REVIEWED: GOOGLE PIXEL 10 PRO XL

NOVEMBER 2025

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ALL THE BIG NEWS FROM IFA 2025

PLUS:
ULTIMATE GUIDE
TO FOLDABLE
SMARTPHONES
CONTENTS

14

NEWS REVIEWS
4 Latest Pixel Drop has an 24 Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
Android 16 overhaul for 39 Honor Magic V5
older Google phones 57 ->“Ã՘}>>ÝÞ/>L-£ä ³
6 Sony Xperia 10 VII 68 Honor MagicPad 3
gets a revamped, 79 Samsung Galaxy Watch8
Pixel-inspired design
9 Xiaomi 17 and Snapdragon BUYING GUIDE
n ˆÌii˜xVœ˜wÀ“i`]LÕÌ 88 iÃÌvœ`>LiÓ>ÀÌ« œ˜iÃ
only one makes sense
12 Details of Samsung’s Galaxy FEATURES
/>LƂ££LÕ`}iÌÌ>LiÌ 101 >}ˆV ÕiVœÕ`LiÌ i*ˆÝi½Ã
leaked online wÀÃÌ}>“i‡V >˜}ˆ˜}Ƃvi>ÌÕÀi
105 4 fantastic new Google Pixel
BEST OF IFA 2025 phone features
14 Tech Advisor’s Best of 110 It’s only a matter of time
IFA 2025 Awards before Microsoft makes a
new Windows Phone

2 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

 88

24 57

101 110

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 3

NEWS

Latest Pixel Drop has an

Android 16 overhaul for
older Google phones
Material 3 Expressive and more. JON MUNDY reports

G
oogle has announced its latest the rest of the Pixel family. The company
Pixel Drop software update, has announced that its new UI is rolling
and the headline addition is out to every phone in the range from
the shiny new Material 3 Expressive UI the Pixel 6 onwards, as well as the
coming to older Pixel smartphones. *ˆÝi/>LiÌ°
Material 3 Expressive made its
`iLÕÌÜˆÌ Ì iœœ}i*ˆÝi£äÀ>˜}i] MATERIAL 3 EXPRESSIVE
and it’s good to see that Google isn’t Google’s new Material 3 Expressive
>˜}ˆ˜}>ÀœÕ˜`LivœÀiLÀˆ˜}ˆ˜}ˆÌ̜ LÀˆ˜}Ã>Lœ`˜iÜÃÌޏi̜Ƃ˜`Àœˆ`£È°

4 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

Its icons are clearer, its key
LÕÌ̜˜Ã­ˆŽiÌ iV>É >˜}
Õ«LÕÌ̜˜®>ÀiLˆ}}iÀ]>˜`
everything feels just that
ˆÌ̏iLˆÌ“œÀiˆ˜ÌՈ̈Ûi°
One new feature
½ÛiLii˜>««ÀiVˆ>̈˜}
is instant access to Do
œÌ ˆÃÌÕÀLˆ˜Ì i+ՈVŽ
Settings menu.
Live effects, meanwhile,
add new animations Material 3 Expressive brings a bold new style to Android 16.
to your lock screen
Ü>«>«iÀ°̽Ã>Ãœ«œÃÈLi̜VÕÃ̜“ˆÃi PIXEL WATCH NAVIGATION
individual calling contacts. ENHANCEMENT
œœ}i½Ã*ˆÝi Àœ«à œÕ`>ÃœLi˜iwÌ
INCOMING PIXEL BUDS Pixel Watch users, especially those who
PRO 2 IMPROVEMENTS like to navigate using their smartwatch.
At the time of writing, Google’s Pixel -Ì>ÀÌÜ>Žˆ˜}œÀLˆŽˆ˜}˜>ۈ}>̈œ˜œ˜
Buds Pro 2 earphones were set to your phone, and it’ll automatically push
receive a new Adaptive Audio feature over onto your Pixel Watch.
Ü ˆV iÌÃޜÕÀLÕ`ȘÌiˆ}i˜ÌÞ>`ÕÃÌ ÕÌÀi>Þ]ˆÌ½Ã>>LœÕÌÌ >Ì>‡
to your surroundings. inclusive Material 3 Expressive update
Loud Noise Protection will also q>œ˜}È`iÌ iÕÃÕ>L՘V œvwÝið
added protection for your hearing. Hopefully Google has ironed out
9œÕ½iÛi˜Li>Li̜Vœ˜`ÕVÌ some of the kinks that have affected a
clear chats with Gemini in noisy selection of Pixel 10 early adopters.
environments, such as when your TV is
on or people are talking around you.
On top of that, Google is adding
>˜iÜ}iÃÌÕÀi‡L>Ãi`ˆ˜«ÕÌÃÞÃÌi“
Ü iÀiLÞޜÕV>˜>VVi«Ìˆ˜Vœ“ˆ˜}
calls or dismiss replying to a text with
a nod or shake of your head.

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 5

NEWS

Sony Xperia 10 VII

gets a revamped,
Pixel-inspired design
Too little, too late? ANYRON COPEMAN reports

A
s Mark Twain might have said, So, in its time of need, surely Sony
reports of Sony Xperia’s death has made a phone that will immediately
>ÛiLii˜}Ài>̏ÞiÝ>}}iÀ>Ìi`° stand out from the crowd?
After the company was forced to 7i]>LœÕÌÌ >Ì°/ iLˆ}`iÈ}˜
deny it was exiting the smartphone change on the Xperia 10 VII is a new
market in August, a new model has horizontal rear camera module, which
launched in the form of the mid-range adopts a pill shape and extends almost
Xperia 10 VII. >Ì iÜ>Þ>VÀœÃÃÌ iL>VŽœvÌ i

6 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

phone. Sound
familiar? Yes,
it’s the same
approach that
Google has taken
on its past two
generations of
*ˆÝiy>}à ˆ«Ã°
Does that
make Sony
LœÀˆ˜}vœÀ
copying the
design, or is
it a cop-out?
I’d argue the No prizes for guessing where Sony got its inspiration.
opposite. Google
is clearly onto something with its Pixel and Honor. Still, there are plenty of
phones, and Sony has done just enough vi>ÌÕÀià iÀiÌ >ÌޜÕܜ˜½Ìw˜`ˆ˜Ì i
to make it look different. competition. Sony continues to reject
I’ll admit that the stunning Turquoise a notch of any description, so you get
w˜ˆÃ ˆÃ`œˆ˜}>œÌœvÌ i i>Ûޏˆv̈˜} >Ì ˆVŽiÀLiâi>LœÛi>˜`LiœÜÌ i
here. The Charcoal and White versions screen. However, Sony puts that space
are much less inspiring, especially with to good use, adding in dual front-facing
all three models opting for a plastic ëi>ŽiÀÃ>œ˜}È`iÌ i­Õ˜V >˜}i`®
L>VŽÀ>Ì iÀÌ >˜}>Ãð n«ÃiwiV>“iÀ>°
œÜiÛiÀ]Ì >̽ÃÀiyiVÌi`ˆ˜Ì i Despite this, the Xperia 1 VII is
«ÀˆVi°ƂÌËΙ™]Ì i8«iÀˆ>£ä6ˆÃ >v one of the most compact phones on
Ì i«ÀˆViœvÌ iL>Ãi*ˆÝi£ä]Ü ˆV  the market. It retains a 6.1-inch OLED
܈ÃiÌޜÕL>VŽËǙ™°,i“i“LiÀ]Ì i `ˆÃ«>Þ]ÞiÌw˜>ÞLœœÃÌÃÌ iÀivÀià À>Ìi
Ë{™™*ˆÝi™>`ˆÌV i`Ì iV>“iÀ>LՓ« from 60- to 120Hz. The phone is also
vœÀi˜ÃiÃÌ >ÌÈÌ>“œÃÌyÕà ÜˆÌ Ì i shorter and wider than its predecessor,
L>VŽœvÌ i« œ˜i° meaning the screen adopts a more
In the UK, it’s up against Chinese Vœ“vœÀÌ>Li£™°x\™>ëiVÌÀ>̈œ°
LÀ>˜`ÃÃÕV >Ã8ˆ>œ“ˆ]"˜i*Õà Sony has made some small

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 7

NEWS

days on a single charge.

As usual, this will vary
hugely depending
on how you use your
phone. Charging speeds
>Ûi˜½ÌLii˜ÀiÛi>i`]
LÕÌ>}>ˆ˜]`œ˜½ÌiÝ«iVÌ
>˜ÞÌ ˆ˜}Ài“>ÀŽ>Li°
At launch, the
Xperia 10 VII ships
The Xperia 10 VII’s colour options. running Android
15, despite Android
improvements to the cameras, with the £È>Ài>`ÞLiˆ˜}>Û>ˆ>Li°œÜiÛiÀ]
“>ˆ˜Ãi˜ÃœÀ˜œÜxä«­Õ«vÀœ“{n«® Sony has improved its update
>˜`Ì iՏÌÀ>܈`iLœœÃÌi`̜£Î« commitment – the phone will receive
­vÀœ“n«®°/ iÀi½Ã>Ãœ>`i`ˆV>Ìi` four major OS updates and six years
V>“iÀ>LÕÌ̜˜œ˜Ì iÈ`iœvÌ i« œ˜i] of security patches, which is in line
though this is only used to replace the with the competition.
shutter and doesn’t mimic the iPhone’s Tempted? The Xperia 10 VII is
Camera Control in any other way. >Û>ˆ>Li̜LÕÞ˜œÜ°
One thing I’m really glad to see Ì“ˆ} ̘œÌLi>}ÀœÕ˜`LÀi>Žˆ˜}
retained is the 3.5mm headphone `iۈVi]LÕÌ-œ˜Þ >õՈȉÞˆ˜ÌÀœ`ÕVi`
>VŽ°,i}>À`iÃÃœvÜ iÌ iÀޜÕÕÃi several upgrades that make it a
it regularly, having the option to compelling mid-range phone on paper.
connect wired headphones is always Look out for our full review soon to see
a good idea. how it performs in daily life.
1˜`iÀÌ i œœ`]ޜսw˜`
+Õ>Vœ““½Ã{˜“-˜>«`À>}œ˜Èi˜Î]
>V>«>LiÞiÌ՘Ài“>ÀŽ>Li“ˆ`‡À>˜}i
V ˆ«°*iÀvœÀ“>˜Vi܈ˆŽiÞLiw˜i]LÕÌ
`œ˜½ÌiÝ«iV̈Ì̜Liy>}à ˆ«‡iÛi°
/ i8«iÀˆ>£ä6½Ãx]äää“Ƃ L>ÌÌiÀÞ
`œiؽÌÜ՘`ˆŽi>˜ÞÌ ˆ˜}ëiVˆ>]LÕÌ
Sony claims you can get up to two full

8 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

Xiaomi 17 and Snapdragon
n ˆÌii˜xVœ˜wÀ“i`]
but only one makes sense
What’s in a name change? JON MUNDY reports

X
ˆ>œ“ˆ>˜`+Õ>Vœ““ >ÛiLœÌ  and there’s no unlucky element to the
Ì>Ži˜>Li“ÕȘ}ÌÕÀ˜ˆ˜Ì i ˜Õ“LiÀ£Èˆ˜ ˆ˜iÃiVՏÌÕÀi­Ì >Ì
˜>“ˆ˜}œvÌ iˆÀ˜iÝÌy>}à ˆ« Ž˜œÜœv®°7 >Ì}ˆÛiö
«Àœ`ÕVÌÃ\Ì i8ˆ>œ“ˆ£ÇÓ>ÀÌ« œ˜i 8ˆ>œ“ˆ«ÀiÈ`i˜ÌÕ7iˆLˆ˜} >Ã
and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip ˆÃÃÕi`>7iˆLœ«œÃÌ>˜˜œÕ˜Vˆ˜}­Ûˆ>
that will run on it. “>V ˆ˜iÌÀ>˜Ã>̈œ˜®Ì >̺/ i>‡
Let’s start with the Xiaomi 17. Last ˜iÜ8ˆ>œ“ˆ£ÇÃiÀˆiÃ܈LiÀii>Ãi`
year’s model was named the Xiaomi 15, this month.”

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 9

NEWS

7i>Ãœ}iÌVœ˜wÀ“>̈œ˜Ì >ÌÌ i
line-up will consist of the Xiaomi 17,
the 17 Pro, and the 17 Pro Max.
Interestingly, the executive also
Vœ˜wÀ“i`Ü ÞÌ i˜Õ“LiÀΈ«°9œÕ
might have guessed it yourself.
ºˆÛiÞi>ÀÃ>}œ]Üii“L>ÀŽi`
on our premium strategy, learning
from our greatest competitor and
Ài܏ÕÌiÞLi˜V “>ÀŽˆ˜}>}>ˆ˜ÃÌ
Ì iˆ* œ˜i]» iiÝ«>ˆ˜i`°º/œÌ ˆÃ
day, Apple continues to excel. The
success of the iPhone 17 series is
iۈ`i˜Ì̜iÛiÀޜ˜i]LÕÌÜiÀi“>ˆ˜ This image was pulled by Gizmochina shortly
Vœ˜w`i˜Ì]Ü ˆV ˆÃÜ ÞÜi>Ài after it was posted.
directly competing with the iPhone
in the same generation and at the / iVœ“«>˜Þ«œÃÌi`Ì i>LœÛi
same level.” ˆ“>}i­Ûˆ>ˆâ“œV ˆ˜>®̜ˆÌÃ7iˆLœ
In effect, Xiaomi doesn’t want its >VVœÕ˜Ì]LivœÀiÃ܈v̏ޫՏˆ˜}ˆÌ`œÜ˜°
˜iÜy>}à ˆ«« œ˜iÃ̜Li«iÀViˆÛi` ̽Ã}ˆÛˆ˜}ÕÓ>œÀyˆ«« œ˜i
>ÃLiˆ˜}>ÃÌi«Li ˆ˜`Ì iˆ* œ˜i VœÛiÀ`ˆÃ«>ÞۈLiÃ]>>Ì i->“Ã՘}
17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro >>ÝÞ<ˆ«Ç­œÀˆ˜`ii`Ì i
Max. To which it’s tempting to respond, 8ˆ>œ“ˆˆˆÝˆ«®°
perhaps you shouldn’t have copied its This secondary display was also
˜>“ˆ˜}ÃV i“iÜVœÃiÞˆ˜Ì iwÀÃÌ tipped in a separate leak. As we pointed
place, then. œÕÌ>ÌÌ ï“i]Ì ˆÃܜՏ`˜½ÌLiÌ i
wÀÃÌ̈“i8ˆ>œ“ˆ >ȘVÕ`i`ÃÕV >
XIAOMI 17 PRO MAX SECOND `iÈ}˜yœÕÀˆÃ ° >VŽˆ˜ÓäÓ£]Ì i8ˆ>œ“ˆ
DISPLAY CONFIRMED Mi 11 Ultra featured a rear display,
/>Žˆ˜}œvÌ i˜i܏Þ`ÕLLi`8ˆ>œ“ˆ >LiˆÌ“ÕV Ó>iÀ°
17 Pro Max, Xiaomi has separately
Vœ˜wÀ“i`­>LiˆÌ>VVˆ`i˜Ì>Þ®Ì >̈Ìà QUALCOMM CONFUSES US ALL
˜iÜy>}à ˆ«« œ˜i܈ˆ˜`ii`vi>ÌÕÀi œˆ˜}L>VŽ̜Ì >Ì8ˆ>œ“ˆ˜>“i
>ÃiVœ˜`>ÀÞ`ˆÃ«>Þœ˜Ì iL>VŽ° change, at least there’s a clear

10 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

“>ÀŽi̇i`Ài>ܘLi ˆ˜`Ì i`iVˆÃˆœ˜° None the wiser? Don’t worry,
/ iÃ>“iV>˜½ÌLiÃ>ˆ`vœÀÌ iV ˆ« Ì iÀi½Ã“œÀi\º Þ>ˆ}˜ˆ˜}ÜˆÌ i˜
that’s going to run those same 5, we’re reinforcing its leadership
Xiaomi 17 phones. position and simplifying how consumers
˜Ãi«>À>Ìi˜iÜÃ]+Õ>Vœ““ >à understand our product roadmap.”
>˜˜œÕ˜Vi`ˆÌØiÝ̇}i˜iÀ>̈œ˜y>}à ˆ« Nope, still not getting it.
Ó>ÀÌ« œ˜i-ÞÃÌi“œ˜ ˆ«­-œ ®]>˜` º/ ˆ˜ŽœvˆÌˆŽiÌ ˆÃ\i˜xˆÃ˜½ÌÕÃÌ
its name is more than a little confusing. >˜Õ“LiÀ°̽Ã>È}˜>Ì >ÌÌ ˆÃ«>ÌvœÀ“
/ iV ˆ«Ì >Ì܈«ÀiÃՓ>LÞ«œÜiÀ leads the family forward.” So there you
the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, the go. Clear as mud.
"˜i*Õãx]>˜`>Ü œiL՘V œv
Android devices, throughout much of
ÓäÓÈ]܈LiÌ i-˜>«`À>}œ˜n ˆÌi
Gen 5. Of course, the fact that this had
Lii˜i>Ži`ˆ˜ViÀÌ>ˆ˜µÕ>ÀÌiÀÃ`œiÃ
nothing to make this announcement any
less confusing. Last year’s chip was the
Snapdragon 8 Elite, after all.

QUALCOMM EXPLAINS
-+0&|1(
7 ˆV ˆÃ«ÀœL>LÞÜ Þ+Õ>Vœ““
>ÃVœ““ˆÌÌi`>˜i˜ÌˆÀiLœ}«œÃÌ̜
iÝ«>ˆ˜ˆ˜}ˆÌ­Ìˆ˜ÞÕÀ°Vœ“ÉVÎÓÓÀn™®°/ i
ÛiÀÞwÀÃ̵ÕiÃ̈œ˜+Õ>Vœ““>ÎÈÌÃiv
iÀiˆÃˆ˜ÃÌÀÕV̈Ûi\º7 Þi˜x¶ ˆ`˜½Ì
we skip a few?” Well, quite.
º-˜>«`À>}œ˜n ˆÌii˜x“>ÀŽÃ
Ì iwvÌ }i˜iÀ>̈œ˜œvœÕÀ«Ài“ˆÕ“
8-series platforms since we introduced
our new single digit naming and visual
identity,” explained Don McGuire,
Senior Vice President and Chief
>ÀŽï˜}"vwViÀvœÀ+Õ>Vœ““°

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 11

NEWS

Details of Samsung’s
Galaxy Tab A11 budget
tablet leaked online
,i˜`iÀÃ]ëiVÃ]>˜`iÝÌi˜`i`ÃÕ««œÀÌ`iÌ>ˆÃi>Ž°JON MUNDY reports

M
ore details concerning ˜œÜ܇V>i`ºœvwVˆ>Ài˜`iÀûœvÌ i
->“Ã՘}½Ã˜iÜLÕ`}iÌ Ì>LiÌ >ÛiLii˜«ÕLˆÃ i`LÞƂ˜`Àœˆ`
Ì>LiÌÃ]Ì i>>ÝÞ/>LƂ££ i>`ˆ˜ií̈˜ÞÕÀ°Vœ“ÉxÝ>x«Üv“®°
>˜`Ƃ££³] >Ûi>««i>Ài`œ˜ˆ˜i]>˜` They highlight a device that looks
they promise an impressive amount of >œÌˆŽiÌ i->“Ã՘}>>ÝÞ/>L
software support. Ƃ™vÀœ“ÌܜÞi>ÀÃL>VŽ]Ì ˆÃ̈“i
/ i>>ÝÞ/>LƂ££ >ÃLii˜ ˆ˜v>ˆÀÞ`À>LÀiÞ>˜`-ˆÛiÀVœœÕÀ
heavily leaked in recent months, and options. That includes the same single

12 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

V>“iÀ>“œ`Տi]>˜`Ì iÃ>“iL>ÈV / iƂ££³}iÌÃiˆÌ iÀÈ œv,Ƃ
y>̇i`}i`œœŽ° >˜`£Ón œvÃ̜À>}iœÀn ÉÓxÈ ]
7i>Ãœ}iÌVœ˜wÀ“>̈œ˜œvÌ i while the A11 will offer the choice
ŽiÞëiVÃvœÀÌ iÃiÌܜÌ>LiÌð/ i œviˆÌ iÀ{ œv,Ƃ>˜`È{ œv
>>ÝÞ/>LƂ££³܈ >Ûi>Lˆ}}iÀ Ã̜À>}iœÀn œv,Ƃ>˜`£Ón 
vœœÌ«Àˆ˜ÌÌ >˜ˆÌØœ˜‡*ÕÃLÀœÌ iÀ of storage. There’s a microSD slot on
­ÓxÇ°£Ý£Èn°Ç““ÛiÀÃÕÃÓ££Ý£Ó{°Ç““®] LœÌ ]ÜˆÌ ÃÕ««œÀÌvœÀÕ«̜Ó/ œv
>˜`܈>ÃœLi i>ۈiÀ­{nä}ÛiÀÃÕà expanded memory.
ÎÎx}®°œÜiÛiÀ]ˆÌ½>ÃœLi>v>ˆÀLˆÌ Both models come with an 8Mp
Ì ˆ˜˜iÀ­È°™““ÛiÀÃÕÃn““®° œÌ ܈ rear camera and a 5Mp front camera.
have an IP52 rating. Given that Samsung accidentally
This larger footprint will house an ˆÃÌi`Ì iÃiLÕ`}iÌÌ>LiÌÃœ˜ˆÌÃ
££‡ˆ˜V  ̜Ì i>>ÝÞ/>LƂ££½Ã LÕȘiÃÃÜiLÈÌiˆ˜Ì i1Ƃ ­LivœÀi
n°Ç‡ˆ˜V iµÕˆÛ>i˜Ì° œÌ ܈Li™äâ° Ài“œÛˆ˜}Ì i“®]Üi½ÀiiÝ«iV̈˜}>˜
œÜiÛiÀ]œ˜ÞÌ i/>LƂ££³܈ œvwVˆ>>՘V ÛiÀÞà œÀ̏ް
surround that display with four speakers.
The Galaxy A11 will only have the two.
Leaked marketing materials,
“i>˜Ü ˆi]ÃÕ}}iÃÌÌ >ÌLœÌ Ì>LiÌÃ
will come with seven years of software
support – an excellent provision for
ÃÕV LÕ`}iÌÌ>LiÌð

BATTERY, PERFORMANCE,
#0&|%#/'4#5
Battery sizes also differ, with the Galaxy
/>LƂ££³}ˆÛˆ˜}ޜÕÇ]ä{ä“Ƃ ÜˆÌ 
Óx‡Ü>ÌÌV >À}ˆ˜}]>˜`Ì i/>LƂ££
giving you 5,100mAh and 15 watts.
There’s a difference in the processor
ÕÃi`]̜œ°/ i>À}iÀ>>ÝÞ/>LƂ££³
will run off a 4nm MediaTek MT8167
V ˆ«]Ü ˆiÌ i->“Ã՘}>>ÝÞ/>LƂ££
܈ÕÃi>Ș“i`ˆ>/iŽiˆœ™™°

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 13

BEST OF IFA 2025

Tech Advisor’s Best of IFA

2025 Awards
Àœ“˜iÜ->“Ã՘}>>ÝÞ« œ˜iÃ̜ÃÌ>ˆÀ‡Vˆ“Lˆ˜}ÀœLœÌðTECH
ADVISOR STAFF report

I
FA 2025 is a huge tech show which cleaners and much more. Just as we did
takes place annually in Berlin, last year, we give awards to only the top
Germany, and Tech Advisor is always devices, the ones we genuinely want to
snooping high and low for the latest and own. Without further ado, here are the
greatest gadgets. Our roving reporters Tech Advisor Best of IFA 2025 awards.
have clocked up more steps than would
LiVœ˜Ãˆ`iÀi`>`ۈÃ>LiqÌ iˆÀw̘iÃà 1. SAMSUNG GALAXY
trackers wondering what’s going on – to 6#$|5|7.64#
}iÌ >˜`ǜ˜ÜˆÌ Ì iLiÃ̘iÜ« œ˜iÃ] Samsung decided to launch its Galaxy
Ì>LiÌÃ]Ó>ÀÌÜ>ÌV iÃ]ÀœLœÌÛ>VÕՓ />L-££y>}à ˆ«Ì>LiÌÃ>ÌƂÌ ˆÃ

14 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

year, and the
/>L-££1ÌÀ>ˆÃ
՘`œÕLÌi`ÞÌ i
star of the show.
Its main selling
point – that massive
14.6-inch AMOLED
display – remains
Ì i ˆ} ˆ} Ì]LÕÌ
there are some
nice upgrades
in other areas. A
1.
move to MediaTek’s
3nm Dimensity
™{ää³V ˆ«ÃiÌà œÕ``iˆÛiÀ> ÃÌ>À̈˜}«ÀˆVi]܈̽ÃiÌޜÕL>VŽ>Ì
˜ˆVi«iÀvœÀ“>˜ViLœœÃÌ]Ü ˆiÌ i i>ÃÌË£]䙙q>˜`ˆÌ½Ãœ˜Ã>i˜œÜ°
ψ““iÀLՈ`>˜`ÀiÛ>“«i`-*i˜
are welcome improvements. 2. TCL NXTPAPER 60 ULTRA
/ iÌ>LiÌ>Ãœà ˆ«ÃÀ՘˜ˆ˜} Matt displays – designed to kill
Ƃ˜`Àœˆ`£È‡L>Ãi`"˜i1n]Ì i>ÌiÃÌ ÀiyiV̈œ˜Ã>˜`}ˆÛi>“œÀiVœ“vœÀÌ>Li
ÛiÀȜ˜œv->“Ã՘}½ÃÌ>LiÌÜvÌÜ>Ài] ۈi܈˜}iÝ«iÀˆi˜Viq >ÛiLii˜}>ˆ˜ˆ˜}
which includes loads of AI features «>Viˆ˜ÌiiۈȜ˜Ã]LÕÌV>˜>ÃœLi
and support for a more advanced found on smartphones.
version of DeX, the company’s desktop TCL’s Nxtpaper 60 Ultra updates the
experience. You also get a full seven awkwardly-named TCL 50 Pro Nxtpaper
years of updates. 5G from 2024, offering that glare-free,
>ÌÌiÀÞV>«>VˆÌÞ >ÃLii˜ yˆVŽiÀ‡vÀii]ÀiyiV̈œ˜‡vÀii`ˆÃ«>ÞvœÀ
LœœÃÌi`ψ} ̏Þ̜££]Èää“Ƃ ]Ü ˆi something that’s a little different.
45-watt wired charging remains. But The display expands to 7.2 inches
ultimately, this is a case of the most and retains the switch that will go from
>`Û>˜Vi`Ƃ˜`Àœˆ`Ì>LiÌÜi½ÛiiÛiÀ full colour to a paper-like experience,
Ãii˜}iÌ̈˜}>Ó>LÕÌ«œÌi˜Ìˆ>Þ great for reading.
È}˜ˆwV>˜ÌÕ«}À>`i° When in colour mode it doesn’t have
->`Þ]Ì iÀi½ÃLii˜˜œV >˜}i̜Ì i Ì iÃ>“iˆ“«>VÌ>Ã>Ài}Տ>ÀۈLÀ>˜Ì

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 15

BEST OF IFA 2025

It’s essentially a
>>ÝÞ-Óx³vœÀiÃÃ]
adopting a near-
identical design and
retaining a 6.7-inch
AMOLED display and
the same cameras.
Ƃ{]™ää“Ƃ L>ÌÌiÀÞ
and 45-watt wired
charging also match
the high-end phone –
2.
improving on the S24
FE – while the S25
>˜`}œÃÃÞÓ>ÀÌ« œ˜i`ˆÃ«>Þ]LÕÌ FE ships running One UI 8, which is
it still offers rich colours and there’s L>Ãi`œ˜Ƃ˜`Àœˆ`£È°9œÕ>ÃœÃ̈}iÌ
a wonderful texture, so it feels lovely the impressive commitment to seven
when you’re swiping around on it – it’s years of updates.
120Hz too. The main compromise is an Exynos
/ ˆÃˆÃ>« œ˜iÌ >̽Ã>>LœÕÌÌ >Ì 2400 chipset instead of the Snapdragon
ˆ˜˜œÛ>̈Ûi`ˆÃ«>Þ]LÕÌÌ iÀi½ÃÃ̈>`Õ> 8 Elite, while the glass on the front and
xä«V>“iÀ>œ˜Ì iL>VŽ]œvviÀˆ˜}Õ« L>VŽœvÌ i« œ˜iˆÃ˜½ÌµÕˆÌi>Ã̜Õ} °
to 6x lossless zoom. You also have to put up with an optical

3. SAMSUNG
GALAXY S25 FE
The ‘Fan Edition’ of
->“Ã՘}½Ãy>}à ˆ«« œ˜i
ˆ˜iÕ«ˆÃ˜½Ì>y>}à ˆ«>Ì
>°7ˆÌ >ËÈ{™ÃÌ>À̈˜}
price, the Galaxy S25 FE
ˆÃV i>«i˜œÕ} ̜Li
considered a mid-range
phone, yet it looks and
3.
feels just as premium.

16 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

w˜}iÀ«Àˆ˜ÌÃV>˜˜iÀˆ˜ÃÌi>`œv
an ultrasonic one.
But this is more than
ÀiyiVÌi`ˆ˜Ì i«ÀˆVi]Ü ˆV ˆÃ
a full £350 cheaper than the
>>ÝÞ-Óx³°Ƃ˜`ޜÕV>˜LÕÞ
one now and get a free Galaxy
Watch 7.

4. AMAZFIT T-REX 3 PRO

Designed for endurance sports
i˜Ì ÕÈ>ÃÌÃ]Ì iËΙ™Ƃ“>âwÌ
4.
/‡,iÝÎ*ÀœÓ>ÀÌÜ>ÌV 
introduces a raft of new
features, such as advanced mapping LÀˆ} ̘iÃÃœvÕ«̜Î]ää䘈Ìð7ˆÌ >
v՘V̈œ˜Ã]ˆ˜Ìi}À>Ìi`y>à ˆ} Ì]ëi>ŽiÀ LՈÌ‡ˆ˜ëi>ŽiÀ>˜`“ˆVÀœ« œ˜i]Ì i
with a mic. /‡,iÝÎ*Àœi˜>Lià Õi̜œÌ V>Ã]
7 ÞV>ˆÌº/‡,iÝ»¶>ÞLiÌ iÞ voice control of the watch via Zepp
should’ve gone with Stegosaurus Flow, and voice alerts during training
qLiV>ÕÃiÜˆÌ ˆÌÃ̈Ì>˜ˆÕ“«>̈˜}] sessions and competitions.
ÀÕ}}i`LՈ`>˜`Ã>«« ˆÀi}>Ãà Lost in the wild? Not anymore. The
display, this thing is practically wearing advanced mapping system lets you
Lœ`Þ>À“œÕÀ° ÕÌ՘ˆŽiˆÌëÀi ˆÃ̜ÀˆV }i˜iÀ>Ìi˜iÜÀœÕÌiÃœ˜Ì iyÞqÕÃÌ
˜>“iÃ>Ži]Ì i/‡,iÝÎ*ÀœˆÃ˜½ÌϜܰ̽à set your direction and distance, and it
LՈÌvœÀÌÀ>ˆÀ՘˜iÀÃ]>˜`Ü>ÃÀiVi˜ÌÞ guides you forward.
ÌiÃÌi`ˆ˜Ì iLÀÕÌ>1/ À>Vi° iޜ˜`ÌÀ>ˆÀ՘˜ˆ˜}]Ì i/‡,iÝÎ
/ i/‡,iÝÎ*ÀœV>˜œ«iÀ>Ìiˆ˜ Pro supports 180 sports modes – from
temperatures ranging from -30°C to strength training to water sports. It
³Çäc ]>˜`ˆÃiµÕˆ««i`ÜˆÌ >`Õ>‡ tracks everything that matters for peak
VœœÕÀ ̜«ÀœÛˆ`iۈÈLˆˆÌÞˆ˜Ì i «iÀvœÀ“>˜Vi\6"Ó“>Ý]ÀiVœÛiÀÞ̈“i]
dark along with an SOS signal. ,6]Ïii«µÕ>ˆÌÞ]>˜`“œÀi°
ÌÃƂ" `ˆÃ«>ÞˆÃ>Û>ˆ>Li œÌi\7iÜiÀi˜½Ì>œÜi`̜Ì>Ži
ˆ˜ÌܜÈâiÃq£°xˆ˜V ií{n““®>˜` œÀˆ}ˆ˜>« œÌœ}À>« ÞœvÌ i/‡,iÝÎ*Àœ
£°ÎÓˆ˜V ií{{““®qœvviÀˆ˜}«i>Ž when we saw it.

