Tag Archives: HONOR

Android, Mobile, News

The HONOR X series Returns with Three New Entries

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HONOR is expanding its offerings once again. The company has been coming out with all the punches this year. This time, after flexing its flagship prowess with the HONOR 50 and the HONOR Magic V, HONOR is looking to the more affordable offerings they were once renown for. They are introducing three new entries into their X series with a little bit of a rename.

HONOR X9 & X9 5G Leads the new X Trio

The new HONOR X series is spearheaded by the Snapdragon 695 touting HONOR X9 5G. It comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. When it comes to the display it comes with a 6.81-inch FullView Display with a 120Hz refresh rate and an FHD+ resolution. The X9 5G comes with a triple camera setup with a 48-megapixel main sensor complemented by a 2-megapixel macro and 2-megapixel depth sensor. Upfront, there is a 16-megapixel sensor for selfies.

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In the case of the HONOR X9, it’s important to mention the 5G moniker as the HONOR X9 also comes without 5G connectivity. The regular X9 comes with the Snapdragon 680 instead. That said, it comes with a more robust quad camera setup. The main sensor is a 64-megapixel main sensor complemented by an 8-megapixel wide sensor, 2-megapixel sensing macro sensor and 2-megapixel sensing depth sensor. The display on the X9 also has a lower refresh rate of 90Hz. Other than these, the HONOR X9 and X9 5G share the same design and specs including a 4,800mAh battery with 66W fast charging with HONOR SuperCharge and USB Type C.

The design of the HONOR X9 series hearkens back to the HUAWEI P40 with the circular accent emblazoned at the back. It also contains the multiple camera sensors and flash that the smartphone comes with. The face of the phone is covered with the HONOR FullView Display with a punch hole for the selfie camera.

HONOR X8 – Putting the Middle in Mid-range

The HONOR X series will also contain the HONOR X8 which touts the same Snapdragon 680 that powers the X9. In all ways, it’s the hybrid of the X9 and X9 5G. It comes with a slightly smaller 6.7-inch FullView display with a 90Hz refresh rate and FHD+ resolution. Aside from this, it also comes with a smaller 4,000mAh battery with support for 22.5W HONOR SuperCharge via USB-C connection.

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All of these specs aside, the HONOR X8 comes with the nearly same camera setup as the HONOR X9. However, it comes with a smaller 5-megapixel wide sensor. That said, it also has a different design language which is more angular than the fluid X9. It also departs from the circular accent in favour of a square module containing all its sensors.

HONOR X7 – Bringing even more affordability

Rounding up the HONOR X series is the HONOR X7. The HONOR X7 comes with the same Snapdragon 680 as its siblings with the same amount of internal storage but a lower 4GB of RAM. It comes with a larger 6.74-inch HONOR FullView Display with an HD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. On the camera front, it comes with the same setup as the X8 albeit having a smaller 8-megapixel selfie camera. It comes with a larger 5,000mAh battery with support for 22.5W HONOR SuperCharge via USB-C.

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The HONOR X7 comes with the familiar design we’ve seen in the HONOR 50 before. However, it comes with a waterdrop display design where the selfie camera is. It’s also not curved like the HONOR 50.

Pricing and Availability

HONOR’s X series will be available starting on 7th April 2022. All members of the HONOR X Series will be launching with EMUI 4 powered by Android 11.

The HONOR X9, X9 5G and X8 will be available in Titanium Silver, Ocean Blue and Midnight Black. It will be available for MYR1,299, MYR1,099 and MYR899 respectively.

The HONOR X7 will be available for MYR699 in Titanium Silver and Ocean Blue.

Computers, Gaming, Lifestyle, News

HONOR Unveils MagicBook V 14 and MagicBook 16 Series with Windows 11

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The last we heard from HONOR, they launched the HONOR 50, their first Android smartphone since they went independent. Because they are no longer associated with HUAWEI the HONOR 50 flagship will ship with Google Play Store on its Android based Magic UI. Of course, they are not going to just stop at making smartphones. They are picking up where they left off when they were still with HUAWEI.

