Tamron has launched a firmware update for the Tamron 25-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III VXD G2 that’s quite frankly mind-boggling. Rather than the usual tame improvements and bug fixes, firmware Ver. 3 actually increases the E-mount lens’ magnification ratio. I’m not even sure how that’s possible – but it is!

The magnification ratio at focal lengths of 25-70mm has been increased to 1:2 or greater. This is sometimes referred to as "half macro", given that a 1:1 ratio is known as "true macro". True macro is when a lens is able to focus close enough to a subject that it can be replicated at life size on the sensor.

Not satisfied with that, however, focal lengths of 35-50mm on the Tamron lens enable you to get even closer – now delivering a 1:1.7 reproduction ratio. Again, quite how it's possible to improve a lens' magnification via firmware is a mystery to me, but I'm definitely all for it!

So, while half macro technically isn’t macro, it still enables you to get very close to your subject – and a whole lot of half macro lenses are nonetheless marketed as macro optics, as it's still very capable for close-up images.

The improvement makes Tamron's 25-200mm an even better updgrade on its 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD G1 predecessor, which was limited to a 1:3.13 magnification ratio.

To upgrade the lens, you need to connect it to Tamron’s proprietary Tamron Lens Utility software, available for both Windows and macOS, via the lens’s onboard USB-C port. You can find a comprehensive rundown of how to do that via the Tamron support website.

Tamron is in the spotlight today, having confirmed a report that Sony has bid to buy the lens maker. This macro-firmware wizardry probably isn't the reason that Sony is interested in buying the company, but it's certainly exciting to think what firmware wonders might be added to Sony's first-party lenses…

You might also like...

Check out the best Sony cameras and the best Sony lenses. I took more than 800 photos and this is what stands out for the new lightweight E-Mount and Z-Mount ultra-wide from Tamron.

The DJI Osmo Pocket series went viral for its unusual gimbal-clad camera design, but the feature that made the series so popular is about to come to a smartphone. Honor has released additional details about the previously teased Robot Phone as the first smartphone collab with cinema giant Arri nears the official launch.

The Honor Robot Phone's most unusual feature is the gimbal that’s sitting at the top of the smartphone, which will not only stabilize video but power features like AI-based subject tracking and automatically centered video calls.

The Robot Phone’s unusual design, however, was teased earlier this spring – but at an event in China, the company has revealed more of the camera’s features. The gimbal houses a 200MP camera. The camera uses a 1/1.28-inch sensor and the lens has an f/1.6 aperture.

The camera will also have a periscope camera with a 1/1.4 sensor and f/2.6 aperture, but the company hasn’t shared details on the focal length.

Honor says that the gimbal’s motor is the industry’s smallest micro motor at 2.6g. The gimbal will help power both stabilization and tracking, including predicting motion and double-tapping to follow a subject while filming. Photos of the phone from the World AI Conference show that the gimbal can tuck into the back of the camera when not in use.

Those camera specs don’t beat out the DJI Osmo Pocket 4’s one-inch sensor, but the 1/1.28 sensor is far more competitive when compared to other smartphone cameras. (Another thing the Honor Robot Phone has in common with DJI? Honor phones don’t typically come to the US, though it is no longer part of Huawei.)

But while the gimbal is the most obvious unusual feature about the Robot Phone, the smartphone is also the first to be built in collaboration with cinema camera maker Arri. Among the innovations that are stemming from Arri is the camera’s color science. High-end video features also include Log-C encoding, which helps enhance dynamic range when color grading, LUT color gamuts, and a cinema mode.

While Honor’s latest event brings a slew of new camera details, there’s still much that remains to be seen about the Robot Phone. Full details are expected during the Honor Robot Phone’s launch scheduled for August 12.

You may also like

Take a look at the best smartphone cameras for more inspiration.

The Canon EOS R6 Mark III has received its first major firmware update, bringing one of the EOS R6 V's standout video features to the enthusiast hybrid camera.

While the update doesn't bring every EOS R6 V feature to the EOS R6 Mark III, Canon is extending one notable feature by allowing the AF (autofocus) for Close-up Demos to be used in additional movie shooting modes.

Previously, creators had to use a dedicated shooting mode with fewer manual controls to access this feature. Firmware Version 1.1.0 now enables it across Creative Zone movie modes, making it much more practical for filming product demonstrations and hands-on videos.

Firmware Canon EOS R6 Mark III

Version 1.1.0

Download links
🇺🇸 US: Windows and Mac OS
🇬🇧 UK: Windows and Mac OS

Fixes and enhancements:
1. Adds the ability to set [AF for close-up demos] during movie recording in [Movie manual exp.], [Movie auto exposure], and other Creative Zone modes to allow for its use in combination with exposure and AF area settings.
2. Adds the ability to set [grid display] during movie recording.
3. Adds support for the Wireless Remote Controller BR‑E2.
4. Adds support for the Software Development Assistance Kit (EDSDK/CCAPI).
5. Fixes an issue that may cause image transfers to an FTP server to fail and for Err41 to be displayed.
6. Fixes an issue that may impact the camera's shooting ability if the auto power-off function is activated during interval timer shooting.
7. Fixes an issue that may cause the camera to not be recognized when connected to a smartphone via USB.
8. Fixes an issue that may cause the movie digital IS metadata to be output incorrectly when recording movies at frame rates below 24 fps in [Slow&Fast Motion Movie] mode.
9.Improves operational stability.

Pro Advice

If you caught Episode 4 of Bokeh Face: Digital Camera World podcast, above, we discussed the best time to install firmware updates, why they matter, and what issues they can cause. It's a helpful listen if you're unsure when – or whenever – you should update.

It's smart to wait a week or two after release to see if any users hit snags. In the past, brands have had a few hiccups with major updates – for instance, introducing memory-setting bugs or minor interface glitches before being reissued.

You might like...

Browse the best Canon cameras and the best lenses for the Canon EOS R6 Mark III.

Canon has released the first firmware update for the EOS R6 V, delivering one of the camera's most anticipated features: flash support. Firmware Version 1.1.0 fulfils a promise made at launch and also adds support for Canon's BR-E2 Wireless Remote Controller and enables grid display during movie recording.

The biggest addition is support for external flash units, allowing photographers and videographers to use speedlites with the EOS R6 V for the first time.

Because the EOS R6 V has no mechanical shutter, its maximum flash sync speed is limited to 1/60 sec. It also works natively only with flash units designed for Canon's Multi-function Shoe, although older flashes can be used with a compatible adapter.

Firmware Canon EOS R6 V

Version 1.1.0

Download links
🇺🇸 US: Windows and Mac OS
🇬🇧 UK: Windows and Mac OS

Enhancements and fixes:
1. Adds the ability to set [grid display] during movie recording.
2. Adds support for external flash units.
・Flash firing
・E-TTL balance
・E-TTL II meter.
・Slow synchro
・Flash function settings
・Flash C.Fn settings

3. Adds support for the Wireless Remote Controller BR-E2.
4. Adds support for the Software Development Assistance Kit (EDSDK/CCAPI).
5. Fixes an issue that may impact the camera's shooting ability if the auto power-off function is activated during interval timer shooting.
6. Fixes an issue that may cause the camera to not be recognized when connected to a smartphone via USB.
7. Fixes an issue that may cause the movie digital IS metadata to be output incorrectly when recording movies at frame rates below 24 fps in [Slow&Fast Motion Movie] mode.
8. Improves operational stability.

Pro Advice

If you caught Episode 4 of Bokeh Face: Digital Camera World podcast, above, we discussed the best time to install firmware updates, why they matter, and what issues they can cause. It's a helpful listen if you're unsure when – or whenever – you should update.

It's smart to wait a week or two after release to see if any users hit snags. In the past, brands have had a few hiccups with major updates – for instance, introducing memory-setting bugs or minor interface glitches before being reissued.

You might like...

Browse the best Canon cameras and the best lenses for the Canon EOS R6 V.

Most of the best digital photo frames are exactly and only that: digital photo frames. But every so often we come across something like the Google Nest Hub or, in this instance, the myFirst Frame Clario, which supercharges the photo display experience and adds in smart home features such as video calling and calendar interaction.

The Frame Clario is a family hub designed to connect generations through photos, comments, birthday reminders, and video calls. The goal of the frame is to make daily sharing and communication simple for everyone. Having tested it for several weeks, I can testify that myFirst has created a fine-tuned, well-engineered device that is as easy to use for adults as it is for children.

For the purposes of this review, I have focused testing first on its photo display capabilities and second on its video-calling feature. And as it's designed for the whole family, I've drawn in my young children to get first-hand thoughts from the frame's primary target demographic.

Specifications

Price

The Frame Clario costs $89.99 / £89.89 / AU$149.00 and is therefore priced almost identically to the similar, although more well-known, Google Nest Hub. Compared to 7-inch digital photo frames, it sits at a very premium price point, but considering most of those offer zero smart features, you can see what you're paying the extra money for.

If you're not concerned about video calling or interacting with your calendar, then a traditional-featured digital photo frame is a much better bet. You'll be able to get a much larger and higher-resolution display for less money with the Aeezo Portrait, taking pride of place as our favorite budget option in our guide to the best digital photo frames.

Design & Handling

The most obvious thing about the myFirst Frame Clario is that it looks nothing like a traditional photo frame. At 1.30 inches deep and with large rounded corners, it looks more like a mini-monitor or a smart hub than a device to beautifully "frame" your photos. If you're looking for a frame that will blend in with your other photo frames on the mantelpiece or side table, you'll need to look elsewhere.

The display is also much smaller than traditional digital frames, featuring a 7-inch IPS touch display rather than a much more standard 10- or 11-inch screen. The resolution is also lower than I was expecting, maxing out at 1024 x 600 px. These specs mirror the Google Nest Hub exactly. I think 1920 x 1080 px should be the minimum on a device like this, especially when you're wanting to avoid any "low-res" blurring of your photos and videos.

More positively, the build is sturdy and lightweight, utilizing high-quality matte polymers that are designed to resist fingerprints and withstand the hands-on nature of a device meant for children. Despite my children using it to navigate menus, type comments, and interact with photos, the device was weighty enough to remain in place most of the time. And even when it didn't, its robust build quality meant it didn't suffer any damages.

One of the defining design features of the Frame Clario is the dedicated Magic Button located on the top of the frame. This large, friendly physical button provides a tactile way for children to instantly trigger actions like starting a slideshow or making a video call. Other essentials, like the 2MP camera, built-in speaker, and dual noise-canceling microphones, are integrated into the front and side panels to facilitate clear, face-to-face communication.

At the rear, I was pleased to find a USB-C charging port rather than USB-A. That means I can make use of any USB-C cable I have laying around for my plethora of other devices. I would also love to have seen an additional USB port or two for charging other devices that's probably too much to expect at this price point.

Performance

Getting the Frame Clario set up was as easy as it could be, especially given the familiarity of the interface, which is almost identical to iOS pre-Liquid Glass. After connecting to my WiFi, dialing in a few settings, and pairing it with the myFirst Circle app, I was ready to give the features a try.

I began with photos and was able to quickly post one to my group of pre-approved contacts, with a notification popping up immediately on the Frame Clario. Photos can be shared with different 'circles', including family, besties, friends, and acquaintances, with each category containing a pre-defined set of people. The parents are completely in control of these 'safe lists', so children can only interact with the family or friends that you've approved.

Interacting with photos centres around adding an emoji or typing a short comment using the built-in keyboard. Accessing this functionality felt a little clunky and unintuitive compared to a modern social media platform. I think work could be done to better position the social elements and thereby improve engagement with them. My children struggled a little with this, and the long tap for emojis was a little tricky for my youngest child. I also felt that the 16-character limit on ShoutOut comments was rather restrictive.

With the rudimentary photo functionality taken care of, I moved on to setting up a video call with one of my pre-approved contacts. Each person that you want to video call also requires the myFirst Circle app, so you'll need to get your family members and friends on board before you can connect with them.

As expected, the image quality could be better. Despite only being a 7-inch display, the 1024 x 600 pixel resolution wasn't quite sufficient to eliminate a slight pixelation and blurriness, especially around text. Pushing it up to Full HD (1920 x 1080 px) would be a great step in elevating the experience of viewing media as well as taking part in video calls.

The Frame Clario is also capable of playing music (via the microSD card) or built-in soundscapes such as Forest Stream and Fireside Calm. These could be used as white noise to help children get to sleep at night or as ambient noise while relaxing. It's even possible to create your own soundscapes by choosing a blend of elements such as Bird, Cafe, and Footsteps. That was really fun for my children to play with, but there hasn't been much interest in it beyond the initial excitement.

In general, the Frame Clario is a relatively well-set-up hub for interacting with family and friends through photos, video calling, and music. I wouldn't say it's the most streamlined of experiences, though, and more work could be done on the social elements. That said, it's not a bad attempt at replicating the Google Nest Hub experience, but for families with young children.

Verdict

The myFirst Frame Clario sets itself apart from traditional digital frames by being a kid-friendly smart hub. You could think of it as a Google Nest Hub but for children. The device is built well and even has a playful and fun aesthetic which will appeal to families. With that in mind, the Frame Clario excels in providing safe list functionality so children are only able to interact with preapproved family members and friends.

Unfortunately, its technical specifications leave room for improvement, particularly regarding its 7-inch, 1024 x 600 px display. Most of us will have better definition on our smartphones, and the lack of resolution is noticeable during video calls and photo viewing.

The setup is straightforward, but the restrictive character limits are a problem, and clunky emoji menus can feel unintuitive. Ultimately, if you are looking for a high-resolution digital photo frame for your mantel, you should look elsewhere, but if you need a sturdy, secure family portal, the Frame Clario is a commendable, albeit lower-res, contender.

Alternatives

DJI has a range of BIG power packs for powering camping holidays or keeping your drones and camera equipment charged up in the field. We saw some great discounts on thesearlier in the season, but now Wex has dropped the ticket price on its mid-range 1kWh model down to a new low.

Wex Photo Video is offering £410 off the DJI Power 1000, which reduces the cost of this to just £469 – the lowest ever price we have ever seen for this monster power bank.

I've fully tested the DJI Power 1000 in my review, and it was impressive. Moreover, DJI has extended the functionality with accessories for any situation that allow you to work with multiple DJI batteries, and charge quickly using a vehicle. so it makes sense to snap some more up even if you already have one.

These are obviously useful if you're out camping or you're our flying. Drone batteries aren't cheap and – if you charge as you go – then you don't need to buy as many batteries to have a fruitful day flying, but DJI will also cover you if you're worried about a collapsing power grid!

I have also seen these devices popular with professional content creators who need to keep topping up on the go and with pilots of fun craft like the Avata 2 drone which, if we're honest, burns through batteries faster when you're having more fun!

You might also like

Check our guide to the best laptop power banks and the best camera drones. (Wanna check the competition – check the Anker Solix C1000).

Remote camera apps enable photographers and videographers to use a smartphone as a remote control for a mirrorless camera, along with essentials like wirelessly transferring photos.

But a popular third-party app now supports three camera brands in a single app, along with adding advanced tools like a waveform monitor. Shutter is now Shutter+, an iOS and iPadOS camera app that supports Sony, Canon and Fujifilm cameras.

I tried an earlier version of Shutter last year – I loved that the app didn’t drop connection to the camera, but I also really loved that it had more advanced tools that the native Fujifilm X App didn’t have, including an intervalometer for timelapses and self-portraits.

Shutter has three separate apps for each of its supported camera brands, but Shutter+ now supports all three brands from one app (and one cost). The developer says that photographers working with all three brands see the same features and updates.

But along with supporting all three brands without an app swap, the update for Shutter+ also introduces additional tools. Chief among these is a waveform monitor, a tool for monitoring the brightness of a video.

This joins existing tools like histograms, zebras, false color, focus peaking and LUT previews to give creators more data as they shoot.

The upgrade also updates the windowing for iPadOS, which helps the app to display better across the tablet’s different window sizes and multitasking views.

It adds support for more cameras, too, including the Canon EOS R6 V and Sony A7R VI, and supports new Fujifilm firmware. Canon’s live view using a USB tether has also improved.

Shutter+ continues to offer the features from the older version that made the app popular, including automatically switching from Bluetooth and wireless for the best connection and maintaining it when switching apps or locking the screen.

The app supports tethered and USB connectivity and includes tools like bulb timers, an intervalometer and live view overlays.

While the Shutter+ apps can now support cameras across three brands, the App Store will continue to offer three Shutter+ apps branded for Canon, Sony and Fujifilm.

The developer says this is in order to prevent interruptions for previous subscribers, but all three apps will now support every compatible camera.

The app’s pricing remains the same – after a 7-day free trial, users can continue to use the app with a $65 / £69 / AU$99 lifetime license, or choose a $3.49 / £2.99 / AU$5.99 monthly or $24.99 / £24.99 / AU$39.99 annual subscription.

Shutter+ is available from the App Store.

You may also like…

Take a look at the best photo editing apps.

The founder of a new photo curation app has said that her creation is the solution to the ever-growing camera-roll clutter crisis: where people are taking more photos than ever, but revisiting fewer and fewer.

Charlotte Riddley, founder and CEO of Yoree, has said that the “memory platform” uses “emotional AI” to intelligently curate personalized image displays from device galleries, enabling us to revisit only the most “meaningful” memories stored on our phones.

“This isn't about taking more photos, or storing them somewhere new,” said Charlotte. “It's about finally getting back to the ones we already have, in a way that feels good, private, and entirely in your control.”

These comments and the release of the Yoree beta app come at a time when people are taking more photos than ever before, but hardly ever revisiting them. In fact, according to research recently published by Popsa, a photobook curation platform, close to 70% of images are never looked at again.

According to Yoree’s creator, the underlying AI functionality, which the company says is based on neuroscience, goes beyond competing apps, enabling us to “drop back into a memory whenever you want to, not just when an anniversary or an algorithm reminds you to.”

What the company hasn’t specified, however, is how Yoree’s AI functions differently from other similar services, such as the AI functionality built into Apple and Android phones. Among other techniques, these use facial recognition and metadata analysis to resurface photos from your galleries.

The Yoree beta app is now available for download on both the App Store and Google Play for Apple and Android devices with a full app rollout expected in February 2027.

At the moment, only one plan is available, which currently costs £3.99/month (approximately $5.50 / AU$7.50), and features the ability to store images—which Yoree calls “memories”—in a private vault and use the AI Story Builder to turn these into stories.

What are your thoughts? Will Yoree truly help us to better manage our backlogs of photos? Or will the camera-roll clutter crisis only be solved by taking fewer images? I think Yoree is a nice idea, but that the latter is the real solution…

You might also like…

Discover our expert pick of the best photo editing software. We've used and reviewed al of these platforms to make your choice easier!

I think it’s fair to say that Elon Musk isn’t a fan of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. The world’s richest person has been rather critical of Nolan’s cinematic retelling of Homer’s epic poem since before its release.

The businessman has been particularly active on X where he’s accused Nolan of chasing awards, mocked the casting of Elliot Page and replied “I’m down” to a post suggesting that he should give Mel Gibson $100 million to create another version of the epic.

Which would actually be a bargain, given that The Odyssey’s budget was reportedly $250 million.

But what really piqued my interest was Musk’s claim that his AI platform, Grok Imagine, will make a “historically accurate” feature film of the Greek epic “true to the art of Homer”. This was accompanied by a link to a three-minute showreel of an AI-generated Odysseus, posted by X user Heavy Pulp.

It’s important to note that this doesn’t appear to be the AI film that Elon is talking about and is presumably designed to showcase Grok’s capabilities. After all, we're only halfway through the year.

