Honor
Honor is a Shenzhen smartphone and consumer electronics company that has moved into humanoid robotics. It was created in 2013 as a Huawei sub-brand, became independent when Huawei sold it in November 2020, and is led by chief executive Li Jian. In 2025 Honor announced its Alpha Plan to move beyond phones into AI devices, and at MWC 2026 in Barcelona it presented its first humanoid robot alongside the Robot Phone. Honor's bipedal humanoid, the D1, known as Lightning, won the 2026 Beijing E-Town humanoid robot half-marathon in 50 minutes 26 seconds, faster than the human half-marathon world record and ahead of more than 300 robots from other makers. The result showed how quickly Chinese humanoid locomotion, battery management and control are improving. Honor applies its experience in AI, batteries, cooling and compact electronics from phones to its robots, and has not yet announced commercial pricing for its humanoids.
💡Notable Achievement: Honor's D1 Lightning humanoid won the 2026 Beijing E-Town robot half-marathon in 50 minutes 26 seconds, faster than the human world record, and Honor showed its first humanoid at MWC 2026.
What Does Honor Do?
Honor is a Shenzhen smartphone company, independent from Huawei since 2020, that has moved into AI devices and humanoid robots with its D1 Lightning.
“A smartphone maker proving its humanoid speed in public races.”
Race-Proven Speed
D1 Lightning won the April 2026 Beijing half-marathon in 50:26 ahead of more than 300 robots.
Alpha Plan
Honor's strategy moves the company beyond phones into AI devices, including the Robot Phone shown at MWC 2026.
Consumer Electronics Know-How
Experience with batteries, cooling and compact electronics applies to its robots.
What Can Honor Robots Actually Do?
Cross-portfolio operational capabilities, manipulation tasks, and environmental competencies
High-speed bipedal locomotion demonstrated in public competitions.
High-Speed Running
Lightning ran a half-marathon in 50 minutes 26 seconds.
AI Device Ecosystem
Part of Honor's Alpha Plan for AI devices beyond smartphones.
Honor Robots
Showing 2 Humanoid Robots of 2 total models
Honor D1 (Lightning)
By: Honor
Launched: 2026
The Honor D1, nicknamed "Lightning," is a high-performance bipedal humanoid robot optimized for dynamic locomotion and autonomous navigation. Standing 169 cm tall and weighing approximately 45 kg, this platform represents Honor's transition from smartphone manufacturing into embodied AI systems. The robot features elongated leg geometry (90-95 cm) engineered to mimic elite human running stride efficiency, enabling speeds exceeding 25 km/h. Equipped with dual LiDAR, satellite positioning, and onboard AI processing, D1 demonstrates autonomous perception and real-time environmental adaptation. The platform achieved international recognition by completing a 21.1 km half-marathon in 50:26, surpassing the human world record. Advanced thermal management via liquid cooling (4 L/min flow rate) enables sustained high-performance operation. D1 combines aerodynamic mecha design with collaborative safety features, supporting voice interaction, gesture recognition, and human-robot harmony through dance and agile movement capabilities.
Honor A1
By: Honor
Launched: 2026
The Honor Humanoid is a pioneering consumer-grade bipedal robot unveiled at MWC 2026, leveraging Honor's mobile AI expertise for embodied intelligence. Standing at human-like proportions, it features a sleek matte black body with a glass-style face panel and expressive horizontal light bar for emotional interactions. Capable of smooth handshakes, waving, and dynamic backflips, it excels in agile bipedal locomotion across varied terrains. Designed for shopping assistance, workplace inspections, and supportive companionship, the robot recognizes users via advanced vision systems, understands needs through YOYO AI, and provides personalized physical help. Its multi-DOF arms enable precise manipulation, while integrated sensors support real-time navigation and collision avoidance. Balancing human-like gestures with robust autonomy, it bridges smartphones and robotics, fostering intuitive human-robot collaboration in daily scenarios.
Honor Timeline & Milestones
Evolutionary history, landmark prototypes, major acquisitions, and commercial roadmap
Honor launched as Huawei sub-brand
Honor is launched as a smartphone brand within Huawei.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Independent from Huawei
Huawei sells the Honor business entirely, making Honor an independent company.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
First humanoid robot shown at MWC 2026
Honor presents its first humanoid robot and its Robot Phone at MWC 2026 in Barcelona.
Source: androidauthority.com
D1 Lightning wins Beijing half-marathon
Honor's D1 Lightning humanoid wins the Beijing E-Town robot half-marathon in 50:26, faster than the human world record.
