A smartphone that moves, tracks and responds in real time—but is it real utility or just a marketing gimmick?
Updated
April 15, 2026 6:00 PM
HONOR Robot Phone, with its camera arm extended. PHOTO: HONOR
Smartphones today feel more familiar than new. Each year brings better performance and better cameras, but fewer real surprises. So when a company unveils something called a “Robot Phone”, it’s bound to get attention.
HONOR did exactly that at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona this year. While most smartphone brands are focused on software upgrades, HONOR is trying something different with hardware. Its Robot Phone is built to move and adjust on its own. The camera sits on a motorized system that can tilt, track motion and shift angles automatically. It almost looks like a small robotic head, following whatever is happening in front of it. It can pick up sound, recognize motion and stay visually aware of its surroundings. This result feels less like using a regular phone and more like interacting with something responsive.
So what makes HONOR’s Robot Phone different from the smartphones we already use? Here’s a closer look at its camera system, AI features and design, and whether it is truly something new or simply smart marketing.
At its core, the Robot Phone still works like a regular smartphone. What makes it different is the camera system. It has a 200MP camera that sits on a motorized arm with a three-axis gimbal, which extends when in use and folds back into the phone when not needed. The compact motor gives the camera physical movement, while motion control allows it to sense, track and follow a person or object in real time. That means it can keep a subject in frame without constant manual adjustment.
The camera also adds a more playful side to the experience. It can respond with simple gestures, such as nodding or shaking its head, and it can even move in sync with music.
This setup could be particularly useful for content creators. As CNET tech journalist and YouTuber Andrew Lanxon pointed out, it removes the need to carry a separate gimbal. Since the robotic camera module can easily fold into the body of the phone, it is easier to carry around and more convenient for filming or taking photos on the go.
The Robot Phone also has the practical advantage of a smartphone display. It gives users a bigger screen than a standalone camera for framing, monitoring and reviewing footage. Since it runs on Android, the process of recording, editing and sharing content is also more direct.
The most impressive part of the HONOR Robot Phone design is how it fits a moving camera system into the body of a smartphone without needing external attachments.
To make this possible, HONOR uses a custom micro motor that is 70% smaller than mainstream competitors. The company also says it is the industry’s smallest four-degrees-of-freedom (4DoF) gimbal system. To support the stable movement of the camera module, the internal structure uses high-strength materials such as steel and titanium alloy. These materials help the mechanism stay durable as it shifts and repositions over time.
Battery life is another obvious question. HONOR has not revealed the battery capacity of the Robot Phone itself, but it did showcase its Silicon-Carbon Blade Battery technology at MWC 2026. The company says this battery is designed to increase energy density while keeping devices slim, and that it could support capacities of 7,000 mAh and beyond in future foldable devices.
That is not specific to the Robot Phone, but it does hint at the kind of battery improvements that may be needed for smartphones with moving parts and more advanced camera systems.
The AI features in Honor’s Robot Phone are focused on how the device sees and responds to its surroundings in real time. At the most basic level, the phone can track what is happening in a scene and adjust itself without constant user input.
On the functional side, the system keeps subjects framed and in focus automatically. Its AI Object Tracking ensures subjects stay centred, while AI SpinShot enables controlled 90° and 180° rotations for smoother transitions, even when the phone is used one-handed. It can also detect motion and recognize sound, which lets it respond to activity as it happens instead of reacting frame by frame.
The AI becomes more noticeable in the way the device behaves. When activated, the camera module unfolds and the screen displays a pair of animated eyes that track the user’s face and gaze. Honor calls this “embodied AI”, meaning the assistant expresses itself through movement rather than only voice or text. The camera module can adjust its angle during video calls, which makes it feel a little more physically present.
According to Thomas Bai, AI product expert at Honor, the goal is to move beyond passive assistance. By combining sensing, movement and real-time processing, the device is designed to interact with its environment in a more continuous way. In practice, that could mean interpreting its surroundings and responding as situations change, such as when someone is moving through an unfamiliar space.
