It hasn’t been a full year when HONOR decided to go break the limits of a conventional smartphone and announced the HONOR POWER with a massive 8000mAh battery.

Eight months in, it seems like the Chinese phone brand is unstoppable as they headline not one, but two smartphones equipped with the world’s first 10,000mAh battery — the HONOR WIN and the WIN RT.

RT or not, here they come!

There are ways to tell each model apart.

First, the vanilla WIN uses the latest-gen Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC. Meanwhile, the RT model is equipped with last year’s Snapdragon 8 Elite — which is still very powerful in the years to come.

Second, the standard WIN unit possesses 80W wireless charging support while the RT variant lacks it.

Lastly, there’s the inclusion of an additional 50MP f/2.4 3x telephoto shooter. That also means the HONOR WIN can zoom up to 100x while the WIN RT is limited to just 20x.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Although the remaining cameras are all similar: 50MP f/1.95 main camera based on Sony’s LYT-700 1/1.56-inch image sensor, a 12MP f/2.2 UWA (Ultra-Wide Angle) lens with a 112-degree FoV (Field of View), and a 50MP f/2.0 selfie camera with 90-degree FoV.

TWIN for the WIN

For the most part, the HONOR WIN twins share similar specs on paper.

As aforementioned, both phones headline the first 10,000mAh battery in a smartphone. Despite that, the phones managed to be thin enough at just 8.3mm.

Specs underneath weren’t compromised. There’s a the high-speed UFS 4.1 storage (ROM) that transfers as fast as 4.2 GB/s. Memory is neither forgotten as it packs either a 12 or 16GB of LPDDR5X Ultra memory (RAM) that can handle speeds of up to 9600 Mbps.

The star of the show has got to be its built-in fan — and it’s actually the industry’s smallest yet fastest fan so far. Then again, another record-breaker for HONOR.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

This built-in fan is responsible for reducing heat build-up when used for extreme tasks — specifically hours of gameplay.

Air intake increases by 10% and blows cold air as low as 7ºC. The aerospace-grade thermal gel in that VC chamber then improves heat dissipation performance by up t0 200%.

Flipping to the front, the phones have a 6.83-inch LTPS OLED Full HD+ display. It was not compromised as it boasts a staggering 185Hz refresh rate. Again goes beyond the 120 ~ 165Hz limit.

Touch sampling rate goes extreme at 3500Hz — making these phones a full-blown gamer’s companion.

Brightness goes as low as 1 nit and maxes out at a blindingly bright 6000 nits. It also supports up to 1.07 Billion Colors as well as the DCI-P3 Wide Color Gamut. Beneath it lies a 3D Ultrasonic Fingerprint Scanner with recognition speed as fast as 0.14 seconds.

Both phones also feature a triple IP68 + IP69 + IP69K water and dust resistance ratings. That additional “K” rating means it can withstand stronger water pressure going through narrower nozzles — especially found in cleaning water jets in the automotive industry.

Pricing and Availability

The HONOR WIN series is available in three color options: Fast Black, Designated Wind, and Not Afraid of Blue.

Here are the specific pricing per configuration:

HONOR WIN

• 12 + 256GB = CNY 3999 (US$ 565 / EUR 485 / GBP 420 / SG$ 730 / MYR 2365 / PhP 32,680 / INR 49,615)
• 12 + 512GB = CNY 4499 (US$ 630 / EUR 545 / GBP 475 / SG$ 820 / MYR 2660 / PhP 36,765 / INR 55,815)
• 16 + 512GB = CNY 4799 (US$ 670 / EUR 570 / GBP 500 / SG$ 870 / MYR 2840 / PhP 38,700 / INR 59,730)
• 16 + 1TB = CNY 5299 (US$ 745 / EUR 635 / GBP 560 / SG$ 960 / MYR 3130 / PhP 42,730 / INR 65,950)

