‘The Qualcomm chipset offers very good performance for still image processing, but for video, it’s not good enough’: Honor explains why it created a dedicated imaging chipset for its gimbal-equipped Robot Phone

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, found in the new Honor Robot Phone, is deemed insufficient for professional-grade video capture by Honor's President of Hardware Engineering, Yang Liu. This statement comes after the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset was released in 2023, with most users unable to notice a significant performance difference from the latest Qualcomm chipset, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is indeed capable of handling still image processing, ranking among the best mobile chipsets for photo capture, thanks to its triple 20-bit ISPs. However, it falls short when it comes to video processing, necessitating a dedicated imaging chipset like Honor's H1 for the Robot Phone. This H1 Imaging Chip, developed in partnership with German film camera manufacturer ARRI, enables real-time on-device image processing and supports 10-bit ARRI LogC3 recording and ARRI Wide Gamut 3.

The H1 is a custom-made imaging chip tailored for the Robot Phone, providing the necessary processing power to uphold the high standards of ARRI. The Robot Phone features a 200MP main camera, 200MP telephoto, and 50MP ultra-wide, making it a formidable piece of micro-engineering. While the phone has some drawbacks, such as overheating after prolonged filming sessions and lacking durability, its unique video capabilities hold great promise for creators.