But I do find it rather amusing, given how hypercritical the Tesla CEO has been about Nolan’s efforts, that he would link to an AI recreation that’s about as accurate as a Star Wars Stormtrooper with vertigo.

I mean, the first time we get a mid-length shot of the perpetually sweaty Charlton-Heston-like lead, he clearly has a medieval-style sword in his scabbard, with a lengthy guard, a long handle and a circular pommel.

I’m no historian, but I’ve also noticed ancient Greek helmets that look more like the early imperial variety worn by Roman Legionnaires. As well as Sirens clad in yellow dresses that wouldn’t look out of place in Abercrombie & Fitch.

Then there's a scene with water travelling over Odysseus’ back in the opposite direction to the lapping sea. A version of Hermes that looks like he’s stolen his wings from a Victoria’s Secret runway.

And perhaps the most egregious gaffe, a close-up of Odysseus wearing modern-looking earplugs.

Firstly, the crew plugs their ears with beeswax in the myth. And secondly, Odysseus doesn't use the beeswax and is instead tied to the mast of his ship so he can be the first person to hear the Siren’s call and live to tell the tale. And I'm not the only one to have spotted such gaffes, with a thread dedicated to various inaccuracies on Bluesky.

I’ll give Elon the benefit of the doubt and assume that he was too busy preparing for SpaceX’s Starship Flight 13 to pour over the footage like me, but still, a glowing example of historical accuracy it is not.

I’m also rather confused as to why he is so critical of Nolan’s epic, but appears to enjoy 2004’s Troy – a film that deviates from the source material by removing the presence of the gods.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Troy, but it’s hardly 12 Years a Slave or Downfall when it comes to historical (and mythological) accuracy.

Confusing historical accuracy with good filmmaking?

I watched The Odyssey in the theater last weekend and I think it’s an immeasurably lovingly crafted movie that’s an absolute treat to experience. More than that, though, it’s a bastion of traditional filmmaking – an art form besieged by changing audience appetites and increasingly cynical studios.

If you’re even a little bit of a movie fan, The Odyssey is a hugely important cinematic event. Sadly, it’s not often that a new release drums up this much interest, so it’s imperative that we support these movies where we can.

I couldn’t agree more with The Rest Is History co-host, Tom Holland (the other Tom Holland), who praised on X those who waited until after seeing the movie before passing judgment.

The way I see it is that good filmmaking and historical accuracy are two different things and one doesn't necessarily constitute the other. Grok Imagine can go and make the most historically accurate movie ever made, but I've yet to witness anything from any GenAI platform to suggest that it won't be a soulless rendition filled with sweaty waxworks come to ‘life’.

I mean, I’m willing to be proven wrong, but GenAI severely limits the human element, and I believe that the human element is without doubt the most important component of any art form.

Nolan's The Odyssey was shot on IMAX 70mm film, with gorgeous Panavision and Hasselblad lenses, featured a real production crew, real actors, real sets and real practical effects.

Could there really be a more egregious affront to Homer’s timeless classic, spawned from generations of oral retellings, than removing the human element?

You might also like...

German court rules against photographer whose 'original' image was used to create AI slop – give me a break. Tom Cruise really knows cameras: “We want flaws. You want things that have an emotion. It just has a different kind of feeling to it,” he says gushing over his latest movie's use of the Beaumont VistaVision. I grew up idolizing George Lucas, but his passive stance on AI is deeply wrong.

Sigma has released free firmware updates for 13 Sony E-mount lenses, bringing compatibility improvements for photographers using the new Sony A7 V.

The rollout covers a range of Contemporary and Art primes, including six of the company's premium I Series lenses.

While the firmware versions vary between Version 3 and Version 7 depending on the lens, they all deliver the same fix: resolving a rare issue that could cause the camera's monitor to black out and freeze during shooting when paired with the Sony A7 V.

Firmware

Updates: 17mm, 20mm and 24mm

1. Sigma 17mm F4 DG DN | Contemporary Sony E-mount – Ver.03
Download link for Windows and Mac OS

2. Sigma 17mm F4 DG | Contemporary Sony E-mount – Ver.03
Download link for Windows and Mac OS

3. Sigma 20mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary Sony E-mount – Ver.04
Download link for Windows and Mac OS

4. Sigma 20mm F2 DG | Contemporary Sony E-mount – Ver.04
Download link for Windows and Mac OS

5. Sigma 24mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary Sony E-mount – Ver.04
Download link for Windows and Mac OS

6. Sigma 24mm F2 DG | Contemporary Sony E-mount – Ver.04
Download link for Windows and Mac OS

Updates: 35mm, 45mm, 65 and 90mm

7. Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG DN | Art Sony E-mount – Ver.05
Download link for Windows and Mac OS

8. Sigma 45mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary Sony E-mount – Ver.07
Download link for Windows and Mac OS

9. Sigma 45mm F2.8 DG | Contemporary Sony E-mount – Ver.07
Download link for Windows and Mac OS

10. Sigma 65mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary Sony E-mount – Ver.04
Download link for Windows and Mac OS

11. Sigma 65mm F2 DG | Contemporary Sony E-mount – Ver.04
Download link for Windows and Mac OS

12. Sigma 90mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary Sony E-mount – Ver.04
Download link for Windows and Mac OS

13. Sigma 90mm F2.8 DG | Contemporary Sony E-mount – Ver.04
Download link for Windows and Mac OS

Pro Advice

If you caught Episode 4 of Bokeh Face: Digital Camera World podcast, above, we discussed the best time to install firmware updates, why they matter, and what issues they can cause. It's a helpful listen if you're unsure when – or whenever – you should update.

It's smart to wait a week or two after release to see if any users hit snags. In the past, brands have had a few hiccups with major updates – for instance, introducing memory-setting bugs or minor interface glitches before being reissued.

You might like...

Browse the best lenses for the Sony A7 V

The smart glasses space is getting crowded fast. Less than six weeks after Snap unveiled its AR Specs, Samsung took to the stage at the Galaxy Unpacked event in London to show off its own entry in the category: two new designs of what it's calling "intelligent eyewear", developed in collaboration with fashion eyewear brands Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. No price, no firm release date, but a clearer picture of what Samsung's answer to the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 glasses is going to look like.

They run Android XR, Google's operating system for extended reality devices, powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chipset. AI assistance comes via Google's Gemini, which can see what you're seeing through the built-in camera and respond to voice commands or touch controls on the temples. You can take photos, record first-person video, get real-time translations, and pull up navigation based on your surroundings. Impressive stuff.

But what's most striking, for anyone who's followed this category, is how normal they look. Both designs could pass for upscale fashion frames at a glance, give or take some thicker temples and a small LED indicator on the front.

That's not a small achievement: the history of smart glasses is littered with products that announced themselves from across the room. But it raises a question the industry hasn't fully answered: if nobody can tell you're wearing a camera, is that a design triumph or a privacy problem waiting to happen?

Is it creepy?

Smart glasses with cameras have had a rough time of it lately. The UK's data privacy watchdog, the ICO, wrote to Meta earlier this year after reports that content moderators had been shown footage filmed with Ray-Ban Meta glasses without subjects' knowledge. Harvard students made headlines by demonstrating how smart glasses could be used to identify strangers in real time. The category has a trust problem, and making the glasses look more like ordinary eyewear doesn't obviously help.

Samsung's response, like Snap's, is an LED indicator that lights up when recording. It's the industry's current best answer, and it's better than nothing. Whether a small light on the frame is sufficient disclosure when you're standing next to someone on the Tube is a question regulators in the UK and Europe are likely to be asking as these products arrive.

Battery breakthrough

Privacy issues aside, what about the specs? Well, battery life is one area where Samsung has a clear edge over Snap: nine hours on a single charge, with the carrying case providing up to seven additional full charges, giving a theoretical total of 72 hours. The trade-off is that these are audio-first glasses with a camera rather than a full AR display device, so the two products are aimed at different ends of the market.

The two designs are distinct in character. The Gentle Monster edition has a cat-eye oval silhouette in slim black, fashion-forward and recognisably on-brand. The Warby Parker design is softer, a subtly upswept brow in brown that sits closer to the Ray-Ban Meta aesthetic, and probably the more wearable of the two for everyday use. Frustratingly, though, Samsung hasn't published camera specifications yet.

Both designs are expected to launch this fall, alongside Snap's Specs and, reportedly, Google's own smart glasses. Whether Samsung can match Meta on price will be crucial. But perhaps the harder question is whether the public is ready for a world where the person opposite them on the bus might be filming – and you'd never know it from looking.

Check out our guide to the best camera glasses you can buy right now

A new start-up is building a wearable that transforms into a stationary smart device at home as tech for creating a daily journal. The start-up behind iKairos is calling the device a “journal for daily reflection and meaningful memories.” The kicker? Those memories are all AI-generated.

iKairos has an unusual design for a wearable – teaser photos show the device worn as a necklace outside. But once the user returns home, the gadget can be returned to a docking station that looks a bit reminiscent of smart home speakers like the Amazon Echo Dot or Google Home.

The design isn’t the only unusual approach iKairos is making for wearables – the device is meant to follow you around to create a daily journal, but unlike traditional wearables and POV cameras, iKairos makes AI-generated images to remember the day by.

On the one hand, Kairos solves a problem with the wearable camera – the limited fixed perspective from body-worn POV cameras isn’t always the best perspective for capturing memories. After all, sometimes I want to be in photos too. The built-in camera also has a cover for privacy.

But is GenAI capable of creating “meaningful memories?” The sample photos that are on iKairos’ website seem like obvious AI generations. But the sample images are all designed for a certain style – and aren’t necessarily made to look like genuine images but rather sketches, comic book art, cartoons, and even crocheted characters.

iKairos is trying to create an AI-generated journal of the day at a time when consumers are becoming increasingly weary of modern tech. We're getting so weary of modern tech that analog cameras are resurging alongside lo-fi digicams and screen-free digital cameras.

iKairos comes from a start-up called Lingverse – but the company isn’t entirely new to the tech world. Lingverse’s founder Jiawei Gu was a board member and investor for Jibo, a social robot that could also take family photos and was one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2017. But after financial struggles, Jibo shut down, turning off its servers in 2019.

iKairos is only in the early stages, but has already secured $29 million in a pre-A funding round. Details on pricing, specs, and the launch date aren’t yet available this early in the start-up's journey – and with the tech in the early stages, the wearable could look quite different closer to launch.

You may also like

Capture genuine memories with the best POV cameras or the best compact cameras.

Oh boy, I’m going to have some fun with this one. A German court has ruled against a photographer who (rightly, in my opinion) sued when her original photograph was uploaded to a GenAI and used to generate an AI-slop cartoon that looks incredibly similar.

In relation to the case, German outlet MIR (Medien Internet und Recht, or 'Media Internet and Law') has published the Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf’s guiding principles, of which the first paragraph states:

“The scope of protection for a photographic work is generally limited to the choice of image composition, perspective, lighting, and the sharpness or blur achieved through the correct combination of aperture and exposure time. The subject matter and motif are generally not eligible for protection.”

Ultimately, I do understand this. After all, artists and illustrators frequently use reference images that they don’t own. But where I personally think the court ruling falls apart is that copyright law predates the genAI boom. And genAI is a completely different ballgame.

We’re not talking about a human interpreting an image; we’re talking about the actual photograph being fed directly into an AI. Regardless of the final outcome or how much human involvement there was regarding prompts, the AI is given free rein to process the original work.

You can’t take a copyrighted image and display it on a website for no reason, so why can you take an original image and ram it through the digital embodiment of a meat mincer to be churned into AI slop? Probably because the AI industry doesn’t want to admit that scraping and processing creative content is completely unethical…

This is a fine example of how content credentials just aren’t enough. I want to see a system implemented where images are granted and / or GenAI platforms feature built-in protections, so that an original work that the user doesn’t own cannot be fed into an AI generator in the first place.

Let’s take Andy Warhol, for example. He did not seek permission to use Gene Kornman’s famous photograph of Marilyn Monroe for his Marilyn Diptych and you can certainly argue that he should have done. But you can also argue that Kornman’s original photograph became much more well known because of Warhol's genius.

The same can be said when a musical artist covers another artist’s song; crucially, the paper trail is there. And that’s one of my biggest gripes with GenAI; there’s no paper trail. It’s a deceitful medium that presents unoriginal work as original. Frankly, I applaud and admire the few creatives who are actually taking a stand.

I’ll hold my hands up and admit that I’m not sure I could be bothered to go through the courts over an issue such as this, especially when the outcome is likely going to be unfavorable. But just going through the process is fighting back; it raises awareness and gets people talking.

I can’t help but wonder what the outcome would have been if the original image was a fictional character like Mickey Mouse… Why should a real-world image created by a talented photographer be any different?

You might also like...

I grew up idolizing George Lucas, but his passive stance on AI is deeply wrong. “AI dilutes what is impressive” – Robert Irwin hits the nail on the head when it comes to artificial intelligence in wildlife photography. How on earth did this obvious AI image get past the judges and win a photography competition?

Smartphone makers are in a race to cram in the latest AI-built features, but the smartphone brand known for its unplugged phones is building an anti-AI flip phone – and it’s full of Y2K charm, including a space for actual keychain charms.

The Light Flip is an upcoming US$299 flip phone that still includes essentials like driving directions, music, a calendar and, of course, phone calls. But Light is also positioning the Flip as the phone for those tired of the AI-focused modern smartphone launches. There’s no chatbot and no touchscreen, just the classic phone number keypad.

While Light says Flip strips the phone down to just the essentials with no AI and no social media, app store, or internet browser, the camera still made Light’s list of what’s essential on a phone. The Flip can take 12MP photos from the camera’s rear 50MP sensor. There’s no front-facing camera on the Flip.

While the Light Flip is designed to bring back the nostalgia for flip phones, this dumb phone has a few modern touches. The charger is USB-C, it’s IP54 rated for accidental water exposure, and there’s a small light on the phone that highlights missed notifications when the phone is shut.

The Light Flip may be more about what’s not included than what is, but the flip phone does still include a 3.5mm aux for wired headphones. There’s still a flashlight function as well.

Light notes that the battery is replaceable, so a tired old battery doesn’t mean needing an entirely new phone.

Adding to the Y2K charm is a keychain loop, which can also be used to add actual charms and accessories.

The Light Flip retails for $299 (about £ 224 / AU$428 / CA$421), with the first pre-orders expected to begin shipping in April 2027. The Flip will be available in six different colors.

The Flip joins Light’s list of phones that embrace minimalism and are built to go light on the distractions, using the stripped-down operating system called LightOS. While the Flip is Light’s first flip-phone, it’s not the brand’s only AI-free phone. The company’s fourth phone joins the ranks of the Light Phone II and Light Phone III.

You may also like

I gave up my smartphone camera for a week and went screen-free to find the best screen-free cameras.

The world mostly knows Robert Irwin as a wildlife media personality. But what few realize is that the son of the late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin is also a wildlife photographer, and a pretty good one for that matter.

In fact, Irwin, who first picked up a camera around the age of 13, has won a Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award, and, in a recent interview with Parade, said that photography is “probably the most formative part of his life” so far.

Above: watch Irwin's interview with Parade

Safe to say, when he started to share his opinions on artificial intelligence (AI) in photography during the same interview, my ears perked up. But while most photographers seem to be focusing on Irwin’s point about AI taking away from the “artistry” of the craft, his point that “AI dilutes what is impressive” is what truly hit the nail on the head for me.

In the not-so-distant past before AI, a photographer would have to go and do impressive things to create an immersive image. Take a phenomenal picture of a sunrise over a remote landscape: the photographer would actually have to hike one of the mountains, lugging their gear up with them, to create it.

Or take Irwin’s own specialty, wildlife. A fantastic portrait of a leopard hauling its prey up a tree normally requires locating the animal through the help of a local guide and waiting patiently for the right moment to arrive.

But knowing that someone sitting at a computer using an AI tool can now achieve the same results takes the sheen off the real deal, mostly because it means you really have to dig deep to find out the story behind the image, instead of being able to take that at face value.

I fear that, in the not-so-distant future, the internet will be so awash with AI fakery that most people who see a real image won’t even consider what went into creating it – the backstory – which, in my view, is a huge part of what makes it impressive.

You might also like…

How on earth did this obvious AI image get past the judges and win a photography competition?

Samsung's latest foldable phones have arrived, and this year, the brand has changed up the formula. Rather than just the usual flip and fold formats, there's a new phone in the mix, with a wider, more squat cover display, around the same size as a passport.

It's a similar form factor to Huawei's China-only Pura X device, and rumours say Apple's long-awaited foldable will adopt this form factor, too. Alongside the new wider foldable, the classic Flip and Fold models get a refresh for 2026 as well, and Samsung reckons there's a distinct market for each design. I got an early hands-on look at the devices, so let's take a closer look at each model.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

Rumours were calling it the Fold 8 Wide, but Samsung has kept things simple; the new model is called the Z Fold 8, while the taller book-style foldable that we know so well is now called the Ultra.

As this naming suggests, the Fold 8 isn't quite as high-end as its Ultra counterpart. It still gets the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset, so it's plenty powerful, but it has one less camera and not as many megapixels.

This model has a 50MP main sensor and a 50MP ultrawide, but no telephoto. You still get dual 10MP selfie cameras, but as with all foldables, it's easy to use the cover screen to take higher-quality selfies with the rear cameras. As a photographer, the lack of a telephoto stings. So while the new form factor is very appealing, the camera compromise makes it a harder sell.

The main new features in the camera department are software-based. You now get a mode that Samsung calls FanCam, which can automatically track a subject in a wide frame and crop a new video in an aspect ratio of your choosing. There's also a new dual video recording mode that can output video from the front and rear cameras at the same time, in a variety of different layouts.

If you're more into consuming content than creating it, though, this new shape has a lot of merit. The folding screen is 4:3, rather than the usual almost-square aspect ratio, which means the black bars are a lot smaller when you're watching 16:9 videos.

The outer screen, meanwhile, is 10:16 (or 16:10 when held horizontally) - the same aspect ratio as most laptop screens. It's wider than normal, which takes a bit of getting used to, but I'm quite fond of it. Surprisingly, the cover screen is really good for watching vertical content like TikToks, Shorts, and Reels. The UI scales well and moves the clutter to the sides of the video, rather than on top of it.

The Z Fold 8, despite being smaller, packs a 4800 mAh battery, outdoing the full-size Fold 7. The charging speed has also dramatically increased, now supporting 45W speeds with a wire. Samsung says you can expect to go from zero to 63% charged in just 30 minutes. Wireless charging is faster, too, at up to 20W.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is available in Lavender, Cream, and Graphite colourways, with a Pistachio option available exclusively on Samsung's online store. It starts at $1,899.99 / £1699 / AU$2,699 with 256GB storage, $2,099.99 / £1,869 / AU$2,999 with 512GB, and $2,499.99 / £2,119 / AU$3,599 with 1TB of space, which is cheaper than the Z Fold 7 was, but it's also not quite as high-end.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

The Z Fold 8 Ultra is the classic book-style foldable that we're all used to. It's the priciest of the lineup, starting at a cool $2,099.99 / £1899 / AU$2,999 with 256GB of storage, $2,299.99 / £2,069 / AU$3,299 with 512GB, and a whopping $2,699.99 / £2,319 / AU$3,899 if you fancy 1TB of storage, which starts at £100 more than last year's equivalent base model (RAM shortage induced, no doubt).

On the surface, it looks quite similar to last year's model, but subtle changes to the design make a big impact. It's now even slimmer, and it's likely the slimmest foldable on the market right now. It's also significantly easier to open and close, thanks to the reengineering of the hinge, bezel, and magnets. It's an invisible change that's immediately noticeable when you have the phone in your hands.