The Robot Phone has sparked curiosity, but there is still a lot we do not know. For one thing, it is still a prototype, with a release expected later this year. Early signs also suggest it may be expensive, partly because of rising memory chip costs. Some of its more playful features also feel uncertain. In demos, the phone can move along to music, but with only a handful of pre-set tracks, it is hard to tell whether that feature will be genuinely useful or remain more of a showcase moment.
Then there are the practical questions. A motorized camera system could make the phone heavier and more top-heavy, which may affect comfort during daily use. Running a motor alongside continuous AI tracking will also likely put pressure on battery life. These are not dealbreakers, but they are trade-offs that will matter outside of a demo.
Privacy is another concern that is hard to overlook. Some of the AI features rely on cloud processing, which means certain data is sent to external servers instead of being processed fully on the device. That is common in many AI systems today, but it feels more significant here because the phone is built to actively track movement and reposition its camera in real time. For some people, that level of autonomy may feel intrusive rather than helpful. It also raises bigger questions about what sensors are built into the device and how much data they collect during everyday use.
So, is the HONOR Robot Phone a real step forward, or just a clever idea packaged well?
The answer depends on who it is for.
For content creators, the appeal is obvious. Early indications suggest it could make video capture easier by reducing the need for extra gear. Honor’s collaboration with cinema camera company ARRI also suggests a serious push toward more cinematic smartphone footage.
For everyone else, the value is less clear. Outside of content creation, it is still hard to see how these features would translate into everyday use in a meaningful way.
For now, the Robot Phone sits somewhere between promise and experiment. Whether it turns into a genuinely useful new kind of smartphone or fades away as a novelty will only become clear once it moves beyond controlled demos and into real life.
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Updated
January 8, 2026 6:33 PM
A group of entrepreneurs coming up with different ideas. PHOTO: FREEPIK
If startup success stories usually make you picture cutting-edge tech, you might be missing a big part of the picture. Sometimes, the weirdest ideas shine the brightest, making real money and delighting both founders and customers. From ordinary rocks turned into pets to renting live chickens, these unusual startups show how far creativity and a pinch of humor can go.
If you think the business world is all suits and serious pitches, think again—welcome to the wonderfully weird side of entrepreneurship.
Owning a pet is a joy, but let’s be honest—it’s also a handful. Between shedding fur, endless feeding schedules, surprise messes and finding a sitter when you’re away, pet parenting is not exactly effortless.
Back in 1975, an advertising executive named Gary Dahl found himself joking about this very problem over drinks with friends. His solution for the “perfect” pet: a rock. No feeding, no walking, no grooming and absolutely no accidents on the carpet.
What started as a joke quickly snowballed into a real business. Smooth stones were sourced from Rosarito Beach in Mexico, then packed in playful cardboard “pet carrier” boxes with little air holes and a bed of straw. To make the experience even more cheeky, every Pet Rock came with a care manual that instructed owners to give their new companion sunlight, affection and, of course, a name.
It was absurd and hilarious, but it worked. Selling at US$3.95 apiece in the ’70s, Pet Rocks became a cultural phenomenon. Today, you can still find them on Amazon, but they will now set you back around US$29.99 or more. Would you bring home a Pet Rock? People in the ’70s sure did.
Back in 2013, Phil and Jenn Tompkins a couple duo, launched the company "Rent The Chicken" with one straightforward goal: give people a chance to try raising backyard hens and enjoy fresh eggs without the long-term commitment.
Through partnerships with local farmers across the U.S. and Canada, this backyard chicken rental startup brings egg-laying hens straight to people’s yards. It offers different rental packages, but a standard six-month rental costs around US$500. This usually includes two hens ready to lay within days, a portable coop, feed, food and water dishes and expert support for any chicken-related questions.
The chickens arrive in spring and stay until fall. When the season ends, families can choose to return the hens, extend the rental or even buy them for about US$40 each at the end of the contract.
