Smartphones
HONOR apologizes to Samsung owners ahead of Magic V3 launch
HONOR takes another swipe at its competitor
HONOR has taken its pettiness towards Samsung to the next level. Just as the HONOR Magic V3 is about to be officially released globally at IFA 2024, HONOR issued the “world’s smallest apology” to its rival’s users, particularly those with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold.
The 166-word apology is in recognition of the potential disappointment Samsung customers may feel for purchasing a thicker and heavier foldable prior.
The upcoming Magic V3, of course, weighs less at just 226 grams and its 9.2 millimeters thin when folded. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 is roughly 239 grams and 11.938 millimeters when folded. The Korean tech giant’s book-style foldable counterpart is now in its sixth generation.
The apology was brought to life in collaboration with 78-year-old United Kingdom-based micro-artist Graham Short. Fusing cutting-edge technology and a classic art form, Short carved the apology on the Magic V3’s
It took him 90 hours in total to engrave the apology by hand on the Magic V3’s left bezel. It can only be read when viewed under a microscope.
If you’re your curious to know what the entire apology reads, here’s the full text:
“Dear Samsung Galaxy Z Fold owners, we’re sorry. We know you were excited to buy a phone that folds in half and fits in your pocket, awkwardly. You were promised the future, a technical marvel, a world of boundless multitasking and performance.
And now, you’re probably looking at the new HONOR Magic V3 and feeling a little… betrayed. Size matters, and we feel your pain. Like being tipped for a gold medal and then coming last in the race, the knowledge that a thinner, lighter, and more durable foldable exists is enough to make anyone question their choices.
We get it. You were an early adopter, a pioneer bravely venturing into the uncharted territory of foldable screens with questionable durability. You deserve better. In fact, you deserve a gold medal.
In all seriousness, we at HONOR are committed to pushing the boundaries of technology and bringing you the best possible foldable experience. We’re just saying… it’s okay to feel let down. We’d feel the same way.”
But knowing Samsung’s history of not bothering much against HONOR’s gimmicks, it’s safe to say we won’t be seeing any back-and-forth happening soon. As such, Samsung will just let its competitor be once the HONOR Magic V3 officially launches next month.
Smartphones
HONOR continues APAC expansion, to launch 600 series in Taiwan
HONOR pushes aggressively in new markets
Smartphone brand HONOR continues its marketing expansion in the Asia-Pacific, with a new teaser confirming it will release the HONOR 600 Series in Taiwan.
HONOR recently entered the Taiwanese market with the flagship HONOR Magic8 Pro releasing last April. It was followed by the budget segment HONOR X6d 5G.
Now, consumers in the island country are set to get an accessible midrange choice in the number series model. Once the phones officially release, it means Taiwan will have HONOR devices in the budget, midrange, and flagship tiers.
In a grander scale, HONOR has launched devices in Papua New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand as part of a strategic expansion in the region.
Following its launch in China, the HONOR 600 Series also became available in key markets like Malaysia and the Philippines.
HONOR 600 Series
At the heart of the series is AI Image to Video 2.0. This is powered by the industry’s first unified multi-modal video generation model, a system that integrates video generation, editing, and comprehension into a seamless workflow.
Users can combine up to three images with natural language prompts to produce stunning 3-8 second video sequences, define both opening and ending frames for narrative control, and access the industry’s most extensive library of cinematic templates for stylized film-quality results.
Here’s an overview of each model’s specs:
HONOR 600 5G
- Processor: Snapdragon 7 Gen 4
- System: MagicOS 10
- Display: 6.57-inch AMOLED, 120Hz, 3840Hz, HDR Vivid, 8000 nits peak brightness, 458 ppi
- Camera: 200MP f/1.9 OIS main, 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide, 50MP front
- Battery: 7,000mAh, 80W SuperCharge, 27W wired reverse
- IP68/IP69/IP69K dust and water resistance
HONOR 500 Pro 5G
- Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite
- System: MagicOS 10
- Display: 6.57-inch AMOLED, 120Hz, 3840Hz, HDR Vivid, 8000 nits peak brightness, 458 ppi
- Camera: 200MP f/1.9 OIS main, 50MP f/2.8 3.5x OIS telephoto, 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide, 50MP front
- Battery: 7,000mAh, 80W SuperCharge, 50W wireless, 27W wired reverse
- IP68/IP69/IP69K dust and water resistance
Earlier this week, Nothing confirmed that CMF will no longer get a new smartphone later this year. However, the company also teased that a new model is still coming to Nothing itself. The initial tease did not include a model name or an image, thereby shrouding the new phone in mystery. Now, the mystery is gone as Nothing has definitively confirmed what’s coming: the Nothing (4b).