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 17

BEST OF IFA 2025

Shown at IFA for the

wÀÃÌ̈“i]ˆÌà œÕ`Li
>Û>ˆ>Liˆ˜ëÀˆ˜}ÓäÓÈ°

6. MOTOROLA
MOTO EDGE 60 NEO
The Motorola Edge 50
Neo was something of
>LÀi>ŽÌ ÀœÕ} `iۈVi]
offering surprising
performance, luscious
5.
Ûi}>˜i>Ì iÀw˜ˆÃ iÃ
with Pantone colours and
5. EUFY MARSWALKER a great compact display.
7ˆÌ Ì i ÕvÞ>ÀÜ>ŽiÀÀœLœÌà >Ûi The Edge 60 Neo picks up this
“>ÞLi“>`iœ˜iLœ`i>«vœÀVi>˜iÀð L>̜˜>˜`Vœ˜Ìˆ˜ÕiÃ̜À՘ÜˆÌ ˆÌq>˜`
ƂvÌiÀVi>˜ˆ˜}œ˜iyœœÀœv> œÕÃi]Ì i ˆÌVœÕ`Liœ˜iœvÌ iLiÃÌ“ˆ`‡À>˜}i
>ÀÃÜ>ŽiÀ“œÛiÃœ˜̜Ì i˜iÝÌLÞ phones of 2025.
Vˆ“Lˆ˜}Ì iÃÌ>ˆÀÃq«ÀiۈœÕÏÞ>ÃÌi«] This 6.4-inch phone has a premium
œÀÀ>Ì iÀ“>˜ÞÃÌi«Ã]̜œv>ÀvœÀÀœLœÌ `iÈ}˜]ÜˆÌ *ÈnÉș«ÀœÌiV̈œ˜]ÜˆÌ 
vacuum cleaners. >ÃÌ՘˜ˆ˜}Î]ää䘈ÌÃ`ˆÃ«>Þ]V>«>Li
/ iܜÀ`½ÃwÀÃÌÃÌ>ˆÀ‡Vˆ“Lˆ˜} ̜«i>ŽLÀˆ} ̘iÃÃiÃv>Àˆ˜iÝViÃÃœv
ÀœLœÌˆVVi>˜iÀˆÃ>Ü œi‡
home cleaning platform
with autonomous multiple-
yœœÀV>«>LˆˆÌÞ° œ“«>̈Li
ÜˆÌ Ì i˜iÜiÕvÞ-ÓÀœLœÌ
vacuum, it’s a smart crawler
platform with tracked
drive, advanced grip and
L>>˜ViVœ˜ÌÀœ°ÌÃ>Õ̜
yœœÀ`iÌiV̈œ˜Ž˜œÜÃÜ i˜
œ˜iyœœÀˆÃ`œ˜i]܈ÌV>˜
6.
Vˆ“L̜Ì i˜iÝÌ°

18 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

many rivals. There are
three Pantone options,
with a punch of colour,
while many phones are
ÕÃÌL>VŽ°
Three cameras are
offered, including a 3x
optical zoom lens, which
is rare in this category.
ÕÌLiÃÌœv>]Ì i `}i
Èä iœLՓ«ÃÌ i
7.
L>ÌÌiÀÞ̜x]äää“Ƃ 
­œÛiÀÌ i{]Σä“Ƃ œv
Ì i `}ixä iœ®]ÜÌ ˆÃœœŽÃˆŽi> / œÃiœÀLÃ>Ãœ >Ûi>1- ‡ «œÀÌ
meaningful update. supporting 30-watt charging and a
*ÀˆVi>˜`>Û>ˆ>LˆˆÌÞ>Ài/ ° cooling system, so it’s really versatile.
/ iƂՎiÞ>}ÕȜ˜ƂÀŽ܈Li
7. AUKEY MAGFUSION ARK >Û>ˆ>Liˆ˜+£ÓäÓÈ>˜`ƂՎiÞ >Ã
+ˆÓ°ÓqœÀ+ˆÓÓxÜ>ÌÌÃ>È̽ÃLiˆ˜} Ã>ˆ`Ì >ÌÓ>iÀȘ}iœÀ`œÕLiL>Ãi
marketed – was announced in July and œ«Ìˆœ˜Ã܈>ÃœLi>Û>ˆ>Li]ÜˆÌ œÀLÃ
charging giant Aukey has stepped up sold separately.
to make sure that you don’t run short of +ˆÓÓxÜ>ÌÌÓ>`iˆÌÃ`iLÕÌœ˜Ì i
+ˆÓÓx‡Ü>ÌÌV >À}iÀð/ i>}ÕȜ˜ *ˆÝi£ä*Àœ8LṎ̽ÃiÝ«iVÌi`Ì >Ì
Ark is an interesting example, Apple will support it on iPhone 17, too.
showcased at IFA 2025.
This wireless charger will support up 8. BASEUS PICOGO AF21 3-IN-
̜ÈÝ`iۈViÃ]>V>«>LiœvV >À}ˆ˜} 125-WATT WIRELESS CHARGER
at 25 watts wirelessly, with nice strong +ˆÓ°Ó­œÀ+ˆÓÓxÜ>ÌÌÃ>Ãܓi>Ài
magnets to hold everything in place. V>ˆ˜}ˆÌ®ˆÃÌ iÃÌ>ÀœvÌ ià œÜ>ÌƂ
/ œÃiœÀLÃœ˜Ì i̜«`iÌ>V ÜˆÌ i>V  when it comes to charging accessories.
Vœ˜Ì>ˆ˜ˆ˜}ˆÌÜܘÈ]Çää“Ƃ L>ÌÌiÀÞ]Ü The new wireless charging tech takes
ˆÌLiVœ“iÃ>܈ÀiiÃÃV >À}iÀޜÕV>˜ speeds from the humdrum 7.5 watts
ÕÃiiÃiÜ iÀiqˆÌ“ˆ} ÌiÛi˜w̘i>̏Þ and once-exciting 15 watts to a wired-
in your car’s cup holder. charging-like 25 watts. It may sound

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 19

BEST OF IFA 2025

V >À}i>Lii>ÀLÕ`Ã]LÕÌ
Android users joining the
“>}˜ïV}>“i܈LiÃÕÀi
to love it, too.

9. TECNO SLIM
Tecno is a lesser-known
ÌiV ˜œœ}ÞLÀ>˜`]LṎ̽Ã>
company that likes to push
LœÕ˜`>ÀˆiÃ] iÀiÀˆÛ>ˆ˜}Ì i
sort of svelte lines we’ve seen
from the Samsung Galaxy
8.
S25 Edge. If the Tecno Spark
Slim sounds familiar, that’s
`ÀÞLÕÌ̜V >À}ˆ˜}>wVˆœ˜>`œÃÌ ˆÃˆÃ LiV>ÕÃiÌ ˆÃˆÃÌ i«Àœ`ÕV̈œ˜ÛiÀȜ˜
exciting stuff. of the concept phone we saw at MWC
9œÕÀ« œ˜i܈LiV >À}i`“ÕV  earlier in the year.
faster and with all the convenience of /iV˜œˆÃV>ˆ˜}Ì ˆÃÌ iºÜœÀ`½Ã
܈ÀiiÃð/ ˆÃˆÃiëiVˆ>ÞÈ}˜ˆwV>˜Ì ψ““iÃÌÎ ‡VÕÀÛi`« œ˜i»LiV>ÕÃi
now that Google’s Pixel 10 Pro and it hangs onto the curved edges of the
Pro XL have joined Apple’s iPhone in `ˆÃ«>ÞÌ >ÌÕÃi`̜LiVœ““œ˜«>Vi
i“LÀ>Vˆ˜}“>}˜ïV܈ÀiiÃÃV >À}ˆ˜}° vÀœ“LÀ>˜`ψŽi->“Ã՘}°/ >Ì“>ŽiÈÌ
There are a lot of samey
V >À}iÀÃœÕÌÌ iÀi]LÕÌœ˜i
that really caught our eye at
IFA was the Baseus PicoGo,
which folds up into a tiny
«>VŽ>}iLÕÌ՘vœ`Ș̜
something like we’ve never
Ãii˜LivœÀi°
It is still heavily aimed at
Apple users as it can charge
an Apple Watch as well
9.
as a phone and wirelessly

20 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

viiˆ˜VÀi`ˆLÞÌ ˆ˜ˆ˜Ì i >˜`]
as there’s no squared edge as
ޜսw˜`œ˜Ì i-Óx `}i°
There are two versions,
{­*œÛ>-ˆ“®>˜`x­-«>ÀŽ
-ˆ“®]ÜˆÌ Ì ix“œ`i
Vœ“ˆ˜}ˆ˜>Ìx°™x““]ÜˆÌ 
a 6.7-inch display packing
in a crazy 4,500 nits, all
«œÜiÀi`LÞÌ ii`ˆ>/iŽ
Dimensity 6400.
The phone launches on
Android 15 running HiOS,
10.
and as is often the case with
Tecno, it’s not clear where you
“ˆ} ÌLÕÞÌ ˆÃÏi˜`iÀ« œ˜i>˜` œÜ iÝÌi˜`ÃÌ i>«Ìœ«`ˆÃ«>ÞÛiÀ̈V>Þ®
much it might cost. and it won our sister site, PCWorld’s,
Editors’ Choice award. Swapping the
10. THINKBOOK orientation is already something you can
8'46+(.':|%10%'26 do on many standalone displays.
It might seem a little odd to award Lenovo hasn’t told us whether it
>Vœ˜Vi«Ì>º iÃÌœvƂ»>Ü>À`] will turn the VertiFlex into a product,
LÕÌi˜œÛœ½ÃVœ˜Vi«Ìà >Ûi>Ü>Þœv or when that will happen. But for
LiVœ“ˆ˜}«Àœ`ÕVÌÃÜˆÌ ˆ˜>viÜÞi>Àð one thing, who shows off concepts
Its latest is the ThinkBook VertiFlex any more? Just putting a potential
Concept, a laptop with a screen that product out into the world for comment
swivels from landscape to portrait and discussion is something more
“œ`i>˜`L>VŽ>}>ˆ˜° companies need to do, period.
That’s it? That’s it. But when you’re
on the road, trying to wrestle with a 11. UGREEN MAGFLOW
>«Ìœ«ÃVÀii˜V>˜Li>V >i˜}iœ˜> MAGNETIC POWER BANK
«>˜iœÀˆ˜> œÌiÀœœ“°i˜œÛœLՈÌ Ugreen showcased a full range of
Ì ii˜œÛœ/ ˆ˜Ž œœŽ*ÕÃ,œ>Liœ˜ v>ÃÌ܈ÀiiÃëœÜiÀ«Àœ`ÕVÌÃL>Ãi`
>ȓˆ>ÀVœ˜Vi«Ì­>Àœ>Li" Ì >Ì œ˜Ì i˜iÜ+ˆÓÓx‡Ü>ÌÌÌiV ˜œœ}Þ

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 21

BEST OF IFA 2025

11.

qˆ˜`ii`>Ü œiv>“ˆÞœv«œÀÌ>Li The MagFlow Magnetic Power Bank

>˜``iÎ̜«‡L>Ãi`V >À}iÀÃÌ >Ì £ä]äää“Ƃ ÓxÜ>ÌÌíËǙ°™™®]«ˆVÌÕÀi`
È}˜ˆwV>˜ÌÞˆ˜VÀi>Ãi܈ÀiiÃÃV >À}ˆ˜} iÀi]Li>ÌÃ>Vœ“iÀÃ̜Ì iVÀœÜ˜œv
speeds through more precise magnetic wÀÃÌÓx‡Ü>ÌÌ«œÜiÀL>˜Ž]>Ì œÕ} ˆÌ
alignment. ˆÃÃÕÀi̜Liœˆ˜i`LÞœÌ iÀÈ˜Ì i
+ˆÓÓxÜ>ÌÌëÕà iÓ>}˜ïV coming weeks and months.
wireless charging from its previous It can power an iPhone 16 Pro Max
15-watt maximum to a much faster 25 to 50 percent in around 30 minutes,
watts, as the name suggests. Previously, a speed that was previously reserved
“>}˜ïVV >À}ˆ˜}Ü>Ãi˜œÞi`LÞœ˜Þ vœÀV>Li`V >À}ˆ˜}°Ì>Ãœˆ˜VÕ`iÃ>
Ƃ««i½Ãˆ* œ˜iÃ]LÕÌÌ iÃi˜iÜV >À}iÀà >˜`ÞLՈÌ‡ˆ˜Îä‡Ü>ÌÌ1- ‡ V>LiÌ >Ì
>˜`+ˆÓÓxÜ>ÌÌȘ}i˜iÀ>œœŽ̜Ì>Ži `œÕLiÃ>Ã>V>ÀÀÞÃÌÀ>«°
the wireless charging tech to Android
devices too, including the newly 12. ANKER PRIME
released Google Pixel 10 Pro XL. &1%-+0)|56#6+10
Ugreen’s MagFlow family includes This 14-port dock mimics the look of
œ˜i`iÎ̜«V >À}iÀ>˜`vœÕÀ«œÀÌ>Li Anker’s Prime Desktop Charger and
V >À}iÀÃ]ˆ˜VÕ`ˆ˜}Ì iwÀÃÌÓx‡Ü>ÌÌ includes the same top-end 140-watt
«œÜiÀL>˜ŽÜi½ÛiÃii˜° PD 3.1 upstream USB-C port and three

22 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

1- ‡ ]LÕÌ>``Ã>˜œÌ iÀÌܜ1- ‡Ƃ taking what was once just a great
«œÀÌívœÀ>̜Ì>œvÌ Àii®]>ÃÜi>à desktop charger and transforming it into
dual HDMI, DisplayPort, Ethernet, >vՏÞyi`}i``œVŽˆ˜}ÃÌ>̈œ˜°
>Õ`ˆœ]>˜`- É/ϜÌð
ÌÃÌÀˆ«i‡`ˆÃ«>ÞÃÕ««œÀÌínÉ{É{®
for Windows laptops and MacBooks is
“>`i«œÃÈLiÜˆÌ  ˆÃ«>Þˆ˜ŽÜvÌÜ>Ài
Ì >Ì}iÌÃ>ÀœÕ˜`Ƃ««i½Ã£ÉÓÉÎ
display limitations.
At the front, its smart display shows
real-time USB-C charging power, data
transfer status, display signal, and
temperature. An on-device screen PC
>««i˜>LiÃvÕÀÌ iÀ`iۈVi“œ˜ˆÌœÀˆ˜}]
V>Ã̈˜}ÃiÌ̈˜}Ã]wÀ“Ü>ÀiÕ«`>ÌiÃ]
and diagnostics. ActiveShield 3.0
prevents throttling and maintains peak
performance during charging, transfers,
or display, claims Anker.
ƂœvÌ i1- ‡ «œÀÌÃÃÕ««œÀÌLœÌ 
fast charging and high-speed data
transfer for maximum convenience,

12.

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 23

REVIEWS

Google Pixel 10 Pro XL

Price when reviewed: Ë£]£™™

G
oogle’s smartphones have vœVÕȘ}œ˜LœœÃ̈˜}Ì iL>ÌÌiÀÞ>˜`
ˆÌ`œÕLiw}ÕÀiÃ]>˜`Ì i charging experience.
Vœ“«>˜Þ“i>˜ÃLÕȘiÃð But the company has come out
On paper, the Pixel 10 series is its swinging on the software side, with
most accomplished generation yet, several new and potentially game-
fusing ultra-premium hardware with changing features. And, after a week
Ì iÜvÌÜ>Ài«œˆÃ ˜œœÌ iÀLÀ>˜` spent using it as my main phone, I’m
can match. Ài>`Þ̜`iV>ÀiˆÌÌ iLiÃÌÓ>ÀÌ« œ˜i
1˜iÃÃޜÕÜ>˜Ì>vœ`>Li]Ì i of 2025 so far.
Pixel 10 Pro XL sits at the top of that Here’s everything that makes it so
ˆ˜iÕ«°œœ}i >ÃLii˜V>ṎœÕÃÜˆÌ  good, plus the handful of things that I
its hardware upgrades this time around, wish Google had done differently.

24 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

Design `ÕÀ>LˆˆÌÞViÀÌ>ˆ˜ÞˆÃ˜½Ì°/ i}>ÃÃœ˜
Gone are the days when Pixel owners LœÌ Ì ivÀœ˜Ì>˜`L>VŽœvÌ i« œ˜i
had to put up with a cheap-looking is Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which is
phone. The Pixel 10 Pro XL is a work of ëiVˆwV>Þ`iÈ}˜i`̜«ÀœÌiVÌ>}>ˆ˜ÃÌ
>ÀÌ]Vœ“Lˆ˜ˆ˜}V>ÃÈV`iÈ}˜>˜}Õ>}i falls onto hard surfaces. I inadvertently
with a standout camera module. tested this when I dropped the 10 Pro
The latter continues to divide 8v>Vi`œÜ˜œ˜Ìœ>ܜœ`i˜yœœÀvÀœ“
œ«ˆ˜ˆœ˜]LÕ̽“>v>˜°/ i«ˆ‡Ã >«i` >LœÕÌ£“ ˆ} °«ˆVŽi`ˆÌÕ«vi>Àˆ˜}
`iÈ}˜ˆÃˆ˜ÃÌ>˜ÌÞÀiVœ}˜ˆÃ>Li>˜` Ì iܜÀÃÌ]LÕÌÌ i« œ˜iÜ>Ã̜Ì>Þ
ˆ˜`ˆÛˆ`Õ>]ÜˆÌ œÕ̏œœŽˆ˜}œL˜œÝˆœÕà unscathed. That’s impressive.
œÀ`œ“ˆ˜>̈˜}Ì iL>VŽœvÌ i`iۈVi° Ƃ˜œÌ iÀŽiÞ`ÕÀ>LˆˆÌÞ“iÌÀˆVˆÃÌ i
Ƃ˜`ˆvޜÕ>««Þœ˜iœvœœ}i½ÃœvwVˆ> *ÈnÀ>̈˜}]Ü ˆV Vœ˜wÀ“ÃÌ >ÌÌ i
cases, you can eliminate the effects of `iۈViˆÃÀiÈÃÌ>˜Ì̜ÃÕL“iÀȜ˜ˆ˜
Ì iV>“iÀ>LՓ«° up to 1.5m of fresh water for up to 30
I’d recommend most people minutes and is protected against all dust
apply a case for grip – the 10 Pro XL «>À̈Við̽ØœÌ ˆ˜}˜iÜvœÀy>}à ˆ«
feels slippery in the hands otherwise. `iۈViÃ]LÕÌÃ̈ˆ“«œÀÌ>˜Ì̜“i˜Ìˆœ˜°
However, I recognise that it’s easy to / iÀiyiV̈Ûi>Õ“ˆ˜ˆÕ“vÀ>“iviiÃ
say that when I’m testing the rather ÕÃÌ>ÃÀœLÕÃÌ°/ >̽ÃÜ iÀiޜսw˜`
LœÀˆ˜}"LÈ`ˆ>˜“œ`i]Ü ˆV ˆÃ the clicky power and volume controls,
essentially a dark grey.
The phone is also
>Û>ˆ>Liˆ˜œœ˜Ã̜˜i
­ˆ} Ì}ÀiÞ®]>`i­ˆ} Ì
}Àii˜®>˜`*œÀVi>ˆ˜­œvv‡
Ü ˆÌi®°vޜÕ}œvœÀœ˜iœv
the latter two, you might
not want to cover it up. A
“>ÌÌVœ>̈˜}œ˜Ì iL>VŽ
œvÌ i`iۈVi>ۜˆ`ÃۈÈLi
w˜}iÀ«Àˆ˜ÌÓÕ`}iÃ՘iÃÃ
light is shining directly on it.
If grip is a little lacking The Pixel 10 Pro XL combines classic design language with
when going case-free, a standout camera module.

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 25

REVIEWS

w˜iÃÌÃVÀii˜Ãœ˜>˜Þ
smartphone, and the
Ã>“iV>˜LiÃ>ˆ`vœÀ
its successor.
The only upgrade
ˆÃˆ˜ˆÌÃLÀˆ} ̘iÃÃ]
which now peaks at an
9œÕ½w˜`>1- ‡ «œÀÌ>˜`ëi>ŽiÀÃœ˜Ì iLœÌ̜“œvÌ i« œ˜i° impressive 3300 nits.
Ƃ“œÀiÀiiÛ>˜Ìw}ÕÀi
plus a USB-C port and speakers at the is the one I recorded at 100 percent
LœÌ̜“°/ i-ÌÀ>Þ >ÓœÛi`̜Ì i q™{n˜ˆÌÃqÜ ˆV “>ŽiÃvœÀiÝVii˜Ì
̜«œvÌ i« œ˜i]LÕÌ`œÕLÌ>˜Þœ˜i œÕÌ`œœÀۈÈLˆˆÌÞ]iÛi˜ˆ˜`ˆÀiVÌÃ՘ˆ} Ì°
will care. Elsewhere, it’s the same 6.8-inch
œÜiÛiÀ]Ì iÀi½Ã˜œ`œÕLÌÌ >ÌÌ i OLED panel, which looks stunning in
choice of these premium materials pretty much any scenario. The rich,
Vœ˜ÌÀˆLÕÌiÃ̜ˆÌÃœÛiÀ>Üiˆ} Ì°ƂÌ ۈLÀ>˜ÌVœœÕÀÃ>˜``ii«L>VŽÃÜi½Ûi
ÓÎÓ}]Ì i*ˆÝi£ä*Àœ8ˆÃÈ}˜ˆwV>˜ÌÞ come to associate with OLEDs are
i>ۈiÀÌ >˜Ì iÓÓ£}*ˆÝi™*Àœ8] very much apparent here, making the
and one of the heaviest non-folding 10 Pro XL ideal for scrolling social
« œ˜iÃÌ >ÌޜÕV>˜LÕÞ° media or watching videos.
Alongside dimensions of The display is also LTPO, meaning
£ÈÓ°nÝÇÈ°ÈÝn°x““­ˆ`i˜ÌˆV>̜ ˆÌV>˜>Õ̜“>̈V>Þ>`ÕÃÌLiÌÜii˜
œœ}i½Ã*ˆÝi™*Àœ8®]“>ŽiÃÕÀi 1- and 120Hz refresh rates, depending
ޜսÀi >««ÞÜˆÌ >Lˆ}]LՏŽÞ`iۈVi on what you’re doing. This ensures you
LivœÀi«ÕÀV >Ș}° >ÛiµÕˆÌi>À}i }iÌÌ iψVŽ]Ài뜘ÈÛiLi˜iwÌÃœv
>˜`Ã>˜`V>˜“>ŽiÕÃiœvÌ iÈâi>Li 120Hz without the negative impact on
pockets on most men’s trousers and L>ÌÌiÀޏˆvi°
à œÀÌÃ]܈̽ØœÌ>Lˆ}ˆÃÃÕivœÀ“i° / i ³­Ó]™™ÓÝ£]Î{{®Ài܏Ṏœ˜
ˆÃ˜œÌ ˆ˜}ëiVˆ>]LÕÌ`iÌ>ˆ>˜`V>ÀˆÌÞ
DISPLAY >ÀiLœÌ iÝVii˜Ì°Ì“ˆ} ̘œÌLiÌ i
œœ}i >ؽÌ“>`i>˜ÞÈ}˜ˆwV>˜Ì >L܏ÕÌiLiÃÌ`ˆÃ«>Þœ˜>˜Þ« œ˜iq
changes to the display on the Pixel Ì >Ì>Ü>À`«ÀœL>LÞ}œiÃ̜Ì i>>ÝÞ
£ä*Àœ8]LṎÌ`ˆ`˜½Ì˜ii`̜°>ÃÌ -Óx1ÌÀ>qLÕÌÌ i*ˆÝi£ä*Àœ8½Ã
Þi>À½Ã™*Àœ8>Ài>`Þ >`œ˜iœvÌ i screen excels in all the areas that matter.

26 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

 ƂÃÕÃÕ>]ޜսw˜`>
w˜}iÀ«Àˆ˜ÌÃi˜ÃœÀÜˆÌ ˆ˜
the display. This is an
ultrasonic scanner, which
is considered superior
to the optical version
found on most phones,
and it shows. Despite
only enrolling one
w˜}iÀ«Àˆ˜ÌLÀˆiyÞ`ÕÀˆ˜}
ÃiÌÕ«­>ȓ«i«ÀœViÃî]
it was impressively
v>ÃÌ>˜`Àiˆ>Li°
However, I still The Pixel 10 Pro XL’s screen excels in all the areas that matter.
prefer the 3D face
unlock in most situations. It’s even speakers on the Pixel 10 Pro XL are a
more seamless and secure enough to solid alternative for casual use.
LiÕÃi`vœÀ>ÕÌ i˜ÌˆV>̈˜}«>ޓi˜ÌÃ
and logging into apps. PERFORMANCE
Elsewhere, the Pixel 10 Pro XL’s All four of the Pixel 10 phones have
ëi>ŽiÀµÕ>ˆÌÞˆÃÜi>LœÛi>ÛiÀ>}i° Lii˜iµÕˆ««i`ÜˆÌ œœ}i½Ã˜iÜ
ˆŽi“œÃÌy>}à ˆ«Ã]ˆÌ >Ã>ÃÌiÀiœ /i˜ÃœÀxV ˆ«ÃiÌ°̽Ã>“œÀiÈ}˜ˆwV>˜Ì
ÃiÌÕ«]LÕÌṎˆÃiÃÌܜ}ÀˆiÃ>Ì upgrade from the Tensor G4 than the
Ì iLœÌ̜“œvÌ i`iۈVi]«ÕÃÌ i name suggests, with Google moving
earpiece. The result is an impressively manufacturing from Samsung to TSMC
vՏ‡Lœ`ˆi`Ü՘`Ì >Ì`iˆÛiÀÃÀˆV  and upgrading to a 3nm process.
vocals and detailed soundscapes, even But does it yield a major
ˆvÌ iL>ÃÈÃ>ˆÌ̏iÃÕL‡«>À° >ÀˆÌÞ «iÀvœÀ“>˜ViLœœÃÌœ˜Ì i*ˆÝi£ä
is also strong, until you push the *Àœ8¶ƂL܏ÕÌiÞ˜œÌ°½ÛiÕÃi`Ì i
volume up close to maximum, where *ˆÝi™*Àœ8vœÀ>ÀœÕ˜`wÛi“œ˜Ì Ã
ܓi`ˆÃ̜À̈œ˜ˆÃ>Õ`ˆLi° in total, and I can’t spot a difference
As usual, connect a speaker or LiÌÜii˜Ì iÌܜ°
i>`« œ˜iÈvޜսÀiÃiÀˆœÕÃ>LœÕÌ However, that’s not a criticism of the
ˆ} ‡µÕ>ˆÌÞ>Õ`ˆœ]LÕÌÌ iLՈÌ‡ˆ˜ new phone. Performance was already

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 27

REVIEWS

so strong that these minor

gains were always unlikely
to have a major impact.
The Pixel 10 Pro XL is a
powerhouse of a phone,
handling the complexities
of heavy usage days
ÜˆÌ œÕÌLÀi>Žˆ˜}>ÃÜi>Ì°
½“Ì>Žˆ˜}ÜiL
LÀœÜȘ}­ÜˆÌ  ՘`Ài`Ã
œvœ«i˜Ì>LÃqœœ«Ã®]
WhatsApp messages,
“>ˆ]9œÕ/ÕLiۈ`iœÃ
and a lot of photography, The Pixel 10 Pro XL is a powerhouse of a phone, handling the
including quickly complexities of heavy usage days without breaking a sweat.
Ã܈ÌV ˆ˜}LiÌÜii˜Ì i“°
Aside from a few hesitations, which I does give the Pixel 10 Pro XL a higher
Ì ˆ˜ŽÜiÀiÜvÌÜ>ÀiLÕ}ÃÀ>Ì iÀÌ >˜ starting price than its predecessor.
performance limitations, the Pixel 10 Pro 9œÕV>˜V œœÃiLiÌÜii˜ÓxÈ ]
XL was a stellar performer. x£Ó >˜`£/ ]LÕÌ“>ŽiÃÕÀiޜÕ
As you might expect, this extends get enough, as there’s no support for
̜“œLˆi}>“ˆ˜}°ÌiÃÌi`Ì i« œ˜i iÝ«>˜`>LiÃ̜À>}i°
on some of the Play Store’s most Disappointingly, a dual physical SIM
demanding games, including Call of slot is also missing, though the rise of
ÕÌÞ\œLˆi]i˜Ã ˆ˜“«>VÌ>˜`,i> eSIM makes this less of an issue.
,>Vˆ˜}ΰ>“i«>ÞÜ>ÃӜœÌ >˜`
Ài뜘ÈÛi]ÜˆÌ ˜œ˜œÌˆVi>Li`Àœ««i` Geekbench 6 (multi-core)
vÀ>“iðƂ˜`Ü ˆiÌ iL>VŽœvÌ i« œ˜i Google Pixel 10 Pro XL: 5,123
LiV>“iÜ>À“̜Ì i̜ÕV >vÌiÀ>viÜ Google Pixel 10 Pro: 6,333
minutes, it didn’t negatively impact my Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: ™]{£Î
experience in any way. Honor Magic 7 Pro: ™]£nä
When it comes to storage, Google OnePlus 13: ™]{nÓ
has ditched the cheapest 128GB model. Oppo Find X8 Pro: 8,551
This makes sense in 2025, although it Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: 4,554

28 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

GFX Manhattan 3.1 ˜iViÃÃ>ÀˆÞŽ˜œÜˆÌvÀœ“Ì iLi˜V “>ÀŽ
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL: 111fps ÃVœÀiÃLiœÜ]Ü ˆV à œÜˆÌÜiLi ˆ˜`
Google Pixel 10 Pro: 120fps Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered phones in
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: 120fps terms of CPU power.
Honor Magic 7 Pro: 120fps
OnePlus 13: ££™v«Ã CAMERAS
Oppo Find X8 Pro: 120fps On the face of it, the Pixel 10 Pro
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: ™Èv«Ã XL’s cameras are unchanged from
its predecessor.
Battery life The hardware is the exact same,
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL: £{ œÕÀÃ]£™ ÜˆÌ >xä«“>ˆ˜i˜ÃÃÕ««œÀÌi`LÞ>
minutes 48Mp 5x telephoto and 48Mp ultrawide
Google Pixel 10 Pro: 13 hours, 3 œ˜Ì iL>VŽ°"˜Ì ivÀœ˜Ì]>{Ó«Ãiwi
minutes camera also remains.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: £™ œÕÀÃ]{n œÜiÛiÀ]œœ}i >ÃLii˜ܜÀŽˆ˜}
minutes hard on the software side, introducing
Honor Magic 7 Pro: 12 hours, 37 several new features that make the
minutes Pixel 10 Pro XL camera experience feel
OnePlus 13: 15 hours, 27 minutes fresh and new.
Oppo Find X8 Pro: 14 hours, 36 minutes But let’s start with what Pixel phones
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: 10 hours, 1 >ÀiŽ˜œÜ˜vœÀ\}Ài>Ì«œˆ˜Ì‡>˜`‡Ã œœÌ
minute photography. In my opinion, the main
rear lens is unmatched when it comes to
Charge in 30 minutes consistently high-quality photos.
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL: 38% No matter the scenario, I can whip
Google Pixel 10 Pro: 50% the phone out of my pocket, quickly
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: 70% launch the camera and snap away, safe
Honor Magic 7 Pro: ™{¯ in the knowledge that I’ll get a good
OnePlus 13: ™x¯ result nine times out of 10.
Oppo Find X8 Pro: ș¯ In good lighting conditions, photos
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: 55% >Ài«Õ˜V Þ]ۈLÀ>˜Ì>˜`LÀˆ““ˆ˜}ÜˆÌ 
detail. Dynamic range is excellent,
The Pixel 10 Pro XL has excellent and it handles shadows and complex
«iÀvœÀ“>˜Vi]LÕÌޜÕܜՏ`˜½Ì exposures very well. Colours tend to

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 29

REVIEWS

The main
rear lens is
unmatched
when it
comes to
consistently
high-quality
photos.

30 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

 The 10 Pro
XL is equally
impressive
in low-light
conditions.

This is
the best
wÀiܜÀŽ
photo I’ve
ever taken.

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 31

REVIEWS

Li>ˆÌ̏i“œÀiÃ>ÌÕÀ>Ìi`Ì >˜ˆ˜Ài> œv« œÌœÃ°/ i>ÌÌiÀV>˜>Ãœ˜œÜLi

ˆvi]LÕÌÌ >Ì“i>˜Ãi`ˆÌˆ˜}ˆ˜«œÃ̈à >Õ̜“>Ìi`]LÕ̍ÕÃÌ>ÃÜˆÌ Ì i/œ«
rarely necessary. pick feature in Google Photos, it won’t
Unlike most phones, the 10 Pro >Ü>ÞÃV œœÃiÌ iLiÃÌœ˜i°
XL is equally impressive in low- A lot of my testing of the 10 Pro
light conditions. ‘Night Sight’ works XL came at a music festival, where
wonders, increasing the exposure time the 48Mp periscope telephoto lens
ˆ˜iÝV >˜}ivœÀ>Ài>ˆÃ̈VLÀˆ} ̘iÃà came into its own. The 5x optical zoom
improvement and limited noise. was ideal for capturing artists in full
Without adding external lenses, I yœÜœ˜ÃÌ>}iÜˆÌ œÕÌ>˜Þ˜œÌˆVi>Li
don’t think smartphone night modes drop-off in quality.
}iÌ>˜ÞLiÌÌiÀÌ >˜Ì ˆÃ° Anything up to around 10x looks
AI-powered group photo features «ÀiÌÌÞ}œœ`]LÕ̵Õ>ˆÌÞµÕˆVŽÞ`iVˆ˜iÃ
remain, with ‘Add Me’ allowing the œ˜ViޜÕ}œLiޜ˜`Ì >Ì°ƂÌ>˜ÞÌ ˆ˜}
« œÌœ}À>« iÀ̜Li>``i`̜Ì iˆ“>}i >LœÛiÎäÝ]œœ}i½Ã˜iܼ*Àœ,iÃ<œœ“½
and ‘Best Take’ ensuring that everyone ŽˆVŽÃˆ˜]ÕȘ}}i˜iÀ>̈ÛiƂ̜LœœÃÌÌ i
œœŽÃÌ iˆÀLiÃÌÜ i˜ޜÕÌ>Ži>LÕÀÃÌ µÕ>ˆÌÞœvÌ iœÌ iÀ܈ÃiLÕÀÀÞˆ“>}ið

Chappell
Roan, next
to what
Google
would have
you believe
is an alien.

32 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

 In theory, anyway. In my testing, it When taking a portrait photo, I
generally worked well on landscapes enlisted the help of ‘Camera Coach’,
>˜`>ÀV ˆÌiVÌÕÀi]>LiˆÌÜˆÌ ܓi another new Pixel 10 feature. It uses
>À̈wVˆ>‡œœŽˆ˜}ii“i˜Ìð Ṏ“>}ià Ƃ­œvVœÕÀÃi®̜>˜>ÞÃiÌ ivÀ>“i
of people were a total disaster, with and suggest ways in which you could
՘Ài>ˆÃ̈Vv>ViÃÌ >ÌL>ÀiÞÀiÃi“Li` ˆ“«ÀœÛiÌ iw˜>ˆ“>}i°ÌÌ>ŽiÃ>
> Փ>˜Liˆ˜}°½` ˆ} ÞÀiVœ““i˜` viÜÃiVœ˜`íܜՏ`˜½ÌÀiVœ““i˜`
sticking with good old-fashioned digital ÌÀވ˜}ˆÌœ˜>LÕÃÞÌÕLi«>ÌvœÀ“®]
zoom, at least for now. LÕÌÌ ii˜`ÀiÃՏÌÜ>Ã>}i˜Õˆ˜i
The 10 Pro XL also utilises the improvement. I’m impressed.
telephoto lens for portrait photography, Another key strength of the Pixel 10
another key strength of Pixel phones. Pro XL camera experience is the 48Mp
On the sample photos I captured, skin ultrawide, which ensures that you can
tones are impressively accurate and }iÌ>܈`iÀ]£Ó·`i}Àiiwi`œvۈiÜ
Ì iÃi«>À>̈œ˜LiÌÜii˜ÃÕLiVÌ>˜` ÜˆÌ œÕÌ>˜œÌˆVi>Li`Àœ«‡œvvˆ˜µÕ>ˆÌÞ°
L>VŽ}ÀœÕ˜`ˆÃÛiÀÞÀi>ˆÃ̈V° Colour accuracy, dynamic range and

On the sample portrait photos I captured, skin tones are impressively accurate and the
separation between subject and background is very realistic

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 33

REVIEWS

Without a
doubt, the
10 Pro XL’s
{Ó«Ãiwi
camera is
my favourite
on any
phone.

