News

HONOR slaps the iPhone Air with the all-new Magic8 Pro Air

First ultra-slim phone with a dedicated periscope telephoto zoom lens

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Aside from the already-released HONOR Magic8, Magic8 Pro, and Magic8 Lite, the all-new Magic8 Pro Air and PORSCHE DESIGN Magic8 RSR finally complete HONOR’s Magic8 series for 2026.

Magically Airy

Even though most major Chinese brands have backed out from announcing their iPhone Air rivals, HONOR simply doesn’t want to be left behind as they have unveiled the (very mouthful) Magic8 Pro Air. Coincidental or not, it’s announced the same day as Infinix’s NOTE Edge.

From the term itself, it is, by far, HONOR’s slimmest compact smartphone at just 6.1mm and weighs only 158 grams. While it doesn’t totally beat the 5.64mm iPhone Air and the 5.8mm Galaxy S25 Edge, anything below the 8mm mark is still considered “very slim” enough in today’s smartphone standards.

HONOR made this featherweight champion all thanks to its Cicada Wing phone structure paired with an Aerial Aluminum mid-frame. It’s not only light, it’s durable altogether.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

The Magic8 Pro Air is also the polar opposite of HUAWEI’s Mate 70 Air. Compared to that ginormous 7-inch screen, the Magic8 Pro Air is a lot smaller with only a 6.31-inch OLED display. Meanwhile, iPhone Air is in the sweet spot at 6.5 inches while S25 Edge is at the conventional 6.7 incher.

That display isn’t lagging behind though with its 1.5K resolution, 6000 nits peak brightness, and HONOR’s revolutionary Eye-Care features with PWM Dimming for ultra-sensitive eyes.

Airy Yet Mighty

MediaTek’s Dimensity 9500 is at the core of the Magic8 Pro Air. Coupled with a 12GB LPDDR5x RAM and either 256/512GB of UFS 4.1 storage, it’s a true definition of a compact flagship.

Cameras are for another story. The HONOR Magic8 Pro Air brings not just one, not two, but three cameras at its back — very surprising for a device this size. There’s a 50MP f/2.2 112-degree UWA (Ultra-Wide Angle) lens as well as 50MP f/1.6 main camera based on a 1/1.3-inch image sensor. The selfie shooter is not spared as well with its capable 50MP f/2.0 camera.

 

But, the star of the show has got to be its 64MP f/2.6 periscope telephoto lens with 3.2x optical zoom. This makes the first super slim smartphone to boast a dedicated zoom lens. ICYMI, the Galaxy S25 Edge and the iPhone Air lack a dedicated telephoto shooter and only relies through in-sensor cropping via their main sensors.

Furthermore, it is equipped with a 5500mAh battery which is more than enough for its “petite” form factor. It can then be filled fast with HONOR’s 80W SuperCharge and 50W wireless SuperCharge.

Unlike the iPhone Air, the Magic8 Pro Air has a dedicated SIM slot. eSIM support is there as well which is a huge rarity among Chinese smartphones.

Last but definitely not the least, the color shades of the Magic8 Pro Air are a mix of iPhone Air and 17 Pro’s colorways — including the Light Orange alonsgide Fairy Purple, as well as the Feather White and Shadow Black classics.

Sleek Peek

It would not be a complete flagship series without THE very special PORSCHE DESIGN Magic8 RSR model in the roster. As usual, it’s always the maxed out variant of the already full-fledged Magic8 Pro flagship.

While it rocks the same display, cameras, and even the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC by Qualcomm, configuration goes beyond the limits with a 1TB UFS 4.1 storage and a whopping 24GB LPDDR5X memory — the biggest flex a slab-phone could get this 2026 with the ever-soaring RAM prices.

Battery and charging speeds were somewhat improved: 7200mAh and 120W HyperCharge (over 7100mAh + 100W of the regular Pro model).

Colors were then heavily-inspired from shades of Porsche’s supercars: Moonlight Stone and Slate Gray.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Additionally, the Magic8 RSR will also have a Professional Camera Kit — a first time for any HONOR smartphone.

Pricing and Availability

The HONOR Magic8 Pro Air and PORSCHE DESIGN Magic8 RSR are available in various pricing and configurations:

Magic8 Pro Air

  • 12+256GB = CNY 4999 (US$ 700 / EUR 610 / GBP 530 / SG$ 910 / MYR 2970 / PhP 40,900 / INR 62,260)
  • 12+512GB = CNY 5299 (US$ 745 / EUR 645 / GBP 560 / SG$ 965 / MYR 3145 / PhP 43,360 / INR 65,995)
  • 16+512GB = CNY 5599 (US$ 785 / EUR 670 / GBP 580 / SG$ 1010 / MYR 3300 / PhP 45,150 / INR 69,690)
  • 16+1TB = CNY 5999 (US$ 845 / EUR 730 / GBP 635 / SG$ 1095 / MYR 3560 / PhP 49,085 / INR 74,715)

PORSCHE DESIGN Magic8 RSR

  • 16+512GB = CNY 7999 (US$ 1115 / EUR 960 / GBP 820 / SG$ 1430 / PhP 63,685 / INR 95,930)
  • 24+1TB = CNY 8999 (US$ 1260 / EUR 1070 / GBP 920 / SG$ 600 / PhP 70,905 / INR 107,700)

Global availability was not mentioned. Hopefully, HONOR will bring these (especially the Magic8 Pro Air) to international markets.

