News

HONOR MagicOS 9.0 now official

With improved AI Agent, debut of MagicLM lineup

Published

October 24, 2024

GadgetMatch

HONOR has finally launched MagicOS 9.0 in China. The latest iteration of HONOR’s operating system brings users even deeper into the AI era the company calls “autopilot AI.”

MagicOS 9.0 introduces enhanced capabilities from the company’s AI Agent, YOYO, as well as a new proprietary MagicLM lineup.

AI that understands you better

HONOR is leveraging LLMs (large language models) even more with the new MagicOS 9.0. This is to provide AI capabilities like multi-modal natural interaction, accurate intention recognition, and closed-loop services for complex tasks.

And for the new OS, HONOR is introducing its own MagicLM lineup. This is a family of LLMs that aim to create a transformative experience when it comes to language, visual, audio, and multimodal interactions.

At its core, the MagicLM lineup dynamically allocates AI computing power based on the specific needs of varied user scenarios. By combining and allocating on-device and cloud resources, it strikes an optimal balance between efficiency and experience while meeting diverse user demands.

The new batch of LLMs also boasts of a reduction in power consumption and ROM and RAM usage, as well as an increase in loading speed and word output speed.

Enhanced AI Agent

Meanwhile, HONOR also announced enhanced capabilities for its AI Agent, YOYO. YOYO’s new functionalities enable it to handle complex tasks seamlessly, such as ordering coffee or managing schedules with just a simple command. As such, users can interact more intuitively and efficiently on HONOR devices.

YOYO currently possesses advanced human-centric scenario understanding capabilities. It can comprehend 600 types of user intents, remember 950 personal habits, and plan 270 complex tasks.

With a single command, YOYO can automatically execute 900 tasks, such as ordering coffee and tea, managing app auto-renewal, permission, notifications, converting documents, and even filling out forms.

The upcoming HONOR Magic7 series is among the first devices to enjoy these improvements.

Updates to Magic Portal, Capsule

Furthermore, HONOR is bringing updates to Magic Portal and Magic Capsule. In MagicOS 9.0, Magic Portal now offers a more intuitive and seamless experience. Users can simply circle objects to access text and image comprehension. That’s without the need to activate the device, allowing for direct access to the desired device.

Magic Portal can also understand contextual semantics and accurately interpret user intent, bringing more precise service recommendations. Moreover, it can now cover 10 major user scenarios and more than 100 applications.

On the other hand, Magic Capsule extends its application scenarios to cover frequently used ones. Covered are flights, ride-hailing, express delivery, takeaway, movie watching, gaming, system services, and more.

Better security

Lastly, HONOR is bringing an even more comprehensive security package to its devices with MagicOS 9.0.

For instance, the AI Deepfake Detection feature first discussed in MWC Shanghai earlier this year is now official under the new OS.

And for connectivity, MagicRing offers substantial upgrades in heterogenous networking, cross-device security collaboration, and self-organizing network capabilities.

This innovation ensures seamless service flow and allows flexible multi-device connections across various scenarios.

Apps

WhatsApp will introduce usernames to hide your phone number

Hide your number from others.

Published

June 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

WhatsApp is about to get an extra later of protection. After thriving on number-based chatting, the platform will soon add usernames, eliminating the need to share your number with strangers.

Usernames are the standard way of maintaining your anonymity online. Though most platforms today require users to log their email addresses or phone numbers, establishing a username can prevent other users from seeing this information way too easily.

Today, Meta has started rolling out reservations for WhatsApp usernames. The feature itself isn’t available yet, but early adopters can grab theirs as soon as the setting becomes available on their app.

To access the reservation, users can go to Settings > Account > Username. Of note, this isn’t available for everyone yet. But if you want to take dibs on a specific name, be on the lookout for the setting.

As for the username itself, users can reserve anything as long as it’s unique. Business owners and creators can also use their Facebook or Instagram handles as their WhatsApp usernames.

The feature, once it launches, will stop users from accessing your phone number when messaging. Similarly, other users will now need your exact username to start a conversation. Users can also set a separate code to protect conversations further.