34 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

exposure all remain strong, with only Android phone, avoiding the common
a slight variation in sharpness around iÝ«œÃÕÀi>˜`˜œˆÃi«ˆÌv>Ã°ÕÃÌLi
the edges of the image. patient, though, as it requires an
7ˆÌ œÕÌ>`œÕLÌ]Ì i£ä*Àœ8½Ã internet connection and a few hours
{Ó«ÃiwiV>“iÀ>ˆÃ“Þv>ۜÕÀˆÌi to fully process.
œ˜>˜Þ« œ˜i°ÌÃÃÕ«iÀLÃiwiÃœÀ Sadly, the microphone quality isn’t
}ÀœÕ«wií>ÃÌ iÞ½ÀiÃÕ««œÃi`ÞŽ˜œÜ˜ quite up to scratch, meaning the impact
q¼}ÀœÕ«ˆiý՘`iÀÃÌ>˜`>LÞ˜œÌLiˆ˜} œvLœœ“ˆ˜}ۜV>Ã>˜`Ì ÀœLLˆ˜}L>ÃÈÃ
>˜œ«Ìˆœ˜®]œvviÀˆ˜}V>ÃǏi>`ˆ˜}`iÌ>ˆ] somewhat lost. This is an area in which
Έ˜̜˜i>VVÕÀ>VÞ>˜`ۈLÀ>˜VÞ°̽Ã> I’d really like to see Google improve.
joy to use. However, when it comes to pure
Sadly, the Pixel 10’s new ‘Help me image and video quality, the Pixel 10
i`ˆÌ½vi>ÌÕÀiˆÃ˜½Ì>Û>ˆ>Liˆ˜Ì i1>Ì Pro XL is right up there with the very
Ì ï“iœvÜÀˆÌˆ˜}]Ü >Ûi˜½ÌLii˜ LiÃÌ°1˜iÃÃޜսÀi>« œÌœ}À>« Þ
>Li̜ÌiÃ̰̈˜Ì iœÀÞ]ˆÌà œÕ`“>Ži enthusiast who enjoys manually
AI editing much easier, allowing you to ÌÜi>Žˆ˜}Û>ÀˆœÕÃÃiÌ̈˜}Ã]ޜսLi
just ask using natural language, rather “œÀiÌ >˜Ã>̈Ãwi`ÜˆÌ Ì iœÛiÀ>
Ì >˜w˜`>˜`>««ÞÌ i̜œÃޜÕÀÃiv° camera experience.
ܜՏ`˜½Ì˜œÀ“>ÞÌ>Ž“ÕV >LœÕÌ
Ó>ÀÌ« œ˜iۈ`iœµÕ>ˆÌÞ]LÕÌ>ÌÌi˜`ˆ˜} BATTERY LIFE & CHARGING
a music festival gave me plenty of / ˆÃˆÃÜ iÀiÌ iLˆ}}iÃÌ >À`Ü>Ài
opportunities to test it out. The Pixel 10 Õ«}À>`iÃV>˜LivœÕ˜`œ˜Ì i*ˆÝi
*Àœ8V>˜V>«ÌÕÀi{>ÌÈäv«Ã]LÕÌÌ i 10 Pro XL.
`iv>ՏÌ£änä«>ÌÎäv«ÃˆÃÕÃÌw˜ivœÀ i̽ÃÃÌ>ÀÌÜˆÌ Ì iL>ÌÌiÀÞˆÌÃiv]
most people. which has increased from 5,060mAh to
In general, footage from the phone x]Óää“Ƃ °̽Ã>“œ`iÃ̈˜VÀi>Ãi]LṎÌ
ˆÃVÀˆÃ«>˜``iÌ>ˆi`]ÜˆÌ "-­œ«ÌˆV> i˜ÃÕÀiÃÌ i£ä*Àœ8 >ÃÌ iLˆ}}iÃÌ
ˆ“>}iÃÌ>LˆˆÃ>̈œ˜®œ˜Ì i“>ˆ˜>˜` L>ÌÌiÀÞœv>˜Þ*ˆÝi« œ˜i̜`>Ìi°/ i
telephoto lenses ensuring footage ÀiÃՏ̶-œˆ`]`i«i˜`>LiL>ÌÌiÀޏˆvi
remains relatively steady. that will almost always get you through
Õ̼ ˆ} Ì-ˆ} Ìۈ`iœ½­Ã̈>*Àœ a full day with charge to spare.
iÝVÕÈÛi®ˆÃÜ >ÌÀi>Þˆ“«ÀiÃÃi` For a more extreme example, a
“i°Ìi˜>LiϜ܇ˆ} Ìۈ`iœÌ >̽à single charge on the 10 Pro XL had to
as good as anything you’ll get on an last me over a day and a half at a music

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 35

REVIEWS

viÃ̈Û>°Þ«œÀÌ>Li«œÜiÀ
L>˜Ž}>ÛiÕ«>vÌiÀÕÃÌ>viÜ
minutes, so I went from Friday
evening to Sunday afternoon
ÜˆÌ ™ä«iÀVi˜ÌL>ÌÌiÀÞ>˜`>
LÀˆiv̜«‡Õ«>Ì>V >À}ˆ˜}«œˆ˜Ì°
By Sunday morning, some
intense power-saving was
required to ensure it didn’t run
out of charge, as I needed it to
show my train ticket. But this
was after many hours of high
LÀˆ} ̘iÃÃ]“œLˆi`>Ì>>˜`
*-ÕÃiˆ˜>LÕÃÞi˜ÛˆÀœ˜“i˜Ì° Google’s Pixel 10 Pro XL has dependable battery life
Provided you have a decent that will almost always get you through a full day with
«œÜiÀL>˜Ž]Ì i*ˆÝi£ä*Àœ charge to spare.
8½ÃL>ÌÌiÀޏˆviˆÃ՘`œÕLÌi`Þ
festival-proof « œ˜iÃ]i˜>Lˆ˜}v>ÃÌiÀ­˜œÜÓxÜ>ÌÌî
When I got home, the wired charging and more secure wireless charging.
was a pleasant surprise. Google has A range of ‘Pixelsnap’ accessories
w˜>ÞLœœÃÌi`ëii`Ã̜{xÜ>ÌÌÃ] >Ài>Ài>`Þ>Û>ˆ>Li]ÜˆÌ œÌÃ
although that requires the separate more likely to pop up in the future.
«ÕÀV >Ãiœv>Vœ“«>̈LiV >À}iÀ° 1˜vœÀÌ՘>ÌiÞ] >Ûi˜½ÌLii˜>Li̜
Using one I already had at home, ÌiÃÌÌ iÃi>˜`«ÕÌÌ i+ˆÓÌ ÀœÕ} ˆÌÃ
“ÞÀiۈiÜÃ>“«iÜi˜ÌvÀœ“ä‡̜£™ «>ViÃ]LÕÌˆÌ >Ã}Ài>Ì«œÌi˜Ìˆ>°
percent in 15 minutes and 38 percent
LÞÌ i >v‡ œÕÀ“>ÀŽ°ƂvՏV >À}i̜œŽ SOFTWARE & APPS
>˜ œÕÀ>˜`{Ç“ˆ˜ÕÌiÃ]LÕÌޜÕV>˜ Alongside the other Pixel 10 phones,
`iw˜ˆÌiÞ`œˆÌv>ÃÌiÀÌ >˜Ì >Ì° Ì i£ä*Àœ8ˆÃœ˜iœvÌ iwÀÃÌ >˜`ÃiÌÃ
/ >̽ÃLivœÀiÜiiÛi˜}iÌ̜ to run Android 16’s new ‘Material 3
Ì iLˆ}}iÃÌÕ«}À>`iÃ\+ˆÓ܈ÀiiÃà Expressive’ software.
V >À}ˆ˜}°œœ}iˆÃÌ iwÀÃÌ“>œÀ œœ}i >ëˆÌV i`Ì ˆÃ>Ã>Lˆ}
Ƃ˜`Àœˆ`« œ˜i“>ŽiÀ̜LՈ`>}->vi‡ design overhaul to the familiar Android
ÃÌޏi“>}˜iÌÈ˜ÌœÌ iL>VŽœvˆÌà experience, something I was sceptical

36 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

>LœÕÌ°œÜiÛiÀ]Ü i˜ˆÌVœ“iÃ̜Ì i ÞLˆ}}iÃÌvÀÕÃÌÀ>̈œ˜ÜˆÌ *ˆÝi
>««Ã>˜`̜œÃÕÃiœ˜>Ài}Տ>ÀL>ÈÃ] ÜvÌÜ>ÀiVœ˜Ìˆ˜ÕiÃ̜LiÌ i œ“i
it turns out that very little has changed. screen, with Google still not allowing
/ i˜iÜ+ՈVŽ-iÌ̈˜}ë>˜iœœŽÃ you to remove the ‘At a Glance’ widget,
Vi>˜iÀÌ >˜LivœÀi]Ü ˆiÌ iVœœÕÀ‡ Ãi>ÀV L>ÀœÀ>««>LiÃ°/ iÀ>˜}iœv
coded organisation in the main Settings third-party widgets is also much less
app is easier to navigate. It’s pretty attractive than those on Samsung’s One
“ÕV LÕȘiÃÃ>ÃÕÃÕ>iÃiÜ iÀi] UI 7, so I rarely use them.
although I’d argue that’s a good thing. However, software updates are a
The Pixel take on Android has Lˆ}«>ÀÌœvÌ i*ˆÝi£ä*Àœ8½Ã>««i>°
>Ü>ÞÃLii˜œ˜iœv“Þv>ۜÕÀˆÌiÃ]ÜˆÌ  Google has committed to a full seven
an intuitive UI, plenty of customisation years of regular feature and security
œ«Ìˆœ˜Ã>˜`ˆ“ˆÌi`Lœ>ÌÜ>Ài°œÜiÛiÀ] Õ«`>ÌiÃ]“i>˜ˆ˜}Ì i`iۈVi܈Li
the list of extra pre-installed apps safe to use until 2032.
has grown this year, with the likes As the maker of Android, Google will
œv œÌiLœœŽ>˜`*ˆÝiœÕÀ˜>° also always roll out a new major version
haven’t used the latter to get any of its ̜*ˆÝi« œ˜iÃwÀÃÌ]“i>˜ˆ˜}ޜÕܜ˜½Ì
AI insights, and I really don’t want to. LiÜ>ˆÌˆ˜}“œ˜Ì Ã̜}iÌޜÕÀ >˜`Ã
Magic Cue is my favourite AI feature on the new features. These two factors
œ˜Ì i*ˆÝi£ä­vœÀ`iÌ>ˆÃ]Ãii«>}i “>ŽiˆÌÌ iLiÃÌ>‡>ÀœÕ˜`ÜvÌÜ>Ài
£ä£®]>˜`ˆÌ >ÃÌ i«œÌi˜Ìˆ>̜Li> experience of any Android phone.
}i˜Õˆ˜i}>“i‡V >˜}iÀ°,ˆ} ̘œÜ]ˆÌ
only works in a handful of scenarios, VERDICT
ÃÕV >Ã> >i˜`>À«Àœ“«ÌœÀLœœŽˆ˜} 9iÃ]ˆvޜÕÜ>˜ÌÌ iLiÃÌ>‡ÀœÕ˜`
Vœ˜wÀ“>̈œ˜ÜˆÌ ˆ˜iÃÃ>}iÃœÀ phone right now and are willing to pay
suggested images from Google Photos. vœÀˆÌ°/ i*ˆÝi£ä*Àœ8ˆÃLˆ}]LՏŽÞ
It also sometimes takes a while to >˜`iÝ«i˜ÃˆÛi]LṎvޜÕV>˜`i>ÜˆÌ 
«œ«Õ«]LÞÜ ˆV ̈“iޜսÀi>Ài>`Þ all those things, it’s the ultimate 2025
sorting it out yourself. But I can already handset in many ways.
see its immense potential, especially ƂÃÌ՘˜ˆ˜}`ˆÃ«>Þ>˜``ÕÀ>Li
if third-party app developers get on yet stylish design set the tone for a
Lœ>À`°>}ˆV Õi«ÕÌÃƂvÀœ˜Ì>˜` great smartphone. The cameras on the
centre in the Pixel experience in a way L>VŽ«ÀœÛˆ`iÌ iLiÃÌ«œˆ˜Ì‡>˜`‡Ã œœÌ
few others do. camera experience around, with more

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 37

REVIEWS

than a hint of AI help. And Android 16 xÝœ«ÌˆV>✜“Æ{n«]vÉ£°Ç]

is more polished than ever with its new £Ó·`i}Àii­ÕÌÀ>܈`i®]£ÉÓ°xx‡ˆ˜V ]
Material 3 Expressive design. dual pixel PDAF
/ >̽ÃLivœÀiÜiiÛi˜}iÌ̜Ì i •-iwiV>“iÀ>\{Ó«]vÉÓ°Ó]£Ç““
L>ÌÌiÀÞ]Ü ˆV  >È“«ÀiÃÈÛiœ˜}iۈÌÞ ­ÕÌÀ>܈`i®]* Ƃ
and charges faster than any other Pixel. • Stereo speakers
i>˜Ü ˆi]+ˆÓ >ÃÌ i«œÌi˜Ìˆ>̜ • No 3.5mm audio jack
revolutionise wireless charging on •7 ˆ‡ˆnäÓ°££>ÉLÉ}ɘÉ>VÉÈiÉÇ]ÌÀˆ‡L>˜`
Android phones. • Bluetooth 6.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD
The Pixel 10 Pro XL is the complete •*-­£³x®]" Ƃ--]Ƃ "]
«>VŽ>}i]LœÌ ˜œÜ>˜`ˆ˜ÌœÌ ivÕÌÕÀi° -]+<--] >Û
Ṏ̓ˆ} ̘œÌLiÀˆ} ÌvœÀޜÕ]Ü • NFC
make sure you’re content with its • USB Type-C 3.2
compromises. Anyron Copeman •ˆ˜}iÀ«Àˆ˜Ì­Õ˜`iÀ`ˆÃ«>Þ]ՏÌÀ>ܘˆV®
• œ˜‡Ài“œÛ>Lix]Óää“Ƃ L>ÌÌiÀÞ
SPECIFICATIONS • 162.8x76.6x8.5mm
•È°n‡ˆ˜V ­Ó]™™ÓÝ£]Î{{Æ{nÈ««ˆ®/*" • 232g
" ]£Óäâ] ,£ä³]ÓÓä䘈ÌÃ
­ ®]ÎÎä䘈Ìí«i>Ž®`ˆÃ«>Þ
• Android 16, up to 7 major Android
upgrades
•œœ}i/i˜ÃœÀx­Î˜“®«ÀœViÃÜÀ
•"VÌ>‡VœÀi­£ÝΰÇnâ œÀÌi݇8{]xÝ
3.05GHz Cortex-A725, 2x 2.25GHz
œÀÌi݇ƂxÓä® *1
•*œÜiÀ6, 8/‡{n‡£xÎÈ*1
• No card slot
•£È ,Ƃ
•ÓxÈ Éx£Ó É£/ Ã̜À>}i
•/ ÀiiÀi>À‡v>Vˆ˜}V>“iÀ>Ã\xä«]
vÉ£°Ç]Óx““­Üˆ`i®]£É£°Î£‡ˆ˜V ]
£°Ó–“]`Õ>«ˆÝi* Ƃ]"-Æ{n«]
vÉÓ°n]££Î““­«iÀˆÃVœ«iÌii« œÌœ®]
£ÉÓ°xx‡ˆ˜V ]`Õ>«ˆÝi* Ƃ]"-]

38 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

Honor Magic V5
Price when reviewed: Ë£]ș™

T
ˆÃÞi>ÀˆÃÌ iwiÀViÃÌÞi>À touting key features, revealing specs
vœÀvœ`>LiÃÞiÌ]ÜˆÌ "««œ] >˜`iÛi˜}À>˜Ìˆ˜}«ÀiÃÃ>˜`ˆ˜yÕi˜ViÀÃ
Samsung and Google all serving impressively early access to hardware.
Õ«ˆ˜VÀi`ˆLÞÃÌÀœ˜}i˜ÌÀˆiÈ˜Ì iˆÀ On the surface, the Magic V5 looks
ÀiëiV̈ÛiLœœŽ‡ÃÌޏivœ`ˆ˜}« œ˜i ˆŽiÌ i“œÃÌ՘Vœ“«Àœ“ˆÃˆ˜}vœ`>Li
lineups. But now it’s Honor’s turn, and œvÌ iÞi>À]LÕÌ >ۈ˜}ˆÛi`ÜˆÌ Ì i
the long-anticipated Magic V5 clearly V5 for the last few weeks, can it actually
>ÈÌÃÈ} ÌÃÃiÌœ˜vœ`>LiÃÕ«Ài“>VÞ° deliver on various lofty promises?
With so much going on in the
vœ`>Lië>ViÌ ˆÃÃi>ܘ]œ˜œÀ DESIGN
>ÃLii˜Žii˜̜ œ`>ÌÌi˜Ìˆœ˜Æ "˜iœvÌ i“œÃÌVœ˜Ìi˜ÌˆœÕÃL>Ì̏iÃ
actively promoting the Magic V5 in >“œ˜}Ì ˆÃÞi>À½ÃVÀœ«œvLœœŽ‡ÃÌޏi
the months leading up to its launch, vœ`>Lià >ÃLii˜ÜˆÌ Ài}>À`Ã̜

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 39

REVIEWS

Ì ˆVŽ˜iÃð/ i"««œˆ˜` x­«ˆVÌÕÀi` If you’re after the entry Honor’s put

LiœÜ]ˆ˜L>VŽ®̜ÕV i``œÜ˜L>VŽ vœÀÜ>À`>ÃÌ iܜÀ`ÀiVœÀ`‡LÀi>ŽiÀ]
ˆ˜iLÀÕ>ÀÞ]>ވ˜}V>ˆ“̜Ì ï̏iœv ޜսÜ>˜ÌÌ iۜÀÞ7 ˆÌi“œ`iÆVˆÌi`
ºÜœÀ`½ÃÌ ˆ˜˜iÃÌLœœŽ‡ÃÌޏivœ`>Li» as measuring 8.88mm when closed and
ÜˆÌ >«Àœwiœv{°Ó£““Ü i˜œ«i˜° an insanely thin 4.1mm when open.
Honor wasn’t going to let that slide, œÜiÛiÀ]Ì iœÌ iÀw˜ˆÃ iÃ>ÀiÃ̈
however, with the Magic V5 and its œÕ̏>˜`ˆÃ ÞÃÛiÌi̜œ]>Ì™““Ü i˜
«Àœ“ˆÃi`ÀiVœÀ`‡LÀi>Žˆ˜}Ü>viÀ‡Ì ˆ˜ closed and 4.2mm when open.
«Àœwi>ÀÀˆÛˆ˜}>viÜ“œ˜Ì Ï>ÌiÀ° I would ward off anyone planning on
Honor serves up the Magic V5 in «ˆVŽˆ˜}Ì i>}ˆV6xiÝ«ˆVˆÌÞLiV>ÕÃi
vœÕÀVœœÕÀÃ\ >ܘœ`],i``ˆÃ  œvˆÌÃV>ˆ“̜Ì ï̏iœvºÜœÀ`½Ã
ÀœÜ˜]ۜÀÞ7 ˆÌi­>ÃÃii˜>LœÛi® thinnest”. Honor’s metrics don’t take
>˜`L>VŽ]>˜` >ۈ˜} >˜`i`Ì i“ ˆ˜Ìœ>VVœÕ˜Ì«Ài‡wÌÌi`ÃVÀii˜«ÀœÌiV̜ÀÃ
all, Dawn Gold gets my vote as the >˜`V>“iÀ>LՓ«Ã]LÕÌiÛi˜v>V̜Àˆ˜}
“œÃÌ>Õ`>VˆœÕÃ] i>`‡ÌÕÀ˜ˆ˜}vœ`>Li these elements in, taking my own set of
w˜ˆÃ VÕÀÀi˜ÌÞœ˜Ì i“>ÀŽiÌ­VœÃiÞ digital callipers to Honor’s, Samsung’s
vœœÜi`LÞÌ i->“Ã՘}>>ÝÞ< and Oppo’s latest undermined the V5’s
œ`Lj˜ Õi- >`œÜ®°/ >ÌLi>ÕÌވà V>ˆ“̜Ì iÌ Àœ˜i]ˆvœ˜ÞLÞ> >ˆÀ°
“œÀiÌ >˜Έ˜`ii«]̜œ]ÜˆÌ Ì iw˜ˆÃ  Even so, we’ve reached dimensions
also affecting thickness. ÜˆÌ LœœŽ‡ÃÌޏivœ`>LiÃÌ >Ì“i>˜
you no longer have to
compromise on thickness
̜i˜œÞ>vœ`>Li
phone. Even with a case,
they’re still thinner and
iÃÃœLÌÀÕÈÛiˆ˜Ì i
pocket than my Mous
case-clad Samsung
Galaxy S25 Ultra, and
>ÌLiÌÜii˜Ó£Ç}>˜`
222g, they weigh
>LœÕÌ>ÓÕV ]̜œ°
From left to right: Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold7, Oppo’s Find N5 Ergonomically, the
and Honor’s Magic V5. Magic V5’s rounded

40 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

 month of use, aside from picking
ˆ˜ÌœÕÌœvÌ iVÀi>Ãi>vÌiÀLiˆ˜}
in my pocket for a long time,
the Magic V5 is decidedly free
œvLi“ˆÃ iÃ]vÀœ“ˆÌÃÃVÀii˜
protector-laden outer display to
ˆÌÃVœ“«œÃˆÌiL>VŽ°
I also need to commend
You no longer have to compromise on thickness to Honor’s engineers for
enjoy a foldable phone. VÀi>̈˜}Ì iwÀÃÌvœ`>Li½Ûi
encountered that can actually
i`}iÃÃïÌ>«>ÀÌvÀœ“Ì iy>Ì `iÌiVÌvœÀiˆ}˜œLiVÌÃÜˆÌ ˆ˜Ì i`ˆÃ«>Þ
surrounds of its most like-minded area when you try and fold it closed,
rivals, and though perhaps a little Ü>À˜ˆ˜}ޜÕ̜}ˆÛiˆÌ>Vi>˜LivœÀi
trickier to pry open as a result, this folding it away.
distinction makes for a more ergonomic, Unlike the Z Fold7’s offset vertical
Vœ“vœÀÌ>Liẅ˜Ì i >˜`° V>“iÀ>ÃiÌÕ«]Ì iL>VŽœvÌ i6x«>ÞÃ
In terms of opening and closing the host to a far more prominent circular
V5, Honor’s also ensured the revised module, spanning the entirety of the
hinge mechanism is rated to withstand « œ˜i½ÃL>VŽ­Ü i˜VœÃi`®°"˜Ì iœ˜i
Õ«̜xää]äääÀœÕ˜`ÃœvLiˆ˜}œ«i˜i` hand, it’s huge and tends to catch in my
and closed, which
iµÕ>ÌiÃ̜­Õ«̜£ä®
years of use without
failure. What’s more,
>˜>``ˆÌˆœ˜>V>ÀLœ˜
wLÀi>ÞiÀLi˜i>Ì 
the phone’s main
folding display helps
deal with shock
resistance from
drops, too.
In practice, Unlike Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold7’s offset vertical camera setup, the
despite almost a back of the V5 plays host to a far more prominent circular module.

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 41

REVIEWS

pocket when putting the phone away, prevalence, Honor’s product support
LÕÌœ˜Ì iœÌ iÀ]ˆÌ“>ŽiÃvœÀ> >˜`Þ ˜iÌܜÀŽ“ˆ} ̘œÌLi>ÃÀœLÕÃÌ>Ã]Ã>Þ]
i`}ivœÀޜÕÀw˜}iÀ]Ài`ÕVˆ˜}ψ««>}i Samsung’s. Just something to consider.
­>Žˆ˜̜>*œ«ÃœVŽiÌ®]>˜`Ài˜`iÀÃÌ i
6x“œÀiÃÌ>Li­Vœ“«>Ài`̜Ì iœ`Ç® DISPLAY
Ü i˜«>Vi`œ˜>y>ÌÃÕÀv>Vi° For a phone that touts spec superiority
ÕÃÌ>ÜiiŽLivœÀiÌ i>}ˆV6x½Ã over its competitors in most areas, it’s
international launch, Google pulled a little surprising that the Magic V5
the wraps off the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, has one of the smallest main folding
>˜`ˆÌVœ“iÃÜˆÌ >ܜÀ`‡wÀÃÌœvˆÌà `ˆÃ«>ÞȘˆÌÃV>Ãð œÌLÞ“ÕV 
œÜ˜ÆLœ>Ã̈˜}ˆ“«ÀiÃÈÛi*Èn‡ViÀ̈wi` >`“ˆÌÌi`Þ­>««ÀœÝˆ“>ÌiÞä°äxˆ˜V iî]
protection against dust and water LÕÌÌ i«>˜i½ÃÓ>iÀÈâi>˜`Ì ˆVŽiÀ
ˆ˜}ÀiÃÃ]œÕÌÌ iLœÝ° LiâiÃVœ“«>Ài`̜Ì iˆŽiÃœvÌ i<
7 ˆiÌ ˆÃˆÃ>˜՘`i˜ˆ>Li Fold7 give the phone a fractionally more
>V ˆiÛi“i˜ÌvœÀ>vœ`>Li]œ˜œÀ dated appearance when open.
was seemingly prepared for such a On a technical level, however, Honor
challenge, with the V5 sporting only has granted the Magic V5 a great pair of
“>À}ˆ˜>ÞiÃÃiÀ*xnViÀ̈wV>̈œ˜ 120Hz OLED panels. While I would have
­ˆ˜`ˆV>̈˜}Üi>ŽiÀÀiÈÃÌ>˜Vi̜`ÕÃÌ >««ÀiVˆ>Ìi`LiÌÌiÀœÕÌ`œœÀۈÈLˆˆÌÞ
>˜``ˆÀÌÌ >˜Ì i*ˆÝi®]LÕÌ>Ãœ*x™ whilst testing during the British summer
ViÀ̈wV>̈œ˜° “œ˜Ì Ã­Ì iˆ˜˜iÀ`ˆÃ«>Þ >Ã>«>˜i‡
As such, it’s equipped against more ܈`i ˆ} LÀˆ} ̘iÃÓœ`iViˆˆ˜}œv
intense water pressure than any other 1300nits, while the external screen
vœ`>LiVÕÀÀi˜ÌÞœ˜Ì iÃVi˜i­vœÀ Ài>V iãnä䘈ÌȘ ®]>«i>Žxäää‡
reference, the Z Fold7 is only rated with ˜ˆÌˆ“ˆÌ­œ˜LœÌ `ˆÃ«>ÞîˆÃ«À>V̈V>Þ
*{n«ÀœÌiV̈œ˜®Æ}iÌ̈˜}ë>à i`LÞ> unheard of.
«>ÃȘ}V>ÀœÀ`Ài˜V i`œ˜>œ}yՓi ̽Ã>LœÕÌ`œÕLiÌ i>vœÀi“i˜Ìˆœ˜i`
shouldn’t spell instant death for Honor’s Find and Fold’s claimed thresholds,
latest as a result. and grants the phone outlandishly rich
,i}>À`iÃÃœvÌ i`ÕÀ>LˆˆÌÞ«Àœ“ˆÃià  ,ۈÃÕ>Ã]“>Žˆ˜}ˆÌˆ`i>vœÀi˜œÞˆ˜}
the Honor Magic V5 makes, at this price movies on the go.
point, it’s also worth checking what Honor also dresses its phones’
Honor’s customer service is like in your displays with a wealth of technologies
Ài}ˆœ˜° iëˆÌiÌ iLÀ>˜`½Ãˆ˜ÌiÀ˜>̈œ˜> and customisation options, and the

42 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

 I’ve had little cause for
concern as far as general
hardiness and resilience go.
ƂÃvœÀiÛiÀÞvœ`>Li½Ã
telltale crease, despite a
Ài`ÕVi`vii՘`iÀ‡w˜}iÀ]
ˆÌ½Ã>LœÕÌ>ÃۈÈLi>ÃÌ i
one on its predecessor and
˜œLiÌÌiÀœÀܜÀÃiÌ >˜
Ì iVœ“«ï̈œ˜½Ã]LṎ˜
The Magic V5 has a great pair of 120Hz OLED panels. everyday use, I seldom
Ì œÕ} Ì>LœṎ̰
V5’s screens are no different. I love the ->“Ã՘}½Ã>ÌiÃÌLœœŽ‡ÃÌޏivœ`>Li
full-colour always-on display, whilst sported quite the glow-up when it
Vœ˜Ûi˜ˆi˜Ìvi>ÌÕÀiψŽi`œÕLi‡Ì>«̜ `iLÕÌi`ˆ˜ՏÞ]Lœ>Ã̈˜}>È}˜ˆwV>˜ÌÞ
Ü>Ži>Àii˜>Li`LÞ`iv>ՏÌ̜œ° Ì ˆ˜˜iÀ«Àœwi­œ˜>ÛiÀ>}i]>ÀœÕ˜`Óx¯
Honor staples such as AI Defocus Ì ˆ˜˜iÀ®Ì >˜ˆÌëÀi`iViÃÜÀ]LÕÌœ˜i
>˜`{ÎÓäâ*7­«ÕÃi‡Üˆ`Ì  œvÌ iÃ>VÀˆwViÃ->“Ã՘}viÌ>ÃÌ œÕ} 
“œ`Տ>̈œ˜®`ˆ““ˆ˜}>ÀiLœÌ «ÀiÃi˜Ì it had to make to achieve this new
to reduce eye strain and the risk of silhouette was to ditch long-standing S
i>`>V iÃ]«ÕÃÌ i« œ˜iLœ>ÃÌÃ>Õ̜ Pen stylus support. The Magic V5 makes
Ü ˆÌiL>>˜Vi>`ÕÃ̓i˜Ì>˜`iÛi˜> no such compromise.
dedicated monochromatic eBook Mode, Despite hovering around the title
­ˆvˆÌˆÃ˜½ÌœLۈœÕÃ]Ì i6x½ÃvœÀ“v>V̜À œvºÜœÀ`½ÃÌ ˆ˜˜iÃÌ]»Ì i>}ˆV6x
Ài˜`iÀÈ̫iÀviVÌvœÀiÀi>`ˆ˜}̜œ®° retains the Honor Magic V3‘s Magic-
Ƃœ˜}ÜˆÌ Ì >ÌV>ÀLœ˜wLÀi>ÞiÀ] *i˜VˆÃÌޏÕÃVœ“«>̈LˆˆÌÞ]܈vÌ >̽Ã>˜
Honor has also applied an ‘anti-scratch iÃÃi˜Ìˆ>«>ÀÌœvÌ ivœ`>LiiÝ«iÀˆi˜Vi
NanoCrystal shield’ to the phone’s for you, it’s Honor, not Samsung, that
outer display, and ‘Honor Super Armor’ you’ll want to turn to this year.
to the main folding panel, which the As for audio performance, despite
Vœ“«>˜ÞV>ˆ“Ã}À>˜ÌãäÝLiÌÌiÀ`Àœ« the form factor’s thin nature not exactly
«ÀœÌiV̈œ˜]£xÝLiÌÌiÀÃVÀ>ÌV ÀiÈÃÌ>˜Vi lending itself to acoustic prowess,
>˜`ÎÝLiÌÌiÀÜi>ÀÀiÈÃÌ>˜ViÌ >˜ œ˜œÀ½Ã`œ˜i>`iVi˜ÌœLÜˆÌ Ì i
Ài}Տ>À}>ÃðƂ˜`>Ói˜Ìˆœ˜i`LivœÀi] sound output in the Magic V5. You’ll

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 43

REVIEWS

w˜`ÃÌiÀiœëi>ŽiÀ}ÀˆiÃ
positioned diagonally when
the phone is open, which
œvviÀ`iVi˜ÌV>ÀˆÌÞ>Ì>LÕÌ
the highest volume levels.
Unsurprisingly, the V5
ˆÃ՘ˆŽiÞ̜Li>˜Þœ˜i½Ã
go-to speaker for music
«>ÞL>VŽ]ÜˆÌ >}i˜iÀ>Þ
y>ÌÜ՘`Ì >ÌVœÕ``œ
ÜˆÌ “œÀiL>ÃíˆvÌ >̽à You can switch to performance mode for the full might of
« ÞÈV>Þ«œÃÈLiÜˆÌ > the 8 Elite, explicitly when gaming (by way of the phone’s
`iÈ}˜ˆŽiÌ i6x½Ã¶®°-ÌiÀiœ Game Manager feature).
separation is surprisingly
“Õ``ˆi`]̜œ]LṎ̽ÃÃ̈«iÀviV̏Þ meaning you get that full-fat 8-core
ÃiÀۈVi>Li>Õ`ˆœˆ˜Ì iy>}à ˆ«ë>Vi° ÛiÀȜ˜œvÌ i ˆÌi­ÕÃ̏ˆŽiޜս`w˜`
ˆ˜Ì iœ˜œÀ>}ˆVÇ*Àœ®]L>VŽi`LÞ
PERFORMANCE £È œv­* ,x8®,Ƃ]Ü ˆV V>˜Li
"««œ½Ãˆ˜` xÜ>ÃÌ iwÀÃÌLœœŽ‡ `œÕLi`LÞÀi>ÃÈ}˜ˆ˜}>˜>``ˆÌˆœ˜>
ÃÌޏivœ`>Li̜i“LÀ>Vi+Õ>Vœ““½Ã £È œvÌ i« œ˜i½Ãx£Ó œv­1-{°ä®
latest and greatest Snapdragon 8 Elite Ã̜À>}i]ÕȘ}Ì i,Ƃ/ÕÀLœvi>ÌÕÀi°
chipset, which powers the majority of ˜ ˆ˜>]Ì i>}ˆV6xV>˜Li >`
ÓäÓx½ÃLiÃÌ« œ˜iðœÜiÛiÀ]ˆÌÜ>ؽÌ ˆ˜ÓxÈ >˜`£/ y>ۜÕÀÃ̜œ]LÕÌ
the same version we’d seen on devices overseas, the company has kept things
up until this point. simple, with a single storage option.
/ œÕ} Ì̜Liˆ˜Ì i«ÕÀÃՈÌœv Like a lot of Chinese phone makers,
LiÌÌiÀÌ iÀ“>“>˜>}i“i˜Ì]Ì i Honor ships its phones with a ‘default’
xëœÀÌi`>LJVœÀiLˆ˜˜i`Û>Àˆ>˜Ì «œÜiÀ«Àœwi>˜`>¼«iÀvœÀ“>˜Vi½
of the Elite, meaning weaker CPU «œÜiÀ«Àœwi°˜Ì iV>ÃiœvÌ i>}ˆV
performance, which, although only 7 Pro, for example, a difference in
slight, is harder to justify across these Li˜V “>ÀŽÀiÃՏÌÃLiÌÜii˜Ì iÌܜ
phones’ ultra-high price range. “œ`iÃÜ>ëÀiÃi˜Ì]LÕ̘œÌ“>œÀ°
Once again, Honor refused to While the Magic V5 does indeed
compromise with the Magic V5, À՘œ˜Ì >Ìn‡VœÀi ˆÌiV ˆ«]}œˆ˜}LÞ

44 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

its test scores, it looks like the phone Honor Magic V3: 80%
«À՘iëiÀvœÀ“>˜ViL>VŽVœ“«>Ài`̜ OnePlus Open: 83%
ȓˆ>ÀÞ‡Ã«iVˆwi`V>˜`ÞL>Ày>}à ˆ«Ã] Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6: 58%
Ü i˜ÕȘ}ˆÌÃ`iv>ՏÌ«œÜiÀ«Àœwi]LÕÌ
opens the taps in ‘performance’ mode. Despite CPU scores closer to a
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered phone
Geekbench 6 (multi-core) in day-to-day use, you can switch to
Honor Magic V5: x]Ι£ performance mode for the full might
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7: 8,882 of the 8 Elite, explicitly when gaming
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: 4,711 ­LÞÜ>ÞœvÌ i« œ˜i½Ã>“i>˜>}iÀ
Honor Magic V3: 4,784 vi>ÌÕÀi®œÀ>Ì ï“i]LÞ`ˆ««ˆ˜}
OnePlus Open: {]{™n into the Battery section of the Settings
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6: È]™£x menu. As you might expect, keeping
«iÀvœÀ“>˜Vi“œ`i>Ü>ÞÃœ˜`œiÃLÕÀ˜
GFX Manhattan 3.1 Ì ÀœÕ} L>ÌÌiÀޏˆviv>ÃÌiÀ°
Honor Magic V5: 120fps In truth, I have no issue with this
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7: 112fps approach. The Magic V5 felt perfectly
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: 80fps v>ÃÌ>˜`yՈ`]Vœ“vœÀÌ>LiÜˆÌ “Տ̈‡
Honor Magic V3: 110fps window multitasking and serving up fast
OnePlus Open: 60fps app load times, in the ‘default’ power
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6: 101fps «ÀœwiÆLṎ̽؈Vi̜Ž˜œÜÌ >Ì“Þ
hands aren’t tied, should I feel the need
Battery life for some extra grunt.
Honor Magic V5: ™ œÕÀÃ]£“ˆ˜ÕÌi As for gaming, with performance
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: ™ œÕÀÃ]£n “œ`iÃiÌ̜>Õ̜‡i˜>LiÜ i˜wÀi`
minutes Õ« >œv ÕÌÞ\œLˆi]˜iÛiÀ˜œÌˆVi`
Honor Magic V3: 8 hours, 4 minutes dropped frames at default graphical
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6: 15 hours, 34 settings, even if the phone did get warm
minutes ­LÕ̘iÛiÀ œÌ®>vÌiÀ>LœÕÌ£x“ˆ˜ÕÌiÃ
of constant gameplay.
Charge in 30 minutes
Honor Magic V5: 62% CAMERAS
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7: 50% The Honor Magic V5 makes a statement
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: 46% ÜˆÌ ˆÌÃÈâi>LiÀi>ÀV>“iÀ>LՓ«]

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 45

REVIEWS

which packs a trio of sensors, similarly ˜È`i‡LއÈ`iÌiÃÌÃÜˆÌ Ì i<

to its predecessor. Despite seemingly Fold7’s rear trio of cameras, aside from
using the same 50Mp main sensor shooting warmer and, surprisingly
as the Magic V3, the V5 gains a processing shots even more so than
new, higher resolution ultrawide and ->“Ã՘}]œ˜œÀ½Ãvœ`>LiV>“iÀ>
telephoto sensors, once again paired system generally retains greater detail
ÜˆÌ Ì i>LˆˆÌÞ̜V>«ÌÕÀià œÌÃ>ÌÕ«̜ >˜``œiÃ>LiÌÌiÀœLœvŽii«ˆ˜}Lœœ“
100x, meaning impressive versatility. from light sources in check too.
"˜iœvÌ iLˆ}Ã̈VŽˆ˜}«œˆ˜ÌÃÜˆÌ  œÜˆ} ÌV>«ÌÕÀiܜՏ`LiÌ i
the Magic V3‘s camera system was its area where I’d suggest Honor focuses
>VŽÕÃÌÀiՏÌÀ>܈`i]LÕÌÌ iÕ“«̜ on next, as while the Magic V5 proved
new hardware, paired with whatever competent enough, it’s the area where
algorithms Honor has improved up Ì iLˆ}}iÃÌÃÌÀˆ`iÃVœÕ`Li“>`i°
ÀiÃՏÌȘv>ÀLiÌÌiÀ«iÀvœÀ“>˜ViÌ ˆÃ One issue is Honor’s exposure times.
time around. There’s still an apparent Ûi˜ÜˆÌ  ˆ} Ìœ`ii˜>Li`]Ì i
jump in quality, colour accuracy and Magic V5 was one of the fastest to
`ޘ>“ˆVÀ>˜}iLiÌÜii˜Ì iՏÌÀ>܈`i capture in low-light settings. On the one
>˜`“>ˆ˜]LṎ̽Ãv>ÀiÃëÀœ˜œÕ˜Vi` >˜`]ˆvÌ iÀiˆÃi˜œÕ} >“Lˆi˜Ìˆ} Ì]
Ì >˜LivœÀi]“i>˜ˆ˜}}Ài>ÌiÀˆ“>}i you’re likely to get a sharper picture,
quality consistency across the V5’s LÕÌœÌ iÀ܈Ãià œÌÃȓ«Þ>««i>À
rear cameras. too dark and lack meaningful levels of
detail compared
to rivals that take
more time.
One huge
advantage that
Ì ivœ`>Li
form factor does
provide is the
>LˆˆÌÞ̜“œÀi
readily shoot
ÃiwiÃÕȘ}Ì i
phone’s main
The Magic V5 makes a statement with its sizeable rear camera bump. sensor, and the

46 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

 Low light:
Honor
Magic
V5 (top),
Samsung
Galaxy
Z Fold7
(bottom).

