand. The device has a 6.31-inch screen and weighs 248g. Compared to a device with such a massive camera system, this weight I find quite reasonable.
The body and back are finished in the form of stripes running along the frame to increase the feeling of holding and help grip the hand better. This is an important detail on the Robot Phone because people will use the device to record videos a lot, so it must have a good feel when holding it. In the HONOR box, there is a strap included for you to hook into the lock hole on the device. I think you should use this strap when using the Robot Phone to ensure security.
The device is not thin, with a thickness of 9.59mm, the Robot Phone is normal or not thick, but the device is thin so it is difficult to balance the camera cluster. The chassis is a metal unibody and the front uses NanoCrystal Shield protective glass (Giant Rhinoceros Glass depending on the market name).
A special detail in the Robot Phone's screen design is that it is coated with an anti-reflective layer to reduce reflected outdoor light. This is a more practical point than the peak brightness number, because 6,800 nit brightness is usually only achieved under special measurement conditions and only a small bright area on the screen.
Combining a LTPO OLED panel, high brightness and AR coating, Robot Phone aims for good visibility when users film outdoors or use the screen to monitor the frame in sunlight. Robot Phone's screen resolution is also high, reaching 2,640 × 1,216 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate with LTPO panel, it can adapt down to 1Hz. And like other HONOR phones, the Robot Phone has a PWM frequency of up to 4320 Hz.
Configuration, battery & charging
HONOR Robot Phone is a flagship using Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, up to 16 GB RAM and 1 TB memory. The most notable point in the energy department is the 7,060 mAh silicon-carbon battery, supporting 120 W wired fast charging and 50 W wireless charging. Announced versions include 12 GB + 512 GB and 16 GB + 1 TB.
Software
HONOR Robot Phone runs MagicOS 10 on Android 16, with software built around three main groups: AI agent YOYO, robot gimbal camera control and ARRI filming toolkit. I have already told you about the other two parts, as for AI agent YOYO, users can call YOYO by voice or text, then activate Robot Mode. YOYO combines:
Users can give natural commands such as turning on the camera, turning towards the subject, following the speaker or adjusting the camera angle. YOYO also supports creating “custom skills” to expand automation capabilities. But currently, the device is a domestic version so I can't try YOYO, and the possibility of an international version is also very difficult.
Conclusion
This is a niche device, of course, it is not sold globally, it is not clear whether HONOR plans to develop this device long-term or not, but it can be seen that if you need a unique device that only you have and there is no second similar device on the market, the Robot Phone is something you should experience. More images of HONOR Robot Phone:
