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Nothing Phone 2a Plus review: add a little bit of spice

5:00 pm | September 14, 2024

Nothing Phone 2a Plus: Two-minute review

Nothing has already confirmed that its next flagship smartphone – the Nothing Phone 3 – won't be making its debut until 2025, but that doesn't mean fans of the brand aren't without new phones to get excited about in the meantime.

In March, we were introduced to the Nothing Phone 2a: a device with all the sensibilities of the current top-tier Nothing Phone 2, but with more modest hardware and a price tag to match. It did well – very well in fact, becoming the brand's best-selling smartphone to date, and proving that a market exists for the company's distinct design aesthetics and forward-looking user experience in a more affordable package.

It's this success (and the long wait for another flagship phone from the company) that likely led to the creation of the Nothing Phone 2a Plus: a new variant of the 2a, announced only four months after the original's arrival.

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review front angled — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

The 2a Plus is much the same phone as its namesake, but rather than being a larger-screened version of the 2a, the 'Plus' in this instance actually refers to the slight uplift in performance, camera hardware, and battery tech boasted by this refreshed model over the standard iteration; although it does also come with a price increase to match.

On sale from September 10 for $50 / £50 / AU$40 more than the equivalent storage capacity Phone 2a, the 2a Plus remains mostly unchanged; with the same transparent polycarbonate-backed design (this time with extra metallic detailing), the same strong 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, the same rear cameras, same battery capacity, and same software promise.

The higher asking price buys you, among other things, a beefier Dimensity 7350 Pro chip, which delivers on the promised benchmarks of 10% better CPU performance and 30% greater graphical performance, compared to the more modest MediaTek chip powering the standard Phone 2a. You also get 50W charging, compared to 45W on the 2a that's – as you might expect – fractionally quicker (a full charge takes just under, compared to just over, an hour), and a new higher-resolution 50MP front camera (compared to a 32MP snapper on the 2a), which serves up more detail; not to mention the Plus boasts a richer shooting experience, thanks to a new AI-supported 'Vivid' mode.

All in all, the question is not whether Phone 2a users have been short-changed and if there's any point in upgrading (there isn't). Instead, the Nothing Phone 2a Plus edges the needle closer to the performance of the company's current flagship (especially graphically) for a lot less, whereas we saw the standard model as more of an improvement on the original Nothing Phone 1, as you'll read in our original Nothing Phone 2a review.

You still pay a premium for that Nothing aesthetic and unique Glyph lighting, though, meaning similarly-priced rivals offer more in areas like software support, faster charging, or a superior viewing experience, but at the expense of the sense of style that Nothing has cultivated with its products.

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review: Price and availability

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review back handheld — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Priced at $399 / £399 / AU$639
On sale from September 10, 2024
US availability via Nothing Beta Program

The Nothing Phone 2a Plus comes in a sole 12GB RAM / 256GB storage variant, which means, in most markets, it comes in at a single price (you can get it with 8GB or 12GB of RAM in India). In Nothing's homeland of the UK, the phone costs £399 (direct from Nothing), £50 more than the original asking price of an equivalent 256GB standard Phone 2a.

Even in the short months since the standard 2a debuted, however, the company has already officially cut its price in key markets. A 256GB 2a costs £329 at the time of writing, meaning you actually pay £70 more for the Plus today.

The assumption is that the Phone 2a will remain on sale until Nothing runs out of stock, at which point the 2a Plus will be the company's sole mid-ranger (the newer phone should also come with a price reduction of its own by that point).

In the US, as with the Phone 2a, the 2a Plus is currently only available through the company's Beta Program. Despite being competitively priced in the market, there are caveats to purchasing this phone in the region; namely a significantly shorter 14-day return period and – as the devices being sold are international models – incomplete support for US carrier bands (i.e. spotty cellular connectivity with major US networks).

If, like the Phone 2, Nothing decides to launch the 2a Plus Stateside officially, the model sold will feature more complete US carrier support, but the company hasn't announced any such plans at the time of writing.

Value score: 4 / 5

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review: Specs

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review: Design

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review circuit macro — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Iconic Nothing aesthetic
IP54-certified polycarbonate body
Repels scuffs well but back attracts smudges

While the Phone 2a marked a slight departure from the company's previous smartphones, with its main dual camera placed transversely along the center line of the phone's back, rather than being offset in the corner, it otherwise carried across all the hallmarks of the Nothing's now-established design language.

The Phone 2a Plus echoes the standard model's dimensions, weight, and aesthetic identically; there's a transparent polycarbonate back, under which you'll find tracks of faux circuitry, a cluster of diffused LEDs around the camera, which make up the phone's Glyph Interface, and a matte plastic frame, with a power button set into the right side and large volume up and down keys along the left edge.

It's in the color department where Nothing has set the 2a and 2a Plus apart visually. While the standard phone arrived in black or Milk (white) – both variants also sported a red accent – the 2a Plus can be bought in either Black or Grey, with that circuitry no longer color-matching the bodywork, and instead sporting a more eye-catching reflective silver finish.

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Nothing Phone 2a Plus review back — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Nothing Phone 2a Plus review back handheld depth — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Nothing Phone 2a Plus review back angled shelf — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

It's a simple and effective way to distinguish the Plus from the standard 2a, and it feels a little more premium, too. However, I do miss the cleaner look of both launch finishes of the standard 2a (especially Milk).

In the hand, the proportions and weight of the 2a Plus make it a surprisingly comfortable phone to use one-handed. For its size, it feels beautifully put together, especially for a device that is, externally, mostly polycarbonate. Scuffs and scrapes are repelled surprisingly well; I just wish it didn't hold onto smudges so readily.

Nothing goes into some detail on the stress testing the 2a line is subjected to, for peace of mind, but the build is also independently certified against dust and water ingress with an IP54 rating; not quite as advanced as high-end devices, but perfectly at home for use in wet weather and the like.

Design score: 4 / 5

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review: Display

6.7-inch 120Hz Full HD+ OLED
Protected by Gorilla Glass 5
Sluggish in-display optical fingerprint sensor

Sticking with aesthetics, Nothing's love for flexible OLED panels grants the Phone 2a Plus balanced bezels around its flat 6.7-inch Full HD+ (1084 x 2412) screen; framing things neatly with a 91.65% screen-to-body ratio (for comparison, the pricier Galaxy A55 sports a 86.9% ratio).

The display is protected by both a factory-fitted screen protector and Gorilla Glass 5 (i.e. not Corning's latest and greatest, but respectable in terms of both impact and scratch protection), and after several weeks of use, my device only picked up one or two superficial abrasions.

That upgraded front-facing camera sits neatly at the center of the panel's top edge, while an optical under-display fingerprint sensor hangs down near the bottom bezel. Practically, I think the sensor placement is a little too low, and, surprisingly, the response time of this particular fingerprint reader is well behind what I've come to expect from the technology. We're talking milliseconds here, but I hope Nothing works to improve read speed via subsequent updates, as it lags behind the quality of the rest of the experience served up by the 2a Plus.

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review 2a vs 2a Plus vs Phone 2 front angled — The Phone 2a (left), Phone 2a Plus (center) and Phone 2 (right) (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

As for the panel itself, it's the same screen found on the standard 2a, with nice colors, contrast, and a respectable 1,100-nit average maximum brightness (with a 1,300-nit peak). Other reviewers have reported fractionally better brightness scores from the panel on the 2a Plus, compared to the 2a, but anecdotally I never saw a noticeable difference while testing them side by side; both are visible in bright conditions, even if there is plenty of room for improvement.

While the use of OLED tech ensures nice vibrant colors and deep blacks, the 2a Plus doesn't pack LTPO tech, meaning the 120Hz refresh can step down to 30Hz, but no lower, and in fairly sizable increments, too. In practice, the OS tends to err on the side of fluidity, even if that means higher power consumption (you do have the ability to cap it at 60Hz manually, if you prefer).

Nothing doesn't grant a huge amount of control over customizing the viewing experience, beyond including always-on display (AoD) support and Night Light (which warms display color temperature when it's dark or late). You have Alive or Standard color profiles to choose between, with a warm-to-cool slider, too, but again, while appreciated, this is a comparatively bare-bones take on display personalization, compared to what you'd find on equivalent Xiaomi.

Display score: 3.5 / 5

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review: Software

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review Weather app — Nothing OS' stylized weather app (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

3 years of OS & 4 years security updates
Launches with Nothing OS 2.6 atop Android 14
Nothing AI news widget is novel but has provenance issues

Nothing OS fast found a home among fans, thanks to its distinct, minimalist aesthetic, monochrome icon and widget theming, and as the means of interaction with the defining functional design feature of the brand's phones: the Glyph Interface.

Since the original Nothing Phone, the company has continued to build out this experience with new functionality, without straying from the path; ensuring a consistent experience across all its devices at all price points (from the top-tier Phone 2, down to the recently released affordable CMF Phone 1).

Like the standard Phone 2a, the 2a Plus arrives on Android 14 but sports the latest (at the time of writing) Nothing OS 2.6. The experience is as great as every other Nothing Phone, with the look and feel being one of its major draws. It's really nice to use, slick, and responsive on the 2a Plus thanks to that high refresh rate display. The ability to have supersized folders and app icons is a nice, unique bit of personalization and the native widgets are oozing with the dot matrix charm that embodies Nothing OS' visual style.

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review News widget — The new News widget, introduced in Nothing OS 2.6 (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

One of the most interesting additions in Nothing OS 2.6 is a new news widget. Add it to your home screen and select as many topics as you like from a shortlist of seven during the initial setup screen (these include business, entertainment, sports, technology, and more).

Once set up, tap the widget each day to hear an impressively convincing AI-generated version of Nothing's CFO Tim Holbrow read out various stories, covering your chosen topics. It's a novel and convenient way to digest current affairs, and a meaningful implementation of free AI functionality that few other mid-rangers come close to offering. There are, however, some obvious drawbacks.

For one, you have no idea about the provenance of the stories being read out. Even during setup, the widget never cites its sources, and there's no way to dive deeper or access the source material on a story Tim just read to you. There's the obvious risk of AI hallucination to consider with a tool like this, too, not to mention the ethical quandary of fair attribution to the journalists whose work this widget has scraped for content.

While I like the method of delivery, here's hoping subsequent updates iron out at least some of the pitfalls with this otherwise capable news widget.

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review Glyph Interface — The 2a Plus' Glyph Interface lit up in darkness (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Despite its lower standing in Nothing's smartphone portfolio, the 2a Plus doesn't lose out on the brand's signature Glyph Interface – the diffused LED segments around the phone's rear camera.

There are far fewer than on the Phone 2, but the trio that are present still fulfill all the same functions: as visual indicators for incoming calls and notifications when the phone is face down, to represent timers and ETAs on supported apps, and as a softer fill light when shooting video. You can also create your own Glyph patterns by downloading Nothing's Glyph Composer app, which is a fun bonus.

While not everyone will appreciate a phone that flashes (you can disable it if you don't like the Glyphs at all), it's another novel and aesthetic-defining characteristic of Nothing's phones and I appreciate its presence; although I wish more third-party developers put it to use, as it doesn't feel like it's being utilized to its full potential.

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review 2a vs 2a Plus vs Phone 2 back straight Glyph — The Glyph Interfaces on the Nothing Phone 2a (left), Phone 2a Plus (center) and Phone 2 (right) (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

When it comes to software updates, Nothing is great at constantly pushing fixes and features to its devices; it's far more prolific than bigger brands like Motorola or Sony, and they should take note, as it constantly feels like your phone is improving. Nothing's also great at granting its users early access to Android betas, ahead of each OS' full release, which right now means you can technically already get your hands on Android 15, if you're willing to hazard its unfinished state.

The flip side is that software promises have become increasingly competitive in the market, with Apple and, more recently, the likes of OnePlus, Samsung and Google pushing for five, six or even seven years of support on its latest devices.

In the case of the Phone 2a Plus, the promise of three years of OS updates and four years of security updates seems acceptable for the phone's mid-range standing, but looks like a much weaker proposition on the more expensive Phone 2. If Nothing has the resources, being able to up those numbers would keep it competitive.

Software score: 4 / 5

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review: Camera

Same dual 50MP rear sensors as Phone 2a
Upgraded 50MP front camera
New Vivid Mode with real time analysis

The Phone 2a's distinct rear dual 50MP sensors (a Samsung GN9 for the main sensor and a Samsung JN1 for the ultra-wide) remain unchanged from the standard Phone 2a, as does the Imagiq 765 ISP (image signal processor) handling things behind the scenes; despite the change in silicon between the two phones.

The more prominent difference is the upgraded front camera, which sees the 2a's 32MP snapper traded for another 50MP JN1 (yes, the same sensor used by the ultra-wide). The result is higher-resolution selfies with a different capture profile and the ability to shoot 4K video on the phone's front, too.

Nothing Phone 2a Plus camera samples

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample peddle cab — Low light (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample London ultra-wide — 0.6x (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample London 1x — 1x (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample London 2x — 2x (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample London 10x — 10x (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample Young VandA ultra-wide — 0.6x (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample Young VandA 1x — 1x (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample Young VandA 2x — 2x (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample Young VandA 10x — 10x (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample clouds ultra-wide — 0.6x (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample clouds 1x — 1x (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample clouds 2x — 2x (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample portrait mode — Portrait mode (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample selfie comparison — Front camera (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample moss comparison — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample beach comparison — HDR (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample National Gallery low light — Low light (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample National Gallery Night Mode — Night mode (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample sunflower main — Main (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample sunflower ultra-wide — Ultra-wide (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Side by side, selfies taken on the 2a Plus display greater detail and dynamic range in well-lit scenes. However, the fact that shots are captured at 50MP natively, and not pixel-binned, means blurring and detail loss in low light conditions is prevalent.

Portrait shooting across the front and back sensors can be hit and miss, too, with edge detection from the Portrait Optimizer within Nothing's TrueLens Engine (i.e. its camera software) tripping up from time to time. Otherwise, results are good.

Another camera addition that remains unique to the Phone 2a Plus is Vivid Mode; not even the Phone 2 running the same version of Nothing OS has this feature, at the time of writing. Not only does Vivid Mode change the color science employed to achieve more saturated shots, but it also uses AI to analyze what's in-frame and serves up real-time insight into what it's actually doing.

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review Vivid Mode screenshots — Within Vivid Mode, the 'result' section grants real-time AI-generated insight into how the camera is processing whatever's in frame. (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

It's another novel use of AI, but one that shows Nothing is thinking about new ways to enhance the mobile photography experience and also give the user more insight into how to compose shots and what to consider. Vivid Mode lends itself well to further improving low-light shots, too.

Camera score: 3.5 / 5

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review: Performance

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review Game Mode — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

3nm MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro chipset
8GB / 12GB RAM w/ RAM Booster up to 20GB
Sole 256GB storage variant (non-expandable)

One of the three tentpole upgrades – and perhaps the most significant – that the 2a Plus lords over the standard 2a is a new chipset. MediaTek has once again supplied Nothing with an exclusive variant of its mobile silicon variant, which promises a 10% CPU uptick and up to a 30% graphical performance boost, compared to the Dimensity 7200 Pro that powers the vanilla Phone 2a.

In practice, my benchmark results suggest more modest improvements (about 3.5% better in CPU, 6% in AI, and 12% in GPU performance). That said, this doesn't detract from the fact that this Dimensity 7350 Pro-powered phone is more capable outright; scoring closely to the original Phone 1, as well as more recent rivals, like Samsung's Galaxy A35 and Galaxy A54, along with the Tensor G2-powered Google's Pixel 7 line.