What's easier to see, though, is the improvement to the crease. Samsung has almost completely eliminated it by using a flexible titanium film and titanium supporting plates under the OLED panel. It's an excellent improvement, and viewed head-on, you can barely see the crease at all. The screen also now opens completely flat, rather than sitting at a very slight V-shape. Again, it's a subtle change, but it's one you'll notice in use. If I'm honest, I think Oppo's Find N6 folding screen is still flatter, but that's not available in most regions, and Samsung has leapfrogged the rest of the competition.

Of course, it also gets the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy treatment, a larger 5000 mAh battery (matching the S26 Ultra), 45W wired fast-charging, and 20W wireless charging.

When it comes to the cameras, it's only the ultrawide that gets an upgrade. You still get a similar 200MP main camera to the S26 Ultra, the same 10MP 3x telephoto, but the ultrawide makes the jump from 12MP to 50MP, which is a very welcome change.

On the software front, though, things are a little more exciting. The Z Fold 8 Ultra benefits from the same near-lossless APV codec that was introduced with the S26 Ultra. It can also shoot at 8K on the main and ultrawide cameras, and there are 4 new CineLUT styles for your Log footage. HDR is now supported for 200MP stills, and you get the same dual video recording options and FanCam modes here, too.

The Z Fold 8 Ultra will be available in Cream, Graphite, and Violet finishes, with a Green version exclusive to Samsung's website.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8

The Z Flip 8 received a little less love than the other two models. It's 13.1% slimmer, 3.9% lighter, and the crease is improved, but otherwise, it looks a lot like the model that it replaces – and has the same camera hardware, too.

As you'd expect, you get the newest Snapdragon SoC, but as far as I'm aware, the battery capacity and charging speeds remain unchanged. So what does the Z Flip 8 bring to the table?

Well, much of Samsung's presentation focused on what you could do with the cover screen. It now supports Now Brief, and you can access AI automations directly from the cover. FlexWindow home has been redesigned, and there are new custom cards that can be added, too.

Samsung claims these changes are designed to make AI experiences more seamless and easy to access. It also said the Flip 8 is the brand's most AI-native phone to date. The skeptic in me thinks they just didn't have a lot else to talk about, but hey, maybe I'll be more convinced after spending quality time with it.

There are also some new software features for the cameras. Horizontal Lock video stabilisation is now available in FlexCam mode (the half-folded camcorder-style shooting), and the phone uses Samsung's ProVisual engine to improve night photography. It also benefits from the new FanCam and dual video recording options, like the other phones in the lineup.

The Z Flip 8 starts at $1,199.99 / £1149 / AU$1,949 for the 256GB version, and $1,399.99 / £1,319 / AU$2,249 for the 512GB model, which is again £100 higher than last year. It's available in Cream, Graphite, and Pink as standard, with Mint available on Samsung's website.

What you need to know

The new Galaxy Z phones are available to pre-order from today in most regions globally. Units are expected to be on shelves and with customers from August 7.

Prices are higher across the board, but the Z Fold 8 complicates things a little. It's cheaper than last year's Z Fold 7, but it has one less camera. The new shape will be great for some people's needs, but not as good for others. For instance, the traditional book-style shape allows for two apps to display properly side-by-side, while the new shape is better for content consumption.

• Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (US 🇺🇸)
• Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 (US 🇺🇸)
• Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 (US 🇺🇸)

• Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (UK 🇬🇧)
• Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 (UK 🇬🇧)
• Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 (UK 🇬🇧)

• Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (AU 🇦🇺)
• Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 (AU 🇦🇺)
• Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 (AU 🇦🇺)

At this stage, I've only had a quick go with these devices at a preview event, so I'm still formulating my opinions. Stay tuned for full reviews; we'll soon find out how these devices compare to the best foldables on the market.

You might also like...

Check out more of the best flip and folding phones in our guide, or for the ultimate in phone photography, check out the best camera phones you can buy right now.

Photography is subjective. At least, that is what we tell ourselves when nobody likes a picture we were particularly proud of. But if you have ever wondered what an entirely impartial, unfeeling robot thinks of your pictures, Adobe’s Project Indigo camera app is ready to offer an opinion.

Adobe has added an experimental AI Playground to Project Indigo, its iPhone camera app designed around manual controls, computational photography, and a more natural, SLR-style image. One of its headline features is Photo Guidance, which analyzes a photo and explains what worked, what did not, and how the image could be improved.

It also features a Pixel-esque mode that can suggest how to reshoot the scene while you are still standing in front of it, potentially recommending a different position, framing, lens, or approach to the light. Adobe says it is refining the system so that it understands the limitations of individual phones and does not suggest impossible changes, such as adjusting the aperture on a fixed-aperture smartphone lens.

In theory, this sounds genuinely useful. Photography books, courses, and camera clubs have been offering constructive criticism for decades, so putting a virtual tutor inside a camera app makes a certain amount of sense. Feedback while you are still at the location could be far more helpful and genuine than an AI editor “fixing” everything later.

However, yes, there is something slightly bleak about taking a photograph and immediately asking an algorithm whether it approves. Photography is not a science, and some of the most memorable images succeed because they ignore conventional rules. An AI trained to spot familiar ideas about composition, lighting, and subject separation could easily reward technically tidy photographs while discouraging anything genuinely original.

More Gen AI

Adobe is also adding other AI Playground features to the app, including object removal, simulated shallow depth of field, lighting adjustments, artistic styles, and a Custom Edit box for text prompts. Adobe is initially using Google’s cloud-based Nano Banana model, with generated results limited to roughly 2K pixels per side and an internet connection required.

For now, access is free, requires no Adobe sign-in, and is being offered to only a small percentage of Project Indigo users for a few weeks. The feature appears after updating to version 1.1, but only works with photographs captured inside Indigo.

Adobe says the experiment could be expanded, extended, or eventually turned into a paid feature. Until then, a lucky group of iPhone photographers can discover whether AI thinks their masterpiece is genuinely inspired, or whether they should take two steps left and try again.

Adobe finally put AI into something photographers actually want: help with choosing the best images in the form of early access to AI Assisted Culling. This Lightroom Classic panel sits over everything else on the right panel of the Library module like it’s the most important thing in your photo management world. I’m not saying this placement has rubbed me the wrong way, but.. It has. Why? Well because the idea of AI photo culling software is to save you time. Not waste more time by checking if the rejects were actually good, or that the selects are actually bad.

So, let’s put it to the test on a segment of a shoot and see how it fares, and then look at another tool that claims to do the same thing.

Lightroom’s AI culling is based on a scoring system of subject focus, eye focus and and eyes open, as well as options for exposure issues, misfires, and documents. At the defaults of 50 and 50 for focus, all photos in this set (above) are Selects.

Looking at the selects, there are clearly photos with eyes closed that are not rejected. Older version of Eyes Open had a threshold which was 41 in this photo, but the eyes are clearly at the end of a blink. There are less flattering shots in the set that are mid blink that hit high Eyes Open marks in the older system – they’re just ‘The eyes appear open’ now.

All this leads me to not quite trust this tool yet. I also have exposure issues on and the subject is overexposed in some, but they remain selected. If I have to check the result of AI, then it hasn’t saved me time and is fruitless. If I can trust it to remove blinks and blurs, then it’s time-saving.

So are there other options? Roll in Excire Search 2026. This lifetime license product adds both AI Culling and AI Search to Lightroom Classic. This isn’t a full review by any means, but a comparison (so not including search). This is a well-established product, with a great track record. Once installed, you access it from the Library>Plugin-Xtras menu.

To begin choose ‘Initialize Photos’. A dialog will come up with options. With filmstrip, this is very quick to initialise and get your feet wet. For ‘whole catalog’, this is most likely an overnight affair for those with large catalogs. There is a bit of a learning curve, but some of that is the initialization commands are in Lightroom, not in Excire itself.

You have a lot of control. Once initialized, you can choose Start/Adjust Culling Project from the menu. This is very configurable and will create collections to segregate by visual similarity, group etc as well as choosing how to apply the selection via flag, rating or label. You can even use smiling as a requirement for selection!

The people option is good, for example, on nightclub shots, it still picked out someone whether they had a jacket on or not. I wouldn’t have even known there were 8 shots of that person shot that night.

In terms of using Excire with Lightroom, with two monitors for editing, you could have Lightroom on one, with Excire on the other, but you could also have them side by side on a larger screen. The beauty of Excire’s detection is that it uses colour to indicate sharpness. It shows the detected faces surrounded by a rectangle. The greener it is, the more in focus.

Yellow, like the one above, means that it’s not great. Red means completely out of focus. Faces do need to be towards the camera, with both eyes visible. As you arrow right in Lightroom, Excire also moves to the next image. The colour will change to reflect the focus. Group shots will also show all faces detected with corresponding focus colours. This does speed up choosing compared to Lightroom because the information is on the photos right where you’re looking.

As visual creators, we can decide what level is good enough for our application. You can decide the level of focus you need. For instance, when I did nightclub work, I was working with a fixed aperture of f/4–f/5.6 at most. This was because I used bounced flash and didn’t want to go above ISO1600. This allowed me to maximize my flash recycle time and also save batteries. Large groups could have rows, and sometimes people would start to blur in back or front rows depending of focus. Because these images were being viewed on the web and sharpened for that purpose, almost yellow focus photos were acceptable for this job. In a wedding, this wouldn’t work for formal groups, but it would be acceptable for the dance floor.

So does Excire beat Lightroom’s AI Culling? Well, the detection results are fairly similar. Neither will tell you that you have a masterpiece. Lightroom will detect half faces better than Excire, which needs a full face (it even tells you this if it can’t find one). However, Excire’s use of colour on the image is better than Lightroom’s green tick because you can see the degree of focus immediately, whereas with Lightroom you have to hover to see scores.

With multiple faces, it’s even better seeing it on each face, so you know you can ignore photo bombers or non involved people as they say in the drone world. The option for smiling in social photos is handy, especially if that is what the client asked for. Excire will also sort the images and rate them, something you have to do manually in Lightroom-just a button press though. All in all the process is handled better in Excire Search 2026. And we haven’t touched on the extensive AI search and AI keywording! If you shoot a lot of people photos, especially groups, this will help.

Excire Search 2026 is an additional cost though. It’s $199/£199 or $299£299 in a bundle with Excire Foto 2027. No subscription; this is a lifetime license. Previous version users get a discount code for upgrading, so it’s a very traditional purchase model. Don’t want to upgrade? Just use the version you have forever.

I know that AI tools are becoming better and better at producing lifelike imagery, but how on Earth this image, which was recently disqualified after winning a Chinese photography competition, even made it past the judges has baffled me.

The image depicting three sanitation workers enjoying a laugh together while taking a break recently won first place at the July edition of the Hohhot Mass Photography Bi-monthly Competition, a multi-series event hosted in the city of Hohhot, North China.

However, just days later, on July 14, amid fierce public backlash citing clear AI usage, the event organizers, the Hohhot Federation of Literary and Art Circles, disqualified the image following an investigation confirming it had, in fact, been generated with AI.

The literary and art circles federation announced the disqualification on WeChat (China's social media platform), in the same post stating that the Northern Frontier Light and Shadow of Qingcheng photography competition would be suspended immediately.

“This incident has exposed issues in our work, such as lax vetting during the review process and imprecise definitions of evaluation standards,” the statement read.

From the identical faces of all three subjects in the offending image, along with their exaggerated laughter – not to mention the strange way in which one of them is throwing water overhead from a kettle – to my eye, this image is clearly AI.

I'm sure it won't be too long until we can no longer distinguish between an AI-generated image and one taken by a photographer using a real camera, but this AI fakery isn't convincing at all, at least not to me.

In the WeChat statement, the competition organizers also vowed to “deeply absorb this lesson” and said that review checkpoints would be “strictly” enforced for all future competitions.

What are your thoughts? Is this image convincing in any way, or were the competition judges simply too naive?

You might also like…

An owl photo was dethroned from a wildlife competition: is GenAI paranoia ruining photography contests?

OnePlus has announced that it is exiting North America and Europe. No new products will be launched in these regions, though existing users will continue to receive software updates and aftersales service, and OnePlus will still honor warranty obligations.

The decision to wind down North American and European operations was apparently a carefully-considered long-term strategy plan, and one which wasn't dictated by parent company Oppo, nor made unilaterally by OnePlus. OnePlus will continue to operate in the Indian market, where it believes it can better serve its customers. To fill the gap left by the OnePlus departure from Europe, Oppo said it plans to increase investment in its European operations, placing a greater emphasis on its flagship phones, as well as increasing its overall product availability. This direction builds on its existing efforts to increase brand awareness in Europe, such as its sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League. However, OnePlus users in North American don't have such an easy alternative: Oppo phones aren't officially sold there, meaning there's no direct OnePlus replacement brand.

The news that OnePlus is leaving two of its largest markets will come as a surprise to many. It's hard to overstate just how big an impact OnePlus had when it burst onto the smartphone scene back in 2014. Its first phone model, the OnePlus One, was a true disruptor in the Android sector, offering flagship-level performance at a significantly lower price point than more established contemporary brands like Samsung and HTC. OnePlus traded heavily on this, evidenced by its ‘Flagship Killer’ slogan. The appeal of the OnePlus One was heightened not just by its value, but also its exclusivity. In the early days of OnePlus, you could only buy a OnePlus One by entering an invite system, reducing available supply and thereby increasing demand. The phone itself ran on OnePlus's new OxygenOS - fresh in name, but also in nature, as it was close to stock Android and largely free of speed-sapping bloatware.

In the years that followed, OnePlus continued producing phones with a strong value-for-money ethos, but fast forward to 2026 and the brand finds itself in a very different smartphone market. There is now far more competition in the value sector, with brands like Nothing (and its sub-brand CMF), Redmi, Poco and Realme (also an Oppo sub brand) all competing directly with OnePlus. OnePlus's pricing has also increased in recent years as it's sought to develop a more premium market position, and we've seen a closer relationship with parent brand Oppo. Oxygen OS and Oppo's ColorOS share the same platform, and it’s easy to see similarities between the two brands when it comes to hardware, with the OnePlus 15's rear panel looking suspiciously similar to the Oppo Find X9 Pro.

The close tie between the two brands' operating systems is now about to become a fusion. Oppo has stated that going forward OnePlus phones will run ColorOS, with ColorOS being rolled out to OnePlus phones in North America, Europe, and other regions, such as India, over the coming months. Users will be able to choose whether or not to switch from OxygenOS, while older OnePlus models that are not included in the ColorOS update scope will continue to receive version maintenance support.

So there you have it: the end of an era for what's been an integral element of the Android phone story in the west. OnePlus, you will be missed.

Samsung’s next Galaxy Fold and Flip phones look set to receive a new generation of foldable screen with reduced crease visibility and "a more refined foldable experience". Called Flex Titanium, the technology integrates two titanium-based components — a titanium-alloy film and a titanium plate — which are said to work together to balance slimness, flexibility, and strength within the foldable display structure.

Titanium is known for its excellent strength to lightness ratio. It's been used in demanding applications like satellite antennas and the wheels of a Mars rover. It also provides an ideal basis for Samsung's new display structure, as it ensures the screen will withstand external shock and be flexible enough to endure repeated folding, while also being thin enough to be practical for a foldable device.

The drawback to using titanium in a folding application is the material's stiffness - it doesn't want to bend! To solve this rather fundamental issue, Samsung has integrated titanium in two key components: a titanium-alloy film and a titanium plate. The titanium-alloy film supports the display from within, sitting below the OLED panel. Compared with a conventional polymer film, titanium provides 20 times greater mechanical stiffness. It's also thin - really thin - measuring roughly one-third the thickness of an average human hair, enabling a slimmer-overall display panel.

Below the titanium-alloy film sits a robust titanium plate; a flexible structure that provides stable support underneath the display when unfolded, while retaining the flexibility needed to accommodate repeated folding. The new tech is said to display deliver ultra-vivid display resolution with reduced power consumption, thereby delivering a dramatic boost in overall power efficiency.

Flex Titanium technology will debut with Samsung’s next-generation Galaxy foldable devices: the Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8, which will be revealed at the next Galaxy Unpacked event on July 22, 9am EDT.

Nikon filmmakers and photographers can now take advantage of a third-party remote-control app designed specifically for Z-Series cameras. Parallax Monitor or ZR Ctl, depending on whether you’re using iOS or Android, respectively, allows users to take full control of a compatible Nikon camera, using both the app and their chosen smart device as a live view monitor and control station.

I first learned about Parallax Monitor / ZR Ctl via Nikon Rumors and immediately likened it to Nikon's existing proprietary app SnapBridge, which allows users to wirelessly connect a smart device to compatible Nikon cameras as well as share images via file transfer. However, Parallax Monitor / ZR Ctl isn’t an alternative to SnapBridge, it’s a completely different piece of software that’s directly aimed at serious videographers.

The app uses a range of live view overlays to help maintain correct and consistent exposure, including ‘traffic lights’ and zebras, as well as waveforms and histograms that are said to be calibrated for R3D, N-Log and SDR. It also claims to allow users to pull focus via a touch-controlled ‘Pull tool’, aided by focus peaking while also providing a ‘Cinematic AF’ trigger.

A simple function that I’m sure many videographers will make use of is the ability to switch between multiple aspect ratios via the live view screen, so if you’re trying to shoot a scene for multiple aspect ratios, you can ensure your subject is adequately framed for each. If you use anamorphic lenses, the anamorphic desqueeze function will allow you to ‘desqueeze’ at 1.33x, 1.5x, 1.8x, 2x, or any custom ratio in real time, so you can preview what the end product will look like.

Users can also access a variety of Playback features. You can preview LUTs during Playback, check audio, stream clips, and more. And finally, Parallax Monitor / ZR Ctl might be marketed towards videographers, but it also boasts a remote stills photography featureset, allowing you to review photographs over Wi-Fi, fire the shutter remotely, refine settings and more. Parallax Monitor is available via Apple’s App Store for $19.99 / £19.99 or ZR Ctl via Google Play for $19.99 / £17.99.

You might also like...

Forget "Hand of God" is this football's "Camera of God"? Why a cable-suspended camera is being blamed by Norway for its World Cup defeat. Nikon launches ingenious Nikon Zf bottle holder among other camera-related swag – but they're only available in Japan. Arri just gave live broadcasts the Hollywood slow-motion treatment with its latest Xtreme camera.

More than 15 years after medium format powerhouse Hasselblad first launched an iOS app, the Phocus Mobile app is finally arriving on Android devices. Hasselblad, the medium format camera powerhouse, has officially brought its Phocus Mobile app to Android devices beginning.

Phocus Mobile now enables photographers working with the Hasselblad X2D II 100C, X2D 100C, 907X and CFV 100C to review, edit and organize images from an Android smartphone.

The app, importantly, supports Hasselblad’s heralded color science (Hasselblad Natural Color Solution or HNCS), enabling mobile photo editors to preserve the medium format colors and gradations from camera to edit to export.

On the X2D II 100C and supported HDR Android devices, that also includes full-spectrum HNCS HDR – which Hasselblad says more closely matches what the eye sees.

Another key feature is that the Hasselblad-built AI noise reduction algorithm is also coming to the mobile app. The AI was built entirely on images from Hasselblad’s medium format sensors and comes in two different modes, one for the cleanest result and one for preserving the most detail.

Beyond editing, the Android app can also be used to review photos, rate the best shots and even batch edit multiple images at once. Files can be transferred from the camera to the smartphone using Wi-Fi or, for the X2D II 100C with updated firmware only, USB-C wired connection.

