At the beginning of each month the folks behind the AnTuTu benchmark publish two charts for the previous month - one focuses on the best performing devices, the other on 'flagship killers', revealing which chipsets are at the top of their respective games.
The charts for April are now out, and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 dominates the high-performance category, occupying the first four spots out of the top five, and seven out of the top 10. The other three are, of course, held by devices powered by MediaTek's Dimensity 9300.
The Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro is first with an average AnTuTu score...
The Opal Tadpole is an incredibly capable webcam that is well-engineered and beautifully designed. The video quality is respectable, but my lasting impression of the Tadpole was not to do with the sensor's capabilities but rather that it just felt really good to use. All of this is due to the thoughtful and well-implemented design, as well as the minimalist feature set. This should come as no surprise, considering the Opal co-team has history with Google, Uber, and Jump.
(Image credit: Future)
The Tadpole, as the name suggests, is small. At only 3.5 x 4.5 cm, the unit itself sits neatly and unobtrusively at the top of any laptop screen. When I first started using it, a few people initially asked me what on earth it was, but after a while, the device just faded into the background. So, if you’re after one of the tiniest webcams on the market at the moment, then your search is over.
The small size results in an overall weight of less than 50 grams, so there’s no chance of any unnecessary strain being applied to your screen hinge. This also makes it a dream to transport around, but more on that later.
Rather than a magnetic mount, the Opal team has opted for an adjustable clip. This means that the whole unit is either on or off, rather than having a permanently located mount. I personally prefer this implementation, because there is no chance of me losing any individual parts and thereby rendering the whole piece of kit useless.
(Image credit: Future)
The range of the clip is 35 degrees, which was more than adequate for my Macbook Pro and is indeed perfect for almost all laptops. One of the concerns I initially had was about damaging my laptop. I didn’t want to scratch my metal back or crack the glass of the screen. I therefore gave the clip a good look before applying it to my laptop. After seeing that the clip was primarily made of silicone rubber, I proceeded to mount it. In reality, I needn’t have been concerned. The rubber ensures that the laptop is well protected.
The build quality is high, with a painted aluminum front and an anodized aluminum back. Despite not being the most expensive webcam on the market, the Tadpole certainly feels as premium as the best. Chemically strengthened glass will help with longevity although, for obvious reasons, I didn’t test how robust the glass was.
The cable, which measures 55cm in length and 3.7mm in diameter, is woven for greater durability. I love a woven cable, so that’s a win for me. It’s just the right length for attaching to a laptop, and thanks to the magnetic end, it can be looped around your wrist as you move between meetings. Even though I appreciate the design feature, I didn’t find much use for this type of portability.
(Image credit: Future)
Moving away from the design and build quality, I’m sure you're interested in knowing about the camera itself. Generally, it’s pretty good, although not as good as the built-in webcam on my MacBook Pro 2023. As a result, I’ll inevitably stick with that, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t many people who would benefit from this type of webcam - after all, many laptops have sub-par 720p webcams or no webcam whatsoever.
The Sony IMX582 RS sensor does a fantastic job of producing clean video with minimal noise, even in the shadows. Color replication is strong, with vibrant colors chosen over and above a flat profile. The image therefore pops nicely, which is exactly what you want when appearing in front of others at a meeting or when video-calling your parents.
(Image credit: Future)
The f/1.8 lens is made up of six elements and is able to let in a significant amount of light, something that is particularly noticeable when using it in low light. Unfortunately, the dynamic range that is supported by the lens and its sensor is not quite wide enough. It was a real shame that during my meetings I had to put up with bright backgrounds, such as windows, that were almost completely blown out. It’s understandable that cameras like this would struggle here, but the Tadpole struggled more than I would have liked to see.
In terms of resolution, the 48 MP image is binned to 1080p, which is more than enough for most laptops. For most people, there is little point in spending more on a 4K webcam when it will make almost no difference to the visual experience - that territory is more for professional online content creators.
(Image credit: Future)
As important, if not more so, is the quality of the audio. One of the biggest challenges to providing good audio from a webcam is that they’re often omnidirectional and therefore pick up way too much background noise. Some webcams overcome this by using noise filtering, but Opal has landed on a completely different solution.
By using a directional microphone, the Tadpole captures only what is directly in front of the camera. The solution, in essence, creates a tunnel through which sound is funneled. As a result, any sound that doesn’t travel down this tunnel isn’t heard. It’s a genius little idea and puts the results in the hands of engineering rather than leaving it to programmers to work out.
This directional microphone does a pretty good job, with almost all low-to-medium level background noise removed. It didn’t work entirely in a crowded room but was certainly better than omnidirectional alternatives.
