HONOR has officially launched the Magic V6 in Malaysia, bringing its latest foldable flagship to the market ahead of a wider rollout across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and other regions.

Price and availability

The device starts at MYR 7,699 (roughly over USD 1900), with pre-orders running from June 4 to June 11, 2026. Customers who place an order during the promotional period will receive freebies and protection benefits worth up to MYR 3,797 (around USD 940). These include a 2-Year Worry-Free Quality Assurance plan and a 1-Year Worry-Free Crack Protection plan.

The HONOR Magic V6 will be available in Red, Gold, White, and Black color options.

HONOR positions the Magic V6 as a foldable that eliminates the usual trade-offs between portability, durability, and performance. The device measures just 8.75mm when folded and 4.0mm when unfolded, while weighing around 219g. Despite its slim profile, it carries IP68 and IP69 ratings for water and dust resistance and uses HONOR’s new Super Steel Hinge with a tensile strength of 2,800MPa.

Massive battery in a slim foldable

One of the biggest highlights of the Magic V6 is its 6,660mAh silicon-carbon battery. HONOR says it is the largest battery ever fitted inside a foldable smartphone. The company achieved this through a new battery design featuring roughly 25% silicon content and an energy density of 921Wh/L.

Charging is handled through 80W wired HONOR SuperCharge and 66W wireless charging. The device also supports wireless reverse charging.

The foldable is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform, paired with LPDDR5X memory and UFS 4.1 storage. HONOR says its Vulkan graphics engine enables up to 120FPS gaming in supported titles while taking advantage of the larger foldable display.

Built for productivity

The Magic V6 features a 6.52-inch outer display and a 7.95-inch inner foldable display. Both panels support adaptive refresh rates from 1Hz to 120Hz. Peak brightness reaches 6,000 nits on the cover screen and 5,000 nits on the inner display.

Running MagicOS 10, the device introduces several AI-powered tools and productivity features. These include AI agents designed to assist with settings, photos, content creation, and contextual actions. HONOR also adds Fast Flex and PC-level Multi-Flex modes, allowing users to run multiple apps simultaneously and take advantage of the larger screen for multitasking.

The company is also emphasizing cross-device compatibility. The Magic V6 works with iPhones, Macs, AirPods, and Apple Watches through HONOR Share. Users can transfer files, share notifications, and even use dual-screen workflows with compatible Apple devices. Quick Share support also enables easier file transfers between Android and supported Apple hardware.

AI-powered cameras and Gemini integration

For photography, the HONOR Magic V6 uses a triple-camera setup consisting of a 50MP main camera, a 64MP periscope telephoto camera, and a 50MP ultra-wide camera. The system is supported by AI-powered imaging tools such as AI Color Engine, Magic Color 2.0, Magic Video Color, and AI Image to Video 2.0.

The device also comes with Google Gemini integration, allowing users to interact through text, voice, and images. HONOR is bundling a three-month Google AI Pro trial, which includes access to advanced Gemini features, NotebookLM, Flow, Veo-powered video generation tools, and 5TB of cloud storage.

I have spent the better part of the last few weeks grappling with multiple emotions.

I feel silly referencing this but as a “feel” type, my days are guided by vibe and mood. It’s been a challenge trying to reconcile and make sense of everything.

Thankfully, the Xiaomi 17T Pro presented an unexpected outlet.

So no, this isn’t exactly a review of the Xiaomi 17T Pro. This is yours truly, once again, processing feelings through a telephoto essay.

The “T” is for Telephoto

When being briefed about Xiaomi’s latest device, my favorite part was when a guest photographer jokingly attached the T in the Xiaomi 17T series to “telephoto.”

It’s not official or anything. But in this case, it made perfect sense.

My relationship with Xiaomi’s T series has always been a little complicated. For a while it felt like it was searching for an identity. One year it was positioned as a performance-focused device. Then it became an all-rounder. 

Now, one of its biggest highlights is a dedicated 115mm equivalent telephoto camera. The reality is that it might actually be all of those things at once.

For this piece, however, I ignored almost everything else. I shot almost exclusively at 115mm.

No elaborate test plan, no checklist of scenarios, and no mission to prove a point. I simply carried the phone everywhere and photographed whatever caught my attention.

At first, I thought I was testing a camera. Eventually, I realized the camera was teaching me something instead.

Chasing

When the year started, I was certain about something. Or perhaps someone.

The conversations were easy. The banter felt natural. The possibility of something more lingered quietly in the background.

After a few genuine attempts, reality eventually became clear. This wasn’t going where I secretly hoped it would. I felt defeated.

But apparently, I wasn’t done learning yet.

 

One thing I quickly discovered about shooting at 115mm is that distance changes how you approach a subject.

You cannot simply stand where you are and expect every shot to work. Sometimes you move. Sometimes you wait. And sometimes you accept that a moment isn’t yours to capture.

The Xiaomi 17T Pro’s telephoto camera made those adjustments feel surprisingly natural. The focal length compressed scenes beautifully while still allowing me to isolate subjects from busy surroundings.

More importantly, it encouraged patience. Not every frame needed to be forced.

Blind projection

Waiting in the wings was another lesson entirely.

As a photographer, there are moments when something catches your attention immediately. A shape. A silhouette. A person. A scene.

From a distance, it looks compelling.