Phocus Mobile first arrived on iOS in April 2012, with an overhaul big enough to be dubbed Phocus Mobile 2 arriving in 2019 – but again as an iOS exclusive.

The update is the second time that Hasselblad has launched a feature to play nice with more brands in nearly as many weeks. Earlier this month, Hasselblad also announced support for Capture One.

The Phocus Mobile app requires at least 12GB of RAM and is compatible with Android 12 and newer devices, though the company recommends Android 16 with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or newer for the best performance.

You may also like

Browse the best Hasselblad cameras and the best Hasselblad lenses.

There are few creatives I admire more than George Lucas. He’s heard it all before, but I’m not sure I could put into words just how much Star Wars and Indiana Jones have meant to me over the years. Heck, I even crack out American Graffiti every now and then and have always been a strong proponent of the Prequel Trilogy (I just don't get the Jar Jar hate...). That said, I will always stand up for what I believe in, and I’m not keen on the legendary filmmaker’s latest take on AI.

In a very interesting long-form interview with film, art and culture magazine A Rabbit’s Foot, Lucas discusses the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which he co-founded with his wife Mellody Hobson and is set to open in September, why he thinks so many older Star Wars fans didn’t resonate with the Prequel Trilogy, and his stance on artificial intelligence.

It’s the latter that really piqued my interest, given that I’ve written an awful lot about AI and its impact on both film and photography. His first point is that AI makes filmmaking easier, and I can’t argue with that. He then likens opposing AI to opposing the invention of the car “they break down, they need gas (...) pretty soon they’ll be making them into tanks,” going on to say “There’s nothing you can do about it (...) That’s progress, it’s the future.”

For me, that’s the kicker. This notion that you can’t do anything about AI, or on the other side of the coin, that AI is inherently bad and it shouldn’t exist at all. Both arguments are extremes, but what about the middle ground? What about a world where AI exists, but we do indeed do something about it?

I don’t have a hatred of AI. I have a hatred of unethical, generative AI. The kind of artificial intelligence that scrapes existing works, regardless of copyright and MacGyvers them into AI slop. My problem with generative AI is that it removes the human element and to me, it’s the human element that makes art, art.

I'd go so far as to suggest that George skewers his own argument, because he mentions several times during the interview that movies are about emotion. “You go to the movies because the stories move you emotionally,” he says. The article finishes with him stating: “Steven and I always agreed on that: what you’re selling, in the end, is emotion.” I couldn’t agree more!

But the whole problem with generative AI, in my mind, is that it strips out the emotion and leaves behind little more than a creative husk. I get that Lucas’ whole deal when it comes to moviemaking is pushing the envelope. The Original Trilogy wouldn’t have been made if it wasn’t for the filmmaker’s faith in both technology and indeed his own ability.

Lucas famously founded Industrial Light & Magic during the production of Star Wars: A New Hope, going so far as to actually build custom tech to deliver the film’s ground-breaking special effects. Love it or loathe it, the Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition was a bold, groundbreaking move. And Star Wars: Attack of the Clones was famously the first Hollywood blockbuster to be shot digitally in its entirety, with the film also landing an Academy Award nomination for its visual effects.

It doesn’t surprise me in the slightest that George is a proponent of AI when it comes to filmmaking. I just wish the medium’s supporters would take a more proactive approach to AI’s involvement in a bid to preserve the emotion that George Lucas himself covets so much. It’s worth noting that I’m adding my two cents to a few words provided in an interview. I’m sure Lucas would have much more to say on the matter in an open discussion. Maybe our views are more aligned than I think… If you’d like to weigh in yourself, leave a comment below.

You might also like...

George Lucas' $625,000 Panavision camera: the second most expensive Star Wars item in the galaxy! Shoot Star Wars-themed toy photography and create a mini cinematic scene. I had no idea Luke Skywalker's Lightsaber was made from a vintage camera flash.

Founded in 2016, Emeet has produced a wide range of webcams, some of which have picked up awards for design. I reviewed the Emeet Pixy for Digital Camera World back in July 2025, giving it 5 stars - so it was no surprise to me that the Pixy won the Red Dot Design Award in 2026. The innovatively designed Pixy was a dual-lensed laptop-mounted webcam that could pan and tilt to keep you in the frame, even if you stood up from your laptop and walked about. I was therefore very keen to test out a more recent offering from Emeet - the SmartCam S600L.

The Pixy’s PTZ (Pan, Tilt, Zoom) key design innovation was the mini-gimbal that it was mounted on. The SmartCam S600L’s design innovation is that it combines a webcam with a ring light, enabling you to capture or stream better quality video than you can with your laptop’s built-in webcam.

The Emeet SmartCam S600L enables you to stream high-quality footage in 4K. For our recommendations on other 4K-capable laptop webcams, check out our buying guide.

Specifications

Price

The Emeet SmartCam S600L officially retails at $104.99 / £71.99. I use a 2023 15-inch MacBook Air with an M2 chip, and its built-in FaceTime HD camera produces 1080p footage that looks soft, lacks contrast, and can look a bit noisy in low light. I can’t afford to upgrade to a newer M4 MacBook Air with its 12MP Centre Stage camera, so an outlay of £72 for the Emeet SmartCam S600L is a much more attractive and affordable way to stream sharper-looking footage from an old MacBook! Check out my supporting video in the Performance section to see the difference between my MacBook’s camera and the Emeet SmartCam S600L.

Design and handling

It’s always interesting to handle an Emeet product, as they tend to be well-built and have innovative design features. The Emeet SmartCam S600L lacks the built-in gimbal and dual lenses of the award-winning Emeet Pixy, but it also lacks the Pixy’s higher price tag (which officially retails at nearly twice the price). The Emeet SmartCam S600L also boasts a feature the Pixy lacks: a built-in LED ring light. The ring of LEDs encircles the webcam’s lens, so when you look directly at the camera, it creates a subtle catchlight in your eyes (or less subtle if you wear glasses!) — adding a sparkle that helps bring your face to life on video calls.

Even though it is made of plastic, the Emeet SmartCam S600L doesn’t feel cheap and nasty. It has a solid build and feels surprisingly heavy for such a small device, weighing in at 124g on my kitchen scales. Fortunately, it was not too heavy to sit comfortably on the top of my MacBook Air’s display. It has an adjustable hinged clip that grips the top of the display. Rubber inlays on the inside of the hinged grip ensured that the SmartCam had a tight and secure grip on my MacBook’s thin screen. At the base of the grip is a 1/4” threaded hole, so you could pop the S600L on a tripod if you wanted to film yourself from an angle. If the tripod has an adjustable ball head, you could flip the camera at an angle and stream vertical footage instead of horizontal. So this tripod thread is a welcome design touch.

The Emeet SmartCam S600L has a single circular knob on its side. This also functions as a dial. Press the knob to turn on the LEDs, press it again to toggle between different colour temperatures, and rotate the knob to adjust brightness. The ball joint connecting the camera to its clip enables you to rotate the light through 360º. You can also tilt it by a 15º angle to fine-tune your position in the frame.

One useful and welcome design touch is the privacy switch. If you’re having a bad hair day and want to listen and talk in a Zoom meeting without being seen, then simply slide the switch to activate a built-in lens cap. The cap is a vivid orange, so it’s very clear when you’re using the SmartCam in privacy mode.

Performance

When I unboxed the S600L, I was a little concerned to see that the end of its cable had a large USB-A connector. My MacBook Air only has USB-C inputs, so I thought I’d have to hunt out my USB hub to get the camera to talk to my MacBook. Fortunately, I realised that I could remove the camera cable’s USB-A adaptor to reveal a USB-C plug. I popped this plug into my MacBook’s USB-C socket and the SmartCam S600L’s ring light began to display an animated pattern that cycled through all of the colours in the spectrum. This indicated that it was active and ready to stream/capture footage.

The ridged edges of the SmartCam’s single control knob enabled me to easily adjust the brightness of the LEDs mounted in the ring around the lens. This sounds like a useful option, but to be honest, I can’t imagine a scenario where I’d want to reduce the brightness of the LEDs, as they are only capable of a maximum 60 lux from a distance of half a meter. For the duration of my test, I kept the brightness to maximum. At the brighter end of my kitchen (it’s less messy than my home office to film a review), the side-angle key light from a window caused half of my face to appear in shadow. By activating the S600L’s LEDs, I was able to summon a fill light to make the lighting look a little bit more even. The LED lighting was more effective and noticeable when filming at the darker end of the kitchen, as you’ll see from my supporting video.

I was able to press the control knob to cycle through lighting presets - cool (6200K), warm (2600K), mixed (400K) and ambient. By default, the ambient lighting is a cold blue, but if you open the supporting Emeet Studio app, you can change the ambient preset to more creative colours such as Pink, Purple, Blue, Cyan, Yellow and Orange. I found the creative ambient colours to be less bright than the more subtle colour temperature presets, plus the cool 6200K preset best suited and complemented the similar lighting streaming in from my test location’s windows.

I started my test by recording a QuickTime sequence using my MacBook’s FaceTime HD camera and then recorded a sequence using the S600L. The S600L’s 4K footage was much sharper than my MacBook’s native camera, and there was a wider tonal range with stronger shadows and brighter highlights. The MacBook footage looked a little warm, whereas, thanks to a more accurate white balance reading, whites looked white in the S600L footage, creating cooler, more natural-looking skin tones.

The spec of the Emeet S600L indicates that it is fast to focus (in 0.2s), keeping you nice and sharp at all times. I tested this claim by placing my iPhone 17 close to the lens and then removing it. It did indeed keep the nearby iPhone looking nice and sharp and then quickly refocussed on my face when I removed the iPhone from the shot.

The S600L also had two built-in microphones, so I tested those too, of course. My MacBook’s built-in mics captured more bass in my voice, but they were also slightly muffled. The audio captured by the Emeet S600L was much sharper and clearer, but at the cost of sounding a bit too thin. Have a listen to my test video. The Emeet S600L’s audio also sounds a little quieter. I’ve tweaked the levels a bit, but I haven’t adjusted loudness or EQ, as I want to give you an accurate comparison between the S600L’s mics and my MacBook’s built-in ones.

Verdict

An affordable way to make my 2023 MacBook Air’s built-in webcam video footage look better would be to use my iPhone 17 as a Continuity Camera. This would enable me to stream much better-looking footage from the iPhone’s superior camera. However, using an iPhone for this purpose means popping it on a mini tripod and then removing it from the tripod if I needed to use it to take a call.

The advantage of the Emeet SmartCam S600L is that it’s a dedicated webcam. It takes seconds to clip it onto my laptop, and it sends a superior video feed through a wide range of applications such as Zoom for streaming or QuickTime for recording ‘talking to camera’ movies. The built-in ring light can be triggered with a tap, and its integrated design means that I don’t need to faff about trying to align a separate ring light with my webcam.

At a maximum of 60 lux (that’s around 60 candles), the ring light isn’t the most powerful LED available, but in bright conditions it will fill in harsh shadows on your face, and in darker locations it helps the Emeet SmartCam S600L’s 1/2” CMOS sensor reduce the presence of noise in your footage.

Alternatives

Adobe has just launched a seriously tempting offer on two of its most powerful Firefly subscriptions, giving creators the chance to save 30% every month for an entire year.

Until August 26, Adobe Firefly Pro Plus is available for just $34.97 per month, down from its usual $49.99 monthly price, while the top-tier Adobe Firefly Premium plan has dropped from $199.99 to $139.91 per month for the first year.

That means Firefly Pro Plus saves you a cool $15.02 every month, or $180.24 across the first year. Firefly Premium delivers an even more impressive saving of $60.08 per month, adding up to $720.96 over 12 months. Considering how quickly the cost of creative AI subscriptions can mount up, especially for anyone regularly producing images, videos and branded content, these are some seriously substantial savings. Now that is an outstanding deal.

Adobe Firefly Pro Plus is likely to be the sweet spot for photographers, designers, social media creators, and smaller production teams. It includes 10,000 monthly generative credits, unlimited access to standard image features such as Generative Fill, Generative Expand and Firefly Boards, as well as premium tools for generating video, producing sound effects, translating audio and accessing third-party AI models.

Adobe says the plan can provide enough credits for up to 100 five-second videos or around 33 minutes of translated audio and video each month, depending on the features and models being used.

There is plenty of additional value bundled into Firefly Pro Plus, too. Subscribers receive full access to Adobe Photoshop on the web and mobile, Adobe Express Premium, Adobe Fonts, and unlimited access to Firefly Boards.

For the first year, the plan also includes unlimited generations using all supported 1K and 2K image models and selected video models, making it easier to experiment with different prompts, styles and concepts without constantly worrying about burning through credits.

Adobe Firefly Premium takes everything much further and is designed for creators, studios, and businesses producing content at scale. It supplies a massive 50,000 generative credits every month, along with unlimited access to Adobe’s Firefly Video Model within Generate Video.

Premium subscribers can also use their credits for partner models, audio translation, sound-effect generation and other premium tools, with capacity for up to 166 minutes of translated audio and video or as many as 5,000 generated sound effects per month. Photoshop on the web and mobile, Adobe Express Premium, Firefly Boards, and Adobe Fonts are also included.

Firefly Pro Plus should offer more than enough creative freedom for most individual creators, particularly if you regularly generate images and occasionally experiment with video or audio.

Firefly Premium makes more sense for high-volume video production, advertising teams, and businesses that need to create hundreds of assets without repeatedly running into credit limits. Both offers end on August 26 and apply to the first year, after which the subscriptions return to their standard monthly prices, so this is definitely one deal worth considering before it disappears.

While Huawei might not be the name it was several years ago in the West, it remains a dominant powerhouse in its home market, offering up some of the best camera phones around. Huawei is now stepping back into the global market, unveiling the Pura 90s Pro Max and Pura 90s Pro, bringing its latest pair of 5G photography-focused flagship phones to Europe.

The phones are known simply as the Pura 90 Pro Max and Pura 90 Pro in Huawei’s home market, with a mysterious “s” added to the international versions. Huawei has not explained what the letter stands for, although the overseas lineup appears to retain the same camera hardware that made the Chinese models so interesting.

The headline act is undoubtedly the Huawei Pura 90s Pro Max, which has a 200MP telephoto camera built around a large 1/1.28-inch RYYB sensor. That is around the same size as the main camera sensors used by many competing flagship phones, except Huawei has placed it behind an approximately 96mm-equivalent f/2.6 lens, offering roughly 4x optical zoom rather than the more common 3x.

Huawei also claims the telephoto camera offers optical stabilization equivalent to seven stops, as well as a close-focusing telephoto macro mode. The company is particularly promoting its performance at longer digital zoom settings, including a new 20x ultra telephoto video mode.

Video also now sends more of the original image data to the phone’s processor before enhancement – which Huawei claims produces cleaner, more detailed footage.

A full-resolution 200MP photo mode will be available at the native 4x focal length. But for more conventional shooting, the sensor will use pixel binning to improve light gathering and produce more manageable image files.

The telephoto is joined by a 50MP main camera with the latest LOFIC tech for high dynamic range, as well as a proper 10-step physical aperture running from f/1.4 to f/4.0. Whilst variable aperture is an unthinkable omission in a digital camera, it is still very rare to find this in a phone. This should give photographers greater control over exposure and depth of field than the fixed apertures found on most rival phones. There is also a 40MP, 13mm-equivalent f/2.2 ultra-wide camera.

Huawei’s also included its second-generation True-to-Colour Camera 2.0, which works alongside all three cameras to analyze the light and colors within a scene. Huawei says this should improve color accuracy in difficult conditions, particularly when shooting under mixed artificial lighting where skin tones, neon lights and strongly saturated colors can quickly confuse a smartphone’s processing.

There are plenty of AI features as well, although one of the more interesting additions is designed to help photographers before they press the shutter. The phone can analyze a composition and suggest that the photographer physically moves forward, backward, or sideways to improve the framing. This seems to be a new frontier of camera AI, with Google, Samsung, and Sony all debuting versions of this tech in the last 12 months.

The smaller Pura 90s Pro retains the 50MP main camera with its f/1.4-f/4.0 variable aperture, but swaps the 200MP telephoto for a 50MP f/2.1 telephoto macro camera. Its ultra-wide camera also drops to 12.5MP, although it keeps the True-to-Colour Camera 2.0 system.

Away from the cameras, the Pura 90s Pro Max has a 6.9-inch LTPO OLED display with a 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate and a 2880 x 1308 resolution. The screen uses Huawei’s anti-reflective and scratch-resistant Kunlun Glass, while the phone weighs approximately 230.5g.

The Pura 90s Pro is a little more manageable, with a 6.6-inch 1-120Hz LTPO OLED display, a 2760 x 1256 resolution, and a weight of around 213.5g.

Both phones have a 6,000mAh battery in their Chinese specifications, but the international version will ship with a 5,200mAh cell to meet EU regulations. The Pro Max supports charging at up to 100W over a cable and 80W wirelessly, while the Pro offers 66W wired and 50W wireless charging, so long as you use a compatible charger.

Not afraid of standing out, the design is an interesting one, with one of the more unique camera bumps around. The standout Pura 90s Pro Max finish is Orange Ocean, which blends orange and blue across both the rear panel and metal frame. More demure Blush Gold and Graphite Black versions will also be offered, while the Pura 90s Pro comes in White, Mulberry Black, and Orange Soda finishes.

Huawei has not yet confirmed final pricing or precise country-by-country availability for Europe. Buying and living with a new Huawei phone still remains more complicated than it should be. The Pura 90s phones do not officially include the Google Play Store or other Google apps and services. Huawei offers its own AppGallery store, and many popular apps can be installed through alternative methods, but software that depends on Google Play Services may not work correctly.

That remains frustrating because on camera hardware alone, the Pura 90s Pro Max looks like it could be one of the most interesting camera phones of the year.

You might also like...

Check out more of the best Android phones for photography and the best camera phones in our guides.

I can’t count the times that I’ve heard the phrase “AI is inevitable,” but a recent reversal by Instagram’s parent company proves there’s still power in the voices decrying AI. Meta has pulled the controversial tool that enables the new Meta Muse Image generative AI to tag public profiles to use their likeness and style in fake images.

Last week, Meta unveiled its first in-house built image generator called Meta Muse. Among the different features, however, was a tool that enabled users to use an “@” tag on any public account to generate images that looked like that person as well as images that could copy the user’s style.

The tag feature wasn’t live for a week before Meta pulled the plug following backlash over the tool. Critics cited privacy concerns, as the AI could generate fakes that resembled real people using a basic “@” tag.

Much of the public outcry came from the fact that the tool was on by default, and users had to adjust their privacy settings to prevent others from creating images based on their Instagram profile.

As a photographer, I opened Meta Muse last week to see just how dangerous the AI really was – and found that using an “@” tag didn’t just copy someone’s face, but could also copy a specific photographer’s style, all based on their Instagram profile.

Meta’s quick reversal of the tagging feature inside Muse Image hints at the power of the public voice in the AI era. While many have said that AI is inevitable, the outcry following the controversial feature hints that the resistance to AI isn’t just limited to artists who make a living creating what a computer is now trying to imitate.

Meta isn’t pulling the entire Muse Image platform, but it has removed the tagging tool. While the tool’s willingness to take anyone’s likeness was a concern among a wide variety of Instagram users, its willingness to steal a particular style is disconcerting for artists.

While many AI platforms have no issues with generating an image based on an artist’s style, Instagram has long been a social network that artists have used to reach new audiences. Deleting social media accounts to protest the feature would have meant losing a valuable tool for reaching and cultivating new fans.

Meta’s reversal of the tagging feature is only one small win in the age of AI, but the reversal proves that people’s voices still have power – and sharing ethical concerns in the AI era isn’t shouting into an empty void.

