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The Honor 400 Lite gives you iPhone 16 Pro Max features on the cheap, without the Apple performance
11:52 am | April 25, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Honor Phones Phones | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Honor 400 Lite: Two-minute review

Squint, and you could mistake the Honor 400 Lite for an iPhone 16 Pro Max. Honor is clearly enamored with Apple's whole approach to smartphones, or more likely the enduring popularity of the very best iPhones, and it's evidently not afraid to wear that admiration on its sleeve.

The prospect of a £250 phone with a Dynamic Island (or 'Magic Capsule') and Camera Control (or 'AI Camera Button') is an undeniably enticing one. Honor has executed those two elements well, delivering a budget Android phone that feels slightly different from its rivals. That's hard to achieve in a staid smartphone market.

However, in the process of seeking to offer an iPhone-style experience on the cheap, Honor appears to have taken its eye off the ball in some fundamental areas. The Honor 400 Lite doesn't perform as well as many of its peers, while its camera system feels undercooked.

Meanwhile, Honor's MagicOS feels as cluttered and unappealing as ever, emulating the basic look of iOS without achieving the same level of refinement. It's good to see a six-year update promise, though, which is among the very best in its class.

Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

(Image credit: Future)

Solid battery life and a good 6.7-inch OLED display also help the Honor 400 Lite's cause, though its 35W charging speeds are nothing to write home about, and that sizeable notch probably won't appeal to those who watch a lot of movies and TV shows on the go.

Ultimately, the Honor 400 Lite is a budget phone designed to appeal to those who equate 'iPhone' with 'smartphone', but who lack either the resources or inclination to spend upwards of £600 on their next handset.

It'll serve such people reasonably well, but those same people should know that they won't be getting the most from their money. There are faster, more robust, and just plain better phones in the sub-£300 bracket.

Honor 400 Lite review: price and availability

Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

(Image credit: Future)
  • Released on April 22, 2024
  • On sale in the UK and Europe for £249.99 / €269
  • Only one variant (8GB RAM / 256GB storage)
  • No US or Australia availability

The Honor 400 Lite was announced in April 2025 and is due to go on sale in the UK and Europe on May 22. Honor smartphones aren't sold in the US, while an Australian launch for the Honor 400 Lite is also off the cards at the time of writing.

It'll be available in just one variant in these territories: 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. This sole model will cost £249.99 / €269 (about $330 / AU$520).

At this price, the Honor 400 Lite is competing with a whole host of affordable phones, including the Samsung Galaxy A26, the Poco X7, and the Motorola Moto G75 5G. All of these rivals have superior water resistance, while the Moto G75 5G also has MIL-STD-810H durability.

Samsung's phone has wider availability and that familiar One UI software, while the Poco X7 has a clear performance edge.

  • Value score: 4 / 5

Honor 400 Lite review: specs

Honor 400 Lite review: design

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Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

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Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

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  • Clearly iPhone-influenced design
  • Magic Capsule notch supplies widgets and selfie light
  • Skinny, lightweight all-plastic build
  • Dedicated camera shutter button

Honor wouldn't be the first company to take a page out of Apple design playbook, but the Honor 400 Lite takes it to the next level. It looks more like an iPhone (specifically the iPhone 16 Pro Max) than pretty much any other phone I've seen.

Yes, you have the flat-edged look with the curved corners, just like the Google Pixel 9a and Samsung Galaxy S25. But the similarity runs to the smaller details, too. The camera module looks extremely similar to that of the iPhone 16 Pro, with only a triangular motif marking it out.

Flip the Honor 400 Lite onto its front, and there's an extended floating notch that looks a lot like Apple's Dynamic Island. Honor calls it the 'Magic Capsule', but it serves a similar function.

Honor's psychedelic-sounding notch facilitates tiny heads-up widgets when doing things like playing music or running a timer. Tap one of those widgets, and it'll expand slightly to a larger, width-spanning version.

Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

(Image credit: Future)

One thing the Honor 400 Lite's Magic Capsule doesn't copy from Apple is a truly secure Face ID system, with no 3D Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor to capture the required depth information. That's doubtless a cost issue, as the flagship Honor Magic 7 Pro does include such a feature.

Instead, the Honor 400 Lite's extended notch gives you a dedicated selfie light, though it has fairly limited utility. It'll technically allow you to record videos and take video calls in very low lighting, provided you really want to convey that mid-noughties webcam vibe.

A more consequential addition is the AI Camera Button, situated a little way below the volume and power buttons on the right-hand edge. It's another direct lift from Apple, with a similar look and somewhat unsatisfactory positioning to the iPhone 16's Camera Control.

It too serves as a dedicated camera shutter button, complete with two-stage operation for locking focus and a swipe-to-zoom facility that might actually be better than Apple's. It also serves as a two-tap camera shortcut, while a long press will bring up Google Lens, much as it brings up Visual Intelligence on an iPhone.

Hold the Honor 400 Lite in your hand, and all the iPhone comparisons flake away. This is an all-plastic affair, despite the metal-effect frame. It's well-built, with no creaks and a subtle pearlescent finish to the rear.

It's also very light, given its large 161 x 74.6mm footprint, at just 171g, while it's only 7.3mm thick.

You'll also notice the uneven bezel, which gets thicker at the corners and across the chin. That's a sure sign that we're shopping in the £250 category here, though a 93.7% screen-to-body ratio is still pretty decent for a budget phone.

  • Design score: 3.5 / 5

Honor 400 Lite review: display

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Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

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Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

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  • Solid 6.7-inch FHD+ OLED
  • Gets nice and bright
  • Only a mono speaker

Honor has equipped the 400 Lite with an accomplished 6.7-inch OLED display, with an FHD+ (1080 x 2412) resolution and a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz.

These are all specifications that we've come to expect in the £250 category, and they see the Honor 400 Lite matching the likes of the Poco X7 and the Samsung Galaxy A26.

Not many budget phones can boast a 3500-nit peak brightness, however. PWM dimming of 3840Hz, meanwhile, cuts perceptible flickering and potential eye strain.

In general use, I found this to be a really pleasant display to use, at least once I'd switched away from the ramped-up 'Vivid' color mode to the more muted and natural 'Normal'. It's big, sharp, color-accurate, and responsive, while its brightness scales evenly from very dark (great for low-light viewing) to quite bright.

It's a shame the Always On Display function doesn't meet the description, however, requiring a screen tap to activate.

Also a shame is Honor's enduring insistence on packing its affordable phone with a single downward-firing speaker. It doesn't feel like too much to ask for a solid set of stereo speakers, even at this price.

  • Display score: 4 / 5

Honor 400 Lite review: cameras

Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

(Image credit: Future)
  • 108MP main camera struggles with HDR and night shots
  • Poor 5MP ultra-wide
  • Only 1080p/30fps video

Honor has simplified the camera setup from last year's Honor 200 Lite, with the pointless 2MP macro camera dropping out altogether.

This leaves you with what appears to be the same pair of cameras, specifically a 108MP 1/1.67" f/1.8 main sensor and a 5MP f/2.2 ultra-wide.

The main camera is a competent shooter under ideal conditions, capturing plenty of detail. It's even good enough to produce fairly convincing 2x and 3x crops in the absence of a dedicated telephoto.

There are issues with this main camera, however. It seems to struggle with HDR scenarios, either failing to lift very dark shady areas or otherwise blowing out background highlights.

I also noticed some odd processing effects, including a strange halo effect around distant birds in front of a blue sky.

Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

(Image credit: Future)

Night shots, too, aren't very good, with poor detail and bags of noise. The lack of OIS here is quite evident.

The ultra-wide, meanwhile, is of a pretty substandard quality, lacking in detail and failing to match the tone of the main sensor.

The selfie camera has also changed since the Honor 200 Lite, dropping from a 50MP f/2.1 unit to a 16MP f/2.5. It captures adequate shots with reasonably rich colors, but again struggles with blown-out highlights.

The provision of an LED light is an interesting one. It definitely improved the clarity of my low-light selfie shots and videos when I activated it manually, but is it strictly necessary when most phones simply use a white screen for the job? I'm not so sure.

Talking of video, the main camera maxes out at a weedy 1080p at 30fps. That's a pretty poor effort when rivals such as the Galaxy A26, Moto G75 5G, and Poco X7 can all record at 4K.

  • Camera score: 3 / 5

Honor 400 Lite review: camera samples

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Honor 400 Lite camera samples

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Honor 400 Lite review: performance

Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

(Image credit: Future)
  • MediaTek Dimensity 7025 Ultra is merely adequate
  • Solid 8GB of RAM
  • 256GB of storage

The Honor 400 Lite is equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 7025 Ultra chipset, which isn't a very strong performer even within the budget phone category.

I've used a phone with this chip before in the Redmi Note 14 5G (which didn't ship in the UK), and I was left pretty unimpressed. Suffice it to say, the Honor 400 Lite did nothing to change my mind on this component.

Across CPU and GPU benchmark tests, it's outgunned by the Moto G75 5G, the Samsung Galaxy A26, and the Poco X7.

I'd like to say that this doesn't matter in practical terms, but that's not the case. There's a generally wallowy feel to everything from unlocking the phone to app startup and even basic animations.

It would be unfair to call this performance halting or stuttery, but everything seems to take a beat longer than it should. I'd be tempted to let it off the hook given the price, but the Poco X7 (to use one example) feels nice and snappy by comparison.

Indeed, while the Poco X7 is capable of running Genshin Impact quite well on Medium settings, the Honor 400 Lite needs to run it at Low or even Lowest if you're to maintain a decent frame rate.

The solitary model available in the UK gives you a solid 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, which is most welcome.

  • Performance score: 3 / 5

Honor 400 Lite review: software

Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

(Image credit: Future)
  • Android 15 with MagicOS 9
  • Six years of OS updates and security patches

With the Honor 400 Lite, you're getting Android 15 fresh out of the box, coated in Honor's latest MagicOS 9 UI. It's not my favorite Android skin by any stretch of the imagination.

Honor evidently doesn't think much of the flowing, vibrant UI design that Google baked into the latest version of Android, preferring instead the square icons and split notification menu of Apple's iOS.

The two UIs really look uncannily alike in places, right down to the look of the Settings menu and the lock screen. The aforementioned Magic Capsule drives this familiar sensation home with its Dynamic Island-style mini-widgets.

Sadly, such an admiration for Apple's work doesn't extend to the company's no-nonsense approach to bloatware. You'll find Facebook, Booking.com, TikTok, Amazon Shopping, ReelShort, LinkedIn, and the Temu shopping app all sitting on the second home screen straight from first boot-up.

There's also a Top Apps folder with four more third-party apps. It's a little excessive, if far from unusual, on Android.

Elsewhere, there's a whopping great themed 'Essentials' folder on the main home screen containing nine of the company's own apps, and another large folder filled with AI-suggested apps that I never found remotely useful.

Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

(Image credit: Future)

Honor also provides its own App Market, which feels completely pointless with the Google Play Store present and accounted for (Honor is no longer part of Huawei, so it isn't hampered by the same sanctions).

There's a smattering of AI features here, including some Google-affiliated ones such as Smart Vision (essentially Google Lens), Google Gemini, and Circle to Search.

Honor has implemented a feature called Magic Portal that somewhat overlaps the latter Google provision, permitting you to draw around text and images before opening up a shortcut menu for sharing the resulting snippets to other apps. It's nowhere near as smart as Circle to Search, but it can actually be quite useful in this more localized on-device application. Or it would be, if the knuckle-based input system wasn't so flaky.

Favourite Space is a folder to quickly stash these hastily scrawled-out snippets. However, given the large number of superfluous preinstalled apps, I'm not sure why there isn't a standard Favourite Space app. I encountered numerous references to it and saved several snippets before it offered to create a shortcut (in the shape of an app icon) on the home screen.

When it comes to image editing, Honor offers a reasonably effective AI Eraser for deleting unwanted objects and people. AI Outpainting is a bizarre but technically impressive feature that essentially turns your regular shots into ultra-wides, using AI to infer what might be just out of frame. It kind of works in terms of creating convincing (though not accurate) images, but I'm not sure why you'd ever want to make use of such fakery beyond a tech demo.

Perhaps the most positive aspect of Honor's software provision on the 400 Lite is the promise of six years of OS and security updates. That's right up there with the Samsung Galaxy A26 in this budget class.

  • Software score: 3 / 5

Honor 400 Lite review: battery life

Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

(Image credit: Future)
  • 5,230mAh battery
  • 35W wired charging
  • No charger in the box

Honor has supplied a larger-than-average 5,230mAh battery with the 400 Lite, which is significantly larger than the 4,500mAh battery of the Honor 200 Lite.

It results in predictably strong stamina. I found that I was able to go through a day of moderate to heavy usage, with 4 hours 40 minutes of screen on time, and be left with 58%.

You could conceivably go through a full two days here, though more intensive applications and mixed network use will, of course, drain that battery much faster.

In an increasingly common move, there's no charger supplied in the box. Honor claims that if you buy the dedicated 35W Honor Wired SuperCharge charger, the phone can power up to 100% in 75 minutes.

In my experience, you don't necessarily need to go out of your way to secure the official brick. While a Xiaomi 120W Hypercharge brick trickled along at a glacial pace, a Samsung 65W Super Fast charger got the job done in just 72 minutes.

As charging rates go, that's not especially quick. The Poco X7, with its 45W charging support, can get its similarly sized battery up to 100% in 50 minutes. The Moto G75 5G only supports 30W charging, but that budget rival also includes wireless charging, which the Honor 400 Lite does not.

  • Battery score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Honor 400 Lite?

Buy it if...

You'd really like a super cheap iPhone
Honor's design and software decisions reflect an admiration for Apple's iPhone and iOS, but the package on offer here is a fraction of the price.

You want manual camera control
The Honor 400 Lite's AI Camera Button offers a handy two-stage camera shutter button, as well as a camera shortcut.

You want a big phone, but not a heavy one
The Honor 400 Lite gives you a big 6.7-inch display, but the phone itself only weighs 171g.

Don't buy it if...

You want to play lots of games
The Honor 400 Lite runs on a MediaTek Dimensity 7025 Ultra processor, which is far from the fastest in this class.

You want a crisp UI
Honor's MagicOS is pretty cluttered and charmless, and a world away from stock Android.

You take a lot of night shots
In the absence of OIS, the Honor 400 Lite is far from the best low-light shooter.

Honor 400 Lite review: also consider

The Honor 400 Lite isn't the only classy affordable phone on the market. Here are some of the better alternatives to consider.

Motorola Moto G75 5G
Motorola's tough little phone is unusually robust, performs better, and has wireless charging, though its LCD screen is inferior.

Read our full Motorola Moto G75 5G review

Poco X7
The Poco X7 leaves the Honor 400 Lite in the dust on performance, has a better camera setup, and gives you stereo sound. We haven't yet reviewed it fully, mind.