Another audio feature is the ability to mute calls with a single tap of the integrated capacitive button on the USB-C cable. This is a nice little feature to have, though I certainly wouldn’t buy the webcam because of it.
(Image credit: Future)
One of the biggest selling points of the Tadpole is its portability. It is small, lightweight, and packs neatly into a purpose-made carry case that looks like a yoyo. The case is built well and allows the cable to neatly protrude out the side, doubling up as a loop for carrying. Simply put, this is one of the best carry cases for a webcam that I’ve ever seen. The magnetic clip makes it quick and easy to take in and out, with just enough strength to ensure it doesn’t accidentally fall out.
The Opal Tadpole is one of the best options in the mid-range webcam space. It delivers better quality than the super-budget alternatives but lacks additional features that are seen in the more expensive and premium webcams. Video quality is more than good enough for most situations, although it does sometimes struggle to deal with bright light sources. The directional mic is a nice feature that does a good job of cutting out a reasonable amount of background noise. Overall, the Tadpole is a very capable webcam.
Opal Tadpole webcam: Price & availability
How much does it cost? $129 (about £105 / AU$200)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? US with worldwide shipping
At $129 (about £105 / AU$200), the Opal Tadpole sits in the middle between the super-budget Logitech HD Webcam C310 and the eye-wateringly pricy Elgato Facecam Pro. The former lacks good image quality and feels a bit cheap in the hand, whereas the latter delivers amazing 4K video at 60 fps - for a high price.
If you want to compare like for like in terms of price, then the Tadpole is only a little more expensive than the Logitech C920, which wins the status for 'best overall' webcam in our best webcams buying guide - though it lacks the unparalleled portability of the Tadpole.
For the asking price here, you get decent video quality and some nice features, including single-tap muting. If you're after something a little better than the cheapest options on the market, then the Opal Tadpole is a respectable choice.
The Opal Tadpole ships worldwide, with associated shipping costs. For the UK, that is set at an additional $8. The yo-yo case also costs an additional $19, but it's worth the price in my opinion.
Value: 4 / 5
Opal Tadpole webcam: Specs
Should you buy the Opal Tadpole webcam?
(Image credit: Future)
Buy it if...
You want one of the best-looking webcams
Opal has absolutely nailed the design of the webcam. It not only looks smart on top of any laptop but also clips securely in place even when you need to move your laptop around.
You want a travel webcam
The Tadpole packs down into a small and lightweight hard carry case, which not only protects the webcam but also makes it easy to transport around.
You want an intelligent microphone
The Tadpole comes with a direction microphone that captures only what the camera can see. Some webcams achieve this through noise filtering, but Opal makes it happen with engineering.
Don't buy it if...
You want a 4K webcam
The Opal Tadpole records 48 MP, which is fixed at 1080p. Considering this will be the display resolution of many laptops and standalone desktop monitors, it won't necessarily be an issue for you, but serious content creators may want more.
You want the cheapest webcam
The Tadpole is far from expensive, but there are cheaper alternatives around, especially if you just want something that is no thrills and just going to get the job done.
Opal Tadpole webcam: Also consider
How I tested the Opal Tadpole webcam
I used the webcam for my video calls
I tested its general performance as well as its special features
I made sure to test it under a variety of lighting conditions
As soon as it came through the door, I was keen to get the Opal Tadpol webcam out of the box and hooked onto my laptop. Everything about the design and functionality oozes quality, so I wanted to get it setup as soon as I could.
After a few minutes of getting it up and running, I spent time in video calls to test it's many features. I also made sure to give it a good run around in different lighting conditions, including bright and low-lit rooms.
With a few neat features, I also checked those out so I could determine the degree to which I would use them on a regular basis. I also used the carry case to help me transport the webcam around.
Huawei's Richard Yu (Yu Chengdong in Chinese) will allegedly no longer serve as the CEO of the Consumer Business Group, instead moving to the position of Chairman. The new CEO will apparently be He Gang, the former Chief Operating Officer (COO).
So far Huawei has never had a Chairman for its Consumer Business Group, so Yu will be the first. The point of the move is to allow Yu to expand his scope of duties within the company.
He will now look after more parts of the group, including those dealing with smart devices and car components - Huawei has been very active in the EV space in...
Samsung has announced that its One UI 6.1 update has already reached 8.8 million devices since starting its rollout in March. This number excludes the Galaxy S24 family, by the way, which came with One UI 6.1 preinstalled, so we're only talking about the Galaxy S23 series (including the S23 FE), the Z Fold5 and Flip5, and the Galaxy Tab S9 series.
The rollout for these devices started in March, and this month it will expand to also include the Galaxy S22 family, the Fold4 and Flip4, as well as the Galaxy Tab S8 series. Thus, the number will keep on growing, and the new Galaxy AI features...
The Honor 200 Lite became official last week, but it's not going to be the only member of the 200 family for long. In fact, it will be joined by the Honor 200 and Honor 200 Pro, and these handsets' chipsets have been leaked in China today.
The Honor 200 is said to sport the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC, while the Honor 200 Pro will go with the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Compared to previous Honor devices like the 100 and 100 Pro, expect to see a massively different rear camera island.
Honor 200 Lite
The Honor 200 and Honor 200 Pro have likely been already certified for sale in China...
We’re putting the finishing touches on the Tecno Camon 30 Pro review, but we wanted to share the results from our battery life test early as they are fairly impressive. The phone will be compared with the Premier and they do have the same batteries (5,000mAh, 70W charging) and the same chipset (Dimensity 8200 Ultimate), but the Pro model edged out its pricier sibling by a full hour in our Active use score chart.
Looking at the breakdown, the phone stands out with its gaming endurance (it lasted just over an hour longer), longer web browsing time (just under an hour longer) and phone calls....
Honor was once a brand whose name adorned the shelves of the budget mobile aisle, but with the launch of the Honor Magic 5 Pro in 2023, the former Huawei subsidiary proved itself capable of competing with the likes of Apple and Samsung in the premium hardware department.
Honor has since rocked the boat with a truly unique foldable phone (see the Honor Magic V2), while maintaining a strong presence in the mid-range category (see the Honor 90), but it’s clear that the Chinese company has its sights set firmly on the luxury electronics market.
The Honor Magic 6 Pro is the latest feature-packed flagship to emerge from Honor’s R&D labs, and it marks another leap forward for this fast-growing mobile manufacturer. In essence, the Magic 6 Pro is the Magic 5 Pro with an even more adventurous rear design, a slightly better camera system and all-new AI smarts, which seems to be the usual upgrade recipe for today’s best phones.
That camera upgrade comes by way of an almighty 180MP periscope telephoto lens, which sits alongside a 50MP wide lens and a 50MP ultra-wide lens in Honor’s ‘Star Wheel’ camera notch. The internal hardware is powered by Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset.
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
The Magic 6 Pro’s battery is a large 5,600mAh cell, which is necessary due to the increased processing power required by those aforementioned AI features. That said, the Magic 6 Pro still boasts endurance to match or exceed the latest handsets from Apple, Samsung and Google – it charges faster than all of them, too.
The Magic 6 Pro’s battery is 10% larger than that of its predecessor – 5,600mAh versus 5,100mAh – but the increased processing power required by those aforementioned AI features means that you won’t see much, if any, improvements in overall battery life. That said, the Magic 6 Pro still boasts endurance to match or exceed the latest handsets from Apple, Samsung and Google – it charges faster than all of them, too.
Honor’s Magic OS software still doesn’t hold a candle to Apple’s iOS software or Samsung’s One UI interface, and despite the seamless integration of Magic Portal and the future-facing potential of Magic Capsule (more on both of these features later), you don’t get any generative photo editing features with the Magic 6 Pro.
Its price isn’t exactly attractive, either – at £1,099.99, it's £150 more expensive than the Magic 5 Pro. However, accounting for the phone’s singular storage configuration (512GB with 12GB RAM), the Magic 6 Pro costs the same as the equivalent Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus model (£1,099), and it’s actually slightly cheaper than the iPhone 15 Plus (£1,199) and Google Pixel 8 Pro (£1,179) models with the same storage capacity. As with most Honor phones, the Magic 6 Pro isn’t available to buy in the US.
All told, then, the Honor Magic 6 Pro is indisputably one of the best Android phones of 2024, and the best Honor phone that the brand has released thus far. But if you’re already well-accustomed to the simplicity of rival operating systems, you should think carefully about forking out the £1,099.99 needed to buy one.
Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Price and availability
Costs £1,099.99 / €1299.90
Available in the UK and Europe, but not the US or Australia
Honor’s latest flagship was announced in China on February 25, 2024, and went on sale in the UK and Europe on March 8, 2024. In the latter two regions, the Magic 6 Pro is available in a single storage configuration – 512GB with 12GB RAM – for £1,099.99 / €1299.90.
For reference, the Honor Magic 5 Pro launched for £949.99 / €1,199 in 2023, so Honor has hiked the price of its successor by a not-insubstantial £150 in the UK, and €100 in Europe. However, as mentioned above, that £949.99 price puts the Magic 6 Pro on a par with the equivalent storage variant of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus – in the UK, at least – and also makes the phone slightly cheaper than equivalent variants of the iPhone 15 Plus (£1,199) and Google Pixel 8 Pro (£1,179).
At the time of writing, the Magic 6 Pro is not available to purchase in the US or Australia.