They have a line of notebooks that were affordable and quite desirable. They called them the MagicBook, obviously a reference to their Magic UI for smartphones. Except, the MagicBook devices are not running Android or MagicUI. Instead, the MagicBook series ran Windows 10, and they were quite popular, to say the least.

The last MagicBook is getting dated though carrying an AMD 4000 series processor. If they want to compete, they need to keep their MagicBook updated with the next best thing. They kicked off in a big way though with some of the world’s first Windows 11 notebooks.

HONOR MagicBook V 14

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Source: HONOR

The MagicBook V 14 then is the latest HONOR notebook PC to grace the market and one of the first Microsoft Windows 11 notebooks in the market, and it seems promising. Instead of AMD, the flagship MagicBook V 14 runs Intel’s latest 11th Generation Core i7-11390H (up to) processor. It is an Intel EVO certified platform too, which means you are promised fast boot and long battery life while having enough power to game and edit videos. Of course, your processor is paired with an NVIDIA GeForce MX450 discreet GPU for maximum impact in the video and games department.

The 14.2-inch touch sensitive display boasts 2,520 by 1,680 pixels that covers about 90% of the body. With up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, the MagicBook V 14 is a powerhouse on diet. The 14.5mm thin package weighs in only at 1.48kg. As mentioned, the MagicBook V 14 will come with Microsoft’s latest Windows 11.

HONOR MagicBook 16/16 Pro

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Source: HONOR

The HONOR MagicBook V 14 is a lightweight powerhouse flagship meant to be ultra-portable and ultra-productive for the road-warrior. The HONOR MagicBook 16/16 Pro is a gaming powerhouse for the modern gamer.

With AMD’s latest Ryzen 5000 series processors, the HONOR MagicBook 16 series sets itself up to be one heck of a gaming notebook. With that in mind, HONOR fits the new notebook with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 (up to) and up to 16GB of RAM. With a speedy 512GB of SSD storage, the HONOR MagicBook 16 series will feel like magic running through Windows 11. If course, all that power can also be put to good use in video editing scenarios.

Price and Availability

The HONOR MagicBook V 14 is now available for pre-order in China at a starting price of CN¥ 6,199 (MYR 4,020*). It will be available in Blue Hour, Space Gray, and Mystic Silver colour options. The MagicBook 16 and 16 Pro is also now available for pre-order in China for CN¥ 6,499 (MYR 4,215*) onward. There are no colour options for this one though. There are no confirmed dates on when the new HONOR notebooks will make its step into other markets at this time too. We are keeping a close watch though.

*Approximately based on exchange rate of CN¥ 1 = MYR 6.49 on xe.com as of 28/09/2021

Android, Mobile, News

HONOR Magic3 Series Unveiled with IMAX Camera Enhancements

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HONOR is a brand most well-known for being the affordable arm of HUAWEI. However, that changed over a year ago when the company was spun off to be an independent company challenging what was once its parent company. This year, the company has already launched one flagship as an independent company – the Honor 50 series. HONOR is once again expanding its portfolio with a brand new smartphone.

Better Image and Video with IMAX Enhanced Cameras

Screenshot 2021 08 12 at 21 10 11 150 HONOR Magic 3 Series Global Launch Event YouTube
Source: HONOR Global (YouTube)

The HONOR Magic3 series will consist of three smartphones (for now): the HONOR Magic3, the HONOR Magic3 Pro and the HONOR Magic3 Pro+. These smartphones are the first smartphones on the market to have IMAX enhancements when it comes to imaging. They have capabilities for shooting in exclusive 3D LUT colour grading profiles as well as video recording in LOG format.

Of course, given the hallmark partnership with IMAX, the HONOR Magic3 does have a focus on the camera that powers these features. The HONOR Magic3 comes with a triple camera setup. Its main sensor is a 50-megapixel, SONY IMX 766 sensor with 23mm focal length and an f/1.9 aperture and a wide-angle lens. This is complemented by a 64-megapixel monochrome sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and a 13-megapixel sensor with an ultra-wide-angle lens, 13mm focal length and an f/2.2 aperture. It also has a laser autofocus module. The HONOR Magic3 Pro comes with a four-sensor camera setup. It shares the same setup as the Magic3 with a complement of an additional telephoto sensor with a 64-megapixel periscope sensor with OIS and 3.5x optical zoom and an 8×8 dTOF sensor. The Magic3 Pro+ comes with the same setup as the Magic3 Pro with the 13-megapixel ultra-wide sensor replaced with a 64-megapixel ultra-wide sensor.

