Honor’s Robot Phone integrates three-axis gimbal camera system
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Honor’s Robot Phone has impressed in hands-on testing despite its unconventional design, using an unfolding three-axis gimbal camera to offer smoother video, more flexible shooting angles and higher-quality selfies from its main sensor. Its launch in China is significant as Honor attempts to combine the capabilities of a separate handheld gimbal camera with an Android smartphone.
The 248g handset measures 9.6mm thick before its large camera module, making it bulkier than most conventional phones. Its cameras include a 200-megapixel, 1/1.28-inch-type gimbal-mounted main sensor, a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto and a 50-megapixel ultrawide; the gimbal has nearly 360-degree movement, subject tracking, panorama selfies and video modes such as FPV and super-steady, but manual adjustment uses an onscreen joystick.
- Honor’s unusual gimbal phone performed well in hands-on testing.
- The camera enables smoother video and flexible shooting.
- Bulk and touchscreen-only controls remain compromises.
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Honor is a Chinese smartphone maker that sells Android handsets in many countries. Its Robot Phone is designed around a camera module that can unfold and move independently, rather than keeping all the lenses fixed to the back of the device.
A gimbal is a motorised stabilising mechanism that helps keep a camera level while the user moves. It is commonly found in separate handheld camera accessories, and can make video smoother or allow shots from unusual angles.
The phone is part of a wider effort by manufacturers to improve cameras as a reason to choose one handset over another. Combining a moving, stabilised main camera with high-resolution zoom and wide-angle lenses could reduce the need for separate filming equipment, but adds size, weight and mechanical complexity to a phone.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters would argue that Honor is using a genuine hardware innovation to make a phone more versatile, rather than adding novelty for its own sake. A three-axis gimbal paired with a large main sensor could offer smoother video, more flexible framing and higher-quality selfies without requiring users to carry a separate camera accessory, while the unusually capable supporting cameras strengthen its case as an all-in-one device. They may see the added size and weight as a reasonable trade-off for creators and travellers who value imaging performance over minimalism.
The case against
Sceptics would argue that combining a gimbal camera with a phone creates compromises that may outweigh the convenience for most people. At 248g with a substantial camera module, it is less pocketable and potentially less comfortable than conventional flagships, while an onscreen joystick may be less precise and satisfying than physical controls on a dedicated gimbal camera. They may also question whether specialised modes and near-360-degree movement solve common everyday needs well enough to justify greater bulk, complexity and likely cost.
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Originally published by The Verge as “Honor’s Robot Phone is better than a gimbal in a phone has any right to be”.