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 47

REVIEWS

Ultrawide:
Honor
Magic
V5 (top),
Samsung
Galaxy
Z Fold7
(bottom).

48 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

Here’s a scene taken with the 0.5x zoom… …1x zoom…

…2x zoom… …3x zoom…

…6x zoom… …10x zoom…

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 49

REVIEWS

…50x zoom… …50x zoom AI Super Zoom…

…100x zoom… …100x zoom AI Super Zoom.

}>«ˆ˜µÕ>ˆÌÞVœ“«>Ài`ÜˆÌ Ãiwià meetings and WhatsApp calls with

shot on the V5’s 20Mp in-display Ì œÃiˆ˜‡`ˆÃ«>ÞØ>««iÀÃ]LÕÌ>˜ÞœÌ iÀ
sensors is massive. ̈“iޜÕÜ>˜ÌޜÕÀv>Viˆ˜à œÌ]yˆ«̜
9œÕV>˜̜}}iÌ iLœŽi  Ì œÃiL>VŽØ>««iÀð
­L>VŽ}ÀœÕ˜`LÕÀ®Ü i˜ÕȘ}Ì iÃiwi / i6x>ÃœLœ>ÃÌÃÌܜV>“iÀ>
cameras, or scale it when shooting vi>ÌÕÀiÃޜս“œÃÌÀi>`ˆÞw˜`œ˜
ÃiwiÃÜˆÌ Ì i« œ˜i½ÃLˆ}}iÀÃi˜ÃœÀÃ] œœ}i½Ã*ˆÝiÃ°œ˜œÀ½ÃVÀˆLLi`Ì i
LÕÌiÛiÀÞÌ ˆ˜}vÀœ“LÕÀµÕ>ˆÌÞ̜ *ˆÝi™*Àœœ`¼Ã¼>`i9œÕœœŽ½
i`}i`iÌiV̈œ˜ˆÃÜ“ÕV LiÌÌiÀ >LˆÌÞ]Ü ˆV «ÕÌÃVÕÌi>˜ˆ“>Ìi`
with the latter. In essence, take Zoom characters on the outer display when

50 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

iÀi½Ã>ÃiwiÌ>Ži˜ÜˆÌ Ì i“>ˆ˜i˜ÃÜˆÌ *œÀÌÀ>ˆÌ“œ`iœvv­ivÌ®>˜`œ˜­Àˆ} Ì®°

iÀi½Ã>˜œÌ iÀÃiwiÌ>Ži˜ÜˆÌ Ì ivÀœ˜ÌV>“iÀ>ÜˆÌ *œÀÌÀ>ˆÌ“œ`iœvv­ivÌ®>˜`œ˜­Àˆ} Ì®°

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 51

REVIEWS

the phone is open, allowing you

̜LiÌÌiÀ œ`>V ˆ`½Ã>ÌÌi˜Ìˆœ˜
when snapping a pic, and that
impressive-sounding 100x AI
Super Zoom.
Even coming from the
samples featured in the Honor
Magic 7 Pro camera review
nearer the start of the year,
œ˜œÀ>««i>ÀÃ̜LiVœ˜ÃÌ>˜ÌÞ
improving the imaging models In testing, the Magic V5 hit 34 percent in 15 minutes
the generative AI Super Zoom and fully replenished after 53.
is applying to shots. Even so,
having just experienced Google’s new œ˜œÀ½Ã>ÌiÃÌȏˆVœ˜‡V>ÀLœ˜ÌiV ]
£ääÝ*Àœ,iÃ<œœ“œ˜Ì iœœ}i*ˆÝi the smaller cell relies on previous-
£ä*ÀœvœÀÌ iwÀÃÌ̈“i]œ˜œÀ˜ii`Ã̜ }i˜iÀ>̈œ˜«>ÀÌ𠜘½ÌLi`ˆÃ«>À>}i`]
ܜÀŽ >À`iÀœ˜iÝ«œÃÕÀi>˜`w˜i`iÌ>ˆ Ì œÕ} °œœŽˆ˜}>ÌÌ i܈`iÀvœ`>Li
accuracy in its partially-generated high market, wherever the Magic V5 is in
focal range zoom shots. the world, it’s still equipped with one of
Ì i>À}iÃÌ>˜`v>ÃÌiÃ̇V >À}ˆ˜}L>ÌÌiÀÞ
BATTERY LIFE & CHARGING setups around, made all the more
ÕÌ̈˜}‡i`}iL>ÌÌiÀÞÌiV  >ÃLii˜ ˆ“«ÀiÃÈÛiLÞÌ >ÌÜ>viÀ‡Ì ˆ˜vÀ>“i°
>ŽiÞ«>ÀÌœvœ˜œÀ½Ãy>}à ˆ«« œ˜i ˜ÌiÃ̈˜}]Vœ˜Ãˆ`iÀˆ˜}ˆÌÃL>ÌÌiÀÞ
experience for a while now, and that’s capacity, the phone scored lower than
just as true with the Magic V5. In China, I expected when using PCMark’s Work
if you opt for the full-fat 1TB model, ΰä >ÌÌiÀÞÌiÃÌ­˜ˆ˜i œÕÀÃ>˜`œ˜i
ޜÕ>Ãœ}iÌÌ i>À}iÃÌV>«>VˆÌÞL>ÌÌiÀÞ “ˆ˜ÕÌi®]LṎ˜Ài>‡ÜœÀ`Vœ˜`ˆÌˆœ˜Ã
œ˜>˜Þvœ`>Li̜ÞiÌ]>Ì>Ü œ««ˆ˜} ­Ã܈ÌV ˆ˜}LiÌÜii˜Ì i« œ˜i½ÃÌܜ
È]£ää“Ƃ ÆÌÀՓ«ˆ˜}Ì i6ˆÛœ8œ`x½Ã ÃVÀii˜Ã®ˆÌ`iˆÛiÀi`>ÀiëiVÌ>Lin°Óx
6,000mAh cell. hours of screen-on time on a single
Internationally, however, the V5 V >À}i­vœÀÀiviÀi˜Vi]Ì i"««œˆ˜` x
comes with a fractionally more modest ÃVœÀi`£Î\xn]LṎ˜Ài>‡ÜœÀ`ÕÃiœ˜Þ
5,820mAh power pack instead. “>˜>}i`x°x œÕÀÃœvÃVÀii˜‡œ˜̈“i®°
While the 6,100mAh variant uses This equates to around a day and

52 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

 >vœvÕÃi]LÕÌiÛi˜ˆvޜÕÜiÀi̜ Ì ii˜ÌˆÀï“i]µÕˆVŽÀiwÃ«ÀœÛi`
exclusively use the V5’s main near-8- more effective compared to when I
inch display, it would still likely see you typically charged the phone closed for
through to the end of a full day, without the same period of time.
issue. Compare that to the Z Fold7’s Fifty-watt wireless charging is
È}˜ˆwV>˜ÌÞÓ>iÀ{]{ää“Ƃ L>ÌÌiÀÞ] >˜ˆViˆ˜VÕȜ˜̜œ­>}>ˆ˜]>Ì i
which on occasion came close to dying more impressive, considering the V5’s
>vÌiÀ>`>޽ØœÀ“>ÕÃiƘœÌ̜“i˜Ìˆœ˜ Ì ˆVŽ˜iÃî]>Ì œÕ} ]`i«i˜`ˆ˜}œ˜
its slower 25-watt wired and 15-watt which market you’re in, you’ll have to
wireless charging. LÕÞ>˜œvwVˆ>«œÜiÀ>`>«ÌiÀ>˜`ɜÀ
Honor quotes an impressively fast wireless charger separately.
43 minutes for a full charge, when
leveraging the Magic V5’s maximum SOFTWARE & APPS
66-watt wired charging speed, and While Android 16 is now here – thanks
50 percent charge in just 16 minutes. to the arrival of the Pixel 10 series, just
`ˆ`˜½Ì ˆÌÌ iÃiœvÌÞw}ÕÀiÃ]LÕÌ >ÃÌÜiiŽ­>ÌÌ ï“iœvÜÀˆÌˆ˜}®qœ˜œÀ
came close. hasn’t yet had a chance to update
In testing, my Magic V5 hit 34 the V5 to run on this fresh release.
percent in 15 minutes and fully That said, when asked, the company
Ài«i˜ˆÃ i`>vÌiÀxÎ]LÕÌ>vÌiÀ“Տ̈«i Vœ˜wÀ“i`Ì >̈̽ÃܜÀŽˆ˜}VœÃiÞÜˆÌ 
À՘Ã]Ì ˆ˜Žw}ÕÀi`œÕÌÜ ÞÜ>ؽÌ Google on its updates.
reaching Honor’s record. With more modest devices – like
With the more challenging thermal Ì iœ˜œÀ{ää*ÀœqVœ˜wÀ“i`̜Li
envelope a phone like the Magic V5 À՘˜ˆ˜}Ƃ˜`Àœˆ`£ÈLivœÀiÌ iÞi>À½Ã
possesses, safely managing recharge end, it seems safe to assume that the
ëii`>˜` i>ÌLՈ`‡Õ«ˆÃVÀˆÌˆV>°/œ 6x܈ÀiViˆÛi>ȓˆ>ÀÕ«ˆvÌLÞÌ i˜]
“ˆÌˆ}>ÌiÌ ˆÃ]Ì i>}ˆV6xˆÃÌ iwÀÃÌ if not sooner. Honor also upped it
vœ`>Li½Ûii˜VœÕ˜ÌiÀi`Ì >Ì>VÌÕ>Þ ÜvÌÜ>ÀiVœ““ˆÌ“i˜ÌL>VŽˆ˜>ÀV ]
>ÎÃ­ÜˆÌ >˜œ˜‡ÃVÀii˜«œ«‡Õ«®̜Li “i>˜ˆ˜}Ì i6x>ÃœLi˜iwÌÃvÀœ“Ì i
charged whilst unfolded, as doing so promise of 7 years of OS and security
expands its surface area, for greater Õ«`>ÌiÃ]Ü ˆV ˆÃ>“œ˜}ÃÌÌ iLiÃ̈˜
heat dissipation, like a heatsink. the industry.
While I never performed a full "ÕÌœvÌ iLœÝ]Ì i>}ˆV6x
charge test with the V5 open like this sports the company’s latest MagicOS

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 53

REVIEWS

™ÕÃiÀiÝ«iÀˆi˜Vi­ÛiÀȜ˜™°ä°£>ÌÌ i Honor states that its tech is 85

̈“iœvÜÀˆÌˆ˜}®]Ü ˆV Vœ“iÃÜˆÌ >˜ percent effective against 360-degree
increasingly familiar gamut of features, motion sickness. It’s a great addition
“>˜ÞœvÜ ˆV >Ài՘`iÀ«ˆ˜˜i`LÞqÃ>Þ Ì >ÌwÀÃÌi˜VœÕ˜ÌiÀi`ÜˆÌ ˆ˜ˆ"-]LÕÌ
it with me now – AI. ˜œ˜iÌ iiÃÃ>««ÀiVˆ>Ìiœ˜œÀ½ÃVÀˆLLi`
While I can’t say I love the look and version here.
feel of MagicOS as much as clean Pixel- Magic Capsule is another iOS-like
y>ۜÕÀi`Ƃ˜`Àœˆ`]ˆÌ`œiÃœvviÀ i>«Ã implementation of a persistent, dynamic
of native customisation, and it’s dressed ˜œÌˆwV>̈œ˜]œ˜Þ>««i>Àˆ˜}Ü ˆÃÌޜսÀi
with an ever-increasing assortment of playing media, recording audio or have
ÕÃivՏ­>˜`]>`“ˆÌÌi`Þ]˜œÌÜÕÃivՏ® >̈“iÀÀ՘˜ˆ˜}Æ}À>˜Ìˆ˜}µÕˆVŽ>VViÃÃ
everyday features. to the relevant controls, without having
/ i˜iܜ̈œ˜-ˆVŽ˜iÃÃ,iˆiv ̜Ã܈«i`œÜ˜ˆ˜ÌœޜÕÀ˜œÌˆwV>̈œ˜ÃœÀ
tool adds dots around the edge of the go hunting for the related app itself.
screen that hold their position whilst One addition new the the V5 that
ޜÕÀ« œ˜iLœÕ˜ViÃ>ÀœÕ˜`ˆ˜ޜÕÀ œ˜œÀ>««i>ÀÃ̜ >ÛiºLœÀÀœÜi`»
hands whilst on a train or in a car. These vÀœ“"««œÉ"˜i*ÕÃÌ ˆÃ̈“i]ˆÃÜ >̈Ì
ÃÌ>LˆˆÃi`ÀiviÀi˜Vi«œˆ˜ÌÃ>««>Ài˜ÌÞ calls Multi-Flex.
ÌÀˆVŽÌ iLÀ>ˆ˜]Ài`ÕVˆ˜}Ì iÃi˜Ãiœv 7 ˆiޜսÛiLii˜>Li̜돈̇
motion and alleviating nausea, for those screen multitask on Honor phones for
who remain dead-set on keeping eyes a while – running a third app within a
on their display whilst moving. yœ>̈˜}܈˜`œÜœ˜“œÀi>`Û>˜Vi`
“œ`iÃqÕÃ̏ˆŽi"««œ½ÃÉ
OnePlus’ Open Canvas,
Multi-Flex allows for three
full-screen apps to run side-
LއÈ`i‡LއÈ`i]à ՘̈˜}
whichever app you’re using
the least mostly off the edge
of the screen.
/ i˜]LÞÌ>««ˆ˜}œ˜
the edge of the lesser-used
app still peeking out, the UI
The experience of jumping between apps feels seamless. will shift that app and the

54 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

œ˜i˜iÝÌ̜ˆÌL>VŽœ˜Ìœ
the screen and move the
app on the other end off
to the other side. Multi-
Flex, paired with Honor’s
already varied and versatile
multitasking experience,
means the experience of
Õ“«ˆ˜}LiÌÜii˜>««Ã
on the V5 feels seamless.
Ƃvi>ÌÕÀiÌ >̽ÃLiVœ“ˆ˜} The software includes Magic Portal; Honor’s own take on
increasingly prevalent is Google’s Circle to Search.
various Android phone
makers’ proprietary solutions for sharing Google’s Circle to Search, called Magic
to and from Android. For some reason, Portal. Encircled text and on-screen
œ˜Þ ˆ˜iÃiVœ“«>˜ˆiÃÃii“̜Li “i`ˆ>V>˜ˆ˜ÃÌ>˜ÌÞLià >Ài`̜œÌ iÀ
jumping on this functionality so far, œ˜œÀ‡Ã«iVˆwV>««Ã>˜`iÝ«iÀˆi˜ViÃ]
with the likes of Samsung, Sony, and ˆŽi>ۜÕÀˆÌi-«>Vi]œ˜̜«œvLiˆ˜}
œÌ iÀLˆ}˜>“iÃÃii“ˆ˜}Þˆ}˜œÀˆ˜}ˆÌà thrown into a Google Search or shared
potential. to the phone’s Gallery.
As an Android phone user who / iVœ“«>˜Þ½Ã>}ˆV-ˆ`iL>ÀˆÃ
`iv>ՏÌÃ̜>˜ˆ*>`vœÀÌ>LiÌÕÃ>}i] also great at dynamically surfacing
Ì i>}ˆV6x½Ã>LˆˆÌÞ̜܈ÀiiÃÏÞ AI features like summarisation when
à >ÀiwiÃ̜>˜`vÀœ“ˆ"-Ɉ*>`"- LÀœÜȘ}>ÜiL«>}iœÀVœ“«œÃˆÌˆœ˜
via Honor Connect is a hugely when writing a note, and it makes for
appreciated addition. In some markets, a pretty friction-free reason to use
Honor also offers a macOS client for such features, which I thought would
ȓˆ>ÀƂˆÀ Àœ«‡ˆŽiVœ˜Ûi˜ˆi˜Vi]LÕÌ otherwise go untouched.
apparently don’t live in a region where
this client is supported… yet. VERDICT
Honor has also poured time and Everything that was true of the Magic
energy into exclusive features like AI V3 is just as true of its successor.
DeepFake detection – which is included Honor has again proven its mastery
on the V5 – as well as its own take on œv“œLˆii˜}ˆ˜iiÀˆ˜}]>˜`VÀi>Ìi`

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 55

REVIEWS

œ˜iœvÌ i“œÃÌÌiV ˜ˆV>ÞV>«>Li ˆÌi­Î˜“®«ÀœViÃÜÀ

`iۈViÃœÕÌÌ iÀiÆvÀœ“ >À`Ü>Ài •"VÌ>‡VœÀi­ÓÝ{°ÎÓâ"Àޜ˜6Ó
`iÈ}˜̜«iÀvœÀ“>˜Vi]L>ÌÌiÀÞÌiV ̜ Phoenix L, 6x 3.53GHz Oryon V2
« œÌœ}À>« ˆV>LˆˆÌÞ° Õ̍ÕÃÌ>ÃÜ >Ì * œi˜ˆÝ® *1
“>`iÌ i6ÎÜ}œœ` >Ãœ˜ÞLii˜ • Adreno 830 GPU
enhanced with the Magic V5, so too • No card slot
are the areas where Honor’s phones •£Ó É£È ,Ƃ
tend to falter. •ÓxÈ Éx£Ó É£/ Ã̜À>}i
*ÀœÛˆ`i`ޜսÀiVœ“vœÀÌ>Li}iÌ̈˜} •/ ÀiiÀi>À‡v>Vˆ˜}V>“iÀ>Ã\xä«]
to grips with some of the clunkier vÉ£°È]ÓΓ“­Üˆ`i®]* Ƃ]"-ÆÈ{«]
aspects of the phone’s MagicOS vÉÓ°x]Ç䓓­«iÀˆÃVœ«iÌii« œÌœ®]
experience, and you don’t take £ÉӰ䇘V ]ÎÝœ«ÌˆV>✜“Æxä«]
ՓLÀ>}iÜˆÌ Ì i>ÃÜÀ̓i˜Ìœvvi>ÌÕÀià vÉÓ°ä]£Î““]£ÓӇ`i}Àii­ÕÌÀ>܈`i®]
unashamedly lifted from other phone AF
makers’ software experiences, the •-iwiV>“iÀ>\Óä«]vÉÓ°Ó]܈`i®
feature density and versatility served up • œÛiÀV>“iÀ>\Óä«]vÉÓ°Ó]­Üˆ`i®
LÞÌ i>}ˆV6xˆÃ՘«ÀiVi`i˜Ìi`° • Stereo speakers
After reviewing the Z Fold7, we • No 3.5mm audio jack
`ÕLLi`ˆÌ¼Ì iLiÃÌvœ`>Li« œ˜i½° •7 ˆ‡ˆnäÓ°££>ÉLÉ}ɘÉ>VÉÈiÉÇ]`Õ>‡
But if, for whatever reason, you don’t L>˜`]7ˆ‡ˆ ˆÀiVÌ
like any aspect of Samsung’s take on a • Bluetooth 6.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD
LœœŽ‡ÃÌޏivœ`>Liˆ˜ÓäÓx]ޜսLi •*-­£³x®]" Ƃ--­£®] -
LiÌÌiÀÃiÀÛi`LÞÌ iœ˜œÀ>}ˆV6x° ­ £³ £V³ Ó>®]Ƃ "­ £³ x>®
Alex Walker-Todd • NFC
• USB Type-C 3.1, OTG, Display Port 1.2
SPECIFICATIONS •ˆ˜}iÀ«Àˆ˜Ì­Ãˆ`i‡“œÕ˜Ìi`®
•Ç°™x‡ˆ˜V ­Ó]ÎxÓÝÓ]£ÇÓÆ{äΫ«ˆ® • œ˜‡Ài“œÛ>Lix]nÓä“Ƃ L>ÌÌiÀÞ
œ`>Li/*"Ƃ" ]£ VœœÀÃ] •1˜vœ`i`\£xÈ°nÝ£{x°™Ý{°£‡œÀ{°Ó““
£Óäâ]xää䘈Ìí«i>Ž®`ˆÃ«>Þ° œÛiÀ œ`i`\£xÈ°nÝÇ{°ÎÝn°n‡œÀ™““
`ˆÃ«>Þ\È°{·ˆ˜V ­Ó]ÎÇÈ]Ý£]äÈäÆ •Ó£Ç}­ۜÀÞ7 ˆÌiœ˜Þ®]ÓÓÓ}­>œÌ iÀ
{ä{««ˆ®/*"" ]£ VœœÀÃ]£Óäâ] VœœÕÀÜ>Þî
xää䘈Ìí«i>Ž®
•Ƃ˜`Àœˆ`£x]>}ˆV"-™
•+Õ>Vœ““-nÇxä‡Ƃ -˜>«`À>}œ˜n

56 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

Samsung Galaxy
Tab S10 FE+
Price when reviewed: ËÈ{™

W
i˜ˆÌVœ“iÃ̜Ì>LiÌÃ] There isn’t a shortage of those
there isn’t a shortage of iˆÌ iÀˆ˜Ì iƂ˜`Àœˆ`Ì>LiÌܜÀ`]
œ«Ìˆœ˜Ã>Û>ˆ>Li°½“}œˆ˜} ÜˆÌ LÀ>˜`ψŽi"˜i*ÕÃ>˜`"««œ
to assume, given you have landed here, LœÌ `iˆÛiÀˆ˜}ÃÕ«iÀLœ«Ìˆœ˜ÃvœÀiÃÃ
however, that you’ve decided Apple’s than you’d expect. It’s Samsung that
extensive iPad range isn’t for you and excels at the premium end, however,
you’re instead in the market for an ÜˆÌ ˜œÌœ˜ÞˆÌÃy>}à ˆ«>>ÝÞ/>L
Ƃ˜`Àœˆ`Ì>LiÌÜˆÌ >Vœ“«>À>LiLՈ` -£äÀ>˜}i]LÕÌÌ i>>ÝÞ/>L-£ä
quality and performance.  “œ`iÃÌ >ÌÈ̍ÕÃÌLiœÜˆ˜ÌiÀ“Ã

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 57

REVIEWS

Liâi>ÀœÕ˜`ˆÌà Õ}i
`ˆÃ«>Þ>˜`ÃÕL̏i
LÀ>˜`ˆ˜}œ˜Ì iÀi>À°
The lovely design
>Ãy>Ìi`}iÃÌ >Ì>Ài
Vœ“vœÀÌ>Li̜ œ`]
just enough space
ÜˆÌ ˆ˜Ì iLiâi̜
The Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ is marginally thicker than the Tab S10+. «>ViޜÕÀÌ Õ“LÃ
when watching content,
œv«ÀˆViLÕÌœvviÀ“>˜ÞœvÌ iÃ>“i >˜`>܏ˆ`LՈ`µÕ>ˆÌÞÜˆÌ >˜*Èn
features and similar designs. rating, which is something you won’t
/ i->“Ã՘}>>ÝÞ/>L-£ä³  w˜`œ˜>˜Þˆ*>`°
has the largest display the company has / i>>ÝÞ/>L-£ä ³ˆÃ
«ÕÌœ˜ÌœˆÌü>˜ `ˆÌˆœ˜½Ì>LiÌÀ>˜}i] “>À}ˆ˜>ÞÌ ˆVŽiÀÌ >˜Ì i>>ÝÞ/>L
whilst also featuring a water-resistant -£ä³>Ìȓ“Vœ“«>Ài`̜x°È““]>˜`
Lœ`Þ>˜`>˜-*i˜ˆ˜VÕ`i`ˆ˜Ì iLœÝ° it’s a little heavier too at 668g compared
But is that enough to justify its premium ̜xÇ£}]Ì œÕ} ޜս`œ˜ÞLi>Li̜
price tag? I extensively tested the ÌiˆvޜÕ >`Ì i`iۈViÃÈ`i‡LއÈ`i°
`iۈVi̜w˜`œÕÌ° There are a couple of clues that
˜œ`̜Ü>À`ÃÌ i>>ÝÞ/>L-£ä ³½Ã
DESIGN
Take one look at the
>>ÝÞ/>L-£ä ³>˜`
ޜÕܜՏ`LivœÀ}ˆÛi˜
for thinking it was the
more expensive Galaxy
/>L-£ä³]Ü ˆV ˆÃ>
ÌiÃÌ>“i˜Ì̜Ì ˆÃÌ>LiÌ
rather than a criticism.
ˆŽiÌ iy>}à ˆ«“œ`i]
Ì i>>ÝÞ/>L-£ä³
FE has a gorgeous, slim There are a couple of clues that nod towards the Tab S10 FE+’s
>Õ“ˆ˜ˆÕ“Lœ`Þ]՘ˆvœÀ“ cheaper price point, such as the single camera lens on the rear.

58 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

cheaper price point – one
Liˆ˜}Ì iȘ}iV>“iÀ>
lens on the rear and the
œÌ iÀLiˆ˜}Ì i>VŽ
œv>ÃÌÀˆ«œ˜Ì iL>VŽ
indicating where the S
*i˜à œÕ`Li>ÌÌ>V i`°
Otherwise, this is every
LˆÌ>ëÀi“ˆÕ“>ÈÌà This tablet has a gorgeous, slim aluminium body.
y>}à ˆ«VœÕ˜ÌiÀ«>ÀÌ°
Ƃvi܈“«ÀœÛi“i˜Ìà >ÛiLii˜ looks neater from a design perspective,
“>`i̜Ì i>>ÝÞ/>L-£ä ³ and the S Pen still attaches magnetically
Vœ“«>Ài`̜Ì i>>ÝÞ/>L-™³ ] to the same place, should you want it
̜œ]>˜`Ü ˆiÃÕL̏i]Ì iÞ>Vœ˜ÌÀˆLÕÌi to. It will also attach to the edges, which
to the feeling of a premium device. is where I prefer to keep it.
The antenna lines are slightly closer A USB-C port is positioned centrally
̜Ì ii`}iœvÌ iÌ>LiÌ]Ì iëi>ŽiÀà >ÌÌ iLœÌ̜“Ü i˜ˆ˜>«œÀÌÀ>ˆÌ
œ˜iˆÌ iÀÈ`i­Ü i˜ i` œÀˆâœ˜Ì>Þ® position, while a connector sits on the
are slits rather than grilles, and the left edge for attaching accessories, like
rear camera lens features a white >ŽiÞLœ>À`°ˆÛi˜ œÜ>À}iÌ iÃVÀii˜
ˆ˜Ãˆ`iÀˆ“ˆ˜ÃÌi>`œvL>VŽ]“>ÌV ˆ˜} is here, the latter is worth considering if
Ì i`iÈ}˜œvÌ i/>L-£ä³° ޜÕÜ>˜Ì̜ܜÀŽœ˜Ì ˆÃÌ>LiÌ°
In terms of layout, there’s a power
LÕÌ̜˜ÜˆÌ >Ài뜘ÈÛiLՈÌ‡ˆ˜ DISPLAY
w˜}iÀ«Àˆ˜ÌÃi˜ÃœÀœ˜Ì i̜«Àˆ} Ì “i˜Ìˆœ˜i`Ì i>>ÝÞ/>L-£ä ³ >Ã
i`}i­Ü i˜ i`ÛiÀ̈V>Þ®]>œ˜} Ì i>À}iÃÌÃVÀii˜œv>˜Þ Ì>LiÌÌ >Ì
ÜˆÌ Ì iۜÕ“iÀœVŽiÀ`ˆÀiV̏ÞLiœÜ >Ã}œ˜iLivœÀiˆÌ]>˜`Ì >̽Ã>À}Õ>LÞ
and a Micro-SD tray positioned at Ì iLˆ}}iÃÌÃiˆ˜}«œˆ˜Ì iÀi°
Ì iLœÌ̜“œvÌ >Ìi`}ivœÀÃ̜À>}i ̽؜̵ՈÌi>ÃLˆ}>ÃÌ i>>ÝÞ
expansion up to 2TB. />L-£ä1ÌÀ>>˜`ˆÌã{°È‡ˆ˜V `ˆÃ«>Þ]
/ iÀiˆÃ˜œÃÌÀˆ«œ˜Ì iL>VŽœvÌ i Ì œÕ} Ì >̈Ã̜œLˆ}ˆ˜“Þœ«ˆ˜ˆœ˜]
>>ÝÞ/>L-£ä ³̜«ˆ˜«œˆ˜ÌÜ iÀi ÜˆÌ Ì ˆÃÌ>LiÌÈÌ̈˜}>Ì>ψ} ̏Þ“œÀi
the S Pen should attach, as I mentioned, “>˜>}i>Li£Î°£‡ˆ˜V iÃ]“>ÌV ˆ˜}Ì >Ì
LÕÌÌ >̽ëÀiviÀ>Liˆ˜“Þœ«ˆ˜ˆœ˜°Ì œvÌ i>À}iÀƂ««iˆ*>`ƂˆÀ­ή°

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 59

REVIEWS

The size makes it

ÃÕ«iÀLvœÀÜ>ÌV ˆ˜}
content, note-taking,
and multitasking, with
Samsung’s software
allowing you to run two
>««ÃÈ`i‡LއÈ`i]«ÕÃ>
Ì ˆÀ`ˆ˜>yœ>̈˜}܈˜`œÜ°
You can drag and drop
Vœ˜Ìi˜ÌLiÌÜii˜Ì i“]
as you would expect, and
i8ˆÃ>ÃœÃÕ««œÀÌi`LÞ The 13.1-inch display is superb for watching content, note-
Ì ˆÃÌ>LiÌ]à œÕ`ޜÕÜ>˜Ì taking and multitasking.
to connect it to an external
screen and use it like a desktop. iÃÌÕÀiýÃ̈>˜``œÕLiÃ>Ã>V>“iÀ>
The display is an LCD panel rather à ÕÌÌiÀLÕÌ̜˜°V>˜½ÌÃ>ÞÕÃi`iˆÌ iÀ>
than the same AMOLED panel you lot during my testing period, as I never
܈w˜`œ˜Ì i>>ÝÞ/>L-£ä³° Ài>ÞviÌÌ i˜ii`̜]LÕÌÌ ivi>ÌÕÀiÃ
That means the contrast isn’t quite as are there if they appeal to you.
ˆ“«ÀiÃÈÛi]>˜`Ì iL>VŽÃ>Ài>ˆÌ̏i "˜iw˜>Ì ˆ˜}ܜÀÌ “i˜Ìˆœ˜ˆ˜}œ˜
more grey than the rich, inky ones you Ì i`ˆÃ«>ÞˆÃÌ >ÌˆÌ >Ã>™äâÀivÀià 
}iÌœ˜Ì iy>}à ˆ«Ì>LiÌ°ƂÌ >ÌÃ>ˆ`] rate rather than 120Hz like the more
this is still an impressive display, with iÝ«i˜ÃˆÛi>>ÝÞ/>L-£ä³°̽ØœÌ>
«Õ˜V ÞVœœÕÀÃ]}Ài>ÌۈLÀ>˜VÞ>˜` `i>LÀi>ŽiÀ]>˜`Ì iÀi½Ã>ÛiÀÞ}œœ`
decent viewing angles. chance you wouldn’t notice unless you
The 2,880x1,800 resolution delivers >`>£ÓäâÃVÀii˜˜iÝÌ̜Ì ˆÃÌ>LiÌ°
lovely, sharp detail, meaning everything But higher refresh rates do allow for
from notes you take with the S Pen to ӜœÌ iÀÃVÀœˆ˜}]>˜`Ì iÞ>ÀiLiÌÌiÀ
Ü >ÌiÛiÀޜսÀiVÕÀÀi˜ÌLˆ˜}i‡Ü>ÌV ˆÃ for gaming too, so it’s something to
œ˜ iÌyˆÝ>œœŽ}Ài>Ì° keep in mind.
The S Pen is, as ever, a delight to When it comes to the speakers, the
use with its low latency, and unlike >>ÝÞ/>L-£ä³ vi>ÌÕÀiÃÃÌiÀiœ
Ì i>>ÝÞ-Óx1ÌÀ>½ÃLՈÌ‡ˆ˜-*i˜] ëi>ŽiÀÃÜˆÌ ÃÕ««œÀÌvœÀ œLÞƂ̓œÃ°
it supports Bluetooth-powered ‘Air / iÞ>ÀiL>>˜Vi`>˜`œÕ`i˜œÕ} ˆv