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Source: HONOR Global (YouTube)

With the partnership with IMAX, the HONOR Magic3 series is said to be one of the factors behind the increased image quality. It allows even more flexibility when it comes to post-processing thanks to the 3D LUT profile and LOG format video. The cameras come with eight AI film effects with preset LUT profiles. These profiles allow users to edit and colour grade more easily allowing for better colour accuracy and better image quality. This is enhanced further by the enhanced colour precision of the 8 colour channels of the sensor and its integrated Smart AWB algorithm.

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On the front, is a dual-sensor camera setup. This is nestled in the 3D display in a pill-shaped cutout. The 13-megapixel sensor is complemented by a 3D ToF depth sensor. The camera setup doesn’t just take selfies, it is also used in the phone’s more secure implementation of the face unlock feature.

A Powerpacked Flagship

The two smartphones are running on Qualcomm’s latest and greatest: the Snapdragon 888+. The new processor is a supped up Snapdragon 888 which promises even better performance while sipping on battery power. This is complemented with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of onboard memory. Both phones also run on a 4,6000mAh battery capable of 66W fast wired charging and 50W wireless charging.

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Source: HONOR Global (YouTube)

On the display side of things, both of the HONOR Magic3 smartphones come with a 6.76-inch OLED display with Full HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The display is also curved and folds over the sides. The Pro+ comes with a higher resolution QHD+ resolution screen. The Magic3 comes with IP54 certification while the Pro comes with IP68. Both will be running Magic UI powered by Android 11.

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Pricing & Availability

The HONOR Magic3 series will be available in two finishes. The first is finished with synthetic leather while the next comes with a more conventional glass back. The former is available in Golden Hour and Blur Hour colours while the latter is available in Black and White.

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Source: HONOR Global (YouTube)

The HONOR Magic3 is priced at €899 (MYR4,462.72*) while the HONOR Magic3 Pro comes in at €1,099 (MYR5,455.85*).

The HONOR Magic3 Pro+ will come in Ceramic Black and Ceramic White. It will be priced at €1,499 (MYR7,441.18*).

The Magic3 series will be released in China first with plans for a global rollout to be announced later on.

*Conversion rate taken from XE.com at 9.49 pm on 12 August 2021. EUR€1 = MYR4.64.

Android, Mobile, News

HONOR 50 Series Launches with Google Play in Tow

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The Honor namesake has been tied to HUAWEI for the longest time. That should not be a surprise though, Honor started out life as HUAWEI’s sister brand. For the longest time as well, they have lived under the shadows of the giant that is HUAWEI. When HUAWEI’s trade band with U.S. companies fell Honor, as a part of HUAWEI, was heavily impacted as well.

There is some light at the end of the tunnel though. Honor is no longer part of HUAWEI group as of 2021. In 2021 also, Honor confirms that their devices will run on Android with Google Play in tow.

A few weeks after they mentioned that they launched their first ever smartphone for 2021. They launched their new Honor 50 series smartphones. Instead of just one smartphone then, they released three – the Honor 50 SE, Honor 50, and Honor 50 Pro.

HONOR 50 SE

HONOR 50 Pro
Source: GSM Arena

The HONOR 50 SE was not technically highlighted too much in the launch. It is still a part of the HONOR 50 family, however. It is the most budget friendly of the bunch, but also a little different.

Instead of the usual Qualcomm Snapdragon System on A Chip (SoC) that you expect from the new HONOR line-up, you get a MediaTek Dimensity 900 SoC. Admit it, for a moment you were expecting the name HiSilicon to come up. Despite being made to fit smaller budgets, the Dimensity 900 chip is still no slouch with 5G connectivity. The octa-core SoC can clock at up to 2.4Ghz when you need the power for MagicUI 4.2 on Android 11 and its apps.

