A popular story among Chinese smartphone brands is whenever a sub-brand spinning off into its own independent entity. A less common one is when an independent entity suddenly merges back into the main entity. And yet, that’s the story we have today. realme is reportedly going back to being a sub-brand of OPPO.

If you don’t remember realme’s time as a sub-brand, then it’s hardly your fault. It’s been a long while since realme was considered a sub-brand. In 2018, the brand spun off on its own to form one of the most popular names in the Chinese smartphone space.

Today, via Leiphone, realme will return to OPPO as a sub-brand. Current realme CEO Sky Li will still retain his responsibilities heading the brand. Plus, all products on the current release schedule will still come out as planned.

However, starting this year, realme will start reintegrating back into OPPO, particularly through the latter’s after-sales programs. OnePlus will also follow the same structure going forward.

Currently, realme has not officially announced the move. That said, we also don’t know how the brand will address the reported change. It’s possible that the shift is just internal and has no effect on how the brand faces the public. For now, only time will tell.

SEE ALSO: realme C85 with 7000mAh battery, 5G connectivity officially launches

When the Nintendo Switch 2 and its almost-all-black Joy-Cons launched, you might have wondered about how the dual controllers will rock other colors. After all, the original Switch’s ecosystem constantly tempted users with quirky color options. Because the Switch 2 uses a black shell, will future Joy-Cons look just as tempting? Now, we have our answer.

Today, Nintendo has announced its first color variant for the Switch 2 Joy-Con. We should have seen this coming, but the new variant will not have a completely redesigned shell. Instead, the controller will change the colors of the inner rails and the rings around the joysticks. This pair will rock light purple for the left Joy-Con and light green for the right one.

It’s a tad bit disappointing, especially when you’re comparing it to the previous model. It’s practically impossible to rep the new colors out in public because the inner rails are hidden by the Switch 2. It also doesn’t help that the console itself will still have its red and blue colors, clashing with the new variant.

That said, the Joy-Cons still look pretty cool when separated from the console. But it all depends on when the console gets more games that use only a single Joy-Con.

Thankfully, that’s coming soon. The color variant will launch alongside the upcoming Mario Tennis Fever, the perfect game for single Joy-Cons. Both will come out on February 12.

The new colors will sell for an eye-watering US$ 99.99.

SEE ALSO: Yes, someone made a fries holder for your Nintendo Switch 2

The HONOR Magic8 Pro has officially launched in the United Kingdom, expanding the company’s latest flagship smartphone’s presence in global markets.

The device is available in Sunrise Gold, Sky Cyan, and Black and a lone 12GB+512GB configuration for £ 1099.99.

In addition, the HONOR Magic8 Lite variant in Forest Green, Midnight Black, and Reddish Brown is available for £ 399.99.

Flagship mobile photography

The HONOR Magic8 Pro brings flagship photography to one’s fingertips. With the latest advancements in its AiMAGE Camera System, users can expect an elevated experience with clarity, stability, and creative control powered by AI.

The phone is comprised of the following cameras:

•  1/1.4-inch 200MP Ultra Night Telephoto camera, f/2.6, OIS, 3.7x optical zoom
• 50MP Ultra Night Main Camera, f/1.6, OIS
• 50MP Ultra-Wide Camera, 2.5cm HD Macro, 122°

Specifically, the AI telephoto system is said to be the industry’s most advanced to date. Powered by HONOR’s AI Adaptive Stabilization Model, users can get up to seven times better zoomed images.

The Magic8 Pro also achieves the most stable CIPA 5.5-level and a 4x improvement in shake detection accuracy.

The camera package also debuts Magic Color, an AI-powered color engine. It relies on advanced deep learning algorithms to extract 16.77 million colors.

Users can recreate cinematic styles, apply professional film tones, or build personalized templates from any reference image. These can then be used directly in the camera via Magic Portal.

AI Photos Agent

Meanwhile, the recently previewed AI Photos Agent also enables one-tap or voice-based operations. The AI-powered editing suite includes features like AI Eraser, AI Outpainting, AI Color, and AI Cutout.

A new AI Button, a dedicated key independent from the power button, is mapped by default to launch the Camera with a double press, even from a locked screen.

Users can customize its gestures to access HONOR AI, AI Settings Agent, AI Photos Agent, and other features.

Power, endurance, performance

The HONOR Magic8 Pro is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor. With Low-Bit Quantization Technology, the phone is efficient and packed with computing power especially for AI tasks.

Inside is a 6,270mAh battery with support for 100W wired and 80W wireless HONOR SuperCharge. In front is a 6.71-inch 120Hz LTPO OLED display with adaptive refresh rate and up to 6,000 nits brightness.

Of course, this display is is integrated with a Chip-Level AI Defocus Display and more advanced features for eye care.

The phone runs on MagicOS 10 while HONOR AI delivers a balanced mix of creativity, reasoning, and contextual task handling with the help of Google Gemini for cloud-based reasoning.

Intelligent experience

MagicOS 10 introduces a translucent visual style that is airy and readable throughout navigating the phone.

Cross-platform collaboration is enhanced with an upgraded HONOR Share, which supports transfers between Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows devices.

In addition, the phone offers the most comprehensive device cloning capability among similar devices. That migration goes for even iPhones, including contacts, calendars, photos, notes, and more.

HONOR AI can intelligently decipher on-screen content, interpret natural commands, and act directly across system settings and applications.

A long press of the AI Button can also let users access AI Screen Suggestions. These intelligently adapt to current scenarios and can activate further features like AI Photos Agent and AI Deepfake Detection.

Moreover, the Magic Sidebar offers one-swipe and hold access to HONOR AI, Magic Portal, and more capabilities.

For gaming, the GPU-NPU Heterogeneous AI super-resolution and frame-generation technology helps transform low-resolution, low-frame rate gameplay into a sharper, smoother, and more immersive visual experience.

SEE ALSO: 

• HONOR Magic8 Pro review
• We took the HONOR Magic8 Pro to a TWICE concert