News

HONOR X7d now official

Tough new budget phone with AI smarts, massive battery

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HONOR X7d

HONOR Philippines has officially launched the new HONOR X7d. It’s a durable entry-level smartphone that brings premium AI features to the budget segment. Priced from PhP 7,299, the phone is available for pre-order until October 24, 2025, with a free HONOR Camping Light Speaker worth PhP 4,999 for early buyers at HONOR Experience and Partner Stores.

According to HONOR Philippines VP Stephen Cheng, the X7d “sets a new standard for affordable smartphones by offering enhanced durability, powerful performance, and smart AI features.”

Built to survive everyday mishaps

The HONOR X7d boasts 5-star Premium Drop Protection, earning an SGS certification for drop and crush resistance of up to 1.8 meters. Its reinforced “Bulletproof Vest” corners and Cushioning Architecture help it endure everyday knocks and drops.

The device is also IP65-rated for water resistance, meaning it can handle light rinsing and splashes. HONOR says the X7d can even survive being submerged in half a meter of water for up to a minute. With Wet-hand Touch Enhancement, the screen remains responsive even with damp or greasy fingers.

Big battery, smarter performance

Powering the X7d is a 6,500mAh dual-cell battery, claimed to be one of the largest in its class. HONOR says it offers five years of durable performance with multi-point temperature monitoring to ensure safety between -20°C and 55°C.

It supports 35W HONOR SuperCharge, which quickly refuels the battery for all-day use. The dual-cell design not only extends battery life but also improves stability and charging speed—ideal for users always on the go.

New AI button for quick smart actions

The Instant AI Button is a standout addition. A single press can open a custom app or clean background tasks, while a long press activates AI functions like AI Translation and AI Creation.

Running on MagicOS 9.0 based on Android 15, the phone also integrates Magic Capsule, Magic Portal, and Google Gemini Assistant. Other AI features include AI Outpainting, AI Upscale, and AI Cutout—tools designed to simplify creative and productivity tasks.

AI-powered photography made simple

The HONOR X7d features a 108MP Ultra-Clear Main Camera with 3x lossless zoom and three portrait modes: Environmental (1x), Atmospheric (2x), and Close-up (3x). AI-assisted tools like AI Eraser, AI Remove Reflection, and AI Style enhance photos on the fly, helping users get polished shots straight from the phone.

Ample storage and smooth multitasking

The phone offers up to 512GB of storage, enough for photos, apps, and videos. It also comes with HONOR RAM Turbo Technology, combining 8GB physical RAM with 8GB virtual memory for smoother multitasking.

Price and availability

The HONOR X7d (512GB) retails for PhP 9,999 and includes a free HONOR Camping Light Speaker worth PhP 4,999 during the pre-order period from October 14–24, 2025.

The 256GB variant is priced at PhP 7,299, available exclusively online via:

News

Is the Pixel 11 copying a feature from Nothing?

A new ad is hinting at something like the Glyph interface.

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August 12 cannot come soon enough. On that date, Google is set to launch the upcoming Pixel 11 series. There isn’t much to indicate that the brand is changing the formula this year. Now, a rampant rumor, now seemingly confirmed by Google’s own ad, is hinting that a popular feature from Nothing is making its way to the Pixel.

Besides the transparent rear, Nothing prides itself with numerous iterations of the Glyph interface, a lighting system that serves as customized notifications for your phone. It’s mostly a novelty, but the feature is a unique take in a smartphone market plagued with too much sameness. It looks like Google wants to take a page from that same notebook.

For a while now, it’s been rumored that Google is adopting a version of the feature for the Pixel 11 series. The so-called Pixel Glow will reportedly add a light-based notification feature. Now, Google itself has seemingly confirmed the rumors.

In a new ad, titled “The Obvious Next Move,” Google is teasing a new feature coming to the flagship series. Though the ad leaves the feature untitled and without a description, it’s clear that it’s a circular glowing thing similar to Nothing’s take. The glowing thing is right on the Pixel’s iconic camera bar, just like Nothing.

But again, Google didn’t name the feature. However, if it helps, the ad says that we already use the Pixel for Gmail, Maps, Search, Calendar, and Docs, so the next evolution is whatever is depicted in this ad. August 12 really cannot come soon enough.