By default, high-fidelity 3D titles like Zenless Zone Zero default to 'low' graphical settings at 30fps and deliver perfectly consistent performance at that level. If you want to dial things up to 'high' at 60fps, though, the 7350 Pro seems happy to be pushed in short bursts; you'll just start to notice heat build-up (there is a vapor chamber to help internal cooling) and the occasional dropped frame after about 20 to 30-minutes of play time, as I did.

Nothing is keeping things simple with a single 256GB (non-expandable) storage option in all markets, with most of the world getting 12GB of RAM. You can also use the RAM Booster tech in Nothing OS to allocate some of that storage as additional memory to give you up to an additional 8GB of virtual RAM), if desired, allowing more apps to remain in suspension in the background.

Beyond the engine of the phone, the performance of its asymmetrical stereo speaker setup also surprised and impressed, with a much fuller and clearer sound than you'd expect for a mid-ranger such as the Plus, not to mention some usable bass, too.

Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review: Battery

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review USB-C — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

5,000mAh battery
Fastest-charging Nothing Phone yet, at 50W
7 hours of screen-on time per charge

The 2a Plus is tied for the largest battery capacity on a Nothing Phone, at 5,000mAh, but it trumps the rest of the range – including the Phone 2 and 2a – when it comes to fast charging; with an elevated top speed of 50W.

While we're not approaching OnePlus or Xiaomi numbers here, 50W is decently fast against key competitors; so fast, in fact, that Nothing's own-brand charger 45W can't refill the Phone 2a Plus at full speed. For that, the $39 / £39 CMF Power 65W GaN charger is the next-best thing; especially as Nothing doesn't include a power adapter in-box, just its iconic transparent-ended USB-C cable.

In testing, the Phone 2a Plus reached 40% charge in 15 minutes, over 70% in 30, and a full charge took just under an hour (55 minutes). As you might expect, with only a 5W uptick compared to the standard Phone 2a, the gains in fast-charging are limited; the base 2a hit 30% charge in 15 minutes, just over 60% in 30, and recharged completely in just over an hour, under the same conditions as the Plus.

Screen-on time for the 2a Plus is respectable at 7 hours per charge, which should see most users through a day and a half of use without worry (the Phone 2a offered on average 6 hours and 45 minutes of screen-on time). For added peace of mind, Nothing also states that even after 1,000 charge cycles, the 2a Plus' battery will retain 90% of its original capacity, which is well above the kinds of figures rivals promise; perhaps even an industry-leading claim.

Battery score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Nothing Phone 2a Plus?

Buy it if...

You want a great-value Nothing experience
The Phone 2a Plus distills the full-fat Nothing experience down in all the right ways; from design to user experience.

You want a phone that turns heads
Nothing's hardware and software are already eye-catching in a market of black rectangles, but the shiny silver circuitry and Glyph Interface mean the Phone 2a Plus makes a real statement.

Don't buy it if...

You want a meaningful upgrade over the Phone 2a
It's hard to reconcile why the Phone 2a Plus exists alongside the Phone 2a, when the upgrades, while appreciated, don't move the needle all that much.

You want a top performing mid-ranger
The Phone 2a Plus puts more points into style than many of its direct competitors but, as a result, lags behind on performance; even with a beefier chipset than the standard Phone 2a.

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review: Also consider

The specific blend of style and features that make up the Nothing Phone 2a Plus might not be for you after all. If that's the case, what about one of these alternatives?

Samsung Galaxy A35
A more boring design than the Phone 2a Plus conceals comparable performance, better dust and water resistance, an extra camera, and longer software support, all for a little less money.

Xiaomi Poco F6
Faster charging and better water resistance are nice, but the Poco F6 really outshines the 2a Plus on performance. Its near-flagship Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip serves up way more power and even ray tracing support for the same price.

How I tested the Nothing Phone 2a Plus

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review back angled table — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Review test period: one month
Testing included: everyday use including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
Tools used: Geekbench 6, Geekbench AI, GFXBench, native Android stats, Samsung 65W trio charger

On receiving the Nothing Phone 2a Plus, I also picked up the Phone 2 and Phone 2a, to make constant comparisons between the three devices. I lived and worked with the Phone 2a Plus for a month, using it as my main phone for everything from social media use to photography and gaming.

I kept track of battery usage each day and ran several benchmark apps to help compare performance against rival devices I did and didn't have to hand.

As a reviewer with 13 years of experience, and having reviewed previous Nothing phones, I felt confident assessing and scoring the Nothing Phone 2a Plus, both relative to other mid-rangers, and in the context of the wider smartphone market.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2024

Insta360 Flow Pro review: the dream iPhone gimbal

11:00 am | September 12, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phone Accessories Phones | Tags: Facebook Messenger, Google Pixel, NFC | Comments: Off

Insta360 Flow Pro: Two-minute review

You'll likely know Insta360 for its diverse array of cameras, many of which you'll currently find on our shortlists of the best action cameras and best 360 cameras, but last year the company branched out into a new product category: gimbals.

The Insta360 Flow broke onto the scene with an impressive feature set, especially for the company's first attempt at a phone gimbal. Just over a year later and we have its successor; in the Insta360 Flow Pro. Not only does it address key limitations of the original, but it also sets itself apart from the competition by being the first gimbal to market with Apple DockKit support.

While there's a lot more to the Flow Pro than tighter Apple integration (despite the bias, this gimbal does still work with Android phones), it's hard to overstate just how much DockKit support expands the Pro's versatility; for the first time gaining the ability to track subjects in third-party apps. Everything from FaceTime to Zoom, WhatsApp, Filmic Pro and beyond, can now benefit from the Flow Pro's three-axis stabilization.

A near-identical design to its predecessor, the Flow Pro packs down impressively small and yet can be setup in seconds; thanks in-part to its magnetic mounting system. The gimbal's overly-stocky handle is one of its weaker design elements, but it does, at least, once again conceal a tripod and selfie stick; making it a more versatile self-contained offering than the likes of the Hohem iSteady M6, for example.

10-hours of run-time from an integrated 2,900mAh battery is respectably middle of the pack on paper, but proved more than ample for the gimbal-specific shots I wanted to capture during testing. What's more, the use of dual USB-C ports adds extra convenience, as it doubles as a power bank; not only extending shooting time, but also as a back-up, if you're ever caught short with low battery on your phone.

Between its slick design, holistic capture, organization and editing experience (provided by Insta360's companion app), and the wealth of additional functionality the Flow Pro delivers, it's hard to argue with this successor to the brand's debut gimbal.

DockKit support is a little limited in its implementation right now, but that's something Apple needs to work on, not Insta360. Otherwise, the Flow Pro is an incredibly competent smartphone gimbal that offers more value than its predecessor and serves as a more unique proposition compared to what else the market has to offer.

Insta360 Flow Pro review: Price & availability

Insta360 Flow Pro review deployed angled — (Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

Announced 6 July 2024
$149 / £139 / AU$229 list price for standalone kit
$10 / £6 / AU$10 cheaper than the original Flow

Unveiled a little over a year on from the company's debut gimbal, the Flow Pro manages to offer greater functionality than its predecessor at a lower starting price of $149 / £139 / AU$229. It's admittedly not a lot lower (only $10 / £6 / AU$10), but a reduction is a reduction that amounts to more for less.

Insta360 also serves the Flow Pro up with a tripod bundle that – for a little extra – nabs you a threaded tripod accessory too. You can pick the Pro up (as well as its respective bundles) directly from Insta360's site or third-party retailers like Amazon for the same price.

The Flow Pro's most established rival – the DJI Osmo Mobile 6 – launched in late 2022 for $159 / £145 / AU$239, but has since dropped to $139 / £125 / AU$204. The far more recently released Hohem iSteady V3 costs $149 / £129 / AU$219, while the updated Zhiyun Smooth 5S AI comes in at: $169 / £169 (it's not available in Australia at the time of writing, but based on the trajectory of previous models, will be soon) or $219 / £219 if you want the additional magnetic AI module, which provides more comparable tracking to the Flow Pro.

All in, the Flow Pro seems fairly priced at the middle of the pack with regards to features and value against the competition.

Value score: 4.5 / 5

Insta360 Flow Pro review: Specs

Insta360 Flow Pro review: Design

Insta360 Flow Pro review logo

(Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

Integrated tripod, selfie stick and cold shoe
Tracking ring light is a great addition
Handle is on the short side

Despite packing a near-identical design and similarly-sized 2,900mAh battery as its predecessor, Insta360 has managed to make the Flow Pro a fraction lighter (by three grams), clocking in at 366 grams, unladen.

Even with a phone attached (mine spent most of its time connected to a 187-gram iPhone 15 Pro), wrist fatigue was minimal for the lengths and styles of shot I was capturing. Unless you plan on capturing a Kubrickesque number of takes without a break, it shouldn't prove cumbersome in normal shooting scenarios.

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Insta360 Flow Pro review phone mounts — (Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

Included clamp magnetic mount (left) and MagSafe-compatible mount (right), sold separately.

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A photo of the Insta360 Flow — (Image credit: Basil Kronfli)

The magnetic clamp mount launched as part of the original Insta360 Flow (pictured).

Attaching a phone is simple enough, with an included sprung clamp that grips your phone tightly and snaps on with impressively strong magnets to the head of the Flow Pro. Work has been done to the clamp's design in order to avoid it pressing the buttons located towards to center edges of most devices, but in practice erroneous presses seemed unavoidable, in spite of the thoughtful design.

The silver lining is a new MagSafe-compatible mount, which Insta360 launched alongside the Flow Pro. It works with any of the best iPhones that are MagSafe-compatible, as well as cases for other phones that also support the standard, and was my preferred mounting method. Just note that this isn't included with the Flow Pro, it doesn't allow the attachment of accessories like the Insta360 Spotlight (which snaps neatly onto the included clamp mount just fine), and it will set you back an additional $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$34.99.

Insta360 Flow Pro review magnetic phone mount deployed — *The MagSafe-compatible mount for the Flow Pro costs extra but is worth it if you don't need to attach the Spotlight accessory.* (Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

The Pro is clad in nicely-finished light gray plastic, with a smoky translucent spine to the gimbal's main arm (which Insta360 sells inserts for, should you wish to give your Flow Pro a more unique look), that also conceals a cold shoe; a rarity on most gimbals of this caliber that gives the Pro an edge; ideal for mounting accessories like a mic receiver. What's more, an integrated selfie stick (that although stiff to extend) allows for a more ergonomic angled grip on the handle, also providing up to 215mm of additional reach.

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Insta360 Flow Pro review integrated tripod deployed — (Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

The included tripod is convenient, if a little flimsy.

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Insta360 Flow Pro review tripod thread — (Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

If possible, pair the Flow Pro with a dedicated tripod, for maximum stability.

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Insta360 Flow Pro review selfie stick — (Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

The selfie stick is difficult to extend on a box-fresh Flow Pro, but undeniably useful.

At the other end of the handle is a concealed tripod, which pulls out and splits apart. Despite being more robust than the spindly legs of the equivalent system on the Hohem iSteady V3, you still need a stable, flat surface (and calm conditions, if you're shooting outside) to use it reliably; as it's not the most sturdy foundation.

The base also features a standard tripod thread, which when you consider that Insta360 also sells the Flow Pro as part of a tripod bundle, suggests that the company knows the built-in option should be considered a fallback.

Insta360 Flow Pro review handle split screen — *Partially extending the Flow Pro's integrated tripod is the easiest way to improve the grip offered by its short handle, but it's not perfect.* (Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

For everything that the Flow Pro's handle manages to contain (all of the gimbal's physical controls live there too), like the last model, it's on the short side; meaning you need to keep a really firm grip on what little purchase it does provide, in order to wield it securely. Extending but not separating the integrated tripod (see image above), or attaching separate tripod legs via the provided thread goes some way to help extend the handle, but neither augmentation really solves the problem completely, ergonomically speaking. The Flow Pro does at least come with a silicone handle cover (as seen in all the pictures in this review), which adds a notable amount of grip.

Controls consist of a trigger on the back of the handle, while on the front of the handle you'll find three buttons, a four-way joystick and a jog wheel. What isn't immediately obvious is that the black circular control panel is itself also a touch surface, and the most tactile way two switch between four of the gimbal's main modes.

Insta360 Flow Pro review controls — (Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

Don't been fooled by the Flow Pro's seemingly minimalist control scheme, though. Practically every one of these physical elements works double or triple duty, based on the number of presses used or mode set. Learning how to navigate all of them effectively takes some getting used to, with the touchpad proving the least elegant and ergonomic.

On balance, the addition of a green LED ring just above the control panel that lets you know when tracking is engaged from almost any angle is an ingenious addition, which helps you know what's going on when shooting solo and unable to view your phone's screen.

Insta360 Flow Pro review collpased — (Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

For all the Flow Pro offers in addition to its fundamental gimbal components, it packs down impressively small, and can be collapsed or redeployed in sections, with a self-balancing setup that makes the process of being stowed to ready-for-action impressively quick and easy, and a far cry from higher-end offerings, meant for dedicated cameras used by professionals.

Design score: 4 / 5

Insta360 Flow Pro review: Features

Insta360 Flow Pro review NFC — *The new integrated NFC tag makes initial pairing and setup with an iPhone a cinch.* (Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

Unlike predecessor, supports 360-degree infinite pan
2,900mAh battery can double as a power bank
First gimbal to market with Apple DockKit support for 200+ apps

Perhaps one of the bigger limitations of the original Insta360 Flow was its range of motion. With the Flow Pro, the horizontal pan motor has been redesigned to allow for continuous 360-degree rotation. You could theoretically rotate the Flow Pro clockwise or anti-clockwise as many times as you like, adding greater versatility to the kinds of shots capable; especially when capturing using automated tracking, timelapses or 360 photos.

The Insta360 app is where you can access the bulk of the Flow Pro's functionality, with ten dedicated shooting modes; ranging from simple photo and video capture, to Hoop Mode (specialized basketball game recording), timelapses and more. You can also drill down and – depending on the mode – access additional features like HDR capture or Apple ProRes recording, on iPhones that support it.

These capture modes work in tandem with the gimbal's six modes of stabilization:

Auto – follows your pan and tilt movements, with automated adaptive sensitivity.
Follow – follows your pan and tilt movements, with high sensitivity.
Pan Follow – follows your pan movements, while keeping the tilt and roll axes locked.
FPV – follows movement on all three axes. Jog wheel now controls roll axis instead of zoom.
Lock – ignores movement through all three axes while trigger is held.
Active Plus – brings increased sensitivity and responsiveness to Auto, Follow, Pan Follow and FPV modes, by pressing and then quickly pressing again but this time holding the trigger.

The Insta360 app also contains tutorials, its own album and an impressively powerful editor, with predefined themes to make cutting clips together as painless as possible. You do also have the option to edit manually, if you prefer, with the ability to add music, effects and more, all provided in-app. Insta360 has clearly worked hard to build a robust production pipeline for its products, and the result is impressive, even if it comes with a learning curve.

There's also the matter of the Flow Pro's currently-unique party piece: Apple DockKit support. Provided you're OK leaving the depth of the Insta360 app behind, DockKit delivers native face tracking across approximately 200 apps, with a list that continues to grow all the time. It's a truly impressive bonus that grants extra utility to the Flow Pro over its competition; making it a great tool for everything from video conferencing via Zoom, to motion-tracked footage while recording via the BlackMagic Camera app.

Insta360 Flow Pro review app screenshots — *The Insta360 app is feature-packed* (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

As is stands, DockKit tracking is only available when capturing video, which means you can't use it to frame a time-delayed photo, for example, but for the first of its kind, this new support means the Flow Pro is suddenly far more competent outside of its native app than any of its respective competitors.

To clarify, DockKit is an Apple-owned technology, meaning Android phones are left out in the cold when it comes to the same third-party support (and remain confined to the Insta360 app which, admittedly, isn't much of a hardship). Provided you have an iPhone 12 or newer – running iOS 17 or newer, you should be good to go for DockKit.

