Sony has announced two new native 4K laser home cinema projectors, powered by the innovative BRAVIA XR Processor for projector. This cutting-edge processor optimizes Sony’s renowned BRAVIA TV video processing for projection, ensuring exceptional image quality and a truly immersive cinematic experience. These new projectors are the first models to join Sony’s comprehensive BRAVIA home cinema lineup, which also includes BRAVIA 9, 8, and 7 series TVs, as well as BRAVIA Theatre home audio products. By unifying these products under a single brand, Sony aims to provide customers with a one-stop destination for the ultimate home cinema experience, combining stunning visuals and captivating sound.

The two new native 4K HDR laser projectors are the first to utilize the XR Processor for Projector in Sony’s home cinema projector lineup. This powerful processor enables four key picture features: XR Dynamic Tone Mapping, XR Deep Black, XR TRILUMINOS PRO, and XR Clear Image.  XR Dynamic Tone Mapping analyzes peak brightness frame by frame, delivering optimal tone mapping for rich gradations, high brightness, and brilliant colours.

XR Deep Black controls laser dimming in dark scenes, ensuring deeper blacks while maintaining tone and colour expression. XR TRILUMINOS PRO brings over a billion colours to life. XR Clear Image intelligently upscales all imagery to 4K quality, recreating lost texture and detail while minimizing noise.

These projectors are equipped with Sony’s unique Laser light source, offering enhanced brightness in a compact and lightweight design. The BRAVIA Projector 9 delivers 3,400 lumens, while the BRAVIA Projector 8 offers 2,700 lumens. For gamers, the 4K 120fps at a 12ms input lag, plus Auto Low Latency Mode via 2x HDMI 2.1 compatible inputs, provides smooth and clear movement for responsive and immersive gameplay. The BRAVIA Projector 9 is also equipped with Live Color Enhancer for more vivid and vibrant images in brighter environments.

Sony’s commitment to sustainability continues with these new models. XR Deep Black optimally controls laser output frame by frame to improve power efficiency, and both models feature a mercury-free laser light source. BRAVIA Projectors 9 and 8 Key Features:

1. Cutting-edge design and compact Native 4K Laser home cinema projector for seamless integration.
2. Brighter lumens (3,400 & 2,700) for optimal picture quality in various lighting conditions.
3. Powered by XR Processor for a projector for professional-grade cinematic, sports, and gaming experiences.
4. 4K/120 fps and Auto Low-Latency Mode with HDMI 2.1 for enhanced gaming performance.
5. Compatible with home automation solutions and remote maintenance services for easy control.
6. Corner Keystone correction and lens shift functions for flexible installation.
7. Live Color Enhancer (BRAVIA Projector 9) for more vivid and vibrant images.

The HONOR Magic V3 is the newest contender in the foldable smartphone arena, striving to set new standards with its innovative design, superior build quality, impressive display, advanced camera system, AI capabilities, robust internal specs, outstanding performance, long battery life, and excellent value for money. Let’s explore each feature to see how it measures up.

Design and Build Quality
The HONOR Magic V3 stands out as a marvel of modern engineering, claiming the title of the slimmest and lightest book-style foldable phone available. Building on the success of its predecessor, the HONOR Magic V3 sets a new industry standard with its impressively slim folded thickness of just 9.2mm, comparable to a regular flagship bar phone.

This feat is achieved using 19 innovative materials and 114 microstructures. The HONOR Magic V3’s design boasts timeless aesthetics, featuring a dome-shaped octagonal camera module inspired by classic architecture. Available in three nature-inspired colours—Reddish Brown, Green, and Black—it adds a touch of elegance to its overall appeal. The variant reviewed here is the Green variant.

The proprietary HONOR Super Steel Hinge guarantees the device can withstand up to 500,000 folding cycles and has earned the SGS Durability Certification. To further enhance its resilience against accidental drops, the display features the HONOR Super Armored Inner Screen and HONOR Anti-scratch NanoCrystal Shield, offering additional protection for both screens.