Value score: 3 / 5
Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Specs
Here's a look at the Honor Magic 6 Pro's key specs:
Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Design
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
Luxury watch-inspired camera module
IP68 water and dust resistance
The Magic 6 Pro measures 162.5 x 75.8 x 8.9mm and has a 6.8-inch display, so this isn’t a handset for those who prefer smaller phones. But despite its enormous screen – which is actually a touch bigger than the iPhone 15 Pro Max – Honor’s latest flagship isn’t especially heavy. In fact, at 221g, it’s a whole 11g lighter than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (232g), which also has a 6.8-inch display.
From a design standpoint, the phone innovates upon the Magic 5 Pro, which introduced Honor’s ‘Star Wheel’ camera module. The design of the Magic 6 Pro’s Star Wheel is a nod to “cushion-shaped watches, jade congs, and baroque diamonds,” according to Honor, and given that the former were popularized by luxury watchmaker Panerai in the 1940s, it’s easy to see why the company has embraced this unique ‘squircle’ shape on the Magic 6 Pro
What’s more, this year’s Star Wheel module is more practical. I liked the look of the Magic 5 Pro’s rear camera module but didn’t love the way it felt in the hand (I found that my index finger rubbed against its edge). Due to its wider shape, the Magic 6 Pro’s Star Wheel is more comfortable to the touch, and even more eye-catching than its predecessor, so kudos to Honor’s design team for this small-but-important change.
There’s no titanium in sight on the Magic 6 Pro, but since this is a cheaper phone than the 512GB variants of the iPhone 15 Pro Max (£1,399) and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (£1,349) – two phones that do boast titanium designs – I think Honor was right to make the compromise. You still get IP68 water and dust resistance with the Magic 6 Pro, which brings Honor’s latest flagship in line with those competitors.
In the UK and Europe, the Magic 6 Pro is available in Black or Epi Green. The black features “velvet matte glass”, while the green features “ripple classic leather”, and both design touches make the Magic 6 Pro feel undeniably premium. The ripples on the Epi Green variant are pleasantly grippy, so I recommend that option.
Design score: 4 / 5
Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Display
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
6.8-inch OLED display
Eye-friendly screen technology
5,000-nit peak HDR brightness
The Magic 6 Pro has a 6.8-inch OLED display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. That’s the standard for the best Android phones these days (take note, Apple), but the screen on Honor’s latest flagship stands out from the crowd for two reasons.
First is how it sits on the phone itself. The Magic 6 Pro’s 6.8-inch display is curved – or rather, its edges ‘spill over’ the side of the device. Most of today’s best phones use flat-edged displays, and while I have no particular preference for one approach or the other, Honor’s decision to go with a curved display on the Magic 6 Pro will inevitably appeal to some, and deter others. It's unique, at least.
The second distinguishing feature of the Magic 6 Pro’s display is the technology behind it. As with the Magic 5 Pro (and indeed the Magic V2 and Honor 90), the Magic 6 Pro boasts Honor’s proprietary Circadian Night Display technology, which filters blue light to improve the quality of your sleep. This particular phone is also aided by an impressive 4,320Hz PWM dimming cycle rate that works to minimize strain on the eyes, so if you’re someone who regularly scrolls through social media in the small hours (and let’s face it, who isn’t these days?), the Magic 6 Pro will at least try to reduce the physical impact of that behavior.
The Magic 6 Pro boasts an almighty peak HDR brightness of 5,000 nits (in very specialized situations) though you’re likely to experience around 1,600 nits in day-to-day use (which is more than respectable).
On the durability front, the phone’s display is protected by Honor’s NanoCrystal Shield, which is supposedly 10 times stronger than regular glass. Naturally, I wasn’t able to put that claim to the test, but I can say that my Magic 6 Pro review unit regularly emerged from my key-filled pocket unscathed.
Display score: 5 / 5
Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Cameras
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
50MP wide lens (f/1.4-2.0)
50MP ultra-wide lens (f/2.0)
180MP periscope telephoto lens (f/2.6)
As with most premium Android phones, the Honor Magic 6 Pro goes big on mobile photography, but this particular device has a few distinguishing tricks up its sleeve.
For starters, the Magic 6 Pro’s 50MP wide lens uses an adjustable aperture (f/1.4-2.0), a feature we haven’t seen on a smartphone for years. When taking shots in normal lightning conditions, the phone uses a standard f/2.0 aperture, but it’ll automatically switch to the wider f/1.4 aperture when shooting in low-light environments. Neat!
Also unique is the Magic 6 Pro’s astounding 180MP periscope telephoto lens (f/2.6), which is the largest sensor on a zoom lens I’ve ever seen on a smartphone. This supersized lens is only capable of 2.5x optical zoom, mind – which is a downgrade from the 3.5x-capable Magic 5 Pro – but the phone can still achieve 5x lossless zoom by cropping shots from the 180MP lens.