You may also like…

Take a look at these alternative social media platforms for photographers, or the best photo editing apps.

Movavi Video Editor 2026 is a non-linear video editor [NLE] that enables you to quickly trim and reorder a sequence of video clips to tell a more succinct and entertaining story on your YouTube channel or social media feed. I started editing video back in the late 80s. Before the invention of NLE apps such as Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro, I had to play unedited RAW footage from a videotape player and record the good bits onto a videotape recorder.

If I needed to swap the order of any clips, then I had to tape over edited footage with the new clips (which could mean starting the whole edit from scratch if the change occurred near the beginning of the programme). This meant that it took me far longer to edit a programme using a tape-to-tape linear edit suite than it does using today’s drag-and-drop digital non-linear apps. And if I needed to create a transition, such as a dissolve or wipe between two clips, then I needed to hire in an extra video player and a vision mixer.

If the younger 1980s version of me could have glimpsed an NLE such as Movavi Video Editor 2026, it would have blown my mind, especially as it enables one to swap the running order of clips in seconds and drag and drop in titles and transitions instantly. And as for the ability to use AI to make a title or graphic track the movement of a subject! Brain-melting stuff.

Movavi Video Editor 2026: System requirements

Movavi Video Editor 2026: Price

I found the pricing models for Movavi Video Editor 2026 to be a little confusing at first, but here are your options. For starters, you can subscribe to Movavi Video Editor 2026 on a monthly basis at $23.95 / £17.95 per month. A much cheaper option is to pay $69.95 / £53.95 per annum for the Movavi Video Editor Plus plan. With the subscription options, you’ll get any updates to the software.

If you’re not a fan of subscribing, then you can purchase Movavi Video Editor for a one-off payment of $99.95 / £89.95. However, this lifetime purchase version won’t receive any updated tools or effects. Oh, and if you want to access all the available effects packs, it’ll cost you an additional $139.95 / £80.95 per year (or $49.95 / £28.95 per month).

Given that you can subscribe to Adobe Premiere Pro for $22.99 / £21.98 per month, Movavi’s monthly subscription is a little cheaper, but the annual subscription is much better value for money, and you’ll get to enjoy any upgraded tools and effects. It’s worth noting that Movavi Video Editor 2026 is available for a free 7-day trial, so I’d certainly recommend taking it for a test drive (if you don’t mind being bombarded with emails offering tutorials!).

Movavi Video Editor 2026: Interface and usability

If you’ve used any non-linear video editing apps before, then you should be able to jump right in and start using Movavi Video Editor, as it hasn’t reinvented the wheel when it comes to interface design. The general interface is black and grey, with icons and text labels rendered in easy-to-read white. This makes the app resemble most other NLE apps such as Final Cut Pro.

The clean and neutrally coloured interface design enables you to focus on the art of editing your raw clips into a slick show. Along the bottom is the obligatory timeline, where you can drag and drop clips from the bin and then drag the cursor to trim their duration and rearrange their running order. Above the timeline is a collection of icons that enable you to summon tools such as the Blade, which cuts a clip into two with a click in the timeline.

You can view your programme as it takes shape in the main viewer, which can be expanded so that your programme fills the entire frame. On the far left is a toolbar that gives you access to a suite of extra post-production assets such as Audio (which includes music tracks), Text (animated banners and graphics), and Elements (which contains eye-catching stickers that are helpfully grouped into themes such as Gaming and tech or Family and kids).

Movavi Video Editor is packed full of assets, but many of these belong to effects packs that you need to subscribe to (see 'Price' section). Usefully, you can set the All items drop-down to Free, so only free effects are displayed. You can use paid effects for free in your project, but there’s little point in doing this as a Movavi watermark pops up in the middle of the screen in your exported edited footage. Fortunately, there are plenty of animated effects and assets for you to enjoy using without paying extra for an effects pack, as you’ll see from my supporting video tour of Movavi Video Editor.

Movavi’s most powerful and useful post-production tools can be found by clicking on the Tools icon. Here you’ll find tools such as Chroma Key and Stabilisation, plus a time-saving Scene Detection tool that takes a long, rambling clip and automatically cuts it into separate clips when it notices a change in the scene. We’ll look at some of the key tools in the Performance section (below).

Movavi Video Editor 2026: Performance

To test Movavi Video Editor 2026, I decided to create a ‘day in the life’ video of model Maryna Sedin. I had shot some raw footage of Maryna dragging her suitcase full of clothes to London's Barbican Centre for a photo shoot, where I also interviewed her about her modelling career.

It was a simple matter to swipe the cursor over clips in the bin to preview their content, drag in the thumbnails to trim a clip’s start and end point, and then drag it into the timeline. I was then able to drag clips around in the timeline to swap their running order until I was happy with the unfolding story. I added parallel clips on multiple video layers, which enabled me to add cutaways that illustrate what the subject is talking about (as well as hiding cuts to the interview footage on the main video layer).

Editing clips on the Movavi timeline was very intuitive, especially as I’ve been using apps such as Final Cut Pro for years. However, one small behavioural detail did bug me. In Final Cut Pro, you can click anywhere in the timeline, and the playhead will jump instantly to this point. You can then tap the space bar and play the footage from that selected point in the timeline. With Movavi, you need to click on the duration bar above the timeline to manually reposition the playhead. This slowed me down quite a lot as I was used to the click-anywhere-in-the-timeline option from Final Cut Pro.

That small shortcoming aside, I was very impressed with Movavi’s AI-powered features as they saved the day in relation to my edit’s audio quality. When I’d interviewed Maryna, I’d forgotten to turn on my wireless mic’s noise cancellation feature. As a result, we could hear unwanted background sounds such as a cleaner hoovering in the distance. Maryna’s voice also sounded echoey thanks to reverberation from the location’s concrete walls.

Fortunately, the Sound autocorrect tools panel had an AI-powered Recording Studio tool. One click on this tool’s icon, and the background noise disappeared from Maryna’s audio track, and her voice sounded much clearer too! This tool did a much better job than Final Cut Pro’s Voice Isolation tool when applied to the same footage.

Another even more impressive AI-powered Movavi tool is the Auto subtitles feature. A few years back, it would take me many hours to listen to footage and then manually type up the subject’s speech into text. It only took a few seconds for Movavi’s AI-powered Auto subtitles tool to generate accurate subtitles from Maryna’s interview and place them above the appropriate footage in the timeline. I could then fine-tune any mistakes (of which there were few) and change the look of the captions in the Subtitles settings panel.

You can even choose an option that highlights each word as it is spoken by the subject - karaoke style. Final Cut Pro can also transcribe speech to captions, but I found that it was not as accurate as Movavi Video Editor. A few years ago I charged hundreds as a freelance video editor to create subtitles for a programme. Thanks to AI, this task takes minutes, so those lucrative subtitling gigs are well and truly over!

Another very useful AI-powered tool comes in the shape of motion tracking. You can drop a graphic onto the timeline and then use AI to make it track the movement of a subject on the main video layer. If the video clip isn’t on the main video layer, then the AI motion tracking feature isn’t available. This took me a while to work out, as you can place clips on multiple video layers above the main track, but AI will only motion track objects on main layer clips.

Movavi Video Editor 2026: Verdict

Today’s generation of video editors is well-used to the convenience of editing video on a computer, and free apps such as iMovie make it an inexpensive task. However, in the crowded field of non-linear video editing apps, Movavi Video Editor 2026 stands out thanks to a combination of powerful post-production tools and an intuitively designed and easy-to-master interface.

You then have the option to pay an additional subscription to gain access to Movavi Effects if you want to expand your choice of graphics, transitions, and music tracks, but as you’ll see from my supporting video, the basic version of Movavi is generously packed full of sophisticated post-production tools that will enable you to create eye-catching videos. And while there are free feature-packed video editing apps available, such as the extremely impressive DaVinci Resolve 21, Movavi Video Editor is much easier to master.

Alternatives

BenQ has revealed a new addition to its Creative Pro monitor line-up: the PD2732U. This 27‑inch 4K display has been designed for photographers, videographers and creatives who need a wide-gamut, color-accurate display. It boasts 99% Adobe RGB, 99% DCI‑P3, and 100% sRGB coverage – percentages that few other monitors can compete with, regardless of price. The Adobe RGB coverage is especially impressive, and it means on-screen colors can be more accurately matched to CMYK print output.

Every PD2732U is factory calibrated to an accuracy of Delta E <2, and is Calman Verified and Pantone Validated for additional color dependability. BenQ’s AQCOLOR Pilot calibration software enables hardware and software calibration management for long-term color accuracy. The PD2732U is also said to “ensure reliable color performance and brightness across the entire display, minimizing color deviation with advanced corner-to-corner uniformity correction”.

In addition to the display’s pro-grade image credentials, the PD2732U also features Thunderbolt 4 connectivity for single-cable video, data, and power delivery, along with Smart KVM with daisy‑chain support, enabling you to control multiple computers through a single monitor. Mac‑optimized color matching eliminates differences between Mac displays and the monitor – ideal when using the PD2732U alongside a MacBook. Each monitor is supplied with BenQ’s wireless Hotkey Puck that gives quick access to modes and settings.

The BenQ PD2732U is available to pre‑order at B&H for $699, which considering its superb color space coverage makes it a bit of a bargain. Alternatively, it can be bundled with BenQ’s Ergo Arm for a $50 discount. Retail availability at B&H starts on July 22, with Amazon and other retailers stocking the display from September 1.

Like many photographers, I like to make prints to adorn the walls at home. And some years ago I invested in a poster-sized printer so that I could do so at will.

Specifically, I got a Canon Pixma Pro 9000 Mark II, which was the 2009 version of a printer that hasn’t significantly changed from its 2006 release.

When I tried to print something this weekend with no success for the first time, I wasn’t sure what to do.

There are obvious steps that everyone goes through, obviously. Checking that all the ink tanks are full is step one. They weren’t, of course. It had been a few months, and I suspect a degree of evaporation may have played its part.

The current heatwave and the fact that I keep the printer upstairs won’t have helped matters. However, it was not a cheap printer – well over $500 – so I don’t mind forking out $30 for a set of replacements from a brand of compatible inks I have come to trust: Inkredible (unlike, sadly, some of the ‘compatible’ brands on Amazon).

Each of the ink tanks for this printer has a chip and the printer senses them. I’ve never had an issue with these, whereas some ‘compatible’ inks have proven not to be. Some will tell me I should continue using Canon’s own inks, but their price is somewhat off-putting by comparison.

Two days later, when the inks arrived, I swapped them out and reassuring lights indicated that the printer recognized them; however, it was still not inclined to print a page for me.

At this point, I had to resort to attempting to understand the printer’s problem via its only means of communication – an orange LED that flashes a number of times in sequence.

This felt positively archaic in an era where my portable battery pack has a small color display, but casting my mind back to 2006 (before the iPhone was announced) perhaps this wasn’t so unlikely.

I can connect to my computer, of course, and hope that the software understands the error, but that doesn’t actually solve it either. Plugging into my Mac did remind me of the printer’s age, though, with a dedicated USB-A cable forcing me to find an adapter for the USB-C ports on my computer.

My MacBook reported a print head error via the Print Center, and ChatGPT concurred when I described the flashing light. Unlike the computer, though, the AI chatbot wanted to help out – suggesting a load of things to try.

While every one of the eight ink colors is a small replaceable tank, the whole print head is attached beneath them and is also removable and replaceable.

The ever-sympathetic chatbot initially suggested a series of parts of the printer to clean – buttons, paper feeds and the like – all of which, it felt, could lead to the same issue.

Eventually, it decided that it was time to remove the print head – but before replacing it, suggested some ways to clean it. In other words, lint-free cloth and rubbing alcohol were additional investments that ChatGPT thought were worth consideration. Not to mention a lot of time.

Sadly, though, AI wasn’t totally on-side with my problem, wanting me to perform a nozzle check – which the printer was refusing to do because the print head wasn’t working.

After a lot of back-and-forth in a chat, though, it gave me odds (about 90%) of an electrical failure of the print head, which brings me to my next choice. Do I source a new one – there are compatible options out there, even if Canon ones are hard to come by – or is it time to call it quits?

I think the answer is starting to become apparent. I’ve already lost a good amount of money and time – and ended up with very inky fingers several times.

I was, I have to admit, impressed with the amount of knowledge that AI had to offer about the printer’s error messages given its age. But at this stage I start to measure the value of my time (no, really, it has some).

There is also a point at which being told “We’re getting there” or “That’s a good sign” by a cheery and positive AI is increasingly frustrating as a human. ChatGPT is a bot, after all, and doesn’t quite appreciate that getting eight different colors over your fingers every time you get all the tanks out to access the print head to try “one more thing” is a bit annoying.

And it takes a long, long time to clean printer ink off your fingers.

So the final question should perhaps be “What is the best large-format printer?” That is a question I’ll still trust to humans with experience, but I did appreciate AI lending a hand in making me feel that I won’t be slapping down the cash on a whim.

Meta has announced its first in-house created AI image generator. But, Muse Image comes with the ability for anyone to go into the AI, use an “@” tag with an Instagram username, and generate realistic images of that person for anyone with a public account and loose privacy settings. But, when I tried the AI generator, Muse Image was also able to copy a photographer's style by tagging a specific profile.

The Muse Image tagging feature was met with immediate backlash and privacy concerns, with one user calling the feature a “privacy landmine waiting to detonate.” But the tool may be particularly problematic for artists because the same tool can also be used to copy a photographer’s style using a simple @ tag if privacy settings aren’t in place.

Much of that Meta AI backlash comes, in particular, from the fact that it seems to be on by default for public profiles of users over age 18.

Both intrigued and worried, I opened Meta AI to see if the feature is really as terrifying as it sounded. To my relief, the limited privacy and reuse settings I already had in place prevented the AI from generating photos of myself – and even after downloading the necessary Instagram update, that “reuse” toggle was still turned off.

Public profiles can turn off Meta Muse’s ability to generate photos that look like them or use their grid to copy a certain style by going into the Instagram settings, navigating to the “share and reuse” section, then turning off the toggle that says “Allow people to reuse your content on Instagram and with AI features.”

When I opened Meta Muse and tagged myself, the AI refused to generate a photo of me, even though logging into my own account was required to use the AI.

I tried three user names (including my own) before I found a public profile with loose enough settings. The AI then generated a fake image of someone who looked a lot like the real person. The AI does this without notifying the user, and the resulting image does look quite a bit like the person whose username I had tagged.

But Muse Image can also use tags to copy a certain style. The AI copied my own style when I was logged in, but thankfully, when I logged into a different account, the AI said it couldn’t use my public photography account as inspiration. Instead, the AI advised me to describe in words the style that I wanted, telling me, “I can match that look without needing the specific account.”

While I was relieved to see that the privacy settings seem to work to prevent using my Instagram grid as an AI’s inspiration, it’s disappointing that the ability to copy a user's style even exists in the first place.

Muse Image is rolling out to Meta AI first, but has also popped up in AI Instagram Story tools and chats with Meta AI in WhatsApp in some regions. The company says that Muse will be coming to Facebook and Messenger, as well as additional Instagram tools, "in the coming weeks."

How to prevent Meta Muse from using your face and photos for AI

1. Open Instagram and log in.
2. Navigate to your profile and select the settings menu (the three horizontal line icon).
3. Scroll down underneath “How others can interact with you” and tap “Sharing and reuse.”
4. Toggle off the option that says “Allow people to reuse your content on Instagram and with AI features.”
5. Don’t see that option? Try updating your app. If the option still doesn’t show, turn off the option that says “Allow people to create with and reuse your original audio on Meta AI” instead.

How to disable Meta Muse AI on individual posts

Instagram also allows users to turn off AI re-use on individual posts, which is also a good tool to see if the overall privacy settings have taken effect.

1. Navigate to your profile and tap on one of your posts.
2. Tap the “...” menu.
3. You’ll see “allow reuse” if your general settings don’t allow reuse, or “turn off reuse” if your general reuse settings are on. Tap to adjust.

You may also like...

Browse the best photo editing apps or the best mirrorless cameras.

Tamron has released the latest firmware for its 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD Sony E-mount lens, one month after the rollout was initially set to happen.

The company had originally promised firmware version 6 for Sony shooters by mid-June, but cited autofocus tracking and connectivity bugs on certain Sony camera bodies, such as the A9 III and A7 V, for the delays.

Firmware version 6 for the 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD brings support for Tamron Lens Utility version 5.0 for both computer and smartphone devices.

Tamron Lens Utility is the accompanying app enabling you to control your lens settings and functionality from an external device. With the app, it's possible to program custom physical buttons on your lens, set A-B focus points, and adjust aperture using your smartphone or computer.

Released in February of this year, version 5.0 of the app enables you to do this wirelessly, as long as you have the Tamron Link Bluetooth adapter connected to the lens, while previous versions required a wired USB connection.

Tamron Firmware Version Download

Firmware updates for Tamron lenses are carried out through the Tamron Lens Utility app, which you can download here.

It’s a good idea to hold off downloading the latest firmware for a few weeks. This should give enough time for any new issues to arise in community chatter, and for Tamron to address them. Keep an eye on Digital Camera World, and we'll let you know about any problems.

Note: you cannot downgrade a Tamron lens to a previous firmware

Nikon shooters need not worry about this firmware update. The Z-mount version of the 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD was already compatible with Tamron Lens Utility version 5.0, having gained support with firmware version 3 earlier this year.

That’s it for this Tamron firmware update. Although it brings just the one change for Sony users, it’s a seemingly impactful one, enabling easier control of your 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD lens, especially for videographers.

You might also like…

Here’s our pick of the best Sony lenses including our view on the best Tamron lens for your Alpha camera.

Nikon has released the latest firmware for the Z50II – an affordable APS-C shooter geared towards beginners and vloggers – with the update expanding shutter priority (S Mode) controls when recording video along with several label and location changes to settings menu items.

While the name and location changes of settings menu items alone might not justify updating to firmware version 1.10 for stills photographers, videographers will want to consider the added creative controls over exposure and depth of field.

The most impactful new feature of the firmware update is the ability to manually adjust aperture when recording video in S Mode, enabling filmmakers to dial in depth of field and adjust exposure by eye. Prior to firmware version 1.10, the Z50II would make all the ISO and aperture decisions for you when recording in S Mode.

It’s a seemingly minor update that moves S Mode towards more of a hybrid auto-come-manual mode, but one that puts an end to any unwanted sudden and drastic exposure changes.

Nikon Firmware Download

Download firmware version 1.10 (Nikon Z50II)

It’s a good idea to hold off downloading the latest firmware for a few weeks. This should give enough time for any new issues to arise in community chatter, and for Nikon to address them. Keep an eye on Digital Camera World and we'll let you know about any problems.

Nikon has also rejigged the settings menus in the Z50II. In Picture Controls, “Cloud Picture Control” is now called “Imaging Recipe” and “Add Cloud Picture Control files” under the Set Picture Control setting has changed to “Download Imaging Recipes”.

You’ll also notice changes to the Setup Menu, including an added option to save your current focus settings to the U1, U2, or U3 positions on the top mode dial.

You might also like…

Take a look at our expert pick of the best Nikon cameras from basic beginner models to advanced pro rigs.

Apple has increased orders for its new foldable phone to 10 million, up from previous targets of 7 or 8 million. This news comes at the same time that other major phone brands are slashing their production plans.

According to Nikkei Asia, Apple has booked parts and components for 80 million phones – across its whole late 2026 range, which is expected to include an iPhone Pro and Pro Max, and Apple's first-ever foldable.