Because the Dimensity 900 can support UFS 2.1 memory, you get exactly that in 128GB flavour for storage on the Honor 50 SE. There is also 8GB in RAM to pair with the device. All of these are given life by the 4,000 mAh battery that should last you all day. If you run out of juice, 66W fast charging should have you covered.

The brand, like HUAWEI, has always been watched for its camera technology though. Out the back is a 108-Megapixel main camera alongside two more supporting cameras. One is an 8-Megapixel ultrawide sensor and the other is a 2-Megapixel macro sensor. Out the front you will find a single 16-Megapixel shooter perched in the middle of the forehead of the 6.78-inch 120Hz Full HD+ LCD display.

HONOR 50

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The main stars of the show are naturally the vanilla variant and the overkill Pro variant of the HONOR 50. The two devices should also be the most popular devices in its range in terms of sales. At the same time, if you have seen the HONOR 50 SE, it is quite difficult to tell the devices apart if you do not pay attention. That is to say that they sport nearly similar designs, apart from camera placements and size.

The HONOR 50 is fronted by 6.57-inch Full HD+ display with 120Hz in refresh rate to give you a consistently smooth UI experience. For that snappy feel too, the panel supports 300Hz sampling rate for an almost immediate response from every single touch. Of course, these speeds do contribute to great gaming experience on the device too.

The HONOR 50 shares the same rear camera array and platform as the more premium and powerful HONOR 50 Pro. It does not share the selfie camera though. The HONOR 50 only has a single lens 32-Megapixel camera parked in a hole at the top of the display.

Like its more premium brother, the Honor 50’s MagicUI 4.2 on Android 11 is powered by a new Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G SoC with 5G capabilities. It is supposedly less powerful than the outgoing Snapdragon 780G platform, but not by much. You get up to 8GB of RAM to go alongside up to 256GB of storage. Everything runs of the 4,300mAh battery that can fast-charge at 66W.

HONOR 50 Pro

HONOR 50 SE
Source: GSM Arena

The HONOR 50 Pro, as its name suggest, is the most premium device of the HONOR 50 range. It may not pack more power than the HONOR 50 with the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G SoC in tow. It does have more RAM with up to 12GB in RAM size alongside up to 256GB in storage.

It does not have the best rear camera set up too, the same as HONOR 50, as we mentioned. There is the 108-Megapixel main shooter. The 108-Megapixel shooter is supported by three other cameras that are parked in the other halo of cameras and flash collection. You get one 8-Megapixel ultrawide shooter, a 2-Megapixel Macro shooter, and another 2-Megapixel depth sensor out the back. Out the front though is a dual-lens combination of a 32-Megapixel sensor and a 12-Megapixel wide-angle lens. As expected from HONOR as well, the HONOR 50 Pro and HONOR 50 camera app comes with a bunch of multi-camera modes and all kinds of enhancements including Super Night Mode that is also available to the front camera.

It has the largest and best display among the three in the series too. The HONOR 50 Pro also has a 120Hz refresh rate display at Full HD+ resolution. The display expands to 6.72-inch though, instead of the 6.57-inch of the regular device. The display also boasts DCI-P3 100% colour gamut for the best and most accurate colour reproduction you can find on a smartphone display. Alongside 300Hz sampling rate, MagicUI 4.2 on Android 11 looks better than ever.

The only thing that is less in the HONOR 50 Pro compared to the vanilla HONOR 50 though is its battery. At 4,000mAh, you are not going to complain that it is too small, because it is still a significant size. Instead of 66W though, it charges even faster at 100W allowing the device to charge from flat to 100% in less than an hour, theoretically.

Price and Availability

The HONOR 50 series are coming to Malaysia, as confirmed by HONOR. Currently though, there are no confirmation on when that is going to happen just yet. We can also confirm that the HONOR 50 and HONOR 50 Pro will be part of the HONO 50 family that is available in Malaysia – no word on HONOR 50 SE’s availability.