How I tested the Honor 400 Lite

  • Review test period = 1 week
  • Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, gaming, streaming video, music playback
  • Tools used = Geekbench 6, GFXBench, 3DMark, native Android stats, Samsung 65W power adapter

First reviewed: April 2025

The Honor 400 Lite gives you iPhone 16 Pro Max features on the cheap, without the Apple performance
11:52 am |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Honor Phones Phones | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Honor 400 Lite: Two-minute review

Squint, and you could mistake the Honor 400 Lite for an iPhone 16 Pro Max. Honor is clearly enamored with Apple's whole approach to smartphones, or more likely the enduring popularity of the very best iPhones, and it's evidently not afraid to wear that admiration on its sleeve.

The prospect of a £250 phone with a Dynamic Island (or 'Magic Capsule') and Camera Control (or 'AI Camera Button') is an undeniably enticing one. Honor has executed those two elements well, delivering a budget Android phone that feels slightly different from its rivals. That's hard to achieve in a staid smartphone market.

However, in the process of seeking to offer an iPhone-style experience on the cheap, Honor appears to have taken its eye off the ball in some fundamental areas. The Honor 400 Lite doesn't perform as well as many of its peers, while its camera system feels undercooked.

Meanwhile, Honor's MagicOS feels as cluttered and unappealing as ever, emulating the basic look of iOS without achieving the same level of refinement. It's good to see a six-year update promise, though, which is among the very best in its class.

Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

(Image credit: Future)

Solid battery life and a good 6.7-inch OLED display also help the Honor 400 Lite's cause, though its 35W charging speeds are nothing to write home about, and that sizeable notch probably won't appeal to those who watch a lot of movies and TV shows on the go.

Ultimately, the Honor 400 Lite is a budget phone designed to appeal to those who equate 'iPhone' with 'smartphone', but who lack either the resources or inclination to spend upwards of £600 on their next handset.

It'll serve such people reasonably well, but those same people should know that they won't be getting the most from their money. There are faster, more robust, and just plain better phones in the sub-£300 bracket.

Honor 400 Lite review: price and availability

Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

(Image credit: Future)
  • Released on April 22, 2024
  • On sale in the UK and Europe for £249.99 / €269
  • Only one variant (8GB RAM / 256GB storage)
  • No US or Australia availability

The Honor 400 Lite was announced in April 2025 and is due to go on sale in the UK and Europe on May 22. Honor smartphones aren't sold in the US, while an Australian launch for the Honor 400 Lite is also off the cards at the time of writing.

It'll be available in just one variant in these territories: 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. This sole model will cost £249.99 / €269 (about $330 / AU$520).

At this price, the Honor 400 Lite is competing with a whole host of affordable phones, including the Samsung Galaxy A26, the Poco X7, and the Motorola Moto G75 5G. All of these rivals have superior water resistance, while the Moto G75 5G also has MIL-STD-810H durability.

Samsung's phone has wider availability and that familiar One UI software, while the Poco X7 has a clear performance edge.

  • Value score: 4 / 5

Honor 400 Lite review: specs

Honor 400 Lite review: design

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Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

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Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

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  • Clearly iPhone-influenced design
  • Magic Capsule notch supplies widgets and selfie light
  • Skinny, lightweight all-plastic build
  • Dedicated camera shutter button

Honor wouldn't be the first company to take a page out of Apple design playbook, but the Honor 400 Lite takes it to the next level. It looks more like an iPhone (specifically the iPhone 16 Pro Max) than pretty much any other phone I've seen.

Yes, you have the flat-edged look with the curved corners, just like the Google Pixel 9a and Samsung Galaxy S25. But the similarity runs to the smaller details, too. The camera module looks extremely similar to that of the iPhone 16 Pro, with only a triangular motif marking it out.

Flip the Honor 400 Lite onto its front, and there's an extended floating notch that looks a lot like Apple's Dynamic Island. Honor calls it the 'Magic Capsule', but it serves a similar function.

Honor's psychedelic-sounding notch facilitates tiny heads-up widgets when doing things like playing music or running a timer. Tap one of those widgets, and it'll expand slightly to a larger, width-spanning version.

Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

(Image credit: Future)

One thing the Honor 400 Lite's Magic Capsule doesn't copy from Apple is a truly secure Face ID system, with no 3D Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor to capture the required depth information. That's doubtless a cost issue, as the flagship Honor Magic 7 Pro does include such a feature.

Instead, the Honor 400 Lite's extended notch gives you a dedicated selfie light, though it has fairly limited utility. It'll technically allow you to record videos and take video calls in very low lighting, provided you really want to convey that mid-noughties webcam vibe.

A more consequential addition is the AI Camera Button, situated a little way below the volume and power buttons on the right-hand edge. It's another direct lift from Apple, with a similar look and somewhat unsatisfactory positioning to the iPhone 16's Camera Control.

It too serves as a dedicated camera shutter button, complete with two-stage operation for locking focus and a swipe-to-zoom facility that might actually be better than Apple's. It also serves as a two-tap camera shortcut, while a long press will bring up Google Lens, much as it brings up Visual Intelligence on an iPhone.

Hold the Honor 400 Lite in your hand, and all the iPhone comparisons flake away. This is an all-plastic affair, despite the metal-effect frame. It's well-built, with no creaks and a subtle pearlescent finish to the rear.

It's also very light, given its large 161 x 74.6mm footprint, at just 171g, while it's only 7.3mm thick.

You'll also notice the uneven bezel, which gets thicker at the corners and across the chin. That's a sure sign that we're shopping in the £250 category here, though a 93.7% screen-to-body ratio is still pretty decent for a budget phone.

  • Design score: 3.5 / 5

Honor 400 Lite review: display

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Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

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  • Solid 6.7-inch FHD+ OLED
  • Gets nice and bright
  • Only a mono speaker

Honor has equipped the 400 Lite with an accomplished 6.7-inch OLED display, with an FHD+ (1080 x 2412) resolution and a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz.

These are all specifications that we've come to expect in the £250 category, and they see the Honor 400 Lite matching the likes of the Poco X7 and the Samsung Galaxy A26.

Not many budget phones can boast a 3500-nit peak brightness, however. PWM dimming of 3840Hz, meanwhile, cuts perceptible flickering and potential eye strain.

In general use, I found this to be a really pleasant display to use, at least once I'd switched away from the ramped-up 'Vivid' color mode to the more muted and natural 'Normal'. It's big, sharp, color-accurate, and responsive, while its brightness scales evenly from very dark (great for low-light viewing) to quite bright.

It's a shame the Always On Display function doesn't meet the description, however, requiring a screen tap to activate.

Also a shame is Honor's enduring insistence on packing its affordable phone with a single downward-firing speaker. It doesn't feel like too much to ask for a solid set of stereo speakers, even at this price.

  • Display score: 4 / 5

Honor 400 Lite review: cameras

Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

(Image credit: Future)
  • 108MP main camera struggles with HDR and night shots
  • Poor 5MP ultra-wide
  • Only 1080p/30fps video

Honor has simplified the camera setup from last year's Honor 200 Lite, with the pointless 2MP macro camera dropping out altogether.

This leaves you with what appears to be the same pair of cameras, specifically a 108MP 1/1.67" f/1.8 main sensor and a 5MP f/2.2 ultra-wide.

The main camera is a competent shooter under ideal conditions, capturing plenty of detail. It's even good enough to produce fairly convincing 2x and 3x crops in the absence of a dedicated telephoto.

There are issues with this main camera, however. It seems to struggle with HDR scenarios, either failing to lift very dark shady areas or otherwise blowing out background highlights.

I also noticed some odd processing effects, including a strange halo effect around distant birds in front of a blue sky.

Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

(Image credit: Future)

Night shots, too, aren't very good, with poor detail and bags of noise. The lack of OIS here is quite evident.

The ultra-wide, meanwhile, is of a pretty substandard quality, lacking in detail and failing to match the tone of the main sensor.

The selfie camera has also changed since the Honor 200 Lite, dropping from a 50MP f/2.1 unit to a 16MP f/2.5. It captures adequate shots with reasonably rich colors, but again struggles with blown-out highlights.

The provision of an LED light is an interesting one. It definitely improved the clarity of my low-light selfie shots and videos when I activated it manually, but is it strictly necessary when most phones simply use a white screen for the job? I'm not so sure.

Talking of video, the main camera maxes out at a weedy 1080p at 30fps. That's a pretty poor effort when rivals such as the Galaxy A26, Moto G75 5G, and Poco X7 can all record at 4K.

  • Camera score: 3 / 5

Honor 400 Lite review: camera samples

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Honor 400 Lite camera samples

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Honor 400 Lite camera samples

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Honor 400 Lite camera samples

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Honor 400 Lite camera samples

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Honor 400 Lite camera samples

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Honor 400 Lite camera samples

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Honor 400 Lite camera samples

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Honor 400 Lite camera samples

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Honor 400 Lite camera samples

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Honor 400 Lite camera samples

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Honor 400 Lite camera samples

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Honor 400 Lite camera samples

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Honor 400 Lite camera samples

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Honor 400 Lite review: performance

Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

(Image credit: Future)
  • MediaTek Dimensity 7025 Ultra is merely adequate
  • Solid 8GB of RAM
  • 256GB of storage

The Honor 400 Lite is equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 7025 Ultra chipset, which isn't a very strong performer even within the budget phone category.

I've used a phone with this chip before in the Redmi Note 14 5G (which didn't ship in the UK), and I was left pretty unimpressed. Suffice it to say, the Honor 400 Lite did nothing to change my mind on this component.

Across CPU and GPU benchmark tests, it's outgunned by the Moto G75 5G, the Samsung Galaxy A26, and the Poco X7.

I'd like to say that this doesn't matter in practical terms, but that's not the case. There's a generally wallowy feel to everything from unlocking the phone to app startup and even basic animations.

It would be unfair to call this performance halting or stuttery, but everything seems to take a beat longer than it should. I'd be tempted to let it off the hook given the price, but the Poco X7 (to use one example) feels nice and snappy by comparison.

Indeed, while the Poco X7 is capable of running Genshin Impact quite well on Medium settings, the Honor 400 Lite needs to run it at Low or even Lowest if you're to maintain a decent frame rate.

The solitary model available in the UK gives you a solid 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, which is most welcome.

  • Performance score: 3 / 5

Honor 400 Lite review: software

Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

(Image credit: Future)
  • Android 15 with MagicOS 9
  • Six years of OS updates and security patches

With the Honor 400 Lite, you're getting Android 15 fresh out of the box, coated in Honor's latest MagicOS 9 UI. It's not my favorite Android skin by any stretch of the imagination.

Honor evidently doesn't think much of the flowing, vibrant UI design that Google baked into the latest version of Android, preferring instead the square icons and split notification menu of Apple's iOS.

The two UIs really look uncannily alike in places, right down to the look of the Settings menu and the lock screen. The aforementioned Magic Capsule drives this familiar sensation home with its Dynamic Island-style mini-widgets.

Sadly, such an admiration for Apple's work doesn't extend to the company's no-nonsense approach to bloatware. You'll find Facebook, Booking.com, TikTok, Amazon Shopping, ReelShort, LinkedIn, and the Temu shopping app all sitting on the second home screen straight from first boot-up.

There's also a Top Apps folder with four more third-party apps. It's a little excessive, if far from unusual, on Android.

Elsewhere, there's a whopping great themed 'Essentials' folder on the main home screen containing nine of the company's own apps, and another large folder filled with AI-suggested apps that I never found remotely useful.

Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

(Image credit: Future)

Honor also provides its own App Market, which feels completely pointless with the Google Play Store present and accounted for (Honor is no longer part of Huawei, so it isn't hampered by the same sanctions).

There's a smattering of AI features here, including some Google-affiliated ones such as Smart Vision (essentially Google Lens), Google Gemini, and Circle to Search.

Honor has implemented a feature called Magic Portal that somewhat overlaps the latter Google provision, permitting you to draw around text and images before opening up a shortcut menu for sharing the resulting snippets to other apps. It's nowhere near as smart as Circle to Search, but it can actually be quite useful in this more localized on-device application. Or it would be, if the knuckle-based input system wasn't so flaky.

Favourite Space is a folder to quickly stash these hastily scrawled-out snippets. However, given the large number of superfluous preinstalled apps, I'm not sure why there isn't a standard Favourite Space app. I encountered numerous references to it and saved several snippets before it offered to create a shortcut (in the shape of an app icon) on the home screen.

When it comes to image editing, Honor offers a reasonably effective AI Eraser for deleting unwanted objects and people. AI Outpainting is a bizarre but technically impressive feature that essentially turns your regular shots into ultra-wides, using AI to infer what might be just out of frame. It kind of works in terms of creating convincing (though not accurate) images, but I'm not sure why you'd ever want to make use of such fakery beyond a tech demo.

Perhaps the most positive aspect of Honor's software provision on the 400 Lite is the promise of six years of OS and security updates. That's right up there with the Samsung Galaxy A26 in this budget class.

  • Software score: 3 / 5

Honor 400 Lite review: battery life

Review images of the Honor 400 Lite

(Image credit: Future)
  • 5,230mAh battery
  • 35W wired charging
  • No charger in the box

Honor has supplied a larger-than-average 5,230mAh battery with the 400 Lite, which is significantly larger than the 4,500mAh battery of the Honor 200 Lite.

It results in predictably strong stamina. I found that I was able to go through a day of moderate to heavy usage, with 4 hours 40 minutes of screen on time, and be left with 58%.

You could conceivably go through a full two days here, though more intensive applications and mixed network use will, of course, drain that battery much faster.

In an increasingly common move, there's no charger supplied in the box. Honor claims that if you buy the dedicated 35W Honor Wired SuperCharge charger, the phone can power up to 100% in 75 minutes.

In my experience, you don't necessarily need to go out of your way to secure the official brick. While a Xiaomi 120W Hypercharge brick trickled along at a glacial pace, a Samsung 65W Super Fast charger got the job done in just 72 minutes.

As charging rates go, that's not especially quick. The Poco X7, with its 45W charging support, can get its similarly sized battery up to 100% in 50 minutes. The Moto G75 5G only supports 30W charging, but that budget rival also includes wireless charging, which the Honor 400 Lite does not.

  • Battery score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Honor 400 Lite?

Buy it if...

You'd really like a super cheap iPhone
Honor's design and software decisions reflect an admiration for Apple's iPhone and iOS, but the package on offer here is a fraction of the price.

You want manual camera control
The Honor 400 Lite's AI Camera Button offers a handy two-stage camera shutter button, as well as a camera shortcut.

You want a big phone, but not a heavy one
The Honor 400 Lite gives you a big 6.7-inch display, but the phone itself only weighs 171g.

Don't buy it if...