Pairing for DockKit support takes place by a new integrated NFC tag, right above the gimbal's main controls. When tapping your iPhone to it for the first time, you see an AirPods-like card pop up to initiate pairing, after which point the gimbal will forever whir into action when it's switched on while you're in a DockKit-supported app; a truly snappy and seamless setup which Android has no direct comparison for.

Insta360 Flow Pro review USB-C — (Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

Beyond its fundamental function as a three-axis smartphone gimbal, even when powered off, the Flow Pro's design also means you're carrying around a selfie stick and a tripod too, not to mention the keen-eyed amongst you who spotted the gimbal's pair of USB-C ports; one near the physical controls, used for power in (i.e. charging the gimbal), and one hidden underneath the shorter tilt axis arm of the Flow Pro.

This second port is actually a power-out, meant to keep accessories like the aforementioned Insta360 Spotlight shining. However, it also allows for power bank-like functionality, meaning your phone can keep itself topped up from the Pro's 2,900mAh internal battery, be it as a means to extend shooting time, or simply for those times when you need to recharge your phone after a long day.

Features score: 5 / 5

Insta360 Flow Pro review: Performance

2,900mAh 10-hour battery
Control ergonomics could be better
Control over tracking experience within DockKit remains limited

Besides the learning curve demanded by the multi-functional hardware controls, the Flow Pro's improved range of motion, compared to its predecessor and whisper-quiet brushless motors – on top of the Swiss Army Knife of additional functionality it already offers – render it an incredibly competent option, if you're in the market for a smartphone gimbal, right now.

Despite the cited two-hour reduction in battery longevity versus the original Flow, it took three days of real-world usage to see the battery percentage drop down below 75% charge, during my time with it, meaning most will find the Flow Pro's battery life wholly reliable on shoot days. Fast charging to storm past the current two-hour full recharge time would be one area of improvement Insta360 should consider going forward, but rivals are generally slower, while also falling short on use-time per charge.

There are also promised features that suggest the Flow Pro is actually going to continue to improve over time, with iOS' Cinematic Mode reportedly set to work with the Apple's DockKit protocol by the time iOS 18 rolls around.

Its ergonomics aren't perfect, with Hohem's iSteady V3 letting you pull the controls out of the gimbal completely for more comfortable and remote operation, while DJI managed to include rotation speed control within the OM 6's joystick (speed for the effect of the Flow Pro's joystick can only be altered in the Insta360 app).

As the video above highlights, the stability provided by the Flow Pro is a clear step-up from even the best iPhone's in-camera stabilization system, however, it doesn't iron the bounce of regular footfall completely. So, as numerous experienced gimbal users have suggested already, considered physicality to optimize the smoothness of final footage is still recommended (Google 'gimbal ninja walk' for more insight on this).

The test footage also highlights Insta360's Deep Track 3.0 technology, which does a stirling job of keeping tabs on people, pets or objects as set up, but is more likely to throw in the towel when tracking conditions become less than ideal, when shooting handheld (if tracking was lost while I used the gimbal freehand, rather than on a stable surface, object tracking would disable itself after losing the target for mere seconds, while it proved far more tenacious when set down on.

Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Should you buy the Insta360 Flow Pro?

Buy it if...

You want the best gimbal for iPhone
The Insta360's first-to-market position as a gimbal with DockKit support grants it far more utility for iPhone users than its competitors.

You like to travel light
As well as acing its duties as a smartphone gimbal, the Insta360 Flow Pro's ability to double as a selfie stick, tripod and power bank, while also neatly collapsing down making it a perfect companion for travelers who want to up their shooting game.

Don't buy it if...

You want the best ergonomics
If you're looking for a gimbal to accompany you on long shoot days, the short handle and awkward touch controls mean this Flow Pro is far from the most comfortable gimbal out there.

You want the best gimbal for Android
While the Flow Pro is positioned as one of the best-placed gimbals for iPhone users right now, functionality for Android users is more in-line with the original Insta360 Flow and many other rival gimbals.

Insta360 Flow Pro review: Also consider

While it's easy to see the benefits of the Insta360 Flow Pro, there are identifiable shortcomings that rivals below address in one area or another.

How I tested the Insta360 Flow Pro

Insta360 Flow Pro review tripod mounted — (Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

Review test period: three weeks
Tested with: iPhone 15 Pro, Google Pixel 7 Pro, Insta360 app + various iOS apps w/ camera support
Test conditions: Carried the Insta360 Flow Pro around with me and used it to shoot the test footage featured in this review, as well as additional unfeatured footage, plus use in apps like Facebook Messenger

Having picked the Insta360 Flow Pro up from TechRadar's offices, I immediately set about familiarizing myself with the hardware, how it collapses down and deploys, how the additional accessories Insta360 had sent as part of the review functioned (and how they differed from the in-box contents) and then started to film with it.

It took a decent amount of time to become au fait with the button combinations needed to quickly move to the modes and setup I typically preferred, but once learnt, it made from an impressively quick way to jump to elevated smartphone videography, quickly.

As well as filming when out and about, with the evidently strong battery longevity, I used the Flow Pro as an elaborate a desktop phone holder, using its DockKit talents to upgrade video calls with colleagues and friends, while also using it as a power bank when I couldn't find my phone charger on a couple of occasions.

As a reviewer with 13 years experience, and having reviewed numerous smartphones, alongside camera-centric smartphone accessories, I felt confident assessing and scoring the Insta360 Flow Pro in the context of the wider smartphone gimbal market in which it competes.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed August 2024

iPhone 16 Plus review – Fulfills your big screen affordable dreams

12:28 am | September 11, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets iPhone Phones | Comments: Off

Hands-on iPhone 16 Plus review: Two-minute preview

Apple iPhone 16 Plus — (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

If you were to stumble upon an iPhone 16 Plus from the front, looking directly at the screen, I'd hedge that you might think it's the 15 Plus or even the 14 Plus. It sticks with being the big-screen iPhone that doesn't cost an arm or leg, offers fast performance, and has two excellent cameras.

When you flip it over, though, or examine the left or right sides, the story begins to change. That's what I did when I first saw the iPhone 16 Plus in the hands-on area shortly after Apple's "It's Glowtime." event concluded.

It's still a large 6.7-inch iPhone with a vibrant OLED display and the Dynamic Island at the top for cool Live Activities and unlocking with Face ID. But turning it to see the left-hand side reveals the Action Button, which I like to think is the iPhone's superpower of sorts. You can set it for whatever you like through a Shortcut – albeit with some work – or pick from several presets like a flashlight or setting a timer. You can also change the preset based on the device's orientation.

Even though the arrival is exciting, it's not an entirely new feature. Action Button premiered on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in 2023. However, just like the iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, and even the iPhone 16, the new "Camera Control" is here.

By definition, it's not really a regular button, though it is recessed and can be pressed in. It's a slightly recessed piece of sapphire glass that you can press in, light press, or even swipe on.

When the iPhone is locked, you can click it in to open the camera, and another press lets you snap a shot. A swipe to the left or right enables you to zoom in or out, and a slight press-in lets you play around with camera options. It takes a little bit to get the hang of, but no doubt it's one of the most exciting parts of the new iPhone 16 Plus, and it's really awesome that Apple is including this on the standards and the Pros from the start.

Thanks to the A18 chip inside, the iPhone 16 Plus will also have plenty of power to handle this new form of input and snap photos with the new 48-megapixel main and 12-megapixel ultrawide lens. It's also plenty powerful to handle the forthcoming Apple Intelligence features – the very first of which should begin to arrive next month – and all of the new iOS 18 features like customizations. If you enjoy gaming on the iPhone, A18 means that the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus can tackle AAA titles and even support hardware-accelerated ray tracing.

Apple is still promising all-day battery life for the iPhone 16 Plus, and considering how well the 15 Plus performed, it's safe to say we have high hopes.

I did save the best for the last, though, and that is color. The iPhone 16 Plus, like the iPhone 16, has one of the best color palettes in recent memory. I especially like the 16 Plus in either Ultra Marine (kind of a mix of blues, but don't call it blue) or Pink, though you can also get it in Teal, Black, or White. The colorful ones are, well, colorful, but all of these pop in a way that really delights.

The iPhone 16 Plus is still the big-screen iPhone for the masses, and considering the addition of the Camera Control and Action Button, it's more Pro than ever before – a sentiment I echoed in my iPhone 16 hands-on as well. It also means that if you can live without a 120Hz screen or a telephoto lens, the 16 Plus is set to deliver a big value.

Wondering how much? Well, so am I, and we'll need to test it further to deliver that answer.

Hands-on iPhone 16 Plus review: Price and availability

Starts at $899 / £899 / AU$1,599
Pre-orders open on September 13, and shipping begins on September 20

The iPhone 16 Plus was announced at Apple's 'It's Glowtime.' event on Monday, September 9. iPhone 16 preorders will begin on Friday, September 9, and the new phone will hit store shelves on Friday, September 20.

The iPhone 16 Plus starts at $899 / £899 / AU$1,599 for the model with 128GB of storage, which is the same launch price as the iPhone 15 Plus. Full iPhone 16 Plus pricing can be found below.

Hands-on iPhone 16 Plus review: Specs

Below, you'll find a roundup of the iPhone 16 Plus' key specs.

iPhone 16 Pro review – The first Pro gets its full zoom and a new button to use it

8:05 am | September 10, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets iPhone Phones | Comments: Off

Hands-on iPhone 16 Pro review: Two-minute preview

Running from the Apple Keynote to the expansive demo room right behind it, I was confronted by long tables of new products, including iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max phones on pedestals (as they should be), and hoards of excited media and analysts who crowded so tightly around the products that I could scarcely get close enough to sniff them.

Lucky for me, many Apple representatives were milling about who would almost surreptitiously remove the gleaming handsets from their pockets and then just as casually walk you through features.

That was how I finally got close to the iPhone 16 Pro, a now 6.3-inch iOS 18 device that is slightly larger than the iPhone 15 Pro while offering noticeably more screen real estate. Apple managed this trick by shrinking the bezel so it's just a thin dark line surrounding the Super Retina XDR display. Apparently, Apple figured out how to reroute some of the screen traces from the edges to underneath the display, which made the razor-thin bezel possible.

As they handed me the phone, I noticed its Black Titanium body felt just as solid and smooth as before. It felt familiar because the design was largely unchanged from the last iPhone. The one noticeable and significant difference is the new Camera Control. This tactile/haptic combo button, which adorns the full iPhone 16 lineup, is kind of the star of the new iPhone show.

Stuffed full of technology, the button lives below the power button and is used initially to open the camera app. A lighter press activates the haptic response access controls, and a double press accesses a deeper set of camera controls.

After that, you can swipe up and down on the bottom to select different photography features. After a quick training, I could use it to access the different lenses, set exposure, and change the depth of field. There's a visual cue on the screen to help you keep track of all the touch, tap, and gesture-based camera changes.

Eventually, virtually any app that uses the camera could access the Camera Control button. Snapchat is already doing so.

This button might just change how you use your iPhone, and I think people will like it.

Apple iPhone 16 Pro HANDS ON — (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

There is another big and significant change in the iPhone 16 Pro. Again, it has parity on the zoom front with its big brother, the now 6.9-inch iPhone 16 Pro Max.

While the iPhone 15 Po offered just a 3x optical zoom, the iPhone 16 Pro has the same 5x tetra prism zoom as the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Other camera changes include a 48MP ultra-wide and a faster shutter speed on the 48MP main camera. I saw some of these photographic skills in action when I took a few sample photos, but I didn't gather enough evidence to draw any useful conclusions.

Demos I saw elsewhere of the 4K 120fps show some impressive video skills. I have yet to see or try out the Cinematic Slo-Mo, but it looks like a great tool for pro videographers.

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Hands on — (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

The new A18 Pro CPU powers the iPhone 16 Pro, a mobile processor with more power than most consumers need, but I suspect pro users will appreciate it. It'll also support all those promised Apple Intelligence features. The news here, though, is that the iPhone 16 Pro will not ship with Apple Intelligence. Apple has promised to ship an iOS 18 update next month that will support it.

The good news is that I did see some Apple Intelligence features in action. Photo Cleanup works smoothly to identify photographic detritus and expertly remove it with a tap or erase gesture.

Writing tools are hidden but appear to have a lot of depth and are ready to not just clean up your writing but almost do your writing for you...if that's your thing.

Siri got a literal glow-up and now turns on the entire iPhone 16 Pro screen when activated. It was hard to use her in the crowded room but I do love the look of it.

While I didn't spend a lot of time with the phone, the initial operation appeared snappy. A18 Pro has all the power you need for virtually any task and more. Console-level gaming is now a thing on the iPhone. Even at 6.3 inches, the screen might be a bit small for some AAA games, but it can certainly handle the action. Part of that is due to the new heat management system that makes the iPhone more efficient for longer at peak operation.

I think it'll be a challenge to over-tax this smartphone.

Even with all that power and new AI features, Apple said during the keynote that we should expect longer battery life, and by longer, I mean you might be able to measure it in hours. That's an exciting prospect.

It's a shame that this iPhone 16 Pro will start with half the storage of the iPhone 16 Pro Max: 128GB vs. 256GG. 128GB is nothing to sneeze at, but if you're shooting a lot of 4K video, you might wish for that extra 128GB.

A better and bigger screen, improved cameras, including 5x zoom, that new Camera Control button, and so much power could make this one of the best iPhones Apple has ever made. Will it be the best smartphone? That's a question I can't answer until I test it.

Hands-on iPhone 16 Pro review: Price and availability

Starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,849
Pre-orders open on September 13, and the phone ships from September 20

The iPhone 16 Pro was announced at Apple's 'It's Glowtime' event on Monday, September 9. iPhone 16 preorders will begin on Friday, September 9, and the new phone will hit store shelves on Friday, September 20.

The iPhone 16 Pro starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,799 for the model with 128GB of storage, with storage options rising to 1TB. For reference, that's the same starting price as the iPhone 15 Pro.

Full iPhone 16 Pro pricing is as follows:

Hands-on iPhone 16 Pro review: Specs

Below, you'll find a roundup of the iPhone 16 Pro's key specs.

iPhone 16 review: New buttons, new colors, new processor, more pro

6:05 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets iPhone Phones | Comments: Off

Hands-on iPhone 16 review: Two-minute preview

Apple iPhone 16 in Pink and Ultra Marine — (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Apple's iPhone 16 is officially official, and returning are fun, vibrant colors, a redesigned camera bump on the rear, and a slew of new buttons. I'm on the ground in Cupertino, CA, and as Tim Cook closed out the "It's Glowtime." keynote, I dashed out of the Steve Jobs Theater and headed straight towards the iPhone 16.

First, the colors are fantastic and best described simply as fun, at least for most shades. Ultra Marine (a mix of blues, but don't call it blue), Pink, and Teal all come together to freshen up the iPhone palette and look delightful. I think Pro users will be a little upset with the vibrant shades here, though. You could say Black and White here resembles the more neutral shades that the Pros get.

Regardless of shade, it's most prominent on the back and is also the canvas for the redesigned main camera bump that sits vertically. It contains a 48-megapixel primary lens and a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens, and the new orientation will allow this iPhone to capture spatial video for playback on the Vision Pro.

Apple iPhone 16 Main Camera Module — (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

The physical changes live on the sides, though – the Action Button has trickled down to the standard iPhones and lives above the volume rocker. I see it as a welcome addition, and much like the new customization features of iOS 18, it is a customizable button on your iPhone. You can be like me and use it to unlock your car, play a specific version of "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen, make a custom Shortcut to trigger, or pick from presets like turning on the flashlight or opening up the camera.

Though, I don't know why you would set it to camera, considering the iPhone 16 has an all-new "Camera Control" button on the left. It's in the perfect position, as when you're holding the iPhone 16 horizontally, it's on the top right, which mirrors the design of nearly any camera. You can click it once to open the camera and again to take the shot, but it's a button filled with technology. You can swipe left or right to zoom in or out, and a slightly lighter press-in lets you jump between shooting modes and other effects. It's really cool, and I cannot wait to spend more time with it.

