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Xiaomi 14T Pro review: one small step for value, one giant leap for quality

5:20 pm | September 27, 2024

Xiaomi 14T Pro: two-minute review

The era of AI phones has well and truly arrived, and the Xiaomi 14T Pro proves that mid-range phones don't have to miss out on all the fun. As with previous generations of T Pro models, Xiaomi hasn't skimped on the hardware included in this latest edition, meaning the door is more open than ever for accessible, and affordable, AI exploration.

Unlike many of the latest phones, however, Xiaomi hasn't put all its focus into AI, and it's for the better. Straight out of the box, you can see some of the new thought that's gone into the 14T Pro's design, with the phone sporting a clean aluminum frame and what Xiaomi describes as a "3D curved back". These changes, partnered with a traditionally large (if now a tad less obvious) camera bump, give the 14T Pro a superbly premium feel and weightiness in the hand.

Get it loaded up and frankly, AI is the last thing you'll be thinking about. Xiaomi's HyperOS is smoother than ever, and the continued priority given to the phone's display and processing capabilities means you'd easily be fooled into thinking you're handling a much more pricey device than it is.

Xiaomi 14T Pro in Titan Gray on post in grass field — Xiaomi's new 14T Pro in Titan Grey features an improved design, with a glass back and color matched camera bump. (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

Xiaomi's ventures into AI are much more measured than we've seen from the likes of Google and Samsung, and, in fairness, what you're given here is a pretty good starting point if you're looking to AI-ify your day-to-day life. While Xiaomi has, of course, added Android-wide features such as Circle to Search and Gemini to the 14T Pro, it has taken positive, if potentially cautious, steps in its own direction in terms of what's offered uniquely on its devices. Rest assured, though, that the Xiaomi 14T Pro is a more than capable scalpal with which to enter the AI world.

Whether your focus is on AI or some of the other more necessary advancements Xiaomi has made in recent years – I'm looking at you, wireless charging – then you're unlikely to be disappointed with the Xiaomi 14T Pro. In fact, as ever, you'll likely find yourself seriously impressed with just how much can be packed into a device whose price tag doesn't even come close to those of its flagship competition.

Xiaomi does, however, continue to limit the markets in which it operates (by choice or otherwise), which does a disservice to the Xiaomi 14T Pro. Lacking availability in America leaves a market gap that the likes of Samsung or OnePlus can quite happily fill, and while the price of the 14T Pro is impressively cheap for a phone of this quality, there are plenty more premium options out there for, in some cases, only a fraction more money.

Xiaomi 14T Pro review: price and availability

Starts at £650 for 256GB and 12GB RAM
Unavailable in the US or Australia
No rise in price from the previous model

As a value proposition, the Xiaomi 14T Pro stands strong. No price rise from its predecessor, but a host of increase-worthy upgrades such as an aluminum alloy frame and wireless charging mean you're now getting even more bang for your buck than you'd once have expected, which is something we rarely see from mobile phone manufacturers nowadays.

Here's how much the Xiaomi 14T Pro costs in each of its available regions:

Despite being an extremely high-value phone, the 14T Pro's availability in other regions is frustratingly limited. Since Xiaomi's US presence became muted in the wake of the controversy surrounding Huawei, there's never been a direct route through which to buy a Xiaomi phone in the US. This alone is seriously annoying given how well the 14T Pro fares against similarly priced competition from the likes of OnePlus and Samsung. Maybe next time, US readers.

Value score: 4 / 5

Xiaomi 14T Pro review: specifications

The Xiaomi 14T Pro boasts some impressive specs given its price tag. Take a look at the full breakdown below:

Xiaomi 14T Pro review: design

Xiaomi 14T Pro in Titan Grey — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

New aluminum frame with 3D-curved back
Smaller camera bump than previous models
Some fingerprint issues

The Xiaomi 14T Pro takes a notable step up in terms of design versus its predecessor, but that doesn't make it flawless. Coming in three colors – Titan Grey, Titan Blue, and Titan Black – you'd almost expect the phone to be built from titanium, right? Well, despite pre-launch rumors hinting at such an upgrade, there is, in fact, no titanium on the Xiaomi 14T Pro, which, while disappointing, isn't necessarily a bad thing.

