Phone-Maker Honor Will Unveil Its First Humanoid Robot Next Week - CNET
The market for humanoid robots is currently experiencing a massive boom -- with IDC noting") a 508% year-on-year growth in revenue in 2025 -- thanks to rapid advances in AI.
Key takeaways
The humanoid‑robot sector is surging in 2026, with Chinese firms cementing a global lead while Western companies accelerate deployment and investment. At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on March 1, Chinese phone‑maker Honor unveiled its first humanoid service robot alongside a “Robot Phone,” signalling a push into consumer‑facing robotics. Chinese policy continues to drive growth: a 2023 ministry document labels humanoids a “disruptive product” and sets targets through 2027 for AI brains, motion‑control systems and mass‑produced platforms, while the country recorded more than 451,000 robotics firms and $884 billion in capital by the end of 2024. Leading Chinese developers—including AGIBOT, Fourier, Huawei, Leju and Unitree—are showcasing new models such as AGIBOT’s X2 and G2, Unitree’s G1 and Leju’s Kuavo series at the Automation World Expo in Seoul, underscoring rapid commercialization across industrial, logistics, medical and public‑service applications. In the United States, BMW is scaling its humanoid trials after its Figure AI units logged over 1,250 hours and moved 90,000 parts in ten months, while AI2 Robotics raised roughly $145 million to expand its AlphaBot embodied‑AI platform and increase production from 1,000 to 10,000 units annually. Hyundai’s Robotics Lab highlighted the “MobED” mobile robot—awarded at CES 2026—and will present it at the same Seoul expo, linking humanoid technology with broader AI‑driven logistics. Meanwhile, industry analysts caution that the human form factor remains mechanically complex and less reliable than purpose‑built robots, noting safety‑standard challenges and the higher stability of specialized AMRs, cobots and delta machines. Overall, 2026 marks a transition from experimental demos to larger‑scale deployments, with China spearheading market share and Western firms rapidly scaling trials and securing financing to catch up.
The market for humanoid robots is currently experiencing a massive boom -- with IDC noting") a 508% year-on-year growth in revenue in 2025 -- thanks to rapid advances in AI. Chinese companies are far ahead in this race, with leaders such as Agibot and Unitree already shipping out units, while US competitors trail behind.
Still, most of these humanoids are designed to be used in industrial or service settings. Very few are ready for deployment into people's homes.
We don't have many details about what to expect from Honor's robot at this stage. An AI-generated video posted by the company shows a humanoid robot with a glowing neon blue lights interacting with its Robot Phone. See full bio
Katie Collins
2 min read
When Honor announced its upcoming Robot Phone in October last year, it was a genuine surprise, promising a refreshing break from the relatively predictable phone designs we see on a daily basis. But it turns out the Chinese phone-maker had something even more ambitious and impressive up its sleeve: an actual robot.
Honor will unveil its first humanoid service robot during its launch event at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Sunday March 1, the company said on Monday. It is set to display the robot alongside the first working prototype of its Robot Phone, as well as new phones and tablets. Tech Computing Gadgets
Phone-Maker Honor Will Unveil Its First Humanoid Robot Next Week
The Chinese tech company is branching out from phones to robots, via its robot phone -- all of which it will show off next week at MWC in Barcelona.
Katie Collins Principal Writer
Katie is a UK-based news reporter and features writer. Officially, she is CNET's European correspondent, covering tech policy and Big Tech in the EU and UK. Unofficially, she serves as CNET's Taylor Swift correspondent. You can also find her writing about tech for good, ethics and human rights, the climate crisis, robots, travel and digital culture. She was once described a "living synth" by London's Evening Standard for having a microchip injected into her hand.
See full bio
Katie Collins
2 min read
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