60 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

you don’t have headphones to hand, you plan on doing with it, there’s every
LÕÌޜÕ܈}iÌ>LiÌÌiÀiÝ«iÀˆi˜Vi chance there’s more than enough power
from a good pair of headphones. Keep here. It’s also an improvement on the
ˆ˜“ˆ˜`Ì >ÌޜÕܜ˜½ÌLi>Li̜«Õ} œ`iÀ>>ÝÞ/>L-™³°vޜսÀiœœŽˆ˜}
them in, though, as there’s no 3.5mm vœÀ>Ì>LiÌvœÀÃiÀˆœÕÃ}>“ˆ˜}œÀۈ`iœ
i>`« œ˜i>VŽœ˜Ì ˆÃÌ>LiÌ° i`ˆÌˆ˜}]ޜսÀiLiÌÌiÀœvvÜˆÌ ܓiÌ ˆ˜}
“œÀi«œÜiÀvՏ]ÃÕV >ÃÌ iˆ*>`ƂˆÀ­ή
PERFORMANCE œÀ->“Ã՘}½Ã>>ÝÞ/>L-£ä³°
/ i->“Ã՘}>>ÝÞ/>L-£ä ³ˆÃ If, however, you are just planning to
iÛiÀÞLˆÌÌ i«Ài“ˆÕ“Ì>Lï˜“>˜Þ watch movies, catch your new favourite
Ü>ÞÃ]LṎÌ`œiÃv>>ˆÌ̏ià œÀÌÜ i˜ /6ÃiÀˆiÃ]LÀœÜÃiÌ iÜiL>˜`“>ÞLi
it comes to the performance on offer for `>LLiˆ˜Ì iœ``LˆÌœv˜œÌi‡Ì>Žˆ˜}>˜`
the price. Under its hood is the Exynos ܜÀŽ]Ì i>>ÝÞ/>L-£ä ³ˆÃ“œÀi
1580 chipset, which, while still more than adequate.
Ì >˜V>«>LivœÀiÛiÀÞ`>ÞÌ>ÎÃ]ˆÃ>
mid-range processor. Geekbench 6 (multi-core)
When compared with the similarly Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+: Î]™{È
priced Apple iPad Air, which runs on Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE: Î]™Îä
Apple’s M3 silicon chipset, the Galaxy Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+: 7,161
/>L-£ä³ `œiؽÌiÛi˜Vœ“iVœÃi° OnePlus Pad 3: ™]ää{
`œ˜½ÌœÛiLi˜V “>ÀŽÃ]>ÃÌ ˆ˜Ž Xiaomi Pad 7: 5,205
the experience of a device means Honor Pad 9: 2,775
“œÀi]LÕÌÌ iÞ>Ài i«vՏvœÀۈÃÕ>Þ
presenting performance. The iPad Air GFX Manhattan 3.1
­ή>˜`ÃÌ>˜`>À`ˆ*>`­Ƃ£È®LœÜ Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+: 34fps
Ì ˆÃÌ>LiÌœÕÌœvÌ iÜ>ÌiÀˆ˜ÌiÀ“à Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE: 55fps
of scores, and even the OnePlus Pad Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+: 104fps
ÓvÀœ“ÓäÓ{Ì >ÌÀ՘ÃÌ i+Õ>Vœ““ OnePlus Pad 3: 50fps
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 scores higher Xiaomi Pad 7: 56fps
`iëˆÌiLiˆ˜}œÛiÀ>Þi>Àœ`° Honor Pad 9: 23fps
/ >̽ØœÌ̜Ã>ÞÌ ˆÃÌ>LïؽÌ
V>«>LiLiV>ÕÃiiÛiÀÞÌ ˆ˜}À՘à Battery life
smoothly, apps open quickly and Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+: 7 hours,
without lag, and depending on what 44 minutes

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 61

REVIEWS

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE: 13 hours, >ÀiÃÕ«iÀL`iۈViÃvœÀۈi܈˜}« œÌœÃ

28 minutes ޜÕÌ>Žiœ˜ޜÕÀÓ>ÀÌ« œ˜i]LÕÌޜս`
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+: 6 hours, 42 >“œÃÌ>Ü>ÞÃLiLiÌÌiÀœvvÕȘ}ޜÕÀ
minutes smartphone for capturing the photo in
OnePlus Pad 3: 13 hours, 21 minutes Ì iwÀÃÌ«>Vi]iÛi˜ˆvˆÌ½Ã>viÜÞi>ÀÃœ`
Xiaomi Pad 7: 6 hours, 34 minutes >˜`ޜÕÀÌ>LïÃLÀ>˜`˜iÜ°
Honor Pad 9: 8 hours, 30 minutes Should you go against that advice,
œÜiÛiÀ]Ì i->“Ã՘}>>ÝÞ-£ä ³
Charge in 30 minutes will take a good enough shot in decent
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+: 16% ˆ} ̈˜}]Ü iÌ iÀÌ >ÌLiœv>«iÌ]>
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE: {™¯ child or a document. Noise does creep
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+: 16% ˆ˜vœÀœÜˆ} Ì]LÕÌÌ iÃ>“iܜՏ`Li
OnePlus Pad 3: 15% Ã>ˆ`vœÀ«ÀiÌÌÞ“ÕV >Ì>LiÌÈ˜Ì i
Xiaomi Pad 7: 54% “>ÀŽiÌ]LœÌ “ˆ`‡À>˜}i>˜`«Ài“ˆÕ“°
Honor Pad 9: 32% Samsung ditched the 8Mp ultra-
܈`iÃi˜ÃœÀœ˜Ì i>>ÝÞ/>L-£ä³
CAMERAS FE, opting for a new single 13Mp main
Cameras are never usually a focus point sensor instead, compared to the Galaxy
vœÀÌ>LiÌÃ]ViÀÌ>ˆ˜Þ˜œÌˆŽiÌ iÞ>Ài />L-™³ °/ iV>“iÀ>>««ˆÃi>ÃÞ̜
with smartphones, anyway. use, and as I said, the results are more
As such, I’d very rarely recommend than good enough for taking a picture
ÕȘ}>Ì>LiÌvœÀ« œÌœ}À>« Þ°/ iÞ of a document to upload or an image
̜à >Àiœ˜ÜVˆ>Ã]LÕÌ
you aren’t going to get
Ì i`iÌ>ˆÀiµÕˆÀi`̜LœÜ
up a family portrait for
printing, for example.
The front-facing camera
is a 12Mp sensor and it
܈Ì>Ži>`iVi˜ÌÃiwi]
whilst also offering good
`iÌ>ˆ>˜`>L>>˜Vi`
colour representation for
9œÕ½w˜`>£Î«V>“iÀ>œ˜Ì iÀi>ÀœvÌ i-£ä ³° video calls.

62 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

 As you can
see from
our test
shots, the
Samsung
Galaxy S10
FE+ will
take a good
enough shot
in decent
lighting.

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 63

REVIEWS

64 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

BATTERY LIFE & CHARGING
/ i->“Ã՘}>>ÝÞ/>L-£ä ³
Vœ“iÃÜˆÌ Ì iÃ>“iÈâiL>ÌÌiÀÞ>Ã
its predecessor, which means there’s
>£ä]ä™ä“Ƃ V>«>VˆÌÞ՘`iÀÌ i
hood. That should get you through
>ܜÀŽˆ˜}`>Þ˜œ«ÀœLi“]ÜˆÌ 
i˜œÕ} ÕˆVi̜Ü>ÌV >viÜw“Ã
L>VŽ̜L>VŽ]œÀ}iÌܓiܜÀŽ`œ˜i Samsung doesn’t provide a charger in the box.
ˆvޜÕ`œ˜½Ìv>˜VÞLÀˆ˜}ˆ˜}>>«Ìœ«
around with you for a day. Ü>ÌV >̏i>ÃÌœ˜iw“]LṎÌܜ˜½Ì
Battery will always depend on what LÀi>Ž>˜ÞÀiVœÀ`ð
Žˆ˜`œvÕÃiÀޜÕ>Ài]LÕÌÜ>ë>ވ˜}
various games, watching plenty of SOFTWARE & APPS
Vœ˜Ìi˜Ì>˜`ܜÀŽˆ˜}œ˜Ì ˆÃÌ>LiÌ / i->“Ã՘}>>ÝÞ/>L-£ä ³
during my review period, and I didn’t runs on Android 15 with One UI 7 over
viiˆŽiÌ iL>ÌÌiÀÞÜ>Ï>VŽˆ˜}° the top, so you get a familiar user
When I’m not testing various iÝ«iÀˆi˜Vi̜->“Ã՘}½ÃœÌ iÀÌ>LiÌð
vi>ÌÕÀiÃ]ÕÃÕ>ÞÕÃi>Ì>LiÌvœÀ> It’s a very nice one, too, with crisp
couple of hours a day for various tasks, icons and a lovely-looking interface
like catching up on emails and reading œÛiÀ>°/ iÀiˆÃܓiLœ>ÌÜˆÌ 
the news. If you’re the same, you ->“Ã՘}‡Ã«iVˆwV>««Ã`œÕLˆ˜}
à œÕ`}iÌ>ÀœÕ˜`>ÜiiŽLivœÀiޜÕ up on Google’s apps, and its own
need to top it up. settings menu that’s different to native
When it comes to that top-up, the Ƃ˜`Àœˆ`]LÕÌ"˜i1ˆÃœ˜iœvÌ i
>>ÝÞ/>L-£ä ³ÃÕ««œÀÌÃ{x‡Ü>ÌÌ nicest and most accomplished overlays
V >À}ˆ˜}]ÕÃ̏ˆŽiÌ iy>}à ˆ«>>ÝÞ on Android out there.
smartphones. There is no charger in the What’s perhaps more important to
LœÝ]œ˜Þ>V>Li]ÜޜÕ܈˜ii`̜ “i˜Ìˆœ˜] œÜiÛiÀ]ˆÃÌ >ÌÌ i>>ÝÞ/>L
have a 45-watt charger or larger in order -£ä ³`œiؽÌ >Ûi->“Ã՘}½ÃvՏÞ‡
to get the fastest charging speeds. yi`}i`>>ÝÞƂvi>ÌÕÀiÃœ˜Lœ>À`°
7ˆÌ >™È‡Ü>ÌÌV >À}iÀ>Ài>`Þ That’s not to say there are no AI features
own, I got to 16 percent in 30 minutes. ÜˆÌ ˆ˜Ì ˆÃÌ>LiÌ]LÕÌÌ iÞ>Ài˜½Ì
/ >ÌܜՏ`Lii˜œÕ} V >À}i̜ LÀ>˜`i`>Ã>>ÝÞƂˆŽiÌ iy>}à ˆ«

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 65

REVIEWS

Ì>LiÌÃ>˜`Ó>ÀÌ« œ˜iÃ
from the company.
There’s Circle to Search,
which was announced with
Ì i>>ÝÞ-Ó{ÃiÀˆiÃL>VŽ
in 2024, allowing you to
draw around something on
your display to search for it.
AI Select allows you to pull
text from an image or a date
to add to your calendar.
,i>`ƂœÕ`iÌÃޜՏˆÃÌi˜̜ One UI is one of the nicest and most accomplished overlays
>À̈ViÃ>˜`ÜiL«>}iÃ]Ü ˆi on Android out there.
"LiVÌ À>ÃiÀ̜}iÌÀˆ`œv
«iœ«i>˜`œLiVÌÃvÀœ“ޜÕÀˆ“>}ið designed. And lack of AI features aside,
ÃiÜ iÀiœ˜Ì iºˆ˜Ìiˆ}i˜Ì Ì ˆÃˆÃ>}Ài>ÌÌ>LiÌÜ i˜ˆÌVœ“iÃ̜
vi>ÌÕÀiûvÀœ˜Ì]ޜսw˜`ƂÕ̜/Àˆ“ the user experience.
̜VÕÌۈ`iœÃ̜Ì iLiÃÌ“œ“i˜Ìà Samsung has also committed to a
automatically, and Best Face, which vՏÃiÛi˜Þi>ÀÃœvLœÌ "->˜`ÃiVÕÀˆÌÞ
corrects things like closed eyes in Õ«`>ÌiÃ]Ü ˆV ˆÃÌ iœˆ˜Ì‡LiÃÌޜս
images. The suite of AI features is w˜`œ˜>˜ÞƂ˜`Àœˆ`Ì>LiÌ°œÜiÛiÀ]ˆÌ½Ã
È}˜ˆwV>˜ÌÞÀi`ÕVi`Vœ“«>Ài`̜Ì i ˜œÌVi>À œÜœ˜}Üi½LiÜ>ˆÌˆ˜}vœÀ
>>ÝÞ/>L-£ä³] œÜiÛiÀ]ÜˆÌ Ì ˆ˜}à "˜i1n]Ü ˆV ˆÃL>Ãi`œ˜Ƃ˜`Àœˆ`£È°
like Sketch to Image missing.
œÀܓi]Ì >Ìܜ˜½ÌLi>`i> VERDICT
LÀi>ŽiÀ°Ƃ]Ü ˆivՏœv«Àœ“ˆÃiÃ]ˆÃ˜½Ì / i->“Ã՘}>>ÝÞ/>L-£ä ³ˆÃ>
>Ü>ÞÃLÀˆˆ>˜Ìˆ˜iÝiVṎœ˜°ƂÌÌ ˆÃ }Ài>ÌÌ>LiÌÜˆÌ >œÛiÞψ“`iÈ}˜]
price, however, I think it’s a little mean > Õ}i`ˆÃ«>Þ>˜``iVi˜ÌL>ÌÌiÀޏˆvi°
not to include, especially since the only There’s plenty to like here, from the
model in Apple’s lineup not to have «Ài“ˆÕ“]Ü>ÌiÀ‡ÀiÈÃÌ>˜ÌLՈ`̜Ì i
Ƃ««i˜Ìiˆ}i˜ViˆÃÌ iL>Ãi“œ`i] smooth software experience. However,
Ü ˆV ˆÃ >vÌ i«ÀˆViœvÌ ˆÃÌ>LiÌ° `iëˆÌiLiˆ˜}>˜>vvœÀ`>Li>ÌiÀ˜>̈Ûi
As I said, though, the overall ̜y>}à ˆ«->“Ã՘}Ì>LiÌÃ]Ì ˆÃˆÃÃ̈>
ÜvÌÜ>ÀiˆÃӜœÌ ]yՈ`>˜`˜ˆViÞ very expensive device.

66 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

 It costs around the same as the • No 3.5mm audio jack
ˆ*>`ƂˆÀ­ή]LÕÌÌ i«iÀvœÀ“>˜Vi •7 ˆ‡ˆnäÓ°££>ÉLÉ}ɘÉ>VÉÈi]`Õ>‡
on offer here doesn’t match Apple’s L>˜`]7ˆ‡ˆ ˆÀiVÌ
Ì>LiÌ°->“Ã՘} >Ã>Ãœœ«Ìi`˜œÌ̜ • Bluetooth 5.3, A2DP, LE
include Galaxy AI for the full suite of AI • NFC
functions, while Apple does offer Apple • GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS,
Intelligence on the iPad Air. +<--‡ViÕ>À“œ`iœ˜Þ
/ ˆÃˆÃ>œÛiÞÌ>LiÌ̜Ü>ÌV  • USB Type-C 2.0, magnetic connector
Vœ˜Ìi˜Ì]V>ÃÕ>ÞLÀœÜÃiÌ iˆ˜ÌiÀ˜iÌ •ˆ˜}iÀ«Àˆ˜ÌÃV>˜˜iÀ­Ãˆ`i‡“œÕ˜Ìi`®
or catch up on the news or your emails, • œ˜‡Ài“œÛ>Li£ä]ä™ä“Ƃ L>ÌÌiÀÞ
and it is a lot cheaper than Samsung’s •Îää°ÈÝ£™{°ÇÝȓ“
y>}à ˆ«Ì>LiÌÃÜ ˆÃÌÃ̈œvviÀˆ˜}>˜- • 664g
*i˜>˜`܏ˆ`LՈ`° ÕÌ՘iÃÃޜÕV>˜
snap it up on a good deal, there are
LiÌÌiÀÛ>ÕiƂ˜`Àœˆ`Ì>LiÌÃ>Û>ˆ>Li
Ì >Ì>ÀiܜÀÌ Vœ˜Ãˆ`iÀˆ˜}LivœÀiޜÕ
ˆÌLÕÞœ˜Ì ˆÃœ˜i°Britta O’Boyle

SPECIFICATIONS
•£Î°£‡ˆ˜V ­Ó]nnäÝ£]nääÆÓx™««ˆ®*-
 ]™äâ`ˆÃ«>Þ
• Android 15, One UI 7
• ÝޘœÃ£xnä­{˜“®«ÀœViÃÜÀ
•"VÌ>‡VœÀi­£ÝÓ°™â œÀÌi݇ƂÇÓä]
ÎÝÓ°Èâ œÀÌi݇ƂÇÓä]{Ý£°™â
œÀÌi݇ƂxÓä® *1
• Xclipse 540 GPU
•“ˆVÀœ- 8 ­`i`ˆV>Ìi`Ϝ̮
•n ,Ƃ
•£Ón ÉÓxÈ Ã̜À>}i
•,i>À‡v>Vˆ˜}V>“iÀ>\£Î«]vÉÓ°ä]
­Üˆ`i®
•-iwiV>“iÀ>\£Ó«]vÉÓ°{]­ÕÌÀ>܈`i®
• Stereo speakers

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 67

REVIEWS

Honor MagicPad 3
Price when reviewed: Ëx™™

T
iƂ˜`Àœˆ`Ì>LiÌ“>ÀŽïÃ> Ì>LiÌ“>ÀŽiÌ>Ã>˜œ««œÀÌ՘ˆÌÞ̜
competitive space, with many offer an alternative to a laptop for light
LÀ>˜`ÃÌÀވ˜}̜Ài‡iÃÌ>LˆÃ  work, while delivering a convenient and
themselves to meet the surge in «œÀÌ>Lii˜ÌiÀÌ>ˆ˜“i˜Ì ÕL°
demand following the pandemic. / >̽ÃÜ iÀiÜiw˜`Ì iœ˜œÀ
Samsung dominates sales, as one of MagicPad 3, sitting at the juncture
Ì iLÀ>˜`ÃÌ >ÌÃÌÕVŽ̜ˆÌÃÌ>LiÌ«>˜Ã of work and play, looking to offer
through thick and thin, rivalling Apple’s everything you need in a neat package.
commitment to the iPad. While it numerically replaces
But the past few years have seen an Ì iœ˜œÀ>}ˆV*>`Ó]ˆÌ½ÃLii˜
ˆ˜VÀi>Ș}˜Õ“LiÀœvƂ˜`Àœˆ`Ì>LiÌà repositioned, losing one of the
pushing into this space, seeing the >}ˆV*>`Ó½ÃLiÃÌvi>ÌÕÀiÃ\ˆÌÃ" 

68 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

display. So is Honor’s
ÓäÓxÌ>LiÌܜÀÌ Þœv
consideration?

DESIGN
The Honor MagicPad 3
comes in two colours – grey
and white – with a neat
metal frame holding the
composite rear in place. The
Ì>Li̽ÃL>VŽˆÃÌiÝÌÕÀi`] The tablet’s back is textured, reminding me of some types
reminding me of some types of laminate kitchen counter.
of laminate kitchen counter.
1Ș}>«>Ã̈V“>ÌiÀˆ>>ۜˆ`ÃLœÌ  Honor also offers the Magic-Pencil
Ì iÜiˆ} Ìœv}>ÃÃ>˜`Ì iw˜}iÀ«Àˆ˜Ìà Î]Ü ˆV i˜>LiÃ`À>܈˜}v՘V̈œ˜Ã>˜`
it acquires, although some may feel ˆÃÃÕ««œÀÌi`LÞÌ iÌ>Li̽ÃƂvi>ÌÕÀiÃ]
that the result isn’t as premium as one of which replaces handwritten notes
ܓi“iÌ>Ì>LiÌÃÌ >Ì>Ài>Û>ˆ>Li with AI-generated handwriting. I didn’t
for less, such as the Samsung Galaxy have the Magic-Pencil, so couldn’t test
/>L-£ä ³° ˆÌ]LÕ̽` >««ˆÞÕÃiÌ i-“>ÀÌ/œÕV 
ÕÌÌ iÀi½Ã>܏ˆ`vii̜Ì ˆÃÌ>LiÌ iÞLœ>À`vœÀˆ} ÌÌÞ«ˆ˜}ܜÀŽ>˜`
and it looks smart too, although I can’t crunching through emails.
help feeling that the large camera There’s no IP rating on the Honor
“œ`Տiœ˜Ì iL>VŽVœÕ`LiÓ>iÀq Ì>LiÌ>˜`]>Ì œÕ} Ì >̽ÃÀ>Àiœ˜
LÕÌ“œÀiœ˜Ì >̏>ÌiÀœ˜° Ì>LiÌÃ]ˆÌ½ÃܓiÌ ˆ˜}Üi½ÀiÃÌ>À̈˜}̜
/œÜ>À`ÃÌ iLœÌ̜“œvÌ iÌ>LiÌ see from various manufacturers.
there’s a set of pogo pins which
connect to the MagicPad 3 Smart Touch DISPLAY
iÞLœ>À`Ü ˆV ÕÃi`̜ÜÀˆÌiÌ ˆÃ Honor has moved from a 12.3-inch
review, as you’ll see in various photos. OLED display on the MagicPad 2 to a
ÌœvviÀÃ>˜ˆViV ˆViÌŽiÞLœ>À`>V̈œ˜ 13.3-inch LCD display on the MagicPad
with trackpad, and has a full range of 3. Some might see that as a downgrade,
à œÀÌVÕÌÃ̜“>ŽiÕȘ}Ì iÌ>LiÌ> losing the skills that OLED offers for
ˆÌ̏i“œÀiyՈ`° an additional inch of space. With that

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 69

REVIEWS

Vœ“iÃœ˜Þ£ää䘈Ìëi>ŽLÀˆ} ̘iÃà where some Marvel movies offer the

q`œÜ˜vÀœ“£]Èä䘈ÌëÀiۈœÕÏÞqLÕÌ vœÀ“>Ì°Ü>ÌV i`/ œÀ\,>}˜>ÀœŽ>˜`
ÜˆÌ >£ÈxâÀivÀià >˜`>LՓ«̜ found some of the action sequences
3,200x2,136 pixel resolution. seamlessly moved over to the taller
Ƃ`œ«Ìˆ˜}>Î\Ó>ëiVÌÀ>̈œ]>à ˆvÌ >ëiVÌ]Ü ˆV ˆÃÃÕ««œÃi`­ˆ˜Ì i
vÀœ“Ì i«ÀˆœÀ£È\£ä>ëiVÌ]Ì iÀiÃՏÌ Vˆ˜i“>®̜}ˆÛi>“œÀiˆ““iÀÈÛi
is more space, more detail, a higher experience for explosive scenes.
refresh rate and an aspect that’s a little The display itself is actually really
taller in landscape. That makes it more good. Despite the fact it’s not OLED,
ÃՈÌ>LivœÀLÀœÜȘ}>˜``œVՓi˜Ì it makes a good showing for itself. It’s
work. In portrait, it makes a great device LÀˆ} Ì]VœœÕÀvՏ>˜``iÌ>ˆi`]>Ì œÕ} 
for reading too. I’m not totally sold on the need for
/ iÀ>̈œ>ëiVÌà ˆvÌLÀˆ˜}Ã>˜ 165Hz. Honor suggests that it will
ˆ˜VÀi>Ãiˆ˜iÌÌiÀLœÝˆ˜}Ü i˜Ü>ÌV ˆ˜} smooth out apps when you’re scrolling
Vœ˜Ûi˜Ìˆœ˜>“œÛˆií“>˜ÞœvÜ ˆV  >œÌ]LÕÌV>˜½Ì i«viiˆ˜}Ì >̈̽Ã>
>Ài£È\™œÀÓ£\™®]LÕÌÌ iÀi½Ã>ÌÀˆVŽÌ >Ì spec sheet play rather than a necessity.
Honor plays here with IMAX Enhanced There’s a lot of tech crammed into
support, allowing more of the screen this display that’s focused on eye care,
̜LiÕÃi`°ƂLœÕÌÌ iœ˜Þ«>Viޜս with enhanced dimming and a whole
w˜`Vœ“«>̈LiVœ˜Ìi˜ÌˆÃœ˜ ˆÃ˜iÞ³] œÌ“œÀi]`iÈ}˜i`̜“>ŽiÌ ˆÃÌ>LiÌ
more pleasant to
use in changing light
conditions. That also
includes Honor’s
Motion Sickness
,iˆiv]Ü ˆV «ÕÌÃ
moving dots on the
screen. I’ve found
Ì ˆÃ̜Li ˆ} Þ
effective, meaning
that working in the
L>VŽœv>Ì>݈œÀœ˜
Adopting a 3:2 aspect ratio, the result is more space, more detail, >LÕÈÃi>ÈiÀœ˜
a higher refresh rate and an aspect that’s a little taller in landscape. the stomach.

70 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

 / iÀi½Ã˜œÈ}˜œv œLÞ
6ˆÃˆœ˜]LÕÌ ,£ä³Vœ˜Ìi˜Ì
Ãii“Ã̜Li«i˜ÌˆvՏvÀœ“
various streaming services.
The 1,000 nits peak
LÀˆ} ̘iÃÃ܈}ˆÛi ,>
lift – it’s just less dramatic
than a lot of phones these
days. I tested a selection of
images in Google Photos
Ì >ÌÕÃiœœ}i½Ã1ÌÀ> , The 1,000 nits peak brightness will give HDR a lift.
>˜`vœÕ˜`>˜ˆVi ,«œ«]
LÕÌ ˆ} ˆ} ÌÃ`ˆ`˜½Ì}iÌÌ iˆ˜Ìi˜ÃˆÌÞ ̜ÃÌiÀiœ]Ü ˆV ˆÃy>ÌÌiÀ>˜`Ü՘`Ã
>˜`LÀˆ} ̘iÃÃÌ >ÌÌ iÞ`ˆ`œ˜>« œ˜i like it’s coming from the centre of the
ÜˆÌ > ˆ} iÀ«i>ŽLÀˆ} ̘iÃð/ i screen, while the spatial audio just gives
ÃVÀii˜ˆÃ}œÃÃÞ]ÜÀiyiV̈œ˜ÃV>˜Li> >Lˆ}}iÀ«iÀvœÀ“>˜Vi]>Ì œÕ} L>ÃÃ
«ÀœLi“]LṎ˜vՏÃ՘à ˆ˜iˆÌ܈w} Ì overall is lacking.
L>VŽ]ÜˆÌ ÕÃÌi˜œÕ} LÀˆ} ̘iÃÃ̜
“>ŽiܜÀŽˆ˜}œÕÌ`œœÀëœÃÈLi° PERFORMANCE
Back to IMAX Enhanced, which *iÀvœÀ“>˜Vi}iÌÃ>LœœÃÌ]ÜˆÌ œ˜œÀ
ˆÃÃÕ««œÃi`̜ˆ˜VÕ`i /-\8“Տ̈‡ turning to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
channel audio. That’s something that ̜«œÜiÀÌ ˆÃÌ>LiÌ°/ >̽Ãy>}à ˆ«‡
does crop up on the Honor MagicPad grade hardware from 2024 and found in
ÎëiVà iiÌ]LṎ̽à >À`̜«ˆ˜`œÜ˜° “>˜ÞœvÌ iLiÃÌ« œ˜iÃœvÌ >ÌiÀ>°̽Ã
Honor’s eight speaker array can produce >Ãœ>ÃÌi«>LœÛiÌ inÃi˜Î]Ü ˆV 
a virtualised spatial audio soundscape powered the MagicPad 2. There’s an
and it’s rather impressive. Õ«ˆv̈˜,Ƃ̜£È ̜œ]ÜˆÌ œ˜œÀ
It’s not the sort of surround sound looking to make this a powerhouse.
Ì >ÌޜÕ}iÌvÀœ“>Ü՘`L>ÀœÀ œ“i / iÀi½Ã}i˜iÀœÕÃœ˜Lœ>À`Ã̜À>}i
Vˆ˜i“>ÃiÌÕ«]LṎ̓>ŽiÃÌ iÜ՘` at 512GB too, although no support
a little more involved through the for microSD expansion, which you’ll
speakers. Honor Spatial Audio is a w˜`œ˜ܓiœÌ iÀÌ>LiÌð-̈]ˆÌ½
}œL>ÃiÌ̈˜}]܈Ì>vviVÌÃ>>Õ`ˆœÌ >Ì likely suit most users’ needs and seems
Vœ“iÃvÀœ“Ì iÌ>LiÌ°9œÕV>˜Ã܈ÌV  rather generous when compared

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 71

REVIEWS

̜->“Ã՘}½ÃÌ>LiÌÃ]
considering the price
and the hardware you
}iÌ°ÌVœ“«iÌiÃLiÌÌiÀ
with the OnePlus Pad 3,
>Ì œÕ} Ì >ÌÌ>LiÌ >Ã
a newer processor for
more power.
Honor has expanded the
cooling system in this device
̜LiÌÌiÀVœ«iÜˆÌ “œÀi This is a powerful tablet and that comes through in the
intensive tasks and I found day-to-day experience.
that longer sessions playing
>œv ÕÌÞ\œLˆiÜi˜ÌœvvÜˆÌ œÕÌ Geekbench 6 (multi-core)
> ˆÌV °½“˜œÌ> Õ}iv>˜LÕÌ]ÜˆÌ  Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+: Î]™{È
ÃiÀˆœÕëœÜiÀœ˜œvviÀ]Ì>LiÌ}>“ˆ˜}ˆÃ Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE: Î]™Îä
>«œÃÈLˆˆÌÞœ˜Ì i>}ˆV*>`ΰ Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+: 7,161
As it stands, this is a powerful OnePlus Pad 3: ™]ää{
Ì>LiÌ>˜`Ì >ÌVœ“iÃÌ ÀœÕ} ˆ˜Ì i Xiaomi Pad 7: 5,205
day-to-day experience. It’s swift and Honor Pad 9: 2,775
fast and generally smooth in daily
Ì>ÎÃ]LÕÌVœ˜Ãˆ`iÀÌ >̈˜Ì iVœ˜ÌiÝÌ GFX Manhattan 3.1
œvÌ iÜvÌÜ>ÀiLivœÀi“>Žˆ˜}>˜Þ Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+: 34fps
LÕވ˜}`iVˆÃˆœ˜Ã° Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE: 55fps
Once piece of hardware that’s Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+: 104fps
“ˆÃȘ}ˆÃ>w˜}iÀ«Àˆ˜ÌÃV>˜˜iÀ°œ˜œÀ OnePlus Pad 3: 50fps
œ˜ÞœvviÀÃv>Vi՘œVŽˆ˜}>Ã>Lˆœ“iÌÀˆV Xiaomi Pad 7: 56fps
“iÌ œ`>˜`Ì >̽ÃܓiÌ ˆ˜}œv>Lˆ˜` Honor Pad 9: 23fps
ˆvޜÕÕÃi>««ÃÌ >̘ii`ÃiVÕÀˆÌÞLÕÌ
don’t support face unlocking. I use a Battery life
third-party password manager and each Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+: 7 hours,
time I opened it, I had to use the full 44 minutes
«>ÃÃܜÀ`°/ >̽؈Vi>˜`ÃiVÕÀi]LÕÌ Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE: 13 hours,
really inconvenient. 28 minutes

72 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+: 6 hours, 42 noise come creeping in. That won’t
minutes surprise anyone, however. It’s par for the
OnePlus Pad 3: 13 hours, 21 minutes VœÕÀÃivœÀÌ>LiÌV>“iÀ>ð
Xiaomi Pad 7: 6 hours, 34 minutes The front camera is in place for
Honor Pad 9: 8 hours, 30 minutes video calls and again there’s nothing
iÝVˆÌˆ˜}>LœṎÌõÕ>ˆÌÞ°̽ÃwÝi`
Charge in 30 minutes vœVÕÃ]ÜV>˜½ÌVœ“«iÌiÜˆÌ Ì iLiÃÌ
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+: 16% V>“iÀ>ÃœÕÌÌ iÀi]LṎvޜսÀiÕÃÌ
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE: {™¯ jumping on Google Meet or a Zoom
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+: 16% V>]ˆÌ`œiÃÌ iœL°
OnePlus Pad 3: 15% Video capture runs up to 4K, on
Xiaomi Pad 7: 54% œ˜ÞœvviÀÃÎäv«Ã>VÀœÃÃÌ iLœ>À`°
Honor Pad 9: 32% Again, that’s unlikely to deter anyone,
>Ãà œœÌˆ˜}ۈ`iœœ˜>Ì>LïψŽiÞ̜
CAMERAS Li>` œVÀ>Ì iÀÌ >˜ܓiÌ ˆ˜}ޜÕ
/ iÀi½Ã>`Õ>V>“iÀ>œ˜Ì iL>VŽœvÌ i Ü>˜Ì̜`œœ˜>Ài}Տ>ÀL>Èð
Honor MagicPad 3, with a 13Mp main There are document scanning
camera paired up with a 2Mp macro functions to support the cameras,
camera, allowing shots as close as 4cm. œÜiÛiÀ]Ü ˆV LiÌÌiÀÃՈÌÌ iˆ} Ì
/ i>ÌÌiÀˆÃˆ}˜œÀ>Li]Ãii“ˆ˜}ÞÕÃÌ productivity that you might throw at it.
L՘`i`ˆ˜ÜÌ >Ìœ˜œÀV>˜Ã>ÞÌ iÀi½Ã It allows you to autoscan documents
>`Õ>V>“iÀ>œ˜Ì ˆÃÌ>LiÌ°/ ivÀœ˜Ì that the camera sees and then extract
V>“iÀ>ˆÃ>™«ivvœÀÌ]
ÈÌ̈˜}ˆ˜Ì iLiâiœ˜œ˜i
of the long sides.
œÃÌ«iœ«i`œ˜½ÌLÕÞ>
Ì>LiÌvœÀˆÌë œÌœ}À>« ˆV
skills and that’s true of the
MagicPad 3. While the
main rear camera will snap
a decent enough image
in daylight, as soon as the
light drops – even indoors
in daylight – softness and There’s a dual camera on the back of the Honor MagicPad 3.