All three colors look positively premium, and with the aluminum alloy frame and 3D-curved back, the phone possesses a flagship-like feel in the hand, much like the Google Pixel 8, which isn't bad company to be in whatsoever. One thing I did find in testing, however, was that while the back of the phone is indeed lovely, it was an absolute fingerprint magnet. I mainly used the phone in the case that comes with it, but my Titan Gray test model became covered in fingerprints the moment it left that case, which is somewhat of an annoyance when frankly the phone is otherwise rather pleasing to the eye.

Xiaomi 14T Pro side angle view in a field — The camera bump on the Xiaomi 14T Pro has seen serious improvements versus the 13T Pro. (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

The biggest improvement in terms of design comes to the phone's camera bump. The best Xiaomi phones are known for their cameras, mainly due to the brand's partnership with Leica (which we'll come to later), but also due to the sheer size of their camera bumps. In reality, the Xiaomi 14T Pro is no different; the bump covers over 50% of the width of the phone and, by rough maths, over a third of the length, from its position in the top left of the back panel. Despite this, the bump is a huge upgrade from prior models, with this year's cameras not only protruding less far from the rear of the phone, but also being housed in a color-matched bump.

Gone are the days of a large, garish black block on the back of your device. Instead, you get a lovely, Lego brick-esque square in a color that matches your back panel seamlessly. What's more, the reduced depth and increased width of the bump means you experience very little wobble should you choose to use your phone without a bump-eliminating case or any case at all, which is a nice (if a tad niche) benefit.

Design score: 4 / 5

Xiaomi 14T Pro review: display

Xiaomi 14T Pro displaying TechRadar homepage on wooden surface — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

Bounds of brightness with viewing angles to match
Great responsiveness thanks to adaptive 144Hz capabilities

The 14T Pro continues the Xiaomi trend of putting superb displays on phones you wouldn't expect. The display resolution sits between FHD and QHD at 1220 x 2712 pixels, a resolution unique to Xiaomi, Xiaomi Redmi, and Xiaomi Poco devices.

It's near impossible to find fault with a display like this; CrystalRes AMOLED technology and adaptive refresh rates up to 144Hz meant, more often than not, I had a seriously smooth and vibrant experience. Whether gaming, streaming, or simply scrolling Instagram, the adaptability of the phone's display meant I rarely saw any choppiness that impacted my experience, and I mostly enjoyed 120Hz of seriously pleasant viewing. What's more, if you want to save battery, there's always the option to lock the display to a maximum of 60Hz. That is, if the app you are using doesn't automatically limit your refresh rate, should you choose to simply use the default refresh rate settings.

One limitation I found of the 14T Pro's unique display composition was the compensation some apps made to accommodate it. Most often this came in the form of black bars on either side of applications in landscape mode, which is a frustrating, but not fatal, flaw, especially if you're trying to see the full benefit of the now 93.3% screen-to-body ratio when streaming, for example.

Despite this, the display's 4,000 nit peak brightness and lack of glare make for a very consistent viewing experience at almost any angle. With phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, manufacturers boast about readability, but this seems to have gone especially under the radar with the Xiaomi 14T Pro, despite it being continuously impressive and something that day-to-day use benefits from tremendously during brighter days.

Display score: 4.5 / 5

Xiaomi 14T Pro review: software

Xiaomi 14T Pro on wooden surface — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

HyperOS with Android 14
Steady but well-thought-out steps into the world of AI

Every phone right now seems to be throwing all its eggs in the AI basket, but Xiaomi seems to be taking a more measured approach to its AI rollout. Despite this, there are still some fundamental qualms I have with Xiaomi's approach that tarnish the near-premium experience the rest of the phone provides. While the days of being greeted by tens of preinstalled apps on Xiaomi devices are long gone, it seems that Xiaomi isn't quite ready to give up on them entirely.

On loading up the phone, you're not only greeted by the array of on-device tools and features, which I'll get to in a second, but you're also met with apps such as AliExpress, TikTok, WPS Office, and LinkedIn. Plus, in the same app folder, you're bombarded with a host of recommended apps and games that aren't yet installed but could be downloaded from the Mi Store via a shortcut, which overall seems a tad messy and unnecessary in an otherwise impressively clean layout.