Apple iPhone 16 Camera Control — (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Aside from these changes, though, the iPhone 16 really resembles the iPhone 15 quite a bit. Thanks to an aluminum build, it still feels solid in the hand, but it won't weigh you down. To the untrained eye, the front is nearly all display, at 6.1 inches, and the OLED is still vibrant and crisp with details. It's still just 60Hz, so there is no buttery smooth refresh rate, but I imagine most folks will be split. If you have a phone with a 120Hz screen, it's best to steer clear, but if you haven't experienced it, I don't think you'll mind it all.

Plus, the Dynamic Island is on top, so you can use the Live Activities galore. During my brief hands-on time, the iPhone 16 felt snappy for opening applications, playing around with the new buttons, and even attempting a few games. There is also a new chip under the hood – yes, an entirely new one instead of Apple trickling the Pro's one down – and it's the Apple A18 chip, which can handle a lot. It will be plenty for daily tasks and will be ready to help you make the most of Apple Intelligence when those features arrive.

To address the proverbial elephant in the room, the iPhone 16 will come out of the box with iOS 18, meaning that no Apple Intelligence features will be available out of the box. The first of those features, Writing Tools and Photo Cleanup will arrive with iOS 18.1 in October.

That about sums up my first impressions of the iPhone 16 – it's a powerful smartphone that should be zippy with some extra buttons in a similar, familiar build. I suspect the experience will be a lot like the iPhone 15, but I'm also curious to see how it steps things up, especially compared to earlier iPhones. At the minimum, these are way more colorful, which is something to celebrate.

Apple iPhone 16 in Pink, Teal, and Ultra Marine — (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Hands-on iPhone 16 review: Price and availability

Starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399
Pre-orders open on September 13, and shipping begins on September 20

The iPhone 16 was announced at Apple's 'It's Glowtime' event on Monday, September 9. iPhone 16 preorders will begin on Friday, September 9, and the new phone will hit store shelves on Friday, September 20.

The iPhone 16 starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399 for the model with 128GB of storage, with that price rising to $899 / £899 / AU$1,599 for the model with 256GB of storage and $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,949 for the model with 512GB of storage.

Full iPhone 16 pricing can be found below.

Hands-on iPhone 16 review: Specs

Below, you'll find a roundup of the iPhone 16's key specs.

iPhone 16 Pro Max review – Small changes add up to an AI and Camera Control revolution

5:51 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets iPhone Phones | Tags: AI | Comments: Off

Hands-on iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Two-minute preview

At a glance, the iPhone 16 Pro Max doesn't look or feel much different from what preceded it, and perhaps that's to be expected. The competitive game of smartphones is now one of inches. The question is, can the small or even invisible changes add up to something big?

In the early going with the iPhone 16 Pro Max, I'd say the answer is yes.

Design-wise, it's a doppelganger for the iPhone 15 Pro Max...except it isn't. As soon as I held a sleek Titanium Black one, I was struck by the screen. It's still Super Retina XDR, but somehow, it seems much larger. Where the iPhone 15 Pro Max offered a 6.7-inch display, this one is 6.9 inches. That is Apple's largest iPhone display ever. Thankfully, Apple did not do this by simply making the whole device larger (it is a bit larger but more or less a wash-on weight difference). One way Apple gained so much visible screen real estate was by shrinking the black bezel surrounding it way down. I suspect that someday, that bezel will disappear altogether.

A bigger screen does make everything seem bigger, brighter, and better. But it's not just that.

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There is one other truly noticeable physical difference between the old and new iPhones. The iPhone 16 Pro Max (actually the whole line of iPhone 16 phones) has the new Camera Control.

This button is a bigger deal than I imagined, and I'm almost embarrassed to say that I already like it quite a bit.

Covered in sapphire, the roughly half-inch long button sits on the phone's left side a couple of inches down from the power/sleep/Siri button. It's recessed (which is important, and I'll explain why in a bit) and is both a physical button and a haptic one.

A hard press gives instant access to the iPhone 16 Pro Max camera. That's a nice trick, but, of course, you could program the Action Button to do so, too. However, when I pressed lightly on Camera Control, I felt a little haptic vibration and then could sweep up and down on the button to quickly switch between the phone's cameras. If I lightly pressed twice, I gained access to deeper image controls.

Using the Camera Control, however, was not initially obvious. I was pressing too hard and then not hard enough. It took me about 20 seconds to figure it out.

I could use Camera Control to switch zoom, depth of field, and image styles. Oh, and you're not blindly guessing which settings the Camera Control enables. Every time I used it, a little black cutout appeared on the screen right next to the button to show me every setting and control.

Yes, if you hold the phone in landscape mode, it begins to feel like you're using a traditional camera...with one caveat. The feature that would let me light press to lock focus and long press to shoot is not yet enabled. I can, though, always full press to complete taking a photo.

I even saw how Snapchat is already using Camera Control to control images simply and send photos to friends with the press of a button.

Camera Control seems like a slight misnomer. The button will also be used to enable Vision Intelligence, which lets you point the phone at an object and press the button to get a description. It's like Circle to Search without the circle or, I guess, Google.

As I noted above, the button is recessed, and I found that it's quite hard to trigger it accidentally. That's a good thing.

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The other big changes are in software and silicon. Inside the iPhone 16 Pro Max is the new A18 Pro. This is the apex Apple silicon mobile chip, a 3nm CPU that has more power for the Pro phones. It should also provide enough power to game to your heart's content. The iPhone 15 Pro Max was a pretty decent little gaming console, so I would expect no less from this bigger and better-equipped beast. I'll know more when I finally test the phone.

You won't need to play a game to experience this power, though. Like the A18 found in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, the A18 Pro has all the juice you need for the Apple Intelligence.

In my brief experience with the iPhone 16 Pro Max, this is not full-boat Apple Intelligence. When the iPhone ships next week, it won't have any Apple intelligence, but an iOS update should roll out next month and then Apple will slowly seed the rest of Apple Intelligence into these iOS 18-running iPhone 16 handsets over the coming months.

Here's what I did quickly try the demo iPhone 16 Pro Max phones running a later version of iOS 18:

I brought up some photos and navigated to the new Clean Up tool. I found photos that Apple had taken and some that others in the demo room added to the phone. In one, I used my finger to paint over offending objects and watched as they disappeared. I didn't make it easy for the phone, and sometimes there was only a partial deletion. When I used a canned photo with a distinct person in the background, Apple Intelligence Clean Up automatically found and highlighted them. I tapped the screen, and they disappeared. It was as if they were never there.

I tried the Writing tools, which I still think are sort of hidden, in Notes. There were many offers to change the text to be more professional, more concise, or a total rewrite. This is not a feature I am likely to use, but I suspect some will think it a godsend.

Siri has an all-new look, and she now makes the iPhone 16 Pro Max screen glow when you summon her. The effect is beautiful on the big-screen phone. It was a loud room, so Siri only caught part of my request. I think I asked for her to show me a photo of where I am, but she only heard "where I am" and quickly brought up my location.

While I took a few pictures, I can't offer anything definitive about the cameras. What I will say is that there is good news in this updated camera array. Now we have two 48MP cameras, one on the main Fusion camera and another on the new ultrawide. There's also still the 12MP 5x tetraprism lens. The main camera is reportedly faster than ever, with virtually no shutter lag. Between that and the updated image pipeline, I expect photography on this big phone to be better than ever.

I have not tried out the new Cinematic Slow Motion, which looks insanely cool, nor did I get a chance to try the studio-grade mics. I did see the latter in action and was impressed by how the In-frame setting could cut away any sound not coming from whatever was in the frame. I also thought the studio quality, which left in the background noises but emphasized the main subjects' sounds, was quite good.

The new 4k 120fps-capable camera looks like it will transform how people take dramatic videos. I like that there's a new speed control that will allow for easier stepping up and down of playback speed (half or quarter speed).

My takeaway from all these new photo and video tools is that this may be the ultimate pro videographer phone option. Apple, by the way, shot its entire Glowtime video presentation on an iPhone, and it's no wonder. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is a powerful device with some serious skills.

Apple is promising better battery life on all the iPhone 16 models, but the gains may be especially great on the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Its much larger battery, coupled with the efficient A18 Pro and more battery management, might add hours to the battery life, but I won't know for sure until I test it.

Finally, there's the look of this phone. As I mentioned above, I got to touch the Titanium Black. It is a gorgeous device, and I really can't understand why you would want any other color. But if you're so inclined, it's available in White, Natural, and new Desert Titanium (think sand but shinier).

Is this the best iPhone Apple has ever made? Possibly, It'll certainly claim a spot near the top of our best iPhone list and maybe even best smartphones. I'll offer my definitive take when I finish my full review.

Hands-on iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Price and availability

Starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,149
Pre-orders open on September 13, shipping from September 20

The iPhone 16 Pro Max was announced at Apple's 'It's Glowtime' event on Monday, September 9. iPhone 16 preorders will begin on Friday, September 9, and the new phone will hit store shelves on Friday, September 20.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,149 for the model with 256GB of storage, with that price rising to $1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,849 for the model with 1TB of storage. For context, those are the same starting and maximum prices as the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Full iPhone 16 Pro Max pricing is as follows:

Hands-on iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Specs

Below, you'll find a roundup of the iPhone 16 Pro Max's key specs.

Honor Magic V3 review: raising the foldable bar

4:00 pm | September 5, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Honor Phones Phones | Tags: Europe, Google Pixel, UK, US | Comments: Off

Honor Magic V3: two-minute review

Honor already offered the world’s slimmest folding phone with its impressively sleek Honor Magic V2, but rather than resting on its laurels, the brand is back with an even skinnier book-style foldable: the Honor Magic V3.

It's hard to overstate just how slim this phone is – the rear section barely has enough room for its USB-C port. You could easily mistake the Magic V3 for a non-foldable device, and plenty of candy bar phones are actually thicker than Honor’s latest foldable (indeed, the Magic V3 is almost as thin as the iPhone 15 Pro Max).

Of course, dimensions are only one part of the puzzle, and with premium pricing, you want performance to match. On that front, Honor has stuffed the latest and greatest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor into the Magic V3, along with 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and a sizable 5,150mAh battery.

The cameras look to impress, too, with large sensors, wide apertures, and high resolutions across the board. The amazing Studio Harcourt portrait effects that debuted on the Honor 200 Pro are also available on this phone. It's a serious contender for the best foldable camera phone.

Review image of the Honor Magic V3 — (Image credit: Future / Luke Baker)

Of course, in 2024, there's more competition than ever in the foldable space. Google, Samsung, OnePlus, and Vivo all offer very compelling options, but the Honor Magic V3 still has one of the most stacked spec sheets around, as well as wider availability than much of its Chinese competition.

However, it's not perfect. Despite having a large battery pack, the Magic V3's longevity failed to impress. It's serviceable, but even with all the extra milliamp hours, it doesn't seem to last any longer than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. On the flip side, it charges a lot quicker, which makes it easier to live with.

Then there's the software, which takes a very different approach to Android with many iOS-inspired choices. It definitely won't be for everyone, and multitasking could use some work, but there are a lot of cool features built-in, and I have grown quite fond of it.

On the whole, I've loved living with the Honor Magic V3. If you're keen on a big screen foldable, but find their typical size and weight off-putting, this is the device for you. It's a real feat of engineering that feels premium through and through.

Honor Magic V3 review: price and availability

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Costs £1,699
Available in the UK and Europe; no release for the US or Australia

Honor Magic V3 was originally launched in China on July 12, 2024, before being released globally at IFA 2024 on September 5. It's now available to pre-order in most regions across the world, but as usual, that list excludes the United States.

In the UK, it costs £1,699 and is available in Tundra Green, Velvet Black and Red color options. There's also a Snow (white) version with a unique textured rear panel, but that one's only available in China.

Honor Magic V3 review: specs

Here’s a look at the Honor Magic V3’s key specs:

Honor Magic V3 review: design

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The slimmest foldable so far
Velvety-feeling matte glass back
IPX8 water resistant

The most striking thing about the Honor Magic V3's design is how slim it is. The phone measures just 9.2mm thick when folded, which is almost 3mm slimmer than the Galaxy Z Fold 6 – Samsung's slimmest foldable to date. It's also one of the lightest large-format foldables around, tipping the scales at just 226g. For reference, that's a couple of grams lighter than Honor's own non-folding flagship, the Honor Magic 6 Pro.

Combine these dimensions with some smooth curved edges, and you have a device that feels impossibly thin. It's especially apparent when unfolded, as there's barely room for the USB-C port on the phone's 4.35mm frame.

Unlike some of the competition, the Magic V3's cover display has fairly typical smartphone dimensions, and this makes it feel very natural to use folded down. It's one of the only foldables that I’ve repeatedly mistaken for one of my non-folding phones; the dimensions are so similar that it's easy to get confused at a glance.

While the phone remains slim elsewhere, there's a very sizable centrally-placed camera bump on the rear. It effectively doubles the thickness of the phone in that specific area. However, it does so for good reason, as there are some serious sensors on this device.

The camera island is a circular number finished with black glass, and it has a smooth octagonal aluminum bezel around its perimeter. I'm a big fan of the positioning, as it gives me a nice shelf to rest more of my forefinger on when I'm holding the phone one-handed.

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The volume rocker and power button are placed on opposite sides of the phone when unfolded, and this means that they're staggered by a few millimeters when the phone is shut. It didn't bother me when I was using the cover display, but it takes some getting used to when it's unfolded, as most other foldables place these buttons on the same side. It's easy enough to adapt to, and if you're coming from the Honor Magic V2, you're all set, as they're in the exact same place.

The global version of the V3 comes in three color options, and I've had hands-on time with the black and green variants. Both of these versions have a similar velvety-feeling matte finish on the rear glass and dark gray metallic accents around the camera and frame. If you opt for the red model, you'll get a faux leather rear and golden accents; it's easily the flashiest of the bunch.

There's a very nice vegan leather case included in the box, and it comes in a matching hue. It's the kind of case you'd expect to pay a premium for; it feels luxurious, and it's well-designed. This case is more protective than most, too. There's a section that protects the hinge, a thick metal ring to keep the lenses safe and even an adhesive bumper to protect the front section.

The metal ring that surrounds the cameras can be folded out and doubles up as a kickstand; it's a very smart design. It's not always the most sturdy stand, depending on the angle you choose, but the subtlety makes up for it and it's certainly better than having no kickstand. I also found myself flicking it out and using it like a pop socket on occasion – I'm not sure if that's an intended use, but it works fairly well for one-handed use of the Magic V3’s main display.

Design score: 5 / 5

Honor Magic V3 review: display

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6.43-inch 120Hz OLED cover display
7.92-inch 120Hz foldable main display
5000-nit cover display, 1800-nit main display

If you're looking at foldable phones, then you obviously care about displays, and Honor aims to impress with both of the panels on the Magic V3.

On the outside, there's a 6.43-inch OLED display with a 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate and an ample 1060 x 2376 resolution. It's an extremely bright display, able to output up to 5000 nits at peak, and it's protected by Honor's super tough NanoCrystal 2.0 glass tech. I've been daily driving the Honor Magic 6 Pro for a while now, which has a similar coating, and I've been impressed by the lack of scratches despite using it without a protector. Hopefully, the Magic V3 fares just as well in the long term.

Honor reckons its glass is up to 40 times more impact-resistant than the glass on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. I didn't fancy whacking it with a hammer, though, so I'll just have to take the company’s word for it.

The glass has symmetrical, subtly curved edges on three sides, and slightly less of a curve on the hinge side. The curves are small enough to avoid creating distracting reflections, but they still make gesture controls feel super smooth; it's a great middle ground.