You want to play lots of games
The Honor 400 Lite runs on a MediaTek Dimensity 7025 Ultra processor, which is far from the fastest in this class.

You want a crisp UI
Honor's MagicOS is pretty cluttered and charmless, and a world away from stock Android.

You take a lot of night shots
In the absence of OIS, the Honor 400 Lite is far from the best low-light shooter.

Honor 400 Lite review: also consider

The Honor 400 Lite isn't the only classy affordable phone on the market. Here are some of the better alternatives to consider.

Motorola Moto G75 5G
Motorola's tough little phone is unusually robust, performs better, and has wireless charging, though its LCD screen is inferior.

Read our full Motorola Moto G75 5G review

Poco X7
The Poco X7 leaves the Honor 400 Lite in the dust on performance, has a better camera setup, and gives you stereo sound. We haven't yet reviewed it fully, mind.

How I tested the Honor 400 Lite

  • Review test period = 1 week
  • Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, gaming, streaming video, music playback
  • Tools used = Geekbench 6, GFXBench, 3DMark, native Android stats, Samsung 65W power adapter

First reviewed: April 2025

I got hands-on with the new Moto Razr Ultra, and I love that it brings back one unique phone feature I missed out on
7:02 pm | April 24, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones | Comments: Off

With the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 – and indeed with this year's Razr Plus and base-model Razr – Motorola emphatically wants you to judge its book by the cover. If the Razr series stood out before with its unique colors, this year’s Razr, Razr Plus, and Razr Ultra phones cry out for attention with the most unique materials I’ve ever seen on a phone lineup.

The Motorola Razr Ultra 2025, a new high-end for the Razr family that doesn’t compromise on performance, durability, or design materials, is launching on May 15, with pre-orders starting May 7. It uses materials like real wood and Italian Alcantara, a suede-like synthetic fabric, in addition to the familiar vegan leather finish that I’ve enjoyed on past Razr phones. The cheaper Motorola Razr 2025 will feature a textured nylon-like finish, as well as a silky Acetate, among other options.

Motorola Razr (2025)

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Is it weird that I’m starting my hands-on review of the new Motorola Razr Ultra by talking about the materials? It’s even more weird that Motorola didn’t talk about the materials to start its Razr launch event. It didn’t talk about design, or durability, or performance. It didn’t mention the new titanium hinge until the very end, and the impressive new Snapdragon 8 Elite processor was an afterthought.

The time I went to a phone launch and they forgot to launch the phones

Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 launch event speakers

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Motorola launched the Motorola Razr 2025 family by talking about – surprise! – AI. Cue a collective groan. Moto spent an hour slogging through AI features – similar to the features, incidentally, that Apple is getting in trouble for failing to launch. Features that let the phone gather a wealth of information about you, and what you are doing at any given moment, to remember and recite later in response to your questions.

I seriously thought Motorola had forgotten about its new phones as it paraded partners and executives on stage to talk about partnerships and executions. The executive in charge of partnerships for Pantone appeared (in a taped video) to talk about working with Motorola. Not Pantone’s color chief or creatives. The business-partners guy.

Just as my cynicism was building, Motorola marched Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas on stage, looking nervous and amateurish, to talk about the way Motorola will be integrating and offering more Perplexity features on upcoming phones. Buyers will get a few months of free service to use what our friends at Wired called “a Bullsh*t Machine,” an AI that has been proven to plagiarize journalists’ work.

Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 launch event speakers

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Fine, Motorola – if you’re not going to talk about your new phones until the end of the presentation, I’ll do the same. I loved last year’s Motorola Razr Plus 2024… until I got to the AI features. I found an AI image generator that created images that fell into bigoted stereotypes. It was the first image generator on a phone that allowed bigoted stereotypes of humans – a real milestone.

Further, most of the AI features Motorola promised at the Razr Plus 2024 launch never materialized. The phone was supposed to be able to listen to your calls, and even pay attention to your conversations in person, to take notes and relay answers later. Those features are still unavailable.

By the time this new Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 launches, the AI features Moto promised back in 2024 might be offered to beta software testers, at best. But that isn’t keeping Motorola from claiming that the new phone will be able to do all of the same things the old phone was never able to manage.

Motorola Razr (2025)

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

This is very sad, because Motorola may have created its best foldable phone ever – a phone that finally rivals flagship foldables from Samsung like the Galaxy Z Flip 6. Instead of focusing on the phone, though, Motorola is trumpeting Moto AI, but smartphone AI has proven to be a less-than-worthless feature so far, perhaps even doing more harm than good.

Through the end of the two-hour launch event, Motorola never said the complete name of the new device – the Motorola Razr Ultra – even one time. There was no discussion of pricing or availability until we got a fact sheet sent over email later in the day. It felt like Motorola was so excited to talk about its new partnerships with Perplexity and Swarovski, among others, that it forgot to mention the new phones.

Actually, there were new Motorola RAZR phones, and they spoke for themselves

Enough with the AI; onto the new phones! With the 2025 Motorola Razr family, Motorola leans even harder into the idea that you should absolutely judge a book by its cover. And honestly, what covers these are.

The Razr Ultra 2025 isn't just a phone; it's a statement piece, a fashion accessory that happens to make calls, take photos, and pack some serious performance under the hood.

The partnership with Pantone, which gave us past year's Peach Fuzz and Mocha Mousse, reaches new heights. Every colorway for the new Ultra feels deliberate, curated, and tied to a specific material choice that elevates the phone beyond simple plastic and Gorilla Glass.

Motorola Razr (2025)

The Motorola Razr (2025) in Spring Bud next to the Razr (2024) in Peach Fuzz (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

This year, the Razr Ultra (2025) comes in colors that include Pantone Rio Red, Scarab, Mountain Trail, and Cabaret. The Razr (2025) is available in colors that include Pantone Spring Bud, Gibraltar Sea, Parfait Pink, and Lightest Sky. While the Pantone names are evocative, the materials are the real story.

Motorola is bringing back wood! Yes, actual wood graces the Mountain Trail variant, a fantastic and welcome throwback to the days of the customizable Moto X. My biggest regret as a phone collector is that I didn't buy the Moto X phone with real teak wood. The new Motorola Razr Ultra is available with a wood back that comes from responsibly sourced wood. It's not teak, but it's totally gorgeous with the golden trim finish.

Holding the wooden Razr Ultra evokes a warmth and organic texture that's missing from the cold metals and glass dominating the market. It felt premium, unique, and surprisingly durable during my initial hands-on time. I hope it weathers nicely after a few years of use.

Then there’s the Alcantara finish, which adorns the Pantone Scarab model. This soft, suede-like material feels fantastic – grippy, luxurious, and resistant to fingerprints. It adds a tactile dimension that’s genuinely pleasant, and reminds me of driving my Porsche – the one I don’t actually own – through the countryside.

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Motorola Razr (2025)

Razr Ultra (2025) in Mountain Trail (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Motorola Razr (2025)

Razr Ultra (2025) in Scarab, the Alcantara color (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Motorola Razr (2025)

Razr Ultra (2025) in Rio Red (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Motorola Razr (2025)

Razr Ultra (2025) in Cabaret (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Motorola Razr (2025)

Razr (2025) in Spring Bud (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Motorola Razr (2025)

Razr (2025) in Gibraltar Sea, the Nylon color (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

My only slight reservation here is the Scarab color itself; while sophisticated, it feels a bit… ominous compared to the vibrancy Moto usually brings. It’s a muted, dark greenish-grey that might appeal to those wanting subtlety, but it feels like a missed opportunity compared to the potential vibrancy Alcantara can hold. I would have liked to see a light-blue Alcantara, or a Mocha Mousse version.

The Rio Red and Cabaret options, paired with vegan leather, promise the more eye-catching hues we've come to expect. I was surprised that Motorola is offering two reddish hues on the same model, but they clearly know more about colors than I do.

Motorola is banking on design diversity, offering something that stands out in a sea of smartphone sameness. But as I noted last year with vegan leather, material choices have implications. Wood requires careful sourcing from FSC-approved (Forestry Stewardship Council) sources, and Alcantara, while luxurious, is still a synthetic material. The eco-conscious narrative is complex, and today’s economic climate is not making eco-friendly choices more profitable.

The Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) – finally a true Razr flagship phone

Motorola Razr (2025)

The Alcantara Razr Ultra on top of the FSC-certified wood Razr Ultra (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Beneath the surface, has the Ultra moniker been earned? Let's delve into the hardware, because there are significant changes inside, potentially addressing my lingering hesitations from previous generations.

The new Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 gives the Razr family a high-end option that matches the competition. Motorola used to sell one phone as the Razr Plus in the US and the Razr Ultra in the rest of the world. This year, these are distinct models.

The Razr Plus 2025 is very similar to last year’s Razr Plus 2024 and Razr 50 Ultra, but the new Razr Ultra 2025 – that’s Razr 60 Ultra for most of the world – is a whole new beast.

It’s also an expensive beast, sadly. Last year’s Motorola Razr Plus / Razr 50 Ultra cost $999.99 / £999.99 / AU$1,699, and Motorola perpetually offered a $300 discount for that phone, at least in the US, making it one of the most affordable phones you can buy, foldable or not.

Motorola Razr (2025)

The Razr Plus (2025) [left] next to a Razr Plus (2024) [right] (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

This year’s Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 starts at a whopping $1,299 / £1,099.99 (AU pricing was TBC at publication time). That’s more than a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 and more than an iPhone 16 Pro Max. It’s the same price as Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra, the most feature-packed phone you can buy (that doesn’t fold in half).

Thankfully, the Moto Razr Ultra 2025 works to earn that price bump. While the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 in last year's Razr Plus was capable, it wasn't a true, top-tier flagship chip. The Razr Ultra 2025 rectifies this emphatically by incorporating the Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile platform. I’ve been very impressed by the Snapdragon 8 Elite phones I’ve tested so far this year, especially the OnePlus 13. The new chipset offers top-notch performance and superlative battery life.

The new Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 also comes with a substantial boost in memory and storage – now starting at a whopping 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage (with a 1TB option available). This phone should feel instantly faster, and I’m expecting it will be significantly more future-proof. Last year's 8GB/256GB starter configuration of the Moto Razr Plus 2024 feels almost quaint by comparison.

Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) hands-on review: Display

Motorola Razr (2025)

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Motorola also continues its winning streak on flip phone displays. The external cover display, already a standout feature, retains its vibrancy and gets a boost to a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. It remains the most usable and versatile cover screen on any flip phone, bar none.

Moto’s philosophy of allowing most Android apps to run natively on this outer screen is still its killer app, making quick interactions genuinely useful without my needing to open the phone. Enhancements for apps like Google Photos and Spotify were welcome last year, and I expect further refinements here. Sadly, the only app Motorola demonstrated on the cover display was the new Perplexity AI app.

Motorola Razr (2025)

Okay, that's a lot of bloatware on such a small screen (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Unfold the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 and you're greeted by a gorgeous 7.0-inch AMOLED panel (6.9-inches on the Razr and Razr Plus). It’s an HDR10+ certified, Dolby Vision-capable screen with a sharp 464ppi pixel density. Like the cover screen, it boasts an adaptive LTPO refresh rate up to 165Hz and pushes brightness even further to a dazzling 4500 nits peak, though we’ll have to test those claims in Future Labs before we confirm their accuracy.

Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) hands-on review: Cameras

Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) cover display showing camera app

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Now, let's talk about the Achilles' heel of foldable phones like the previous Razr Plus: the cameras. Foldables inherently struggle here due to space constraints. Last year's jump to 50MP on the Plus sounded good, but came with smaller individual pixels, relying on pixel binning. I was hopeful, but ultimately found the results good, not great. This year, the Razr Ultra seems to be taking the camera situation much more seriously, with upgrades across the board.

The main camera is still a 50MP sensor, but the specs suggest a significant improvement. It uses quad pixel-binning technology to produce 12.6MP images, but the effective pixel size resulting from this binning is now a much larger 2.0μm (up from 1.6μm effective last year, which itself was binned from 0.8μm native pixels on the sensor).

This, combined with an f/1.8 aperture, OIS, and instant all-pixel PDAF, could translate to much better low-light performance and overall image quality. Motorola is also touting Pantone Validated Color and Skin Tones. This is a new development for Pantone, so we’ll have to test the Razr cameras to see if they deliver on this promise.

Motorola Razr (2025)

Capturing a candid of Mr Mobile through the front cameras (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Instead of last year's 2x zoom on the Plus, the Ultra brings back a dedicated 50MP ultrawide camera with a 122-degree field of view. This sensor also uses quad pixel binning for 12.6MP shots with an effective 1.2μm pixel size, and it doubles as a macro camera.

While I appreciated the utility of the 2x zoom for portraits last year, a high-resolution ultra-wide often proves more versatility for landscapes, group shots, and creative perspectives. The macro capability is a nice bonus, if Motorola can match the macro performance we’re seeing from the best camera phones.

Even the front-facing (internal) camera gets a massive bump to 50MP, again using pixel-binning technology for 12.6MP images with a 1.28μm effective pixel size and an f/2.0 aperture. This is a huge step up, and promises much better selfies and video calls when the phone is open.

On paper, this camera system looks like the upgrade I was hoping to see. It genuinely seems that Motorola has invested in larger, better sensors across the board, and larger sensors are the best upgrade for a new camera.

Of course, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and extensive testing will be needed to see if the processing and software can truly leverage this hardware potential and finally make the Razr camera competitive with the best camera phones from Samsung, Google and OnePlus. My fingers are crossed.

Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) hands-on review: Battery life

Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 in Scarab from bottom showing USB-C port

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Battery life and charging get a significant boost on the new Motorola Razr Ultra – a nice turn, since this is often a compromise on thin foldables. The 2025 Razr Ultra packs a much larger 4,700mAh battery, a substantial increase from the 4,000mAh cell in the Razr Plus 2024. Alongside the efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset inside, this should make a noticeable difference to daily endurance.

When it does need topping up, charging speeds have also dramatically increased. We now get 68W wired charging (up from 45W, though the charger is sold separately) and faster 30W wireless charging (doubling last year's 15W).

There’s even 5W reverse-wireless charging to juice up earbuds or other accessories. This comprehensive power upgrade addresses a key user concern, and adds significant practical value for the new, more expensive Razr Ultra.

Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) hands-on review: Durability and design

Motorola Razr (2025)

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Perhaps most importantly, the new Razr family will be more durable than ever before. The Razr Ultra 2025 boasts an IP48 rating. The '8' signifies the same strong water resistance as before (up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes in fresh water).

The '4', however, is new to Razr, and crucial. It indicates protection against solid objects larger than 1mm. This means better defense against things like crumbs, pocket lint, or grit getting into the hinge mechanism – a common worry for foldable owners.