How can Apple be putting its orders up while other big names like Xiaomi and Oppo are reducing orders? These are big firms producing a lot of phones on the global market, but Apple is the biggest name with the strongest bargaining power.

It doesn't mean Apple customers won't face higher prices, as we've seen. Tim Cook has already increased Apple prices, but this might not affect the company's bid to remain "cool" – key to the new CEO John Ternus's mission.

Apple traditionally launches a new generation of phones in September, regardless of demand for the existing models.

An executive of an Apple supplier is quoted as saying: "The demand for the iPhone 17 series in the markets is still quite good, but we are told to purposely reserve common chips and components for the iPhone 18 series,"

There is another way to read this, however.

Apple's bargaining power is the strongest in the business, so the company might choose to spread its launches out, taking advantage of the fact it can order more chips and save its launches (or some of them) for Spring 2027.

The delay would mean Apple gets to enjoy the success of its existing models even longer – backed by the advantage it has in getting memory. It could then throw all the fanfare of a big launch against any potential competition from the large Chinese and other companies in Spring, and stay ahead.

It might also be the only solution to the engineering issues that have, according to some rumors, plagued the folding phone, and might be especially problematic when large volume production is required.

Nevertheless, according to sources, the more likely releases for the early 2027 window at the moment are the standard (non-Pro) iPhone 18 and a new iPhone Air.

That's interesting for several reasons – not least because some of us thought that the iPhone Air might just be a way of testing half a folding phone on customers, but if there is a new model this soon, perhaps Apple is in it for the long haul.

If you're into the Apple ecosystem, you'll likely need to decide what kind of phone you want – and be prepared to wait if a think light 'Air' or the cheaper iPhone 18 doesn't arrive in the September wave.

Apple sold more smartphones than Samsung, the next largest company, in 2025 and in order to maintain that lead it is devoting a lot of energy to the supply chain.

It is known to have made connections beyond China, too, with companies including Japanese glass fibre company Nittobo, seeming looking to get the lead on components needed by chip manufacturers.

That is a reminder that Apple – a company which produces its own chip designs, after all – is also in a complicated game against the likes of Nvidia.

Will it be worth waiting for the folding iPhone? And just how long a wait? Check our guide to the best iPhone for photography now – and the best folding phone.

Looking for an exceptionally thin and light Windows laptop that doesn't compromise on performance? The Geekom GeekBook X14 Pro could be the answer. It weighs just 2.2lbs and is only 0.23 inches thick, yet even the base spec includes a versatile Intel Core Ultra 5 processor, a healthy 32GB of RAM and a 1 terabyte SSD. Keen photographers and creatives will also appreciate the high resolution OLED display that promises excellent image quality. Let's see if the GeekBook X14 Pro can live up to expectations…

Geekom GeekBook X14 Pro: Features

The X14 Pro comes in two configurations, though the only difference is the processor. The base config is based around an Intel Core Ultra 5 125H CPU which packs 14 cores and can run at up to 4.5 GHz. Opt for the top tier model and you get a powerful Core Ultra 9 185H CPU, which adds two additional cores while running at up to 5.1 GHz. Both configs include 32GB of RAM and a fast 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD. Physical connectivity consists of two 40Gbps USB4 Type C ports with Power Delivery, along with an HDMI port and 3.5mm audio socket. And if that's not sufficient, Geekom also includes a USB-C dongle which adds an additional USB-C port, two further USB-A ports, another HDMI socket and even an RJ45 Ethernet port.

Sometimes thin and light laptops don't prioritize screen quality, but that's not the case here. The X14 Pro boasts a premium 14-inch OLED display running at a crisp 2880 x 1800 resolution. It also has an advertised 100% DCI P3 color space coverage - there are high-end standalone monitors that struggle to match that - while maximum brightness is a respectable 450 nits. Gamers will appreciate the 120Hz refresh rate, though the X14 Pro isn't designed to be a gaming powerhouse, as there's no dedicated graphics processor - the CPU takes care of that.

Despite its super-thin design, Geekom has managed to cram in a 72Wh battery, which it says is enough to power the laptop for up to 16 hours. When you're out of juice, the included (and surprisingly compact) gallium nitride charger provides 65 watts of charging power - enough to reach 80% charge in around 1 hour.

Geekom GeekBook X14 Pro: Specifications

Geekom GeekBook X14 Pro: Design & handling

As is often the case in the thin and light Windows notebook sector, Geekom has looked to Apple for design inspiration. Consequently the X14 Pro bears more than just a passing resemblance to a current MacBook Air, and it uses a similar CNC-machined magnesium alloy unibody chassis construction. The main deck of the laptop is surprisingly rigid with very little flex, considering its minimal thickness. Inevitably the wafer-thin screen feels flimsier, but that's unavoidable if you want ultimate thinness and lightness.

The trackpad is a useful size, very smooth and responsive. My only gripe is that for some reason only the right-hand third of the trackpad area is clickable, making it a pain to perform click and drag movements, such as when painting or erasing in Photoshop. The keyboard is backlit, with customisable brightness. Key travel will always be restricted on a device this thin, and the click action is slightly rubbery for my liking, but I was still able to type quickly and comfortably. Sound quality is best described as adequate. A chassis this thin leaves hardly any room for speakers, so audio is completely lacking in bass. Even so, music doesn't sound uncomfortably harsh, and there's always the 3.5mm headphone jack when you want better audio fidelity.

Geekom GeekBook X14 Pro: Performance

Our GeekBook X14 Pro review sample came equipped with the faster of the two available CPU options: Intel's Core Ultra 9 185H. In my benchmark testing this returned a healthy Geekbench CPU score of 12297, comfortably outpacing my existing laptop of choice: Lenovo's Yoga Slim 7 Aura. The X14 Pro also outpaced the Slim 7 Aura in Cinebench 2024, scoring 618, and its 1TB SSD is extremely rapid, being capable of a blistering 7004MB/s read speed, with write speeds not much slower.

This all translates to surprisingly potent performance for photo editing. Even when working with very high resolution raw files in Photoshop, the X14 Pro managed to stay snappy, adding filters with ease and showed no sign of slowing when the layer count reached double figures. For an even tougher test I broke out a 1.4GB, 852-megapixel stitched panorama TIFF file and attempted to enlarge it vertically by around 500 pixels using Generative Expand. This took an impressively rapid 27.5 seconds - compare that with the 45 seconds taken by the Slim 7 Aura laptop, which was already a respectable time relative to the 1 minute 23 seconds taken by my personal tower PC equipped with a 6-core AMD Ryzen 5 5600G (a much older CPU not designed with AI in mind). What's more, even with this respectable processing speed, the X14 Pro never got overly hot or noisy.

The twin 40Gbps USB4 ports are a very handy inclusion for when you want to import photos or videos, as with a USB4 Type-C card reader you could even max out the speed of a CFexpress 4.0 memory card. A modern NVMe portable SSD should also be able to run at its full speed when attached to one of the USB4 ports. It's a pity one of the two ports is used by the charger, but this is to be expected as Type-C chargers are now the norm.

Geekom GeekBook X14 Pro: Screen quality

A laptop that'll be used for image editing needs a reliable, color-accurate screen as well as decent processing power. Thankfully, the X14 Pro’s 14-inch OLED display doesn't disappoint. Its super-crisp 2880 x 1800 resolution is high enough to blend individual pixels into each other, while vibrancy and contrast are incredibly high by virtue of this being an OLED display, rather than LCD. The only issue I had was that the brightness on our test laptop was stuck and did not respond to the keyboard controls, despite the on-screen brightness slider appearing to go up and down in response to the relevant keys.

But to objectively assess the image quality of any display, you need a specialist device called a colorimeter; more commonly known as a monitor calibrator. Our Datacolor Spyder Pro is ideal for this job, so we can precisely assess just how good the X14 Pro’s screen really is.

Color Gamut

Geekom states that the Geekbook X14 Pro should display 100% of the wide-gamut DCI-P3 color space, and our testing revealed this bold claim to be completely accurate. 95% coverage of the even more demanding AdobeRGB color space is just as impressive.

Color accuracy

Right out of the box the X14 Pro manages an awesome color accuracy of Delta-E 0.48. And notice how every tested color patch is less than Delta-E 1? Many monitors and laptop screens are tuned for a cooler overall color balance, resulting in the cyan test patch being much less close to ideal color than the other patches. But that's not the case here: the X14 Pro is the most color-accurate laptop I've ever tested.

Screen uniformity

Color uniformity at 100% brightness is very good. However it becomes even better when brightness is reduced to a more comfortable 67%. Luminance (brightness) uniformity is also excellent, regardless of the overall screen brightness setting.

Brightness

Unlike the brightness uniformity test where Datacolor's calibration software raises and lowers the display brightness, measuring the screen's overall brightness relies on manual brightness adjustment. As mentioned above, this wasn't working with our sample laptop, hence all the brightness cd/m2 values in this chart are essentially identical.

Geekom GeekBook X14 Pro: Verdict

As tested with the faster of the two CPU options, the Geekom GeekBook X14 Pro costs $1,199. That makes it just $100 less expensive than a base 13-inch MacBook Air, but at that price the MacBook has half the RAM and half the storage of the X14 Pro. You'll also have to pay extra for a MacBook port dongle, whereas Geekom includes this for free with the X14 Pro. Geekom's pricing also compares well to other thin and light Windows laptops with equivalent CPU, RAM and storage specs.

Ultimately, no 13-inch laptop is an ideal tool for serious image or video editing - there simply isn't enough screen area for displaying multiple toolbars, palettes and a timeline, while also having a comfortably large preview pane. But if outright portability matters most to you, then the GeekBook X14 Pro is almost without compromise: it's got plenty of power, its screen is simply stunning, and it sips battery power. To manage all that in such an outrageously thin and light chassis is nothing short of incredible.

While the Honor Magic V6 got a lot of attention at MWC earlier this year, it took its sweet time to reach UK shelves. Now, though, it's finally available to order across Europe, and it's aiming to be the very best foldable on the market.

Looking at the spec sheet, it may just be that. It has Qualcomm's most powerful chip inside, the biggest battery of any foldable so far, and some seriously well-equipped cameras. It's also the first folding phone to come with an IP69 rating for dust and water resistance.

On the other hand, the competition is stiffer than ever. There's the wildly impressive Oppo Find N6, for one, and Samsung (and maybe Apple?) are set to unveil their latest foldables in the coming months. Is the Honor Magic V6 enough to keep up? Let's dive in.

Specifications

Price & Availability

The Honor Magic V6 has an eye-watering £1999.99 MSRP in the UK, which is a significant increase over the Magic V5's £1699.99 price tag. However, for a limited time, you can nab it for just £1499.99, and if you get it on the Honor UK site, they'll throw in £500 worth of freebies.

So, that makes discussing the pricing a little tricky. On one hand, the big (likely RAM shortage-induced) price hike is a tough pill to swallow, but on the other, the introductory price is a solid deal. If you're keen on this phone, it probably makes sense to jump in early.

At full retail, the Magic V6 is one of the priciest book-style foldables around. But we don't know what Samsung's next-gen pricing looks like yet, and the way things are trending, that won't come cheap, either.

Design

The Honor Magic V6 has a similar overall design to the Magic V5, but there are a few visual differences to set it apart. Firstly, there's a new shape to the camera bezel, which now has a more angular octagonal design.

The cover screen is now completely flat, and it has a more symmetrical shape, with matching curved corners on every side. The hinge still sticks out a little, with its squared-off corners, but there's not a lot that can be done to remedy that.

As always, there are some fresh colour options to further differentiate the two models. I have the gold version in for testing, and it's pretty boujie. It has a shiny golden back panel with a subtle repeating triangular pattern across it, and a matching pattern on the hinge.

It reminds me of Ferrero Rocher packaging, and when combined with the included cream leather-effect case, it gives off designer handbag vibes. You get the idea, it's fancy and shiny. Despite the glossy surfaces, though, it's completely immune to fingerprint smudges, so it'll keep up appearances even when you've been using it for hours.

The red model is the standout, in my opinion. It has a deep blood-red shade to the rear panel, complete with a textured finish that looks a bit like craft paper. However, if you're more concerned about dimensions than colours, you'll want to go for the white one, as that's the slimmest of the bunch.

Speaking of which, this is one of the thinnest foldables on the market, to the point where it's noticeably slimmer than some flagship Ultra bar-phones. I'm not convinced it's any slimmer than the Galaxy Z Fold 7, but who really cares? It's slim enough to feel great in your pocket, and that's all that matters.

Now, these svelte dimensions might lead you to expect a fragile device, but thankfully, that's not the case. In fact, it's quite the opposite. The Honor Magic V6 has the highest IP rating of any foldable to date, IP69, which means it's effectively immune to dust and water (except for salt water).

It's also built with toughness in mind. It has NanoCrystal scratch-resistant glass on the cover screen and an impact-resistant Super Steel hinge. SGS has awarded it 5 stars for drop resistance, too. As ever, the foldable screen will be the weak point, but otherwise, it should handle some rough treatment without issue.

Both screens are super impressive, but the highlight is the almost 8-inch foldable panel. It's a 120Hz OLED with a supposed peak brightness of 5000 nits, and it's more than bright enough for outdoor use. The square-ish aspect ratio makes it excellent for displaying two apps side by side, and it's a great way to review and edit your photos, too.

There is a crease, but it's impressively shallow, and until recently, I would have said it's one of the best I've ever seen. Unfortunately for Honor, the Oppo Find N6 is in a completely different league, and having used that as my daily driver for months, this isn't too exciting. That said, the N6 isn't officially available in most Western countries, and this is probably the most crease-free foldable that's sold in the UK.

The cover display is also fantastic, boasting an even higher peak brightness. The aspect ratio is very slightly narrower than most flagship bar-phones, but other than that, there's very little difference. There's no downside to using the outer display most of the time, and only opening the hinge when you need some extra real estate - and that's exactly what I found myself doing.

It's also worth mentioning the speakers, as they're quite decent. There's a bit of bass response, and they project a wide soundstage that's great for gaming and movie immersion. They're not as impressive as the Honor Magic 8 Pro speakers, but considering the size constraints, Honor has done a remarkable job.

Camera Performance

The Honor Magic V6 appears to have identical camera hardware to last year's V5. So, while there's nothing to get too hyped up about, the V5 already had some of the best cameras on a foldable, and the competition hasn't been pushing in that direction too much. These snappers are likely still among the best.

On the rear, there are three cameras. You get a 23mm equivalent 50MP main camera with a fairly large 1/1.56-inch sensor, a 64MP 70mm periscope with a 1/2-inch sensor, and a dramatic 15mm ultrawide camera. There's also a 20MP punch-hole selfie camera on each screen.

As is often the case, the main camera is the best-equipped and provides the most consistent results across all lighting conditions. It's the sharpest, and its large sensor handles dim conditions better than the other lenses, resulting in less motion blur.

However, the telephoto camera is no slouch, and it's likely the best telephoto on any foldable phone right now. The sizable 1/2-inch sensor, combined with the 70mm lens, creates some lovely compression and background softening for close-up shots. And while I wouldn't necessarily call it a macro camera, it can get closer than most. It's able to focus from around 20cm away, and when combined with some digital zoom, you can get stunning close-ups.

Long-range zoom is more hit-and-miss, but I was able to get usable results up until around 20x. Going beyond that range, images start to look very unnatural - especially if you toggle on Honor's AI Zoom enhancement feature. Sure, it'll clean up the pixellation, but it also makes up details and isn't very photo-like.

The ultrawide is the least impressive of the trio. On the plus side, it's super-wide, so you can get loads in the frame, and you can get some fun distorted angles with it. It also has autofocus, so you can use it for macro shots, if you fancy. On the other hand, it's not very sharp, and the tiny sensor struggles in the dark.

The twin selfie cameras are fine, but they're nothing too special. There's a noticeable drop in quality compared to the rear cameras, but for video chats, they get the job done nicely - and they're still better than most laptop webcams. Since this is a foldable, if you want excellent selfies, your best bet is to unfold the device and use the rear cameras instead.

Honor's default colours are a little too saturated and punchy for my tastes, but thankfully, there are lots of picture styles available, and they change the look quite dramatically. I'm really fond of the Nostalgic Negative mode, which produces moody high-contrast images with cool tones in the shadows - it looks especially good at night.

The Studio Harcourt portrait mode is also available on this phone, and it can take some super-impressive, highly stylised snaps with either the main or telephoto cameras. You can also digitally crop up to 6x, if your subject is a little further away.

Overall, I'm really impressed with the cameras on the V6. My only real complaint is that I seem to get a lot of motion blur when using portrait mode, and it's much less of a problem in the other modes. I hope Honor can figure that out, as otherwise, it's a really strong camera system.

For video shooting, the Honor Magic V6 supports up to 4K 60fps on all the rear cameras, and 4K 30fps on the selfie cameras. Stabilisation is strong, and the microphones are very decent, too. I was a little disappointed, having used the Find N6 so much, that there are no 4K 120fps options, and the Log profile only works on the main camera. But, to be fair, these features are niche, and most casual users won't mind.

Phone Performance

The Honor Magic V6 is powered by Qualcomm's most powerful chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and that means, no matter what you demand of it, this phone can likely keep up. For the global launch, it's paired with 512GB of storage and 16GB of RAM.

Performance has been great throughout my testing. I demand a lot from foldable phones, often running two or three apps side-by-side and streaming music or a YouTube video at the same time, and this phone can do it without issue. It always feels smooth, no matter what I'm doing.

It can game pretty well, too. I've been playing NTE, a graphically challenging title with a large open-world city map, and while some phones struggle, the V6 powers through it. It ran the game on the "Extreme" preset at 60fps quite solidly, and though it got hot after a while, especially around the camera area, the performance didn't seem to drop.

The phone runs MagicOS 10, Honor's customised version of Android 16. Stylistically, it's very Apple-influenced. There's a Dynamic Island clone, some Liquid Glass-like elements, and even a Standby mode - but almost all of this is optional.

Where MagicOS excels is with its customisation options. You can tweak and change most things in this OS, so even if it's not your vibe by default, you can probably configure it to your tastes. It's also absolutely packed with features, including all the latest AI-powered tricks like translation, transcription, image generation and writing assistance.

What I found most interesting, though, is the way the Honor Magic V6 works with Apple products. As a MacBook and Android user, I often face hurdles, but the Magic V6 makes life much easier. If you install Honor Workspace from the Mac App Store, you can share your clipboard, transfer files, and even use your Magic V6 as a wireless secondary display - it's very cool.

The Magic V6 can also natively browse and share to iCloud accounts, and you can wirelessly transfer files to and from iPhones with Honor Connect. If you're currently an Apple person, this phone will make transitioning out of the walled garden much easier.

The problem I have with MagicOS is the same as it ever was. The OS kills background apps like crazy to save on battery life, and this can lead to delayed or undelivered notifications from important apps. It's fixable, but you need to dive into some settings menus to sort it out, and that's a hassle you don't get elsewhere.

Lastly, we need to talk about the battery. The Honor Magic V6 has a mammoth 6660 mAh battery inside its skinny frame, the biggest of any foldable I have used to date. As you might expect, this results in brilliant battery life.

Most of the time, I get about a day and a half's use from a charge. Of course, battery life always depends on your usage, and if I were playing demanding games or shooting lots of video, it didn't last quite as long, but it never failed to get me to the end of the day, despite using the larger fold-out screen at every opportunity.

Charging is super quick, too. It supports up to 80W speeds with a wire, and I found I could go from flat to around 70% charged in just half an hour. If you like wireless charging, that's also super quick, at up to 66W. Neither adapter is included in the box, though, just a USB-C cable.