Display Quality
The Magic V3 boasts two impressive OLED displays. It features a 6.43-inch external display and 7.92-inch internal foldable display, offering immersive dual-use functionality. The foldable also comes with an AI Defocus Display technology to alleviate nearwork-induced transient myopia (NITM). HONOR claims that the on-device AI can simulate retina defocus effects for myopia control.

In addition, the HONOR Magic V3 features a comprehensive set of AI-powered, human-centric eye-comfort innovations, including 4320Hz Risk-free PWM Dimming, Dynamic Dimming, Circadian Night Display, and Nature Tone Display. The inner screen offers a resolution of 2344-by-2156 pixels and an aspect ratio of 9.78:9. The outer screen meanwhile offers a resolution of 2376-by-1060 pixels and an aspect ratio of 20:9.

The inner display is nearly crease-free, marking a significant improvement over earlier foldable models. The colours are vivid, and the brightness levels are more than sufficient for outdoor use.

Camera Quality
The HONOR Magic V3’s camera setup is impressive, featuring a 50MP wide lens with an aperture of f/1.6 and OIS, a 50MP telephoto lens with an aperture of f/3.0 and OIS, and a 40MP ultrawide lens with an aperture of f/2.2. The camera app comes with a wide range of shooting modes such as AI photography, Super Wide Angle, Aperture, Night, Portrait mode, Photo, Pro mode, Video, Panorama, Filter, Watermark, Scan Document, Super Macro, Capture smiles, Time-lapse, Timer, Movie, Slow-MO, and Story.

The camera performance is excellent, thanks to large sensors and wide apertures that excel in low-light photography. The Studio Harcourt portrait effects – such as Harcourt Vibrant, Harcourt Color, and Harcourt Classic – first seen on the HONOR 200 Pro, are also available, making this phone a strong contender for the best foldable camera phone.

The device also boasts AI-enhanced photography features, including HONOR AI Motion Sensing and the HONOR AI Portrait Engine. The AI Portrait Engine captures stunning optical portrait shots with a natural bokeh effect.

AI Features
The HONOR Magic V3 integrates both on-device and cloud AI innovations to deliver a convenient and intelligent user experience. Running on MagicOS 8.0.1 based on Android 14, it features Magic Portal on Foldable, which uses on-device AI to understand the user and provide tailored recommendations.

The AI capabilities include intelligent photo enhancements, scene recognition, and real-time translation. Additionally, the AI optimises battery performance and manages background processes to ensure smooth and efficient operation. These features make the HONOR Magic V3 not only a powerful device but also an intelligent one.

The HONOR Magic V3 also leverages on-device AI to provide habit-based app recommendations on the homepage and organises your pages by app types. It also features Parallel Space, enabling you to operate dual-space apps independently, as if you had two phones. The HONOR Magic V3 is equipped with three bespoke chips that work together to enhance fluency, stability, battery optimisation, and hardware-level security.

Internal Specifications
Beneath its sleek exterior, the HONOR Magic V3 is driven by the cutting-edge Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, paired with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. This powerful combination ensures the device can effortlessly handle everything from multitasking to gaming. Additionally, the phone is equipped with a substantial 5,150mAh battery, supporting 66W wired HONOR SuperCharge and 50W wireless charging, allowing for quick and convenient recharging.

Performance
The AI performance of the HONOR Magic V3 is impressive. Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and enhanced by HONOR’s AI optimisations, the device runs smoothly and efficiently. The AI features boost camera performance, optimise battery life, and effectively manage background processes. This makes the Magic V3 a smart and efficient device that adapts seamlessly to your usage patterns. The device provides a smooth and intuitive user experience, even during gaming sessions.