HONOR WIN RT

• 12 + 256GB = CNY 2699 (US$ 380 / EUR 325 / GBP 280 / SG$ 480 / PhP 21,490 / INR 32,370) 
• 16 + 256GB = CNY 2999 (US$ 420 / EUR 360 / GBP 310 / SG$ 535 / PhP 23,880 / INR 35,965)
• 12 + 512GB = CNY 3099 (US$ 430 / EUR 375 / GBP 320 / SG$ 555 / PhP 24,675 / INR 37,165)
• 16 + 512GB = CNY 3399 (US$ 475 / EUR 410 / GBP 350 / SG$ 610 / PhP 27,060 / INR 40,765)
• 16 + 1TB = CNY 3999 (US$ 565 / EUR 485 / GBP 420 / SG$ 730 / MYR 2365 / PhP 32,680 / INR 49,615)

* These are only estimated pricing conversions

As per usual, China-first phone announcements don’t indicate global availability. Hopefully, HONOR brings it to more markets who desire these power-packed specs.

Just when we thought brands are getting ready for the next year, Xiaomi wraps up their 2025 by announcing the Xiaomi 17 Ultra at the very last minute — specifically right during the Christmas Day.

New Camera Champ?

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra isn’t called “Ultra” for no major reason. Xiaomi’s all-new flagship boasts a mighty camera system in partnership with Leica.

First and foremost, there’s the Leica Optical Summilux High Speed Lens that’s backed by a 50MP f/1.67 main shooter powered by OmniVision’s biggest and baddest 1-inch LightHunter 1050L image sensor.

ICYMI, the the Xiaomi 17 Pro and Pro Max feature a smaller 1/1.28-inch LightHunter 950L sensor.

Furthermore, Xiaomi brings back that dual variable aperture they have removed from the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. However this time, they have incorporated it into the latest telephoto camera instead of the main sensor.

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra highlights its 200MP telephoto shooter with a 1/1.4-inch Samsung ISOCELL HPE sensor and an adjustable aperture of f/2.39 ~ 2.96.

It also has a “continuous optical zoom” feature between 3.2x to 4.3x range (75mm to 100mm equivalent).

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

And for the first time, there’s Leica’s APO Optical Certification.

Ultra-wide angle camera is capped at 50MP f/2.2 with a 115-degree FoV (Field of View).

Macro shooting is possible on both the UWA and telephoto modes with minimum shooting distance of 5cm and 30cm respectively.

Front-facing camera is also a 50MP f/2.2 shooter but with a 90-degree FoV.

When it comes to video recording, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is capable of shooting up to 8K / 30fps or up to 120fps in 4K resolution.

Toning it down to 1080p Full HD or 720p will give better slo-mo options ranging between 120, 240, 480, 960, and 1920fps.

Full-Fledged Flagship

As expected, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra runs the latest and greatest from Qualcomm: the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 3nm SoC.

That’s paired with either a 12/16GB of LPDDR5X memory plus a 512GB or 1TB of UFS 4.1 high-speed storage.

Display is never forgotten. It has a 6.9-inch AMOLED 120Hz 2D display with Superpixel technology.

It’s promised to be sharper than a 2K Pentile display. It’s also more battery efficient with its smaller 1.5K display resolution. Brightness levels can even go as low 1 nit.

Other pro-grade display features include the DCI-P3 Wide Color Gamut, DC Dimming, as well as support for HDR Vivid, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision content.

Weirdly, despite that massive display, the Ultra variant only has a 6800mAh Si/C battery. For context, the base 17 and 17 Pro Max are equipped with 7000mAh and 7500mAh respectively.

That can be topped up either via 90W wired HyperCharge or 50W wireless HyperCharge standards. USB-C PD, QC, and PPS wired charging protocols are supported as well for non-Xiaomi chargers.

For data transfers, it has USB-C 3.2 Gen2 support for faster speeds of up to 10Gbps.

Durability-wise, the front is protected by Xiaomi’s Longjing Glass 3.0. That’s then backed by the flagship-grade triple IP resistance rating: IP66, IP68, and IP69.

Xiaomi was also able to trim down the 17 Ultra’s waist to just 8.29mm (versus 15 Ultra’s 9.3mm). This makes their slimmest Ultra flagship so far.

Lastly, it runs Xiaomi’s latest HyperOS 3 with all the new Android features and AI tools in mind. Cross-compatibility with Apple’s iOS, iPadOS, and macOS weren’t left behind.