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 73

REVIEWS

The main
camera
takes a
decent
image in
daylight.

Noise
creeps in
as soon as
the light
drops, even
indoors.

74 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

 The front
camera
ˆÃw˜ivœÀ
video calls.

text you can use elsewhere. It all works a charge – realistically, it’ll give you 11
quickly and surprisingly well. hours of intensive use. In lighter use,
ޜս«ÀœL>LÞ}iÌÌ ÀœÕ} >ÜiiŽ°
BATTERY LIFE & CHARGING What I like most of all, however, is that
œ˜œÀ >ÃLii˜œ˜iœvÌ i«Àœ«œ˜i˜Ìà ˆ˜ÃÌ>˜`Lވ̍ÕÃÌ >˜}Ãœ˜ÌœV >À}i°
œvȏˆVœ˜V>ÀLœ˜L>ÌÌiÀÞÌiV >˜`Ì i 7 i˜ÀiÌÕÀ˜i`̜Ì iÌ>LiÌ>vÌiÀ
impact is felt on the Honor MagicPad a week of not using it, I still had 85
ΰ/ iÀi½Ã> Õ}i£Ó]{xä“Ƃ L>ÌÌiÀÞ percent in the tank.
Ü ˆV ÌÀ>˜Ã>ÌiÃ̜`>ÞÃœvL>ÌÌiÀޏˆvi° / ˆÃˆÃL>VŽi`Õ«LÞÈȇÜ>ÌÌ
The MagicPad 2 had a 10,050mAh charging which is, again, faster than
L>ÌÌiÀÞ]ÌÞ«ˆV>œv>À}iÀÌ>LiÌÃ]>˜`Ì i most rivals. That’s really useful –
MagicPad 3 dominates them all. LiV>ÕÃiœvˆÌÃëii`ޜÕV>˜ÀiV >À}iˆv
It’s more capacious than the OnePlus ޜÕw˜`ޜÕÀÃivÀ>Vˆ˜}œÕÌœvÌ i`œœÀ
Pad 3 and, like that device, the result and it’s not fully topped up. I found that
is that you can put in serious hours of 30 minutes on a charger at peak 66-watt
ܜÀŽœ˜“Տ̈«i`>ÞÃLivœÀiˆÌ˜ii`à V >À}ˆ˜}ÀiÃ̜Ài`{x«iÀVi˜ÌœvL>ÌÌiÀÞ

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 75

REVIEWS

ˆvi°ՏÞV >À}ˆ˜}Ì>ŽiÃ>LœÕÌ>˜ œÕÀ Üi`}iœv«Ài‡ˆ˜ÃÌ>i`Lœ>ÌÜ>Ài>˜`

and a half, as things slow down as the a complete reworking of Android. On
Ì>LiÌwÃÕ«° >Ì>LiÌ] œÜiÛiÀ]`œ˜½Ìw˜`Ì iÃi
9œÕ½˜ii`>Vœ“«>̈LiV >À}iÀ] software changes as annoying as I do
œÜiÛiÀ]>˜`vœÕ˜`Ì >Ì>™ä‡Ü>ÌÌ œ˜>« œ˜i]LiV>ÕÃiÕÃi>Ì>Lï˜>
charger I use for my laptop was simpler way.
perfectly happy to feed the MagicPad Key to the experience here is a
3 at 66 watts. desktop-like dock so you can quickly
get to apps. It’s easy to add common
SOFTWARE & APPS apps here so you don’t have to swipe
The Honor MagicPad 3 launches on into the apps tray. Honor also offers
Ƃ˜`Àœˆ`£xÜˆÌ >}ˆV"-™>ÞiÀi` >˜ƂÃÕ}}iÃ̈œ˜LœÝÌ >̽ÃVœ˜ÃÌ>˜ÌÞ
over the top. While you might expect V >˜}ˆ˜}>˜`L>ÈV>ÞœvviÀÃޜÕ>««Ã
new phones to launch with the latest used recently – in reality, there’s not a
vÀœ“œœ}i]ÛiÀÞviÜÌ>LiÌà >Ûi huge amount of AI going on there.
Android 16 yet, aside from the Google There’s simple splitscreen working,
*ˆÝi/>LiÌ]܈ÌV>˜½ÌLiÕ`}i`̜œ ÜޜÕV>˜`ˆÃ«>Þ>««ÃÈ`i‡LއÈ`i°
harshly in that regard. 7ˆÌ >ÃVÀii˜Ì ˆÃ>À}i]½ÛiLii˜>Li
What you do get, however, is the to have a Word document open on one
full Honor software experience. That side and a reference PDF on the other
means loads of customisation, a hefty >˜`Ã̈Li>Li̜ÃiiiÛiÀÞÌ ˆ˜}°/ i
돈ÌLiÌÜii˜Ì iÃi>««ÃV>˜
Lii>ȏÞ`À>}}i`̜ÃՈÌޜÕÀ
˜ii`ÃÆܓï“iÈ̓ˆ} Ì
take a couple of attempts to
get the two apps you want
È`i‡LއÈ`i]LÕÌ>Ü>ÞÃ}œÌ
there in the end.
Honor pushes its own
œvwVi>««Ã]>ÃÜi>ÈÌÃ
own email, gallery, app
store and more, with the
The MagicPad 3 comes with Android 15 with MagicOS 9 latter offering updates to
layered over the top. apps that you might install

76 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

from Google’s Play Store,
which only adds to user
confusion. In reality, it’s easy
to skip over most of what
Honor offers and use stock
Google apps instead, while
ˆVÀœÃœvÌ"vwVi>ÃœÀ՘Ã
nicely for those invested in
productivity with 365.
œ˜œÀƂˆÃˆ“LÕi`
in many aspects of the
>}ˆV*>`]Üޜսw˜` This is a great value tablet.
options to dive into AI
writing when copy and pasting, using ՘`i`ˆ˜ÜˆÌ Ì >ÌŽiÞLœ>À`>˜`
AI to help your composition. I’ve never «i˜VˆˆÌ½Ã>}Ài>ÌœvviÀ\œ˜ViÌ œÃi
vœÕ˜`Ì >Ì̜LiÛiÀÞÕÃivՏ]LṎ̽à œvviÀÃiÝ«ˆÀi>˜`Ì ˆÃÌ>LiÌÀiÌÕÀ˜Ã̜
typical of the AI services that most full price, it will face tough competition
LÀ>˜`؜ܜvviÀ° from the OnePlus Pad 3.
7 ˆi½“˜œÌÌ iLˆ}}iÃÌv>˜œv I’ve enjoyed working and watching
œ˜œÀ½Ã« œ˜iÃ]LiV>ÕÃiÌ ˆ˜ŽÌ iÞ on the MagicPad 3 and while the loss
detract too much from how Android of an OLED display is a shame, I think
is designed to work, I don’t have a there’s enough to compensate for
«ÀœLi“ÜˆÌ œ˜œÀ½ÃœvviÀˆ˜}œ˜> that. At the same time, Honor was the
Ì>LiÌ\iÛiÀÞÌ ˆ˜}ܜÀŽÃÌ iÜ>ÞÜ>˜Ì V i>«" Ì>LiÌœvV œˆViÜˆÌ Ì i
ˆÌ̜°/ iÀiˆÃ>`œÜ˜Ãˆ`iÌ œÕ} \œ˜œÀ >}ˆV*>`ÓÆÌ >Ì`ˆÃ̈˜V̈œ˜ >ØœÜ
Vœ˜wÀ“i`̜“iÌ >ÌÌ i>}ˆV*>`Î gone and there’s a little less to help
ܜՏ`}i̺>̏i>ÃÌ»œ˜i"-Õ«`>Ìi>˜` œ˜œÀ½ÃÌ>LiÌÃÌ>˜`œÕÌ>“œ˜}Ì iLiÃÌ
two years of security updates, which is Ì>LiÌÃœ˜œvviÀ°Chris Hall
ÜiLi ˆ˜`iÝ«iVÌi`iÛiÃ°
SPECIFICATIONS
VERDICT •£Î°Î‡ˆ˜V ­Î]ÓääÝÓ]£ÎÈÆÓn™««ˆ®*-
The Honor MagicPad 3 offers good  ]£ VœœÀÃ]£Èxâ] ,6ˆÛˆ`]
value for money considering the screen £ää䘈Ìí«i>Ž®`ˆÃ«>Þ
Èâi]«œÜiÀ>˜`Ì ivœÀ“ˆ`>LiL>ÌÌiÀÞ° •Ƃ˜`Àœˆ`£x]>}ˆV"-™

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 77

REVIEWS

•+Õ>Vœ““-nÈxä‡Ƃ -˜>«`À>}œ˜n
i˜Î­{˜“®«ÀœViÃÜÀ
•"VÌ>‡VœÀi­£ÝΰÎâ œÀÌi݇8{]
3x 3.2GHz Cortex-A720, 2x
3GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x 2.3GHz
œÀÌi݇ƂxÓä® *1
•Ƃ`Ài˜œÇxä­£â®*1
• No slot
•n É£È ,Ƃ
•ÓxÈ Éx£Ó É£/ Ã̜À>}i
•/ܜÀi>À‡v>Vˆ˜}V>“iÀ>Ã\£Î«]vÉÓ°ä]
ƂÆÓ«]vÉÓ°{]­“>VÀœ®
•-iwiV>“iÀ>\™«]vÉÓ°Ó
• Stereo speakers
• No 3.5mm audio jack
•7 ˆ‡ˆnäÓ°££>ÉLÉ}ɘÉ>VÉÈÉÇ]`Õ>‡
L>˜`
• Bluetooth 5.4, A2DP, LE, aptX HD,
aptX Adaptive, ASHA
• No GPS
• No NFC
• USB Type-C 3.2, Display Port 1.2,
OTG, accessory connector pinsr
• œ˜‡Ài“œÛ>Li£Ó]{xä“Ƃ L>ÌÌiÀÞ
•әΰ™ÝÓ䣰{Ýx°n““
•x™x}

78 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

Samsung Galaxy Watch8
Price when reviewed: ËΣ™

I
Ì“ˆ} Ì >Ûi>˜iÜ­>LiˆÌ`ˆÛˆÃˆÛi® / i«ÀœLi“ˆÃÌ >ÌÜ i˜ۈiÜi`
œœŽ]LṎ̽Ï>À}iÞLÕȘiÃÃ>ÃÕÃÕ> up close, very little has changed over
with the Samsung Galaxy Watch8. Ì i«>ÃÌviÜÞi>Àð>L܏ÕÌiÞ>`œÀi`
We’re in a very strange place with the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 when that
the Samsung Galaxy Watch range. In a device came to market with its Wear OS
sense, Samsung’s smartwatches have œÛiÀ >Տ>˜`>LÀˆ} ÌvÕÌÕÀi> i>`œv
˜iÛiÀLii˜LiÌÌiÀ]>˜`ÜˆÌ vœÕÀ܏ˆ` ˆÌ]LÕÌ>vÌiÀ >ۈ˜}Ì i->“Ã՘}>>ÝÞ
œ«Ìˆœ˜ÃVÕÀÀi˜ÌÞ>Û>ˆ>Li]À>˜}ˆ˜}vÀœ“ 7>ÌV nœ˜“ÞÜÀˆÃÌvœÀ>LœÕÌÌܜ
Ì iLÕ`}i̇vÀˆi˜`Þ->“Ã՘}>>ÝÞ weeks, I can’t say that all too much has
Watch FE to the high-end Samsung changed in the time since.
Galaxy Watch Ultra, it’s a great time to It means that unless you’re a devout
Li>v>˜œv>Ì ˆ˜}Ã->“Ã՘}° Samsung user, you might want to see

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 79

REVIEWS

what else is out there from the likes of making the watch look more like a
Google Pixel, OnePlus, Huawei and rounded-off square.
œÌ iÀð/ ˆÃˆÃ>À}Õ>LÞÌ i>ÃÌ̈“i Speaking to fellow tech journalists,
that the company can rest on its laurels it’s clear that the design is quite divisive,
LivœÀiˆÌLiVœ“iÃ>“ÕV Lˆ}}iÀˆÃÃÕi° LÕÌ“ÕV ̜“ޜܘÃÕÀ«ÀˆÃi]>VÌÕ>Þ
quite like the look of it.
DESIGN I love a good two-tone colourway
The only area where the Samsung and the silver chassis only serves to
Galaxy Watch8 has really taken a step iˆ} Ìi˜Ì iL>VŽœvÌ iLiâi>˜`
in a new direction is with its design. the display, especially if you have a
Well, I say new in that it’s a different Ü>ÌV v>ViÜˆÌ >L>VŽL>VŽ}ÀœÕ˜`°
>««Àœ>V vœÀÌ i“>ˆ˜ˆ˜iÜ>ÌV ]LṎ̽à / i7>ÌV n>ÃœwÌÓÞÜÀˆÃÌv>À“œÀi
really an adaptation of the square-circle Vœ“vœÀÌ>LÞÌ >˜>˜Þœv->“Ã՘}½Ã
­>Ž>¼ÃµÕˆÀVi½®`iÈ}˜>˜}Õ>}iœvÌ i Üi>À>LiÃLivœÀiˆÌ]>˜`Ì >̽ÃÌ >˜ŽÃ̜
Galaxy Watch Ultra. two key changes.
Now, instead of having the chassis 7 ˆiˆÌ“ˆ} ÌLi >À`̜ÌiÕÃÌ
form a perfect circle around the screen, from the pictures alone, the Galaxy
Ì iÀi½Ã>LՓ«iÀ­->“Ã՘}V>ÃˆÌ> Watch8 is actually 11 percent slimmer
¼VÕà ˆœ˜½®«ÀœÌÀÕ`ˆ˜}vÀœ“Ì iÜ>ÌV  than the Galaxy Watch7, and while that
that is more prominent at the corners, might not sound like much, it helps
prevent the watch from
catching on your clothing,
which is more than I can
say for some of the heftier
watches I’ve tried over the
years. There’s also a new
system for attaching watch
straps, which Samsung
calls the Dynamic Lug.
On the one hand, I
actually think that the
ޘ>“ˆVÕ}ˆÃ“œÀi`ˆvwVՏÌ
The Watch8 is far more comfortable than any of Samsung’s to attach and remove than
wearables before it. LivœÀi­ˆÌ½Ã˜œÌÃÕ««œÃi`̜

80 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

Li]œvVœÕÀÃi®]LṎÌVœÃiÃÌ i
prominent gap that used to exist
LiÌÜii˜ޜÕÀÜÀˆÃÌ>˜`Ü iÀi
the strap would connect on
previous Galaxy Watches.
It’s just a far more
Vœ“vœÀÌ>Li`iÈ}˜œÛiÀ>]
which is great if you plan on
wearing the device overnight.
Even though it is slimmer,
the watch is no less ready for The 1.47-inch display makes for a better visual
Ì iii“i˜ÌÃÜˆÌ >˜œvwVˆ> experience when out and about.
*ÈnÀ>̈˜}>œ˜}È`iÌ i>LˆˆÌÞ
̜LiÃÕL“iÀ}i`ˆ˜>Lœ`ÞœvÜ>ÌiÀÕ« larger 1.47-inch display. While I do
̜xƂ/­xä“iÌÀiî° typically go for larger size options, I’ve
˜Ì ï“i½ÛiLii˜ÕȘ}Ì i Lii˜ÕȘ}Ì i{䓓“œ`iœÛiÀÌ i
Ü>ÌV ]Liޜ˜`>ψ} ÌLˆÌœv`ÕÃÌ course of this review and I must say
collecting around the raised segments that I never felt shortchanged with the
œvÌ iLiâi]Ì i`iۈVi >ؽÌ«ˆVŽi` smaller 1.34-inch display.
up a single scratch, which is nice to see. Text is very easy to read, so I
/ iœ˜iÌ ˆ˜}܈Ã>ÞÌ >̽Ã>LˆÌ never had to squint to see incoming
of a disappointment is that with the ˜œÌˆwV>̈œ˜Ã]>˜`>Ü>ÞÃviÌÃ>̈Ãwi`
added real estate of the new chassis, diving into workout data on the watch
 >` œ«i`Ì >̈̓ˆ} ÌLÀˆ˜}>LœÕÌ itself instead of using the larger
Ì ië>VivœÀ>“ÕV >À}iÀL>ÌÌiÀÞLÕÌ display of my phone. Part of what
that hasn’t materialised here, which makes the experience this time around
makes the shift feel more performative ˆÃ>“>ÃÈÛiLՓ«̜Ì iœÛiÀ>
Ì >˜ÃÕLÃÌ>˜Ìˆ>° LÀˆ} ̘iÃÃœvÌ iÃVÀii˜°
9œÕ“ˆ} Ì>ÃÃՓiޜÕ}iÌ>Lˆ}}iÀ
DISPLAY screen with the Galaxy Watch8 Classic,
Just like with previous generations LṎ̽Ã>Ãœ£°Î{‡ˆ˜V >˜`ˆ˜ÃÌi>`ÕÃiÃ
of Galaxy Watch, there are two sizes Ì i>À}iÀLœ`ÞvœÀ>ÀœÌ>̈˜}Liâi°
>Û>ˆ>Li]{ä‡>˜`{{““]ÜˆÌ Ì i“>ˆ˜ Compared to the Galaxy Watch7, the
>ÕÀiœvÌ i>ÌÌiÀLiˆ˜}Ì iψ} ̏Þ 7>ÌV nˆÃ˜œÜxä«iÀVi˜ÌLÀˆ} ÌiÀÜˆÌ 

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 81

REVIEWS

>«i>ŽLÀˆ} ̘iÃÃœvÎ]ää䘈Ìð/ >̽à œvwVˆ>Þ`œ˜i>Ü>ÞÜˆÌ Ì iœœ}i

Ì iÃ>“iLÀˆ} ̘iÃÏiÛi>ÃÌ i«ÀˆVˆiÀ Assistant, as Google Gemini takes its
Galaxy Watch Ultra, and it just makes «>Vi°Ƃ`“ˆÌÌi`Þ]Ì ˆÃà ˆvÌ܈>ÃœLi
vœÀ>v>ÀLiÌÌiÀۈÃÕ>iÝ«iÀˆi˜ViÜ i˜ “>`i>Û>ˆ>Liœ˜œ`iÀ>>ÝÞ7>ÌV iÃ
œÕÌ>˜`>LœÕÌ° œÌœ˜Þ`œ->“Ã՘}½Ã >˜`“>˜ÞÀˆÛ>Ã]LÕÌÌ ˆÃÀi«ÀiÃi˜ÌÃÌ i
Ü>ÌV v>ViÏœœŽLiÌÌiÀÌ >˜iÛiÀ] wÀÃÌœvÌ iL՘V Ì >Ì܈ >Ûiœœ}i½Ã
never had any issues with getting a >ÌiÃÌœ˜ƂÀˆ} ÌœÕÌœvÌ iLœÝ°
quick glance at the time when walking Having suffered for years through the
outside, especially with the always-on lacklustre presence of Siri on the Apple
mode toggled. Watch, which was never used for much
On the audio side of things, if more than setting timers or asking for
ޜÕ`œ˜½Ì >Ûi>«>ˆÀœvi>ÀLÕ`ÃœÀ updates on the weather, having Gemini
headphones to hand, then you can use Ài>`ˆÞ>Û>ˆ>Liœ˜ޜÕÀÜÀˆÃÌviiÃˆŽi
Ì iLՈÌ‡ˆ˜ëi>ŽiÀÃ̜«>Þ“ÕÈV>˜` ->“Ã՘} >ÍÕÃ̏i>«vÀœ}}i`Ƃ««iLÞ
podcasts directly on the watch itself. several generations.
While it doesn’t get quite as loud as the ½ÛiLii˜>Li̜ÕÃii“ˆ˜ˆvœÀ
>À“ˆ˜6i˜Õ8£ÀiۈiÜi`LivœÀiÌ ˆÃ] all sorts, ranging from getting fashion
I was quite impressed with the sound >`ۈViL>Ãi`œ˜Ì iÜi>Ì iÀ̜}iÌ̈˜}
quality on offer. suggestions for recipes after explaining
½ÛiLii˜ÕȘ}Ì i/œ˜Þ>܎½Ã*Àœ which ingredients I have left in my
-Ž>ÌiÀγ{Ü՘`ÌÀ>VŽ̜vÕi“>˜Þ vÀˆ`}i°Ü>Ã>Li̜}iÌ>˜ÃÜiÀÃ̜>œv
of my most recent workouts and when it at great speed, too.
taking that for a spin, the Watch8’s ˜LœÌ ƂÀiµÕiÃÌÃ>˜`iÛiÀÞ`>Þ
ëi>ŽiÀÃ`ˆ`>}Ài>̍œLœv ˆ} ˆ} ̈˜} use, I’ve felt the Exynos W1000 chipset
the vocals and the percussion of each }œˆ˜}>LœÛi>˜`Liޜ˜`̜Žii«Õ«°
track, regardless of genre, so kudos to It’s just excellent performance across
Samsung’s engineering on this front. Ì iLœ>À`]>˜`>ŽiÞÀi>ܘÜ ÞÌ i
Of course, that quality also extends Galaxy Watch8, at its core, is a great
to taking calls on the watch, if your Ó>ÀÌÜ>ÌV °/ ˆÃˆÃ`iëˆÌiLiˆ˜}Ì i
smartphone is out of reach. same chip as the Galaxy Watch7.
All of this just complements the
SOFTWARE viiˆ˜}Ì >Ì7i>À"- >ØiÛiÀLii˜
"˜iœvÌ iLˆ}ÜvÌÜ>ÀiV >˜}iÃvœÀ LiÌÌiÀ°7ˆÌ 7i>À"-È­>˜`->“Ã՘}½Ã
this year is that the Galaxy Watch8 has "˜i1n7>ÌV œÛiÀ>Þ®ˆÌ˜œœ˜}iÀ

82 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

 diehard fans out there who
prefer the older physical
ÀœÌ>̈˜}Liâi]>˜`>Ã>
ÀiÃՏÌ܈«ÀœL>LÞÃiiŽ
out the Samsung Galaxy
Watch8 Classic instead,
LÕÌ >`˜œˆÃÃÕiÃÜˆÌ 
this digital alternative.
It’s responsive with nice
>«ÌˆVvii`L>VŽ]>˜`ˆÌ
feels far more elegant to
It no longer feels like a compromised experience when I take use than just swiping up
off my Apple Watch. and down endlessly to
get through menus.
feels like a compromised experience The one aspect of Samsung’s
when I take off my Apple Watch and software that doesn’t feel quite so
“œÛiœÛiÀ̜->“Ã՘}½Ã>ÌiÃÌÜi>À>Li Àiw˜i`ˆÃœ˜Ì iÓ>ÀÌ« œ˜iÈ`i
for a review – I can just enjoy what of things. Don’t get me wrong, the
œœ}i >ÃLii˜>Li̜«ÕÌ̜}iÌ iÀ Samsung Health app has a wonderful
here, and in some cases, there are a few >iÃÌ ïV>˜`ˆÃi˜œÞ>Li̜ÕÃi]LÕÌ
features that I wish Apple would poach. the initial set-up for the Galaxy Watch8
While it certainly isn’t new, I still requires downloading three apps in
love the Tiles feature on Wear OS that ̜Ì>]Ü ˆV V>˜Li>Ài> >ÃÏiÜ i˜
gives you quick access to key apps just you change phones as often as I do or
LÞÃ܈«ˆ˜}ivÌvÀœ“Ì iÜ>ÌV v>Vi° for people who aren’t tech-savvy.
Speaking to my own personal use cases, ÌܜՏ`Li}Ài>Ì̜ÃiiˆÌ>
it allows me to dive more quickly into streamlined into just one app – I’ve
workout tracking, changing a song on never felt the need to dive into
Spotify and even getting a quick look at Ì i>>ÝÞ7i>À>Li>««>vÌiÀÌ i
my calendar events for the week. initial set-up.
It’s just a great feature to have,
and scrolling through the tiles with the FITNESS & HEALTH TRACKING
`ˆ}ˆÌ>ÀœÌ>̈˜}LiâiˆÃ>LÀiiâi° If there’s one area where I can’t fault
I know that there are plenty of ->“Ã՘}½ÃܜÀŽ]ˆÌ½Ãˆ˜w̘iÃÃÌÀ>VŽˆ˜}°

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 83

REVIEWS

/ i>>ÝÞ7>ÌV ià >Ûi>Ü>ÞÃLii˜ vޜսÛi >`>«>À̈VՏ>ÀÞLÕÃÞ`>Þ

great companions for a trip to the gym or you haven’t managed to get a good
or the local park run, and the Galaxy ˜ˆ} ̽ÃÏii«Ì i˜Ì iÜ>ÌV ­>˜`Ì i
Watch8 is no exception. >««®܈iÌޜÕŽ˜œÜÌ >̈̽Ã>}œœ`
You can track everything from hiking time to prioritise rest, much in the same
ˆ˜Ì i}Ài>ÌœÕÌ`œœÀÃ̜؜ÜLœ>À`ˆ˜} vein as the Whoop Strap 5.0. You can
œ˜Ì iÀ>˜}i°̽Ã}Ài>Ì̜Ãii]LÕÌ >Ãœw˜`œÕÌÌ iˆ`i>̈“ivÀ>“ivœÀ
if you are just starting out on your }iÌ̈˜}̜Li`ˆ˜>˜iÜvi>ÌÕÀiŽ˜œÜ˜
w̘iÃÍœÕÀ˜iÞ]Ì i˜ޜսÛiÀÞ“ÕV  >ü i`̈“i}Ո`>˜Vi½°ƂVViÃÈLi>Ì
>««ÀiVˆ>ÌiÌ i,՘˜ˆ˜} œ>V Ì >̽à any time throughout the day, this new
œ˜Lœ>À`° feature gives you ample time to prepare
/ ˆÃˆÃ}Ài>̈vޜսÀiw˜`ˆ˜}ޜÕÀ ޜÕÀ`>Þ>ÀœÕ˜` ˆÌ̈˜}Ì >ÌLi`̈“i
vœœÌˆ˜}>˜`ޜÕ˜ii`>LˆÌœv}Ո`>˜Vi target, which I appreciate more than
to help you set realistic goals and avoid an alert in the evening that tells me it’s
ˆ˜ÕÀˆ˜}ޜÕÀÃivLÞœÛiÀ`œˆ˜}Ì ˆ˜}ð time to wind things down.
It’s a wonderful feature to have, Given that rest is essential for any
«>À̈VՏ>ÀÞ>ÃÌ ˆ˜ŽÌ >ÌLi}ˆ˜˜iÀà ÌÞ«iœviÝiÀVˆÃiLÕÌiëiVˆ>Þ“ÕÃVi
Ìi˜`̜}iÌvœÀ}œÌÌi˜>LœÕÌ“œÀi growth, it is nice to see Samsung take
œvÌi˜Ì >˜˜œÌÜ i˜ˆÌVœ“iÃ̜w̘iÃà the time here to give it just as much
trackers, and it pairs well with the credence as all of the typical workout
>>ÝÞ7>ÌV n½Ãˆ˜ÃˆÃÌi˜Viœ˜œLÌ>ˆ˜ˆ˜} data you’d expect to see.
proper rest and recovery. There’s also a new ‘Vascular load’
tracker that’s meant
to keep an eye on the
system that delivers
Lœœ`Ì ÀœÕ} œÕÌޜÕÀ
Lœ`Þq> ˆ} Û>ÃVՏ>À
load means that you
need to cut out unhealthy
foods and do more to
alleviate stress. Again, it’s
handy to have and it just
complements the idea
The Galaxy Watch8’s health dashboard. of the Galaxy Watch8

84 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

 diet. While I do love
to exercise, my diet
ˆÃ>LˆÌ>VŽˆ˜}ˆ˜Ì ˆÃ
area and the Watch8
did call me out on
it, although it’s hard
to say how precise
the readings are with
the tracking itself still
Liˆ˜}ˆ˜LiÌ>ÌiÃ̈˜}
at the time of writing,
You can track your data on Samsung’s Health app. so take it with a
pinch of salt.
Liˆ˜}>}Ài>ÌÌÀ>VŽiÀvœÀޜÕÀœÛiÀ> What is a shame is that, if you don’t
Lˆœv i>Ì ° have a Samsung phone to hand, you’ll
Speaking of that data, heart Li}iÌ̈˜}>ˆ“ˆÌi`iÝ«iÀˆi˜Viœ˜
rate tracking on the Galaxy Watch8 the Galaxy Watch8. This isn’t anything
is fantastic. When taken for a spin ˜iÜ>È̽ÃLii˜>˜ˆÃÃÕiÜˆÌ «ÀiۈœÕÃ
alongside the Polar H10 chest-worn heart ->“Ã՘}Ü>ÌV iÃ]LṎ̽ÃܜÀÌ ˜œÌˆ˜}
rate monitor, the two devices matched Ì >ÌޜÕܜ˜½ÌLi>Li̜>VViÃÃ
up almost like for like in their results. ECG tracking for picking up heart
"``Þ]Üi`ˆ`˜½Ìw˜`Ì iÌÀ>VŽˆ˜}œ˜Ì i arrhythmia, nor can you dive into the
7>ÌV n >ÃÈV̜LiÜ>VVÕÀ>Ìi° Lœœ`«ÀiÃÃÕÀiÌÀ>VŽˆ˜}iˆÌ iÀ°
During two stints on the treadmill, All this means is that, if I were
the Galaxy Watch registered a peak that ܓiœ˜iœœŽˆ˜}̜LÕÞ>Ó>ÀÌÜ>ÌV 
Ü>Ãœ˜Þ£ *>LœÛiÌ >ÌœvÌ i*œ>À and I didn’t use a Galaxy phone,
H10, which is fair within a margin of ½`«ÀœL>LÞLiÌi“«Ìi`̜}œvœÀ
iÀÀœÀ]LÕÌÌ iÌܜÜiÀiˆ˜ÃޘVˆ˜ÌiÀ“à something like the Garmin Venu X1 or
of the average heart rate, so you’ll get the OnePlus Watch 3 instead.
a realistic picture of how your heart is Thankfully, GPS tracking is still solid
responding to each workout. on the Galaxy Watch, making use of a
Samsung has added an Antioxidant `Õ>‡L>˜`Vœ˜˜iV̈œ˜Ì >̽؜̜˜Þ
Index, which lets you know if you’re µÕˆVŽ̜iÃÌ>LˆÃ ˆÌÃiv]LÕÌV>˜>Ãœ
getting enough fruit and veg in your provide accurate results after the fact.