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Opening the device up, you're greeted with a spacious 7.92-inch foldable display and one of the shallowest creases I've seen on a phone like this. It's still present, of course, but it's miles ahead of the groove that runs through the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6’s display, and the far less glossy screen protector serves to hide it even more. This protector is supposedly tougher, too – Honor says it's up to five times more scratch-resistant than previous versions.

The foldable display also boasts a 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate and has a resolution of 2156 x 2344 pixels. It's not as bright as the outer display, maxing out at just 1800 nits, but I never had trouble seeing it, even outside on bright sunny days.

The only thing that I don't love about the main display on the Magic V3 is the positioning of the selfie camera cutout. It matches the outer screen and is centrally placed on the right-hand side of the display. This means that when you're watching letterboxed 16:9 content, the selfie camera will often cut into the image. I still prefer it over Samsung's distracting under-display unit, but I wish it was positioned in the corner, as on the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

Both screens look excellent in use with vibrant, accurate colors and smooth motion. Watching HDR content on Netflix and YouTube really lets the panels show what they're made of, with dazzling highlights and tons of shadow detail.

If you're concerned about eye health, Honor has arguably done more in this department than any other brand. For starters, this phone has some of the highest PWM dimming rates of any foldable phone, with 3840Hz supported on the inside and 4320Hz on the outside. Then, there are all the usual low blue light and adaptive brightness features, plus a brand new feature called AI Defocus Display.

To be completely honest, this feature is a little beyond my understanding, but it uses AI to simulate a myopic defocus lens. The goal is to reduce eye strain when using the display for long periods. As someone who stares at screens all day anyway, I didn't notice a huge difference, but it's probably a good thing in the long term.

Display score: 5 / 5

Honor Magic V3 review: cameras

50MP main (f/1.6)
50MP 3.5x telephoto (f/3.0)
40MP ultra-wide with PDAF (f/2.2)

As the chunky camera bump suggests, the Honor Magic V3 has some impressive imaging hardware on the inside. There's a 50MP main snapper with a wide f/1.6 aperture and a 1/1.56-inch sensor, a 50MP 3.5x telephoto, and a 40MP ultrawide with macro capabilities.

Each screen gets its own 20MP f/2.2 punch-hole selfie camera, but since this is a foldable phone, you can easily use the rear trio for selfie snaps as well.

The Honor Magic V3 produces poppy sharp images with vibrant colors and excellent dynamic range. It finds focus quickly, and just like the Magic 6 Pro, it's great at freezing motion for action shots in the daytime. At night, the phone continues to impress with its sharp visuals and wide dynamic range, but motion blur and noise become more of an issue, particularly when using the ultra-wide.

The main camera produces the cleanest shots, especially in the dark, but I found myself using the 3.5x telephoto just as much, if not more. It's roughly equivalent to a 90mm lens on a full-frame camera, and it's a great focal length for portraiture and street photography.

You can digitally zoom all the way up to 100x in the camera app, but you shouldn't, as your images will look like an AI-generated mess if you do. Having said that, I was pleasantly surprised by the results up to around 15-20x zoom, where you can capture very usable images.

The ultra-wide isn't quite as sharp as the other lenses, but it's a useful focal length for architecture, landscapes, and group shots. I was pleased to see that it has autofocus, as well as macro shooting capabilities, which makes it all the more useful – take notes, Samsung.

The selfie cameras are decent but unremarkable. You get an identical unit on both displays and they're great for video calls and casual snaps, but if you're looking to impress, it's well worth flipping the phone around and using one of the rear lenses.

That becomes even more true when you activate the new Studio Harcourt portrait mode, which only works on the rear lenses. This is a feature that was introduced with the Honor 200 Pro recently, and the results are just as impressive here. The big difference is that it's easy to use these effects for selfies, thanks to the folding form factor.

Honor has also added a new AI eraser to the suite of editing tools, so you can easily remove unwanted items or people from your photos. It's nothing groundbreaking, but it works well.

When it comes to video, you can shoot at up to 4K 60fps on every rear camera, and up to 4K 30fps on the selfie cameras. The stabilization is solid and the microphones sound decent but the videos are a little more contrasty than I'd like as standard. Thankfully, this is easily remedied by applying one of the built-in filters, and if you switch to Pro Video mode, you can even add your own LUT.

Camera score: 4 / 5

Honor Magic V3 camera samples

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Honor Magic V3 review: performance and software

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Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset
16GB RAM and 512GB storage
Magic OS 8.0, based on Android 14

The Honor Magic V3 is powered by Qualcomm’s top-performing chip in 2024, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, and it's paired with a generous 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.

Unsurprisingly, this results in zippy performance in all situations and it games like a champ, too. I put a few hours into my current favorite timesink, the graphically challenging Zenless Zone Zero, and it happily ran at max settings with very few frame drops.

After a while, the phone does get pretty hot to the touch, but that’s to be expected with such a powerful chip in a slim chassis. On the plus side, it never became concerningly warm, and performance didn't seem to take too much of a hit, either.

The Magic V3 runs the same software as Honor’s other recent devices, MagicOS 8.0. It's a heavily modified version of Android 14 that takes a lot of inspiration from iOS, and it's guaranteed to divide opinion.

I’ve spent a lot of time using Honor phones lately, and though it took a while to adapt, I have grown quite fond of MagicOS. I particularly like Honor's Dynamic Island clone, Magic Capsule, as it gives you quick access to timers and playback controls no matter what you have running in the foreground.

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Another standout feature is Magic Portal, which lets you drag images and text from one app to another, as a contextually aware menu pops up at the side of the display. I mainly use it to quickly reverse image search with Google and drag addresses into Google Maps, but it can do a lot more than that, as there are now over 150 apps that support Magic Portal.

Honor is continually adding more AI-powered features to Magic OS, too. It can now reduce background noise on your voice calls in both directions, live translate text and audio using Google's Cloud AI, and soon, it'll be able to detect deepfakes in video calls to protect you from scammers.

Since this is a large-screen foldable, multitasking is quite important, and I feel like Honor could have done more with the Magic V3. You get a quick-access taskbar, and you can split the display or use floating windows, but there's not a whole lot added compared to default Android options.

Comparatively, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a much more intuitive layout, while the OnePlus Open stands out with its awesome Open Canvas mode. The Magic V3 is perfectly capable of multitasking, but it could be so much better.

Performance & software score: 4 / 5

Honor Magic V3 review: battery

5,150mAh silicon-carbon battery
66W wired charging
50W wireless charging

The Honor Magic V3 uses silicon-carbon tech to cram a sizable 5,150 mAh battery into its tiny chassis, and it also uses AI-based battery enhancements to increase efficiency. These two factors gave me high hopes about this device's stamina, but the reality was slightly more underwhelming.

The phone never failed to make it to the end of the day, but it would often cut it fine. Generally speaking, I found the battery performance to be quite similar to that of the Galaxy Z Fold 6, with its comparatively small 4,400 mAh pack. In fairness, the majority of my testing was done on pre-release firmware; there's every chance battery life could improve as updates roll out.

Where this phone does have the edge, though, is with its charging speed. The Magic V3 charges at up to 66W with a wire or 50W using Honor's Wireless SuperCharger. Yep, that's double the Galaxy Z Fold 6's wired charging speed without needing to plug in – impressive stuff.

I found I was able to go from flat to fully charged in under an hour, which makes keeping this device topped up very convenient. What's more, the 66W wall adapter comes included in the box, so you can enjoy the top speeds from day one. Nice work, Honor.

Battery score: 3 / 5

Should you buy the Honor Magic V3?

Buy it if...

You want the slimmest, lightest book-style foldable
Simply put, if you're looking for a skinny book-style foldable, they don't come slimmer than this. Plus, there's the fact that the Magic V3 is lighter than some of its non-folding competition. It's a big-screen delight without the usual drawbacks.

You don't want to compromise on cameras
Surprisingly, despite having such a slim frame, there's no compromise in the imaging department. An array of speedy cameras with relatively large sensors keeps you well-equipped for all kinds of photography.

You hate the crease
Of course, creases are inevitable with folding displays, but the Magic V3 has one of the shallowest and least noticeable creases of the current crop. It's easy to forget about, which is exactly what you want.

Don't buy it if...

You need ultra-long battery life
The Magic V3 may boast a relatively large capacity battery, but in practice, it's less impressive. It should still get you through the day, but it doesn't have the stamina of some rivals.

You want a vanilla Android experience
Magic OS 8.0 is a heavily modified Android skin that starts to resemble iOS more than stock Android. It's not a bad system, but it's certainly not for everyone.

Honor Magic V3 review: Also consider

The Honor Magic V3 is a powerful large-format foldable with speedy performance and impressive displays, but there's plenty to be said for its competition, too.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
If Honor's Magic OS 8.0 software sounds a bit too Apple-influenced for your tastes, then consider the antithesis, Google's Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which has the most Android-y Android software available. It also boasts a bigger main display and a fetching flat-sided design.

Read our Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold review

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
Samsung's latest foldable goes all in on AI features, and while Honor has some tricks of its own, it can't come close to matching Samsung's comprehensive suite of tools. You'll have to be OK with a smaller cover screen and a pretty significant screen crease, though.

Read our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review

How I tested the Honor Magic V3

Review test period: Two weeks
Testing included: everyday use including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
Tools used: Geekbench 6, 3DMark, GFXBench, native Android stats, included charger and Honor Wireless SuperCharge stand

I used the Honor Magic V3 as my main handset for around two weeks before reaching any conclusions. I used it exactly as I would use any other phone, taking lots of pictures, gaming, messaging, working, streaming video and navigating with Google Maps. It even accompanied me on an international flight.

I also compared my experience of playing graphically demanding games like Zenless Zone Zero, Genshin Impact, and PUBG Mobile to my experience with other Android foldables like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Vivo X Fold 3 Pro. To confirm my findings, I ran a suite of benchmarks on the handset including 3DMark, GFXbench and Geekbench to compare stats across models.

Battery performance was assessed based on my real-world usage and charging times were measured using the included wall adapter and cable. I also tested the wireless charging using Honor’s Wireless 100W SuperCharge stand.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2024

Fairphone 5 review: the premium eco-friendly smartphone

5:00 pm | August 26, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones | Tags: Google Pixel, US | Comments: Off

Fairphone 5 two-minute review

Android phone maker Fairphone has long enjoyed thriving in a niche it built for itself: its mobiles are second to none in terms of their eco-friendly credentials, with each and every model boasting sustainably sourced materials in their respective designs, upgrade-preventing longevity, and recyclable packaging.

The Fairphone 5 brings all that and more – perhaps too much more, given that it’s the brand’s most premium smartphone yet with a price tag that fits.

Released two years after the Fairphone 4 in 2021, this new Android phone continues Fairphone’s schedule of biennial device updates, though there was no Fairphone 4 Plus, so the brand’s usual trend wasn’t strictly followed.

All of Fairphone’s typical promises are back here in force: the fifth-gen mobile is easily repairable, with parts you can remove with a screwdriver and replace with equivalents bought via the brand’s store. The company is set to support the Fairphone 5 with at least five years of software updates, too, so you can keep using it for half a decade, at least. Plus, many of the parts used in the Fairphone 5's design are from renewable sources, or reused from recycled phones.

So, for the Fairphone 5 – more so than any other mobile on the market – you can rest assured that you’re picking the greenest option.

The Fairphone 5 in a hand — (Image credit: Future)

That’s important because, besides the eco credentials, the Fairphone 5 is like its predecessors in that it’s not very competitive for its price. You can spend the same amount on another Android phone and get better cameras, a more powerful processor, or a bigger screen. So, you do need to balance these factors when considering this device.

What’s new here, and slightly surprising, is that Fairphone is eschewing its previous design choices. Previous phones from the brand have typically had specs on par with low-end or mid-range rivals, but the Fairphone 5 is grasping up towards the top end – a move it partly, but not wholly, pulls off.

That’s best illustrated with the cameras, as the front-facing and both rear sensors each sport a 50MP resolution, and you can see clear improvements in the handset’s AI scene optimization too. But the latter goes much too far on one of the cameras, resulting in ultra-wide snaps that are a hideous mess.

Not all of Fairphone’s premium attempts are as mixed a bag: the screen has seen a significant spec improvement, making it wonderful to watch content on, while the chipset is also a lot more powerful than we've typically seen in previous Fairphone handsets; you can finally play games without taxing the hardware too much.

The improvements across the board are matched with a fairly significant price hike over the Fairphone 4, to shift the Fairphone 5 into the premium territory.

It feels as though Fairphone is trying to court a new audience with its latest mobile, one which typically picks the new iPhone or Samsung Galaxy and wants top-end phones. This may work out, though it means some fans of the brand, those with limited funding, might be left behind.

Fairphone 5 review: price and availability

The Fairphone 5 on the ground — (Image credit: Future)

Went on sale in the UK & Europe in September 2023
£649 (roughly $800 / AU$1,250) for 8GB RAM & 256GB storage
US availability is unlikely

The Fairphone 5 was announced at the end of August 2023 and released in September, roughly two years on from its predecessor. That follows Fairphone’s biennial cycle.

The handset costs £649 (roughly $800 / AU$1,250), which is a fair step up over the £499 (around $670, AU$930) entry price of the Fairphone 4, though that entry had a £569 (about $770, AU$1,060) equivalent with a more comparable 8GB RAM capacity and 256GB storage (this mobile received a price cut when the 5 was announced). Either way, you’re paying more for this phone than for its predecessor.

That price hike puts the Fairphone 5 much closer to – but not quite on par with – the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S23 and iPhone 15. It lives in a no-man’s land between premium and mid-range mobiles, a category that doesn’t see as many entries as it should. As a result, this feels like a cost-saver’s alternative to the current batch of premium smartphones.

There's no word on a US or Australian release date, but the Fairphone 4 was released in the US two years after it came out in Europe, so there is a chance that its successor could repeat that approach.

Value score: 3.5 / 5

Fairphone 5 review: Specs

The Fairphone 5 provides some spec increases over its predecessor, for a mixed bag of mid-range and premium features.

Fairphone 5 review: design

Repairable and moddable design
Made from sustainable and recycled materials
Fairly chunky in the hand

Fairphone is harking back to the noughties with the design of its newest phone. The Fairphone 5 unit that we tested has a see-through back, so you can peer into the inner workings of the device (well, to its battery mainly, but that’s still something!). To my judgemental eyes, this isn’t quite as attractive a look as the olive green of the Fairphone 4 we previously tested, but luckily there are black and blue versions of the phone on sale too.

It’s fair to give Fairphone devices quite a lot of leeway when it comes to design, and that’s because they’re doing something quite different. The Fairphone 5 has a modular design that lets you remove and replace broken components, and it’s really simple to do, whether or not you’re an expert engineer. Plus, you can remove the back of the phone and battery with your hand (remember when all smartphones let you do that?).

This is a rugged phone too, one that’ll survive tough bumps or drops. It has a MIL-810H durability rating – that’s a military-grade standard, so you know it’s solid – and the phone also has IP55 certification against splashes and dust ingress. So, don’t take it for a dive, but this handset will survive all of life’s unexpected accidents otherwise.

I say all this to acknowledge the justification behind some of my issues with the phone’s design.

The Fairphone 5 is big and heavy, perhaps big and heavy enough to put off users with smaller hands. Measuring 161.6 x 75.8 x 9.6mm, and weighing 212g, this handset is surprisingly hefty, and we can imagine that some might not like the way it feels in the hand.

The phone has a USB-C port – no 3.5mm headphone jack, as Fairphone is one of the many brands to drop this – and on its right edge, it has two volume keys as well as a power button embedded in a fingerprint scanner. The sensor for this scanner is hair-pullingly unreliable, mind, and I often found myself rubbing my thumb on it as though it was a magic lamp about to grant me a wish.

