News
HONOR Magic V2 launches in China
Pushing the boundaries of foldables
HONOR has finally released its latest flagship foldable, the HONOR Magic V2 in China. It’s the thinnest foldable to date. The Magic V2 takes pride in a revolutionary design and a groundbreaking battery technology as it pushes the boundaries of foldable smartphones further.
The device utilizes an aerospace-grade titanium alloy in the hinge cover. It is lighter than aluminum yet stronger than steel.
Honor’s proprietary steel was also used in the hinge’s main body. With this, the phone can withstand the robustness of daily wear and tear, while micro lock prevents misalignments or creases.
The redesigned foldable’s thickness has been reduced by 75% compared to its predecessor, the Magic Vs, at just 9.9mm. The depth of the fold marks on the inner screen by 47%.
Specs
Here’s a quick look at the Magic V2’s specs:
- Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
- OS: MagicOS 7.2 based on Android 13
- Graphics: Adreno 740
- Memory: 16GB
- Storage: 256GB
- Displays: 7.92-inch 120Hz foldable OLED; 6.43-inch 120Hz LTPO, both 100% DCI-P3, HDR10+, Flicker Free, and with PWM Dimming and stylus support
- Camera: Triple 50MP (f/2.0 ultra-wide OIS, f/1.9 wide, f/2.4 telephoto OIS) and Dual 16MP wide selfies (one each for interior and exterior display), all capable of 4K shooting
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, USB Type-C, USB 3.1 Gen 1
- Audio: Symmetrical Stereo Dual Speakers, IMAX enhanced
The phone comes with a groundbreaking silicon-carbon battery. This replaces the usual lithium-ion used in smartphones for up to 240% more power delivery despite the compact design.
The 5,000mAh battery is expected to last for up to 14 hours on streaming and up to 23.9 hours on reading or casual browsing. It supports 66W fast charging.
The device also features Honor’s Ultra-thin Bionic VC Cooling System with employs a multi-layer approach using advanced materials to keep it efficient.
Honor has included a repertoire of smart features as well for an enhanced experience for users, like Magic Text, Smart Multi-window, App Extender, Horizontal and Vertical Split, Adaptive Screen Rotate, Super Dynamic Vivid Display, and more.
Price, availability
The HONOR Magic V2 comes in Black, Gold, Silk Purple, and Silk Black which comes with a special version vegan leather back.
The Magic V2 comes in two configurations with the following pricing:
- 16GB+256GB — CNY 8,999
- 16GB+512GB — CNY 9,999
Magic Pad and more also announced
While the Magic V2 was the star of the event, it wasn’t the only HONOR product announced. The company also announced a tablet, a smartwatch, and a new TV. Names and pricing are as follows:
HONOR Magic Pad
- 8GB+256GB — CNY 2,999
- 12GB+256GB — CNY 3,299
- 12GB+512GB — CNY 3,699
It also comes with accessories: A keyboard called Magic Pad 13 (CNY 599), and a stylus called Magic Pencil 3 (CNY 499).
- HONOR Magic Watch 4 — CNY 999
- HONOR Smart Screen 5 — Starts at CNY 3,999
SEE ALSO: HONOR Magic Vs review: Galactic Outside, Harmonious Inside
Just days after vivo’s widely-anticipated X300 series, its sister brand OPPO releases the Find X9 series. It’s their latest line of flagships for 2025.
Flagship Find
The OPPO Find X9 and Find X9 Pro are the next line of smartphones equipped with MediaTek’s latest Dimensity 9500 SoC based on a powerful and power-efficient 3nm process.
Much like its closest cousins, the base and Pro models of the Find X9 differ in certain aspects.
First and foremost, the Pro has the bigger 6.78-inch display. Meanwhile, the vanilla variant has a “more compact” 6.59-inch.
OPPO says though that both units boast an ultra-thin 1.15mm symmetrical bezels on all sides.
Moreover, battery capacities are also different.
The Find X9 has 7025mAh while the Find X9 Pro possess a larger 7500mAh battery.
These phones are expected to run the all-new ColorOS 16 with primary focus on silky-smooth animation, as well as smarter AI feats, seamless connectivity between PCs, Macs, and other accessories, as well as band overall user experience.
