China's smartphone and electronics supply chain is pivoting toward humanoid robotics as global phone shipments slow, with suppliers hunting for the next growth engine in mass production and large-scale deployment. [1]
Honor entered the humanoid robotics sector in 2025 and has already pushed its robot Lightning to a world running record by more than 6 minutes, the company said. [1]
Honor engineer Yao Bin said smartphone cooling technology helped the robot finish the run, saying: "One reason for the win was the transfer of smartphone cooling technology to robots, which kept the motor cool after running 21km." [1]
The company said the same kind of know-how used in phones was adapted to keep Lightning's motor cool after the 21km run. [1]
Major smartphone suppliers including Lingyi iTech, Lens Technology and AAC Technologies also supplied structural parts for Honor's humanoid robot D1, a sign that the handset supply chain is reaching into the robotics market. [1]
Suppliers are now targeting robotics as the next major expansion area as they look beyond a weaker smartphone market. [1]