Design score: 4 / 5

Fairphone 5 review: display

The Fairphone 5 leaning on a tree stump. — (Image credit: Future)

6.46-inch Full HD+ display
Bright and vibrant screen
Big upgrade over the predecessor

The Fairphone 5 has a 6.46-inch display, so you’ve got more screen real estate than the 6.3 inches of the Fairphone 4, but that size increase is just one of the many improvements.

The display is OLED now, with Fairphone having ditched LCD, and it also has a higher refresh rate at 90Hz. There’s a maximum brightness of 880nits and a higher resolution of 1224 x 2700 too.

All of these changes combine to ensure that the Fairphone 5 is great for watching shows, scrolling through social media and playing games; with a noticeably better viewing experience across the board than its predecessors.

The display is broken up by a ‘punch-hole’ cut-out for the front camera, with Fairphone finally moving into the future and ditching the notch, and while this doesn’t really provide much of a user experience benefit (on this or any other phone!), it does give the Fairphone 5 a more modern look.

Display score: 4 / 5

Fairphone 5 review: software

Stock Android 13 is nice and clean
Five years of software upgrades
8-10 years of security updates

If you’re a fan of clean software, then you’ll like the Fairphone 5. Like the best Pixel phones and Nokia phones, Fairphone’s mobiles use near-stock Android, just as Google intended.

The handset runs Android 13, and the main perks of this most recent version of Android is a remodeled Google Wallet (for all your payments) and improved connectivity with Android tablets. Plus, you’re getting the nice clean look of stock Android with little bloatware, smart circular icons and a handy app drawer.

While many phone makers pledge two or three years' worth of software updates to their new devices, Fairphone wants to make sure you keep using your Fairphone 5 for as long as possible, so it’s bumping that figure up. It’s pledged to update the Fairphone 5 for at least five generations of updates (so, until Android 18 at least) and, between eight and ten years worth of security updates.

So, if you’re the kind of user who really likes to have the newest build of Android, the Fairphone will be perfect for you.

Software score: 4 / 5

Fairphone 5 review: cameras

50MP main + 50MP ultra-wide
50MP front-facer
Noticeable AI processing improvements, but some issues

One upgrade the Fairphone 5 brings over its fourth-gen predecessor comes in the camera department: the two rear cameras are now both 50MP (over 48MP) and the front camera is also 50MP (over 25MP).

An upgrade was needed, as the Fairphone 4’s weak camera performance was one of our main gripes with it. And the fifth-gen model really is an upgrade – as long as you steer clear of one of the three cameras.

Pictures taken on the 50MP f/1.9 main camera don’t quite compare with snaps you’ll take on the best camera phones, but they look decent for the price, and you've likely got the AI processing to thank for this.

The Fairphone 4 didn’t have much to offer in the scene optimization department, but that’s different here. Pictures look rich, vibrant and appealing, and the camera offers sufficient detail too.

By default, snaps are taken at a 12.5MP resolution, but you can bump that up to 50MP if you'd prefer. That’s the case for all the cameras, though we’re not sure you’ll want to do so for the ultra-wide…

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A Fairphone 5 camera sample — A 1x zoom picture - swipe along to see how this looks as an ultra-wide (Image credit: Future)

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The Fairphone 5’s secondary camera is a 50MP f/2.2 snapper with a 121-degree field of view, and it’s absolutely horrendous for photography. I could – and will – explain why, but checking out the camera samples above will show all.

Many of the ultra-wide pictures taken featured startling amounts of over-smoothing, with significant detail lost in a way that plasters over textures; not to mention, lots of grain in darker (and sometimes even lighter) parts of images.

I took pictures in Starfield’s photo mode that looked more realistic than these photos. It’s possible that these issues are from the Fairphone 5’s AI optimization being a little overzealous, an issue which could be fixed with software updates, but at the time of my testing… well, you can see the results for yourself.

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Luckily this isn’t an issue on the front-facing camera; selfies look detailed and reasonably bright. One interesting quirk is that, if you switch to portrait mode, the camera zooms in to 2x – you’ll need to stretch your arm in order to frame your snap well. Portrait shots had impressive depth perception, so the bokeh background blur was accurate, though some of our selfies were a little desaturated compared to non-Portrait alternatives.

Video recording goes up to 4K at 30fps or 1080p at 60fps, and thanks to having the same sensor resolution, the front camera lets you record in 4K too.

There’s a fairly limited selection of other modes on the phone: slow-mo video recording, night mode, pro mode and panorama. No time-lapse, then – a surprising omission, given how commonplace this option is with many other smartphone cameras.

Fairphone 5 camera samples

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Camera score: 3 / 5

Fairphone 5 review: performance and audio

Qualcomm QCM6490 is fit for purpose...
... but no powerhouse for gaming
Stereo speakers but no 3.5mm headphone jack

Fairphone mobiles have never been performance powerhouses, but the Fairphone 5 does at least have a good enough processor to handle light gaming and similarly intensive processes.

The mobile packs the blandly-named Qualcomm QCM6490, a chipset that hasn’t been used on a smartphone before – it’s not one of Qualcomm’s mobile-first offerings, and is actually intended for IoT devices, rather than smartphones.

So, we turn to Geekbench 5 to evaluate the chip: the average multi-core score was 2940, which is on par with a top-end phone from yesteryear (read: 2020) or a mid-range phone nowadays.

When I put the Fairphone 5 through my ‘gaming tests’ (i.e. hours of gaming), it mostly performed well – there was the occasional stutter or lag, but it didn’t have much of an effect on performance. The handset isn't perfect for gaming, but it’ll do.

Unlike its predecessor, there’s only one variant of the phone: it has 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. There is, however, also a microSD card slot to expand that storage, so you don’t need to worry if you're ever running low on space.

The phone has stereo speaker output, though the down-firing one is noticeably louder than its earpiece equivalent. This performs how you expect for a smartphone speaker: fine for gaming or streaming, though missing the soundstage of an actual loudspeaker, and getting tinny at higher volumes.

Performance score: 3 / 5

Fairphone 5 review: battery life

Fairphone devices always seem to have limited battery life on paper, yet they often outperform those figures in practice, and that’s the case here.

You’ll find a 4,200mAh power pack inside the Fairphone 5, which is smaller than the 5,000mAh unit that every new phone and its mother seems to be equipped with these days (though that's nothing to turn your nose up at). However, between the battery-efficient software, small screen and sprinkling of Fairphone magic, the handset does fare better than you'd expect.

In the testing period, the phone generally lasted through a day of ‘standard’ use (i.e. how a non-phone-tester uses their device). If you're an intensive user, you might struggle to get the device to hit the 24-hour mark, but given the chipset, the Fairphone isn't really a phone for that kind of user anyway.

If you're struggling with battery, a lunchtime boost will suffice to see you through to that second evening. It'll have to be left on charge for the entirety of your lunchtime, because the Fairphone 5's recharge speeds aren't exactly rapid. At 30W, there’s technically been a speed boost here over the 20W fourth-gen mobile, but it’s still a far cry from the fast charging you'll find on the latest phones from Xiaomi or Oppo. You’ll have to plug the device in for over an hour to go from empty to full.

Battery score: 3.5 / 5

Should you buy the Fairphone 5?

Buy it if...

You care about the planet
The eco-friendly credentials of Fairphone and its devices make the Fairphone 5 the device to buy if you consider yourself an eco-warrior.

You want a long-lasting phone
Between its durable build, five years of security updates and the fact you can remove and replace parts of the phone, the Fairphone will serve you for years.

A good screen is important
One of the biggest improvements over the Fairphone 4 is the 5's display; it's higher-res, bolder and quicker to refresh than its predecessor.

Don't buy it if...

You're on a budget
Because of its spec upgrades, the Fairphone 5 isn't as affordably priced as its predecessors, which may put off people who want a green yet low-cost handset.

You don't use facial recognition
The Fairphone's fingerprint scanner is fiddly and annoying to use. However, if you use facial recognition unlocking (or a PIN or password) you'll be fine.

The Fairphone 4's specs are okay for you
The Fairphone 4 saw a price drop when its successor was announced, and it has similarly impressive environmental credentials to the Fairphone 5.

Fairphone 5 review: Also consider

The Fairphone 5 is hard to compare to rivals, because of its unique niche, but here are some other mobiles you might want to consider.

Fairphone 4
The Fairphone 5's predecessor is slightly weaker in most areas specs-wise, but it's just as good for the environment and is cheaper too.

Google Pixel 7
At a similar price to the Fairphone 5, the Google Pixel 7 is slightly smaller and doesn't impress in the battery department, but it has a fantastic camera.

How I tested the Fairphone 5

Review test period = 2 weeks
Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback

I've used several Fairphone mobiles before and really respect what the company is doing, so I was excited to test this newest phone. I was given the transparent version in its only configuration: 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage. I was also sent the official Fairphone screwdriver, which you can use to remove its parts.

For two weeks I used the phone as my normal driver: I played games on it, took photos with it, texted from it, and so on. Y'know, everything you do every day on your phone!

I worked on TechRadar's phones team for several years and so have lots of experience using smartphones of all shapes and sizes. I conducted the site's review of the phone's predecessor and also spoke to Fairphone about its development. Since leaving TechRadar, I've continued writing freelance reviews of gadgets for the site.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2023

Sony Xperia 1 VI review: an old-school flagship that demands some compromise

5:00 pm | August 25, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones Sony Xperia Phones | Tags: AI, Sony Xperia | Comments: Off

Sony Xperia 1 VI two-minute review

The Sony Xperia 1 VI is Sony’s top Android phone, and it will seem pretty familiar to existing Sony fans. Even with a significant change to the screen aspect ratio versus the Sony Xperia 1 V, using the Xperia 1 VI feels like meeting an old friend.

A lot of the typical Sony strengths and weaknesses are here too. The Sony Xperia 1 VI’s key charm is in the way it rejects several contemporary smartphone trends. It has a headphone jack. It has expandable memory. It doesn’t have a camera cutout in the screen, and Sony hasn’t cut down battery capacity just to make the Xperia 1 VI marginally thinner.

These will all seem smart moves to a good chunk of the phone-buying audience out for something a little different. And you still get high-end camera hardware, a top-tier chip, good speakers, and an eye-catching screen — just about all the usual elements expected of a pricey Android phone.

The Sony Xperia 1 VI does cost a packet, though, and arguably isn’t hugely competitive considering some of the slightly less advanced parts.

These include slower-than-ideal fast charging, camera processing that still lags a little behind the best for dynamic range optimization and night-time image processing. I also found the rear disappointingly prone to visible scratches, despite the use of high-end toughened glass.

A big part of the appeal here is the handful of features that Sony’s Xperia 1 VI shares with much lower-end phones. There’s still a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a microSD slot built into the SIM tray. These are not expensive features to implement, but are vanishingly rare in phones of this level.

The Sony Xperia 1 VI is a lovely phone, but you had better buy into its specific style for the outlay to be worthwhile.

Sony Xperia 1 VI review: price and availability

Costs £1,299 / AU$1,899
No US availability
512GB storage version available in some territories

The Sony Xperia 1 VI is priced just like its predecessor. But unlike the Sony Xperia 1 V, this phone is not slated for release in the US.

In the UK you’ll pay £1,299, and AU$1,899 in Australia. That gets you a 12GB RAM and 256GB storage configuration. There’s also a 512GB storage version available in some territories. But with a microSD slot onboard, seeking one of these out or paying more for the additional storage may not be all that appealing.

The phone was announced in mid-May 2024, with general availability in June 2024.

Sony Xperia 1 VI review: specs

Here's the Sony Xperia 1 VI spec sheet in full:

Sony Xperia 1 VI review: design

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Classic boxy Sony design
Excellent water resistance rating
Scratch-prone rear panel

Samey or confident? The Sony Xperia 1 VI has a design much like the phone before it. This look — a no-nonsense block — has been Sony’s house style since 2012.

Changes therefore come in some of the finer points. The Sony Xperia 1 VI has an embossed, textured glass back, and it comes in red, silver and black, as well as the subdued green seen here. It's more of an ordinary shape too, as Sony’s ultra-long 21:9 screen has been traded for a more standard 19.5:9 aspect ratio.

As usual, Sony makes use of high-grade materials on the Xperia 1 VI. The front and rear glass is Gorilla Glass Victus (Vitus 2 for the front). Unfortunately, the treatment on the rear panel doesn’t seem to be nearly as resilient as the glass itself.

On the first day of use, I managed to put a series of scratches on the back. These stand out because, it would appear, they make the matt finish more shiny. And since then more have appeared.

I didn’t go to the beach or throw the phone around. The Sony Xperia 1 VI just seems unusually susceptible to damage, at least in this particular finish. And I’ve not had many complaints to level at matt glass phones before, even ones whose ruggedization sounds a lot worse on paper.

Other ruggedisation cred here is good, though. The Xperia 1 VI is rated at the IP68 and IP65 standards, meaning it can be submerged in water at a depth of up to 1.5 meters, and can withstand low-pressure water jets; you just need to make sure the SIM tray and its rubber gasket are properly in place.

This is a mid-size phone, but it feels a little larger than its screen size might suggest thanks to its blocky shape, and the way the lack of a camera punch-hole extends the upper-screen border a bit. There’s a combi fingerprint reader/power button on the side rather than an in-screen one and, just like the last generation, it’s not the fastest around to unlock the Xperia 1 VI, being a touch more leisurely than some.

Design score: 3 / 5

Sony Xperia 1 VI review: display

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High maximum brightness
Lower resolution than the last generation
More ordinary shape than before

We tech reviewers like it when a product gets you more, for less money. But less for more money? You might be in trouble.

Sony once became famous for putting 4K screens in its high-end phones. The Sony Xperia 1 VI takes the opposite road. It has an elongated 1080p screen, one with a much lower pixel density than its predecessor.

The key question: does it matter? At this size, pixelation isn’t obvious even in small fonts. And thanks to what appears to be careful anti-aliasing, you notice it more as a slight softness when looking close up. I’ll level with you: I didn’t notice until a week into testing when I started looking at this phone’s vital statistics.

However, it’s one reason to drop the Sony Xperia 1 VI down a tier if you’re considering a bunch of these super-expensive phones.

It's otherwise strong, though. The Sony Xperia 1 VI is super-bright, and seems to reach its high brightness mode when outdoors more swiftly than some.

With launch software, it reached 720 nits in ordinary conditions, which increased to around 800 nits after an update. The screen can go brighter when it’s particularly light outside. I could only get my tester tool to register 920 nits (full field white), but others have measured as high as 1,300 nits. Either way, clarity outdoors is great.

This is also a screen made to save power. It’s a 120Hz refresh display, but in its default mode, it drops right down to 15Hz when displaying static content. Sony says it can actually go down to 1Hz, but I’ve only seen it cycle between 15Hz and 120Hz. You can also set it to cycle between 60Hz and 15Hz instead. But after switching, the loss of motion clarity is quite striking.

Display score: 4 / 5

Sony Xperia 1 VI review: cameras

Excels at shooting subjects very near and very far
Excellent shot-to-shot shooting speed
Night image quality and dynamic range optimization could be improved

The Sony Xperia 1 VI has three rear cameras, with an array not dissimilar to that of the last generation. There’s a standard camera, a dedicated zoom and an ultra-wide.

It’s not all business as usual, though. Previous iterations had multiple camera apps. It was intended to provide both a standard phone experience and one closer to the feeling of using Sony’s Alpha-series mirrorless cameras.

This approach had as much a cluttering effect as anything else. There’s now one key camera app, and it has a Pro mode inside that provides the manual control of the older models. But the one useful “pro” videographer app is apparently making a return at some point in the Xperia 1 VI, according to Sony. To accompany that style, the phone also has a physical shutter button that, just like a “real” camera’s, can be depressed halfway to focus without capturing an image.