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 85

REVIEWS

BATTERY LIFE & CHARGING

As I mentioned earlier, I was really
hoping that the main reason for the
design change on the Galaxy Watch8
was that it would allow for a larger
L>ÌÌiÀÞ̜wÕ«Ì i>``i`ë>Vi
taken up the new chassis, and while
that’s technically true, the upgrade is
far less pronounced than what I had
hoped it would it.
The 40- and 44mm models The Galaxy Watch8 requires a daily charge.
now pack a 325- and 435mAh cell
respectively, up from 300- and 425mAh it as a device that requires a daily
on the Galaxy Watch7. As you can V >À}i]iëiVˆ>Þ>ψŽiLiˆ˜}>Li
see, that’s not a huge increase and to rely on such a watch for payments
unfortunately, it does mean that the and messaging, if my phone ever
>>ÝÞ7>ÌV nÃÌ>ÞÃwÀ“ÞÜˆÌ ˆ˜Ì >Ì reaches 0 percent.
usual one-day of use trap that has Thankfully, the charging process isn’t
plagued previous Galaxy watches. ̜œ>LœÀˆœÕð7 i˜Ì iL>ÌÌiÀÞÀi>V i`
Admittedly, if you turn off the always- È«iÀVi˜Ì]>Î䇓ˆ˜ÕÌi̜«‡Õ«Ü>Ã>Li
œ˜`ˆÃ«>ÞÌ i˜ޜÕV>˜}iÌ>LœÕÌ>`>Þ ̜LÀˆ˜}Ì i>>ÝÞ7>ÌV nL>VŽ̜Èx
>˜`> >vœvÕÃi]LÕÌÌ iiÝ«iÀˆi˜Vi percent which, under very conservative
ÕÃ̈ؽÌ>Ãv՘­œÀ>ÃÕÃivՏ®ÜˆÌ œṎ̰ ÕÃi]VœÕ`Ã̈Lii˜œÕ} ̜}iÌޜÕ
When I had the feature toggled, I got œ“iLivœÀiÌ ii˜`œvÌ i`>Þ°
Ì ÀœÕ} >LœÕÌÓӇ œÕÀÃœvÕÃi]Ü ˆV  vޜÕ`œvՏÞ`À>ˆ˜Ì iL>ÌÌiÀÞ
ˆ˜VÕ`i`˜œÌˆwV>̈œ˜Ã]>*-ÌÀ>VŽi` ̜ä«iÀVi˜ÌÌ i˜ޜÕ܈LiÜ>ˆÌˆ˜}
Ü>Ž]>˜`Ïii«ÌÀ>VŽˆ˜}]LivœÀiÌ i >ÀœÕ˜`>LˆÌœ˜}iÀ>Ãœ˜Þ}œÌL>VŽ
watch reached 36 percent. 40 percent after 30 minutes, and it took
ˆÛi˜Ì >̈̽؜ܫœÃÈLi̜}iÌ >̜Ì>œvœ˜i œÕÀ>˜`£™“ˆ˜ÕÌiÃ̜
Õ«̜wÛi`>ÞÃœvÕÃivÀœ“Ì i"˜i*Õà reach 100 percent.
Watch 3, Samsung is clearly lagging
Li ˆ˜`ˆ˜Ì ˆÃ>Ài>°w˜`Ì iiÝ«iÀˆi˜Vi VERDICT
of wearing a smartwatch far more If there’s one thing that I cannot stress
engaging if I don’t also have to include i˜œÕ} >LœÕÌÌ i->“Ã՘}>>ÝÞ

86 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

Watch8, it’s that it is indeed a great LiÌÌiÀœvv«ˆVŽˆ˜}Õ«Ì i>>ÝÞ7>ÌV Ç
smartwatch. Between Samsung’s well at a reduced rate until the Watch8 gets
constructed take on Wear OS, the a nice price cut, or even opting for
ӜœÌ «iÀvœÀ“>˜Vi>˜`LÀˆˆ>˜Viœv Ì i"˜i*ÕÃ7>ÌV Î̜Li˜iwÌvÀœ“
Ì iVœ˜ÃÌ>˜ÌÞÀiw˜i`w̘iÃÃÌÀ>VŽˆ˜} Ì i“ÕV œ˜}iÀwÛi‡`>ÞL>ÌÌiÀޏˆvi°
features on offer, I have very much Thomas Deehan
enjoyed my time with this device.
/ i«ÀœLi“ˆÃÌ >ÌÌ i>>ÝÞ SPECIFICATIONS
Watch7 was a great smartwatch, as was •£°{LJˆ˜V ­{näÝ{näÆÎÓÇ««ˆ®-Õ«iÀ
the Galaxy Watch6, and the Galaxy Ƃ" ]Îää䘈Ìí«i>Ž®`ˆÃ«>Þ
7>ÌV x­VœÕ`Žii«}œˆ˜}®° • Android Wear OS 6, One UI 8 Watch
The iterative updates of Samsung’s • ÝޘœÃ7£äää­Î˜“®«ÀœViÃÜÀ
Üi>À>Liˆ˜i‡Õ«ÜiÀi>Ài>`ÞÃÌ>À̈˜} • Penta-core CPU
̜viiÃÌ>iÌ ˆÃ̈“i>ÃÌÞi>À]LÕÌ> • Mali-G68 GPU
design refresh isn’t enough to dispel • No card slot
them this time around. Add in the price •Ó ,Ƃ
rise and things get a little trickier. • 32GB
->“Ã՘}>L܏ÕÌiÞ >ÃÌ iÜvÌÜ>Ài • Loud speakers
È`iœvÌ ˆ˜}Ãœ˜œVŽ iÀi]LÕÌÌ >̽à • No 3.5mm audio jack
why, particularly in the face of strong •7 ˆ‡ˆnäÓ°££>ÉLÉ}ɘ]`Õ>‡L>˜`
competition from OnePlus, that the • Bluetooth 5.3, A2DP, LE
Vœ“«>˜Þ˜ii`i`̜}ˆÛiÌ iL>ÌÌiÀÞ •*-­£³x®]" Ƃ--]Ƃ "]
LՓ«Ì >ÌÜi½Ûi>Lii˜Ü>ˆÌˆ˜}vœÀ° BDS
vޜÕÕÃiœ˜iœvÌ iLiÃÌ->“Ã՘} • NFC
>>ÝÞ« œ˜iÃ>˜`ޜսÀiyÕà ÜˆÌ  •-i˜ÃœÀÃ\ƂVViiÀœ“iÌiÀ]}ÞÀœ] i>ÀÌ
cash, then it makes perfect sense to À>Ìi]L>Àœ“iÌiÀ]>Ìˆ“iÌiÀ]Vœ“«>ÃÃ]
pick up the Galaxy Watch8, as it’s hard -«"Ó]Ìi“«iÀ>ÌÕÀi­ÃŽˆ˜®] ˆœƂV̈Ûi]
̜ˆ“>}ˆ˜iÌ >ÌޜսLi`ˆÃ>««œˆ˜Ìi` antioxidant index
LÞÌ iiÝ«iÀˆi˜ViˆÌ«ÀœÛˆ`ið9œÕ“>Þ • œ˜‡Ài“œÛ>Li{Îx“Ƃ L>ÌÌiÀÞ
iÛi˜LiœœŽˆ˜}>Ì>L՘`i`i>Ì >Ì • 46x43.7x8.6mm
gets you the watch discounted or free. •Î{}­{{““®]Îä}­{䓓®
œÀÌ œÃiÜ œ>Àïi`̜>LÕ`}iÌ
œÜiÛiÀ­œÀÕÃiœ˜iœvÌ iLiÃÌ« œ˜iÃ
Ì >Ì>Ài˜½Ì->“Ã՘}‡“>`i®]ޜսÀi

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 87

BUYING GUIDE

Best foldable smartphones

Flips and folds of all types and prices. ANYRON COPEMAN reports

I
n recent years, innovation might’ve compact, giving you at-a-glance
slowed when it comes to regular information via a smaller cover screen.
Ó>ÀÌ« œ˜iÃ]LÕÌvœ`>LiÃVœ˜Ìˆ˜Õi i>˜Ü ˆi]LœœŽ‡ÃÌޏivœ`>LiÃ>ˆ“
to improve at a rapid rate. Since ̜Ài«>ViLœÌ ޜÕÀ« œ˜i>˜`Ì>LiÌ]
Samsung launched the original Galaxy with a regular-sized device that opens
Z Flip and Z Fold in 2020, dozens of horizontally to reveal a much larger
different companies have experimented screen inside.
with versions of their own, creating
`iۈViÃÌ >ÌœvviÀܓiiÝÌÀ>Li˜iwÌÃ HOW TO CHOOSE THE
compared to standard smartphones. $'56|(1.&#$.'2*10'
˜Ì iV>ÃiœvÌ i“œ`iÀ˜yˆ« 1˜ˆŽiÌ i«ÀœViÃÃœv«ˆVŽˆ˜}Ì iLiÃÌ
« œ˜i]Ì ivœ`ˆ˜}ÃVÀii˜i˜>Lià V>˜`އL>ÀÃÌޏi« œ˜ivœÀޜÕÀ˜ii`Ã]
>À}i >˜`ÃiÌÃ̜LiVœ“i“ÕV “œÀi vœ`>Li« œ˜ià >ÛiµÕˆÌi>viÜiÝÌÀ>

88 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

considerations in mind. Thankfully, we’re LÕÌÌ iœÌ iÀLÀ>˜`Ã>Ài˜½Ìv>ÀLi ˆ˜`
˜œÜ>Ì>«œˆ˜ÌÜ iÀi`ÕÀ>LˆˆÌÞ]>VÀœÃà thanks to constant software tweaks.
Ì iLœ>À`]ˆÃ>Ì>v>ˆÀÞ ˆ} ÃÌ>˜`>À`LÕÌ Of course, if you are planning to
it’s still worth keeping an eye on the IP ÕÃi>yˆ«œÀvœ`>Li« œ˜ivœÀVœ˜Ìi˜Ì
À>̈˜}œv>vœ`>Li« œ˜iˆ˜µÕiÃ̈œ˜° VÀi>̈œ˜]ÜˆÌ Ì i>À}iÀ`ˆÃ«>ÞLiˆ˜}
vޜÕÃii>˜œvwVˆ>*ÈnœÀ*ș >Lœœ˜vœÀi`ˆÌˆ˜}]Ì i˜ޜս˜ii`>
rating then you can rest assured that the good set of cameras.
« œ˜i܈LiÜi«ÀœÌiVÌi`vÀœ“Ü>ÌiÀ Unfortunately, cameras are the one
>˜``ÕÃÌ>ÃޜÕ}œ>LœÕÌޜÕÀ`>Þ° area that don’t quite match traditional
iޜ˜``ÕÀ>LˆˆÌÞ]L>ÌÌiÀޏˆviˆÃ>˜ V>˜`އL>À« œ˜iÃœ˜µÕ>ˆÌÞ]LÕÌÌ i
>L܏ÕÌiÞVÀÕVˆ>Vœ“«œ˜i˜Ì°ˆÛi˜ likes of Samsung and Honor continue to
Ì >Ìvœ`>Li« œ˜iÃœvÌi˜ >Ûi̜ À>ˆÃiÌ iL>ÀÜˆÌ i>V ˆÌiÀ>̈œ˜°/ ˆÃˆÃ
power screens that are much larger why it’s important to check our camera
Ì >˜Ì i˜œÀ“]Ì iÀi½Ã}œˆ˜}̜Li>˜ results in each review, as we show you
œLۈœÕÃŽ˜œVŽœ˜œ˜}iۈÌÞ° exactly how the sensors perform in
"ÕÀL>ÌÌiÀÞÌiÃÌëÀœÛˆ`iÌ iLiÃÌ everyday situations.
ˆ˜vœÀ“>̈œ˜«œÃÈLivœÀ՘`iÀÃÌ>˜`ˆ˜}
exactly how long you can use a FLIP PHONE FAQ
vœ`>Li« œ˜ivœÀ՘̈ˆÌ˜ii`Ã> 1. #TGHQNFCDNGRJQPGU|HTCIKNG!
top-up, and how long the charging Yes. They have screens that are a
process takes thereafter. yi݈LiVœ“«œÃˆÌiœv}>ÃÃ>˜`«>Ã̈V]
>ÌÌiÀޏˆvi>˜``ÕÀ>LˆˆÌÞ>Ài and the technology is quite new. We’ve
the most crucial features when it Ãii˜VÀi>ÃiȘÃVÀii˜ÃVÀ>VŽ>˜`LÀi>Ž]
Vœ“iÃ̜vœ`>Li« œ˜iÃ]LÕÌœ˜Vi and have had the factory-applied screen
ޜսÀiÃ>̈Ãwi`ÜˆÌ Ì iÀiÃՏÌÃœ˜ protectors peel away at the crease.
hand, it’s worth seeing how well Samsung in particular is wary of this.
optimised the software is to handle the ,i«>ˆÀÃœÕÌÈ`iœvÜ>ÀÀ>˜ÌÞ>Ài>Ãœ
vœ`>LivœÀ“>Ì° Ài>ܘ>LÞ«ÀˆVi`>˜`ޜÕV>˜iˆÌ iÀ
This is particularly important if you send away your phone or go in store to
want to use the phone for productivity, LœœŽ>˜>««œˆ˜Ì“i˜ÌvœÀ>Ài«>ˆÀ°
as it’ll determine whether the "Ì iÀLÀ>˜`à >ÛiiÃÃÃÕ««œÀÌ]Ü
multitasking experience is a smooth one V iVŽLivœÀiޜÕLÕÞˆvޜÕ>ÀiܜÀÀˆi`°
or not. At present, OnePlus leads the Are folding phones waterproof?
charge with its Open Canvas software, Some are, and some aren’t. Samsung’s

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 89

BUYING GUIDE

˜iÜiÀvœ`>LiÃ]Ì i>ÌiÃ̜̜Àœ> for warranty claims or repairs.

,>âÀ“œ`iÃ]>˜`>viÜÃiiVÌœÌ iÀÃ>Ài If you are desperate for a folding
vՏÞÜ>ÌiÀ«ÀœœvqLÕÌޜÕܜ˜½ÌÜ>˜Ì̜ « œ˜iLṎ̽؜̜Ṏ˜ޜÕÀVœÕ˜ÌÀÞ]
take an Oppo or Honor folding phone ˆÌ½`LiLiÌÌiÀ̜ˆ“«œÀÌ>« œ˜iÜˆÌ 
out in the pouring rain. Always check Google services. Always check the specs
Ì iÌiV ëiVÃLivœÀiޜÕLÕÞ° wÀÃÌÌ œÕ} ]>˜`LÕÞvÀœ“>Ài«ÕÌ>Li
-œv>Àœ˜ÞÌ iœÌœÀœ>,>âÀ{ä source.
1ÌÀ>>˜`,>âÀ{䈘VÕ`i>˜Þ`ÕÃÌ
protection, so any other folding phone 1. BEST OVERALL
à œÕ`LiŽi«Ì>Ü>ÞvÀœ“Ì iLi>V ° Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7
Price when reviewed:Ë£]Ǚ™
2. +UVJGTGCHQNFCDNGK2JQPG! Pros:˜VÀi`ˆLÞψ“>˜`ˆ} ÌÜiˆ} ÌÆ
ƂÌÌ ï“iœvÜÀˆÌˆ˜}]i>ÀÞ-i«Ìi“LiÀ Õ«}À>`i`V>“iÀ>ÃƏiÃ؜̈Vi>Li
ÓäÓx]˜œÌÞiÌ]LÕÌÌ iÀi«ÀœL>LÞ܈Li VÀi>ÃiÆiÝVii˜ÌÜvÌÜ>Ài
at some point. Apple has a track record Cons: œ-*i˜ÃÕ««œÀÌƘœL>ÌÌiÀÞœÀ
of adopting new technologies a little V >À}ˆ˜}Õ«}À>`iÃÆV>˜Ì ÀœÌ̏iÜ ˆi
>ÌiÀÌ >˜“>ÀŽiÌÀˆÛ>Ã]LÕÌÌ i˜Ìi˜`à gaming
̜`œ>LiÌÌiÀœL]œÀ>̏i>ÃÌÀii>Ãi>
product that is fully realised rather than ->“Ã՘}“>Þ >ÛiLii˜Ì iwÀÃÌ
feeling like a prototype. Vœ“«>˜Þ̜Ài>Þ}œ>‡ˆ˜œ˜Ì iLœœŽ‡
ÃÌޏivœ`>LiVœ˜Vi«Ì]LÕÌÜi½`>À}Õi
3. Should I import a that the Galaxy Z Fold7 represents
HQNFCDNG|RJQPG! Ì iwÀÃÌ̈“iÌ i“>˜Õv>VÌÕÀiÀ >Ã
iV>ÕÃi>œÌœvvœ`>Li« œ˜ià Lii˜>Li̜ÌÀՏÞ`iˆÛiÀœ˜Ì iˆ`i>
>Ûi˜½Ì >`}œL>Àii>ÃiÃޜÕ“ˆ} Ì œv >ۈ˜}>>À}i]Ì>Li̇ˆŽi`iۈVi
LiÌi“«Ìi`̜ˆ“«œÀÌÌ i“° Ì >ÌV>˜ẅ˜ޜÕÀ«œVŽiÌ°ƂÃ}Ài>Ì>Ã
Ṏv>« œ˜i >Ãœ˜ÞLii˜ «ÀiۈœÕÃ>>ÝÞ<œ`à >ÛiLii˜]Ì i
Àii>Ãi`ˆ˜ ˆ˜>]ˆÌ½«ÀœL>LÞ >Ûi Fold7 is just so slim that it’s almost on a
Chinese-oriented software and won’t whole other level.
come with the Google Play Store When opened up, the Z Fold7 is
ˆ˜ÃÌ>i`°9œÕ½Li>Li̜}iÌœœ}i œ˜Þ{°Ó““Ì ˆVŽ]LṎ̽ÃÌ iv>VÌÌ >Ì
>««Ãœ˜Ì iÀi]LṎÌ܈Li>LˆÌœv> ˆÌ½Ãn°™““Ì ˆVŽÜ i˜vœ`i`Ì >Ì“>ŽiÃ
v>vv°“«œÀ̈˜}>vœ`>Li>Ãœ“i>˜Ã >Ì i`ˆvviÀi˜Vi°7i>Àiw˜>Þ>ÌÌ >Ì
you will lose out on in-country support «œˆ˜ÌÜ iÀiŽii«ˆ˜}>vœ`>Li« œ˜i

90 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

on your person doesn’t feel all that 1ÌÀ>®>˜`ˆÌ½Ã>Li̜V>«ÌÕÀi>܇
different to having a traditional candy- dropping shots with plenty of colour.
L>ÀÃÌޏiÓ>ÀÌ« œ˜iˆ˜ޜÕÀ«œVŽiÌ]
and that’s a huge win. Perfect for: Those who want the perfect
Even with the slimmer frame, Vœ“Lˆ˜>̈œ˜œvÃÌޏi]ÜvÌÜ>Ài]V>“iÀ>Ã
Samsung has made sure to invest just >˜`ÃÕ««œÀ̈˜œ˜ivœ`>Li« œ˜i°
>ÓÕV ̈“iÜˆÌ Ì i`ÕÀ>LˆˆÌÞœv
the whole thing, moving the Z Fold7 Further considerations: It’s still one
œÛiÀ̜Ì i“œÀiÀœLÕÃÌƂ`Û>˜Vi` of the priciest phones out there,
Armor Aluminium for the chassis, and and there’s no shortage of cheaper
Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 for the display. alternatives either.
Given that you’re getting seven years
of updates with the phone, it’s nice to 2. BEST FLIP PHONE
know that it can go the distance. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7
>“iÀ>à >ÛiLii˜>LˆÌ ˆÌ‡>˜`‡ Price when reviewed:Ë£]ä{™
“ˆÃÃœ˜«ÀiۈœÕÃœ`« œ˜iÃLÕÌ Pros:-Õ«iÀLVœÛiÀÃVÀii˜Æ}Ài>Ì
Ì iÀi½Ã“œÀi}œœ`˜iÜÃ̜LivœÕ˜` ˆ˜ÌiÀ˜>`ˆÃ«>ÞÆiÝVii˜Ì“>ˆ˜Ài>À
here too. There are still three rear- V>“iÀ>Æ̜«‡ÌˆiÀÜvÌÜ>ÀiiÝ«iÀˆi˜ViÆ
v>Vˆ˜}Ãi˜ÃœÀÃLÕ̘œÜÌ iÞ½Àii`LÞ seven years of updates
the massively upgraded 200Mp main Cons: >ÌÌiÀޏˆviVœÕ`LiLiÌÌiÀÆ
V>“iÀ>­Ì iÃ>“iœ˜ivÀœ“Ì i-Óx «>ˆ˜vՏÞϜÜÓx‡Ü>ÌÌV >À}ˆ˜}ÆÃ̈˜œ
telephoto camera

Just like with its Z Fold series,

there was a moment in time
when Samsung had given up
µÕˆÌi>LˆÌœv}ÀœÕ˜`̜Ì i
competition, leaving us all
wondering whether or not
the tech giant could ever
catch up again. Thankfully,
those concerns are a thing
œvÌ i«>ÃÌ]Vi“i˜Ìi`LÞÌ i
1.
Galaxy Z Flip7.

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 91

BUYING GUIDE

/ i“œÃÌœLۈœÕÏi>«vœÀÜ>À`ޜս Ü >̈ÜÛiÀ>>˜œÕÌÃÌ>˜`ˆ˜}yˆ«
spot, particularly against the Z Flip6, is « œ˜iÌ >̽ÃLœÃÌiÀi`LÞ->“Ã՘}½Ã
the total revamp of the cover screen. ˆ} ÞÀiw˜i`ÜvÌÜ>Ài>˜`œ˜}‡ÌiÀ“
Now with a proper end-to-end 4.1-inch promise of updates.
«>˜i]Ì iiÝÌiÀˆœÀ`ˆÃ«>ÞV>˜LiÕÃi`
without it feeling like a compromised Perfect for: Anyone who wants to have
experience, so you can respond to their phone for the long-haul, with tons
messages, check for directions and of promised software updates.
more, all without ever touching the
interior display. Further considerations:/ iL>ÌÌiÀÞ
Speaking of which, the internal ˆviˆÃˆ˜ÃÌ>˜ÌÞLiÌÌiÀLޜ̜Àœ>½Ã
ÃVÀii˜ >ÃLii˜}ˆÛi˜>ψ} ÌÈâi yˆ«« œ˜iÃ]>˜`ޜÕV>˜LÕÞÌ i
ˆ˜VÀi>Ãi]LՓ«ˆ˜}̜È°™‡ˆ˜V ið>ۈ˜} Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 FE for less.
ÃÕV >Ì>`ˆÃ«>ÞÀi>`ˆÞ>Û>ˆ>Liˆ˜>
compact form also makes the Z Flip7 3. BEST FLIP PHONE DESIGN
great for catching up on the latest Motorola Razr 60 Ultra
movies or TV shows on the go. Price when reviewed:ˣ]䙙
ÌܜՏ`Li˜ˆVi̜Ãii->“Ã՘} Pros:-Ì՘˜ˆ˜}]ÀœLÕÃÌ`iÈ}˜Æ}œÀ}iœÕÃ
LՓ«Õ«˜œÌÕÃÌÌ iL>ÌÌiÀޏˆvi `ˆÃ«>ÞÃÆ̜«‡ÌˆiÀ«iÀvœÀ“>˜ViÆiÝVii˜Ì
LÕÌ>ÃœÌ iV >À}ˆ˜}ëii`Ș> L>ÌÌiÀޏˆviÆÕÃivՏVœÛiÀÃVÀii˜
ÃÕVViÃÜÀ]LṎ̽Ã>“ˆ˜œÀ}Àˆ«i>}>ˆ˜ÃÌ Cons: œÌii« œÌœV>“iÀ>Æœ˜ÞvœÕÀ
Þi>ÀÃœvÕ«`>ÌiÃÆiÝ«i˜ÃˆÛi

While the competition is

closer than ever thanks to the
È}˜ˆwV>˜Ìi>«Ã“>`iLÞÌ i
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7, the
œÌœ,>âÀÈä1ÌÀ>ˆÃÃ̈œ˜i
œvÌ iLiÃÌyˆ«« œ˜iÃޜÕ
V>˜LÕÞÀˆ} ̘œÜ]ÜˆÌ >˜
experience that’ll leave you
wanting for very little.
9œÕ½Ûi«ÀœL>LÞ>Ài>`Þ
2.
spotted as much from the

92 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

ˆ˜VÕ`i`«ˆVÌÕÀiLÕÌÌ i,>âÀ
60 Ultra is one stylish handset.
While there are a few colourways
>Û>ˆ>Li]Ì i¼œÕ˜Ì>ˆ˜/À>ˆ½
option that features a wood
w˜ˆÃ ˆÃÕÃÌ̜œ}œœ`̜«>ÃÃœ˜°
It’s the type of aesthetic that’ll
>ÛiޜÕÀvÀˆi˜`ÃLÕLLˆ˜}ÜˆÌ 
envy as they wonder why their
own phone doesn’t look as slick.
Turn on the phone and the
3.
iÝ«iÀˆi˜ViÕÃÌ}iÌÃiÛi˜LiÌÌiÀ
>ÃޜսÀi}ÀiiÌi`ÜˆÌ >LÀˆ} Ì
and colourful 4-inch AMOLED display.
While Samsung may have adopted Further considerations: With only
the same end-to-end style, it still four years of updates promised, the
looks great on Motorola’s device and longevity pales in comparison to what
ˆÌÃÕÃ>LˆˆÌÞÃ>ÛiÃޜÕvÀœ“ >ۈ˜}̜ Samsung provides.
constantly open the phone when you
want to quickly dive into an app. 4. BEST SOFTWARE
Having a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
՘`iÀÌ i œœ`ˆÃ> Õ}iLœœ˜>à Price when reviewed:Ë£]Ç{™
everything loads up quickly and the Pros:*Ài“ˆÕ“œœŽ>˜`viiÆØ>««Þ
experience of scrolling through menus `>އ̜‡`>Þ«iÀvœÀ“>˜ViÆLˆ}LÀˆ} Ì
>˜`ÃiÌ̈˜}ÃviiÃLÕÌÌiÀÞӜœÌ °Ì `ˆÃ«>ÞÃÆVi>˜ÜvÌÜ>ÀiÆ}Ài>ÌV>“iÀ>Ã
is a shame that you don’t get quite as Cons:/i˜ÃœÀ{ˆÃ՘`iÀÜ i“ˆ˜}Æ
long an update cycle as you do with V >À}iÃÛiÀÞϜ܏ÞÆi“ˆ˜ˆƂ`Û>˜Vi`
->“Ã՘}]LÕÌÌ iÌÀ>`i‡œvvV>˜Li vi>ÌÕÀiÃÀiµÕˆÀi>ÃÕLÃVÀˆ«Ìˆœ˜
worth it to those who prefer having a
œ˜}iÀL>ÌÌiÀޏˆvi° Let’s face it, while there were a few
things that the phone got right, the
Perfect for: Heavy users who need original Google Pixel Fold was a fairly
>}Ài>ÌL>ÌÌiÀޏˆvi̜}iÌÌ i“ clumsy device that just didn’t match
through the day. up to the hype. Thankfully, Google

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 93

BUYING GUIDE

learned from that experience

>˜`ˆ˜Ì i*ˆÝi™*Àœœ`]
delivered something that it
V>˜LiÌÀՏÞ«ÀœÕ`œv°
Unlike the original Fold,
Ì i™*Àœœ`}i˜Õˆ˜iÞviiÃ
like a premium Pixel handset
that just also happens to
>ÛiÌ iV>«>LˆˆÌˆiÃœv>
folding phone. This means
that you’re getting the
LÀˆˆ>˜ViœvÃ̜VŽƂ˜`Àœˆ`
4.
and all the customisation that
}œiÃÜˆÌ ˆÌ]LÕ̘œÜޜÕV>˜
dive into easy multitasking in an instant. Perfect for: Those who appreciate
/ iV>“iÀ>à >Ûi>ÃœLii˜}ˆÛi˜ Google’s uncluttered take on Android.
>LՓ«ˆ˜µÕ>ˆÌÞÌ ˆÃ̈“i>ÀœÕ˜`°̽Ã
not quite the same level of quality that Further considerations: While stock
ޜսw˜`œ˜Ì i*ˆÝi™*Àœ8]LṎ̈à Android is great for day-to-day use, it’s
close, with the main 48Mp wide-angle ˜œÌµÕˆÌi>ÃÜiœ«Ìˆ“ˆÃi`vœÀvœ`>LiÃ
i˜Ã«>ˆÀˆ˜}Li>ṎvՏÞÜˆÌ œœ}i½Ã compared to Samsung‘s One UI. The
next-level computational processing *ˆÝi£ä*Àœœ`ˆÃ>LœÕÌ̜>՘V °
which, in typical Pixel fashion, always
leaves you with the type of pictures 5. BEST BOOK-STYLE
you’ll want to post there and then. ALTERNATIVE
While the Tensor G4 isn’t quite Honor Magic V3
>Li̜œÕÌ`œ-˜>«`À>}œ˜½Ã>ÌiÃÌ Price when reviewed:Ë£]ș™
chipsets, it still provides a great day- Pros:-Ì՘˜ˆ˜}`iÈ}˜ÆiÝVii˜Ì
to-day experience where everything `ˆÃ«>ÞÃÆÃÌÀœ˜}“>ˆ˜>˜`Ìii« œÌœ
runs exactly how you’d hope. It would V>“iÀ>ÃÆ܏ˆ`L>ÌÌiÀޏˆviÆv>ÃÌ܈Ài`
Li˜ˆVi̜ÃiiV >À}ˆ˜}ëii`à and wireless charging
ˆ“«ÀœÛi`ˆ˜>ÃÕVViÃÜÀLÕÌvœÀÌ ï“i Cons: ˆÃ>««œˆ˜Ìˆ˜}ՏÌÀ>܈`iV>“iÀ>Æ
Liˆ˜}]Ì i*ˆÝi™*Àœœ`ˆÃ>ÛiÀÞ VÕÌÌiÀi`ÜvÌÜ>ÀiÆÃ̈ÛiÀÞiÝ«i˜ÃˆÛi
accomplished phone. The Honor Magic V3 is one of those

94 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

« œ˜iÃÌ >̘ii`Ã̜Li
i`̜LiLiˆiÛi`°7ˆÌ >
̜Ì>Ì ˆVŽ˜iÃÃœvÕÃÌ™°Ó““
Ü i˜VœÃi`­œ˜}LivœÀi
the Galaxy Z Fold7 outpaced
ˆÌ®Ì i6ÎviiÃˆ˜VÀi`ˆLÞ
lightweight and slim in the
hand, which in turn doesn’t
make it feel like you’re
carrying around a hefty device
ˆ˜ޜÕÀL>}œÀ«œVŽiÌ°
While it was a fairly pricey
5.
phone at the time of launch
ÜˆÌ >˜,,*œvË£]ș™]ˆÌ½Ã
˜œÜ«œÃÈLi̜w˜`Ì i>}ˆV6Î catching shots with plenty of detail,
for far less which is why it’s currently Ü ˆV V>˜Ì i˜Lii`ˆÌi`ÜˆÌ «ÀiVˆÃˆœ˜
a solid alternative to those who want on the larger internal display.
>y>}à ˆ«vœ`>LiiÝ«iÀˆi˜ViLÕÌ
without having to fork out a small Perfect for: / œÃïi`̜>LÕ`}iÌÜ œ
fortune for the privilege. Ü>˜ÌÌ iLˆ}‡ÃVÀii˜iÝ«iÀˆi˜VivœÀiÃð
On the front you’ve got a 6.43-inch
OLED display which is large enough for Further considerations:Ì“ˆ} ÌLi
iÛiÀÞ`>ÞÕÃiÃÕV >ÃÜiL‡LÀœÜȘ}] worth holding off until the Honor Magic
“iÃÃ>}ˆ˜}>˜`“œÀi]LÕÌÜ i˜ޜÕ V5 hits the market.
need to do some multitasking or fancy
a large-screen experience for streaming 6. BEST CAMERAS/BATTERY
ۈ`iœ]Ì iˆ˜ÌiÀ˜>Ç°™Ó‡ˆ˜V `ˆÃ«>ÞwÌà COMBINATION
Ì iLˆ˜ˆViÞ° Xiaomi Mix Flip
/ i>À}ix]£xä“Ƃ L>ÌÌiÀÞV>˜ Price when reviewed:Ë£]䙙
easily get you through a day of use, Pros: iVi˜ÌL>ÌÌiÀޏˆvivœÀ>yˆ«
Ü ˆV ˆÃ i«vՏLiV>ÕÃiޜսÜ>˜Ì « œ˜iÆ}œœ`« œÌœÃÜˆÌ Ì iÀˆ} Ì
to use these cameras quite frequently. ˆ} ̈˜}ÆÃ܈vÌ«iÀvœÀ“>˜Vi
ƂœvÌ iV>“iÀ>Ã­ÜˆÌ Ì iiÝVi«Ìˆœ˜ Cons:*ÀˆVˆiÀÌ >˜ÀˆÛ>ÃƘœÜ>ÌiÀ
œvÌ iՏÌÀ>‡Üˆ`i®V>˜«Àœ`ÕViiÞi‡ ÀiÈÃÌ>˜ViÆVÕÌÌiÀi`ÜvÌÜ>Ài

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 95

BUYING GUIDE

The 4,780mAh cell inside

the phone can easily eke
out a day and a half of use
from a single charge, so
it’s very unlikely that you’ll
>Ûi>˜ÞL>ÌÌiÀÞ>˜ÝˆiÌÞ
LivœÀiÀi>V ˆ˜}Ì ii˜`œv
a day. There’s also 67-watt
fast charging for getting
Ì iL>ÌÌiÀÞ̜««i`Õ«
again at speed.
6.
Perfect for: Buyers who value
Even though Samsung and Motorola }Ài>ÌL>ÌÌiÀޏˆvi>˜`܏ˆ``>Þ̈“i
i>`Ì iV >À}iÜ iÀiyˆ«« œ˜iÃ>Ài cameras in a single package.
concerned, the Xiaomi Mix Flip still
represents a solid alternative for anyone Further considerations: The Mix Flip is
who’s most interested in having a solid Ã̈“œÀiiÝ«i˜ÃˆÛiÌ >˜Ì iLiÌÌiÀyˆ«
V>“iÀ>ÃiÌÕ«>˜``iVi˜ÌL>ÌÌiÀޏˆvi̜ phones on this list.
L>VŽˆÌÕ«°
In scenarios with good lighting, the 7. BEST PREVIOUS-GEN
ˆÝˆ«ˆÃ>Li̜`iˆÛiÀÌ iÃ>“i (.+2|2*10'
great photos that Xiaomi is known Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6
for. Portrait shots do an outstanding Price when reviewed:Ë£]ä{™
œLœv˜>ÌÕÀ>ÞiiÛ>̈˜}>ÃÕLiVÌ Pros:Ài>Ì«iÀvœÀ“>˜ViÆÃÌÀœ˜}“>ˆ˜
vÀœ“Ì iL>VŽ}ÀœÕ˜`]Ü ˆÃÌLՈ`ˆ˜}à V>“iÀ>Æ}œœ`ˆ˜ÌiÀ˜>`ˆÃ«>ÞÆÃiÛi˜
and areas with lots of greenery can years of updates
pop with colour. Cons:Ƃ܎Ü>À`VœÛiÀÃVÀii˜ÆϜÜ
You’ve also got a decent photo V >À}ˆ˜}Æ՘`iÀÜ i“ˆ˜}L>ÌÌiÀޏˆvi
i`ˆÌœÀL>Ži`ˆ˜ÌœÌ i« œ˜iÜˆÌ 
ÛiÀÞˆ“«ÀiÃÈÛiƂ‡L>VŽi`̜œÃ°œÀ / i<ˆ«ÈˆÃ՘`œÕLÌi`Þ->“Ã՘}½Ã
instance, Xiaomi’s AI eraser doesn’t LiÃÌyˆ«« œ˜i̜`>Ìi]LÕÌÌ >̽ØœÌ
“ˆÃÃ>Li>ÌÜ i˜ˆÌVœ“iÃ̜Ì>Žˆ˜} enough for it to replace Motorola as our
՘Ü>˜Ìi`« œÌœ‡Lœ“LiÀÃœÕÌœv>à œÌ° }œ‡Ìœyˆ«« œ˜i°

96 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

 Its cover display is the main Perfect for: Anyone who wants to
reason for that, with an awkward, i˜œÞ->“Ã՘}½Ãˆ«ˆ˜iLÕÌ>Ì>
smaller design and an unnecessary reduced price.
workaround to get all apps to run. The
Vœ“Lˆ˜>̈œ˜œv՘`iÀÜ i“ˆ˜}L>ÌÌiÀÞ Further considerations:7 ˆiˆÌV>˜Li
life and slow charging. found for less than its successor, the
There’s still a lot to like here. A long- Flip7’s superior displays are well worth
awaited, meaningful camera upgrade the upgrade.
makes the Z Flip6 a potent shooter
œvLœÌ ÃiwiÃ>˜`Ì iܜÀ`>ÀœÕ˜` 8. BEST PREVIOUS-GEN
you. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 delivers BOOK-STYLE FOLDABLE
genuine top-tier performance, even if Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
Ì iÀiˆÃܓi i>ÌLՈ`‡Õ«°/ i“>ˆ˜ Price when reviewed:Ë£]Ǚ™
`ˆÃ«>Þ]ÜˆÌ ˆÌÃÃÕL̏iVÀi>Ãi]ˆÃ>œÞ Pros:œœ`VœÛiÀ`ˆÃ«>ÞÆÌ ˆ˜]ˆ} Ì
̜ÕÃi]Ü ˆi˜œœÌ iÀyˆ«« œ˜iV>˜ `iÈ}˜Æ«Ài“ˆÕ“LՈ`ÆÕÃivՏ>>ÝÞ
“>ÌV ->“Ã՘}½ÃÃiÛi˜Þi>ÀÃœvLœÌ  AI features
OS and security updates. Cons:6iÀÞiÝ«i˜ÃˆÛiÆVÀi>ÃiˆÃLˆ}}iÀ
However, with a higher price than the competition
Ì>}Ì >˜Ì i,>âÀ>˜`ܓiVi>À
downsides, we can’t recommend it over Samsung has made only minor changes
the Motorola model. ̜Ì i<œ`È]LÕÌÌ iÞ i«“>ŽiˆÌ
>LiÌÌiÀvœ`>LiÌ >˜iÛiÀ]
even if it can’t quite overtake
the OnePlus Open as the
LiÃÌLœœŽ‡ÃÌޏi`iۈVi°
Nonetheless, this is a
vœ`>LiÌ >̽Ã`iw˜ˆÌiÞܜÀÌ 
Vœ˜Ãˆ`iÀˆ˜}°,iw˜i“i˜ÌÃ
to the cover display and
design make it feel more slick
>˜`“œ`iÀ˜]ÜˆÌ LœÌ Ì i
6.3-inch outer and 7.6-inch
ˆ˜ÌiÀ˜>ÃVÀii˜Ã՘`œÕLÌi`Þ
7.
looking the part.