Today, the company works with partners in 29 states, from Oregon to Texas, and in parts of Canadain p. For people outside those areas, an out-of-area purchase package that comes with three hens can be shipped anywhere in the 48 contiguous states in the U.S. for about US$1,550.
In a way, it’s a fun and hands-on path to food security — giving families the joy of collecting their own eggs and knowing exactly where their breakfast comes from.
By day, Gadlin worked as a full-time web developer for a television broadcasting company. Outside of work, he poured his energy into comedy and writing. That creative streak took him back to high school days, when he had drawn silly cats for a comic series called Silly Cats Comic.
With those doodles as his foundation and a bit of basic design know-how, Gadlin launched his website, “I Want to Draw a Cat For You” in 2011. The concept was as simple as it was funny: visitors would describe the cat of their dreams and Gadlin would personally hand-draw it, then send it their way.
This quirky startup idea landed him on Shark Tank, where he secured an offer of US$25,000 from investor Mark Cuban for a 33% stake in the business. Not bad for stick-figure cats.
When the site first launched, customers could pay extra US$5 for colour. Shipping cost US$1 if they didn’t mind the drawing arriving in a folded envelope, or US$5 for a flat mailer. For delivery within 48 hours, there was a US$19.95 rush fee that many customers were happy to pay.
These days, Gadlin leans more on digital delivery and limited runs of his cat drawings at US$50, rather than mailing every single piece of his art. What he once described as “mediocre cat drawings” has become proof that a simple, original idea can claw its way into the startup world.
Imagine arriving in a new city with no one to show you around. That is exactly the kind of situation where RentAFriend can help.
Launched in 2009 by Scott Rosenbaum, the unusual business was inspired by Japan’s “rental family” services, where people can hire a friend, a date or even a parent for a short period. Rosenbaum saw an opportunity to adapt that concept for North America, but with a focus strictly on platonic friendship.
Here’s how it works: Anyone can sign up as a “friend” for free by creating a profile, listing their interests and setting an hourly rate. People who want to hire pay a membership fee, typically around US$24.95 a month, to connect with friends across the platform.
With a rented friend, you can do pretty much anything platonic. Go sightseeing, hit a museum, catch a game, work out together or even bring them along to a party or family event. At its heart, RentAFriend connects people who need company with those happy to earn a little extra simply by being one.
Back in 2014, in the small town of Norwood, Ontario, Canada, three brothers—Jarrod, Darren and Ryan Goldin, set out to do something that sounded downright bizarre at the time: farm crickets for people to eat.
The idea first struck Jarrod after he saw a cricket-based nutrition bar on television. Around the same time, the UN released a report on edible insects as a sustainable food source. Suddenly, the “weird” idea didn’t seem so weird after all.
At Entomo Farms, crickets are raised in cage-free “cricket condos”, where they live in warm, dark spaces that mimic their natural habitat. They’re fed and cared for until they reach about six or seven weeks old, then humanely harvested using a CO₂ method. From there, they’re rinsed, roasted and ground into a fine powder—no additives, just pure cricket protein.
The appeal goes beyond novelty. Crickets are packed with nutrients and need far less land, feed and water than beef, making them both healthy and eco-friendly.
While their approach may seem unconventional, what drives Entomo Farms is simple: making sustainable, responsible food accessible to everyone.
These startups prove that innovation doesn’t always wear a serious face. Sometimes, it turns up wrapped in humor, curiosity or even a touch of absurdity, yet still manages to spark real change. From crickets turned into protein to chickens rented out by the season, each weird startup idea shows that entrepreneurship thrives when people dare to think differently.
While some of these unusual business ideas burned bright then faded, others are still evolving in the background, shifting from fads to niche services or steady, quiet companies. What they share is a willingness to test an idea most people would dismiss at first glance.
That is the real takeaway for founders. Weird startup ideas will not always scale into unicorns, yet they can test new consumer habits, open up fresh markets and shape culture in surprising ways. If you are building something new, there is space for products that make people laugh, think or raise an eyebrow before they reach for their wallet.