It's not full dust proofing (like an IP68 rating on a traditional phone), a limitation it shares with competitors like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, but it’s a welcome step towards greater peace of mind for everyday use.

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Motorola Razr (2025)

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Motorola Razr (2025)

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Motorola Razr (2025)

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Motorola Razr (2025)

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) in wood grain from side showing USB-C port on bottom

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Motorola Razr 2025 from bottom showing USB-C port

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

All these upgrades – the bigger battery, potentially larger camera modules, improved hinge protection, premium materials like wood – come with another slight cost: weight. The Razr Ultra 2025 tips the scales at 199g. That's roughly 10g heavier than last year's Motorola Razr Plus 2024, and this new Razr Ultra is the heaviest flip phone currently on the market.

However, let's keep things in perspective. It’s still remarkably pocketable when closed, and it’s significantly lighter than many traditional flagship slabs. For context, the Motorola Razr Ultra is about an ounce (around 28g) lighter than the iPhone 16 Pro Max, despite offering a similar main display size and battery cell. In my brief handling, the extra weight wasn't bothersome, and it even added to the premium, dense feel.

Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) hands-on review: Software

Motorola Razr (2025)

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The phone runs Android 15 out of the box, and the software experience felt typically Moto – clean, fluid, with useful additions rather than heavy-handed skinning. The powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite chip ensures everything flies.

Regarding AI, the conversation feels similar to last year. Google's Gemini is likely deeply integrated, benefiting from the NPU on the new chipset for faster on-device processing.

Moto's own Moto AI features, like the intriguing 'Pay Attention' recording / summarization tool previewed last year, remain something I’m waiting to see fully realized. I can keep waiting, but Moto needs to demonstrate a clear, reliable, and secure AI strategy soon.

Motorola Razr (2025)

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The hardware is now undoubtedly capable; the software execution remains the question mark, much like last year. I also sincerely hope Motorola improves its track record on major Android version updates, which lagged significantly for the 2023 models.

Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) hands-on review: Not the final verdict

Motorola Razr (2025)

The Alcantara is nice but the fake stitching really sells it (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

So, has the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 earned its 'Ultra' suffix? Based on this initial hands-on, I'd say yes. Motorola has not only doubled down on its flip-phone design leadership with exciting materials like real wood and Italian Alcantara, and refined color partnerships, but it has also decisively addressed key hardware shortcomings.

The move to a true flagship processor, the doubled RAM/storage, the significantly larger battery with faster charging, and the promising, across-the-board camera sensor upgrades represent a major leap forward. The improved IP rating adds practical durability.

Motorola Razr (2025)

The Motorola Razr (2025) in Lightest Sky (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

While I can’t deliver a final verdict until I’ve had time to test this phone with a full review – especially focusing on camera performance and real-world battery endurance – the Razr Ultra 2025 feels like the most complete, comely, and compelling Razr yet.

If the high price has you flummoxed, just wait. As we saw last year, Motorola's list prices are often just a starting point. Keep a close eye out for carrier deals, trade-in offers, and big discounts soon after launch – some patience might save you a significant chunk of change. If you’re too excited to wait, the hardware upgrades might make paying full price feel more justified, especially if those cameras finally deliver.

You might also like...

I spent a week testing the Nubia Red Magic 10 Air, and it’s a winning blend of power and portability
3:26 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Red Magic 10 Air: Two-minute review

With the Red Magic 10 Air, Nubia has essentially taken last year's Red Magic 9 Pro, squeezed it into a much slimmer and less obnoxious design, and charged a lower price for the privilege of owning this newer model.

As repurposing jobs go, it's a very canny one. The Red Magic 10 Air is a highly capable gaming phone that costs less than $600 / £450, and you won't find better performance for the money.

While it runs on a chip that's no longer top of its class, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 remains an excellent runner. It'll handle the latest games extremely fluidly, which is really what matters here.

Nubia's new slimmed-down design is the best it's ever come up with, certainly within the gaming phone space, and it hasn't even had to compromise on battery life to achieve this trimmer body. With a 6,000mAh cell, the Red Magic 10 Air will last two days of normal usage quite easily.

The Nubia Red Magic 10 Air being held in a hand

(Image credit: Future)

While the Game Space gaming UI is still there to let you manage and customize your games, Red Magic OS remains one of the busiest and cheapest-feeling UIs on the market. It's better than it's ever been, but that's really not saying much.

Another continued weak point is the phone's photographic provision. This twin 50MP camera setup will get you adequate pictures in most scenarios, but you can do better even for this sort of money.

Meanwhile, the phone's in-display selfie camera may be good for media content, but it makes for truly terrible selfies.

Ultimately, if you're shopping for a gaming-capable phone for less than £500, the Red Magic 10 Air is one of your best bets – especially if you want a phone that doesn't stretch the lining of your pockets.

We'd still like to see further refinement to the hardware and particularly the software, but the Red Magic 10 Air successfully carves out a new niche, even if we're not 100% sure there's a market for it. Until the day that Asus decides to create a mid-range ROG phone (if that day ever comes), this is the most unassuming gaming phone on the market.

Red Magic 10 Air review: price and availability

Review images for the Nubia Red Magic 10 Air

(Image credit: Future)
  • From £439 / $579
  • Launched on April 23, 2025
  • Flare model expected in June 2025
  • Not available in Australia

The Red Magic 10 Air is on sale now, having commenced open sales on April 23, 2025. The Flare model, with its fetching orange finish, is expected to go on sale a little later, in June 2025.

Pricing starts at $579 / £439 for the Twilight and Hailstone models with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. You can bump that spec up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage (as reviewed here) in all three finishes for $699 / £559.

As always with Red Magic devices, this is a hugely competitive price for the level of performance being supplied. The Air might not be as capable as the Red Magic 10 Pro, but it's also $70 / £140 cheaper than that phone's launch price.

At $579 / £439, it undercuts the Poco F7 Pro – another mid-range performance-focused phone with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip – by £60.

The Red Magic 10 Air is not available in Australia at the time of writing.

  • Value score: 4.5 / 5

Red Magic 10 Air review: specs

Red Magic 10 Air review: design

Review images for the Nubia Red Magic 10 Air

(Image credit: Future)
  • Much slimmer, lighter, and more subtle than Pro
  • 520Hz capacitive shoulder trigger buttons
  • Only IP54 rated
  • Customizable Magic Key

The Red Magic 10 Air is by far the best-looking gaming phone Nubia has ever made, as well as the easiest to live with.

Nubia has significantly stripped back the garish gamer aesthetic, providing a mostly clean etched glass back with only subtle Red Magic branding. Even the RGB lighting has been stripped right back, with just a small ring light positioned above the two rear cameras in its own housing.

My test model is in the Hailstone shade, which is a pleasingly shimmery white. You can also specify it in Twilight (black), while a Flare variant is coming in June for those with a yearning for something more eye-catching. The latter offers a bold orange finish with a black frame, together with a transparent-effect strip running the length of the rear panel.

That 'Air' name needs to be taken in context. A thickness of 7.85mm and a weight of 205g both sound pretty normal for a regular phone, but they work out to be extremely compact for a gaming phone.

Review images for the Nubia Red Magic 10 Air

(Image credit: Future)

Nubia has still managed to equip its latest phone with a large battery, a meaty vapor chamber cooling system, and a handful of extra controls positioned around its aluminum frame – all requirements of the gaming phone format.

Those controls include a pair of 520Hz capacitive shoulder buttons, which can be mapped to gaming controls. This makes competitive shooters such as Warzone Mobile and the new Delta Force, in particular, much more intuitive to play.

The most interesting design tweak, aside from that slimmer body, is the move from a physical hardware switch for entering Nubia's Gamespace UI to a more generic button. Yes, it lacks the tactile clunk of the original, but it gains versatility by being remappable.

While it defaults to the Gamespace UI for launching and managing games, it can be reassigned to a camera shortcut, a mute/silent button, or for turning on the torch.

Like the Red Magic 10 Pro, the Air is only rated to an IP54 level of dust and water resistance. This is well short of the Poco X7 Pro and its flagship-level IP68 rating.

One other signature Red Magic feature is the lack of a visible notch, which means that video and gaming content is completely unobstructed.

  • Design score: 4 / 5

Red Magic 10 Air review: display

Review images for the Nubia Red Magic 10 Air

(Image credit: Future)
  • 6.8-inch AMOLED
  • 2,480 x 1,116 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate
  • 1600-nit peak brightness

Glancing at the specifications of the Red Magic 10 Air's display, it instantly becomes clear what Nubia has done here. It's essentially using the screen from last year's Red Magic 9 Pro.

While that means it's not quite as big, sharp, bright, or responsive as the Red Magic 10 Pro, it still makes for an excellent media canvas.

This is a 6.8-inch 120Hz AMOLED with a 2,480 x 1,116 resolution (aka 1.5K). No, you don't get the Red Magic 10 Pro's 144Hz refresh rate, but you could count on one hand the number of consequential games that really make use of this spec. The new Delta Force shooter is the most recent and notable example, but it's a rarity.

It's more of a shame to lose the 10 Pro's bolstered brightness, though a 1,600-nit peak still proves plenty bright enough in all but the sunniest of conditions.

Colors look vibrant yet natural, at least once you switch away from the default 'Colorful' setting to the better-balanced 'Standard' one. It's a thoroughly pleasant display to use day-to-day, as well as for gaming.

On the audio front, two stereo speakers provide nice spacious sound with a reasonable level of depth – for a mid-range phone, at least – and DTS-X Ultra certification.

  • Display score: 4 / 5

Red Magic 10 Air review: cameras

Review images for the Nubia Red Magic 10 Air

(Image credit: Future)
  • 50MP main with OIS
  • 50MP ultra-wide
  • Improved 16MP selfie camera
  • Up to 8K/30fps video

On the Red Magic 10 Air, Red Magic has stuck with broadly the same camera system as the Red Magic 10 Pro, with one very minor tweak.

The main camera here is a 50MP 1/1.5" OmniVision OV50E with OIS and a 7P lens. The other camera is a 50MP 1/2.88" OmniVision OV50D ultra-wide. There's no dedicated macro camera this time, which is of absolutely no consequence.

These cameras have been present in the past few Pro generations, and they've never impressed. They fall at the lower end of the mid-range camera quality scale, with occasional blown-out highlights in scenarios that call for HDR mode, and unnaturally vibrant colors in general.

Fed with the right amount of light, you can capture solid shots with decent detail. Those punched-up colors ensure that none of your shots will look boring or washed out, and human subjects look quite nice and defined. Portrait mode, too, is reasonably effective at accentuating the subject even without proper depth mapping.

Zoomed shots crop in on the main sensor, and remain serviceable at 2x, but turn to an increasingly noisy mess at 5x and 10x. Night shots, however, look quite crisp and clear, courtesy of a decent-sized sensor and OIS.

The ultra-wide shows a drop-off in detail and depth, as you'd expect from a significantly smaller sensor, but it's not terrible. The tone is broadly consistent with that main camera, which is always welcome.

You also get the same 16MP front camera this time, with the same ruinous in-display configuration. This makes for some of the worst selfie shots you're likely to see in a 2025 phone of any price.

The video recording provision is pretty decent for a mid-range phone, utilizing the Red Magic 10 Air's flagship chip to support 8K/30fps or 4K/60fps.

  • Camera score: 3.5 / 5

Red Magic 10 Air review: camera samples

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Nubia Red Magic 10 Air camera samples

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Nubia Red Magic 10 Air camera samples

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Nubia Red Magic 10 Air camera samples

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Nubia Red Magic 10 Air camera samples

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Nubia Red Magic 10 Air camera samples

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Nubia Red Magic 10 Air camera samples

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Nubia Red Magic 10 Air camera samples

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Red Magic 10 Air review: performance

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Review images for the Nubia Red Magic 10 Air

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Review images for the Nubia Red Magic 10 Air

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  • Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip is an oldie but a goodie
  • 6,100mm² vapor chamber cooling
  • 12GB or 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM
  • 256GB or 512GB UFS 4.0 storage

The 'Red Magic 9 Pro on a diet' vibes continue with the Red Magic Air 10's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. This was the chip of choice for the 2024 Android flagship crowd.

It's since been superseded by the brilliant Snapdragon 8 Elite, as seen in the Red Magic 10 Pro, but that doesn't mean this older chip is obsolete. It remains a very strong runner, and one that continues to be competitive in 2025, especially with either 12 or 16GB of RAM to help it out, as there is here.

In CPU benchmark terms, the Red Magic 10 Air comfortably beats the Pixel 9 Pro XL with its Tensor G4, which is one of the top flagship phones at the moment. I encountered the usual GFX Bench quirk that Nubia phones exhibit, where the GPU frame rate results seem less impressive than they are, but rest assured that this thing flies on practical graphical tasks.

Crucially, it's capable of running the most advanced games on high settings and fluid frame rates. It's a known fact that mobile game development hasn't kept pace with mobile chip technology, which means that the likes of GRID Legends, Genshin Impact, and Warzone Mobile run beautifully on last year's top chip.

It also runs relatively cool. While the Red Magic 10 Air loses the active fan cooling of the Pro series, a 6,100 mm² vapor chamber keeps things from getting too toasty.

A stability score of 89.8% in the demanding 3DMark Solar Bay Stress Test brings the Red Magic 10 Air out ahead of most 2025 flagship phones, if well short of the Red Magic 10 Pro and Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro. This tells you that the phone will broadly maintain its performance over slightly longer gaming sessions.

  • Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Red Magic 10 Air review: software

Review images for the Nubia Red Magic 10 Air

(Image credit: Future)
  • Red Magic OS 10 on Android 15
  • Busy but fluid and customizable UI
  • Dedicated Game Space gaming UI

Nubia has stuck with the same software as on the Red Magic 10 Pro, which means you get Red Magic OS 10 sat atop Android 15.

It's never been an especially appealing interface, with little artistry or subtlety to the icons, menus, and wallpapers. However, Nubia has cleaned up its act significantly over the past few years, and the Red Magic 10 Air offers Red Magic OS at its least obnoxious.

There are no longer any ugly widgets on the home screen when you first boot the phone up. I didn't spot too many typos or glitches, either.

Most of the apps you'll see first are from Google, with the exception of Nubia's own pointless web browser. The second home screen is where all the bloatware lives, including uninvited downloads of TikTok, Facebook, MoboReels (third-rate video clips), MoboReader (a third-rate ebook reader), Booking.com, WPS Office, and Goper (where you can manage all your Nubia devices).

If MoboReader and MoboReels feel somewhat low-rent, wait until you've seen what lives to the left of the home screen in place of Google Feed. Nubia has supplied a bunch of dubious 'Recommended apps', some even worse recommended games, and a bunch of assorted news stories. It all feels very cheap.