The devices are already available for pre-order in China. The HONOR 50 series will be available in 4 colour options; you get to choose from Frost Crystal (special finish), Amber Red, Emerald Green, and Midnight Black colour options. The HONOR 50 and HONOR 50 Pro are selling for CN¥ 2,699 (MYR 1,736*) and CN¥ 3,699 (MYR 2,380*) respectively, while the HONOR 50 SE will be available for CN¥ 2,399 (MYR 1,543*). More information on the HONOR 50 series can be found on their website.

*Approximately based on exchange rate of CN¥ 10 = MYR 6.43 on xe.com as of 17/06/2021

Android, Business, Mobile, News

Honor Devices Confirmed to Ship with Google Play Services

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It’s been quite a journey for Honor in its recent emancipation from Huawei. However, it looks like the emancipation is coming with significant benefits. If you need a little refresher, Honor started off as a subsidiary brand of Huawei to address the growing Millennial and Gen-Z segment who were looking for affordable, power-packed devices. Honor had a big European debut with one of their first ambassadors being Brooklyn Beckham, son of Football Star, David Beckham and Spice Girl, Victoria Beckham. However, with the sanctions from the U.S. on Huawei, the brand began to ship their devices without Google Play Services and with Huawei’s AppGallery.

Earlier this year, the brand was spun off into its own company and it looks like that has been a boon to it. In a tweet from the Official Honor Germany account the brand confirmed that their latest flagship, the Honor 50 will be coming with Google Play Services. (The tweets have since been deleted.) This is a big win for the brand as we’re beginning to see Huawei slip from the top of the list of smartphone vendors. Most recently, the company noted a 41% year on year decline in smartphone shipments.

Source: Android Authority
Source: Android Authority

That said, with the sale of Honor to a Chinese consortium of companies, Honor is seeing positive momentum. In fact, the company has confirmed that their upcoming Honor 50 will be coming with the recently announced, Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G. The partnership wasn’t possible under Huawei due to the U.S. sanctions. In addition to this, the company has also revealed that an upcoming Honor Magic device will be coming with the “most premium Qualcomm chipset”. The current SoC which fits that description is the Snapdragon 888 unless Qualcomm has another chipset up its sleeves.

The last Honor Magic device was released way back in 2018. The line up is being reintroduced as part of the new portfolio. Previously, the Magic line up was Honor’s most premium line up with power-packed specifications and top of the line features. It looks like that isn’t changing with the company touting the upcoming device as a “premium flagship product featuring superb imaging quality”.

Business, News

Huawei Could Be Spinning Off the Mate & P Lines of Smartphones

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Hot off the finalisation of the sale of it’s Honor brand, rumours are surfacing that Huawei may be looking to do the same with their P and Mate smartphone line ups as well. News first surfaced when Reuters reported that it had obtained the information from sources close to the matter.

The report stated that Huawei was in talks with Shanghai government-backed investment firms to spin the brands off as independent companies like Honor. One of the sources claimed that the idea has been floated since late last year. Sources are claiming that Huawei hasn’t made a final decision just yet and the deal may not go thru as Huawei is still looking to manufacture its own HiSilicon Kirin chipsets.

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Photo by Zana Latif on Pexels.com

Be that as it may, Huawei has issued a statement to Android Authority dismissing the “rumours”. That said, the company did the same when initial rumours of Honor’s sale surfaced. In its statement, Huawei states, “There is no merit to these rumours whatsoever. Huawei has no such plan. We remain fully committed to our smartphone business, and will continue to deliver world-leading products and experiences for consumers around the world.”.

The sale would effectively mean that Huawei would be withdrawing itself from the high-end smartphone market. On the other hand, Huawei has been touting its upcoming Harmony OS as an alternative to Google’s Android OS since the sanctions from the U.S. were enacted. However, things haven’t been easy for the company as sanctions have tightened leading to the company losing access to key partners such as ARM and TSMC.

The sale of Honor seems to have been a boon to the brand as the company has since inked deals to engage partners like AMD, Intel, Qualcomm, MediaTek and more. This enables them to produce their Honor MagicBooks and smartphones. However, unlike Honor, the sale of the P and Mate brands would only leave Huawei’s lower end Y and Nova series in their smartphone portfolio.