News

Samsung might be working on a rollable phone

It might be called the Galaxy Z Slide.

Published

June 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

For Apple, the next holy grail is a foldable iPhone. However, for Samsung who’s already had an iron grip on the foldable market for years now, the next evolution might be a rollable phone.

According to several Korean sources, Samsung’s next project is a rollable phone. Samsung Display is currently discussing the technology with the company’s smartphone arm for a potential consumer-ready product.

As is normal with new technologies, it might take a while for a rollable phone to enter the market. Samsung is reportedly planning a 2028 release for the device.

As for the name, the brand might settle for the Galaxy Z Slide. With how Samsung names its devices, “Slide” makes sense.

Now, a rollable phone has been a dream for a few other brands. For example, LG, before they gave up on the smartphone market, dished out a concept for a rollable display in the TV and the smartphone space. Sony, Motorola, OPPO, and TECNO have also experimented with the technology.

With its resources, Samsung stands to be at the forefront of the rollable market, just as it did with the foldable phone. But, as always, take the rumors with a grain of salt. There’s still quite a bit of time before 2028 arrives. The brand can easily change its mind.

Cameras

DJI Osmo Pocket 4P launches with dual lenses and a 1-inch sensor

The biggest upgrade yet to DJI’s compact gimbal camera

Published

June 29, 2026

MJ Jucutan

The original Osmo Pocket launched in 2018 as a pocket-sized gimbal camera for people who wanted smooth footage without carrying a full rig. DJI has been building on that idea ever since, and today, with the Osmo Pocket 4P, they made the biggest jump yet.

A significant change

The most significant change in the Osmo Pocket 4P is the introduction of a dual-lens system. While previous Osmo Pocket models limited creators to a single, fixed field of view, the 4P provides two distinct options.

The camera features a wide-angle lens backed by a new 1-inch CMOS sensor alongside a 60mm medium-telephoto portrait lens boasting an f/1.8 aperture and 3x optical zoom. This second lens fundamentally changes how creators shoot on the ground.

At the 60mm focal length, backgrounds compress naturally to separate the subject from the environment without relying on artificial software rendering, offering an invaluable tool for capturing people at events, during travel, or throughout daily life.

The wide lens captures 17 stops of dynamic range through what DJI calls LOFIC technology, which handles high-contrast scenes like backlit windows or golden hour without blowing out the sky or burying the shadows.

Advanced sensor tech, color latitude

For high-contrast environments, the wide-angle lens captures an impressive 17 stops of dynamic range utilizing DJI’s new LOFIC technology.

This hardware addition allows the camera to effortlessly manage difficult lighting scenarios, like backlit windows or golden hour horizons, keeping the sky intact while preventing shadows from turning muddy.

On the color processing side, DJI has introduced a 10-bit D-Log 2 profile capable of recording over a billion colors. This shift provides editors with significantly more latitude to grade footage in post-production, avoiding the limitations of a baked-in, in-camera look.

High-speed motion, smart framing

In terms of capturing motion, the 4P supports 4K slow motion at 240fps, making it ideal for fast-moving subjects that benefit from a stylized, slowed-down perspective.

A slow shutter video mode is also included, allowing users to organically capture light trails in low-light environments. Physical stabilization continues to rely on a mechanical 3-axis gimbal, drawing directly from the heritage of DJI’s professional Ronin systems.

Weighing just 230 grams, the compact unit incorporates ActiveTrack 8.0 to handle automated subject tracking, maintaining precise focus through the entire 12x digital zoom range — a feature that proves essential for solo creators who need the hardware to handle framing duties.

Practical updates for daily use

DJI has also focused heavily on the realities of on-the-go shooting. The 4P introduces gesture controls, letting users trigger subject tracking or start recording without physically touching the device.

A new 4K Live Photo mode automatically captures a 1.5-second clip alongside every still image, while the main sensor allows for high-resolution 37-megapixel photos that offer plenty of room for cropping in post-production.