Review images for the Nubia Red Magic 10 Air

(Image credit: Future)

With all that said, Red Magic OS 10 is customizable and functional, and it scrolls along at a fair old lick.

Nubia's Game Space game management UI has always been a highlight, insomuch as it caters well to the target demographic. Press that red button, and you'll be taken into a landscape UI that lets you launch games, tweak the phone's performance output, play with screen sensitivity, and manage in-game plug-ins. Think enhanced zoom and sound equalizers in shooters.

AI implementation is pretty minimal compared to many other contemporary phones, despite that meaty AI-ready chip. You get real-time voice translation, Google's usual Magic Editor, Gemini preinstalled, and that's about it. Suffice to say, this isn't the phone to go with if you're excited by the cutting edge of mobile AI.

The Red Magic 10 Air is set to receive three years of Android version updates and three years of security updates. That's an advance on the flagship Red Magic 10 Pro's one Android version and three years of security updates, though it's still not among the best on the market, even at this price.

  • Software score: 3 / 5

Red Magic 10 Air review: battery life

Review images for the Nubia Red Magic 10 Air

(Image credit: Future)
  • 6,000mAh battery
  • Two days of regular usage
  • 100W wired charging (international version)

Given that Nubia has slimmed the Red Magic 10 Air down significantly compared to the Pro line, you'd expect something to give on the battery capacity front.

Something has indeed given, but only relatively speaking. Out goes the mammoth 7,050mAh battery of the Red Magic 10 Pro; in comes a still-huge 6,000mAh cell.

In general use, I found that this sizeable battery was quite comfortably capable of lasting through two days of moderate usage. A day with 3 hours and 15 minutes of screen-on time left me with 62%.

The international version of the Red Magic 10 Air comes with a 100W charger, but the model I was sent only had the 80W charger that comes with the Chinese model. I say 'only', but it was still able to get from empty to 100% in a creditable 51 minutes.

As with the rest of the Red Magic range, there's no wireless charging provision here. That's even more forgivable at this lower price, though.

It's a shame there's no second USB-C port, as with the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro. I found gaming while charging quite tricky, as reaching the right-hand shoulder button proved particularly awkward.

  • Battery score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Red Magic 10 Air?

Buy it if...

You like to game, but don't want to fill your pocket
The Red Magic 10 Air isn't exactly a small phone, but it isn't as obnoxiously big as other gaming phones.

You don't have more than $600 / £450 to spend on your gaming phone
Red Magic phones are always great value, but the Air comes in at less than $600 / £450. It's a gaming phone bargain.

You hate notches
Nubia uses an in-display notch for its phones, which means it doesn't get in the way of video and gaming content.

Don't buy it if...

You take a lot of selfies
Selfies on the 10 Air are bad – really, really bad – thanks to that in-display notch.

You appreciate a clean UI
Red Magic OS is busy and ugly, and a world away from Google's stock Android.

You're a hardcore mobile gamer
The 10 Air is undeniably a gaming phone, but if you're someone who spends hours playing mobile games every day, the Red Magic 10 Pro or the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro will serve you better.

Red Magic 10 Air review: also consider

The Red Magic 10 Air isn't the only gaming-ready mid-range smartphone on the market. Here are some of the alternatives to consider.

Xiaomi Poco F7 Pro
Perhaps the closest competitor to the Red Magic 10 Air, Xiaomi's budget performance champ runs the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, the same-sized 6,000mAh battery, and costs only a little more money. It also packs an even better screen and a way better selfie cam.

Read our full Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro review

Nubia Red Magic 9 Pro
Shop around and you'll still be able to find the Red Magic 9 Pro or the Red Magic 9S Pro selling brand new, probably for a decent price. These phones have the same screen and processor as the Red Magic 10 Air, but a slightly larger battery and superior cooling.

Read our full Nubia Red Magic 9 Pro review

How I tested the Red Magic 10 Air

  • Review test period = 1 week
  • Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, gaming, streaming video, music playback
  • Tools used = Geekbench 6, GFXBench, 3DMark, native Android stats, Red Magic 80W power adapter

First reviewed: April 2025

One small hiccup stops the Oppo Reno 13 Pro from trumping Google at its own game
5:00 pm | April 18, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Oppo Phones Phones | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Oppo Reno 13 Pro two-minute review

Before even picking up the test unit for this Oppo Reno 13 Pro review, I was ready to draft a headline comparing it to the recent Google Pixel 9a – after all, I spent much of my Reno 12 Pro review comparing that phone to the Pixel 8a, as their similar release window and price makes them natural Android rivals.

Last year, the victory easily went to Oppo, but in a surprise and potentially appeal-ruining blunder, the company has shot itself in the foot with the Reno 13 Pro.

First, some context: the Reno series of smartphones is the mid-range offering from Chinese manufacturer Oppo, and the 13 Pro is 2025’s top-end member of the family. It arrives alongside a non-Pro model, the Oppo Reno 13, and an even cheaper equivalent in the form of the Oppo Reno 13F. For all the flashy features of Oppo’s expensive Find X8 Pro or folding Find N5, I’ve long preferred its Reno models, given how often they've shaken up the mid-range Android market.

Unfortunately, that preference streak ends here: the Oppo Reno 13 Pro has seen a surprising increase in price over its predecessor – I’m not talking mere pennies, but a whopping £150 in the UK and AU$300 in Australia. Oppo sells full-blown phones in its A series that cost less than that price hike!

It’s hard, then, to compare the Reno 13 Pro to the Google Pixel 9a (which hasn’t seen a similar price hike this year), given that the Oppo device is significantly more expensive. This year’s victory goes to Google, it seems.

As a butchered Spider-Man quote goes, with great financial cost comes great expectations, and some of the budget trappings of the Reno family feel bizarre in a phone that’s now only a spitting distance from the Samsung Galaxy S25 in terms of price.

For instance, Reno phones are almost always stuffed with pre-installed bloatware, unwanted third-party apps, and games at first boot-up. That’s still the case in the 13 Pro, despite its shiny new price tag. Similarly, the lack of a microSD card is a notable omission for a phone that you may feasibly expect to use for professional work.

Lots of my issues with the Reno 13 Pro stem from this price-related disappointment, but in most departments, it's a great phone – it’d just be a Google Pixel-killer if it were cheaper.

In the camera department, for instance, the Reno 13 Pro has perhaps the best zoom capabilities of any mid-range phone, boasting 3.5mm optical zoom and three 50MP snappers (plus one 8MP ugly duckling). It brings some useful modes and features, too, including the novel underwater photography mode. If you like going swimming with your phone – and if you do, why? – this will be an interesting device for you.

The Reno 13 Pro is also really powerful, fast to charge (it boasts wireless charging), has a big and high-res display, and benefits from some of the best water resistance of any mobile on the market (as you’d hope, given the underwater photography feature).

There’s no doubt about it – this is a good smartphone. However, it could have been a great one if it wasn’t for the meaty price hike. I can see that high number putting some buyers off, and if you’re one of them, I don't blame you. Thankfully, the Reno 12 Pro is still being sold in most places.

Oppo Reno 13 Pro review: price and availability

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro

(Image credit: Future)
  • Sells for £649 / $1,299 (around $830)
  • Big price hike over Reno 12 Pro
  • Available UK and AU, not US

Like most Oppo phones, the Reno 13 Pro rolled out slowly across the world, with this model first arriving in late 2024. In the UK and Australia, it went on sale in April 2025, but it hasn't been released in the US yet – and based on precedent, it likely never will.

You can pick up the phone for £649 / $1,299 (around $830), so it’s at the upper end of the mid-range Android phone market. The non-Pro model costs £499 / AU$899 (around $640), while the Reno 12 Pro went for £499 / AU$999 (around $640), so there’s a serious price jump between generations.

That price hike is quite a surprise, and it ruins the Oppo’s ability to honestly rival the Google Pixel 9a, which starts at $499 / £499 / AU$849. Long have the Reno Pro mobiles trounced their Pixel a-series contemporaries by offering better specs at a similar price, but that streak ends with the Reno 13 series, as it’s no longer comparable in terms of price.

And before you ask: the standard Reno 13 misses out on some of the best features of the Pro, like its zoom camera, big display, and wireless charging, so it’s not a viable Pixel rival.

Oppo Reno 13 Pro review: specs

Oppo Reno 13 Pro review: design

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro

(Image credit: Future)
  • Thin and light Android phone
  • Comes in lilac or black
  • IP69 protection

While the Oppo Reno 13 Pro doesn’t redefine the mid-range Android look that every manufacturer seems to trot out on autopilot these days, it does perfect it to a tee.

This is a thin and light device: its dimensions are 162.8 x 76.6 x 7.6mm, and it weighs just 195g, so it feels slender despite its big screen. The bezel is tiny, as is the front-facing camera cut-out, so the screen feels like it takes over the entire front of the device.

The back of my lilac model has a gently textured shine which blossoms in light (I didn’t test the other version, a black model). I like the look, even if most people will hide it in a case straight away.

The phone is so thin that you’d be forgiven for being surprised that it even has space for a USB-C charging port on the bottom – and there was apparently no room for a 3.5mm headphone jack or anywhere to put a microSD card.

On the right edge of the Reno 13 Pro, you’ve got a power button and volume rocker. Both were easily within reach for me, as was the in-screen fingerprint scanner, which worked reliably. The back of the phone has a camera bump for the three lenses and a fairly large flash module. It sticks out enough that the phone has no hope of staying flat on a table.

A pretty rare spec that Oppo has utilized in the Reno 13 Pro is IP69 protection. This standard has the same total dust protection that phones with the more common IP68 rating have, and also the same ability to survive being immersed in water for half an hour, but it has an additional assurance against high-pressure water jets and steam. Most devices that have an IP69 rating are intended to be used alongside medical or food preparation, and so few people will need it in their smartphone, but it’s certainly a nice layer of protection to have.

  • Design score: 3.5 / 5

Oppo Reno 13 Pro review: display

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro

(Image credit: Future)
  • 6.83 inches, 1272 x 2800 resolution
  • Gorilla Glass 7i provides protection
  • 120Hz refresh, high max brightness

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro has a 6.83-inch screen. That’s big, even by mid-range Android standards, and it’s one of the largest displays you’ll find on a phone without moving into Ultra or Pro Max territory.

The resolution is 1272 x 2800 or FHD+, which is pretty standard on smartphones these days. The refresh rate goes up to 120Hz, though by default it’s on an automatic mode that changes it based on your use, and I’d recommend sticking to this for battery life reasons.

Like its predecessor, the Reno 13 Pro has an AMOLED display with a nice, high 1,200 nits max brightness, support for HDR10+, and a color gamut of over a billion colors. Those are important specs for games and TV shows to look good on a mobile, for sure, and this device ticks all the boxes in that department.

Continuing the ‘protection’ theme from the Design section, the glass of the screen is Corning Gorilla Glass 7i. The unique selling point of this panel is that it’s more durable and scratch- and drop-proof, something which I (accidentally) tested quite a bit during the review period.

  • Display score: 3.5 / 5

Oppo Reno 13 Pro review: software

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro

(Image credit: Future)
  • Android 15 with Oppo's ColorOS 15 over the top
  • Bloatware problem
  • Familiar interface to Android users

As with most of its contemporary Android phones, the Oppo Reno 13 Pro comes with Android 15 pre-installed. Oppo has promised that the phone will get at least 3 years of updates, a restrained number in the ‘Android updates arms race’, but it’s better than nothing.

Layered over the top is Oppo’s Android fork, ColorOS, or ColorOS 15 to give it the full name. This version’s unique features include a plethora of pre-installed tools with the suffix ‘AI’ slapped at the end, like an image clarity upscaler and deblurring, plus a few other features you’ve seen before, like AI summaries, AI text replies, and text-to-speak from web pages. The last of that number is, at least, a handy accessibility feature.

Mostly, though, this is an Android fork that’ll feel familiar if you use any other manufacturers’ equivalent – I don’t use an Oppo as my day-to-day device, but the Reno 13 Pro's software still felt easy to jump straight into; I knew where all the features, customizations, and settings were.

Usually in the software section of Oppo reviews, I start by complaining about the bloatware; the fact that I wanted to vary my structure up doesn’t mean that it’s not a huge problem here. When you boot up the phone, you’re faced with an ungodly number of pre-installed Oppo apps, third-party services, and random games. Cue ten minutes of frantic deleting if you want your new smartphone to feel yours.

Bloatware is an infuriating but stalwart aspect of cheap and mid-range mobiles, but when you’re paying a premium price for a phone, you’re allowed to expect better.

  • Software score: 3 / 5

Oppo Reno 13 Pro review: cameras

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro

(Image credit: Future)
  • 50MP main, 50MP telephoto and 8MP ultra-wide cameras, 50MP for selfies
  • Iffy AI features
  • Small but appreciated improvements over predecessor

The debate about whether the Reno 13 Pro still counts as a mid-range phone notwithstanding, Oppo has consistently dominated the market for inexpensive camera phones, and it’s continued its lead with this new model.

Specs-wise, the Reno 13 Pro is mostly the same as its predecessor: you’ve got a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, a 50MP telephoto camera, and a 50MP selfie camera. The main improvement is in that second snapper: it now has a 3.5x lens, and given how rare any kind of zoom lens is on a budget phone, that’s an achievement.

Zoom lenses are primarily used to close the distance from a far subject without relying on digital zoom, which simply crops an image and loses resolution quickly. But they’re also popular for photographers thanks to the depth-of-field they create on closer subjects, and the Reno 13 Pro is great for photography like that as a result.

Smaller but noticeable differences abound in the Reno 13 Pro: images are just as bright and bold as you’ve come to expect from a Reno, but there’s a little more detail in darkness, a little less grain in low-light areas, and a little more dynamic range to differentiate similar colors. The presence of something called a ‘color spectrum sensor’ may help in this area, or it could be better optimization and post-processing.

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro

(Image credit: Future)

A few rough edges affect image quality slightly, and the more I used the Oppo, the more it became evident that this wasn’t quite a Samsung Galaxy or iPhone rival. The autofocus was rather unreliable, while Portrait mode returned mixed results in the bokeh department and zoomed-in images could sometimes lack quality.

I’m always excited to see the new photography modes introduced in camera phones, and the Oppo Reno 13 Pro didn’t let me down. It has an underwater mode which lets you utilize the mobile’s water protection for shots in the sea or a swimming pool (or in any other body of liquid, I suppose). It deactivates the on-screen button, so you have to use the volume rocker to take photos or videos, and when you’re done, it vibrates the phone to remove moisture. It’s a novel feature, and while it’s terrifying to dunk your phone into any kind of liquid, it did seem to do the job when I stuck my review sample in a container of water.

Beyond that, there’s the standard assortment of photo modes: standard, Portrait, night, and panorama. Video recording goes up to 4K/60fps and video modes include slow-mo, time-lapse, and dual-view.