Android, Mobile, News

HONOR 10X Lite Unveiled With 5,000mAh Battery & Kirin 710A

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HONOR has released its newest model, the HONOR 10X Lite. The company’s latest offering for budget users brings together performance and features in a complete package that won’t break the bank. It carries the same promises for performance and long-life battery as its predecessors.

Source: HONOR

The HONOR 10X comes with a 6.67-inch display with a Full HD+ resolution of 1080×2400 pixels. It also has a 90.3% screen to body ratio for a more immersive display experience. The smartphone runs atop the HiSilicon Kirin 710A octa-core processor. This is support with 4GB RAM and 128GB of internal memory which is expandable with up to an additional 512GB with a microSD card.

Software-wise, the HONOR 10X Lite runs on Android 10 with EMUI 10.1. This also means that the smartphone will come with HUAWEI’s HMS platform which does not support Google Mobile Services. It also comes with an improved Multi-Window Mode and a new eBook mode.

In the camera department, the HONOR 10X Lite houses a quad-camera setup. This includes a 48-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel wide-angle sensor, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and a 2-megapixel macro sensor. The front camera is an 8-megapixel sensor housed within the punch-hole on the display.

The phone is powered by a 5000mAh battery that supports 22.5W SuperCharge. HONOR touts that the smartphone will be able to last up to 38 hours on 4G LTE connectivity with a single charge. SuperCharge will allow users to get fully charged in only 95 minutes.

Pricing & Availability

Source: HONOR

The HONOR 10X Lite will be available in three colours:  Midnight Black, Emerald Green, and Icelandic Frost. It is already available in Russia and other markets in Europe for €229.90 (MYR1118.93/USD$270.63). No news yet on when the phone will be making its way to Malaysia.

HONOR teamed up Wattpad to launch the Emerging Writers Program

Together with their new phone, HONOR also announced the Emerging Writers Program; an initiative to spur creativity among amateur and professional writers. In line with the brand’s vision of spurring self-expression and appealing to the younger generation, the Emerging Writers program looks to find up and coming writers and highlight the many features of HONOR’s latest smartphone in creating new experiences on screen and off. HONOR and Wattpad are planning to invite write across the globe to share their short stories about their dream and hope after this pandemic lock-down.

Computers, Health, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

The HONOR MagicBook Pro and Watch GS Pro is now Available in Malaysia for MYR 3,559 and MYR 999!

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HONOR is a brand that is very well known for their value-for-money devices. They launched their HONOR MagicBook earlier this year and challenged nearly every other PC maker in the segment by halving or undercutting their prices with their own offering. In that sense, HONOR is one of those brands that makes us wonder whether or not we should spend that much on a device.

Recently, HONOR just launched their MagicBook Pro and Watch GS Pro in Malaysia. The two devices lining up with HONOR’s direction of pushing the digital lifestyle boundaries this year. These are probably the most exciting devices that is coming out of HONOR this year.

Honor MagicBook Pro

Source: HONOR

The Honor MagicBook Pro was designed to help professionals to enhance their productivity with an AMD Ryzen 5 4600H processor alongside an integrated Radeon Graphics for a snappy and smooth performance even when handling complex tasks. The notebook PC is designed to allow for 20% more airflow than traditional cooling fans with minimal noise. With a 56Wh battery that is quoted to last up to 11 hours on a single charge, you can also use the notebook with peace of mind, knowing it will last you a whole work day.

The Honor MagicBook Pro weighs only 1.7kg and is only 16.9mm thick. Thanks to the lightweight construction and petite packaging, lugging it around is a breeze in your backpacks. The best part of the HONOR MagicBook Pro, if you are using an HONOR device, is that you can reply texts, answer calls and even watch videos with your smartphone, on the notebook. To keep everything secure and safely locked in the notebook, the HONOR MagicBook has a 2-in-1 power button with a fingerprint scanner.

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HONOR Watch GS Pro

Source: HONOR

The HONOR Watch GS Pro is a guide for all sorts of adventures. Its high-precision built in dual satellite positioning systems is built to ensure that you know where you are going at all times. It is also stress tested in all kinds of environments so that you can bring it out for all your outdoor activities. Of course, this being an all around activity tracker, it has multiple activity modes for you to easily access specific data for specific work outs and exercises.