Pre-installed qualms aside, there's very little to take offense to about Xiaomi's HyperOS or the tools that come installed with the Xiaomi 14T Pro. Instead, this is where we start to see Xiaomi's slow and steady approach to introducing AI come into its own. First and foremost, your digital assistant comes preset to Google Gemini rather than Google Assistant, and, while it wasn't available during our review, Circle to Search will also be rolling out to these devices.

Xiaomi 14T Pro home screen on wooden surface — Xiaomi's HyperOS offers a superbly clean experience, including what it calls Super Wallpapers such as the Mars example above, which spins as you flick between pages. (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

Outside of what Google adds to the device, Xiaomi's app offerings have become evermore positive since the launch of HyperOS. The biggest benefactor for mobile users of the HyperOS upgrade was the Gallery, which not only saw a number of small feature improvements to improve efficiency and add easy access to auto-generated folders and media types, but also gave prominence to Xiaomi's Best Take feature, which can analyze multiple similar photos and tell you which of the shots is, you guessed it, the best.

The general theme of HyperOS was always to improve the interconnectivity of Xiaomi devices, which essentially boiled down to making everything look clean, work efficiently, and interact seamlessly with each other, no matter what device you were using. The downside of having the nicest user experience on Android, however, is that HyperOS hides some of its best features in the depths so as to not look overly messy – which is made more baffling by the array of apps you're shown on receiving the device.

One of the best examples of this is Xiaomi's AI Subtitles feature, which you can use to translate conversations either in-person using the microphone, or even to translate films and TV shows by configuring it to translate system audio. Pretty cool right? The issue is, to find this feature, which worked impressively well in testing, you need to go into the depths of the settings menu, apply for beta access (as it is yet to be fully released), and then add a shortcut to your home screen.

Xiaomi's control centre featuring on the Xiaomi 14T Pro — Xiaomi's Control Center was one of the biggest benefactors of HyperOS, gaining this new, clean layout with an array of customizable options. (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

Xiaomi is, however, remaining steady with its AI releases, and we're expecting AI Recorder and some AI Film features to arrive in the near future. One thing's for sure, though: this is the most polished HyperOS we've seen since launch and the Xiaomi 14T Pro is, arguably, the perfect example of this software given just how smoothly you can access everything, from settings in the updated Control Center to your favorite photos via improved image searching.

If the slow, steady, and simple approach does one thing very well for HyperOS and the Xiaomi 14T Pro in particular, it's the extent to which simplicity is combined with effectiveness throughout its apps and interfaces. Whether you're using the Control Center to control your music or the redesigned weather app to check the forecast, there is little to no excess in terms of what you're shown, and yet you can quickly access anything you might need. When partnered with the Xiaomi 14T Pro's hardware, this gives you a seriously impressive mobile experience.

Software score: 4 / 5

Xiaomi 14T Pro review: cameras

Xiaomi 14T Pro camera layout on grey phone — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

Leica partnership continues to impress with standard shooting
Some strange variations in light capture and vibrance

If there's one thing the Xiaomi 14T Pro is supposed to excel at, it's photography, but right now I'm constantly flitting between loving it and hating it. Since Xiaomi brought its Leica-partnered camera systems to its T series with the 13T and 13T Pro, it has probably set the bar for mid-range photography. With these latest phones, however, it seems to play jump-rope with this bar a little too much, with some features seriously pushing the mark, and some falling annoyingly beneath.

Take, for example, close-up photographs. There's no denying that the results I was able to achieve were extremely positive, especially when you consider that the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, aka the best camera phone from the brand, offers similar close-up performance. However, I often found myself resorting to standard camera modes rather than the usually more effective portrait mode to take the best shots, as I was having difficulty getting the right levels of focus and exposure otherwise. This isn't a major issue, but if one mode can get into focus in less than half the time that another can and produce equal – if not better – results, why wouldn't I use that?

Xiaomi's partnership with Leica brings into focus several features that supposedly enhance your shooting capabilities. The first of these you'll likely encounter is the shooting styles: Leica Authentic, and Leica Vibrant. Shooting with the 50MP wide lens is the best opportunity to see the variations in style in action, as the results can be starkly different. Something that became immediately apparent using the Xiaomi 14T Pro was that, whether you chose Authentic or Vibrant, you were guaranteed an immense amount of color. In either mode, shooting in wide made each color almost excessively saturated, with greens of grass making England seem much more beautiful than it was in reality, and, in fairness, making a much more visually appealing scene out of something that was otherwise rather grey. All in all, superb photos, but not necessarily the most honest to the colors in the scene.