The phone’s Photos app brings a few AI modes to help remove background people, remove reflections, and enhance clarity. The main one is obviously AI eraser, an answer to Google’s equivalent feature, but I wasn’t impressed by the results in the Oppo – it often failed to remove people, and when it succeeded, it did so by creating an obviously artificial background that looked worse than the offending photobombers.

  • Camera score: 4 / 5

Oppo Reno 13 Pro camera samples

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Oppo Reno 13 Pro camera sample

A picture of blossom taken at 3.5x zoom. (Image credit: Future)
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Oppo Reno 13 Pro camera sample

A picture of a flower taken at 1x zoom. (Image credit: Future)
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Oppo Reno 13 Pro camera sample

A lake landscape taken at 0.6x zoom. (Image credit: Future)
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Oppo Reno 13 Pro camera sample

The previous lake landscape captured at 1x zoom. (Image credit: Future)
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Oppo Reno 13 Pro camera sample

The previous lake landscape photographed at 3.5x zoom. (Image credit: Future)
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Oppo Reno 13 Pro camera sample

A photo of two trees captured at 1x zoom. (Image credit: Future)
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Oppo Reno 13 Pro camera sample

A daffodil photographed at 1x zoom. (Image credit: Future)
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Oppo Reno 13 Pro camera sample

A selfie taken on the front-facing camera in Portrait mode. (Image credit: Future)

Oppo Reno 13 Pro: performance and audio

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro

(Image credit: Future)
  • Mid-range Dimensity 8350 chipset
  • 12GB RAM, 512GB Storage
  • No headphone jack, Bluetooth 5.4 and stereo speakers

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro comes with the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 chipset, a nice solid mid-range chipset that marks a pronounced improvement over its already-decent predecessor.

Multi-core benchmark tests for the new Reno on Geekbench returned an average score of 4042, which is over twice as high as the scores achieved by the 12 Pro’s Dimensity 7300 Energy – that’s less an iterative update and more a much better chipset.

As a result, the Reno 13 Pro is a dab hand at gaming and handling photo editing apps. It’s not the most powerful phone on the market, with some budget gaming phones getting scores in the 6000s, but it’ll do everything you need it to with aplomb.

The version of the Reno 13 Pro on sale in the UK and Australia has 12GB RAM and 512GB storage; in some regions, you can also get 16GB and anything between 256GB and 1TB storage, but not in the regions we cover.

Briefly mentioning audio: there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack, but the Reno 13 Pro supports Bluetooth 5.4. The on-board stereo speakers aren’t amazing, but they’re par for the course for phone speakers.

  • Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Oppo Reno 13 Pro review: battery life

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro

(Image credit: Future)
  • Big 5,800mAh battery
  • Lasts for about two days of use
  • 80W wired charging, 50W wireless

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro boasts a bigger battery than its predecessor, in line with market shifts that are making the 5,000mAh power packs of yesteryear look svelte. Instead, the 13 Pro has a 5,800mAh power pack, which roughly lasted for a day and a half during my testing, or two days if I used the phone sparingly.

The phone's charging speed is the same as last year's model, at 80W, which is nice and fast without being too fast (and by that I mean, speedy enough that you invariably damage your battery health by using it). Also back on the Reno 13 Pro is the ability to charge other gadgets by plugging them into your phone using a USB cable – this is really handy for people who need to charge their earbuds or smartwatch on the go.

New on the Reno 13 Pro is a surprisingly fast 50W wireless charging capability. That’s a premium feature that you don’t often see in mid-range mobiles, especially at such a high speed. However, a word of warning: the camera bump means you can’t put the phone totally flat on surfaces, which meant I could wirelessly power up the device on my charger.

  • Battery score: 4 / 5

Oppo Reno 13 Pro review: value

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro

(Image credit: Future)

With the Oppo Reno 13 Pro, you’re basically getting what you pay for: decent specs at a mid-range price.

I’m sad to have to write that, though, because Oppo Reno phones usually knock it out of the park in the value section. Instead, the Reno 13 Pro gets a passing grade and nothing more.

You can get almost-as-good phones for much less, including the Reno 12 Pro. And given that bona fide flagship smartphones only cost a small amount less these days, people who aren’t on a tight budget don’t have to pay that much more to get better.

  • Value score: 3 / 5

Should you buy the Oppo Reno 13 Pro?

Buy it if...

You're a photographer on a budget
Want the best camera phone that won't break the bank? Look no further than the Reno 13 Pro.

You carry around multiple gadgets
The Reno's reverse charging feature is really handy for those who constantly forget to charge their earbuds.

You need a well-protected phone
Between its Gorilla Glass display and IP69 rating, this phone is well protected against the elements.

Don't buy it if...

You hate bloatware
There's no shame, we all do. If you don't think you can put up with it, the Oppo isn't the phone for you.

You're on a tight budget
If you're looking for a truly affordable phone, then you'll need to look elsewhere, because this mid-ranger is verging on the premium market in price.

Oppo Reno 13 Pro review: Also consider

If the Oppo Reno 13 Pro's price hike has given you cause for concern, here are some other handsets you could consider.

Oppo Reno 12 Pro
Oppo's last-gen mobile has a lesser zoom camera, a weaker chipset, and a smaller screen, but it's a lot cheaper and is very similar in many ways to the newer model.

Read our full Oppo Reno 12 Pro review

Google Pixel 9a
The Reno's natural competitor may have no zoom camera, a much smaller screen, and slower charging, but its software is cleaner and it costs a significant amount less.

Read our full Google Pixel 9a review

Samsung Galaxy S25
It's a little bit more expensive, but Samsung's newest flagship isn't that much pricier than the Reno 13 Pro, and it feels more premium by comparison.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S25 review

How I tested the Oppo Reno 13 Pro

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro

(Image credit: Future)
  • Review test period = 2 weeks
  • Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
  • Tools used = Geekbench 6, Geekbench ML, GFXBench, native Android stats

I used the Oppo Reno 13 Pro for about two weeks before I started writing this review.

To test it, I used it as my normal phone. That means I played games, took photos, texted, and streamed lots of music with it, while seeing how well the battery performed as I did so.

I also tried some 'lab' tests, which included benchmarking, charging testing, and dunking the phone in a jug of water to see if it would take photos, or immediately get wrecked.

I come to this review having spent over six years writing and testing tech for TechRadar, with plenty of Oppo phones (including the first-gen Reno) among the devices I've reviewed.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed April 2025

I haven’t seen many power banks designed like this, but you’ll have to be a real outdoors-type to make it worth your while
8:00 pm | April 16, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phone Accessories Phones | Comments: Off

RUGD Power Brick: review

The RUGD Power Brick is a power bank designed for outdoor excursions, thanks to its durable design and useful features. Although its form prioritizes function, it’s not without some interesting and even stylish aspects, and the orange colorway of my test unit certainly made it striking – and hard to lose.

As you would expect, it’s very-well built, too. All panels are solid with virtually no flex to them, while the shock-proof silicone outer rim feels tough.

Despite its ruggedness, though, the RUGD Power Brick is pleasingly small and relatively light, even for one of the best power banks, which makes it ideal for carrying around. It’s just about thin enough to fit in a pocket, although its square shape might make it a little too wide for some.

There’s no interface to speak of, apart from four LED lights to indicate its battery life. It’s a shame, however, that they’re virtually invisible when viewed from an angle, which is inconvenient when you merely want to glance at its status.

However, convenience is restored thanks to some handy features, such as the integrated hook on the outer rim, to which you can attach the included carabiner. There’s also a giant flashlight that takes up the entire back panel, and provides plenty of luminescence.

Activating the flashlight is a little laborious, as it requires holding the button for too long, rather than a simple double-tap. What’s more useful, though, is the ability to make the light even brighter by tapping the power button once on, and make it flash with a further tap for an SOS signal.

The RUGD Power Brick features one USB-A port and one USB-C, both hidden under a flap on the outer rim. This flap can be a little awkward to pull out, but it at least offers sufficient protection for the ports. However, the string that attaches the flap to the body doesn’t feel particularly strong, making me doubt its ability to withstand repeated or more vigorous tugs.

What’s more, there’s only one flap for both ports, leaving one port exposed while using the other, which is something of an oversight given the RUGD Power Brick’s commitment to providing the utmost protection.

Both ports provide 18W of power, although only the USB-C port has input capability for charging the bank itself. Simultaneous charging is also supported. It comes with a charging cable, although I would’ve welcomed a C-to-C connection rather than C-to-A.

The RUGD Power Brick managed to charge my Google Pixel 7a, which has a 4,385mAh battery, from empty to full in just under two hours via the USB-C port. That's not a particularly impressive performance when other banks are capable of charging it in about 90 minutes.

This RUGD Power Brick lost one of the four LED dots in the process, meaning you should get about two or three full charges from it, which aligns with its 10,050mAh capacity. Charging the RUGD Power Brick itself from empty to full took two and a half hours, which is acceptable given that aforementioned capacity.

For those that don’t require an all-proof design, the RUGD Power Brick doesn’t exactly represent good value, considering its lack of ports and middling capacity for the price. But if you’re someone who frequently battles the elements, the RUGD Power Brick should make for a practical and hardy companion for keeping your smaller devices topped up.

Close-up of port flap and power button on RUGD Power Brick

(Image credit: Future)

RUGD Power Brick review: price & specs

Side view of RUGD Power Brick, leaning on plinth on desk with pink background

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the RUGD Power Brick?

Buy it if…

You want something tough
With its IP67 certification, the RUGD Power Brick is water, shock, and dust proof, so it’s ideal for taking on your outdoor adventures.

You want practical features
Along with its toughness, the RUGD Power Brick is also convenient, thanks to its integrated hook, included karabiner, and huge back-panel flashlight.

Don't buy it if…

You have many devices
The RUGD Power Brick only has two ports, so if you want to charge several devices at once, you should look elsewhere.

You need to charge large devices
The 18W output and 10,050mAh capacity are enough for multiple smartphone and tablet charges, but insufficient for laptops and other large devices.

RUGD Power Brick review: Also consider

Iniu B61
If you want a similar output, but don’t need all that ruggedness, then the Iniu B61 is a great alternative. It has a slightly higher output (22.5W) and essentially the same capacity (10,000mAh), but it has two more USB-A ports and is cheaper than the RUGD Power Brick, so represents better value for those who don’t need outdoors-based features. Read our Iniu B61 review.

Belkin’s 25W phone charger barely blew me away, but it never needed to
9:00 pm | April 10, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phone Accessories Phones | Comments: Off

Belkin BoostCharge 25W Wall Charger with PPS review

Right, strap in everyone, this one’s a real mouthful… the Belkin BoostCharge 25W Wall Charger with PPS is a single port, USB-C charger that will get the vast majority of modern handsets fighting fit in no time.

Of course, this isn’t going to be the best at juicing up one of the latest MacBooks or Chromebooks, for instance, due to its 25W output. But that’s OK. After all, this model is really for those that just want to charge their phone or wireless headphones on the go, say. And that, reader, is a purpose this model serves well.

I tried charging up my Samsung Galaxy S24 FE and it reached 100%, starting from 0% in just under 80 minutes – the kind of speed I’d hope to see from the best Android phone chargers and best iPhone chargers. Of course, this model won’t be able to unlock peak performance on a phone like the Honor Magic 7, which can manage 100W wired charging, but most iPhones and Samsung handsets will be able to fast charge with this Belkin plug.

It’s also worth noting that this charger never got too hot when bringing my phone back to life. That’s thanks to its use of PPS technology, which ensures dynamic power delivery. It's also worth noting that this model only supports 20W charging for iPhone, though you may find that’s plenty for a rapid rejuvenation of power.

Beyond performance, this charger is a bit of a mixed bag, though. Build quality is solid and there’s a nice textured finish to the outer casing, but I still didn’t love this charger’s design. In honesty, it’s a little bit bulky for a 25W charger, especially compared to models like the Anker Nano USB-C 30W or UGreen Nexode Mini 30W.

Also, its prongs slide down, but they’re not fully foldable – something I always like, as it enables me to simply slot the charger into my pocket when out and about, without the fear of being poked in the side.

Pair that with the lack of USB-C cable in the box – at least for the UK variant I tested – and the $19.99 / £17.99 / AU$29.95 feels reasonable rather than cheap. Especially when the models I mentioned above are priced very similarly, but are more compact, attractive and powerful. And, all in all, I can’t help but feel there are better value options available for the money. So, even though the Belkin BoostCharge 25W Wall Charger with PPS is a steady performer, it can’t quite top the best of the best single-port alternatives.

Belkin BoostCharge 25W Wall Charger with PPS on block

(Image credit: Future)

Belkin BoostCharge 25W Wall Charger with PPS review: Price & specs

Belkin BoostCharge 25W Wall Charger with PPS on block

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Belkin BoostCharge 25W Wall Charger with PPS?

Buy it if…

You just need a basic phone charger
This Belkin charger isn’t the most mighty or multi-talented. It offers 25W and a single USB-C port, which isn’t going to be enough for some. Having said that, you’re gonna get more than enough power to fast-charge some of the best Samsung phones and best iPhones, so if you don’t need anything fancy, this will still certainly do the trick.

You’ve got a slow USB-A plug and want an upgrade
If you’re fed up with slow charging from your old USB-A fitted phone charger, this alternative from Belkin is sure to take things up a notch. It will almost certainly deliver faster charging speeds – ideal for when you need some extra juice on the go. It’s worth noting, though, that this charger doesn’t come with a USB-C cable, so you’ll need to grab your own elsewhere.

Don't buy it if…

You have a more power-hungry handset
Some modern smartphones are capable of charging at a far higher wattage than 25W. For example, the OnePlus 13 can charge up to 80W, so you’ll be better off using single port charging on a model like the UGreen Uno 100W if you’re looking to access peak performance.

You want a splash of style
This isn’t the most stylish charger out there. Sure, it comes in two colorways, black and white, but still, it has a pretty plain looking aesthetic. Meanwhile, the Anker Nano USB-C 30W comes in more unique colors, has foldable prongs and also a textured exterior.

Belkin BoostCharge 25W Wall Charger with PPS: Also consider

UGreen Nexode Mini 30W
The UGreen Nexode Mini 30W is among my favorite single-port phone chargers thanks to its attractive, shiny appearance, compact build and foldable prongs. It has a bit more power than this Belkin charger but is no more expensive. There’s no USB-C cable in the box here either, but if we’re talking all-round value, this is a superior alternative. Read our full UGreen Nexode Mini 30W review.