The HONOR Magic V3 also supports the HONOR Magic-Pen on both its internal and external displays, allowing you to write, draw, and annotate. The Magic-Pen also enhances precision, especially in art and text editing scenarios. Additionally, you can seamlessly switch between the internal and external displays without needing to set the HONOR Magic-Pen aside, ensuring a continuous and uninterrupted experience.

Battery Life
The battery life of the HONOR Magic V3 is also pretty good. As mentioned earlier, the HONOR Magic V3 comes with the ultra-large 5150mAh third-generation HONOR Silicon-carbon Battery which ensures reliable performance and exceptional battery life. Plus, its fast charging capabilities offer quick recharges when necessary.

Verdict
The HONOR Magic V3 sets new benchmarks in the foldable smartphone market with its ultra-thin design, impressive displays, powerful performance, and advanced AI features, making it a compelling choice for tech enthusiasts. The HONOR Magic V3 comes with a premium price tag, which aligns with its high-end features and specifications.

It delivers excellent performance, a stunning design, and impressive camera capabilities. While the cost may be a barrier for some, those seeking a top-tier foldable phone will find the Magic V3 to be a worthwhile investment. Overall, the HONOR Magic V3 is a strong contender in the foldable phone market and worth considering if you’re looking for a premium foldable device. The HONOR Magic V3 thus walks away with the Gadget Voize Editors’ Choice Award.

Price: AED 6899

Huawei is gearing up for a highly anticipated product launch on 19 September, with a series of innovative products, from wearables to tablets, set to be unveiled. As such, everyone is eager to see what Huawei has in store, amidst the wide array of choices available with high expectations for innovative features and cutting-edge technologies for their next smart device purchase.

New HUAWEI WATCH GT series on the horizon?
One of the major highlights of the upcoming launch event is the anticipation of the HUAWEI WATCH GT 5 series. The new series is expected to feature the recently unveiled HUAWEI TruSense System, which promises to enhance health and fitness tracking with more precise and comprehensive data. Introduced in August, the HUAWEI TruSense System also support emotional health-related functions, a potential game-changer in wearable tech. And there is speculation that the new HUAWEI WATCH GT 5 series will incorporate this feature.

When it comes to design, the new HUAWEI WATCH GT 5 series is expected to prioritise fashion and versatility. Teasers on Huawei’s social media have hinted at sharp-edged geometric designs crafted from premium materials, like metallic titanium alloy and white ceramic, promising a stylish and innovative design.

The Next Swing For Ultimate
Another anticipated release is the new edition of the HUAWEI WATCH Ultimate, which, based on teasers, is expected to introduce features focused on golf. This comes at a time when there’s a growing demand for wearables with specialised features tailored to users’ hobbies and fitness activities. Teasers have also offered a sneak peek at a Dual-Colour Bezel design.

Next-Generation Blood Pressure Monitor
Speculations are that the next-generation blood pressure monitoring will be launched in the form of HUAWEI WATCH D 2, following teasers on Huawei’s social media. Huawei has suggested a focus on expanding health-tracking capabilities during the HUAWEI TruSense System launch, with media reports indicating it may introduce ABPM (Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring) in its wearable devices.

This could potentially make it the world’s first smartwatch to support dynamic blood pressure monitoring, a game-changer for users concerned about their health and blood pressure. The last major release in this area was the HUAWEI WATCH D back in 2021, which was EU CE medical certified and praised for its blood pressure measurement capabilities.

An update to the MatePad series
Huawei has continuously developed and launched an impressive array of ground-breaking tablets. Two new tablets are likely to be debuted during the launch event, the HUAWEI MatePad Pro and HUAWEI MatePad12 X.

Notable upgrade for the HUAWEI MatePad Pro is the inclusion of Tandem OLED PaperMatte Display, which boasts anti-glare capabilities, eye-soothing properties, a pen-on-paper writing experience, and performance improvements across the board. Additionally, an upgraded HUAWEI Glide Keyboard is expected, which may bring an innovative stylus storage design with seamless connectivity.