Lifestyle

Nike’s Alphafly 4 is built for the part of the marathon ~that actually hurts~

Made to protect your stride when fatigue sets in.

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Every marathoner knows the exact moment the race truly begins.

It’s not at the starting line amidst the early morning excitement, but around the 32-kilometer mark, when your legs begin to feel heavy and your form starts to fall apart.

Nike designed its latest marathon racer specifically for that critical window. The Alphafly 4 shifts the focus away from chasing sheer top-end speed, targeting instead the physical breakdown that happens late in a long run.

By studying how fatigue alters a runner’s mechanics over time, Nike rebuilt its flagship distance shoe to help athletes maintain their stride when energy starts to dip.

Holding the line when fatigue sets in

On the road, the shoe operates as a complete, unified system designed to protect your stride.

A redesigned Atomknit upper wraps the foot with breathable support, using targeted midfoot cables and an integrated heel unit to keep your fit secure without adding unnecessary weight or friction over long distances.

Underfoot, the new ZoomX LT foam layer works alongside Nike’s contoured carbon-fiber Flyplate. The lighter foam returns maximum energy with every footfall, while the plate smooths out your rolling motion.

Together with dual forefoot Air Zoom units and a durable Fast Shot outsole, the setup keeps your cadence consistent and your legs feeling fresh well into the back half of the race.

As Emily Farina from the Nike Sport Research Lab notes, their goal was to help runners stay confident, balanced, and capable from the start line all the way to the finish.

Built on the miles that came before

That focus on real-world endurance stems directly from athlete testing.

Nike developed the shoe using feedback from its Project Dreamweaver initiative and extensive trials with women distance runners, prioritizing stability and comfort alongside high performance.

The lineage carries significant weight. The Alphafly family has grounded some of distance running’s greatest moments, from historic sub-two-hour efforts to major course records.

With the Alphafly 4, that legacy translates directly into everyday marathon training, helping athletes hold their target pace just a little bit longer. Marathoners won’t have to wait long to feel the difference on race day.

The Nike Alphafly 4 drops in an early, limited release on September 17 at nike.com, followed by a wider global release on October 29 online and at select retail stores.

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Entertainment

SEGA, Netflix announce Crazy Taxi film adaptation

1st in planned slate of film adaptations, including Sonic and STRANGER THAN HEAVEN

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SEGA and Netflix have announced a new Crazy Taxi film adaptation. This will usher in a new collaboration era with the parties also developing adaptations for Sonic and STRANGER THAN HEAVEN.

Such a slate of future adaptations reflects the range of SEGA’s library as it draws on Netflix’s experience bringing beloved game worlds to new audiences.

The first project features Crazy Taxi, which will be written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. The beloved writing duo was behind the 2025 reboot of The Naked Gun.

Also on board to help helm the production are the same visionaries behind the Sonic franchise: Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, and Toru Nakahara.

Crazy Taxi has been an arcade hit since 1999, putting players behind the wheel of a fearless cabbie racing the clock through chaotic city streets.

There’s flying off ramps, dodging traffic, and chasing tips with punk-rock energy that has become the series’ signature.

The latest title in the franchise, Crazy Taxi: World Tour, is set for a 2027 release. You can watch its trailer below:

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Finance

HONOR, Fidesmo partner for contactless payments across Europe, Middle East

Enabling contactless payments on the HONOR Watch 6

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HONOR and Fidesmo have partnered to launch contactless payments across Europe and the Middle East on the HONOR Watch 6.

Powered by Fidesmo Pay, the integration enables users to connect an existing Mastercard or Visa card to their watch and complete contactless transactions directly from the wearable device.

This brings Fidesmo’s network of over 900 banks and financial institutions to HONOR’s customers. Users can connect an existing card to the HONOR Watch 6 instantly through the HONOR Health App, which installs a unique token directly onto the watch.

Acting as a secure reference to the payment method, this token allows customers to pay without storing their actual payment details on the device. Once installed, users can tap the watch at any
contactless terminal to pay, just as they would with a card or phone.

HONOR joins a group of device partners that already includes Swatch, Polar, and Mondaine as Fidesmo continues to build momentum across categories.

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