An unchanged 50MP ultra-wide lens (f/2.0) rounds out the Magic 6 Pro’s rear camera array, and you get an impressively large 50MP front-facing camera, too.
Let’s start with the performance of the telephoto lens, which is the headline feature of the Magic 6 Pro. On a sunny day in London, shots taken with this lens were rich in detail and exceptionally vivid. At 1x, 2.5x and 5x magnification, colors were realistic and the subject(s) kept in focus, though I’d advise against zooming any further than 10x, where things take a turn for the Dali-esque (the Magic 6 Pro will technically let you zoom digitally up to 100x, but don’t bother).
Image 1 of 8
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
Image 2 of 8
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
Image 3 of 8
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
Image 4 of 8
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
Image 5 of 8
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
Image 6 of 8
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
Image 7 of 8
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
Image 8 of 8
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
The performance of the variable wide lens was similarly consistent. Shots taken with this lens were crisp, and the depth of field impressive, with shadows appearing particularly life-like.
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
My main gripe with Honor’s assistive camera software continues to be its overcompensation of certain colors – specifically lighter shades of green and blue. As with the Magic V2, the Magic 6 Pro occasionally over-eggs the appearance of the sky or the trees, while at night, artificial blue light presents a particular challenge.
Image 1 of 6
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
Image 2 of 6
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
Image 3 of 6
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
Image 4 of 6
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
Image 5 of 6
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
Image 6 of 6
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
This isn’t a deal-breaker, by any means, but the Magic 6 Pro doesn’t balance colors perfectly every time. I suspect this has something to do with the way the phone uses AI to identify certain environmental features and adjust the composition of the shot accordingly (see the image in below).
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
I found the Magic 6 Pro’s portrait mode performance to be better than most, while the phone’s 50MP front-facing camera is also solid, if nothing groundbreaking. On the video front, you can record video in 4K at up to 60 frames per second with any of the three rear camera lenses, while the 4K-compatible selfie camera tops out at 30 fps.
All this adds up to an indisputably strong camera phone that ranks alongside best camera phones for versatility, but not necessarily consistency. There’s also no AI-powered photo editing, the likes of which you will find on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Google Pixel 8 Pro.
Cameras score: 4 / 5
Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Performance and software
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset
12GB RAM and 512GB storage
Neat Magic Capsule and Magic Portal features
Under the hood, the Magic 6 Pro is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset – that’s the same chipset you’ll find inside the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, OnePlus 12 and Xiaomi 14.
Working in tandem with the Magic 6 Pro’s 12GB RAM and 512GB storage, Qualcomm’s latest chipset delivers consistently brilliant performance, regardless of the task. Web browsing, messaging, mobile gaming and high-quality video streaming are child’s play for this phone, and while we’ve come to expect as much from devices in this price range – you’d be hard-pressed to find a flagship phone in 2024 that isn’t lightning fast – you needn’t worry about the Magic 6 Pro’s heavy lifting ability.
The phone sets itself apart, for better or worse, through its software. The Magic 6 Pro runs Honor’s Magic OS 8 skin atop Android 14, which differs from the stock version of Android in several interesting – if not always successful – ways.
The first distinguishing feature is Magic Capsule, which is an unashamed copy of Apple’s Dynamic Island in both functionality and appearance.
Personally, I don’t have a problem with the similarity – both Magic Capsule and the Dynamic Island are useful tools for quickly controlling music, timers, notifications and incoming calls – but it’s hard to give kudos to Honor for adding this feature given the obvious lack of originality.
One interesting – and undeniably unique – feature of Magic Capsule is its ability to let you control parts of the Magic 6 Pro’s UI using nothing but your eyes. Or rather, this feature would be interesting if it was actually available to use. At the time of writing, Honor’s eye-tracking tech – which is currently compatible with Magic Capsule apps like Timer, Alarm and Call – is limited to the Chinese market, though the company has assured TechRadar that the feature will be added to international versions of the device in the near future.
The headline feature of the Magic 6 Pro’s AI offering is Magic Portal, which forms a key part of what Honor describes as the “world’s first intent-based UI.” What does that mean, exactly? Well, instead of acting upon request, Magic OS 8 uses Magic Portal to render services according to user intentions.
In essence, it’s a shortcut feature that lets you switch between apps and services with a single swipe. For instance, if you’re sent some location information by a friend and want to get to that location in a hurry, Magic Portal will let you drag those details – in one fell swoop – from the messages app across into a compatible ride-hailing or navigation app, saving you clicks in the process.