Hasselblad Legacy
Different from what OnePlus is doing, OPPO continues to strengthen its partnership with the renowned Swedish camera-maker Hasselblad.
With this continuous collaboration, both the Find X9 and X9 Pro feature the Hasselblad Camera System alongside OPPO’s all-new LUMO Image Engine.
Furthermore, the Find X9 Pro offers a 200MP telephoto camera co-developed with Hasselblad — both in sensor calibration and optical design.
Additionally, these Find models also deliver exceptional video capabilities with up to 4K / 120fps Dolby Vision support as well as LOG recording with ACES support for that seamless and professional workflow.
The Find X9 series are also concert-ready with cutting-edge telephoto optimizations such as Stage Mode and AI Sound Focus.
Pricing and Availability
The OPPO Find X9 are available in three colorways: Titanium Grey, Space Black, and Velvet Red.
Meanwhile, the Find X9 Pro is being offered in two shades: Silk White and Titanium Charcoal.
In line with the China-exclusive launch, the announcement of the Find X9 series slated for global markets will be held in Barcelona, Spain on October 28th.
Mark your calendars!
Accessories
Samsung launched a charger that’s incompatible with all its phones
None of their phones have built-in Qi2 magnets.
In the world of wireless charging, Qi2 is where it’s at. The newer magnetic system automatically aligns the phone with the best positions to charge wirelessly. That said, it’s taking a while for most smartphones to get the charging standard. In an odder twist, Samsung, who does not currently have any native Qi2 devices, has launched its own Qi2 chargers.
In the United States, Samsung rolled out the Qi2-compatible Single Wireless Charger and Car Wireless Charger. As both their names indicate, the chargers will allow for wireless charging in a variety of situations.
Retailing for US$ 34.99, the single puck can charge by up to 25W when paired with a charging adapter (sold separately). The car charger, on the other hand, comes with its own 12V car adapter and a rotating mount. It’s very pricy, coming in at US$ 84.99.
Now, the kicker is that the chargers are compatible with Samsung’s current flagships including the Galaxy S25, the Flip7, and the Fold7. Technically, yes, these smartphones can charge using this duo. However, none of them have the built-in magnets to natively connect to the pucks. They need a separate case with a Qi2-certified magnet included.
It seems pretty scummy to offer a Qi2 charger for smartphones without the magnets built inside. On the bright side, it’s a good sign that Samsung’s upcoming smartphones, starting with the Galaxy S26 early next year, will likely offer Qi2 charging natively. (At least, we hope. Otherwise, this might be the priciest charger in recent memory.)
SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy S25 FE review: Closer to flagship than ever
Apps
ChatGPT will soon allow NSFW conversations
The platform will start age-gating users in December.
Every day, we inch closer and closer to the strange reality of Joaquin Phoenix’s Her. Today’s AI-powered chatbots have inevitably adapted to address our more carnal desires. Some, such as those offered by xAI, are even explicitly designed to only flirt with the user. Soon, ChatGPT will offer the same thing: a way for adult users to… well, be adults.
Through a post on X, OpenAI’s Sam Altman reiterated ChatGPT’s impending drive to introduce age-gating in December. Keeping younger users from the platform will open ChatGPT to more “mature” conversations. Altman specifically names “erotica” as one of the potential uses of a looser platform.
We made ChatGPT pretty restrictive to make sure we were being careful with mental health issues. We realize this made it less useful/enjoyable to many users who had no mental health problems, but given the seriousness of the issue we wanted to get this right.
Now that we have…
— Sam Altman (@sama) October 14, 2025
Additionally, ChatGPT is rolling out an update which will make the platform more personable and comparable to actual conversations. This includes using more emojis or talking like a friend.
The platform is also adding more safeguards when it comes to mental health issues, given that more people are using it as a makeshift therapist. Recently, Altman made sure that ChatGPT treated mental health with more delicateness. To some, especially those without such issues, the platform became more unusable. To bring back how it used to be, the platform will add better tools to detect whether the user is in “mental distress.”
Finally, OpenAI is implementing a backend solution to mental health by creating a new council of researchers and experts to accurately determine the impact of AI on mental health. Currently, it’s still unknown how much this new technology is helping (or harming) our wellbeing.
SEE ALSO: ChatGPT Go now available in the Philippines, more Asian countries
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