The HONOR Watch GS Pro comes with a quoted 25-day battery life. That is theoretically the longest battery life that any smartwatch can have in the current market, beating even the Garmins. This also means that even in harsh environments, the HONOR Watch GS Pro will keep you company for as long as you need it to. This actually gives you a whole new world with endless possibilities and probably some new experiences.

  • Source: HONOR
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  • Source: HONOR
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  • Source: HONOR
  • Source: HONOR

Pricing and Availability

The HONOR MagicBook Pro is now available via HONOR’s official online store, their online retail partners, and all HONOR official stores nationwide. The HONOR MagicBook Pro will set you back MYR 3,599 and will be bundled with HONOR’s Magic Earbuds, a Bluetooth mouse, and a Backpack. If you purchase them through Shopee or Lazada, your purchase comes with a free Microsoft Office 365 Personal subscription, a Bluetooth mouse, and a Backpack.

The HONOR Watch GS Pro is also available now via HONOR’s official online store and all its retail partners including Shopee and Lazada. Keep in mind you can only purchase the Charcoal Black variant as of now. The Marl White variant will be available 15 October onward, but pre-orders start now. The Watch GS Pro will set you back MYR 999. Currently, every purchase of the Watch GS Pro entitles you to a free HONOR Sport Pro wireless earphones.

Android, Mobile, News

HONOR 9A Launches with Bigger Value

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HONOR should not be an unfamiliar name to smartphone users today. They made some of the best valued devices and they have been doing so for some years now. Most of their devices have been built around that philosophy anyway.

That is mostly since they have a vastly different target market in the industry. They mostly target the younger demographics. Their target demographics generally put more emphasis on delivered value than perceived value and branding.

Today is all about that as well with the HONOR 9A. In a way, the HONOR 9A is a little bit like an answer to Xiaomi’s Redmi devices and realme’s range of offerings. It may also be an answer to their bigger sister brand’s HUAWEI Nova and Y series really.

It does not pack the famous Kirin platform. Instead it is packing a MediaTek Helio P22 System on a Chip (SoC) to make it as affordable as possible. It is part of the reason that the HONOR could let you have one for just MYR 549. It does not come with one of those gimmicky, expensive AMOLED displays with no edges or notches as well.

It comes with a plain ol’ 6.3-inch dew-drop display with a small notch in its forehead and a lip that might look like a large tape compared to the svelte lines of flagship devices. That is okay though, it is still a Full HD display. They have done something to the speakers too to make it louder, a lot louder and better.

Of course, you cannot have everything with a lower price point. So at that price point you are looking at only up to 3GB of RAM and 64GB in storage. Still, it is not like you are being limited to just using your internal storage though. You can fit up to 512GB in MicroSD form.

You are not being compromised in terms of camera though. You still get a triple camera set up out the back with 13-Megapixel main shooter backed with a 5-Megapixel ultra-wide camera and a 2-Megapixel depth sensor. That is not all you are getting back in value though.

The biggest thing that you are getting within this device is a large battery. At 5,000 mAh, it is large enough to be your power bank for other smartphones. That is also why you can use it to reverse charge other devices. 5,000 mAh is still quite a big deal these days.

The HONOR 9A runs on Android 10 OS still, which means you are still getting a good Android experience from HONOR’s MagicUI 3.1. There is a small caveat of not having Google Apps on it or even Google Play Store. You do get AppGallery on it though, a good alternative if you do not mind some of the missing apps.

Source: HONOR

The HONOR 9A will be available in stores starting 6th July 2020. It will be up for pre-order online on the 26th June 2020 onward to 5th June 2020 though. If you do pre-order your HONOR 9A, you get up to MYR 218 worth of free gifts including an HONOR backpack and 15GB of HUAWEI Cloud subscription. As stated, price for the HONOR 9A is MYR 549. For more information on HONOR 9A you can visit their website.