Magic Portal in action on the Honor Magic 6 Pro (Image credit: Future)
In my experience, Magic Portal delivered accurate results and worked pretty seamlessly. I particularly like the way text lifts off the page without creating another white box behind it. I also liked the strong haptic feedback when tapping images, and the way the page 'tilts' in order to share the screen with other apps.
One big miss with the Magic 6 Pro is its lack of generative AI tools. I’m no particular fan of artificially recomposing images, but given that the latest flagships from Samsung and Google boast a veritable smorgasbord of AI-powered editing features, it’s an omission that I suspect will become more noticeable as the quality and quantity of AI features becomes the standard by which new flagship phones are measured.
On the longevity front, Honor is committing to four years of Android updates and five years of security updates for the Magic 6 Pro. That’s less than the seven-year commitments made by Samsung and Google, but equal to OnePlus’ commitment to the OnePlus 12.
Performance score: 5 / 5
Software score: 3 / 5
Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Battery
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
4,900mAh battery is a slight upgrade
45W wired charging, 15W wireless charging
The Magic 6 Pro boasts a rival-beating 5,600mAh silicon-carbon battery, which should give you around a day and a half of charge when using the phone casually. For reference, we managed to squeeze two days of charge out of the iPhone 15 Plus, but if we’re talking about the most expensive flagships exclusively, the Magic 6 Pro is the best of the current bunch in the endurance department.
Honor’s latest flagship supports up to 80W wired and 66W wireless charging, but annoyingly, you won’t get any type of charger in the box. The brand claims that a full charge takes 40 minutes, and that turned out to be pretty accurate in a test I conducted using the 100W charger that is provided with the Porsche Design version of this phone (I guess that’s what an extra £1,000 buys you these days).
After 15 minutes from a completely dead state, my Magic 6 Pro device had reached 36% charge, and 70% after 30 minutes. A full charge took 46 minutes, which is faster than every iPhone 15 model and every Samsung Galaxy S24 model we’ve tested, but a tad slower than the Xiaomi 14 and OnePlus 12R. However, if you’re using a lower-wattage charger with the Magic 6 Pro, charging speeds will be slower.
Battery score: 4 / 5
Should you buy the Honor Magic 6 Pro?
Buy it if...
You want a best-in-class display This phone's 6.8-inch curved OLED screen is big, bright and kind to your eyes. You won't find a better display anywhere elsewhere in 2024.
You're a fan of big phones If you're after a big-screened Android phone that won't weigh down your pocket, the Magic 6 Pro s is as portable as 6.8-inch phones come.
You need long-lasting battery life The Magic 6 Pro's supersized5,600mAh silicon-carbon battery offers around a day and a half of charge, which is supremely impressive given the amount of power at your disposal.
Don't buy it if...
You're already embedded into a simpler OS Honor's Magic OS is better than ever, but it's still not at the level of iOS or cleaner versions of Android. Think twice if you're not ready to jump into something new.
You want generative AI editing tools If you're someone who's excited by the prospect of recomposing images after taking them, you may be dissapointed by the Magic 6 Pro's lack of generative AI editing tools.
Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Also consider
As you'll have read by now, the Honor Magic 6 Pro is a well-designed, highly capable and thoroughly unique device, but there are, of course, alternative phones to consider.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra If you're keen to stick with Android and have a little extra cash to spend, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is indisputably the best Android phone money can buy right now.
Apple iPhone 15 Plus If you're not fussed about AI features and prefer Apple's more accessible iOS software, the iPhone 15 Plus is a great option. It's almost the same size as the Magic 6 Pro, just as powerful and offers even better battery life. The screen isn't anywhere near as good, mind.
How I tested the Honor Magic 6 Pro
Review test period: four weeks
Testing included: everyday use including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
I received – and subsequently lived for four weeks with – a review-ready version of the Honor Magic 6 Pro at MWC in March 2024, using it for productivity purposes during my working day and for social media browsing and gaming in the evenings.
I compared the experience of playing power-hungry games like EA Sports FC 24 and Asphalt 9: Legends on the Magic 6 Pro to the experience of playing the same games on the iPhone 15 Pro, which helped me to quantify just how well the device’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset stacks up against Apple's A17 Pro. I also used the phone to stream color-rich documentaries via YouTube, and also logged into Twitter and Instagram to assess the social media browsing experience.
I used Geekbench 6 for CPU testing and Geekbench ML for machine learning and AI benchmarking, while battery life was assessed based on real-world usage. I measured charge time in 15-minute intervals using 100W Honor SuperCharge charger.