Source: globaltimes.cn
Honor Competitors by Category
Direct industry rivals grouped by specific robotics domain
What Makes Honor Different?
Editorial AnalysisOrigin of Bots objective strategic assessment, engineering moats, and commercial hurdles
Key Strengths & Moats
- ✓Public, verifiable race result against more than 300 robots.
- ✓Large consumer electronics company with manufacturing scale.
Core Strategic Focus
Showing humanoid capability and building its AI device strategy.
Road Ahead & Challenges
- •No commercial price or release date for its humanoids.
- •Robotics is new to a company built on smartphones.
Honor vs Key Competitors
Strategic capability matrix across platform categories, commercial readiness, and target markets
Notable Benchmark
- Lightning (Honor)
- Won the 2026 Beijing E-Town half-marathon in 50:26
- CyberOne (Xiaomi)
- Not published
- Unitree H1
- Not published
- STAR1 (Robot Era)
- Not published
Actuator Cooling
- Lightning (Honor)
- Active Liquid Cooling
- CyberOne (Xiaomi)
- Air Cooled
- Unitree H1
- Air Cooled
- STAR1 (Robot Era)
- High-Flow Air Cooled
Peak Joint Torque
- Lightning (Honor)
- 400 N·m
- CyberOne (Xiaomi)
- 300 N·m
- Unitree H1
- 360 N·m
- STAR1 (Robot Era)
- 400 N·m
| Strategic Dimension | Lightning (Honor) | CyberOne (Xiaomi) | Unitree H1 | STAR1 (Robot Era) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notable Benchmark | Won the 2026 Beijing E-Town half-marathon in 50:26 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Actuator Cooling | Active Liquid Cooling | Air Cooled | Air Cooled | High-Flow Air Cooled |
| Peak Joint Torque | 400 N·m | 300 N·m | 360 N·m | 400 N·m |
Corporate Ecosystem & Ownership Structure
Parent company relationships, historical acquisitions, and global operating facilities
Shenzhen Zhixin New Information Technology
Bought Honor from Huawei in November 2020.
Ownership & Acquisition History
Bought Honor from Huawei in November 2020.
Created Honor as a sub-brand and sold it in November 2020.
Global Facilities & Operating Hubs
Honor Headquarters
HQFutian District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
Articles & Industry News
Showing 2 recent articles and news updates about Honor
Honor’s D1 humanoid pushes teleoperation and speed to the front of the race
News about Honor D1 (Lightning)
Honor Humanoid Dances Dynamically at MWC 2026 Demo
News about Honor A1
Frequently Asked Questions
8 AnswersVerified answers, company specifications, and deployment details about Honor
Does Honor make a humanoid robot?
Yes. Honor, the smartphone company, has developed humanoid robots, including the bipedal D1 Lightning, and presented its first humanoid at MWC 2026 in Barcelona.
What is the Honor D1 Lightning robot?
D1 Lightning is Honor's bipedal humanoid robot. It won the 2026 Beijing E-Town humanoid robot half-marathon in 50 minutes 26 seconds, faster than the human world record.
Did a Honor robot beat the human half-marathon record?
Yes. At the April 2026 Beijing E-Town half-marathon, Honor's Lightning robot finished in 50:26, about seven minutes faster than the human world record, ahead of more than 300 robots.
Who is the CEO of Honor?
Honor is led by chief executive Li Jian. The company was created in 2013, became independent from Huawei in 2020 and is headquartered in Futian, Shenzhen, China.
Is Honor part of Huawei?
No. Honor began in 2013 as a Huawei sub-brand, but Huawei sold the business entirely in November 2020, and Honor has operated independently since.
How much does the Honor humanoid robot cost?
Honor has not announced prices or a release date for its humanoid robots. They are currently shown as technology demonstrations.
Why is Honor building robots?
Honor's Alpha Plan aims to move the company beyond smartphones into AI devices. It applies its experience in AI, batteries, cooling and compact electronics to robots.
What is the Honor Robot Phone?
The Robot Phone is a smartphone with a motorised, gimbal-mounted camera that Honor presented at MWC 2026 alongside its first humanoid robot, as part of its AI device strategy.
Verified Data & Editorial Assurance
Compiled from verified corporate filings, official Honor datasheets, and robotics engineering registries. Information has been verified against official manufacturer documentation. For commercial procurement or proprietary integrations, contact the manufacturer directly.