Consumer Electronics, News

HONOR Launches the HONOR Life – a Collection of Smart Home Items Including a TV

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We got a very brief tease of HONOR’s very interesting TV toward the end of last year. We saw them at one of their launches. Sadly, the staff at the time said that the TV will not be coming to Malaysia.

HONOR Vision X1

This year, they introduced a new TV alongside a whole slew of smart products for your home. They introduced their new HONOR Vision X1 TV. Seeing that we did not have HONOR’s previous TV, we do not know much about it. The new HONOR Vision X1 TV though packs 8K resolution from either a 65-inch or 55-inch. We still do not know whether this will come to Malaysia or not. We are hopeful though.

  • Source: HUAWEI Central
  • Source: HUAWEI Central

It packs four 10W speakers to output super powerful and clear audio so that you do not need to spend on new soundbars or sound system. The HONOR Vision X1 also packs Motion Estimate and Motion Compensation technology to prevent blurring when upscaling happens. The Honghu 818 System on a Chip (SoC) within the TV also helps reduce display flickering. At 65-inch it sets you back RMB 3,299 (MYR 2,019) while the 55-inch HONOR Vision X1 will set you back RMB 2,299 (MYR 1,407). That is extremely cheap for an 8K TV to be fair. Let us hope that it makes it into Malaysia before the launch of Sony’s PlayStation 5.

HONOR Router 3

Exactly what it sounds like, they launched a WiFi Router. This is not just a regular router with 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz bands though. It is a WiFi 6+ capable router with 1.2GHz antenna. This also means that the HONOR Router 3 is one of the most advanced routers available in the market at its launch later in July 2020. Again, we do not know if that is coming into Malaysia. Still, you might be able to get them on TaoBao later.

WiFi 6 means more speed and stability. Still, once it meets a wall or two, stability drops. WiFi 6+, according to HONOR anyway, is supposed to solve that issue. With WiFi 6+ signals through the wall should still be stable enough to be useable. Whatever that is, sign me up. It is priced at RMB 219 (MYR 134).

HONOR Choice Home Appliances

They not only launched a new TV and Router for the Smart Home. They also launched a selection of home appliances. They launched an electronic toothbrush that is designed to ensure that there is no dirt build up on the device. They call it their Smart Ultra-sonic Toothbrush. I am not a big fan of electronic Toothbrush though. No prices for this yet.

Source: HONOR

They also launched a Smart Kettle, a Smart Lamp, and a Smart Humidifier. These are items that you may be able to find in the shops though. There is no mention if these smart products are compatible with WiFi connectivity for remote control or not. We do hope that is the case with these products though. They also launched a bladeless fan they call Air Multiplier. No, it is not going to add more air into the room. Like any other fan, it just helps circulate air within a room. That might be useful in the hot and humid weather that is Malaysia though.

They launched a very interesting Smart Vacuum that mimics the more popular handheld, wireless vacuum today. In the launch gambit, they took a stab at Dyson. We know the Dyson wireless vacuum is the best there is in the market. They are claiming that the HONOR Smart Vacuum is more powerful than the Dysons. It packs a 350W 100,000rpm motor with 65 minutes of battery life. Its battery life is more than enough for most homes in Malaysia. It even has ultraviolet-sterilisation cleansing system to keep your floors cleaner than it can ever be. Whether that lives up to HONOR’s hype is yet to be seen though. We do not even know when all these products comes to Malaysia, if they ever come at all.

TWS Earbuds X1

Of course, with the craze with wireless things and wireless earphones, HONOR will not miss out. They launched the HONOR TWS Earbuds X1, their very own, very new True Wireless earphones for the masses.

Its design is very familiar. That is also because it is reminiscent of Apple’s AirPod Pro. It looks like it has a shorter stem though, which also means it is smaller in profile. There is no active noise cancelling on the earbuds though. Still, you get up to 24-hours in battery life with the TWS Earbuds X1 package. We do not know how much of that is down to the case’s battery power.

The TWS Earbuds X1 is priced at RMB 169 (MYR 103). It does not seem like there are any other colour choices except for white. Still, it is affordable. There is no confirmed availability date just yet. We do expect this one to come to Malaysia though.