News

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

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

Published

January 19, 2026

Vincenz

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.

News

vivo X300 FE launches with ZEISS telephoto system

Compact phone with pro zoom

Published

April 16, 2026

GadgetMatch

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

vivo has announced the vivo X300 FE, a compact flagship built around pro-grade imaging, long battery life, and extended software support.

The device features a ZEISS co-engineered camera system, led by a 50MP Super Telephoto camera with up to 200mm equivalent focal length via the all-new Telephoto Extender Gen 2. It also includes a 50MP main camera alongside a 110° ultra-wide lens.

This camera system is designed for flexible shooting across travel, concerts, and street photography.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

AI imaging powers much of the experience, with features like AI True Clarity Engine, Stage Mode for low-light concerts, and AI editing tools such as AI Erase and AI Image Expander. Video capabilities go up to 8K at 30fps and 4K at 120fps.

The X300 FE adopts a compact flat design with a 6.31-inch display, weighing 191g and measuring 7.99mm thin. It comes in Mist Purple, Glow White, Luxe Black, and Urban Olive colorways.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Powering the device is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. You should not confuse it though with the more superior Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

Moreover, it has a 6500mAh battery paired with 90W wired charging plus 40W wireless charging that the newer V70 series lacks.. It also features a vapor chamber cooling system for sustained performance.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

The phone runs OriginOS 6 with cross-device features and promises five years of OS updates, seven years of security patches, and long-term smooth performance.

The vivo X300 FE also carries IP68 and IP69 ratings for dust and water resistance.

Pricing and availability will depend on the region.

News

Lenovo’s Legion is coming back to the gaming phone segment

The new Legion Y70 is launching in China next month.

Published

April 15, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Last year, the gaming phone segment received a huge blow when ASUS pulled the plug on the ROG Phone. Another brand is ready to take its place, though. Lenovo has been teasing the return of the Legion Phone. Lenovo’s gaming-centric brand is releasing the refreshed Legion Y70 in May.

Lenovo picks up where it last left off. Back in 2022, the brand launched the original Y70 in different circumstances. Most especially, it launched in a market with heavy competition from the ROG Phone. Now that the latter has called it quits, Lenovo is ready to step in.

And yes, according to a leaked photo, it does look like a Motorola phone, especially with the rear camera design. After all, Lenovo does own Motorola, so the similarities make sense.

In terms of hardware, it’s unknown which piece of hardware will come to the new phone. Since it’s a gaming phone, you can expect some beefy specs for all your gaming needs. Besides that, it’s confirmed that the device will also feature a heavy heaping of AI to help the performance along.

Now, in a Weibo post, Lenovo has confirmed that the new Legion Y70 is coming in May. That said, it will be a China-exclusive release for now. The brand ahs not confirmed whether the phone will arrive in international markets after the initial launch.

Entertainment

Godzilla Minus Zero trailer teases the kaiju’s arrival in New York

The movie premieres in November.

Published

April 15, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Godzilla Minus One was one of my favorite movies in 2023. Only the second live-action Godzilla in the ongoing Reiwa era, Minus One reintroduced the Japanese version of the legendary kaiju to contrast the blockbuster approach of the American Legendary Pictures franchise. Now, the award-winning movie is getting a sequel: Godzilla Minus Zero.

Set as a direct sequel to the 2023 film, Godzilla Minus Zero takes place in 1949, a few years after the events of the past movie. As the end of the last film portends, the eponymous monster survives the catastrophic attack against it. But as to how it survived and what it’s targeting next, we’ll just have to wait and see.

In a newly released teaser trailer, Minus Zero will once again feature the return of the previous film’s Koichi and Noriko. The latter of which is still sporting the scars of surviving Godzilla’s attack on Ginza. Koichi, however, finds himself back in the cockpit of a fighter plane to unknown purposes.

That’s not all. Godzilla is apparently ditching the Pacific Ocean for the Atlantic. In a brief scene that will surely become iconic as time goes by, the kaiju traipses gingerly but menacingly past the Statue of Liberty.

Thankfully, it’s not a long wait before we find out what the world’s favorite kaiju is up to this time. Godzilla Minus Zero will premiere in Japanese cinemas on November 3 and American cinemas on November 6.