Berries in field — In our tests, our best results came in close-quarters shooting scenarios, with impressive colours and crisp focus. (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

Something this color-frenzy does help with, however, is the 14T Pro's night photography. This was something that Xiaomi put immense focus on in the build-up to launch, and, with its AI processing systems helping along the way, is an element they've pulled off impressively. There's little to complain about on the night photography front: great colors, impressive light collection, and all-around enjoyable results.

If there's one thing that continues to irk me about Xiaomi's camera systems, it's the interface. Xiaomi continues to assume that you'll instantly understand everything about its cameras, and when I say everything, there's a lot! Take shooting video, for example. You have a standard video mode, and film mode. Within these, you've then got options for Xiaomi's Master Cinema mode, which is given zero explanation anywhere in the camera app itself and requires a Google to work out what it is, as well as options for functionalities such as Motion Tracking Focus and Steady Video. Other settings can also be found in the Camera settings area and the same goes for photos and other modes, too.

When you take into consideration the likely increase in AI functions coming to Xiaomi phones in the next few years, I hope this design gets a rethink. Some of Xiaomi's AI-related photo tools are already hidden in the icons menu of Gallery, and others are annoyingly poorly marked in the editor windows, which isn't an issue once you find everything, but it could take you a while to do just that.

The bottom line is this: Xiaomi's cameras continue to elevate what we expect from phones at this price. While, yes, there are definitely some areas that frustrate – most notably some strange instances of smoothing and occasional extreme amounts of light being pulled in – there's no denying that the results you get are often some of the most stunning among mid-range competitors. In the same way, although there are annoying limitations in terms of camera layout, there's no denying the Leica partnership has played a key role in driving overall quality forward. The 14T Pro, then, is a great all-round camera phone.

Cameras score: 4 / 5

Camera samples

Image 1 of 5

wide shot of a forest in a gloomy time of the day — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

Image 2 of 5

path among dark clouds — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

Image 3 of 5

A path winds between bushes and grasses of different vibrant greens — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

Image 4 of 5

Wide angle camera shot of a field of differing green and yellow grasses and bushes — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

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Close up shot of red flowers on a branch in a field of yellow long grasses — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

Xiaomi 14T Pro review: performance

Xiaomi 14 Pro playing Mortal Kombat at a desk — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

Dimensity 9300+ chipset benchmarks seriously well
Impressive performance in intense gaming scenarios, if a tad hot

As it doesn't come from Snapdragon or Apple, the Xiaomi 14T Pro's Dimensity 9300+ chipset could be easily overlooked, but, if our testing is anything to go by, there's a seriously impressive bit of kit powering this phone, and I struggled to find any scenarios that put this in any doubt.

In our benchmark testing, the Dimensity 9300+ scored only just under the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in single-core testing, and above the S24 Ultra in multi-core, so I wasn't joking when I said it could hold its own. Whether it's the focus on simplicity and efficiency behind HyperOS, sheer performing power, or, most likely, a combination of both, I struggled to create any scenario that caused a genuine performance impact, so you don't need to worry about killing the 14T Pro off with Chrome tabs or your daily Wordle.

The sheer amount of RAM available on the Xiaomi 14T Pro could also play a big part in these benchmark scores, with the device having up to 12GB physical LPDDR5X RAM onboard, plus the option to extend this by up to a further 12GB using the device's internal memory. For the majority of the testing period, I ran the 14T Pro with 6GB of Memory Extension as Xiaomi calls it, meaning it totaled 18GB of available RAM at any time with the model I was reviewing, but, in all honesty, that's probably as much as anyone would need, so having a further 6GB of extension available is just an added bonus.

In gaming scenarios, most notably with the likes of Call of Duty Mobile and Mortal Kombat, I saw very little in terms of performance drops or impact post-session, with the phone able to comfortably play these more graphically intense titles at maximum settings without impacting my ability to smoothly demolish my foes. One thing to note, however, is that the phone was playing games while running at between 38 and 40 degrees Celsius – or 100 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, if that's your preferred unit of measure. Not exceptionally hot, but hot enough that even with a case on you could tell there was some serious work happening under the hood. Either way, the lack of any performance drops no matter the circumstance puts the Xiaomi 14T Pro in strong company in terms of performance.

Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Xiaomi 14T Pro review: battery

Xiaomi 14T Pro 3D-curved back with logo

(Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

120W wired HyperCharge continues to impress
Wireless charging finally available with 50W wireless HyperCharge

For me, perhaps the best upgrade available on the Xiaomi 14T Pro is the arrival of wireless charging. What for many phones has seemed like a reasonably standard feature for several years now has long been missing from Xiaomi's mid-range phones, but now it has arrived with truly Xiaomi-worthy power capabilities.

With 50W wireless charging, the Xiaomi 14T Pro instantly puts the cat among the pigeons in terms of wireless capabilities across both Android and Apple devices. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, for example, only offers 15W wireless charging, also for a 5000mAh battery, so this is a serious step in the charging game for Xiaomi, whose flagship phones were, frankly, already among the best available from a charging perspective.

The Xiaomi 14T Pro continues to offer Xiaomi's 120W HyperCharge when wired, meaning you can get a full charge in around 20 minutes, though Xiaomi is yet to confirm any official charge times. Partner this with a 50W wireless charging alternative, and a 5000mAh battery, and you needn't worry about regularly charging the 14T Pro.

Regular day-to-day use saw me comfortably get multiple days' worth of runtime from the 14T Pro, while more intense use from gaming saw a battery drain of roughly 10% per hour, which, when you consider the strain of maximum graphics settings and online gameplay, is seriously impressive. Nice work, Xiaomi.

Battery score: 4.5 / 5

Should you buy the Xiaomi 14T Pro?

Buy if...

You love a beautiful display
While the resolution is a tad strange, there's no denying that the display on the Xiaomi 14T Pro is one of the most enjoyable to use for day-to-day mobile tasks, gaming, and, streaming.

You never want to worry about charging again
Xiaomi's offering of both 120W wired charging and 50W wireless charging on a phone with a 5,000mAh battery and some serious efficiency features means you'll never be left wanting for battery life.

You want serious gaming performance
In our tests, the Xiaomi 14T Pro handled even some of the most intense games with ease, and without completely wiping out your battery after one round.

Don't buy if...

You want an infinite array of AI capabilities
While a whole host of AI capabilities are available from Xiaomi, with more to come too, it's still behind some competitors in terms of the variety and amount of AI-oriented features available.

Xiaomi 14T Pro review: also consider

Honor Magic 6 Pro

A pricier but more premium alternative. The Honor Magic 6 Pro offers an equally, if not slightly more, premium experience in the same regions as the Xiaomi 14T Pro.

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE

If you don't quite fancy escaping the safety of Samsung in terms of Android, the newly released Samsung Galaxy S24 FE offers a toned down and affordable version of Samsung's flagship device that will be sure to suit.View Deal

How I tested the Xiaomi 14T Pro

I spent around 10 days with the Xiaomi 14T Pro prior to its launch, using the device as my day-to-day machine. During this time, I tested every feature, and was able to conduct benchmarking tests and more technical testing surrounding temperatures, refresh rates, and battery drains.

Day-to-day use of the phone saw me test features such as calling, texting, gaming, Android Auto, and playing music via Bluetooth-connected devices and the built-in speakers. I also performed work-based tasks like searching the web, and using Google tools such as Sheets, Docs, Drive, and Photos. Finally, I used the phone to take pictures, videos, and selfies, while editing these with both the in-built editing tools and Google's editing tools.

My CPU and GPU benchmarking tests were carried out using Geekbench, while temperature and refresh rate tests were conducted using the developer tools built into the Xiaomi 14T Pro. My battery tests were completed using a standardized process for all TechRadar phone reviews.

You can find out more about how we test devices such as the Xiaomi 14T Pro in our dedicated how we test guide.

First reviewed September 2024

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE review: AI doesn’t come cheap … until now

6:25 am |

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

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE: Two-minute preview

The Galaxy S24 FE is a phone that almost makes too much sense to get excited about. I spent a couple of hours with the phone in a hands-on look, and we have a sample being tested by one of our reviewers now, but I can already see how this will be a phone worth buying. I reviewed the Galaxy S23 FE, which was my favorite phone in this price range. The Galaxy S24 FE, while a bit more expensive, delivers even more.