Final Verdict

The Honor Magic V6 is a pleasure to use, and it's easily one of the best foldable phones on the market today. It has the best battery, the cameras are among the best, and it should be one of the most durable, too.

The pricing complicates things a little, though. At the introductory price of £1499.99, it's a solid deal, but the full MSRP of £1999.99 is tough to stomach. I think the stiffest competition comes from Honor itself. The Honor Magic V5 feels almost identical in use, and you can currently grab that for just £1099.99. The biggest downside to doing so is losing out on that larger battery, but it's still super powerful and has almost identical cameras.

You should also factor in that Samsung is likely to launch its next foldables in the next month or so, and then maybe Apple, too. The competition is about to get very interesting, and personally, I'd hold off and see what they bring to the table.

With all that said, if you need a foldable phone right now, it's hard to fault the Honor Magic V6. It's an excellent all-rounder that doesn't fall short in any particular area. Whether you're looking to shoot impressive photos, get work done on the go, or play some games, you're in for a good time with this one.

Alternatives

Oppo's Reno series phones have always aimed to give you a lot for your money, and the latest 16-series models are following suit. The Reno 16 Pro boasts a 200MP main camera, one of the most impressive selfie cameras around, a premium build, top-class software, and a sizable 6700 mAh battery.

Oppo told us that, unlike the flagship X-series phones, the latest Reno models are aimed at a younger audience. Rather than professional-level imaging, these handsets are all about creating quick, hassle-free Instagram-ready snaps to brighten up your feed.

As such, there are loads of excellent filters to play about with, and some novel collage effects that are more impressive than they might first sound. I've been having a lot of fun with the Reno 16 Pro, and after slipping my SIM card in for the past week, here are my thoughts.

Specifications

Price & Availability

The Oppo Reno 16 Pro is available in Europe in a single 12GB RAM and 512GB storage configuration, priced at €1,099, with a launch discount bringing it down to €899 until July 31. There’s no confirmed US release, which is a shame, as this would be a strong option for creators looking for flagship-adjacent camera features without paying true flagship money.

Design

The Oppo Reno 16 Pro stands out from the crowd in its signature Pop White colourway. While it might not be to my particular tastes, I can imagine younger, more feminine users being quite taken with it. (There's also a more sensible black version that might be more my speed.)

So, what makes this phone stand out so much? Well, the glossy rear panel has a subtle glittering finish when the light hits it, complete with a 3D planet motif that's unique to this phone.

When I say 3D, I really mean it. Oppo is calling this tech HoloVerse 3D, and it uses multiple layers of material and millions of micro lenses to create a sense of 3D depth without requiring glasses. Not only that, but the design actually casts a shadow on the back of the phone when you shine a torch at it.

Fancy rear casing aside, the phone looks and feels premium throughout. It has matte aluminium side rails and a flat, boxy, iPhone-like shape. It has a 6.32-inch screen, which makes it much more compact than many of its rivals. As such, it's much easier to reach the top of the screen, and it won't make such a bulge in your pocket. If you have smaller hands, you'll definitely appreciate it.

In addition to the usual power button and volume rocker combo, this phone also has a "Snap Key", which is Oppo's version of Apple's Action Button. I love this button. I use it all the time on my other Oppo devices, mainly as a way to quickly toggle my torch on, but it can do a lot more than just that.

Oppo seems most keen on this button being used like Nothing's Essential Key. By default, it's set to save screenshots to the Mind Space app, which will then use AI to organise your screenshots and make them searchable. It's a handy feature, but as a frequent ecosystem-hopper, it's not ideal for me. Instead, I'm more excited about the ability to quickly launch translation tools when travelling or open my favourite camera mode in a flash.

The screen is pretty impressive. It's an OLED panel with a speedy 144Hz refresh rate, and it can reach up to 3600 nits at peak brightness. There are slim symmetrical bezels on all sides, and while the selfie camera cutout is slightly larger than usual, there's a good reason for that, which we'll dive into a bit later.

The Reno 16 Pro is IP69K certified, a slight increase over the previous model's IP69 rating. Essentially, dust and water don't pose much of a threat to this handset, even at high temperatures; you'll only need to be careful around salt water - but that's always the case.

You also get a hard plastic transparent case included in the box, so you can keep your phone scratch-free and show off the rear design without needing to purchase additional accessories. This case is clearer than the usual soft TPU freebies, and may be more immune to yellowing - but time will tell.

Camera Performance

The Reno 16 Pro has three cameras on the rear. There's a 200MP main snapper with a decently sized 1/1.56-inch sensor, a 50MP ultrawide, and a 50MP 3.5x telephoto. The latter two sensors are smaller at 1/2.88-inch and 1/2.75-inch, respectively, but I was pleased to find that the ultrawide has autofocus.

Arguably, the most exciting camera on this phone is the selfie camera - and considering the target audience, it's probably the one that'll get used the most often. This camera uses a Samsung JN5 sensor - the same sensor the main camera of the Reno 13F used last year.

The specs aren't too wild, but considering this is a selfie camera, they're pretty darn impressive. It's a 1/2.75-inch sensor with a 50MP resolution and a wide 18mm-equivalent f/2.0 autofocus lens. This setup makes it perfect for wide group shots and matches (or perhaps surpasses) the quality of rear ultrawide for vlogging.

Having just tested the latest batch of "flagship killer" phones like the Xiaomi 17T Pro and Vivo X300 FE, I was quite surprised by the Reno 16 Pro. It might not have a legacy camera logo slapped on it, but this phone is probably the most versatile shooter of the lot. Every single camera is at least 50MP and has autofocus; none of the others can match that.

Of course, these aren't quite flagship-grade optics, but with the slew of filters and styling options that Oppo has included here, most people aren't going to notice.

There's a new mode in the camera app called "Pop" which gives you quick access to a bunch of preset looks. There's a mode that makes photos look like Polaroids, there's a CCD digicam mode with the compulsory Y2K excessive flash, and plenty of film simulations, too. My favourite filter from the X9 Ultra's Master Mode also makes an appearance. It's called Primrose, it's inspired by Portra film, and it delivers some lovely warm tones.

I was also pleased to see that the excellent Soft Light option is available on this phone, and it works in both the normal photo mode and Pop. If you're not familiar, this is like a digital mist filter, softening skin textures and making highlights bloom a little more. It's a great way to get away from the typical hyper-sharp smartphone look.

Otherwise, the usual mid-range caveats apply. At night, you'll want to stick to the main camera as much as possible, as the relatively small sensors elsewhere struggle to keep up. That is, unless you're going all-in on that flash look.

The flash on this phone is surprisingly well-engineered. It's not just on or off; you actually get three strength settings ranging from "soft" to "high contrast". I've never been much of an on-camera flash kind of guy, but it's a trendy look, and it's well worth exploring on this phone.

Overall, it's a really solid camera system, but its weak point is macro photography. The telephoto can focus from around 30cm away, which isn't awful, but it's only an 85mm lens, so you'll need to do a fair bit of digital zoom to get into macro territory. The actual macro camera is the ultrawide, which is never my favourite option, and even then, it can't get as close up as some of its rivals.

Video shooting is pretty decent on this phone. You can capture at up to 4K 60fps on every single camera, and stabilisation is respectable across the board. There's a new feature built in that automatically straightens your horizon by up to 5 degrees of tilt, which is quite handy, and the Dual-View video capabilities have been boosted, too.

If you're looking for pro video features, though, you might find this handset lacking. It doesn't support 4K120 recording like some of its rivals do, and there's no Log profile, either. That said, you do get a Pro Video mode with manual controls, so you can get a little creative with it.

Phone Performance

The Oppo Reno 16 Pro is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8550 SoC, and it comes with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. It's not a full-fledged flagship chip, but it's more powerful than you might expect, and I dare say it's more than most users would ever need.

In general use, checking social media, editing photos and videos, and streaming content, the phone was buttery smooth. I never noticed any hiccups or performance slowdowns. You have to boot up a very graphically demanding game if you want to spot the difference between this and a top-tier flagship.

I've been playing a lot of NTE, an open-world gatcha game that requires some serious horsepower to run smoothly. I had to lower the graphics preset to "balanced" and run it at 30fps to get a consistent experience. But when I did, the game was perfectly playable. This phone won't satisfy hardcore competitive gamers, but for everyone else, it's more than good enough.

When it comes to the software, the Reno 16 Pro runs ColorOS 16, just like Oppo's flagship devices. I've been hopping between the Find X9 Ultra and Find N6 as of late, and I felt right at home here, as the software is almost identical.

The OS has a slick look with iOS-inspired elements like transparent liquid-glass icons and Oppo's Dynamic Island clone. However, if that's not your thing, you can make it look completely different. There's an abundance of theming options to choose from, and loads of different lockscreen styles, too.

ColorOS continues to offer some of the most useful AI features around, including everything from screen translation, narration, transcription, and writing assistance. It also pairs well with a MacBook, as you can use the O+Connect app to share files, your clipboard, and even use your keyboard and trackpad to control the phone.

One of the newer additions is the AI bill manager. It can log your digital payments or physical receipts, using the Mind Space via the camera app. It'll keep a total of your expenses and even cross-convert different currencies.

What I found much more exciting, though, are the new collage modes that are perfect for posting on Instagram. Oppo gives you tonnes of options for different layouts and styles, and the new pop-out feature means you can superimpose your subject over multiple shots. It even works with motion photos.

The battery life was excellent throughout my testing. This phone has a fairly large 6700 mAh cell, and that easily got me through a day and a half of normal usage; I could even stretch it to two days, on occasion. Charging is rapid, too. It supports up to 80W speeds, and the speedy charger is included in the box (that may vary from region to region). The only disappointment is that there's no wireless charging available.

When it comes to long-term support, Oppo promises 5 years of OS updates and 6 years of security patches. Perhaps more importantly, though, it comes with a 6-year fluency guarantee, which means (according to Oppo's testing) the phone should still feel quick and responsive after 6 years of daily use.

Final Verdict

To be completely honest, I didn't have especially high hopes for the Reno 16 Pro. I knew it would be decent enough, but Oppo's mid-range cameras haven't wowed me too much in the past, and I wasn't expecting anything different here, but I was mistaken.

Not only is the hardware on point, with high-resolution sensors across the board, but the selfie camera is probably the best of any phone I have ever tested. The super-wide FOV is great for vlogging and group photos, and the autofocus and high resolution make for super-sharp photos.

Plus, there's a plethora of fun filters and effects to make your photos stand out, and the collage mode is so good that it's a little bit addictive. The only downside, really, is the lack of professional video options.

Elsewhere, the phone is solid on all fronts. It's powerful enough, it feels premium, the software is among the best, and the battery is great. The design might not be to my taste, but at least it stands out, and you can always opt for the black one.

Alternatives

Back in December last year, Fujifilm teamed up with Japanese musician and fashion icon Hiroshi Fujiwara to release the GFX100RF Fragmented, an ultra-exclusive, designer edition of the GFX100RF medium format compact camera.

Aside from a unique Film Simulation profile, some lightning-bolt logos and a glossy matte finish, the Fragmented edition – named after Fujiwara’s agency, Fragment Design – is essentially the same as the standard Fujifilm GFX100RF featuring a 102MP sensor and a fixed f/4 lens.

However, this camera is so exclusive that you couldn’t even buy it in shops; the only way to get your hands on one was through lotteries and specialist camera platforms.

Fujifilm Firmware Download

Firmware version 1.13 download (Fujifilm GFX100RF)

It’s a good idea to hold off downloading the latest firmware for a few weeks. This should give enough time for any new issues to arise in community chatter, and for Fujifilm to address them. Keep an eye on Digital Camera World and we'll let you know about any problems.

But just like any standard camera, it's not immune to bugs and defects. GFX100RF Fragmented users were facing an issue where the camera would fail to reconnect to the Fujifilm XApp if the camera was turned off and back on while already paired.

Fujifilm hasn’t stated why this was happening, and my wider research hasn’t turned anything up either, but the company says that this new firmware release for the GFX100RF Fragmented fixes this issue.

So, if you're lucky enough to own one, congratulations! It now works as it should. And the rest of us can keep looking on in envy.

If you want to get hold of one of these cameras, then you'll have to keep an eye on resale platforms, notably those in Japan, such as MapCamera and Fujiya Camera, as the GFX100RF Fragmented was sold exclusively in the this country.

It's unlikely that a GFX100RF Fragmented will crop up for resale anytime soon as it was only recently released. However, you could email these platforms asking to be notified if one does come in. Also be sure to ask about international shipping, as resale platforms in Japan may require you to use a forwarding service.

You might also like…

Check out our review of the best Fujifilm cameras: from X-mount retro cameras to 100MP medium format cameras. And if you want to see how the brand's premium compacts compare, take a look at our Fujifilm GFX100RF vs Fujifilm X100 VI head-to-head.

The latest version of the Sony Creator’s App has been released, with the newest update bolstering the options for transferring motion photos from your camera to your smartphone.

The Sony Creators' App is the mobile companion application for Sony cameras, designed to connect your body to your smartphone, tablet and Sony's Creators' Cloud platform. It replaced the older Imaging Edge App for most models from 2023 onwards.

Creators’ App Version 4.3 has now been released and enables users to transfer three-second “Motion Photo” clips. These clips are taken from high-quality video files recorded on your camera and can be transferred to your smartphone or tablet.

Motion Photo has been available to Creator’s App users since 2023, when Sony released the feature in version 2.3. However, until now, you could only capture 15, 30 and 60-second segments. While the new 3-second addition is seemingly minor, it is well-suited to social media creators who post ultra-short-form clips.

There are two ways to create Motion Photos. The first is to mark the sections of footage that will comprise the shot while recording with your camera by pressing the Shot Mark Button. The segment will then be auto-transferred to the app. The other option is to select the segment after shooting directly in the app, by loading the footage and pressing the Create Motion Photo button.

The new Motion Photo update only applies to the Sony Creator’s App. Anyone using the older Imaging Edge App doesn’t need to update as this app does not support the feature. You can check which cameras support the imaging Edge App and Creator’s App here.

You might also like…

Here’s our take of the best Sony cameras, all of which we’ve put through rigorous testing. And here’s our review of the Sony A7 III – the camera I currently use.

DxO PhotoLab 9 is a powerful photo-editing application with the focus firmly on image quality. It starts with DxO’s bespoke lens correction profiles, which are applied automatically as you browse your images and it continues with its DeepPRIME XD3 noise reduction, which can achieve near-miraculous results with high-ISO images. For quality-conscious RAW photographers at least, this has to be considered one of the best photo-editing software applications on the market.

You also get extremely powerful global and local adjustment tools for enhancing your images, and these now include Lightroom-style AI masking tools. These did cause early issues with graphics drivers on some Windows machines, but that’s been addressed with free updates, and hopefully these technical issues are over (I am actually reviewing the Mac version, which worked fine from the start).

AI masking is a real time-saver, but not without its issues. As Adobe Lightroom users will know, the masks are typically hard-edged and don’t always blend well with surrounding parts of the image as you increase the strength of the adjustments. DxO is on the case, adding diffusion and feathering controls for AI masks, which I think might be a first.

The new AI masks can be used alongside DxO’s regular mask types, including Control Points and Control Lines, which are unique to DxO and extremely fast and effective once you understand the principles.

There’s another change under the hood which might not sound exciting but has profound practical benefits. You can now save your images as part-processed ‘High Fidelity’ Linear DNG files up to four times smaller than before, and often smaller than the original RAW file. This means you can export a DNG RAW file with DxO’s lens corrections and DeepPrime denoising applied, which can be opened and edited just like a regular RAW file in other programs.

DxO PhotoLab actually comes in two versions: Elite (reviewed here) and Essential. The Essential edition offers DxO’s lens corrections, but not the DeepPRIME processing and sundry other features, so really it’s the Elite edition that’s the better buy, even if it is more expensive.

DxO PhotoLab 9: Specifications

DxO PhotoLab 9: Price

PhotoLab 9 costs $239.99/£219.99 (about AU$342) for a new license or $119.99/£109.99 (about AU$171) to upgrade. This makes it a similar price to a year’s subscription to the Adobe Photography Plan, though cheaper than a perpetual license to the pro-oriented Capture One.

PhotoLab 9 is certainly not cheap, then, but it’s not the most expensive ‘serious’ photo editor on the market either. You can elect to buy DxO’s separate FilmPack analog simulation and ViewPoint perspective control tools, too, and these will then be integrated into PhotoLab’s non-destructive workflow – though of course this does push up the price.

DxO PhotoLab 9: Design & Handling

The PhotoLab 9 interface comes in two parts, or windows. The PhotoLibrary panel is where you do all your large-scale photo browsing, organizing and searching. The PhotoLibrary is essentially a folder browsing tool, with star ratings, flags and keywording to help with organizing.

There is also a Projects panel, where you can create a nested hierarchy of projects (albums, in other words) for organizing images ‘virtually’ by theme or subject, even when they are stored in different locations on your hard drive. (One of the changes in the latest version is to make these projects visible in the Customize (editing) view, just as you can view Collections in Lightroom Classic’s Develop module.

There’s a search box at the top of the left sidebar of the PhotoLibrary. This is clever and odd at the same time. As soon as you start typing, it will try to match what you’re typing with image filenames, EXIF data and keywords, but it appears to draw on an index built automatically from folders you visit, which isn’t under your control.

The PhotoLibrary panel is effective in a slightly crude and scatty kind of way that’s fine for basic organizing but will be irritating to anyone used to more powerful cataloguing options. The main editing work, though, is done in the Customize panel.

Here, you get a stack of editing tools organized into tabs for Light, Color, Detail, Geometry and FX, though what you see in the last two will depend on whether you also have DxO ViewPoint and FilmPack installed. There are quite a few different adjustment panels and you may not always remember where to find them, so DxO has included a little search box for finding specific tools and you can also ‘favorite’ the ones you use most often. You do still have to remember which tools are in which tabs, though.

There’s a separate tab for local adjustments, and this is where you find the new AI masking tools. You can select areas using an eyedropper, a marquee or choosing a named subject type from a menu. This includes skies, though PhotoLab struggled to pick out more than a couple of straggly clouds in the images I tried it on, which is odd, and the eyedropper approach worked a lot better.

DxO’s Control Points work around a circular mask that targets the tones in the center, and Control Lines are like gradient masks with an eyedropper for more selective adjustments – great for darkening skies in outdoor shots without darkening your subjects at the same time.

You can combine masks to add, subtract and intersect your mask selections, and given that the masks themselves can be adjusted for sensitivity and diffusion, this can all get quite complicated – but this kind of control is there if you need it.

The DeepPRIME XD3 denoising is highly effective but also hardware-intensive – it can take a few seconds even on a fast computer – so this means previewing the effect as you work is not straightforward. DxO does offer a loupe panel that floats over the image to optimize a small area in real time as you work, and there’s also a full-screen live update option for machines that are quick enough.

Remember that PhotoLab is a non-destructive editor, so all your adjustments exist only within the software. If you want to produce a version to share, you will need to use the Export button to produce a processed JPEG or TIFF file.

DxO PhotoLab 9: Performance

In terms of quality of results, PhotoLab 9 is about as good as it gets. DxO’s lens corrections don’t just tackle the usual suspects – chromatic aberration, vignetting and distortion – but also apply lens-specific global sharpness and edge softness corrections. There’s nothing you need to do. PhotoLab will find matching profiles automatically and, if they’re not installed yet, will download them for you – it only takes a few seconds.

DxO’s DeepPRIME XD3 processing is pretty remarkable, too, and it now handles both regular Bayer sensor RAW files and X-Trans images, too. I can’t say I see much difference in the results between this and the previous DeepPRIME version, but I’ve yet to see a rival denoising tool that can match DxO’s combination of denoising effectiveness and fine detail recovery. You won’t always see a huge difference with the latest and best camera gear, but older models, smaller sensors and cheaper lenses get a whole new lease of life.

