Daven Tamayo

PREVIEW: Honor launches new AI gimbal-equipped ‘Robot Phone’

Article (news)

Arthur Fuentes

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1786538211072robot phone 2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>HONOR Robot Phone. Handout</div>MANILA — Honor has just disrupted the smartphone status quo. The appropriately named HONOR Robot Phone has just been launched in China—and yes, it features a fully motorized 3-axis mechanical gimbal built straight into the chassis.First unveiled during this year&#x27;s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the quirky device has finally moved from prototype to finished product that&#x27;s ready to ship. In a year when the market saw creaseless folding phones and gigantic cameras crammed into Ultra flagships, HONOR&#x27;s latest device may just prove to be the most out-of-this-world.Instead of forcing you to lug around a bulky external stabilizer, the Robot Phone packs a miniaturized titanium gimbal into its pocketable unibody. It anchors a wild dual 200MP camera system, backed by a massive partnership with cinema titan ARRI to capture 10-bit LogC3 video for serious mobile workflows.ARRI has big words for the Robot Phone.“With the HONOR Robot Phone, we are taking an important first step in exploring how established cinematic principles can support a new generation of visual storytellers,” said Harald Brendel, Director of Image Science at ARRI.<div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1786538247593robot phone 1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>HONOR Robot Phone. Handout </div>The motorized hardware is driven by a new AI system called YOYO. Using voice localization and live tracking, the camera physically pans and tilts on its own to keep you in frame, essentially acting as an autonomous camera crew for vloggers.Rounding out the spec sheet is a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, a ridiculous 6,800-nit peak OLED display, and a monstrous 7,060mAh battery to keep those internal motors spinning. It’s not just a gimmick; it’s practically a spec-heavy mobile studio.But will the AI-powered gimbal be enough to push the Robot Phone into a sales hit? Current flagships have software that has gotten very good at keeping shots shake-free sans gimbals, although they still can&#x27;t match the quality of mechanically-stabilized photography and videography. An equally important question is: how will the phone feel in the hand when you use it to take shots? Will it be as easy and comfortable to use as dedicated gimbal-cameras like those made by DJI and Insta360? And finally, in a market where people are still up in arms over skyrocketing RAM and storage prices, can HONOR execute the perfect balancing act on price that will make the Robot Phone a must for content creators?There&#x27;s no word yet either on when or if it will be sold in the Philippines.

First unveiled during this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the quirky device has finally moved from prototype to finished product that's ready to ship.

First unveiled during this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the quirky device has finally moved from prototype to finished product that's ready to ship.