The range of the optical zoom camera has changed too, from 3.5x-5.2x to 3.5x-7.1x. This camera even has “telephoto macro” shooting, which simply means the zoom camera’s lens is capable of focusing incredibly close-up for a camera of this type.

It is unnervingly effective, capable of “seeing” the subpixels on a MacBook Air’s display — the red, white and blue components of an LCD’s pixel that make white when shining out concurrently. Those are some serious macro photography chops.

This zoom camera is a blast to use all-round. It’s great for gigs, particularly if there’s a good amount of light or you’re shooting at a festival during the day. There’s a real pro feel to the way the Xperia 1 VI just lets you shoot away at full speed, because it lets the images sit in a queue for processing when there's a spare moment rather than slowing shooting down.

You can tell there’s a drop in lens sharpness at the max zoom. And low-light shooting isn’t amazing. But the sheer shooting flexibility it puts at your fingers is creatively freeing. The Sony Xperia 1 VI is some of the most fun I’ve had with a camera all year. That the zoom also works so well super-close too, only adds to the charm of this little lens and sensor combo.

The main camera’s primary strengths are its charming color reproduction and general decent-looking processing of detail up close. While there’s some evidence of a sharpening technique at work, the overall impression is of a camera happy to appear a little softer and more natural than over-processed and painterly.

The ultra-wide camera isn’t quite as strong. But like all the best ultra-wides in expensive phones, you can switch to it and expect roughly the same character and comparable image quality you’d see from the primary camera. Aside from at night, where the drop in native sensitivity is more obvious.

There are some weaker elements, though. The Sony Xperia 1 VI is more susceptible to overexposure than rivals from Samsung, Xiaomi, and Huawei, for example. This won’t usually be giant parts of the image, just smaller areas a more advanced HDR engine could pick up on.

The Sony Xperia 1 VI is also far from the best in low light. It’s probably the worst contender at the price for simple auto-mode shooting. Sure, the processing brightens images up dramatically and there’s a respectable level of detail. But photos don’t have the level of detail in shadows as seen elsewhere.

Video quality is good but, again, you lose some of the spotlight-pulling features of rivals. You can’t shoot at 8K, which isn’t hugely useful for most folks anyway.

You can, however, shoot at up to 4K, 120 frames per second with all three rear cameras. The telephoto macro mode supports video too, again at up to 4K at 120 frames per second.

The front camera has a 12MP sensor too, and it can produce detailed-looking selfies in reasonable lighting. This selfie camera is nothing revolutionary, but it’s solid.

Camera score: 4 / 5

Sony Xperia 1 VI camera samples

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Sony Xperia 1 VI: software

Avoids the current AI obsession
Potentially useful creativity apps
Fairly normal interface

The Sony Xperia 1 VI runs Android 14 and has a largely inoffensive, not too invasive, custom interface layer grafted on top.

My first reaction to the phone was its app menu wasn't that good-looking; I thought the text looked a little too bolded and inelegant. The Sony Xperia 1 VI provides a decent amount of customization as to how these elements appear, though. You can alter object scaling and font size independently, and some may prefer the Dark mode, which uses lighter text upon a dark background.

Sony’s approach to apps hasn’t changed much this generation either. At a time when Google and Samsung are obsessed with AI, Sony’s angle is still to reference the other parts of Sony as a whole.

Music Pro is a nod to Sony Music. This is a multi-track recorder app, a tiny DAW (digital audio workstation) where other phones might just have the equivalent of a dictaphone.

External Monitor lets the Sony Xperia 1 VI act as a monitor for one of Sony’s Alpha-series mirrorless cameras.

Video Creator is a mini editing suite that lets you edit and put together clips into a larger video project.

All of these are neat ideas, a cut above the low-effort bloat some phones are criticized for including. But they aren’t quite ingenious or developed enough to be considered serious reasons to buy an Xperia 1 VI over a competitor. You’ll find better, more complete-feeling alternatives on Google Play.

Software score: 3 / 5

Sony Xperia 1 VI review: performance

Significant throttling, which kicks in fast
Great peak performance
Loud and chunky-sounding speakers

The Sony Xperia 1 VI has one of the most powerful chipsets around in 2024, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. It beats Apple’s A17 Pro, used in the iPhone 15 Pro, in a lot of tests, and has notably excellent graphics performance.

As you’d expect, then, the Sony Xperia 1 VI feels excellent in use. It’s responsive and fast, and games run great. Titles like Fortnite sing on the phone, as it only can with a true high-end chip.

The Sony Xperia 1 VI also avoids the overheating issues earlier models in this family were subject to. However, a little stress test reveals why.

This phone throttles its performance almost immediately when under strain. 3DMark’s test bench shows a drop in benchmark scores from the first run (which takes a minute), where other rivals will often wait for significant heat to build up before dropping power, if they do so at all.

The Sony Xperia 1 VI settles at 58% of its peak performance, which isn’t great. It’s not as bad as some of the sub-50% results I saw in some of the earliest Snapdragon 8-series phones, mind.

It’s good for gaming, then, but for a phone that’s been partially labeled as a “gaming phone”, you’d hope for high performance that can be sustained for longer.

The Sony Xperia 1 VI’s speakers are an unmitigated hit. They are a stereo pair that get loud and have real meat to their mid-range. I listen to podcasts all the time on my phone, and the robustness of speakers’ voices compared to the last phone I used, the Infinix Note 40 Pro, was truly eye-opening.

Performance score: 3 / 5

Sony Xperia 1 VI review: battery life

Good battery life, but only light users will see “two-day” use
Slow “fast” charging
Supports relatively slow wireless charging

The Sony Xperia 1 VI has a 5,000mAh battery. It’s an ordinary size for bigger phones in general, but larger than that of plenty of thinness-obsessed flagships.

There’s bad news too, though. As usual for Sony, the Xperia 1 VI does not include a charger. Its charging rate is also pretty poor for 2024, at just 30W. According to my power meter, tested with several different high-power adapters, it only reaches a power draw of 27.5W too.

Even Samsung, which has been slow to adopt higher-power fast charging, offers a 45W standard. As such, Sony only claims the Xperia 1 VI meets the old fast-charging standard of 50% in 30 minutes. And it meets that, sort of, reaching 49% at the 30-minute mark.

It takes 86 minutes to reach 100% and continues receiving power at a lower rate for a while after that. 50% in 30 minutes doesn’t feel like rapid charging anymore — not for this money, anyway.

Real-world stamina is good, and getting a full day of use is no issue. I don’t find this a two-day phone, though; not unless you barely use your Android. A phone with a screen this bright, with a powerful chip, is just capable of too much not to be able to hammer the battery at times. I find the Sony Xperia 10 phones last longer in real use, even if they are markedly worse phones otherwise.

Some will find the Xperia 1 VI lasts longer, though, and real-world stamina is clearly a highlight next to some of the direct competition.

The Sony Xperia 1 VI also supports wireless charging, but again the charging speed isn’t great, coming in at 15W.

Battery score: 3 / 5

Sony Xperia 1 VI review: value

Sony pitches the Xperia 1 VI at the same price as its predecessor, £1,299. It’s among the most expensive phones out there, and its slight deficiencies stand out markedly at the price.

The merely acceptable low-light performance, slow charging and moderate screen resolution are not the most comfortable match for a phone selling at this high a price.

Meanwhile, features like a 3.5mm headphone jack and microSD slot, which are somewhat defunct from many flagship phones, help claw back some value for the Xperia 1 VI but can’t make up for the high price.

Value score: 3 / 5

Should you buy the Sony Xperia 1 VI?

Buy it if...

You want expandable memory
Sony goes against the grain by keeping expandable memory as an option even in its flagship phones. That’s always welcome, particularly if you want to avoid relying on Google’s cloud backup to keep your photos safe.

You want a headphone jack
Like its predecessors, the Sony Xperia 1 VI has a physical headphone jack, which has been a rarity in higher-end Android phones for almost half a decade at this point.

You want a long-lasting flagship phone
Some clever efficiency savings and a respectable-size battery deliver good battery life among flagships. The two-day use Sony claims will be a stretch for most, but it's not out of the realms of possibility for some.

Don't buy it if...

You want the best value flagship
The Xperia 1 VI costs a lot, and arguably doesn’t push the envelope in quite enough areas to be considered an entirely sound deal. You have to loosen your grip on the concept of value a little when spending this much regardless, but Sony asks for more faith than most.

You care about fast charging
While this phone gets to around 50% charge in 30 minutes as Sony claims, its charging rate feels interminably slow next to that of the flagships from Xiaomi, OnePlus, Honor and so on. Sub-30W charging at this price is not ideal.

You are particular about a hard-wearing finish
In theory, the Xperia 1 VI should be one of the toughest mainstream phones around. In practice, its finish is a little too easy to scratch causing irritating surface-level imperfections.

How I tested the Sony Xperia 1 VI

Review test period = 3 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 Sony Xperia 1 VI as my day-to-day phone for several weeks. During the review period, I took it to a couple of music day festivals, on a hike across the UK’s north downs, and out and about in London.

This real-world normal usage testing was accompanied by more technical benchmark testing, which included seeing how bright the screen could go in multiple environments, testing how powerful the chip is, and how its performance was affected by heat build-up.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2024

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review: Google’s AI gateway device

7:00 am | August 21, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Google Pixel Phones Phones | Tags: AI, Google Pixel, RAM | Comments: Off

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: Three-minute review

If you feel like new Pixel phones arrived sooner this year, you're right. Google's August Pixel hardware event gave us not a duo, but a quartet of new phones; starting at one end with the new baseline Pixel 9, and freshly topped with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

Into larger phones? Then the 'XL' nomenclature should tip you off as to where you might want to spend your money. This is the direct successor to last year's 6.7-inch Pixel 8 Pro.

It's the biggest (flat) Pixel yet and it sports a new design that marks a relatively significant shift in the series' aesthetic; the camera bar introduced with the Pixel 6 series is gone and instead we have the camera 'pill.'

The fit and finish have unquestionably been elevated, with the phone's polished frame adopting a much flatter form that's decidedly iPhone-like in its execution, and Google says new construction methods and material choices make it twice as durable as its predecessor.

In reality, the Pixel 9 Pro XL feels great, with the best build quality I've seen from Google to date; not to mention it looks superb, thanks to an updated Super Actua Display that boasts higher peak brightness than anything Apple or Samsung has to offer. The move to an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is welcome too, delivering on Google's promised speed improvement.

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The same seven-year commitment to OS and security updates helps the Pixel 9 series stand apart from rivals from Apple and Motorola. The phones' earlier-than-usual arrival in the calendar year means that this is the first generation of Pixel in a long time that doesn't debut with a new build of Android. It will benefit from the same future releases of Android as the Pixel 8 line, and likely no more.

Beyond the usual fare of a clean Pixel experience, AI is all Google is talking about. With an updated Gemini Nano model that is multi-modal and three times more capable running on-device, you'll find AI-generated features throughout the user experience.

Most notably, there are three new apps to play with: a new Weather app that's richer and more customizable, with AI-generated weather reports; a new Screenshots app that – as well as helping organize your captures – allows for semantic search; and Pixel Studio, which allows for on-device text-to-image generative AI that Google pitches as a new creative tool. Feel free to reconcile your feelings about using AI-generated imagery in your own time.

The cost of the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL also includes a year's access to Google One AI Premium with Gemini Advanced and its new Gemini Live feature. Gemini Live is a decidedly ChatGPT 4o-like conversational experience with Google's off-device AI. It works well for things like how-to guidance and recipe help, but still comes with limitations surrounding how it can actually action on-device tasks for you.

All the on-device AI experiences are powered by Google's new Tensor G4 SoC, paired with a new higher RAM ceiling of 16GB. Previous Pixels already felt fast in day-to-day use, but existing users will notice speed improvements for things like image processing and app load times; even if these gains are seemingly slight. Benchmarks only put the Tensor G4 about 10% ahead of the G3, in terms of CPU performance, with more noticeable graphical gains and, of course, NPU gains for AI tasks.

The other big aspect of any modern, AI-enhanced Pixel phone is the camera experience. The hardware looks, for the most part, similar to the Pixel 8 Pro, albeit with a much higher resolution selfie snapper and a tweaked ultrawide on the back. However, Google claims to have reworked its HDR+ pipeline end-to-end, meaning more true-to-life imagery.

In daylight, I had few complaints, and the Pixel 9 Pro delivers great detail and accurate colors and with dynamic range. Night Sight ensures low-light shooting is almost always rescued from unusable to usable, even if it can still be a little heavy-handed in its post-processing.

The expansion of that HDR+ pipeline to panoramas (paired with a new capture UI), means much better results, especially as Night Sight is now supported here too, although I do wonder whether this upgrade will simply manifest as a Feature Drop update for previous Pixel models in the near future.

Another Pixel 9 Pro exclusive is Video Boost, which can now scale 4K footage up to 8K and proves particularly useful when zooming up to the phone's 20x limit.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Pro side by side with screens on — Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

There's another side to the imaging experience on recent Pixels: Magic Editor. Beyond moving elements around in a shot or turning a blue sky to golden hour, the new Reimagine button lets you enter text to generate completely new elements in a shot. It's unquestionably fun and creative, but it also throws out any semblance of authenticity to shots you've captured yourself. Unlike Samsung, there's no AI watermarking going on with edited images, either.

Although that Tensor G4 chipset doesn't mark a huge leap forward in raw horsepower, it certainly has helped with power efficiency, with the Pixel 9 Pro XL serving up almost 70% more screen-on time compared to the Pixel 8 Pro.

The jump from 30W to 37W wired fast charging speeds is a small but welcome bump too, although it looks like you'll have to grab Google's 45W charger for the absolute quickest recharge times, based on my testing with similar chargers.

Perhaps the biggest benefit the Pixel 9 Pro line offers is that – beyond the XL's larger screen and physically bigger battery – there's no compromise across both sizes. If you're happy with the premium, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is the most unapologetic, bombastic Pixel experience you can have right now, outside of foldable land.

Even if the jump from the Pixel 8 Pro isn't as significant as I would have liked, and it feels like this is more a means for Google to cultivate new Gemini Advanced subscribers, I can't help but appreciate the Pixel 9 Pro XL for being greater than the sum of its parts. It may only be just enough of an upgrade, but it is enough.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review: Price and availability

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review back handheld — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Priced from $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,849
On sale from August 22, 2024
Pro Pixels now start above $/£1,000

While Google announced four phones at its August 2024 event, the standard Pixel 9 and the Pixel 9 Pro XL are the two that hit the market first, on August 22. Meanwhile, the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro Fold arrive on the scene September 4.

In the UK, you can pick up the Pixel 9 Pro XL directly from Google, with double the storage at no extra charge on purchases made before September 5. US buyers can nab $200 in-store credit if ordering before August 28, and Australian buyers can pick up a limited edition poster with purchases made before August 25 (tough break, Australia).

The addition of the new smaller Pro model this year (which starts at a similar launch price to the larger Pixel 8 Pro), helps Google justify its decision to render the Pixel 9 Pro XL the most expensive candy bar Pixel to date: it starts at $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,849. It's practically like for like, when compared to equivalent storage options of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, truly putting an end to the notion that the Pixels are the 'affordable' flagship option.

For the asking price, you also get a year's access to a Google One AI Premium (2TB) plan which, as well as granting access to Gemini Advanced (which leverages the Gemini Pro 1.5 model) and Gemini Live, includes more general Google benefits like Fitbit Premium access, Nest Aware, 10% back on Google Store purchases, and unlimited Magic Editor saves in Google Photos.

Value score: 4 / 5

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review: Specs

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review: Design

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review buttons angled — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

New Pixel aesthetic: the camera bar is dead
100% recycled aluminum frame
Improved build quality

A Pixel in iPhone font – that's the shorthand I keep coming back to with the new Pixel 9 series' design language. The size and feel of the XL's new squared aluminum frame immediately reminds me of Apple's current iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro Max in the hand. Does that polished metal attract fingerprints? Absolutely, but not anywhere near as badly as expected.