Nope, that’s not a typo. Nothing is following up the Phone (4a) series with the Phone (4b).
On X, Nothing teased the upcoming smartphone with a rough sketch of the model. Surrounded by designs from the Phone (4a) series, the Phone (4b)’s design shakes things up by introducing the usual wide camera island but affixing only a small vertical camera setup on the left side.
Meanwhile, a smaller pill-shaped cutout likely houses the phone’s LED flashes. Finally, a light strip on the lower right of the island will probably feature the model’s lighting element.
The Nothing (4b)’s launch is just over the horizon. The company has confirmed that the model will launch on July 7.
This is likely Nothing’s last ace up its sleeve this year. Earlier this year, Carl Pei already confirmed that the flagship-level Phone (4) will not arrive until next year.
Camera Shootouts
Camera Shootout: HONOR 600 Pro vs OPPO Reno15 Pro
Camera clash of the two Mainlander midranger
Year after year, major phone brands are defying the manufacturing and costing challenges just to give the mid-class the smartphone cameras they deserve.
This 2026 and beyond, it seems like it’s the new norm for the freshest breed of premium midrangers.
Mainlander Midranger
The HONOR 600 Pro and OPPO Reno15 Pro are two smartphones positioned in the peak of the midranger pyramid.
On paper, they are highly likely the closest in terms of camera hardware.
HONOR 600 Pro |
OPPO Reno15 Pro |
|
Wide |
200MP f/1.9
|
200MP f/1.8
|
Ultra-Wide |
12MP f/2.2
|
50MP f/2.0
|
Telephoto |
50MP f/2.8
|
50MP f/2.8
|
Selfie |
50MP f/2.0 |
50MP f/2.0 |
First and foremost, while these phones rock a similar 200MP cameras by Samsung, the sensor sizes and age are quite different.
The HONOR 600 Pro has a bigger yet older (2022) 1/1.14-inch ISOCELL HP3. Meanwhile, a newer (2025) yet standard-sized ISOCELL HP5 was used in the Reno15 Pro.
The biggest disparity can be seen in their ultra-wide modules. HONOR didn’t focus too much on it by giving a smaller 12MP f/2.2 with a tighter 112-degree FoV (Field of View).
On the other hand, the OPPO equipped a bigger 50MP module with a brighter f/2.0 aperture, and an even wider 116-degree FoV.
Lastly, both the telephoto and selfie shooters are at 50MP. Both telephoto cameras are capable of optically zooming in to 3.5x.
Fair and Square
Both of these midrangers have their own set of special sauces. But, for the sake of fairness, I’ve stuck with each of their default camera color profiles: Natural for the HONOR 600 Pro while Original in the OPPO Reno15 Pro.
Disclaimer: If you are new here, sample photos were all taken using the default AI Camera Mode. These images were resized and labeled for faster loading and better online preview. No color correction, zoomed-in cropping, nor any other type of photo manipulation were applied.
3.5x Telephoto
Starting with the common denominator of both phones: their 3.5x 50MP f/2.8 telephoto shooters
T1
T2
T3
T4
T5
T6
T7
T8
T9
T10
T11
T12
Beyond Telephoto Zoom
We have to break the barriers just to test each phones’ telephoto unit limit.
ZB1
ZB2
ZB3
ZB4
ZB5
ZB6
1x Wide (Main)
Again, both phones rock a 200MP camera but of different aperture and sensor sizes. Can you differentiate them from another though?
W1
W2
W3
W4
W5
W6
W7
W8
W9
W10
Ultra-Wide Angle (UWA)
Each FoV value can be your primary hint to determine which is which. But, is it enough for you to tell who’s the better performer?
U1
U2
U3
U4
U5
Food
A separate section for prospective users who will use one of these for food shots.
F1
F2
F3
F4
F5
Furry Friends
Whether it’s our pets or wild animals, they all have one thing in common: they are all very hard to capture especially when in motion.
FF1
FF2
FF3
FF4
FF5
FF6
FF7
FF8
Indoors
Subjects taken in any controlled lighting is another tricky test for both of these smartphones.