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 97

BUYING GUIDE

9. BEST VALUE
Motorola Razr 50
Ultra/Razr+ (2024)
Price when reviewed:˙™™
Pros: Great 4-inch cover
ÃVÀii˜ÆLœ`ÞiÌ«Ài“ˆÕ“
`iÈ}˜Æ՘ˆµÕiÜvÌÜ>Ài
vi>ÌÕÀiÃÆ܏ˆ`L>ÌÌiÀޏˆvi
Cons: Underwhelming
ˆ˜ÌiÀ˜>V>“iÀ>ÃÆV>˜}iÌ
˜œÌˆVi>LÞÜ>À“
8.
œÌœÀœ>½Ã>ÌiÃÌ«Ài“ˆÕ“yˆ«
Performance from the Snapdragon phone has a different name in the UK
8 Gen 3 chipset is excellent, while the >˜`1-]LÕÌœ˜iv>VÌÀi“>ˆ˜ÃÌÀÕi\Ì ˆÃˆÃ
main rear camera is up there with the Ì iLiÃÌvœ`>Li« œ˜iœ˜Ì i“>ÀŽiÌ
LiÃ̘œ˜‡vœ`ˆ˜}« œ˜ið-ˆVŽÜvÌÜ>Ài Àˆ} ̘œÜ]L>À˜œ˜i°
includes useful Galaxy AI features, plus The compelling experience centres
a class-leading commitment to seven on that cover screen, which is larger
years of OS and security updates. Ì >˜LivœÀi>Ì{‡ˆ˜V iÃ>˜`V>˜À՘
However, the Z Fold6 lacks the any app without any complicated
polish of the OnePlus Open, and when ܜÀŽ>ÀœÕ˜`í՘ˆŽi->“Ã՘}®°̽Ã>
you’re paying this much for a
device, that matters.

Perfect for: Those who want a

«Ài“ˆÕ“‡viiˆ˜}vœ`>LiLÕÌ
>Ài˜½ÌvÕÃÃi`>LœÕÌ >ۈ˜}Ì i
latest specs.

Further considerations: Just like

the Z Flip7 to the 6, the Fold7
is superior to its predecessor in
9.
almost every way.

98 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

phone that you’ll actually
want to use while closed
a lot of the time, with
improved rear cameras
`œÕLˆ˜}>ÃiÝVii˜ÌÃiwi
shooters.
ÕÌÌ iÈ°™‡ˆ˜V ˆ˜ÌiÀ˜>
display is just as good,
while the Snapdragon 8s
i˜Î>˜`£Ó œv,Ƃ
offer ample power for them
LœÌ ° iëˆÌiœ˜Þ >ۈ˜}>
10.
{]äää“Ƃ L>ÌÌiÀÞ]L>ÌÌiÀÞ
life is solid, while 45-watt
charging is decent enough. 10. BEST BUDGET FLIP PHONE
However, the cameras simply aren’t Nubia Flip 5G
as strong as the Z Flip6’s, while you Price when reviewed:Ë{™™
à œÕ`>ۜˆ`Ì iˆ˜ÌiÀ˜>Ãiwii˜Ãˆv>Ì Pros:“«ÀiÃÈÛiÞœÜ«ÀˆViÆ`ˆÃ̈˜V̈Ûi
>«œÃÈLi°ÌV>˜>Ãœ}i̘œÌˆVi>LÞ `iÈ}˜Æ>ÌÌÀ>V̈Ûi`ˆÃ«>ÞÃÆ܏ˆ`L>ÌÌiÀÞ
hot at times. life
œ˜iÌ iiÃÃ]Ì ˆÃˆÃÃ̈>ÃÌi>Àyˆ« Cons: œ>Ìi`ÜvÌÜ>ÀiÆ“ˆÝi`V>“iÀ>ÃÆ
phone that deserves its place in your no software update commitment
pocket. Its compact nature means even
Ó>«œVŽiÌÃà œÕ` >Ûi˜œ«ÀœLi“ 7ˆÌ >ÃÌ>À̈˜}«ÀˆViœvÕÃÌË{™™]Ì i
accommodating it. ÕLˆ>ˆ«xˆÃÌ iyˆ«« œ˜i“>˜Þ
«iœ«i >ÛiLii˜Ü>ˆÌˆ˜}vœÀ°Ì“i>˜Ã
Perfect for: / œÃiÜ œ“ˆ} ÌLi ޜÕ˜œœ˜}iÀ >Ûi̜«>Þy>}à ˆ«
Ìi“«Ìi`LÞÌ i<ˆ«ÇœÀÌ i,>âÀÈä prices for a device that folds in half.
1ÌÀ>]LÕÌ >Ûi>ˆ“ˆÌi`LÕ`}iÌ̜ And despite its mid-range price it
work with. gets a lot right. A statement design
includes unique circular cover display,
Further considerations: The limited Ü ˆiÌ i“>ˆ˜`ˆÃ«>ވܘiœvÌ iLiÃÌ
cycle of software support is even shorter >ÀœÕ˜`°9œÕ>Ãœ}iÌ`iVi˜ÌL>ÌÌiÀޏˆvi
now than it was at launch. and solid performance.

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 99

BUYING GUIDE

However, compromises have

ˆ˜iۈÌ>LÞLii˜“>`i̜Žii«ˆÌÜ
>vvœÀ`>Li°/ >̽ÓœÃÌœLۈœÕÃÜ i˜
it comes to cameras, which tend to
struggle in environments where the
ˆ} ̈ؽÌ}œœ`°,i>̈ÛiÞϜÜηÜ>ÌÌ
V >À}ˆ˜}>˜`>>VŽœv>˜ÞœvwVˆ>Ü>ÌiÀ
resistance are also concerns.
ÕÌÌ iLˆ}Ì ˆ˜}Ì >̽Ã̜«“œÃÌ
«iœ«iLÕވ˜}œ˜iˆÃÌ iÜvÌÜ>Ài°
ÕLˆ>½ÃÞ"-Ƃ˜`Àœˆ`Έ˜ˆÃVÕÌÌiÀi`
>˜`Lœ>Ìi`]>˜`Ì iÀi½Ã˜œëiVˆwV
commitment to updates from the
company. It’s still impressive value for
“œ˜iÞ]LÕÌÌ iÀi>Àii˜œÕ} `œÜ˜Ãˆ`iÃ
for most people to look elsewhere.

Perfect for: Ƃ˜Þœ˜iÜ œ½ÃLii˜Ü>ˆÌˆ˜}

vœÀ>ÌÀÕiLÕ`}iÌyˆ«« œ˜i°

Further considerations: If you shop

around, you can get previous-gen
Samsung and Motorola phones for not
that much more.

100 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

Magic Cue could be the
*ˆÝi½ÃwÀÃÌ}>“i‡V >˜}ˆ˜}
AI feature
Putting AI front and centre. ANYRON COPEMAN reports

I
̽Ãv>ˆÀ̜Ã>ÞÌ >Ì>À̈wVˆ>ˆ˜Ìiˆ}i˜Vi œœ}i >ÃLii˜œ˜iœvÌ iwÀ“Ã
œ˜Ó>ÀÌ« œ˜ià >ÃLii˜>“ˆÝi` leading the way for a while, adding
L>}Üv>À°œÀiÛiÀÞvi>ÌÕÀiÌ >̽à useful AI functionality to its Pixel phones
ܜÀŽi`>Ã>`ÛiÀ̈Ãi`]Ì iÀi½ÃLii˜ all the time. However, most of these
>˜œÌ iÀÌ >̽ÃLii˜vÀÕÃÌÀ>̈˜}Þ require you to go looking for them,
՘Àiˆ>Li°Ƃ˜`Ü ˆiܓiVœ“«>˜ˆiÃ Ü ˆV V>˜Li>̈“i‡Vœ˜ÃՓˆ˜}>˜`
offer a comprehensive suite of features, confusing process.
others are weirdly limited. As someone who tests phones for

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 101

FEATURE

a living, I make a point of trying out all Ì >ÌޜսÀiV>ˆ˜}>˜>ˆÀˆ˜i­Ãœ“iÌ ˆ˜}

Ì i˜iÜƂvi>ÌÕÀiÃœ˜ >˜`ÃiÌÃ]LÕÌˆÌ ˆÌ>Ài>`Þ`œiÃÜi®]ˆÌ½Ãi>ÀV ޜÕÀ
`œiؽÌÌi˜`̜Ã̈VŽ°ƂvÌiÀ«ÕLˆÃ ˆ˜} “>ˆˆ˜LœÝ>˜``ˆÃ«>Þ>ÃՓ“>ÀÞœv
“ÞÀiۈiÜÃ]ÕÃÌ}œÀˆ} ÌL>VŽ̜ÕȘ} >˜Þyˆ} ÌÃޜսÛiLœœŽi`ÜˆÌ Ì i“°
Ì i`iۈVi>Ã`ˆ`LivœÀi° Currently, you’d have to leave the
7 >ÌÀi>ÞÜ>˜ÌˆÃvœÀƂ̜Li call screen and manually search for the
ܜÀŽˆ˜}ˆ˜Ì iL>VŽ}ÀœÕ˜`̜“>Ži email address – Gemini can’t even do
my life easier. And on the new Pixel it for you.
10 series, it sounds like that’s just While impressive, the success of this
what Google has done. Could this feature will depend on how widespread
Li>Ü>ÌiÀà i`“œ“i˜ÌvœÀ>À̈wVˆ> œœ}i½Ãˆ“«i“i˜Ì>̈œ˜ˆÃ°7ˆˆÌLi
intelligence on phones? >Li̜w˜`>˜>««œˆ˜Ì“i˜ÌÀi“ˆ˜`iÀ
text from my dentist? And what will it do
WHAT’S MAGIC CUE? Ü i˜ >Ûi“Տ̈«iœÀ`iÀVœ˜wÀ“>̈œ˜
No, it’s not a fancy tool for helping emails from the same retailer?
ޜÕ}iÌLiÌÌiÀ>Ì؜œŽiÀ°>}ˆV Õi / >ÌÀi“>ˆ˜Ã̜LiÃii˜]LÕÌÌ iÀi½Ã
is an AI assistant that automatically plenty of potential here.
À՘È˜Ì iL>VŽ}ÀœÕ˜`°7 i˜ޜÕ
receive a prompt in a supported Detailed Maps of your life
>««]ˆÌ½«Àœ>V̈ÛiÞw˜`>˜`ÃÕÀv>Vi œÛiÕȘ}œœ}i>«Ã]LÕ̘œÌÜ i˜
the information that it thinks is most  >Ûi̜w˜`>ëiVˆwV«>Vi>˜`Ì i˜
relevant, saving you from having to Ãi˜`ˆÌ̜Ì iÀiiÛ>˜Ì«iÀܘ°ƂÌLiÃÌ]
search for it manually. ˆÌ½Ã>wÛi‡ÃÌi««ÀœViÃð
Here are a few of the ways Google But with Magic Cue, a single tap
>ÃÃÕ}}iÃÌi`>}ˆV ÕiV>˜LiÕÃi`° “ˆ} ÌLi>ޜÕ˜ii`°˜>LÀˆiw˜}
>ÌÌi˜`i`LÞ/iV Ƃ`ۈÜÀ]œœ}i
Phoning it in showed an example of receiving a text
Making calls is stressful enough as it is. in Messages asking which coffee shop a
9œÕ`œ˜½ÌÜ>˜Ì̜ >Ûi̜Ài“i“LiÀ mutual friend had recommended.
important information or always go Almost immediately, Magic Cue
searching for it while someone is waiting >««i>ÀÃ̜Li>Li̜Ài>`Ì ÀœÕ} Ì i
on the other end of the line. ÌiÝÌÃÜˆÌ Ì i«iÀܘ“i˜Ìˆœ˜i`]w˜`
Magic Cue offers a potential solution the name of the relevant coffee shop,
to this. After the Phone app recognises search for it in Google Maps and display

102 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

 Magic Cue could make that
process much easier. For example,
when asked in a text or email for
«ˆVÌÕÀiÃœvޜÕÀ`œ}>ÌÌ iLi>V ]
Google Photos could surface a
selection and allow you to share
them with a single tap.
It might not include every
single photo that you wanted to
à >Ài]LÕ̽`iÝ«iV̈Ì̜`œ>
`iVi˜ÌœL°/ i¼/œ«*ˆVŽ½vi>ÌÕÀi
Finding your best pictures in Google Photos can be ­Ü iÀi˜i>À‡ˆ`i˜ÌˆV>« œÌœÃ>Ài
`ˆvwVՏÌ>ÌÌ iLiÃÌœv̈“ið automatically grouped and only
Ì i¼LiÃ̽œ˜iˆÃ ˆ} ˆ} Ìi`®
ˆÌ`ˆÀiV̏ÞLiœÜÌ i˜œÌˆwV>̈œ˜° œÜ proves that Google has an eye for a
that’s what I call a timesaver. good photo.
The Google Maps integration
appears to work in other contexts, 0QY$TKGHDWVDGVVGT!
too. If you’ve added a location to an Samsung introduced Now Brief
event in Google Calendar, it’ll pop up alongside the Galaxy S25, aiming
in Google Maps, allowing you to get to provide a helpful summary of key
directions quickly. information across a range of stock apps

Photo sharing
OCFG|UKORNG
`œ˜½ÌŽ˜œÜ>LœÕÌޜÕ]
LÕÌ“Þœœ}i* œÌœÃ
ˆLÀ>ÀÞˆÃ>VÕÌÌiÀi`
mess. Even with the
app’s powerful search
function, it takes ages
̜w˜`>˜`ÃiiVÌ>Ì i
photos I want to share
with friends and family. Now Brief on Samsung phones still has room for improvement.

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 103

FEATURE

and some third-party ones. Google’s £äœÜ˜iÀ툘VÕ`ˆ˜}“ÞÃiv®ÕȘ}ˆÌœ˜

˜iÜ >ˆÞÕLvi>ÌÕÀi>««i>ÀÃ̜ >Ài}Տ>ÀL>Èð
Li>`ˆÀiVÌÀi뜘Ãi̜Ì >Ì]LÕÌÌ i After a couple of years of
integration of Magic Cue could make underwhelming AI and hidden features,
ˆÌiÛi˜LiÌÌiÀ°˜>˜œvwVˆ>ÃVÀii˜Ã œÌ] >}ˆV ÕiVœÕ`LiÌ i“>ˆ˜ÃÌÀi>“
>ˆÞÕLŽ˜œÜÃvÀœ“>˜i“>ˆÌ >Ì> “œ“i˜Ìœœ}i >ÃLii˜Ü>ˆÌˆ˜}vœÀ°
LˆˆÃ`Õiܜ˜>˜`Ü i˜>“iiÌÕ«
is happening from a text, even if they
>Ûi˜½ÌLii˜>``i`̜ޜÕÀV>i˜`>À
or to-do list.
Google is quite vague as to what
iÃi >ˆÞÕLV>˜`œqÜ >ÌœÌ iÀ
ºÀiiÛ>˜Ì̜«ˆVÃvœÀޜÕ̜`ii«`ˆÛi
œ˜»“ˆ} ÌLiˆ˜VÕ`i`qLÕÌÌ iÀi½Ã
already a lot of potential.

HOW SECURE IS MAGIC CUE?

/ ˆÃˆÃ>˜՘`iÀÃÌ>˜`>LiVœ˜ViÀ˜°
Magic Cue relies on you giving Google
permission to search some of your most
personal apps, and the nature of these
µÕiÀˆiÓi>˜ÃˆÌ½ >Ûi̜Li >˜`i`
in the cloud rather than on-device.
However, it sounds as though
œœ}i >ÃÀœLÕÃÌÃ>viÌÞ“i>ÃÕÀiȘ
place. The company says that Magic
ÕiÀ՘úÃiVÕÀiÞ>˜`«ÀˆÛ>ÌiÞ
Ì ÀœÕ} >Vœ“Lˆ˜>̈œ˜œvÌ i/i˜ÃœÀ
G5 chip and Gemini Nano”.
Magic Cue puts one of Google’s
“œÃ̈“«ÀiÃÈÛiƂvi>ÌÕÀi휘«>«iÀ®
front and centre. While you can turn it
œvv]Ì iLi˜iwÌÓ>ÞÜiœÕÌÜiˆ} Ì i
potential downsides, and I can see Pixel

104 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

4 fantastic new Google
Pixel phone features
You don’t need one of Google’s latest Pixel 10 devices to appreciate these
incoming Android calling upgrades. JR RAPHAEL reports

G
oogle recently announced its features tend to make their way down
Pixel phones would get a load to most existing Pixel models – not only
of fancy new AI additions and the newest, shiniest options.
some tantalizing hardware touches. At the time of writing, a slew of
While this can make a meaningful those exact types of treasures is sliding
`ˆvviÀi˜Vi]Ì iLiÃÌ«>ÀÌÃœv>*ˆÝi its way into Pixel phones near and far.
Ìi˜`̜LiÌ iÓ>iÀ̜ÕV iÃÌ >Ì They’re precisely the sorts of under-
often aren’t heavily promoted in ads or the-radar, oft-overlooked elements that
iÛi˜ÌðƂ˜`LiÃÌœv>¶œÃÌœvÌ œÃi “œÃÌ*ˆÝiœÜ˜iÀØiÛiÀ˜œÌˆVi]LÕÌ

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 105

FEATURE

ޜս`LiÌÌiÀLiˆiÛiÌ iÞV>˜
“>Ži>Lˆ}ˆ“«>VÌœ˜ޜÕÀˆvi]
if you take the time to discover
>˜`i“LÀ>ViÌ i“°
So, let’s take a moment
to unearth a handful of fresh
incoming advantages around
Ì i՘`iÀi“« >Èâi`LÕÌiÛiÀ‡
important area of actual voice The Google Phone app pops up this prompt when the
calling. Let’s dive in. >ˆ˜} >À`vi>ÌÕÀiwÀÃÌLiVœ“iÃ>Û>ˆ>LivœÀޜհ

1. YOUR CUSTOM ÞwÀÃ̈˜`ˆV>̈œ˜œvˆÌÃ>ÀÀˆÛ>Ü>Ã

%#..+0)|%#4& this notice that popped up as soon as I
The new Android Calling Card feature is œ«i˜i`Ì i>««Ì iœÌ iÀ“œÀ˜ˆ˜}­Ãii
Google’s version of the iPhone’s Contact >LœÛiÃVÀii˜Ã œÌ®°
*œÃÌiÀÃ]œ˜ÞÜˆÌ ˜œ>ÀLˆÌÀ>ÀޏœVŽi`‡ In the associated area of the Phone
down restrictions. These let it work only app’s settings, you can select any
with other people who carry have same contact from your phone and then pick
type of smartphone that as you. a picture to use as a custom full-screen
In short, it’s a nifty new way to L>VŽ}ÀœÕ˜`vœÀÜ i˜iÛiÀÌ iÞV>°9œÕ
customize how the incoming call screen
Calling
œœŽÃvœÀëiVˆwVVœ˜Ì>VÌÃœ˜ޜÕÀ
Cards
device. This makes it visually distinctive lets you
and easy to spot even at a glance when completely
someone important is calling you. customize
At the moment, this one appears to the incoming
Liˆ“ˆÌi`ˆ˜ˆÌÃ>Û>ˆ>LˆˆÌÞ°½“Ãiiˆ˜} call screen
for any
ˆÌˆ˜Ì iLiÌ>V >˜˜iœvÌ i* œ˜i>««]
individual
Ü ˆV Ãii“Ã̜Li>Vœ““œ˜Û>Àˆ>Li contact on
among other people who’ve told me your phone.
they’re seeing it now as well. But it still
Ãii“Ã̜LiµÕˆÌi ˆÌ>˜`“ˆÃÈ˜Ü iÀi
and when it’s appearing, even within the
LiÌ>«>À>“iÌiÀð

106 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

Your custom The
Calling incoming
Cards also call screen
show up is where
anywhere Calling
you see Cards really
someone’s shine.
«Àœwi°

can even play around with the font and holding your phone with one hand while
colour of the text shown on that screen using the other.
vœÀÌ >ÌëiVˆwV«iÀܘ]̜œ]̜}ˆÛiˆÌ But now, as part of a quiet ongoing
a completely unique and immediately update to the Google Phone app on
ÀiVœ}˜ˆâ>LiœœŽ° *ˆÝi`iۈViÃ>˜`Liޜ˜`]ޜÕV>˜
From then on out, that interface take total control of how this works and
shows up alongside the person’s photo ÃiiVÌLiÌÜii˜>Ã܈«i>˜`>ȓ«i
ˆ˜Ì iˆÀVœ˜Ì>VÌ«Àœwi­Ãii>LœÛiivÌ®° tap for incoming call answers, without
And, sure enough, whenever they having to venture any further than the
call, there it is, as you can see in the Phone app itself.
>LœÛiÀˆ} ÌÃVÀii˜Ã œÌ]Ì i˜>˜`
there within that same area of
the Phone app’s settings.

2. AN EASIER
ANSWERING GESTURE
For ages now, the standard way
to answer a call on Android has
Lii˜ÜˆÌ >È`iÜ>ÞÃÃ܈«ˆ˜}
gesture. The reality, though, is
that such a motion isn’t always A simple choice with profound impact on your Android
Vœ˜Ûi˜ˆi˜ÌÆ«>À̈VՏ>ÀÞˆvޜսÀi call-answering experience.

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 107

FEATURE

A simple phone owner who has the

choice with app installed.
profound Now, Pixel owners
impact on have another option for
your Android
keeping themselves safe
call-answering
experience. from suspect voice calls –
>ÌÀœÕLˆ˜}ÌÀi˜`Ì >Ìœ˜Þ
Ãii“Ã̜Li}ÀœÜˆ˜}>Ã
criminals get their hands
on AI voice-changing
technology and.
This one is limited to
Just look in the Phone app’s settings the US for now and also only to anyone
qÜˆÌ ˆ˜Ì i>««½Ã“>ˆ˜“i˜Õ]>VViÃÈLi ÜˆÌ >*ˆÝi™>˜`Õ«qœÀÜˆÌ >*ˆÝi
via either a three-dot icon in its upper- 6 and higher, if you’re using the Phone
right corner or a three-line icon in its >««½ÃLiÌ>ÛiÀȜ˜°7i½Ài œ«ˆ˜}ˆÌ
Õ««iÀ‡ivÌVœÀ˜iÀq>˜`ÃiiˆvޜÕw˜`> comes to the UK soon.
ˆ˜i>Lii`¼˜Vœ“ˆ˜}V>}iÃÌÕÀi½° On your handset, make your way
/>«Ì ˆÃ>˜`ޜսw˜`ޜÕÀÃiv L>VŽˆ˜ÌœÌ i* œ˜i>««½ÃÃiÌ̈˜}Ã
facing a simple choice of sticking with >˜`œœŽvœÀ>ˆ˜i>Lii`¼-V>“
the standard horizontal-swipe gesture
for answering an incoming call or
switching over to a single tap instead.
Flip the switch over to ‘Single tap’,
and the difference will immediately
Li>««>Ài˜Ì°

3. IN-CALL SCAM DETECTION

Google’s Pixel Phone app has always
Lii˜iÝVi«Ìˆœ˜>>ÌëœÌ̈˜}ë>“>˜`
ÃVÀii˜ˆ˜}V>Ãœ˜ޜÕÀLi >vqÜˆÌ 
the spam part of the process, at least, Google’s new Scam Detection option may
iÝÌi˜`ˆ˜}ÜiLiޜ˜`Ì i*ˆÝi>Ài˜> ˜œÌLiy>܏iÃÃ]LṎ̽Ã>Û>Õ>LiiÝÌÀ>>ÞiÀ
>˜`Liˆ˜}>Û>ˆ>Li̜>˜ÞƂ˜`Àœˆ` of protection to have in place.

108 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

 iÌiV̈œ˜½°/>«ˆÌ]Ì i˜yˆ«Ì i̜}}i scenarios and to automatically delete
on the next screen into the on and your notes after a certain amount of
active position. time, if you’re so inspired.
Go to the Call Notes section of your
4. SMARTER CALL NOTES Phone app’s settings to activate it.
"ÕÀw˜>vi>ÌÕÀiˆÃ>ÃœÀiÃÌÀˆVÌi`̜>
*ˆÝi™]™*Àœ]™*Àœ8>˜`*ˆÝi™*Àœ
œ`« œ˜iíœÀ]«ÀiÃՓ>LÞ]œ˜iœv
the upcoming Pixel 10 models. Again,
at the time of writing this was US-only,
LÕÌÜi½Ài œ«ˆ˜}vœÀˆÌ̜Li>Û>ˆ>Li
here soon. Your Pixel device’s Call
Notes feature has recieved a couple of
quiet upgrades.
Call Notes is a recent Pixel feature
Ì >ÌV>˜ÌÀ>˜ÃVÀˆLi>˜`ÃՓ“>Àˆâi
voice calls for you, so you have a simple
record of your spoken conversations to
reference and revisit later.
Ƃ˜`˜œÜ]ˆÌ >ÃÌ iœ«Ìˆœ˜Ã̜LœÌ 
automatically activate itself in certain

Pixel Call
Notes;
now with
even
more
yi݈LˆˆÌÞ
and
power.

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 109

FEATURE

It’s only a matter of time

before Microsoft makes a
new Windows Phone
˜Ì iƂiÀ>]ˆÌ½Ãˆ˜iۈÌ>Li°JOHN BRANDON reports

T
e world of technology is changing One company that is in the throes of
Àˆ} ÌLivœÀiœÕÀiÞið >Ãi ÀiÃÌÀÕVÌÕÀˆ˜}>ÀœÕ˜`ƂˆÃ>À}Õ>LÞÌ i
ˆ˜«œˆ˜Ì\ƂÀ̈wVˆ>ˆ˜Ìiˆ}i˜Vi “œÃÌv>“œÕÃÌiV wÀ“ˆ˜ ˆÃ̜ÀÞ]ÜˆÌ 
is more than just a passing fad, apologies to Apple fans. Microsoft has
considering how many companies i“Li``i` œ«ˆœÌƂˆ˜>“œÃÌ>œvˆÌÃ
are investing in it, retooling their consumer product offerings, from Bing
«Àœ`ÕVÌœvviÀˆ˜}Ã]>˜`iÛi˜Ài`iw˜ˆ˜} to Outlook to Windows.
their company mission and structure ,iVi˜ÌÞ]œvwVˆ>ÃiÛi˜ÃÕ}}iÃÌi`
around AI. Ì iÀiVœÕ`Li>“ÕV “œÀiºƂ}i˜ÌˆV

110 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

Ƃ»7ˆ˜`œÜÃ"-ÃÞÃÌi“LÞÓäÎä° market that could resuscitate and even
­Ƃ}i˜ÌˆVƂˆÃ>˜i“iÀ}ˆ˜}ÌiV ˜œœ}Þ make a Windows phone much more
Ü iÀiƂ`œiÃܜÀŽœ˜œÕÀLi >v] ۈ>Li°/ iÃi>V >˜}iVœÕ`w˜>Þ
without direct human involvement. alleviate all the app fatigue we feel, not
It means AI can think and act ̜“i˜Ìˆœ˜˜œÌˆwV>̈œ˜œÛiÀœ>`°
>Õ̜˜œ“œÕÏް®ƂÌ ˆ˜Žˆ˜}“>V ˆ˜i]
running on your computer, solving A WINDOWS PHONE
«ÀœLi“ð/ >ÌÜ՘`È`i>]LÕÌvœÀ> 219'4'&|$;#+
“œLˆi‡Vi˜ÌÀˆVܜÀ`]Ì iÀiˆÃœ˜Þœ˜i Whether it is only a software play or
ˆ˜iۈÌ>LiVœ˜VÕȜ˜̜`À>Ü° LœÌ >˜iÜ"->˜` >À`Ü>ÀiˆÃÃ̈>˜
open question. Yet, there’s a conceptual
WINDOWS PHONE: RISING V >˜}iÌ>Žˆ˜}«>ViÜˆÌ “œLˆi
FROM THE ASHES? devices. AI agents that do tasks for us
Microsoft discontinued its Windows ÜˆÌ œÕÌ`ˆÀiV̈˜ÌiÀÛi˜Ìˆœ˜VœÕ`w˜>Þ
* œ˜i­>˜`7ˆ˜`œÜÃœLˆi®«>ÌvœÀ“ LÀˆ˜}>LœÕÌ>“œ“i˜ÌœÕÃà ˆvÌ°
almost a decade ago. As someone Eventually, we won’t need as many
who lived through the ups and downs “œLˆi>««Ã°7i½ >ÛiƂ>}i˜ÌÃÌ >Ì
œv“Տ̈«i“œLˆiÀii>ÃiÃ]“>œÀ V>˜Žii«ÌÀ>VŽœvœÕÀÌ>Îí}œœ`LÞi
hardware transitions, and ultimately a /Àiœ®]LœœŽœÕÀ«>˜ïVŽiÌí܏œ˜}
failed attempt to take on Apple’s iOS Ý«i`ˆ>®>˜`iÛi˜ >˜`iܓiœvœÕÀ
and Google’s Android, I can tell you that discussions and decisions without having
7ˆ˜`œÜÃ* œ˜i>˜`7ˆ˜`œÜÃœLˆi ̜ÌÞ«iVœ˜ÃÌ>˜ÌÞ­ÃiiޜՏ>ÌiÀ->VŽ®°
never had a chance. While that’s hard to imagine and
The underlying issue was the «œÃÈLÞ˜œÌÀi>ˆÃ̈V]ƂˆÃ}œˆ˜}̜
app infrastructure. You would think a LiVœ“iˆ˜VÀi>Ș}Þۈ>Li>Ã̈“i}œiÃ
7ˆ˜`œÜÃ>««VœÕ`Lii>ȏÞ«œÀÌi`̜ LÞ]>˜`Ì >Ì“i>˜ÃÌ i7ˆ˜`œÜÃ* œ˜i
7ˆ˜`œÜÃ* œ˜i]LÕÌÌ i«ÀœViÃÃÜ>à platform could re-emerge.
VՓLiÀܓi>˜`̈“i‡Vœ˜ÃՓˆ˜}vœÀ / ˆ˜ŽœvˆÌÌ ˆÃÜ>Þ\7 i˜Ì i
“œLˆi`iÛiœ«iÀð>˜ÞœvÌ i“`ˆ`˜½Ì interface for the device and the way you
even make Windows apps, so there was «ÀiÃi˜Ì>««Ã̜Ì iÕÃiÀLiVœ“iv>À
˜œÀi>ˆ˜Vi˜ÌˆÛi̜ÀiLՈ`>˜>««ˆŽi less important, it opens up a world of
Slack or Trello for Windows Phone. opportunity. This is especially true for
Fast forward to 2025, and there’s a company that has pivoted to a whole
>“>œÀÌÀ>˜ÃˆÌˆœ˜ˆ˜Ì i“œLˆiÌiV  ˜iÜ>ÀV ˆÌiVÌÕÀiLՈÌœ˜Ƃ°

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 111

FEATURE

WHAT WILL THE

NEXT WINDOWS
PHONE BE LIKE?
What will a future
7ˆ˜`œÜÃ* œ˜iLiˆŽi¶
For starters, it won’t
use the tile interface.
It’s gone forever, never
to return. That’s a
}œœ`Ì ˆ˜}]LiV>ÕÃi
it was confusing and
unintuitive. There were Google Maps has already been replaced on some modern cars.
tiles for looking at
« œÌœÃ]vœÀVœ˜w}ÕÀˆ˜} œÜÌ i« œ˜i interactions. Picture a device that
ܜÀŽÃ]LÕÌ>ÃœvœÀÃÌ>À̈˜}>“œLˆi knows you inside and out. A Windows
LÀœÜÃiÀ°ƂœvÌ œÃiVœœÀÃ>VÀœÃà Phone will check your email for you
the screen? The purples and greens >˜`œ˜Þ>iÀÌޜÕ>LœÕÌÌ iœ˜iÃÌ >Ì
and golds? They created confusion >Àiˆ“«œÀÌ>˜Ì° Þ“ÞiÃ̈“>̈œ˜]LÞ
with users who just needed to make a ÓäÎäœÀÜ]>“œLˆi`iۈViˆŽiÌ ˆÃ
laundry list or check their email. won’t need to rely on apps like Gmail
In the near future, AI will handle or even Outlook.
some of the heavy lifting on our phones, Instead, an agentic-powered
and in many ways, it already does. Windows Phone would rely much more
Modern cars are a good example – you on Microsoft’s Copilot assistant. Need
don’t need an app to send a text, just directions? You’d ask the operating
ask Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant to system for help, not an app. Want
do it for you. There’s also no need for a to make a laundry list or keep track
navigational app such as Waze or even of tasks? Just converse with the
Google Maps, since we can also just œ«ˆœÌ>LœṎ̰
ask an AI for directions. Alexa can give
you directions today, no need to show PUTTING ALL THE
anything on the car’s display. CHIPS ON THE TABLE
However, a future Windows Phone Granted, for Windows Phone to return
܈}œ“ÕV vÕÀÌ iÀÌ >˜ۜˆVi‡i˜>Li` from the grave, Microsoft would need

112 TECH ADVISOR • NOVEMBER 2025

̜LՈ`>«œÜiÀvՏ“œLˆiÛiÀȜ˜œv running an OS that is not all that
œ«ˆœÌÌ >Ì>VÌÃ>“œÃ̏ˆŽiÌ iLœÌˆ˜ different from what you can use on a
the 2013 movie Her. If you haven’t seen laptop. In many ways, that’s the full
the movie, it features a pocket device Ài>ˆâ>̈œ˜œvÌ iºÌ ˆ˜Žˆ˜}“œLˆi
that looks a lot like a phone, yet the computer” we all want.
main character uses it to talk to the AI vˆVÀœÃœvÌÌÀՏÞLiˆiÛiÃƂˆÃ
and not much else. Ì ivÕÌÕÀi]>7ˆ˜`œÜÃ* œ˜i܈Li
I don’t think we’re there quite yet. ˆ˜iۈÌ>Li°
ChatGPT is a step in the right direction,
LÕÌÌ iۜˆViV>«>LˆˆÌˆià >Ûi˜œÌ}œ˜i
mainstream yet. For a future Windows .
Phone to work, it would have to rely
heavily on voice interactions, since
ˆVÀœÃœv̈ØœÌ>LœÕÌ̜>՘V >Ü œi
˜iÜ“œLˆi>««ˆ˜vÀ>ÃÌÀÕVÌÕÀivœÀi}>VÞ
users. The Windows Phone of 2030
would not even use apps.
Microsoft would also need to make
> Õ}iLiÌœ˜7ˆ˜`œÜÃ* œ˜i>Ã>
LÀ>˜`‡˜iÜ`iۈVi]œ˜iÌ >ÌœvviÀÃ>
limited set of traditional features. I could
ˆ“>}ˆ˜i>« œ˜iÌ >̏iÌÃޜÕVœ˜w}ÕÀi
Ì iÃiÌ̈˜}ÃLÕÌœÌ iÀ܈ÃiÕÃiÃۜˆVi
interactions and a text interface
­Ãœ“iÌ ˆ˜}ˆŽiޜÕÃiiÜˆÌ  >Ì*/®
vœÀÕÃÌ>LœÕÌiÛiÀÞÌ ˆ˜}iÃi°
Will it happen? Is it already in the
planning stages? No one knows for sure.
We can easily predict that Windows OS
ˆÌÃiv܈LiVœ“i“ÕV “œÀiÀiˆ>˜Ìœ˜
AI in the future.
The good news for Microsoft is
Ì >ÌÌ ˆÃvÕÌÕÀi“œLˆi`iۈViܜՏ`
iÃÃi˜Ìˆ>ÞLi>ÌÀÕi«œVŽiÌVœ“«ÕÌiÀ

NOVEMBER 2025 • TECH ADVISOR 113