Leica Limited

With the continuous partnership of the major Chinese AIoT brand and Germany’s premium camera maker, they have also launched a limited Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica.

The original Leica team was involved when making this Limited Edition unit. Thus, the inspiration of Leica M-series cameras.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

That dual-tone back panel incorporates a textured leather for added grip. The mid-frame then has the “LEICA CAMERA GERMANY” engraving that provides added anti-slip grip.

And, for the first time in forever, the signature Leica red dot badge is placed at the side of the camera instead of Xiaomi’s “Ultra” branding.

But, the highlight of the show has got to be the Leica Camera Ring*. This is their way of putting the focus ring directly onto the Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s circular camera bump, mimicking how mirrorless camera lenses work when focusing prior shooting.

It’s also user-customizable as settings can be set between switching into different focal lengths, change f-stop (aperture), EV (Exposure Value), even triggering the camera app by fast-twisting the mechanism when locked.

Xiaomi and Leica made it possible by embedding 20 high-strength ball bearings and an internal optical displacement sensor. Those not only gives the tactility, it also gives smooth, fast, and precise focusing.

* FYI, don’t expect this feature to be in the regular Ultra units. This is only limited to the Leica variant.

It doesn’t stop there! It also features an exclusive Leica Essential Mode. This recreates the looks of the iconic Leica M3 and M9 cameras.

As for the process itself, it’s never simple. Xiaomi trained a “RAW-to-RGB” Style Transfer model which gives the closest authentic look possible (such as the Leica MONOPAN 50 film) — more than what regular filters provide.

Lastly, Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica introduces the mobile industry’s first CAI Photo Authenticity Protection technology.

It just means that in a photo taken with a digital signature, the original attributes are also stored in the phone’s dedicated security chip. This further ensures that the photograph was really taken through the lenses of the special phone and not by Generative AI.

Pricing and Availability

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra comes in Black, White, Cold Smoke Purple, and Starry Sky Green colorways.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

The latest smartphones comes in three configurations:

• 12 + 512GB = CNY 6999 (US$ 980 / EUR 835 / GBP 730 / SG$ 1260 / MYR 4130 / PhP 56,440 / INR 87,110)
• 16 + 512GB = CNY 7499 (US$ 1100 / EUR 900 / GBP 780 / SG$ 1345 / PhP 59,590 / INR 90,980)
• 16 + 1TB = CNY 8499 (US$ 1185 / EUR 1020 / GBP 870 / SG$ 1520 / PhP 67,670 / INR 101,930)

Leica Limited Edition is then available in Black or Off-White duotone shades with only two configurations:

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

* These are only estimated pricing conversions

The phone will be on-sale in Mainland China starting December 27, 2025 at 10AM. Global availability, just like Ultra releases of the past, were never mentioned.

Hopefully, they will consider international markets this time.

Capcom Singapore has announced an official collaboration with Mapua University in the Philippines, as well as Prime Manpower to develop an innovative educational program themed around ‘Games, Intellectual Property & Digital Culture.’

The partnership aims to leverage Capcom’s expertise in game business and Intellectual Property (IP) education cultivated in Japan to create an international model for talent development.

It aims to start in the Philippines before extending across the ASEAN region. The initiative will launch with a signing ceremony on January 26, 2026, followed by a special lecture the next day.

Planned topics for the first special lecture are:

• Intellectual property rights related to creations in game development, including
  characters, music, programs, and game systems
• How game IP expands into merchandise, anime, movies, e-sports, licensing, and
  other business areas
• The importance of IP protection and IP strategy in the global market

This lecture will be headed by speaker Motoki Okuyama, the general manager of Capcom’s Intellectual Property Department.

Through classes, project-based learning (PBL), and internships, the program will nurture creators, engineers, and business professionals for the global gaming industry. It will also promote the study of intellectual property.

Meanwhile, both Mapua University and Prime Manpower will likewise leverage their strengths to jointly design and implement practical programs that connect education, industry, and career pathways.

Specifically, the university will design and manage courses and curriculum. It will also support student projects and collaborative research initiatives, as well as enhance the learning environment through on-campus facilities and resources.

On the other hand, Prime Manpower will connect students with the industry. This creates internship opportunities and networking in general. There will also be career support programs for students and graduates.