It’s been years since Samsung’s ‘FE’ devices were sold as ‘Fan Edition’ phones, tablets, and now wearables, but it’s easy to see how Samsung fans get what they want for less money with the Galaxy S24 FE. The phone looks much like the Galaxy S24, though maybe a bit cheaper. The colors are more muted than I’d hoped, but the blue and teal look pleasantly bright and friendly.

Inside, you get a Samsung Exynos 2400 chipset, but don’t fret if you were hoping for a Snapdragon. This platform powers the Galaxy S24 in most of the world, just not in the US. It’s plenty potent for all of the new AI features that Samsung is loading onto the Galaxy S24 FE.

The Galaxy S24 FE costs $649 / £649 / AU $1,099 at launch, and there are surprisingly few good phones in that price range, at least not brand-new models. You can buy a Google Pixel 8 for that much, or maybe an iPhone 14, but those phones are a year and two years old, respectively. They won’t get all of the latest AI features, while Samsung is launching this phone specifically to bring AI to a lower price point.

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE phones in blue, mint, graphite and yellow — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

That works for me! Samsung’s AI is some of the most fun to use, and the company has so far avoided many of the problems and stumbles that other phone makers have faced. I’m happy to get Samsung AI photo editing, or Samsung’s generative writing tools, on a less-expensive Galaxy model. That’s better than waiting for the price to drop on an iPhone 16.

I could dive into the specs on this phone, but that would be missing the point. The specs are good. The specs are so good that if you want a bigger phone but can’t spend more on a Galaxy S24 Plus, you might consider the Galaxy S24 FE instead. With a 6.7-inch display, it’s a decidedly big phone this year, not middle-of-the-road.

The cameras look good on paper, but we’ll have to test them to be sure. At this price, you rarely see a 3X telephoto zoom lens, and Samsung gives you real zoom in addition to an ultrawide and a normal wide-angle main camera. That’s before we get to all the new AI camera mumbo-jumbo that Samsung has presumably added. I’ve used a lot of Samsung cameras; they are reliably good, especially when shooting specialty photos.

What makes this phone interesting? It’s a great value for its power and features, and it comes with the same promise of seven years of Android OS updates and security patches that you get with a Galaxy S24. That makes it a good investment for companies looking to equip a fleet with professional phones that are also easy on the eyes.

I also expect interesting deals and bundles with this phone. You might buy a Galaxy S24, or you could find a Galaxy S24 FE with a free Galaxy Watch FE, Galaxy Buds FE, or some other accessory FE. Or a Galaxy Ring … you get the point. The lower price will give carriers more room to make bundle offers, and Samsung gear is more fun when it works together.

We’ll have a full review of the Galaxy S24 FE soon, and we’re making sure it lives up to its promise and my enthusiasm. We’ll be sure to compare this phone against the best Samsung phones and all the best bargain phones you can buy.

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE: Price and availability

Starts at Starts at $649 / £649 / AU $1,099 for 128GB of storage
Available up to 256GB storage, colors vary by region of storage
Available up to 256GB storage, colors vary by region

The Galaxy S24 FE costs $649 / £649 / AU $1,099, which is $150 / £150 / AU $300 less than the Galaxy S24. You get a bigger screen on the Galaxy S24 FE, and that amounts to a bigger battery as well. The screen isn’t as sharp or as bright as the regular Galaxy S24 phones, but it still looked very nice in my hands-on time at Samsung’s New York City showroom.

I was looking forward to seeing the color choices for the Galaxy S24 FE, because Samsung proved with the Galaxy S23 FE that it was willing to cut loose when it came to flashy, saturated hues. The Galaxy S24 FE is a bit more muted and professional, so it won’t jump out of a crowd and into traffic with a bright pink or orange.

Instead, the Galaxy S24 FE comes in a very pretty blue, a nice mint, an acceptable graphite grey, and boring black. There’s also a yellow color, but it wasn’t available in my US hands-on. Oh, and sorry Australia friends, it looks like black and yellow aren’t coming your way, at least not at launch.

