Back in CES earlier this year, Honor unveiled the oddly shaped Robot Phone. A unique concept of a smartphone melded with an action camera, the Robot Phone teased a launch date for the third quarter of this year. Well, we’re in the third quarter now, and a new leak has teased that the one-of-a-kind phone is launching in August.

According to Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station (via GizmoChina), Honor has narrowed down August as the launch date of its new smartphone. To be clear, the leaker did not clarify whether this is a global launch or just the regional one.

It should still be an exciting time for a launch, though. The lovechild between a smartphone and an action camera comes just in time for the era of the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 and the Insta360 Luna. A hybrid device scratches both itches.

Honor isn’t shy about showcasing the capabilities of the Robot Phone. Only recently, the Chinese brand showed off the first professional video shot using the new phone.

When it comes to hardware, the Robot Phone touts a 200-megapixel main camera attached to a stabilized gimbal system. If not in use, the camera folds into the device. Super Steady Video keeps the camera steady when taking shots while moving. Meanwhile, AI Object Tracking follows subjects seamlessly, making it a great tool for shooting videos in the field.

SEE ALSO: HONOR Robot Phone to launch in Q3 2026

Earlier today, Samsung officially announced the date of its next Unpacked event. The South Korean brand isn’t the only one to tease its future. It’s that time of the year when the invites keep coming in. Also today, Google has announced its own upcoming Pixel event set for August 12.

It is around this time when the big brands announce the debuts of their respective flagships. Apple, Google, and Samsung all hold their events in this quarter. And it’s looking like it’s going to be one per month, assuming that Apple will hold its event in September.

Google has announced that the next Pixel event will be held in New York on August 12.

Though the invite doesn’t specifically name the series, the Pixel 11 lineup will likely debut during this event. Right now, we don’t know much about the flagship series. Unlike previous years, Google today isn’t a leaky boat, showing off its unannounced devices left and right. That said, it’s still over a month away, so there’s still time for the brand to let loose some of its secrets.

Google does have stiff competition this year, though. Samsung, as has been teased relentlessly, will likely showcase its very first wide foldable. Apple, on the other hand, is rumored to launch its first entry into the foldable market. The poster boy for Android needs a strong outing to compete with its third-quarter contemporaries.

SEE ALSO: Google launches the Pixel 10a

TECNO has partnered with Brazilian photographer Angélica Dass in launching “100 Portraits of Becoming.”

It is a two-year global initiative that explores identity, representation, and how AI sees people.

The project officially kicked off in Nairobi, Kenya — where Dass began photographing participants using the latest TECNO CAMON 50 Ultra.

Who’s Angélica Dass?

Angélica Dass is best known for exploring identity and self-expression through portrait photography.

Her award-winning “Humanæ” project challenged conventional ideas of race and skin color by highlighting the diversity of human skin tones.

ICYMI, Dass and her project gained much recognition from:

• TED
• World Economic Forum
• UNESCO
• American Museum of Natural History
• Vogue
• National Geographic

Portraits beyond appearances

With this portrait project, Dass teams up with TECNO to photograph 100 people across five countries.

Rather than simply documenting faces, 100 Portraits of Becoming aims to tell the stories behind each participant. Every portrait is paired with a personal narrative about growth, identity, and life experiences. Creating what TECNO calls a “Living Archive.”

Participants are photographed in natural light, without filters, and while wearing clothing of their own choice to better reflect their authentic selves.

The collaboration also explores how AI can go beyond simply recognizing faces. Asking instead how technology can better reflect the complexity of human identity and give people more control over how they choose to be seen.

Powered by TECNO’s Universal Tone imaging

All portraits are shot using the TECNO CAMON 50 Ultra, which features the company’s Universal Tone imaging technology.

Introduced in 2023, Universal Tone is designed to improve how smartphone cameras capture different skin tones. According to TECNO, the system is built on a database covering hundreds of skin tone samples, allowing photos to produce more natural and accurate results across a wider range of complexions.

The company says the technology aligns with the project’s goal of promoting more authentic and inclusive representation in photography, especially as AI-powered imaging becomes increasingly common nowadays.

From Kenya to the world

As previously mentioned, Kenya serves as the project’s first stop. With TECNO citing the country’s growing technology ecosystem and young population as reasons for beginning there.

Over the next two years, the initiative will travel to the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Brazil. The first collection of portraits and stories expected to go live online in August.

As of writing, TECNO is currently accepting participants from the Philippines where Dass is expected to take part from August 16 until August 22, 2026.

Through 100 Portraits of Becoming, TECNO hopes to spark conversations around identity, diversity, and how technology can better reflect the people it captures—not just visually, but through their stories as well.