I’m less convinced about the AI masking. Quite apart from the strange sky masking issues in my tests, I’m not sure DxO’s AI masking is quite as quick as Lightroom’s, for example, or Capture One’s.

DxO PhotoLab 9: Verdict

PhotoLab 9 is for the image quality purist who is unfazed by technical processes and who simply wants the best possible output from their RAW files. It’s not Photoshop, so you can’t produce layered composites, and it doesn’t do one-click effects like the Nik Collection or ON1 Photo RAW. It’s an image editor in the truest, most traditional sense. It’s probably not ideal for a busy, high-volume professional workflow, but perfect for fine-art photographers, print makers and exhibitors.

Alternatives

With rumors rife that the Sony FX5 is arriving next month with a similar feature set, Canon has released firmware version 1.0.4.1 for the Canon EOS C50 – bringing a host of usability and workflow improvements to its newest Cinema EOS model.

The new firmware focuses on operational features rather than image quality, introducing a new Ease In / Ease Out option for digital zoom speed and expands the range of camera functions that can be controlled externally via a USB connection.

These additions are designed to improve both shooting ergonomics and production flexibility, particularly for filmmakers working with gimbals, remote-control systems and compact crews.

Canon Firmware Download

Download firmware version 1.0.4.1 (Canon EOS C50)

I advise holding off downloading the latest firmware for a few weeks. This should give enough time for any new issues to arise in community chatter, and for Canon to address them. Keep an eye on Digital Camera World and we'll let you know about any problems.

The new Ease In / Ease Out setting for digital zoom operations is the standout feature of the update. When enabled, the camera smooths the beginning and end of a zoom movement, creating more natural-looking transitions.

Canon says this will help operators achieve more polished zoom effects without abrupt starts or stops, making digital zoom a more practical creative tool for shoots such as documentaries, corporate videos and live events.

Beyond zoom performance, the firmware also expands USB-based camera control. Users can now operate key functions from an external device while in video mode, including recording start/stop, One-Shot AF, manual focus adjustment, shutter speed, ISO and white balance.

This matches Canon's broader push towards deeper integration with external accessories and control ecosystems, including gimbal-based operation.

With firmware version 1.0.4.1 for the EOS C50, Canon continues to focus on practical improvements that streamline production workflows and enhance shooting efficiency, mirroring some of the benefits seen in recently released firmware version 1.0.6.1 for the EOS C80.

You might also like…

The C50 is one of the best cinema cameras, but it shares a lot in common with two other Canon bodies. Check out the Canon EOS C50 vs R6 Mark III vs R6 V, and see how it fares in our Canon EOS C50 vs Sony FX3 comparison.

As much as I prefer using my mirrorless camera, my smartphone is the camera that’s always with me – and sometimes, I spot wildlife when I wasn’t expecting to. The native zoom lens on my iPhone isn’t nearly close enough for these unexpected photo ops, but mobile lens maker Moment has a new option with 200mm worth of reach.

Moment has launched telephoto smartphone lenses in the past, but what’s unusual about the new lenses that arrived this week is that the new Moment 240mm SuperTele is designed for the iPhone’s periscope camera lens. That means the new telephoto lens must be placed in front of the iPhone’s zoom lens rather than the main 1x camera, extending the reach even farther.

Placed over the iPhone Pro’s 100mm lens, the optics create a reach that’s equivalent to a 240mm lens.

The iPhone 17 Pro does some unusual lens math to advertise its 200mm lens. The longest optics on the smartphone is just a 100mm equivalent. The 200mm advertised reach that Apple says is the longest “optical quality zoom ever” is actually made possible through computational photography and the smartphone’s 48MP sensor behind that longer lens.

Using the Moment 240mm Super Tele achieves that reach using optics rather than cropping and computational photography, preserving the 48MP resolution. But the camera can also be used with the iPhone 17 Pro’s 200mm computational zoom for an impressive 480mm reach.

The other thing that struck me about the new Moment 240mm SuperTele is that the sample photos have lovely background blur and compression, something that’s hard to achieve with a small smartphone sensor. But, telephoto optics can also increase that depth and background blur.

Because the telephoto lens is designed specifically for the iPhone’s periscope lens, it’s not compatible with the 1X camera and has a shorter list of compatible smartphones. The lens will work with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The lens is mounted using Moment’s T-series case.

The 240mm SuperTele launched alongside Moment’s refreshed Mobile II series that now spans across ten lenses. The second-generation series is “the sharpest and best mobile lenses that we’ve ever made,” Moment says, improving several existing lenses as well as adding the 240mm, the longest mobile zoom Moment has made yet.

That list of new Mobile II series lenses also includes the 58mm Tele II, a smaller lens with a 2x reach over the iPhone’s built-in lens. Where the 240mm is meant for travel and distant subjects such as wildlife, the 58mm is meant more for portraits and more cinematic video.

The series also includes anamorphic lenses for cinematic flares, along with a wide-angle, a fisheye, and two different macro lens options. The full Moment Mobile II series is available directly from Moment.

You may also like...

Browse the best smartphone photography lenses to level up your smartphone shots.

Canon has released new firmware for its EOS C80 full-frame cinema camera, bringing a series of workflow and connectivity improvements aimed at filmmakers, broadcasters, and content creators using the compact cinema rig.

As production workflows become increasingly collaborative and remote, the ability to control and monitor cameras from a distance has become evermore important. Firmware version 1.0.6.1 homes in on this, introducing monitoring, streaming and camera operation enhancements.

Canon firmware download

Download firmware version 1.0.6.1 (Canon EOS C80)

I advise holding off downloading the latest firmware for a few weeks. This should give enough time for any new issues to arise in community chatter, and for Canon to address them. Keep an eye on Digital Camera World and we'll let you know about any problems.

The primary update is a new USB control protocol that enables external devices, including compatible gimbals, to remotely control key camera functions such as recording start and stop, iris, shutter speed, ISO, and focus. This is a step forward for single-operator productions and multi-camera live setups, where quick access to camera settings can streamline workflows.

Beyond USB control, firmware version 1.0.6.1 introduces automatic Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) streaming reconnection, helping maintain transmissions during live broadcasts if the network connection drops. Canon has also redesigned the electronic level display so its appearance changes when the camera is perfectly level, giving operators faster visual confirmation during setup.

Overall, the update reflects Canon's broader goal of evolving the EOS C80 beyond a compact cinema camera into a more versatile production platform. Rather than focusing solely on image quality, firmware version 1.0.6.1 addresses the more practical demands of modern production environments, where connectivity and flexibility are increasingly key.

You might also like…

Discover our pick of the best cinema cameras offering top-quality video capture and grading options as well as the ports and connections needed by pros.

Webcams and their underlying software form the backbone of communications in the modern, connected world.

But these sophisticated devices owe their roots to a group of caffeine-fueled computer scientists who just wanted to know if there was coffee left in the pot at their research lab without leaving their desks.

Back in 1991, when the web was still in its infancy, Quentin Stafford-Fraser and Paul Jardetzky were researching ATM networks in the depths of the Trojan Room, part of the Computer Lab at Cambridge University, England.

The duo were part of a wider team of 15 or so programmers involved in the research, which was intellectually taxing work fueled by copious amounts of caffeine, and a freshly brewed pot never lasted long.

“Being poor, impoverished academics, we only had one coffee filter machine between us, which lived in the corridor just outside the Trojan Room,” Stafford-Fraser commented retrospectively in a Cambridge University blog post.

Frustrated by frequently venturing down to the coffee machine only to find the pot empty, Stafford-Fraser and Jardetzky devised a solution to check the coffee pot without needing to leave their desks.

As recalled by Stafford-Fraser in a 2001 retrospective article, they used a 128 x 128px grayscale camera, pointing it at the coveted Krups coffee maker, a frame grabber, an Acorn Archimedes computer and some custom software.

Jardetzky wrote the server-side program that stored the three grayscale images snapped per minute on the university network, and Stafford-Fraser crafted the interface that the researchers used to access the images from their computers.

Aptly named XCoffee, the monitoring system only took the pair “a day or so” to put together. But as Stafford-Fraser later commented, hilariously, that it was “more useful” than anything else he wrote while working in the Trojan Room.

Two years after XCoffee launched, fellow researchers Dan Gordon and Martyn Johnson modified the original system and connected it to the internet, subsequently creating the first ever webcam.

Over the next couple of years, the Trojan Room coffee pot gained widespread press attention and, in 1995, Stafford-Fraser wrote the Trojan Room Coffee Pot Biography to satisfy the growing interest. By 1998, the Trojan Room Coffee Pot webpage celebrated its fifth birthday while surpassing 2 million hits, gaining something of a cult following.

“Perhaps the coffee pot camera has something of the appeal of early silent movies. There is, after all, no accompanying audio (now why didn't we think of that?), and the image is black and white with a very low frame rate,” Stafford-Fraser said in 2001.

Despite the mundane subject and less-than-appealing grayscale colors, images of the Trojan Room coffee pot continued to captivate people until 2001.

That year, the Computer Lab moved to a different building in Cambridge University; the webcam system was shut down and the now legendary longest-serving pot sold on eBay for £3,350 ($4,420 / AU$6,410) to raise money for coffee facilities in the new lab.

On August 22 2001 the webcam captured its final image, showing the fingers of Daniel Gordon, Martyn Johnson and Quentin Stafford-Fraser pressing the power-off switch on the Acorn Archimedes that had captured the images for the preceding 7 years and 9 months.

And so passed into history a quirky and simple, yet revolutionary camera system that inspired the high-speed, color-rich livestreaming we enjoy today. Alas, as Stafford-Fraser revealed, it didn’t make the coffee “any better, though”.

You might also like…

Take a look at the best 4K webcams and the best webcams for working from home. Alternatively, many cameras (such as the Canon PowerShot V1) can be used as plug-and-play webcams via a USB connection.

Meta Glasses aren’t just more affordable than the tech giant’s frames built with brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley – they come in a wide range of styles and with adjustable nose bridges. But, hidden inside this week’s announcement for the new smart glasses is an upcoming feature: Dynamic photo.

Meta explains that a dynamic photo will take several photos in a row. While that sounds similar to a camera’s burst mode capabilities, dynamic photos does something different – after snapping several photos, it suggests the best one from the shot.

Dynamic photos is rolling out later this month, and Meta notes that users can still override what Meta’s AI thinks is the best shot to pick out their own favorite.

The announcement was tucked into the launch of Meta Glasses, a set of smart glasses that use the same camera hardware as earlier models but drop the price and come without branding from brands like Ray-Ban or Oakley – though the new glasses are launched in partnership with EssilorLuxottica.

The Meta Glasses will come in three different shapes and several color options, but will also add adjustable nose pieces, along with temple tips and overextension hinges. The glasses will be available in clear, polarized, sun, Transitions, and also support prescription lenses.

The Meta Glasses are also the first to feature Meta Spark right out of the box, a new version of Meta AI that’s specially built for smart glasses. Like the dynamic photos, Meta Spark will also be rolling out to previous Meta smartglasses and not just the new frames.

Notably, the glasses slide in under the cost of Meta’s earlier options, though the Meta Glasses By Kylie, made in collaboration with Kylie Jenner, will sit at a higher price point than the Meta Fury and Meta Adventure styles. The cost varies on the style and type of lenses, but the new Meta Glasses start at $299 / £269.

The new Meta Glasses are available starting June 23 from Meta as well as multiple retailers.

You may also like...

Take a look at the best camera glasses.

Oppo has revealed the Reno16 Series, its latest mid-range smartphone lineup, with a bigger emphasis on AI-powered camera and editing tools than raw hardware alone.

The series is led by the Reno16 and Reno16 Pro, with additional Reno16 F models also appearing in selected markets. Oppo is pitching the phones at social-first creators, with a mix of eye-catching design, high-resolution cameras, and built-in tools for shooting, editing, and sharing images more quickly.

The most distinctive visual touch is Oppo’s new 3D Pop Planet Design, although this is limited to the Pop White edition. But the more interesting photography angle is the suite of AI features, including Pop Cam, AI Remix Collage, 4K Auto Straighten Video, and Dual View Video 2.0.

An impressive 200MP camera

We'll get to the AI features in a moment, but first, the camera specs. At the rear, all models in the Reno16 Series boast a triple-camera system comprising a high-resolution main camera with OIS, a telephoto portrait camera with 3.5x optical zoom, and an ultra-wide camera.

This collection of cameras provides, what Oppo says, is enough flexibility to deliver the right shot in most scenarios. Still, if it's maximum resolution that you're after, then the Reno16 Pro is the top-spec model in the lineup. It delivers a 200MP Ultra Clear Main Camera for maximum image clarity and flexibility with cropping, while the Reno 16 and Reno F are "limited" to a 50MP sensor.

Turning our attention to the front, all models feature a 50MP ultra-wide selfie camera with a 100-degree field of view. And for an idea of what this front camera is capable of, here's a sample image provided by Oppo.

AI imaging capabilities

As good as the hardware is on paper, Oppo hopes to attract potential customers with its expanded set of AI imaging features, which are new to the Reno16 Series. First up is the Pop Cam feature, which introduces a dedicated creative shooting experience directly within the Camera app.

With it, users can "apply vintage-inspired styles such as Digicam, Instant Film and Light Leak effects with a single tap, making it easy to create distinctive photos with different moods and aesthetics."

That's not all. The Reno16 Series also features a new Create hub within the Photos app for expanding creative AI editing capabilities. This includes AI Remix Collage, which allows users to combine multiple photos or short videos into layered visual compositions with animated stickers, outlines, and text.

Video creation hasn't been forgotten. With 4K Auto Straighten Video, users are better able to capture footage that is level even while walking or moving. There's also a Dual View Video 2.0 feature for improved stabilization and seamless switching between rear lenses during recording.

Specs and availability

The Reno16 and Reno16 Pro boast a compact 6.32-inch display, an aerospace-grade aluminum frame, and a 6,700mAh battery. The Reno16 F extends these specs by offering a larger 6.57-inch screen and a bigger 7,000mAh battery.

If it's mobile gaming that you're into, then the Reno16 Pro includes the best gaming specs. These include the MediaTek Dimensity 8550 Super Platform, along with AI HyperBoost 3.0, enhanced cooling, and support for up to 144Hz refresh rates.

The Reno 16 Series is available today in select markets, which include the UK and Europe, although, as per usual for Chinese phone brands, don't expect this to pop up in any stores in the US. We are still waiting on final confirmation on the price, but the Reno Series usually slots into Oppo's mid-range.

The Reno16 and Reno16 F will be available in Pop White, Twilight Violet, and Dream Purple, while the Reno16 Pro will be available in Pop White and Starlight Black.

You might also like...

Check out more of the best camera phones or the best Android phones for photography in our guides.

If you're looking for a photo-quality printer at a knock-down price during the Black Friday sales period, then your search could well be over. Launched last year, the Canon Pixma Pro-200S (which we rated the full five stars and our coveted Gold award) is available at the best price we have seen so far - with a generous saving of almost $200

• Today's top Amazon deals- up to 55% off!
• See our favorite Amazon camera deals in our dedicated hub!

This A3+ 13-inch printer uses an eight-color dye-based ink system for vibrant, professional-quality prints. It can print borderless prints up to 13 x 19 inches using standard media, or eye-catching panoramics up to 13 x 39 inches. But while it's capable of such large prints, it has a space-saving compact design that should fit into any home office or studio.

The built-in 3-inch LCD display lets you check ink levels at a glance, as well as easily control all the printer functions. You can print through Wi-Fi or a wired connection, and it can deliver a borderless A4 glossy print in just under a minute

See our rundown of the best photo printers

Until now, Sony had a solid track record of implementing artificial intelligence (AI) into its cameras. Starting with Real-Time Eye Autofocus (AF) in the Sony A7R II, it laid the groundwork for modern AI subject recognition in its latest cameras such as the A7R VI.

However, the latest AI photo assistant feature that has been rolled out in the new Sony Xperia 1 VIII camera phone feels like another spoonful of unnecessary AI cough medicine being force-fed to us, just like every other tech company on Earth seems to be doing since the AI gold rush began a few years ago.

Essentially, the new Xperia 1 VIII AI assistant suggests four different shooting settings at moment you capture the shot, each offering a distinct creative aesthetic based on the scene or subject.

According to Sony, the assistant helps you “discover new ways of shooting” all while “expanding the joy of creating”. Jesus, I’m cringing.

ABOVE: the new Sony Xperia 1 VIII and its AI assistant explained

As you can expect, this hasn’t resonated well with photographers, who've made it clear in forum chatter and publications that this AI assistant is nothing but a waste of battery life dressed up as a creative outlet.

And I couldn’t agree more. What a load of baloney about it helping you to “discover new ways of shooting”. The AI assistant essentially adds post-production edits only during production, which hardly broadens your compositional horizons.

Having the AI analyze the scene before you press the shutter and suggest compositional changes would be impressive. I'd prefer to come to the conclusion myself without the help of AI but, admittedly, a feature like this could help you explore new angles.

But the Xperia 1 VIII AI assistant is far from this and, at best, its achievement has been compressing production and post-production into a single click of the shutter.

Was this necessary? Perhaps, if you’re in the game of saving time when taking photos. But for anyone who actually enjoys the traditional photographic process, it brings nothing to the table.

I’d like to think that Sony’s new AI assistant could help photographers develop their editorial eye by explaining what edits it actually made when coming up with its suggestions. However, as it simply creates these at the click of a button, you don’t even get the educational benefit.

To me, it’s simply creative outsourcing to a machine and the complete opposite of “expanding your range of expression” (another quote that came directly from the mouth of Sony).

As a longtime Sony shooter, I’m disappointed by this new AI assistant and can feel my gag reflex kicking in as I regurgitate the thought of this unnecessary feature.

I’m really hoping Sony doesn’t have the bright idea of bringing it to Alpha cameras, as I’m currently looking to upgrade from the A7 III to a newer model – and I have a slight suspicion that a future firmware update could see my next camera infected by this trash.

You might also like…

Unlike the Xperia 1 VIII smartphone, I am a big fan of the company's cameras – and we have an expertly-curated list of the best Sony cameras here.

The Audio-Technica ATH-M50X has a bit of a cult following among audiophiles. Simply put, you’ll struggle to get anything better for the price, and now that price has dropped to just $127.20 this Amazon Prime Day.

I’m guilty of spending a lot of my time (and money) on microphones and video-editing software, without taking the quality of my headphones seriously. Think about it, if you’ve nailed your audio with a quality microphone, the last thing you want to do is ruin it in the edit by messing up audio levels because you’re using a cheap pair of headphones.

So, I did a little research and as somebody who doesn’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on headphones, especially as I’m likely to travel with them, the Audio-Technica ATH-M50X came out on top. These wired headphones have become renowned for their blend of affordability and quality. Sure, they’re not going to satisfy a serious audiophile, but they’re an affordable pair of cans that audiophiles at least appreciate in the same way that many Rolex and Omega owners can appreciate a good Casio G-Shock.

If you do your own research, you might be tempted to pick up a pair of open-back headphones, which are often cited as providing better sound quality but leak more audio out and let more background noise in. As such, the Audio-Technica ATH-M50X’s traditional closed-back design is much more suited to content creators on the go.

These headphones also have an impedance of 38 ohms, which means they can be plugged straight into devices without an amplifier, while also offering better quality audio than your average consumer headphones. The cups also swivel 180 degrees so you can free an ear without having to remove the headphones entirely.