The problem is that distance leaves room for imagination. Sometimes too much room. You think you know what you’re looking at. But you don’t.

The more I used the 115mm lens, the more I appreciated how it could pull distant subjects closer while still leaving context around them. It gave me a cleaner view of things that initially felt obscured.

Yet photography has limits. A lens can reveal details. It cannot reveal meaning. That part still requires understanding what’s actually in front of you.

Generative longing

After some quiet reflection, I realized that much of what occupied my attention wasn’t reality at all. It was possibility. Potential.

Stories constructed from incomplete information. As it turns out, people aren’t the only subjects we do this to. Photographers do it all the time.

We imagine a frame before it exists. Then we convince ourselves the next corner might hold something extraordinary. And we chase moments that never arrive.

Sometimes they do. Most of the time they don’t.

The Xiaomi 17T Pro encouraged a different approach.

Instead of hunting for specific shots, I found myself roaming freely. Walking more. Observing more. Adjusting my position constantly to find a better composition.

After a few days, I stopped thinking about the lens itself and started understanding the space around me.

I knew how far to stand, what would fit into frame, and when a moment was worth waiting for.

The telephoto camera became less about zooming in and more about understanding my position relative to a scene.

And that’s when things started getting interesting.

Close without crossing

Something unexpected happened while reviewing this gallery. There are more people here than in any collection of sample photos I’ve ever taken. 

Normally, I avoid photographing people. I’ve always worried it feels intrusive. The telephoto lens changed that.

The extra reach allowed me to observe moments without disrupting them. Most of the people here aren’t looking at the camera. Many are turned away entirely. They’re simply existing within their own space.

And perhaps that’s what fascinated me most.

After spending so much time chasing, projecting, and attaching meaning to things that only existed in my head, I found myself approaching photography differently.

There was no grand pursuit. No dramatic realization. No need to manufacture scenarios. I simply paid attention.

Telephoto photography is often associated with distance. Over the last few weeks, however, it taught me something else.

Distance and closeness are not always opposites.

Sometimes maintaining a little distance is what allows a moment to remain exactly what it is. Sometimes stepping back helps you see more clearly. 

And sometimes the people, places, and experiences that matter most are not the ones furthest away. They’re already within view.

Shooting at 115mm taught me that keeping a little distance can be its own way of staying close.

Maybe that’s what this gallery ultimately became. Not a collection of subjects I couldn’t reach. Not proof of anything.

Just a record of moments I was fortunate enough to witness.

Xiaomi has officially launched the latest additions to its T series, the Xiaomi 17T series. The lineup comes in the Xiaomi 17T and Xiaomi 17T Pro variants.

These latest releases feature triple camera systems, with a combination of Leica optics and Xiaomi’s cutting-edge imaging technology.

The series is headlined by a 50MP main camera with large ultra-large 1/1.31-inch (Pro) and 1/1.55-inch (base) sensors.

Both combine Leica UltraPure optical design with a 1G + 6P hybrid Leica Summilux lens structure for rendering fine detail with exceptional clarity.

The large aperture across the series also makes up for superior dynamic range and beautifully rendered depth of field.

Xiaomi has also made the Leica 5x telephoto camera available to the T series for the first time. This allows for long-range captures with a 115mm focal length equivalent, as well as up to 120x zoom. The lens also double as a macro shooter.

In addition, the Pro model has flagship level filming capabilities, including 8K recording, cinematic (HDR10+ and log recording) at 4K 60fps, and more.

Another new camera feature across the series is Leica Live Moment. This enables users to capture the lead-up to instant moments.

Supported across all rear camera focal lengths, Leica Live Moment delivers dynamic imaging infused with Leica’s signature aesthetic.

The feature is also available in Portrait mode for a natural bokeh effect.

Price, availability

The Xiaomi 17T Pro comes in three color options: Deep Blue, Deep Violet, and Black.

There are three storage configurations, starting from EUR 899.

Meanwhile, the Xiaomi 17T has four colorways: Violet, Opal White, Blue, and Black.

There are two storage variants, starting from EUR 749.

Xiaomi 17T, 17T Pro specs

Xiaomi 17T

• Cameras: 50MP f/1.7 OIS, 50MP f/3.0 5x telephoto, 12MP ultra-wide, 32MP selfie
• 6.59-inch 1.5K 120Hz display, 3500 nits, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 4x TÜV Rheinland certifications, Corning Gorilla Glass 7i
• MediaTek Dimensity 8500-Ultra, 4nm, up to 3.4GHz
• 6500mAh battery, 67W HyperCharge, 22.5W wired reverse
• Xiaomi 3D IceLoop System
• Xiaomi HyperOS
• Circle to Search with Google
• Google Gemini
• WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 6.0, Dual SIM

Xiaomi 17T Pro

• Cameras: 50MP f/1.67 OIS, 50MP f/3.0 5x telephoto, 12MP ultra-wide, 32MP selfie
• 6.83-inch 1.5K 144Hz display, 3500 nits, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 4x TÜV Rheinland certifications, Corning Gorilla Glass 7i
• MediaTek Dimensity 9500, 3nm, up to 4.21GHz
• 7000mAh battery, 100W HyperCharge, 50W wireless, 22.5W wired reverse
• Xiaomi 3D IceLoop System
• Xiaomi HyperOS
• Circle to Search with Google
• Google Gemini
• WiFi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, Dual SIM