I tested the Google Pixel 9a, and it would be the perfect bargain phone if it wasn’t so dang ugly
4:03 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Google Pixel Phones Phones | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Google Pixel 9a: Two-minute review

Google Pixel 9a in Peony pink

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Google Pixel 9a is a solid Android phone that punches far above its weight in important ways, even if the new direction for A-series phone design is a letdown. I'll try not to spend this whole review dwelling on how ugly this phone is – the photos speak for themselves – but I was surprised that Google abandoned its excellent Pixel design for this phone.

The Pixel 9a performs as well as the Pixel 9 in almost every way. It takes photos that look nearly as good as the pics I get from my Pixel 9 Pro. It has most of the latest AI features that make the Pixel a compelling choice for Google fans. I just wish it looked like a Pixel.

Don’t get me wrong; I love the color of the Peony review sample that Google sent me. Actually, TechRadar got two samples, and both were pink, so clearly Google likes this color as much as we do. The color is a perfect match with the Peony silicone case that Google supplied, and I kept the phone covered for most of my time testing it.

Google Pixel 9a in Peony pink

The Pixel 9a, Pixel 9, and Pixel 9 Pro (left to right) (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Putting the phone in its case was like putting lipstick on a pig. For the Pixel 9a, Google took the sharp, stylish, distinctive design language it used the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro and threw it in the garbage.

This phone is flat and boring. The camera bump is apologetic, rather than the bold statement the bump on the Pixel 9 makes. You would be forgiven for mistaking this phone for a cheap Motorola or Nokia, or an off-brand phone you find in the back of your carrier store.

I don’t get it. The best explanation I can muster is that the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro camera bar is expensive to produce, and the A-series phones are supposed to be a bargain. But Google cut plenty of other corners on this phone that should have offset the cost of a better design.

For instance, the camera sensors are much, much smaller than the sensors on the Pixel 8a. The main sensor is less than half the size, and that’s a massive drop for the most important spec in terms of camera quality. The Pixel 9a still manages to snap great photos, but this downgrade should have saved Google enough money to pay for a fancy new dress.

Google Pixel 8a in aloe green showing

The Pixel 6a, Pixel 7a, and Pixel 8a (left to right) all look like the other Pixel phones in their series (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Pixel 8a also launched with the same 8GB of RAM as the Pixel 8. The Pixel 9a keeps the 8GB of memory, but the Pixel 9 now offers 12GB (and the Pixel 9 Pro packs 16GB!), which makes a difference when it comes to running all of the AI features on the phone.

The Pixel 9a has a larger battery than the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro, even though all three phones have a 6.3-inch display. However, in my time with the Pixel 9a, battery life was good but not extraordinary, and our Future Labs tests show that its battery life is somehow not measurably better with that larger cell inside.

Is the Pixel 9a a letdown? Not at all! Google’s AI features remain the most useful smartphone AI tools you’ll find – I regularly use the AI phone call features to hang up on spammers, wait on hold for me, or record an especially important phone call.

Google Gemini on the Pixel 9a has also gotten much better – and it even improved during my two weeks with the phone, as Google added the ability for Gemini to use the camera and discuss what it sees.

For the price – $499 / £499 / AU$849 – you won’t find a phone that feels so polished and capable. You may find more camera features on a phone like the Samsung Galaxy A56, but you won’t get better photos than you’ll take with the Pixel 9a, especially not macro shots, which is the Pixel 9a’s new specialty.

Google Pixel 9a in Peony pink

Trying to beautify the Pixel 9a as best I can (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

You might find snappier performance elsewhere, but the Pixel 9a’s Tensor G4 chip is powerful enough to for Google to guarantee seven years of major Android and security updates, and that’s the best promise you’ll get in this price range. If you need a bargain phone and you don’t want to replace it, like, ever, the Pixel 9a would be the first phone I recommend.

Except for one small thing: the Pixel 8a might be just as good. The Pixel 9a isn’t much faster, and it doesn’t do anything the Pixel 8a can’t do, other than offering the latest Google AI features. If the AI aspect of Google’s phones isn’t enticing, you might be just as satisfied saving even more money and getting the Pixel 8a, especially if it goes on sale again soon.

Actually, if you’re considering the Pixel 9a and you want the best possible bargain, you may want to wait a bit longer. The Pixel 8a went on sale in May of 2024 and the price dropped by $100 for one deal in the US in August. The current global economic uncertainty aside, Google loves to goose sales of its A-series phones with a great deal, so look out for price drops on the Pixel 9a. Or just buy the Pixel 8a – because at least that phone looks like a Pixel.

Google Pixel 9a review: Price and availability

Google Pixel 9a in black, peony pink, iris, and porcelain, showing back cover with camera and home screen

The Pixel 9a in Obsidian, Porcelain, Iris, and Peony (top to bottom) (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • Priced at $499 / £499 / AU$849 for 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM
  • Available in Peony, Iris, Porcelain and Obsidian

The Pixel 9a is available now for $499 / £499 / AU$849, after a delay caused by a mysterious 'passive component' issue. My review sample did not seem to have any performance problems or build-quality issues, so I guess we’ll never know what held back the Pixel 9a for a few weeks.

The Pixel 9a costs the same as last year’s Pixel 8a did at launch, but this year there's no competing iPhone SE at an even lower price to consider. Apple has effectively vacated the $500 phone market by selling the new iPhone 16e for a laughable $599 / £599 / AU$999.

If you’re looking for a $500 phone, the Pixel 9a is one of your best options, along with the Samsung Galaxy A56. Samsung hasn’t started selling that phone in the US as I write this, but we have reviewed it, and we know it’s coming to the US later this year.

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro from back showing Glyph lights

See! A bargain phone can look cool, not clunky (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

You might also consider the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, a quirky Android that costs $459 / £449 / AU$849, though it’s only available in the US through a beta program.

Of all the phones in this price range, the Pixel 9a should get software and security updates for longer than the rest. The Pixel gets a seven-year promise, while Samsung gives you six years, and the rest of the Android world promises three or fewer.

  • Value score: 5/5

Google Pixel 9a review: Specs

Google Pixel 9a in Peony pink

The Pixel 9a hiding behind the Pixel 9 because it knows that it's ugly (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Pixel 9a uses the same Google Tensor G4 chipset as the Pixel 9 Pro and the rest of the Pixel 9 family. This is Google’s biggest strength with its bargain phones, because the Tensor contains the magic sauce that lets Google promise seven years of major OS updates for its latest phones (though none of them have actually been around for seven years, yet).

The Tensor G4 isn’t a performance beast, but it’s good enough for the Pixel 9a to get by, albeit with a bit of sluggishness. The initial setup process especially was a slog, as the phone gets bogged down when you try to download a lot of apps and then, you know, use them.

The paltry 8GB of RAM inside became noticeable when I used the AI features, and the Pixel 9a inexplicably doesn't have the new Screenshots app that debuted on the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro. That app gathers all of your screenshots and runs them through the AI so you can ask questions about what it sees; I guess 8GB of RAM is not enough for that level of on-device processing.

I'm very nervous about the next seven years with this phone, if we’re already seeing Google omit features on day one that the rest of the Pixel 9 phones have. I suspect that whatever Android update the Pixel 9a gets in seven years will be only a portion of what the rest of the Pixel phones will receive, but at least security holes should be plugged.

Google Pixel 9a review: Design

Google Pixel 9a in Peony pink

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • A major departure from Pixel design
  • The ugliest Pixel phone ever

Let’s start with a compliment: I like the colors. I like the Peony pink and the lavender Iris hues, and even the Porcelain and Obsidian look premium, not basic. I also like that the cases match perfectly with the phone, giving the handset some needed dimension and texture.

Okay, that’s all the nice I have in me for this phone's design. I’m only being mean to the butt-ugly Pixel 9a because I really liked the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro redesign, and I can’t believe Google didn’t carry the new look down to the bargain basement.

The Pixel 9a is just a flat slab of plastic broken by a round camera bump. It has no personality or character – it looks like somebody punched a Pixel 9 square in the nose and flattened its whole face.

Google Pixel 9a in Peony pink

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Pixel 9a has the same-size screen as the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro, but the bezels are noticeably thicker. The phone is nicely rounded, like the Pixel 9, but the back is a matte-finish plastic, not shiny glass. Google says 23% of the Pixel 9a is recycled materials, by weight.

To be fair, the Pixel 9a is thinner than the Pixel 9 if you count the camera bump – that bar adds 3mm to the thickness of the latter phone. If you really want a phone that is borin… er, flat, this is a good pick.

Google also says the Pixel 9a is the most durable Pixel A-series phone yet. It can withstand a dunk in up to 1.5m of fresh water for 30 minutes, so feel free to drop it in the toilet and give it a flush, then rinse it in the sink.

  • Design score: 3/5

Google Pixel 9a review: Display

Google Pixel 9a in Peony pink

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • Very bright and colorful display
  • Questionable Adaptive Display settings should be turned off

The Pixel 9a has an excellent screen that's very bright and colorful, continuing Google’s dominance in this aspect of the smartphone world. This would be a great display for a phone at any price, but it’s a standout feature on a bargain phone; you won’t find a better or brighter screen on a phone this cheap.

I was feeling a bit let down by the display for my first few days with the Pixel 9a, but then I turned off the Adaptive Display mode and things got much brighter. For some reason, Adaptive Display was keeping my phone very dark no matter where I used it, but when I took control the experience got exponentially better.

The screen can refresh at up to 120Hz, but frankly I’m not sure the phone can keep up with any content moving that fast. Scrolling through the apps and settings menus felt more stuttery on the Pixel 9a than on the Pixel 9 Pro, and I can only assume that more RAM would pick things up.

The phone has Gorilla Glass 3 on the front, which is durable but not as scratch-resistant as the latest Gorilla Glass Victus materials. I noticed some hairline scratches on the screen after only a week of use, although these weren't distracting. The back of the phone is plastic, not glass, so it should be more durable.

  • Display score: 4/5

Google Pixel 9a review: Software

Google Pixel 9a in Peony pink

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • A polished version of Android, with many updates to come
  • Doesn’t have all the features of the rest of the Pixel family

The Google Pixel 9a launches with Android 15 on board, and it should get updates through Android 22 in 2032, if humanity survives that long. Google has only been making this seven-year promise for three years, so we can’t be sure what those eventual updates will look like, but Google also regularly drops new features, or brings newer features to older phones, in software updates it calls Pixel Drops.

Google’s version of Android is the most refined you can get, with the fewest extraneous features. Where Android used to be known for its heavy customization options, now you’d have to download a whole new launcher app if you want to organize your app list into folders or tweak the interface behavior. Today’s Android is simpler, and better for it.

Google Pixel 9a in Peony pink

You can no longer group apps into folders or even change the order of the app list (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Google also has some of the most useful AI tools on its smartphones; and, where other phone makers have the same features, Google does it better. For instance, Google’s Voice Recorder app is the best at transcribing what it hears into text. It will label individual speakers, and you can simply tap on a word to jump to the moment in the recording when it was spoken. Samsung and other Android phone makers have similar software, but it doesn’t work as well; not even close.

I especially like Google’s AI calling tools. When I get a mysterious phone call, I can have Google’s AI answer and screen the call; spammers always hang up at this point. If I’m on an important call that I need to remember details of, I can have the AI record and later transcribe the call. My caller will be alerted to the fact that they're being recorded, so there’s no privacy concern.

Google Pixel 9a in Peony pink

Gemini Live isn't interesting to look at, but it's fun to talk to the machine (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Google’s Gemini Live conversation tool also got a nice boost on the Pixel 9a. Just before this phone launched, Gemini Live went multi-modal, so it can now talk to you conversationally while it looks through your camera. I pointed Gemini at the blank wall beneath my TV and asked for suggestions on how to decorate it. Gemini suggested that I add plants, then we switched the conversation to what plants I could buy that I wouldn’t kill in a month.

Of course, there are plenty of AI slop tools on the Pixel 9a as well. There's the standard image-generating tool that probably shouldn’t exist, for legal and ethical reasons, and it can now create images of human beings, which was forbidden in the past.

I have a big problem with these tools. They're bigoted by nature. If I ask Pixel Studio for an image of ‘a successful person,’ I get five images of young, able-bodied people. The selection may be racially diverse, but it still holds onto so many stereotypes that it should simply not be on a phone.

If I ask Pixel Studio for an image of ‘a Jewish man,’ I get the most stereotypical caricature of Jewish identity: an older man with a full beard and a head covering. If I ask for ‘a Palestinian man,’ it refuses to create anything, which is its own harmful erasure and stereotyping, as if any image of a Palestinian man should be considered potentially harmful.

Image 1 of 3

AI images created by Google's Pixel Studio on the Pixel 9a depicting stereotypical older Jewish men with long beards and heads covered

I asked Pixel Studio for "A Jewish man" and got these three images in a row (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Image 2 of 3

AI images created by Google's Pixel Studio on the Pixel 9a depicting stereotypical older Jewish men with long beards and heads covered

I asked Pixel Studio for "A Jewish man" and got these three images in a row (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Image 3 of 3

AI images created by Google's Pixel Studio on the Pixel 9a depicting stereotypical older Jewish men with long beards and heads covered

I asked Pixel Studio for "A Jewish man" and got these three images in a row (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Sorry, this Pixel has no business creating images of people if it resorts to stereotypes. I’m not sure when it became acceptable for a smartphone to reinforce bigotry, but it’s not something I’ll ever be comfortable with. Google should remove this capability from Pixel Studio immediately.

  • Software score: 2/5

Google Pixel 9a review: Cameras

Google Pixel 9a in Peony pink

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • Surprisingly good photos that look like Pixel 9 Pro pics
  • Astonishing macro capabilities that rival my DSLR – seriously

I've been pleasantly surprised by the Pixel 9a’s camera capabilities. This phone continues the A-series tradition of producing photos that look almost identical to the shots you’d get from the Pro-series device, albeit at a much lower resolution.

The Pixel 9a has a 48MP camera, but it uses a pixel binning technique and will only produce images that are 12MP. Even the raw files it produces are 12MP or less.

That’s fine by me! I think 12MP is the perfect size for sharing, whether you send photos to friends or post them to your favorite social app. You won’t be able to zoom in later, and you might miss the fine details, but 12MP is a good compromise for a bargain phone. To be fair, the Pixel 9 has a 50MP camera and that phone also limits its photo output to 12MP.

I was expecting the Pixel 9a cameras to be much less capable, because the sensors have been reduced in size compared to the Pixel 8a, and are much smaller that the sensors you’ll find on the Pixel 9 or Pixel 9 Pro. The Pixel 9a uses a half-inch sensor for the main camera, compared to the three-quarter-inch sensor on the Pixel 9.

That doesn’t sound like much, but that’s the diagonal measurement, and the actual area of the sensor in the Pixel 9a is 57% smaller than that of the sensor the Pixel 9. That means it captures much less light, which affects every other aspect of photography.