IN1
IN2
IN3
IN4
IN5
IN6
IN7
IN8
IN9
IN10
IN11
IN12
The Night is Right
The ultimate camera test all boils down to shots taken at night (or low-light).
Actual camera processing is one. Added AI algorithms and the actual output for another.
N1A | 1x Wide
N1B | 3.5x Optical Zoom
N2 | Ultra-Wide
N3A | 3.5x Optical Zoom
N3B | 5x Lossless Zoom
N4 | 5x Zoom
N5 | 2x In-Sensor Zoom
N6 | 3.5x Optical Zoom
N7 | 1x Wide
N8A | UWA
N8B | 1x Wide
N9 | 3.5x Optical Zoom
N10 | 5x Lossless Zoom
BONUS: Super Moon
That same telephoto module gives both the HONOR and OPPO midrangers a zoom reach as far as 120x.
M1 | 40x Digital Zoom
M2 | 120x Max Zoom
Results
Were you able to write down and tally your picks? Well, here are the results:
Conclusion
For the most part, samples taken on the HONOR 600 Pro are already social media-ready. They require little to no effort prior sharing it as your Facebook post or Instagram story.
And by that, the saturation and contrast game is strong as opposed to its rival — a look preferred by most users. These are clearly seen in Sets T1 / T5 / ZB5 / W1 / W2 / N1A.
Meanwhile, the OPPO Reno15 Pro leans more into the “natural” side.
Despite the absence of that premium Hasselblad partnership, it still gave desirable results for those who want the less “AI-processed” look (softer, reduced saturation, minimized contrast) which are evident in Photos T2 / T4 / T8 / T12 / ZB1 / ZB3 / W7 / W8 / FF7 / FF8.
Definitely, the results are not totally consistent. The OPPO Reno15 Pro mostly had a brighter and warmer output (T1 / T5 ~T7 / ZB6 / W1 / W4 / W5 / W8 / W10 / U1 / U2 / F1 / F2 / F4 / FF1 / FF2 / IN3 / IN8 / IN12 / N3A / N5).
Other times, the latter is brighter yet cooler (T12 / ZB1 / ZB2 / ZB3 / ZB4 / FF3 / FF8 / IN1 / IN2 / IN7 / IN9 / IN10 / IN11). Even the super moon shots on the HONOR 600 Pro were brighter, too.
These differences and inconsistencies might make or break your final decision which smartphone best suits your overall camera taste.
Pro-grade for less
Despite the continuous innovation and evolution of flagship smartphones when it comes to mobile imaging, phone manufacturers still try to balance everything out with midrange smartphones in the horizon.
The HONOR 600 Pro and OPPO Reno15 Pro are two among the handful midranger wonders meant for any pro-grade user who lacks the purchasing power to buy the bestest in the lineup — but, still want a very capable device for their smartphone-tography needs.
Clearly, the camera hardware isn’t the most “powerful” out there. Still, they are clear with the positioning of these phones. They are your pro-grade cameras for less.
As similar as their camera hardware, the HONOR 600 Pro and OPPO Reno15 Pro also have similar SRPs — at least the 12+512GB configuration.
- HONOR 600 Pro = PhP 48,999 / MYR 3299 / SG$ 1049
- OPPO Reno15 Pro = PhP 48,999 / MYR 3299 / SG$ 1049 (as Reno15 Pro Max)
HONOR your Reno?
Over the years of making dedicated camera shootout write-ups, I always thought that photos that look closer to our naked eyes is something that I should call “the better smartphone camera” — especially because of the accuracy of their output.
Now, with the advent of smartphone cameras with countless camera partnerships and all the imaginable profiles / presets / styles / recipes (or whatever you want to call ’em) to ever exist, it got harder to decide which smartphone to recommend for most users.
Such sentiment made me realize that there is no single clear winner at all.
So what’s the point of making another extensive camera comparison like this? Well, it’s still for you to show how each phone is capable (or incapable) both in camera hardware and software. It’s also for you to choose the camera look that’s closer to your liking.
Clearly, both the HONOR 600 Pro and OPPO Reno15 Pro are very capable smartphone cameras. But, at the end of the day, it’s your power as a buyer which pro-grade midranger wins your heart.
Now, if you will consider other aspects such as their core hardware, OS skin, and even after-sales service, that’s clearly for another story.
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