SEE ALSO: Google will host its Pixel 11 event on August 12

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News

HONOR debuts refreshed brand identity ahead of Robot Phone launch

New imaging engine announced; HONOR, ARRI team up to bring cinematic workflow to mobile creation

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Ahead of the launch of its Robot Phone, HONOR has revealed a refreshed brand identity, including a new logo and the slogan “Dare to Be.”

The brand new logo represents breaking through an endless circle, as mentioned on the description in HONOR’s posts.

It’s about forging a path unlike any other, and continuously innovating instead of settling. This way, it also represents HONOR’s long-term vision for the AI era and its ambition to build an intelligent ecosystem that extends beyond smartphones.

The HONOR Robot Phone is set to launch in China on August 12. It will officially bring an entirely new form factor for smartphones, designed to redefine the relationship between AI and mobile devices.

More recently in Hengdian, China, HONOR hosted the HONOR Imaging Technology Launch where the company introduced its latest mobile imaging technologies.

During the event, HONOR introduced the Optics-Intelligence Evolution principle behind its imaging strategy.

It also showcased its HONOR AiMAGE chip-device-cloud imaging engine, and announced a joint imaging technology lab with ARRI.

New AiMAGE imaging engine

Instead of only focusing on camera specifications, HONOR is building a more complete mobile imaging technology system across professional image capture, AI-powered processing, cinematic color science, and creator-focused workflows.

To support such workflows, HONOR has built a chip-device-cloud AiMAGE imaging engine. This connects the full imaging chain from physical capture to intelligent creation.

HONOR is developing a self-developed Transformer-based native AI ISP to reconstruct the image processing pipeline from the ground up.

This works alongside a next-generation pixel array and EVS sensor technology, designed to improve original image capture.

On the device side, HONOR is combining physical imaging hardware with real-time algorithms. As with the upcoming HONOR Robot Phone, there’s a titanium alloy three-axis gimbal, precision sensing hardware optical technologies, and real-time image processing algorithms.

Lastly, on the cloud side, HONOR is expanding imaging capabilities through RAW-domain image enhancement, spatial imaging technologies, and Imaging Agent tools.

ARRI image science, professional workflows for mobile creation

Furthermore, the partnership with ARRI enables HONOR to integrate selected elements of professional cinema workflow into mobile imaging.

This includes ARRI LogC3, ARRI Wide Gamut 3, and ARRI Looks. These bring a more professional color and workflow foundation to the Robot Phone.

Unlike simple filters, LogC3 and Looks are part of a professional imaging workflow. The former is designed to preserve more brightness and color information for post-production.

Meanwhile, Wide Gamut 3 provides broader color space. ARRI Looks, on the other hand, helps creators apply controlled cinematic styles.

Together, these add-ons support a workflow that gives creators greater flexibility from capture to editing, while helping mobile footage retain more creative information.

To deepen the connection, HONOR and ARRI have also announced a joint imaging technology lab.

This will focus on three key areas:

  • sensor-level optics and dynamic range;
  • end-to-end cinema industry workflow from capture to post-production; and
  • imaging realism and aesthetic standards in the AI era
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Entertainment

UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony hits Makati in October

Determination arrives in October.

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For so small of a game, UNDERTALE quickly made it into the gaming world’s hall of fame. Despite being only a decade old, the small title has had a major influence for modern-day gamers because of its unique gameplay, its lo-fi art, and, of course, its catchy soundtrack. If you’re a fan of UNDERTALE’s soundtrack, a unique concert experience is headed your way.

On October 17, Film Concerts PH, in partnership with SOHO Live, is hosting UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony at the Proscenium Theater in Rockwell, Makati.

The concert will be performed by the Filharmonika Orchestra and conducted by Thanapol Setabrahmana. Personally curated by creator Toby Fox and developed by Lambert Jackson with Materia Music, the concert experience showcases the game’s most recognizable tunes laid over gameplay footage playing simultaneously. Plus, for the world tour, the experience will have expanded scoring.

In the game, you play as a small child stuck in the mysterious Underground filled with interesting characters and monsters. Unlike traditional RPGs, UNDERTALE asks players to choose between building relationships and chasing after wins. It’s a unique experience that’s defined by whether you chose to make friends or fought your way to the top. It teaches players to value different ways to solve problems, all while showering them with its one-of-a-kind humor.

Pre-sales for the concert, exclusively for members of the Film Concerts PH community, start on August 4. Public sales, however, will start on August 11 via Ticketmelon.

SEE ALSO: The hunt begins: The Witcher in Concert hits Manila with surprises in tow

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