Soccer’s governing body isn’t at its most popular right now, from price gouging complaints to allegedly breaking its own rules giving a “peace prize” to Donald Trump. But hey, it’s a World Cup year, so you can’t blame it for trying its luck with this branded version of last year’s regular Motorola Razr.
The Verge’s Dominic Preston got a look at a static prototype of the phone this week, but unlike Boston Dynamics’ Spot robots, the phone’s fancy camera didn’t move. In case you missed the announcement for the Robot Phone and its gimbal camera (which is apparently intelligent), check out this video for a recap of what we know so far.
I only got to see (and not touch) a prototype, and the fold-out gimbal camera wasn’t operational. So it’s strictly TBC what the Robot Phone will actually do, but Honor did tell me this is no concept: after the full launch at MWC next month it will go on sale — but only in China.
There’s been a surprising development.
This China-only Android phone is the first to include the feature, along with just about every other type of cooling tech, including fans, a heatsink, and a vapor chamber, all topped by the blue liquid cooling system.
According to iFixit, however, all that cooling didn’t make up for the RedMagic 11 Pro’s limited repair options.
One of Google’s new Android updates is the beta for Call Reason, which allows callers to flag that it’s urgent. Sounds smart, but if you’re below the age of 40, “urgent” might be the only type of call you ever make.
mekalos:
Sorry but if literally anyone I know is calling me instead of texting, it’s already urgent.
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Wondering how to use the extra screen space in Samsung’s new Galaxy Z TriFold? Don’t worry, we’ve got it figured out.
airpower:
Finally, a device that lets me watch TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts all at the same time.
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In Honor’s defense, the China-only 500 and 500 Pro aren’t especially thin phones, so they’re not cribbing on the iPhone Air in that sense. But that camera module has certainly been copying some of Apple’s homework.
When Honor first revealed its outlandishly named Robot Phone — really a smartphone with a flip-out DJI Osmo Pocket-esque camera arm built into the back — it was only in a slick CGI video. Now it’s shown off prototype hardware at its Honor User Carnival in China, suggesting this concept is one step closer to reality.
Years of irate comments have hammered home that not all our readers want us to cover politics. And hey, I’m just a humble phone reviewer, so I should stick to what I know. Now, let’s see if there are any new players in the phone industry this year...
PierogiPrince:
No more Trump articles! Stick to articles about phones! Wait hang on
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Just... not the actual phones. Instead, it’s 2023’s repairable Fairbuds XL headphones that will go on sale on Amazon this month. As for the excellent Fairphone 6, CEO Raymond van Eck tells me launching that is a “complicated process,” but one he hopes will be sorted “in the near future.”
6
Verge Score
It’s a super-slim phone that doesn’t compromise on battery life.
9
Verge Score
With a 7,500mAh battery, this phone killed my battery anxiety for good.
That’s when the company’s new flagship gets its global launch. We already know what to expect thanks to this week’s China launch event, including a huge 7,300mAh battery and fast 165Hz display, we just don’t know how much it’ll cost in the US and Europe.
