Video: Honor Teases Humanoid Debut for MWC 2026 as "Alpha Plan" Pivot Accelerates

Honor is preparing to step out of the smartphone shadow and onto the robotics stage. The Chinese technology firm has officially teased the debut of its first humanoid robot, scheduled for reveal at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona on March 1, 2026.

The announcement, anchored by the tagline "Believers in AI Future," marks the most significant milestone to date for the company's "Honor Alpha" strategy—a $10 billion, five-year investment plan aimed at evolving Honor from a mobile hardware manufacturer into a comprehensive "ecosystem company."

From Algorithms to Iron: The MWC Tease

A recently released teaser video provides a stylized glimpse into the "Honor Alpha Lab," where a sleek, matte-black humanoid figure is shown interacting with Honor’s "Robot Phone" concept. While the robot remains partially obscured by shadows, several key design elements are visible:

• Head Design: The robot features a prominent horizontal blue LED light across the forehead, a design language similar to the Unitree G1.
• Physical Form: The footage shows a humanoid torso with a distinct blue light strip running down the center of the chest. Feet are shown in the video, suggesting a bipedal form.
• Interactivity: The teaser emphasizes the relationship between the humanoid and the "Robot Phone," a device featuring an integrated robotic gimbal and what Honor describes as an "AI super brain."

This upcoming reveal follows Honor’s initial signaling of humanoid ambitions in May last year. At that time, the company demonstrated its AI prowess by training a Unitree robot to reach a peak running speed of 4 m/s (approximately 8.95 mph), faster than the 3.3 m/s record previously held by Unitree’s H1 model.

Strategic Context and Market Pressure

Honor’s pivot comes at a time of explosive growth for the robotics industry.

Honor’s entry suggests that the boundary between consumer electronics and personal robotics continues to blur. By leveraging its existing AI infrastructure and deep pockets, Honor is joining a host of other big consumer-facing electronic companies in the humanoid race.

Remaining Uncertainties

Despite the high-production teaser, several questions remain regarding the "Honor Alpha" robot:

• Hardware: It is currently unclear if the MWC reveal will feature a functional robot prototype or yet another video.
• Functionality: While the teaser suggests a "service robot" orientation, Honor has yet to specify if the machine is a consumer-facing product or an industrial prototype.

Alongside the humanoid reveal, Honor is expected to debut more traditional hardware at MWC 2026, including the Magic V6 foldable phone, a new MagicPad, and the MagicBook Pro.

Watch the teaser below: