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The rumor mill is beginning to grind the sheafs of Sony speculation into the flour of fact
If you’re think that the Sony WH-1000XM6 must be due soon, to replace the now-several-years-old current model, you might be right. The Sony WH-1000XM5 rank among the best noise-cancelling headphones you can buy today – but this is an incredibly competitive market and there’s no shortage of contenders for the crown, and Sony’s own headphones are so good that the previous model, the Sony WH-1000XM4, are currently atop our best-buy guide.
That means Sony needs to keep improving its flagship over-ears if it wants to keep selling new pairs to people. And the rumour mill says that it’s going to do just that, and that the Sony WH-1000XM6 will be with us soon… but not too soon.
Given that the WH-1000XM5 got five out of five stars in our review, which also noted that the WH-1000XM4 were so good that the improvements were “more marginal than before”, what on earth could Sony be planning for the next generation? Here’s what we think we know so far.
Sony’s WH-1000XM6 release date rumors
Back in June, GSM Arena reported two key stories: one, the Sony LinkBuds and LinkBuds S would get a 2024 update at tge same time; and two, the WH-1000XM5 and WF-1000XM5 earbuds would not. Instead, Sony was most likely “targeting the first six months of next year” for its flagships.
Given that the first story proved to be exactly correct when Sony announced two new LinkBuds models, and that the second story was from the same source, we’re inclined to think that the prediction of a launch in the first half of 2025 is probably sound too. And another leak on Chinese social media site Weibo said that Sony wants to synchronize the update cycles for the two flagships, which again would mean a 2025 launch, since that’s when the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds will hit two years and be due an update, under Sony’s usual cadence.
We haven’t seen much leak evidence of this yet, until recently, perhaps. The Sony watchers at The Walkman Blog have spotted a new wireless Sony headset code in import documents. It has the product code YY2984, and according to the blog it “could be” one of the XM6 models. Then again, it’s simply listing some kind of wireless headset with a plastic shell, so it could be anything.
That said, when the current models were about three months from release they showed up in FCC regulatory filings; devices need a lot of paperwork before they go on sale, so it’s not impossible that YY2984 are indeed these future candidates for the best Sony headphones. It’s pretty weak sauce, I know, but that’s the exciting world of headphones for you. It’s the FCC filing you really want to be on tenterhooks for – that will start the countdown. Perhaps that’ll come in in December for March-ish launch.
Sony’s WH-1000XM6: what we’d like to see Bose-beating noise cancellation: Sony has gone from being a total leader here to being merely very good. Bose’s latest noise cancelling headphones have exceptional ANC that beats Sony, so let’s see if Sony can reclaim the crown.
Better battery life: Sony has basically dictated the average for this for years now, hitting 30 hours consistently. But when the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless and Cambridge Audio P100 can hit 60 hours, Sony should really offer us more. I’m not holding my breath for this, though.
Water resistance: This is something that’s increasingly common among rivals, and it would be nice to see some official IP ratings.
The return of the fold: The XM5’s revised design made the headphones less portable, which was a surprise – they could return to our list of the best travel headphones with this tweak. The headband could do with a bit more padding too, while I’m complaining.
Dolby Atmos spatial audio: No doubt Sony’s 360 Reality Audio will be here again, but with Dolby Atmos supported by several music services and – even more importantly, all the big movie services, we’d love to see support here. Especially if it comes with Dolby’s own head-tracking, which is excellent on the Sonos Ace and LG Tone Free T90S.
USB-C audio: Easy true hi-res audio from phones and laptops? Many of the best wireless headphones offer this, but Bose doesn’t, so Sony can get one up on its old rival.
Android fans have a lot to look forward to in 2025
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra (left) and Honor Magic 7 Pro (right) (Image credit: Future / Honor) Qualcomm debuted its Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset at Snapdragon Summit 2024, and various phone makers have since come forward to confirm that their upcoming flagships will be powered by the all-new (and all-powerful) mobile platform. Qualcomm flew TechRadar to Hawaii and hosted us at the Snapdragon Summit to hear all of the latest news.
Both Xiaomi and Honor joined Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon on stage in Hawaii to announce that the Xiaomi 15 and Honor Magic 7 series, respectively, will launch this month (likely in China) with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset.
Asus, too, confirmed that the upcoming Asus ROG Phone 9 will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, and Samsung mobile chief TM Roh also appeared at Snapdragon Summit to reaffirm his company’s ongoing partnership with Qualcomm. Roh didn’t mention the Samsung Galaxy S25 series by name, but you can bet your house that the best Samsung phones we see in 2025 will come packing the Snapdragon 8 Elite (disclaimer: that’s not serious financial advice).
Xiaomi SVP Adam Zeng announcing the Xiaomi 15 on stage at Snapdragon Summit(Image credit: Future)
Honor CMO Ray Guo announcing the Honor Magic 7 Pro on stage at Snapdragon Summit(Image credit: Honor)
In other words, it’s highly likely that many of next year’s best Android phones will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, with Samsung’s Galaxy S25 series being the first of that number to ship in the US, UK, and Australia (we’re anticipating a January release date). Those aforementioned models from Xiaomi, Honor, and OnePlus will presumably debut in China first, before launching internationally at a later date in 2025.
As for how the Snapdragon 8 Elite stacks up against its predecessor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, it’s the first Snapdragon mobile chipset to feature Qualcomm’s second-generation Oryon CPU, and has been designed to “handle the complexities of multi-modal AI” much more efficiently.
Any phones equipped with Qualcomm’s latest chipset will deliver faster app launches, more seamless multitasking, and more powerful generative AI capabilities than their Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-equipped predecessors, and mobile gamers, too, will benefit from sharper images, smoother gameplay, and longer gameplay sessions thanks to the 8 Elite’s improved Adreno GPU.
iQOO 13 will launch on October 30 in China (Image source: iQOO)
Qualcomm has just made the Snapdragon 8 Elite official, and it seems that the iQOO 13 will be the first gaming-focused flagship smartphone to feature it. The company has announced that the phone will be released on October 30 in China. iQOO has announced the launch date of its new flagship gaming phone, the iQOO 13. Powered by the newly announced Snapdragon 8 Elite, the smartphone will be fully unveiled on October 30 in China. The company has also officially revealed the device’s color options.
This new gaming smartphone will launch in four color options: white, black, gray, and green. They all come with the RGB halo light that leaked a couple of days ago. This light surrounds the rear camera island of the iQOO 13, and it’s a unique design element of the device.
Previously, iQOO confirmed that the gaming phone will come with a 6.82-inch OLED display with 144 Hz refresh rate. It’s a BOE Q10 display, and it will feature an under-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, something that the OnePlus 13 is also expected to feature.
The company has also confirmed that the iQOO 13 will pair the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset with an in-house Q2 gaming chipset. This combination is said to offer PC-level super-resolution and allow the smartphone to deliver native-level 144 FPS gameplay.
While the official pictures confirm a triple-camera setup on the back, the company has yet to detail the sensors. However, past reports suggested that the iQOO 13 will feature the same primary camera as the other Vivo flagships. iQOO hasn’t shared the pricing details either. The good thing is that the launch is about a week away, so you don’t have to wait long to find out all about this gaming phone.
The first phone with Qualcomm’s new chip will be Xiaomi’s next flagship device.
On stage at Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii, the chipmaker introduced its newest silicon for premium phones, the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Soon after, Xiaomi took the stage to declare that the first device to use this chip would be its own flagship Xiaomi 15, which is coming by the end of October.
Xiaomi senior vice president Adam Zeng made the announcement, detailing the first performance advantages the Snapdragon 8 Elite will bring to phones. The Xiaomi 15 series has a 29.7% decrease in power consumption and runs 3 degrees Celsius cooler at peak temperatures. Given Qualcomm’s emphasis on battery efficiency in the new Snapdragon 8 Elite, this is the first real-world example of how the chip improves phones.
Xiaomi did the same thing at last year’s Snapdragon Summit when it revealed the Xiaomi 14 would be the first phone to run last year’s leading Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip. It was the Xiaomi 14 Ultra released back in April that impressed me with its fast speeds, great cameras and AI features.
Qualcomm says its Snapdragon 8 Elite offers many advancements thanks to its Oryon CPU, which debuted in the company’s PC chips last year. On mobile, this promises higher performance as well as greater efficiency, especially when performing intensive tasks. For example, phones using the chip can game for 2.5 hours longer, Qualcomm says. The new chip also offers more generative AI features.
More phones will use the Snapdragon 8 Elite, including the Asus ROG Phone 9 which is set to launch in November, but the Xiaomi 15 will be the first across the finish line to show what the chip is capable of. We’ll have to wait and see how (and if) it harnesses the additional generative AI and camera capabilities debuting in the Snapdragon 8 Elite.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite is built to lengthen battery life and boost performance on upcoming premium Android phones.
The new chip will enable even more generative AI capabilities, which became the showcase feature that tech companies scrambled to integrate into their products this year. The smartphone industry had its own competitive race toward generative AI starting with the Galaxy AI-equipped Samsung Galaxy S24 in January, while the iPhone 16 series is set to get parts of Apple Intelligence in a future update. While nascent with only a few standout features thus far, Qualcomm’s next chip aims to support more features that will give users even more reason to buy Snapdragon 8 Elite-equipped phones.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite builds on the foundation laid by Qualcomm’s previous chip, last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which was the company’s first chip capable of generative AI capabilities. The new chip includes even more AI expertise, such as support for an AI assistant to use the camera to recognize objects in real time, and a new trick that generates lighting so that your artificially well-lit face shows up in videos with bright backgrounds. That’s in addition to features that were available on the previous-generation chip, like image generation through Stable Diffusion and expanding photos beyond their original boundaries.
The chip has an improved neural processing unit, with more cores resulting, in what Qualcomm claims, is up to 45% faster AI performance and better power efficiency. The NPU now integrates multimodal generative AI applications on the device, meaning it can handle inputs from multiple sensors and data sources (audio, video, personal info and more) to answer queries.
The 8 Elite can support more than 70 tokens per second, a metric for how many inputs (text, photos and so on) can be considered when answering queries.
While the previous three years of Qualcomm top-tier chips were Snapdragon Gen 1, Gen 2 and Gen 3, the Snapdragon 8 Elite breaks from its naming convention to signify it’s the best of the best, Qualcomm says. That’s because the 8 Elite is the first of the company’s mobile chips to use the new Qualcomm-designed Oryon CPU. To wit, the company introduced its Snapdragon X Elite PC chips a year ago, which were the first to pack Oryon CPUs.
The 8 Elite uses a second-generation Oryon CPU with a 3-nanometer process (smaller than the 4nm of last year’s Kryo CPU), which helps enable the chip’s 45% greater efficiency. Upgrades in chip architecture have led to 45% better overall performance, but the more interesting benefit is a 62% improvement in web browsing performance — meaning consumers should see websites and web-based apps load faster.
“I think we’ve all experienced one time or another that a website, even though your phone is great, slows down and is labored. So [the Oryon CPU] is going to provide a [browsing] experience that rivals any kind of desktop,” Chris Patrick, a Qualcomm senior vice president and general manager of the mobile handset division, said in a briefing.
This won’t just make it faster to load websites. Many modern apps and software rely on web browsing, so having a CPU designed to speed that up will have knock-on improvements to services consumers use every day.
That improved efficiency applies to high-intensity activities like gaming, and Qualcomm says its new chip enables up to 2.5 hours of additional playtime.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite also improves camera performance, mainly through a new ISP with better AI touches on autofocus, white balance and exposure, all of which happens behind the scenes and should result in better photos. The NPU can also now directly access the camera sensors themselves for real-time enhancements, including for video. Phonemakers can plug their camera algorithms directly into this pipeline.
The 8 Elite also has a round of connectivity improvements mainly due to — you guessed it — AI. The X80 5G Modem uses AI on multiantenna management to better juggle signals for clearer connections, while the FastConnect 7900 integrates Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to reduce latency. This makes it possible for calls leaving Bluetooth range to hand off the connection to Wi-Fi to keep the call going.
We’ll have to wait until new phones with the Snapdragon 8 Elite actually launch to see how much of a difference the new chip makes. But based on Qualcomm’s claims, it sounds like the chip should bring a mix of general and AI-fueled upgrades to the next generation of Android phones.
Vivo launched their flagship product Vivo X200 series in China at Beijing’s famous Water Cube, also known as the National Aquatics Center. We got our hands on the device a few days in advance, so our team had some time to play and test it before going into in-depth review.
In case you were wondering how the phone feels in real life, here’s a quick first impression of the Vivo X200 Pro.
The Vivo X200 Pro is Sleek but Chunky The X200 Pro feels premium right out of the box. With its flat edges and metal frame, it gives us some serious flagship vibes. We’ve got the Blue Sapphire model, which mimics the ocean waves under light. I’m not sure if everyone would love this, but it definitely stands out.
The almost-flat display is a refreshing change from the curved screens we’ve been seeing everywhere. It’s got a nice heft to it, striking a balance between solid and comfortable—that is, until you get to the camera bump.
So let’s address the elephant in the room: that camera island is huge if we still take it as a Pro model. It’s big enough to be called an “ultra,” dominating the back of the phone, especially when we learned that the camera also inherited quite a lot from the X100 Ultra. While it houses a triple-lens setup, there’s an extra ‘lens-like’ circle up top that’s more for show than function. It balances out the look, but don’t be fooled — it’s not a fourth camera.
Camera App goes all in on AI The camera app on the X200 Pro has gotten a serious glow-up. Vivo has added a bunch of AI features that make shooting a breeze. But note that almost all the fantastic custom features were developed for domestic users with various Chinese applications. For overseas markets, the brand has to work with Google’s Gemini. But there’s no doubt that OriginOS 5 intrigues me significantly more.
What if add some AI features to portrait mode? The X200 series gives you the answer. There’re four-season styles plus a Chinese style for auto post-modification. It makes the camera look fun, but only if you wait a minute or two.
Auto mode & AI visual ON in Portrait mode The portrait mode is smarter than ever, and the landscape mode? It’s like they took the best bits of all the modes related to non-figure photography such as super night mode, pano mode, and star trails mode, and mashed them together. The software manager’s logic I guess is that they want to differentiate the custom modes into two categories, one for portrait and one for landscape. They’re like two folders, with the benefit of being easy to tell apart. The downside is that you have to ‘open’ them first (switch to them) – a step that may already be difficult for average users. One of my favorite features among the upgrades is the Zeiss Perspective Correction. When you look up a bit to shoot certain scenes, especially like architecture, you’ll always be annoyed by the perspective. On the X200 series, it would automatically crop and generate a horizontal perspective for users in real-time. It can instantly enhance the look and composition of your photos.
Further, video capabilities have taken a giant leap forward, especially in dark environments. We’re talking 4K at 120fps and even 8K at 30fps, which are all working well for dark scenarios. And for all you vloggers out there, there’s a new portrait video mode that’s bound to up your game. Initial quality of the videos was quite impressive but we want to test out the camera in detail for our final verdict. More importantly, it has a lot of fun that we couldn’t experience all in a moment.
The main camera is shifted to a brand-new sensor, SONY LTY818, sized at 1/1.28″. It’s claimed to have even better video-shooting capabilities. The 3.7x (85mm focus length & F/2.67) telephoto lens comes with the same setup as the vivo X100 Ultra’s – the impressive Zeiss 200MP APO telephoto lens.
Under the Hood: Dimensity 9400 Powerhouse Powering all this goodness is the latest MTK Dimensity 9400 chip. We’re still running some benchmarks (Antutu Benchmark: the first mobile chipset exceeds 3,000,000), so stay tuned for the nitty-gritty performance details. But so far, the phone has been very smooth, we can expect the chip to deliver.
One of the coolest features we’ve played with on the phone is the BlueLM AI large model. You can actually download the local algorithm package for offline use, such as Image Stylization and Document Summarization, which is pretty neat. We’ve been having a fun time with image generation, text recognition, and instant translation. Another new software feature that caught my interest is ‘Circle to Search’. Just circle any objects or items on the display to search for their information. It can be triggered in any app while just holding two fingers on the screen for a few seconds. The results? Surprisingly accurate most of the time.
If you missed our X200 launch article, let me remind you that there’s a Pro Mini model as well. It has a very unique placement (compact in size), which is a refreshing change from all the Ultras and the Pro Maxes we’ve been seeing. We also have a detailed article explaining the entire Vivo X200 series, which will be out very soon.
In addition, Vivo and MediaTek have jointly developed and globally premiered the kilometer-level network-less communication technology, which realizes point-to-point and long-distance communication through Bluetooth connection in a network-less and signal-less environment. Supports SOS text broadcasting, one-to-one voice/text intercom, map location display, etc. Within a certain distance, you can form a local network of communication with other Vivo users by turning your phone into a walkie-talkie.
To sum up, the Vivo X200 Pro is shaping up to be a serious contender in the high-end smartphone market. With its focus on photography, powerful chip, and AI capabilities, it’s clear Vivo is gunning for the top spot. Sure, that camera bump is huge and might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re all about that photo and video life, this is definitely a phone to check out.
As for the battery, I would draw my conclusion first here – it feels like the premium phone with the longest battery life I’ve ever used. More details will be revealed in our in-depth review.
Please stay tuned for our full review, where we’ll dive deeper into the benchmarks, battery life, and how it holds up in day-to-day use.
In the meantime, what feature of the X200 Pro are you most excited about?
Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition for South Korea today. It’s the company’s more premium version of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the thinnest fully foldable Galaxy device yet, featuring wider displays and a bigger 200 MP primary camera.
The Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition has the same boxy shape in an armor aluminum chassis as the Galaxy Z Fold 6 (review) but is significantly thinner and only measures 4.9 mm on its side when unfolded or 10.6 mm when closed. That’s a few hairlines thinner than the new Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold but is still thicker than the new Honor Magic V3.
It’s also slightly taller and wider to accommodate the wider displays of a 6.5-inch OLED at the front surrounded by a nearly non-existent bezel and an 8-inch main OLED panel with a 120 Hz refresh rate and 2,600 nits peak brightness. However, the foldable Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition ditches S Pen support, which is a tradeoff by going for a thinner build and new displays.
Thinnest dust and waterproof Samsung foldable Despite sporting larger displays, Samsung shaved the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition’s weight down to 236 grams from 239 grams. The device is still IP48 certified for dust and water resistance, which makes it more impressive given the foldable devices from the competition from other brands that lack complete ingress protection.
Powering the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Edition is a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chipset, offering a few extra horsepower on the CPU and GPU compared to the vanilla version of the flagship SoC. The single memory configuration consists of 512 GB storage and 16 GB RAM. A 4,400 mAh battery supports 25 watts of wired charging, but we’ve yet to confirm if wireless charging is included.
The Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition boots on Android 14 with a One UI 6 skin. As with current Samsung foldable phones, you will get a suite of AI features through Galaxy AI such as Live Interpreter, Photo Assist, and Circle to Search, among others.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition price and availability Samsung’s South Korean website currently lists the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition to be available for preorder for KRW 2,789,600 (Nz $3,341), but it didn’t specifiy when shipping will begin. There’s no word on whether the company will release it to global markets, though we’ve recently seen leaks tof the same device certified in China.
OnePlus 13 will launch on October 31 in China (Image source: OnePlus)
The OnePlus 13 now has an official launch date. This new flagship phone will launch in China on October 31, after the Snapdragon 8 Elite is announced. Besides this, the company has also confirmed three color options for the phone.
After weeks of teasers and leaks, the OnePlus 13 finally has an official launch date. The company will be fully unveiling its new flagship phone on October 31 in China. It’s still unclear when the phone may make its global debut, but it’s likely set for early 2025.
Besides the Chinese launch date, OnePlus has showcased its new flagship phone in three different colorways: White Dawn, Blue Moment, and Obsidian Secret. They are the same as the ones that were spotted in the hands of the gamers at the Peacekeeper Elite event.
Among these three colors of the OnePlus 13, the White Dawn looks similar to the Glacier White variant of its predecessor. The Blue Moment, on the other hand, is said to be the first in the industry to feature “baby skin” texture. It offers a skin-like feel to the touch, and it also has a dual-tone design, with the camera island being white and the rest of the body being blue.
As for the Obsidian Secret, OnePlus says that it comes with an “ebony wood grain” textured finish. This finish gives the black colorway a sleek outlook. Unlike previously speculated, the company didn’t showcase any other colorways than these three. There isn’t a green color variant yet as well, which is something that the last few predecessors came with.
The company has also yet to share the full specs of the OnePlus 13. However, according to previous reports, it will feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite, up to 24 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage, a 6,000 mAh battery, 100W wired charging, and IP68 and IP69 ratings. Other than that, OnePlus recently confirmed 50W magnetic wireless charging support and BOE X2 display.
Oppo is set to unveil its next flagship, the Find X8 series, on October 24. While we’ve already gotten a glimpse of the device in some live photos, new leaked renders now reveal the different color options that will be available.
Oppo Find X8 specifications (rumored) As per the leak, the Oppo Find X8 features a 6.59-inch Tiama OLED flat display with a 120Hz refresh rate, reaching a maximum brightness of 4,500 nits and is equipped with 2160Hz PWM dimming for eye comfort. It is powered by the Dimensity 9400 chipset, complemented by LPDDR5x RAM and UFS 4.0 storage options. The device houses a substantial 5,630mAh battery that supports 80W wired and 50W wireless (magnetic) charging.
The front camera is a 32-megapixel Sony MX615. The rear panel has a Hasselblad triple camera setup comprising a 50-megapixel LYT-700 sensor with optical image stabilization (OIS), a 50-megapixel Samsung JN5 ultra-wide sensor, and a 50-megapixel LYT-600 sensor featuring a 3x periscope telephoto lens with OIS.
The phone measures 7.85mm in thickness and weighs 193 grams, with both front and rear panels made of Corning Gorilla Glass and an IP68/69 rating. It is available in multiple variants, including 12GB+256GB, 12GB+512GB, 16GB+256GB, 16GB+512GB, and 16GB+1TB, with color options of Starry Black, Breeze Blue, Light White, and Bubble Pink.
According to a new report, well-known and trusted leaker Evan Blass has shared official renders of the Oppo Find X8 and Find X8 Pro, giving us a closer look at the design and color options. According to the images, the Oppo Find X8 will come in four shades:
Black
White
Blue
Pink
Meanwhile, the leaked images of the Find X8 Pro confirm it will come in classic color options like:
Black
White
Blue
Reports suggest that the Find X8 is slightly more compact, featuring a 6.6-inch display, while the Pro version boasts a larger 6.78-inch screen. Though the displays may look flat, they actually sport a subtle micro-quad-curved design. Both models also showcase ultra-thin bezels that are evenly sized, giving them a sleek and modern look.
The leaked renders give us a clearer view of the alert slider, along with the power and volume buttons. The Pro version has an extra Quick Capture button, reportedly featuring a capacitive design with a linear motor. This new button is expected to work much like the Camera Control button introduced with the iPhone 16 series, offering a quick and seamless way to snap photos.
Shifting the focus to the back, both the Find X8 and Find X8 Pro sport a huge circular camera module with the iconic Hasselblad logo centered within it. The LED flash sits just outside the module, positioned in the upper-left corner on both models.
Wondering what’s under the hood? Well, the Oppo Find X8 series is expected to pack MediaTek’s freshly released Dimensity 9400 chip, coupled with up to 16GB of RAM. As for battery life, Oppo is going all out with a hefty 5,700 mAh battery. It might support 80W wired charging and 50W magnetic wireless fast charging, ensuring you’re powered up in no time.
Oppo is set to launch the Find X8 series exclusively in China at first, with a global release likely following later. Given all the rumored specs and the detailed renders we’ve seen from every angle, I think this new flagship is shaping up to be a significant upgrade over its predecessor, and it’s definitely poised to be a fierce contender in this month’s lineup of Chinese flagship smartphones.
Oppo Find X8 will have an iPhone 16 Camera Control-like shutter button
Oppo has revealed that its soon-to-be-unveiled Find X8 flaship phone will arrive with a multifunctional camera shutter button that will sound awfully familiar to iPhone fans.
In a post on Weibo, the Chinese manufacturer detailed the button, which mimics the physical positioning and the functionality of the iPhone 16’s Camera Control almost exactly.
Oppo has a button that you press to launch the camera app, press again to take a picture, and swipe to zoom in and out on your subject.
Oppo says it can also work underwater, eliminating the need to use the touchscreen to turn on the camera when taking underwater photos and videos.
Apple hasn’t talked about the possibility of using the camera control button underwater, and I haven’t tested it on my iPhone 16 Pro Max!
The Oppo Find X8 series is likely to be released before the end of the year, and if the precedent set by the Find X7 series last year is repeated, it could be available early next year.
OPPO’s 100W charging tech is incredible, and it is available on all OnePlus phones as well.
All Android phones have fast charging built in, but not all standards are created equal. While several brands rely on USB’s standard Power Delivery, Chinese manufacturers use their own tech instead, delivering significantly higher charging speeds on their phones.
OPPO’s SuperVOOC is the industry leader in this area, with the brand able to push battery charging to as much as 240W. That’s an outlier, but on most OnePlus and OPPO phones available today, you’ll see 65W and 100W charging as standard, allowing these devices to fully charge their batteries in under 30 minutes.
To put that into context, Samsung uses 45W charging on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but the device takes over 60 minutes to charge the battery — more than twice as long as the OnePlus 12. The best part is that you don’t get any downsides to 100W fast charging; I used OnePlus and OPPO devices based on the 100W tech for three years now, and long-term battery degradation is in line with other phones.
So here’s everything you need to know about the SuperVOOC charging standard — how it evolved over the years, how it works in the latest devices, and how it’s different to other fast charging solutions.
OPPO introduced its VOOC charging tech back in 2014, and if you’re curious, it is an abbreviation of Voltage Open Loop Multi-step Constant-Current Charging. VOLMCCC doesn’t quite have the same allure, so OPPO shortened it to VOOC. In the early days, the standard went up to 20W (5V/4A), allowing devices at the time — like the OnePlus 6T — to charge up to 60% in just 35 minutes, a sizeable achievement.
Then came SuperVOOC in 2006, going up to 50W by pushing 10V at 5A, but not many devices used this standard. The biggest upgrade came in 2019 with the debut of VOOC 3.0, which made 30W charging standard across most OnePlus and OPPO devices. The tech switched to 5V/6A to deliver faster charging, with devices like the OnePlus 7T going up to a 70% charge in just 30 minutes.
The next evolution occurred in 2020 with SuperVOOC 2.0, which introduced the 65W standard that’s still in use today. It moved the charging tech to deliver 10V over 6.5A, introducing the ability to fully charge devices in under 40 minutes. When I tested the OnePlus 8T that year, I saw that the battery charged in just 38 minutes, a record at the time.
OnePlus used OPPO’s charging tech from the very beginning, but because it was set up as a standalone entity, it changed the moniker. The 20W standard was called Dash Charge, and with the switch to 30W came Warp Charge. And when 65W charging became available, the manufacturer went with Warp Charge 65.
There was a derivative of this — dubbed the 65T — on the OnePlus 9 Pro, which allowed the device to maintain a sustained voltage for an extended duration, and it unlocked a full charge in under 30 minutes. The biggest advantage to the SuperVOOC standard is that it doesn’t overheat your device; that’s because most of the charging circuitry is built into the wall unit.
This is why you can only get the quoted charging speeds only when you use a SuperVOOC charger; while USB PD also has 65W charging, the voltages are different, so you don’t get the same benefits.
How does SuperVOOC work? A standard smartphone battery is highly reactive, which is why phone companies have several safeguards built into the charging circuitry. Lithium-Ion batteries are able to take in more power initially, tapering out as the charge builds. It is on this principle that fast charging works.
Qualcomm’s Quick Charge technology delivers a higher voltage to the battery to expedite charging time. Quick Charge 5.0 is fully compliant with the USB-C Power Delivery (PD) spec, and while some manufacturers like ASUS use Qualcomm’s solution, most brands have switched over to USB PD instead.
Samsung, for instance, switched to USB Power Delivery’s Programmable Power Supply (PPS) spec starting with the Galaxy Note 10 series, offering 45W charging. This is still the case on its latest devices, but most of its mid-range phones still use a 25W standard.
SuperVOOC’s differentiation comes by way of using a dual-cell battery; the OnePlus 12 has a 5400mAh battery, but it is made up of two 2700mAh cells. This way, the 100W charge is split over both batteries at the same time, allowing the device to charge in under 30 minutes.
The key difference between SuperVOOC and other charging standards is that while USB PD uses higher voltages to charge batteries, OPPO instead focuses on delivering a higher amperage. For instance, USB PD pushes 20V at 3.25A to send 65W to devices, whereas SuperVOOC delivers 10V at 6.5A to attain 65W. But because all the associated circuitry is in the wall unit, you’ll get all the advantages of fast charging without any of the downsides (overheating).
SuperVOOC 100W: Charging your phone in 30 minutes
One of the main benefits of SuperVOOC is its ability to keep temperatures low while charging. The fast charging option allows you to watch videos or play games while the phone is charging, with no net drop in speeds. That isn’t the case with other charging solutions, as the higher voltages invariably lead to the phone reverting to normal speeds to prevent overheating.
With SuperVOOC 100W, you can easily charge a phone battery in under 30 minutes, and it is a proven technology by this point — I used it on dozens of phones. There’s also a SuperVOOC 150W standard, but that was available on just a few devices, and while OPPO showcased SuperVOOC 240W as well, it isn’t practical on its flagships.
Like other charging standards, SuperVOOC takes more than twice as long to go from 50% to a full charge, and that’s to prevent damage to the battery (and more importantly, you), with the wall charger limiting output after hitting 70% and going even lower after reaching 80%. With the OnePlus 12, the phone goes up to 72% in just 15 minutes, but takes an additional 15 minutes to go the rest of the 28%.
The dedicated microcontroller unit inside the phone constantly monitors the charge level to determine the desired amperage to be delivered. This is a good thing, because it ensures that everything doesn’t burn down when you plug your phone in overnight. Of course, the main downside is that you’ll need to use OnePlus and OPPO’s bundled chargers to get the full charging potential.
That said, OPPO has licensed the technology to third-party vendors like Anker, and the charging brand is delivering SuperVOOC 65W on select power banks and chargers, including the Prime 27,650mAh power bank that goes up to 250W. This is a huge deal, as it allows you to get all the advantages of the charging tech on the go.
An additional thing to mention here is that while you get 100W charging in most regions, OnePlus limits the chargers to 80W in North America. This has to do with voltages again, so if you’re using the OnePlus 12 in the region, you’ll only be able to use 80W. In real-world use, that means the device will take roughly eight additional minutes to charge.
A key update introduced in 2022 is the ability to increase battery longevity. Even with SuperVOOC 100W, OPPO is guaranteeing 1600 charge cycles before battery degradation, and that’s a huge achievement. Also, the best part about using the SuperVOOC 100W charger is that it doubles as a USB PD charger as well, going up to 65W. So if you have other devices that leverage PD, you can charge those easily.
What is AIRVOOC 50?
The OnePlus 8 Pro became the first device from the manufacturer (globally) to offer wireless charging, and in usual OnePlus fashion the company outfitted the phone with 30W wireless charging. AIRVOOC 30 — also called dubbed Warp Charge 30 Wireless on OnePlus devices — could deliver up to a 50% charge in just 30 minutes, allowing it to become a standout option in the wireless charging segment.
To deliver sustained 30W wireless charging, OnePlus used two charge pumps and clever charging tech. The charger coil itself sends 20V at 1.5A (netting 30W) to the first charge pump, which then halves the voltage to 10W while boosting the amperage to 3A (once again creating 30W). The second charge pump halves the voltage yet again to 5V, with the amperage doubled to 6A. That 5V at 6A charge leads to 30W, and it’s this charge that’s sent to the charging coil on the back of the phone.
OPPO is using this technique because there’s no way to safely deliver a 6A charge directly from the induction coil on the wireless charger to the one on the phone. That would create a lot of heat and inevitably burn things down, so it’s instead relying on two charge pumps. The technology is very interesting, and it continues to be one of the best wireless charging solutions around.
With the OnePlus 9 series, OnePlus introduced 50W wireless charging, and this is still the same tech that’s used in the Find X7 Ultra and the best OnePlus phones. It is called AIRVOOC 50, and the tech is able to charge a device in under 45 minutes, but you’ll need to use the dedicated wireless charger, and that’s no longer available in most markets.
OPPO continues to lead the way with its charging tech, and SuperVOOC 100W allows you to easily charge your phone in under 30 minutes — and do so safely. With the Find X8 and OnePlus 13 set to launch soon, it is interesting to see how the charging tech will evolve in the coming years.
The Vivo X200 series finally went official in China this week. While the X200 Pro had my attention, the X200 Pro Mini swept me off the floor. Now, its name might be quite the mouthful but the phone isn’t. Launched for CNY 4,699 , this mini phone features everything you can ask for from a compact flagship. Not to mention, this is also the very first phone in the world to feature the MediaTek Dimensity 9400. With that said, here’s all that Vivo’s small wonder boy entices you with, at least it has me in a trance!
Just the Right Amount of Screen
Vivo X200 Pro Mini flaunts a 6.3-inch LTPO OLED display with 1.5K resolution (2640 × 1216 pixels). While it’s not as small as the ASUS Zenfone 10’s 5.9-inch, iPhone 16’s 6.1-inch, or the Galaxy S24’s 6.2-inch panel, it’s still a good amount of display without feeling too much. It’s all the better to see such an offering from a brand that’s just not in the habit of launching compact phones.
The X200 Pro Mini’s panel boasts a 120Hz refresh rate. However, the real kicker is that it is BOE’s LTPO panel, which can now drop as low as just 0.1Hz as compared to the usual 1Hz. So, you are getting not just a small and fast display, but also one that will save you more battery juice. Vivo also claims a peak brightness of 4,500 nits, which is impressive.
This is also a flat display, by the way, which is the norm for compact phones. Making things handier, this compact phone measures 150.83 × 71.76 × 8.15mm and weighs just 187 grams. Moreover, it has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.
Battery Life for Days! However, the small body and compact display are not the only special things about this phone. This is where I take my hat off for Vivo. The Vivo X200 Pro Mini packs a massive 5,700mAh BlueVolt battery, which is more than what even the top flagships offer.
For reference, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery, the Pixel 9 Pro XL packs a 5,060mAh battery, and the OnePlus 12 brings 5,400mAh capacity to the table.
The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro (first impressions) has a similar capacity, and despite being a foldable phone, it impressed me with its battery performance, big time. So, one can only imagine the kind of backup this smaller monster can potentially deliver. Thanks to 90W wired charging and 30W wireless charging support, the device won’t take much time to charge fully.
And then, there’s also the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 chipset under the hood. MediaTek’s latest and greatest chipset based on a 3nm fabrication process. Yes, this is that chipset that was reportedly hitting over and beyond 3 million points on AnTuTu. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, on the other hand, maxes out at somewhere around 2 million, which is almost 40% less.
While that may change with the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 launch, which is also said to rack up a similar amount of points, it is about who did it first. Meanwhile, Samsung’s Exynos 2400 doesn’t even hit 2 million, in comparison.
Besides, accompanying the chipset, you also get to see a super-fast storage configuration of up to 16GB of LPDDR5X Ultra Pro RAM. There’s also up to UFS 4.0 Flash Storage of up to 1TB to enjoy.
Solid Set of Cameras Vivo X200 Pro Mini doesn’t disappoint in the camera front either. There’s a ZEISS-backed 50MP Sony LYT818 primary sensor coupled with a 50MP ISOCELL JN1 ultra-wide camera. However, the highlight of this setup is the addition of a 1/2″ 50MP periscope telephoto sensor, capable of 3x optical zoom and 100x digital zoom. Yep, you heard that right.
Even the latest iPhone 16 and Pixel 9 don’t offer a telephoto sensor, let alone a periscope camera. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24 features a 1/4″ telephoto with 3x optical zoom. Then, there’s also the Vivo V2 imaging chipset, which brings that extra bit of enhancement to the shots.
However, Vivo has reused the same 32MP selfie shooter as the last set of phones, which could have been improved. Keeping that aside, there’s nothing but gold here.
The No-Compromise Compact Phone I’ve Always Wanted
Every corner I look at, the Vivo X200 Pro Mini just seems all too perfect. Moreover, Origin OS 5.0, with its seemingly incredible animations and improvements, looks incredible. Although the rest of the world will be getting the bland Android 15-based Funtouch OS 15 instead, it’s still not half bad.
While this compact phone may not launch globally, I can’t help but wish it does, somewhere down the line. The compact phone market has too many opportunities, and I’d love to see OEMs crowding this space and giving us more such stellar options. Not too long ago, I also tested out the Moto Edge 50 Neo (first impressions), which is also a phone with a 6.3-inch screen, but a significantly cheaper mid-ranger instead. And there’s just a different kind of unexplainable appeal to such phones.
Especially so, when they’re as commendably priced as the X200 Pro Mini. I also like that you can choose from either the classic Plain White and Simple Black color options or go Light Pink and Titanium Green.
The other two phones in the lineup, the Vivo X200 and X200 Pro are impressive as well, and from the looks of it, the X200 Pro Mini is the middle ground.
But the X200 Pro Mini is giving my reviewer hands an unstoppable itch, and I can’t wait to take it out for a spin! You know where to find me when that happens. Meanwhile, what do you think of Vivo’s latest compact phone? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
