Along with my nearly 15 years as a CNET tech reporter, I’ve spent many years taking photos around the UK and Europe, and documenting much of the work behind the scenes for my photography on YouTube channel. I wrote, recorded and edited everything myself. It’s a lot of fun, but sometimes it’s really hard to get out and about, not only with the camera I use to take my photos, but with more equipment to properly film the process for my videos.

on Mobile World Congress 2026Honor gives us a closer look at it Robot Phone Conceptwhich would be an elegant solution to taking my photography trips without carrying a backbreaking amount of gear. Placed on this regular Android phone is a robotic camera module that pops out, essentially turning the phone into something more like a DJI Osmo Pocket 3.

I want my videos to look as cinematic as possible, so I don’t mind taking multiple mirrorless camera bodies and a host of lenses and filters into the hills to film. I recently bought an Osmo Pocket 3 and I find it has changed how I work. It’s about the size of my hand and replaces holding a dedicated camera and a gimbal. The Osmo gave me a way to film high-quality, stabilized video while walking around city streets.

But still, this is not an ideal solution. The Osmo is quite chunky, requiring a large jacket pocket at the very least. Its small screen can be easy to use, and transferring footage from it can be time-consuming in a hurry.

Honor’s Robot Phone solves many of the shortcomings of the current Osmo. Replacing my current phone, it’s in my pocket, always ready to go whenever a creative moment strikes. The camera module fits neatly into the phone so it doesn’t break out in my pockets in an embarrassing way. Using the phone’s main screen gives me a large display to monitor my video while recording and review it afterwards. And as it is a Android phoneI can just share the video files to Google Drive or directly to YouTube when I’m done.

Honor also said it is working with the iconic cinema company Arri — makes cameras like Alexa, used in countless Hollywood movies. This is a very exciting prospect, especially as Arri’s CEO commented in a press release, “Our goal is to bring a true cinematic aesthetic to smartphone imaging – natural color, gentle highlight roll-off, and a sense of depth that feels true to how stories are meant to be seen.”

This is an encouraging statement, because I find many current Android phone manufacturers, Honor included, are too heavy on image processing with their cameras, resulting in images that look over-processed and unnatural. But like Xiaomi recently worked with Leica on Leitzphone — which I just called the best camera phone I have ever used — I hope that Arri’s cinema legacy will help guide Honor towards a product that truly offers what creators like me are looking for.

The phone is in the concept stage so far, but Honor says it could go on sale in the second half of the year. Personally, I can’t wait to get my hands on one and start filming.