As photographers and videographers, sometimes we just want to pack one lens that can do it all, but this comes with a few drawbacks. Typically, the broader the focal range and faster the maximum aperture, the bigger, heavier and ultimately more expensive the lens. The good news for Nikon shooters is that the Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens – which the manufacturer refers to as its ‘superzoom’ – is the lightest full-frame lens in its maker’s line-up while offering a maximum focal length of 400mm. As well as being useful for bringing the faraway closer, the telephoto end is also well suited to portraiture, for when we want to attractively throw the background out of focus and achieve attractive bokeh, while keeping our subject pin-sharp.
With a minimum focus distance of 0.2m at its widest setting allowing for reasonable close-ups of flora and fauna, and a still-useful 1.2m at the telephoto end, those shooting handheld in more demanding lighting conditions are aided by Nikon’s built-in Vibration Reduction image stabilization, here providing equivalent to up to five stops. This is boosted to 5.5 stops when the lens is used with a Nikon camera, such as the Z f, that has a Synchro VR feature. This allows for image-stabilized camera bodies and image-stabilized lenses to work in tandem – an automatic process if the user has already activated it, the result being less pronounced blur caused by camera shake. For the record, other Nikon camera bodies with this feature aside from the Z f include its flagship Z 8 and Z 9 mirrorless models.
Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR specs
Type: Zoom
Sensor: Full-frame
Focal length: 28-400mm
Max aperture: f/4-8
Minimum focus: 7.88in / 0.2 m at 28 mm and 47.2in / 1.2 m at 400 mm
Filter size: 77mm
Dimensions: 3.4 x 5.6in / 84.5 x 141.5 mm
Weight: 25.5oz / 725g
At its widest 28mm setting this lens also proves perfectly suited for landscape and travel photography – it’s wide, without being so wide as to cause fisheye or barrel-like distortion – while nudge a bit further up the zoom range and it’s great for street photography and people watching. In short, yes, this is a single lens that can do it all.
It’s a contender for one of the best Nikon Z lenses, and of course you’ll need one of the best mirrorless cameras from Nikon to pair it with. I used the impressive retro-styled Nikon Z f for the duration of my test, which felt like something of a perfect marriage, in that the camera body and lens are almost identical in weight, so the combination doesn’t feel too ‘front-heavy’ in the hand.
(Image credit: Future | Gavin Stoker)
Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR: price and availability
Costs $1,299.95 / £1,399 / AU$2,199
Available to buy now
Lens hood is supplied
The Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR was announced on March 26 2024, and costs $1,299.95 / £1,399 / AU$2,199
While it’s not a cheap lens, having spent some time shooting with it the price feels fair (and it’s much better value for Nikon users in the US than in the UK). That’s not just because of build quality and performance, but because it’s basically capable of replacing a whole bag full of prime lenses that would otherwise be necessary to cover anything approaching the broad focal range on offer here.
On top of that, most of us don’t want to kart a lens the size and weight of a dedicated 400mm around with us for day-to-day shooting, on the off-chance that we might actually need it – even if Nikon claims its Nikkor Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S is the lightest lens in its class at 2.75lb / 1,245g. Similarly, at the other end of the scale, a 28mm focal length might not be quite what we always have in mind for the treatment of a particular subject.
A possible alternative to the Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR is the Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR if you’re after a catch-all zoom for this specific mount. It starts out wider and only has half the reach of the 28-400mm, but it’s also less expensive at around $899.95 / £899 / AU$1,599.
(Image credit: Future | Gavin Stoker)
Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR: design
14.2x optical zoom
Extending barrel
Rubber-sealed and weather resistant
We get the equivalent of a generous 14.2x optical zoom, with common focal distances/framing options marked in millimeters at regular intervals on the barrel itself. Just behind these sits a control ring with a rougher feel and which is assigned to manual focus by default, although it can be assigned to adjust aperture, exposure compensation, or ISO. When set to manual focus, twisting the ring will momentarily override autofocus.
The focus markings on the lens barrel start out at the maximum 28mm, progressing through 35mm, 50mm, 70mm, 105mm, 200mm and 300mm before arriving at 400mm. At this point the almost comically fully extended lens barrel resembles a child’s kaleidoscope, and not just the look but also the feel of this lens reminded me of a ‘super-zoom’ bridge camera like the Nikon Coolpix P1000. The lens’s ridged rubberized surface enables a nice firm grip when holding or rotating the barrel to cycle through its broad focal range.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Future | Gavin Stoker)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: Future | Gavin Stoker)
The design of the Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR is further practical in offering a degree of weather resistance, with Nikon helpfully providing sealing around the mount and its moving parts. I was testing the camera in the UK in April, a month that’s prone to sudden rain showers, and while I made sure that neither the lens nor the camera got too wet, a light drizzle didn’t stop me from continuing to shoot.