This new squared form, paired with the heaviest build of any candy bar Pixel yet (221 grams, the same as an iPhone 15 Pro Max), leads to a more premium look and feel overall. This is helped further by the Pixel 9 Pro XL's slimmer profile compared to the Pixel 8 Pro, and side by side with my wife's old Pixel 6 Pro, the jump in build quality is truly impressive.

One update I'm not sure I love quite so much is the loss of the camera bar, which is replaced in this generation with a camera 'pill' that protrudes out of the phone's rear panel at 90 degrees. It makes for a more bold and confident aesthetic, but it's not as quickly identifiable as the bar.

As well as the cosmetic changes, Google also claims that the Pixel 9 Pro XL's new mid-frame design, not to mention its 100%-recycled aluminum outer frame, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 front and rear panels, and IP68-certified protection against dust and water ingress, make the new phone twice as durable as its predecessor. In my time with the Pixel 9 Pro XL, by trying to keep it out of harm's way as much as possible, the finish has remained unscathed, but whether it'll age as gracefully as its titanium-clad competition from Apple and Samsung remains to be seen.

Both sizes of Pixel 9 Pro come in four colorways, with Obsidian pictured most prominently in this review. The Hazel finish most closely apes the iPhone 15 Pro's Natural Titanium look and the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Titanium Gray, while Porcelain and Rose Quartz offer decidedly more vivacious options.

Design score: 4.5 / 5

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review: Display

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review front handheld — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

6.8-inch Super Actua LTPO OLED
Improved HBM and peak brightness
New ultrasonic fingerprint sensor

The Pixel 8 Pro's Super Actua Display felt like a noteworthy upgrade from the panel on its predecessor and while not as earth-shattering an improvement this generation, the Pixel 9 Pro XL's screen is a great refinement, yet again.

Although it sports the same resolution as the Pixel 8 Pro's panel (technically not as sharp as the Pixel 9 Pro), both high brightness and peak brightness levels have been cranked up to 2,000 and 3,000nits, respectively, meeting or beating key rivals in a spec-for-spec comparison.

Add to that the panel's flat design, its thin, equally-proportioned bezels on all sides, and its excellent viewing angles, and the Pixel 9 Pro XL's Super Actua display is a thing to behold.

As before, the use of an LTPO OLED panel facilitates a dynamic refresh rate from 1 to 120Hz, making it ideal for always-on display functionality, thanks to the implied power saving benefits, while also still serving up a snappy user experience when swiping around the UI.

One of the more prominent changes you might not immediately notice is the fingerprint sensor. Instead of the optical module used since the Pixel 6 series, Google has gone the way of Samsung and instead kitted the Pixel 9 Pro XL's display with an ultrasonic sensor. I didn't notice a huge difference when making the switch from my Pixel 7 Pro, but in side by side comparison is lives up to the promise of a 2x speed improvement. Perhaps more useful is the greater reliability, especially with damp fingers or when used in the rain.

Display score: 4.5 / 5

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review: Software

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review Pixel Studio — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Seven years of OS & security updates
Launches with Android 14
Gemini AI is woven throughout the user experience

One side effect of this latest-generation Pixel launch happening earlier than usual is that the whole series runs Android 14. Typically, Google times the arrival of its latest smartphones to coincide with the release of the next Android, but the Pixel 9 debuts on the same Android 14 foundation as the Pixel 8.

At least the company's ever-impressive commitment to seven years of updates persists, meaning the phone's price tag includes excellent long-term support for both future releases of Android and subsequent security patches, an area where many rivals still fall short.

As a long-time Pixel user, the look and feel of Android on the Pixel 9 Pro XL is characteristically clean, easily navigable, pleasantly customizable (without being overwhelming), and dressed with helpful everyday features that aren't guaranteed on other phones.

That said, the Pixel 9 Pro XL does get some Pixel-exclusive additions that up the ante, all of which lean on Gemini AI.

There's a new dedicated Weather app that generates dynamic weather reports to make insights into each day's weather more digestible than ever. The ability to drag and drop the various in-app widgets for things like UV index, ten-day forecast, and air quality is a nice perk too.

Next up is the new Pixel Screenshots app, which seems like an odd addition at first, but for list-makers, students, and journalists (like yours truly), it offers surprising depth. You can add notes to individual screenshots and group them into Collections, too. The app can index screenshot content across text and images, making it searchable. This allows for semantic search and object recognition, as well as recognizing WiFi passwords and QR-code information.

Pixel Studio uses an on-device variant of Imagen 3's diffusion-based text-to-image generative AI, allowing you to create imagery seemingly from scratch. You can remix results using pre-defined style prompts, or sculpt a completely original prompt if you prefer.

At launch, Pixel Studio won't render people, but it's fine with objects and animals. It also managed to render legible text without much artifacting, a challenging test that I've seen other image generators fail. Right now, the application proves novel enough but there's scope for everything from messaging to graphic design work, depending on your feeling towards the use of AI-generated imagery.

Google Gemini

The price of the Pixel 9 Pro XL also includes a year's access to Gemini Advanced, meaning you can interact with its latest off-device model in Gemini 1.5 Pro and gain access to Gemini Live: Google's conversational AI experience.

My family tested it's abilities on a bean salad recipe – including suggestions on preparation and accompaniments – all without any obvious breaks in conversation or AI hallucinations. I also had it explain how to change various Gemini and Android settings, although its inability to take actions on many features feels like a missed opportunity, or at least an area that Google should focus on as its expands the assistant's functionality.

A couple of other sprinkles of AI magic on the Pixel 9 Pro XL include text-based summaries of YouTube videos that I didn't have time to watch and Zoom Enhance image upscaling (although results were mixed). I'm also intrigued by the Call Notes feature shown off at launch, that'll summarize phone calls, however, this wasn't ready during review.

The most obvious criticism of Gemini on the Pixel 9 Pro is that it feels consistently slower when asked to carry out the same tasks I would have previously asked of Google Assistant. The trade-off is much richer results and more insight, provided you trust the source data Gemini's pulling from.

Software score: 5 / 5

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review: Camera

50MP-led triple rear camera setup
New 42MP front-facing camera
New AI-supported features like Add Me and Reimagine

Nowhere is AI more prevalent across the Pixel 9 Pro XL's user experience than the camera. While it might have gone by 'machine learning' in the early days of the Pixel camera experience, AI-powered post-processing has been the secret sauce that has helped elevate the reputation of the Pixel cameras over the past four years, to the point where they regularly sit among the best camera phones.

As Google has focused its efforts on AI more directly, the proposition of a Pixel camera has changed somewhat, with capture and editing becoming two distinct facets of the experience.

If you're looking for a great all-round camera phone, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is right up there. A revised HDR+ pipeline puts into practice the company's learnings from previous entries, paired with new training data to create images with a more true-to-life appearance, better exposure, dynamic range, detail, contrast and color.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera samples

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample flowers 0.5x — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample flowers 1x — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

1x zoom

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample flowers 2x — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

2x zoom

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample flowers 5x — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample flowers 30x — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

30x zoom

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample garden 0.5x — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample garden 1x — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample garden 2x — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample garden 5x — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample garden 30x — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

30x zoom

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample succulent macro main — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Main sensor w/o macro

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample seagull 5x — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

5x zoom

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample moon manual — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Low light manual control

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample beach far — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Main sensor

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample beach macro — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Main sensor w/o macro

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Selfie

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Selfie w/ portrait mode

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample Add Me success — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Add Me final result

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample flower macro ultrawide — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Ultra-wide macro mode

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample flower macro main — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Main sensor w/o macro

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample selfie low light — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Low light selfie

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample selfie Night Sight — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Night Sight selfie

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample sky high contrast — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

High contrast comparison shot on Pixel 9 Pro XL

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample Pixel 7 Pro comparison sky high contrast — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

High contrast comparison shot on Pixel 7 Pro

There's a little inconsistency when shooting between the updated ultra-wide's macro mode and macro shots taken on the main 50MP wide sensor, for example, but results remain consistent in how appealing and usable they are. I'd have also liked a lighter hand with the default simulated bokeh when shooting portrait mode shots (something the likes of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra nails), but these are minor grievances and fixable on-device.

Night Sight continues to impress in low light, while support has now been expanded to include the oft-overlooked panorama mode. Led by a new UI that ensures you hold the phone still enough for each shot it stitches together, the results generated are far more impressive than anything capable by previous entries; delivering much better detail and color capture than ever before.

Video Boost is another Pro Pixel-exclusive feature worth shouting about, thanks to the addition of 8K upscaling on 4K footage, the results of which can be quite staggering; especially when zooming in on the phone's 20x magnification. Even if you don't see the need for 4K or 8K footage natively, the extra wiggle room those added pixels afford you makes the experience of creating and editing content far more flexible.

Add Me is a great new addition this generation that solves the problem of getting a group shot, when there's no wall to rest your camera on or passer-by to accost and entrust with taking a photo with you and your friends in. If, like me, you're serially the photographer of your friendship group, this could prove to be a game-changer.

There was certainly trial and error involved, but once we and the phone both understood the goal, results improved until we had a usable shot seemingly taken by a fourth unseen photographer who was never there.

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A successful Add Me shot

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample Add Me failure — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

A failed Add Me attempt

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample Add Me success part 1 — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Part 1 of the successful Add Me shot

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL camera sample Add Me success part 2 — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Part 2 of the successful Add Me shot

Even more so than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra's/ Galaxy Z Fold 6's Sketch to Image feature, the generative image tools on the Pixel 9 series unashamedly barge passed the line of authentic photography. At least personally, I'm fine with automated HDR bracketing and tone mapping, in order to produce a photo that's better than I could muster, even if I had full manual control. However, I start to feel uncomfortable with the idea of sharing images shot on the Pixel that have used the full might of the newly-enhanced Magic Editor.

The ability to change a blue sky to that of golden hour and remove unwanted people from the background were novelties that challenged my comfort level, but the new Reimagine feature within Magic Editor doesn't hold back in letting you endlessly rework a shot until it's something entirely different.

In one shot (above), I surrounded my friends and I with sunflowers and then added a scarecrow for good measure. The results don't hold up to close scrutiny, but like most AI-manipulated images, if you don't have prior context, you're less likely to question its authenticity.

A more subtle edit that really impressed/unnerved me was Reimagine's ability to change the ground on a pebbled beach into more ocean (below); creating a rippled mirror surface with an accurate reflection of the clouds in the sky above.

Your mileage with Magic Editor will vary, depending on how scrupulous you feel about using its image-doctoring abilities and whether or not you feel the need to contextualize the results when you share them.

Camera score: 4.5 / 5

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review: Performance

Debut of Google Tensor G4 SoC
New 16GB RAM ceiling
128GB to 1TB storage (non-expandable)

While the Pixel 9 Pro XL feels more than equipped for everything you throw at in right now, including high-fidelity mobile games, there's no getting around the fact that Tensor chips continue to lag behind Apple's iPhone chips and Qualcomm's top-tier Snapdragons in terms of raw processing and graphical grunt.

Whether it's a matter of the shorter turnaround between generations of Pixel, or the fact that it's not Google's focus, the new Tensor G4 chipset powering all of the Pixel 9 series doesn't pack that much more horsepower, even compared to the Tensor G3.

It's built on a similar 4nm process as the Tensor G3, but with new core architecture and one fewer high efficiency cores than its predecessor. The switch from an Immortalis to a Mali GPU means no more ray tracing, a small but notable loss for mobile gamers.

In testing, the Tensor G4 processor produced a 10% bump to CPU performance, a 15% graphical performance improvement and a 16% uptick in NPU performance over the last generation, however, the biggest gains look to be in power efficiency (more on that later).

As with its predecessor, the Pixel 9 Pro XL can be had in four storage variants, however, the 1TB ceiling appears to be a US exclusive, while other markets, including the UK and Australia, top out at 512GB. Its 16GB of RAM is a range-wide upgrade, likely driven by the phone's newfound AI capabilities, but spec-heads will note that Google isn't using the latest available standards of either LPDDR memory or UFS storage, compared to Samsung's Galaxy S24.

Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review: Battery

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review USB — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

5,060mAh battery
Improved 37W wired charging
Impressive 9.5 hours of screen-on time per charge

Google has propelled the Pixel 9 Pro XL from a one to a two-day phone. While Pixel batteries have gotten larger over the years, battery life has never really been a positive talking point for the line. Through presumed optimization led by the new Tensor G4, however, the Pixel 9 Pro XL serves up superb longevity by comparison; significantly longer than any previous Pixel we've tested.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL got 9.5 hours of screen-on time, which clocks in at around 65% longer than the 5.75 hours the Pixel 8 Pro was able to muster, despite packing a battery that's around 10mAh smaller (5,050mAh).

Google hasn't stopped there, with faster 37W charging, promising up to 70% charge in just 30 minutes. The company has introduced a new 45W Pixel charger to facilitate the 9 Pro XL's new top charging speed (which is faster than the smaller 9 Pro's 27W charging), however, this was unavailable during review. Instead, I tried Google's previous 30W wired charger – which pushed the Pixel 9 Pro XL to 55% charge in 30 minutes, while a 65W PD PPS charger got closer to Google's quoted speeds, with 65% charge in 30 minutes, and a full charge in 1 hour 20 minutes.

Battery score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL?

Buy it if...

You want the richest mobile AI experience
Samsung's Galaxy AI is great, but Google's execution with Gemini Advanced is easier, richer, and more fun to use.

You want an excellent camera phone
The Pixel 9 Pro XL's camera system is a small but appreciated upgrade on its predecessors, highlighted by a new bag of AI-supported tricks you can't get outside of the Pixel family.

You plan on using this phone for a long time
Still among the best there is, Google's commitment to seven years OS and security updates is, once again, hard to argue with.

Don't buy it if...

You want fast charging
Battery life is greatly improved but despite a bump in speed, the Pixel 9 Pro XL's 37W wired charging is still well behind what rivals like OnePlus and Xiaomi offer.

You want the best RAM and memory
While Samsung forges ahead, Google seems reluctant to move to the latest, fastest and most power efficient RAM and storage in its phones, which stings when they cost about the same.

You want to play a lot of games
Google's mobile silicon isn't built for gaming, and while the Tensor G4 handles intense games well, you'll get a much better experience with a recent iPhone or any flagship rival running the latest Snapdragon chipset.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review: Also consider

The Pixel 9 Pro XL is a superb large-screened Android phone with a great camera and decent battery life (finally), but its AI-heavy blend won't suit everyone.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
A sharper screen, faster charger, faster storage and memory, more horsepower and stylus input for good measure; not to mention the same impressive software commitment as the Pixel 9 Pro XL.

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
If you want much of what the Pixel 9 Pro XL has to offer but prefer a phone with more performance and gaming prowess, and less of a focus on AI, the latest and greatest iPhone is your best choice.

How I tested the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review back angled — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Review test period: one week
Testing included: everyday use including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
Tools used: Geekbench 6, Geekbench ML, Geekbench AI, GFXBench, 3D Mark, native Android stats, Google Pixel 30W USB-C charger, Samsung 65W trio charger

I received the Pixel 9 Pro XL sample directly from Google, the day after the August Pixel hardware event concluded and was testing it as my daily driver everyday since.

I kept track of battery usage each day and run several benchmarking apps for comparison to other devices, but otherwise used the phone as I would my own, in addition to taking time to test all of the key new features of the device.

As a reviewer with 13 years experience, and having reviewed numerous Pixels, not to mention mainlining a Pixel 7 Pro since its launch in late 2022, I felt confident assessing and scoring the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, both relative to other Pixels, and in the context of the wider smartphone market in which it competes.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed August 2024

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