Honor has launched the world’s first “robot phone” with a motorised titanium camera arm that pops out and follows people or objects on its own. Priced at $1,400–$1,820 in China, it pairs a 200MP camera on a tiny robotic gimbal with AI that decides where to point.
Unlike normal phones, this one hides a four-joint titanium gimbal that unfolds in under a second and swivels at up to 360° per second via a 2.6g motor. YOYO Robot Mode uses gestures, voice and AI tracking so the lens pans, tilts and rolls to keep subjects in frame or create dynamic shots automatically. Audio also follows the lens direction thanks to a four-mic array.
Fitting a motorised gimbal into a slim phone required overcoming space, heat and durability hurdles; the titanium assembly is 65% smaller and 200% stronger than typical gimbals. Honor filed over 100 patents for the mechanisms and algorithms, marking rare IP density for a consumer device. This shows complex moving systems can now be mass-produced inside everyday gadgets, opening doors to more “embodied AI” devices.
For users, the phone becomes a one-person film crew that can track kids, follow presenters or capture dynamic shots without extra gear. It signals a shift from static screens to active, perceptive devices that move parts of themselves to serve users — a step toward physically responsive AI in daily life.
SELF-DIRECTING SMART DEVICES ARE HERE.
Sanjay Sahay
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