A lens hood is included to prevent instances of possible flare in brighter conditions, and this can be ‘worn’ in reverse/inverted on the lens for easier transportation without affecting lens use. There’s also a lens lock to prevent the barrel from being accidentally nudged and extending as you’re walking around with it, although I didn’t often feel the need to engage this.
Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR: Performance
Only 1.6lbs / 725g
Balances well with Nikon's smaller Z-mount cameras
Speedy autofocus
This lens is as much about portability and practicality as it is about performance, and Nikon has attempted to balance these attributes without too much obvious compromise. A good start is that the lens weighs a manageable 1.6lb / 725g, which makes it fairly evenly balanced when twinned with a body such as the 1.57lb / 710g Nikon Z f I tested it on. The pairing makes for a very solid and sturdy combination that gave me confidence from the off. I carried the camera with lens affixed around for the day without experiencing neck or shoulder ache, although it’s probably at the limit of what I’d feel comfortable traveling with or taking on holiday.
The beauty of this lens’s multi-purpose nature is that if you suddenly come across practically any image opportunity when out and about, you have the tool in your hands to be able to capture that image. Autofocus is both rapid and accurate, and unless there’s busy foreground detail getting in the way you have a high likelihood of achieving the shot you want, which is worth its weight in gold, creatively.
(Image credit: Future | Gavin Stoker)
While to my eye results at maximum telephoto weren’t always quite as razor-sharp as from a dedicated 400mm prime lens married to a full frame sensor – and I occasionally got some slight image blur at maximum telephoto when shooting handheld – that’s to be expected. On the whole, I was more than satisfied, and I reckon that all but the most demanding of enthusiasts and amateurs will find detail both plentiful and sufficient for their needs.
Generally speaking, images are consistently sharp across the frame, whether shooting at maximum wide-angle, extreme telephoto, or pretty much any point in between. Where I occasionally got a softer frame, this was often down to the fact that I was shooting handheld, and simply reframing an image and trying again with my palm wide open and supporting the lens barrel yielded a sharper result. Throughout my test period I kept Vibration Reduction active.
While a lot of zoom lenses have photographers wishing for just that bit more poke at the telephoto end to get them that bit closer, I found the Nikkor’s 400mm maximum setting useful and versatile. For those who prefer shooting with autofocus, I’m pleased to report that the lens’s stepping motor is as quiet as Nikon claims – imperceptibly quiet in fact. I was able to take several shots of a nearby robin perching on a tree branch at eye-level without startling it.
Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR: sample images
Image 1 of 10
(Image credit: Future | Gavin Stoker)
Image 2 of 10
(Image credit: Future | Gavin Stoker)
Image 3 of 10
(Image credit: Future | Gavin Stoker)
Image 4 of 10
(Image credit: Future | Gavin Stoker)
Image 5 of 10
(Image credit: Future | Gavin Stoker)
Image 6 of 10
(Image credit: Future | Gavin Stoker)
Image 7 of 10
(Image credit: Future | Gavin Stoker)
Image 8 of 10
(Image credit: Future | Gavin Stoker)
Image 9 of 10
(Image credit: Future | Gavin Stoker)
Image 10 of 10
(Image credit: Future | Gavin Stoker)
Should I buy the Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
How I tested the Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR
A mixture of landscape, wildlife and portrait photography
Used in changeable weather
Nikon pitching the Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR as a jack-of-all trades option, I tested it in a variety of shooting scenarios, and the lens generally proved to be a capable performer. Landscapes, wildlife, portraits – we shot them all, with consistently pleasing results. I was ‘blessed’ with changeable weather conditions during my testing period, allowing me to put it through its paces in less than ideal light, and it coped ably with a variety of conditions.
The Nothing OS 2.5.5 released for the Phone (2) and Phone (2a) last month is now seeding for the Phone (1). The biggest highlight of the Nothing OS 2.5.5 update is the ChatGPT integration, which adds new ChatGPT Widgets to the home screen and a button on the screenshot and clipboard pop-up to directly paste content to a new conversation in ChatGPT.
The update also adds an option to apply the Nothing Icon Pack only to the home screen and fixes some bugs. You can check the image below for the update's complete changelog.
Nothing Phone (1)'s Nothing OS 2.5.5 update changelog
If...
The vivo V30 SE smartphone is now official in Peru. It is the fifth different name of the same smartphone with a Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset and a 50 MP triple camera.
The company did not change anything in this phone; it is absolutely the same as the vivo Y100 in Indonesia (but not the one in China), the vivo Y200e, the vivo 40 SE, and the vivo V30 Lite in the Middle East (not to be confused with the global variant of the vivo V30 Lite with 4G or 5G).
Looking at the specs sheet, the vivo V30 SE keeps the 5,000 mAh battery but has 44W wired charging. Some of the variants mentioned...