You can pre-order the Galaxy S24 FE right now from Samsung, but you may want to wait to see what your favorite carrier offers. This phone seems ripe for a ‘get it free’ offer, or a bundle with other Galaxy accessories, and Samsung accessories are worth a look if you have a Samsung phone.

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE: Specs

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE in mint and graphite showing front and back with cameras — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Exynos 2400e processor – okay, calm down, it’s not so bad
Same camera specs, new camera tricks

Below, we've rounded up the keys specs of the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE.

The Galaxy S24 FE is a small step down from the Galaxy S24 in most ways, but not enough that most people will notice. I expect this phone to have no trouble playing the latest games, running through your productivity apps, and showing off the latest AI parlor tricks. A lot of the AI stuff happens in the cloud, but the Exynos 2400e processor should be able to handle the tasks.

Wait, what is that ‘e’ on the end of the Exynos chipset? The Galaxy S24 didn’t have the same ‘e’ designation. Samsung’s VP of Product Management, Drew Blackard, told me that this would be a slightly clocked-down version of the same processor.

That choice usually makes sense for two reasons. First, it cuts down on power consumption. Blackard says that this phone has great battery life, even compared to other Samsung phones with close to the same battery size.

Second, a slower chip is usually less expensive. Yes, this is a Samsung phone with a Samsung chipset, but you may as well consider Samsung Semiconductor, a different company. After all, Samsung used a MediaTek chip in the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, which launched on the same day as the Galaxy S24 FE.

So, compared to the Galaxy S24, what do you lose if you buy the Galaxy S24 FE? Let’s go spec by spec.

The Galaxy S24 FE is slightly thicker and heavier than the Galaxy S24 or even the Galaxy S24 Plus, which has the same 6.7-inch display size. It uses Gorilla Glass Victus Plus and Victus 5 on the front and back instead of Victus 2 glass, like the Galaxy S24. Thankfully, it is just as water resistant, with IP68 certification.

The display on the Galaxy S24 FE is not as sharp in terms of pixel density as the Galaxy S24 or Galaxy S24 Plus. It has the same resolution as the Galaxy S24 but is stretched to a larger display size. The FE cannot get as bright as the Galaxy S24; it reaches around 1,900 nits peak brightness versus a glaring 2,600 nits on the Galaxy S24. That still gives you a very bright phone with the Galaxy S24 FE.

The Galaxy S24 FE is only available with 8GB of RAM, while you can find a Galaxy S24 with up to 12GB of RAM, and 12GB is the standard for the Galaxy S24 Plus.

The battery on the Galaxy S24 FE is 4,700 mAh, much larger than the 4,000 mAh cell on the Galaxy S24. Samsung says it should even last longer than the 4,900 mAh battery on the Galaxy S24 Plus. The Galaxy S24 FE can charge up to 25W, the same as the Galaxy S24, and it can also handle the same wireless charging. You can even charge other devices using reverse wireless charging from the Galaxy S24 FE.

Overall, I’d say the sacrifices are worth the phone's price. Better battery life is always a boon, so I’m willing to trade a drop in performance for a few more hours of screen time. Of course, we’ll need to test all of these features and claims to ensure they live up to the Galaxy S24 FE’s promise. We’re reviewing this phone now, so check back soon for an in-depth look with testing from Future Labs.

First previewed September 2024

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE review: AI doesn’t come cheap … until now

6:25 am |

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

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE: Two-minute preview

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE: Price and availability

Starts at Starts at $649 / £649 / AU $1,099 for 128GB of storage
Available up to 256GB storage, colors vary by region of storage
Available up to 256GB storage, colors vary by region

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE: Specs

Exynos 2400e processor – okay, calm down, it’s not so bad
Same camera specs, new camera tricks

Below, we've rounded up the keys specs of the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE.

So, compared to the Galaxy S24, what do you lose if you buy the Galaxy S24 FE? Let’s go spec by spec.

The Galaxy S24 FE is only available with 8GB of RAM, while you can find a Galaxy S24 with up to 12GB of RAM, and 12GB is the standard for the Galaxy S24 Plus.

First previewed September 2024

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

5:00 pm | September 14, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Nothing Phones Phones | Tags: Gorilla Glass, US | Comments: Off

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.

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.

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.

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