Google Pixel 9a in Peony pink

There's much bigger sensors under that big Pixel 9 bump (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Thankfully, Google’s AI photography magic has never been more powerful. Photos look great, nearly identical to Pixel 9 Pro photos, until you zoom in close. Then things get muddy, but the Pixel 9a produces images with accurate colors and good lighting. The iPhone 16e might be a little bit better, but it’s also much more expensive, and it lacks some of the Pixel 9a’s great features.

I was blown away by the new macro photography capabilities on the Pixel 9a. I shoot macro photos often with my Nikon D750 and Tamron 100mm macro lens, so I broke out the full-frame camera for a comparison test. The results were truly shocking.

Without a flash, the Pixel 9a totally outperformed my Nikon. I couldn’t hold the camera still enough for the 1/4 second exposure that it required, but the Pixel 9a had no trouble grabbing a sharp shot in the same dim light. Even with a flash attached, my Nikon wasn’t much more sharp than the Pixel 9a. The Pixel even managed to expose a wider swath of the subject than my Nikon at f/16.

Image 1 of 2

Photo samples taken with the Google Pixel 9a

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

This macro shot was taken with the Pixel 9a

Image 2 of 2

A macro photo taken with the Nikon D750 of a piece of red leather

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

This macro shot was taken with a Nikon D750 DSLR with a Tamron 100mm macro lens

Usually, macro photography on smartphones is a gimmick performed with a pathetic 3MP camera, but on the Pixel 9a it’s so good, at full resolution, that it offers a whole reason to consider this phone. If you like shooting macro, you’ve probably never seen a smartphone that can get this close and take photos this sharp.

  • Camera score: 3/5

Google Pixel 9a review: Camera samples

Image 1 of 5

Photo samples taken with the Google Pixel 9a

That is very close up (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Image 2 of 5

Photo samples taken with the Google Pixel 9a

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Image 3 of 5

Photo samples taken with the Google Pixel 9a

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Photo samples taken with the Google Pixel 9a

A Long Exposure photo (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Image 5 of 5

Photo samples taken with the Google Pixel 9a

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Google Pixel 9a review: Performance

Google Pixel 9a in Peony pink

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • Adequate performance but not what I’d call fast
  • The AI features always slow things down

The Pixel 9a performs as well as the Pixel 9, for better and for worse. It was able to handle all of my favorite apps and all of Google’s features with little trouble, as long as I wasn’t asking the AI for anything. Except for some hiccups during my initial setup, when the interface ground to a halt while installing numerous apps and backup data, I had no trouble using the Pixel 9a as my primary work phone.

It’s still slow, objectively and subjectively. The menus and interface do not feel as snappy on the Pixel 9a as OneUI does on the Galaxy S25, for instance. It isn’t as smooth and responsive as iOS on any recent iPhone. Some apps take a bit longer to open, and when switching between apps it takes longer for the screen to populate.

I was still able to run all of my necessary apps, take video calls while browsing the web, and play my favorite games, including Call of Duty Mobile – I had to turn the settings down for better performance, but I had fun playing.

The Pixel 9a sends much of its AI computing to the cloud, and this slows down whatever process you're engaged in. Pixel Studio, for instance, generated images much faster on the Pixel 9, and it was even faster on the Pixel 9 Pro. Apparently RAM does make a big difference with these AI features.

  • Performance score: 3/5

Google Pixel 9 Pro review: Battery

Google Pixel 9a in Peony pink

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • The larger battery doesn’t translate to longer life
  • Charging speeds are also slower, but there’s wireless

One of the big advantages Google highlights with the Pixel 9a is the larger battery – a 5,100mAh cell that's bigger than the batteries in the similarly-sized Pixel 9 or Pixel 9 Pro. I didn’t see any benefit, though.

The phone lasted through a full day of use most of the time, except on days when I did a lot of work with the AI tools and cameras. Even then, battery life was acceptable, if not exceptional.

I’m not sure why this phone isn’t lasting much longer than the Pixel 9, even though its battery is 8.5% larger. Our Future Labs testing concurs. In our battery rundown test the Pixel 9a lasted at most 13 hours and eight minutes, while the Pixel 9 lasted 13 hours and 18 minutes in the same test.

That’s not terrible, but you can find longer-lasting phones in this price range. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro lasted more than an hour longer in Future Labs. The OnePlus 13R is only a bit more expensive, and it’s our battery-life champion, with hours more battery life than the competition.

The Pixel 9a does include wireless charging, which isn’t common on a bargain phone. Nothing Phone and OnePlus omit wireless charging on their budget models, though they do have much faster wired charging than Google offers.

The Pixel 9a can only charge up to 23W, which isn’t very fast. The battery wasn’t even halfway charged after 30 minutes, and it took more than an hour to get to 100% from 1%.

  • Battery score: 3/5

Should you buy the Google Pixel 9 Pro?

Buy it if...

You want a great bargain camera for close-ups
While it lacks zoom, Google’s bargain Pixel has some of the best macro photography capabilities I’ve seen.

You want a solid phone to keep for a very long time
The Pixel 9a is durable, and it'll get seven years of Android and security updates. That makes it a keeper if you want a bargain phone that will last.

You want the best AI phone features
There’s a lot of AI on this phone, but the best features work with the actual Phone app to help screen calls and record important conversations.

Don't buy it if...

You want a pretty phone that you can show off
Get a case for this ugly phone, or put a bag over its head. I don’t know why Google uglified its Pixel like this, but it hurts.

You don’t want to support bigoted AI image generators
AI image generator tools that produce only stereotypes reinforce bigotry. This software isn’t acceptable on my smartphone and it needs to go.

Google Pixel 9a review: Also consider

Samsung Galaxy A56
You can’t buy the Galaxy A56 everywhere yet, but we got to review Samsung’s top bargain model, and it won us over with a high-quality build and great performance.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy A56 review

Nothing Phone 3a Pro
Like the anti-Pixel 9a, this phone is all about the cool design and showing off. The Nothing Phone doesn’t want to hide in a case, it wants to dance and party!
Read our full Nothing Phone 3a Pro review

How I tested the Google Pixel 9a

I used the Google Pixel 9a for almost two weeks. I tested the phone on AT&T’s network in the greater New York area, throughout the city and suburbs. I used the Pixel 9a as my primary work phone with all of my work accounts and apps, as well as a personal phone for photos and gaming.

I tested the Pixel 9a with a Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2. I connected the phone to my car and tested Android Auto. I connected an Xbox wireless controller for gaming.

I tested the Pixel 9a camera against the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro, as well as the iPhone 16 and Galaxy S25. For macro photo comparisons, I compared against my Nikon D750 camera with a Tamron 100mm macro lens.

Future Labs tests phones using a mix of third-party benchmark software and proprietary, real-world tests. We use Geekbench, CrossMark, JetStream, WebXPRT and Mobile XPRT, and 3DMark for performance testing. We test a phone's performance on tasks using Adobe Premiere Rush. We also measure display color output and brightness.

For battery testing, we have proprietary rundown tests that are the same for every phone, and we determine how long it takes for the battery to run down.

Read more about how we test

Why you can trust TechRadar

☑️ 100s of smartphones reviewed
☑️ 15 years of product testing
☑️ Over 16,000 products reviewed in total
☑️ Nearly 200,000 hours testing tech

First reviewed April 2025

I liked the capacity and number of ports on the VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank, but it’s a little too bulky for very light travel
9:20 pm | April 9, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phone Accessories Phones | Comments: Off

VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank: review

The VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank is a basic power bank with a high capacity and versatile port selection, catering to various charging needs on the go.

It adopts a functional aesthetic, but looks smart enough. The large, shiny screen adds some interest, as does the linear texture of its bottom half, which also provides some useful traction when holding it in the hand.

The VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank is quite thick and long, although considering its large capacity, this is to be expected; it still isn’t much bigger than many of the best power banks with the same battery size. It’s reasonably heavy, though, so combined with its dimensions, this isn’t a battery you can easily pocket.

It feels quite solid overall, although the screen doesn’t feel the most durable or premium; and despite its large area, the actual display itself is quite small and sparse, severely underutilizing its allotted space: only the battery percentage is displayed, with no other interface features beyond this, apart from a small green symbol to signify charging, which is helpful.

The VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank has four ports, divided into two USB-A outputs, one USB-C combined input and output, and one micro USB input. Three-way simultaneous charging is also possible. Given that the USB-C port outputs the most power (20W compared to 18W for each USB-A port), it’s a shame that the VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank only comes with a USB-A-to-C cable, rather than C-to-C.

It took just over 90 minutes for the VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank to charge the 4,385mAh battery in my Google Pixel 7a completely via the USB-C port, which is a decent performance. The bank lost about a quarter of its battery life in the process, which should mean you’ll get about 3-4 charges from it, which again is commendable.

The VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank has a claimed charging time of eight hours from empty to full, thanks to the 18W input capability. Based on my tests, this figure appears to hold true.

The VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank represents good value considering its relatively low price compared to other power banks of this size. However, there are some that perhaps represent better value, such as the JUOVI J2621, which is only slightly more expensive, and despite having the same capacity, it has over double the power.

It also features two USB-C ports, but on the downside, it’s bulkier than the VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank. But considering neither is practical for pocket carry, this is somewhat of a moot point, and ultimately means that the JUOVI may be a better alternative in this case.

VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank on plinth with pink background

(Image credit: Future)

VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank review: price & specs

Close-up of ports on VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank, on plinth on table with pink background

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank?

Buy it if…

You want plenty of capacity
It has enough juice for several phone charges, thanks to that 20,000mAh rating.

You need multiple ports
The two USB-A ports and one USB-C ports are certainly welcome, and there's even a micro USB port too, although this is input only.

Don't buy it if…

You want the best portability
The VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank is still quite bulky, although many batteries this size are. Still, you can't exactly carry it in your pocket.

You need multiple USB-C ports
It's a shame there's only one USB-C port on the VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank, given this standard is beginning to take over.

VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank review: Also consider

JUOVI J2621 20000mAh 45W Power Bank
For not much more than the VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank, you could have the JUOVI J2621 instead. This has the same 20,000mAh capacity, but much more power (45W). It also has two USB-C ports rather than one, in addition to two USB-A ports. It’s bulkier than the VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank, though, but neither bank is suitable for pocketing, and are better placed in a bag instead. Read our JUOVI J2621 20000mAh 45W Power Bank review.

I tested out this robot that can charge your phone in mere minutes and it’s a triumph
9:00 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phone Accessories Phones | Comments: Off

UGreen Nexode RG 65W review

If the joy of getting back up to 100% charge isn’t enough for you, then you simply have to check out the UGreen Nexode RG 65W. This cheerful charging robot will get your laptop, phone or tablet back to fighting fit with a smile, thanks to its LED display and accompanying emoticons.

And this charger will get not one, not two, but three devices back to 100% in no time. That’s because it has three ports: two USB-C and one USB-A. You can get up to 65W in single-port mode, 45W and up to 20W (using USB-C Port 2) in duo mode and 45W plus 7.5W in the remaining slots when tri-port charging.

In terms of actual performance, this model does very nicely too. I tried charging my Samsung Galaxy S24 FE alongside the Soundcore Space One Pro and Bose SoundLink Flex Gen 2 speaker. Despite using all three ports, the UGreen Nexode RG 65W ensured my phone – which has a 4,700mAh battery – hit full charge from 0% in just under 80 minutes. That’s the sort of speeds you’d expect to see from some of the best Android phone chargers and best iPhone chargers. Smart temperature monitoring also ensured that this lil’ robot never got too hot either.

This model will display one of three emojis depending on charging status. Closed eyes on standby, smiling when fast charging and a blank expression when trickle charging or achieving a full charge. These are all pretty fun, but not quite as emotive as the faces you get on the UGreen Uno 100W. That said, this more chibi 65W model still has a load more character than most charging plugs.

The charger’s general build quality is strong. It’s pretty weighty, though thanks to GaN technology, you still get a highly compact model. The prongs aren’t foldable – something I typically like from a wall charger – but there are some feet that you can slot the charger into when it's out of use. That’s not only a neat design quirk, but a practical addition if you want to slide the charger into your pocket without getting poked by its prongs.

Given its solid power output and charming display, I’d argue that this model is very well priced too. It has a list price of $49.99 / £34.99 (about AU$80) but can regularly be found on sale for less than $40 / £30. Given the Belkin BoostCharge 3-Port USB-C Wall Charger with PPS 67W is typically $44.99 / £39.99 / AU$89.95 and has no display, that’s an excellent price.

It’s worth noting that the price may vary depending on which color option you get, though. I tested the standard Black variant, but if you want to spice things up, you can grab this model in either Cyan or Purple – the latter is adorned in a small purple bow.

All in all, this is another great, charismatic charger from UGreen that I can recommend to anyone. It may not include a USB-C cable in the box and the emojis aren’t as captivating as the 100W model’s, but the triple port configuration, power output and LED display make it well worth its already modest list price.

UGreen Nexode RG 65W in socket with tired face with feet holder next to it

(Image credit: Future)

UGreen Nexode RG 65W review: Price & specs

UGreen Nexode RG 65W on block in feet holder

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the UGreen Nexode RG 65W?

Buy it if…

You want a charger with character
The standout attraction of the UGreen Nexode RG 65W is its quirky LED display. There are three different emojis that can pop up, depending on charging status. Although they’re not as detailed as the ones from this model’s 100W sibling, there’s still a lot more character here than you’ll find from the vast majority of other chargers.

You need to charge multiple devices at once
Thankfully, this charger has three separate ports – two USB-C and one USB-A – meaning you can charge a bunch of devices simultaneously. And there’s plenty enough power to go around if you want to charge, say, your phone alongside a pair of the best wireless earbuds and best headphones.

Don't buy it if…

You want a top-tier laptop charger
If you have one of the best MacBooks or best Chromebooks, the 65W power output might not be enough for peak charging performance, especially if you’re juicing up other devices simultaneously. If you want a bit of extra power, I highly recommend the Anker Charger 140W, 4 Port, PD 3.1, which includes a USB-C cable and a display too.

You need a USB-C cable
This model doesn’t come with a USB-C cable included, so if you’re still stuck with your old USB-A alternative, you’ll have to purchase one separately. I would argue that’s worth it, but if you want a cheap all-in-one package, the Anker 335 Charger 67W is a very solid pick – more on this below.

UGreen Nexode RG 65W review: also consider

Anker 335 Charger 67W
In terms of pure value, the Anker 335 Charger 67W is an awesome charging option. For less than $40 / £40, you’re getting 67W of power, three charging ports, foldable prongs and a USB-C cable – not bad at all! Sure, this isn’t the most compact charger out there and it lacks a display, but if you want a cheaper, yet effective option, this is worth considering. Read our full Anker 335 Charger 67W review.

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