Tag Archives: Reviews

OBSBOT Tiny 3 4K PTZ Webcam Review: Audio As a First-Class Citizen

Posted on by

PROS:


  • Triple MEMS mic array with five specialized audio modes

  • Strong imaging quality with 1/1.28-inch 4K Dual All-Pixel PDAF sensor

  • AI Tracking 2.0 with intelligent framing and PTZ control

  • Extreme compactness with flagship-level specs

CONS:


  • Premium pricing

  • Feature depth may overwhelm casual users

  • Non-serviceable, integrated design

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

OBSBOT Tiny 3 treats audio and video as one design problem instead of forcing users to stack separate gear, creating a genuinely tiny studio that replaces an entire desk setup with one very capable box.

Most people who take video calls seriously have ended up stacking gear on their desks. A clip-on webcam, a clamped USB mic, software filters layered on top of each other, and a constant ritual of adjusting angles and leaning into microphones just to sound decent. Laptop webcams were never meant to carry this much weight, but the usual upgrade path still treats audio as something you solve separately, which means juggling two devices and hoping they play nicely together.

OBSBOT Tiny 3 approaches that problem differently. The 4K PTZ webcam wraps a triple MEMS microphone array, a 1/1.28-inch sensor, and a 2-axis gimbal into a compact, lightweight aluminum body. OBSBOT calls it a Tiny Titan, and claims it delivers studio-grade spatial audio, flagship imaging, and AI tracking in one very small package. Whether that actually holds up during everyday streaming, client meetings, and the occasional podcast is the question worth answering.

Designer: OBSBOT

Aesthetics

Walking into a room where the Tiny 3 sits on a desk, it reads less like a webcam and more like a miniature broadcast camera someone scaled down and parked on a tripod. The aircraft-grade aluminum alloy shell gives it an equipment-grade presence without being loud about it, landing somewhere between compact cameras and audio interfaces rather than the glossy plastic most peripherals use these days.

The proportions feel deliberately compact. At 37mm x 37mm x 49mm and 63g, it occupies roughly the same footprint as a large dice, but the dual-axis gimbal makes it clear this is meant to move and track rather than stare at one fixed angle. The satin metallic finish catches light softly without harsh reflections, and the minimal branding keeps it neutral enough to blend into creative or corporate setups without clashing with the rest of the gear.

The included storage case and adjustable mount feel like extensions of the same design language rather than afterthoughts tossed into the box. The case is compact and rigid, protecting the camera in transit without eating up bag space, while the mount uses clean lines and a friction hinge that feels considered. These details matter to people who care about how tools look both during use and while packed away, which describes exactly the kind of person likely to spend more on a webcam in the first place.

Ergonomics

Setup is quick enough that you can join a meeting within minutes of opening the box. Plug the OBSBOT Tiny 3 into a USB-C port, wait a few seconds for automatic driver installation, and the camera appears as a standard UVC device ready for Zoom or Teams. Downloading OBSBOT Center later unlocks deeper controls, but the basics work immediately without forcing you into a setup wizard when you are already five minutes late to a call.

Mounting options give flexibility without requiring proprietary hardware. The adjustable clip grabs laptop lids or monitor bezels securely, while the built-in 1/4-inch thread accepts any standard desk tripod or arm. This means the Tiny 3 can shift from a quick laptop travel setup to a permanent studio fixture without needing different stands, which keeps things simpler when your workspace changes or you move between home and office regularly.

The 2-axis gimbal handles tracking smoothly once it starts moving. Pan range reaches ±130 degrees controllable, tilt goes from 32 degrees up to 60 degrees down, and the gimbal moves at up to 120 degrees per second. In practice, the camera can follow you across a room, reframe when you stand up or sit down, or snap to preset positions without feeling sluggish or overeager, more like a quiet camera operator than a webcam you nudge by hand every few minutes.

Voice commands and gesture control keep your hands free when it counts. Saying “Hi Tiny” wakes the camera, and from there you can trigger tracking, zoom in or out, or park the gimbal in preset positions by voice. Gestures work similarly: a raised hand or quick motion toggles tracking or zoom without leaning forward to click software buttons. This feels genuinely practical once you are mid-presentation and do not want to break flow by reaching for a mouse or keyboard.

Performance

At the imaging core sits a 1/1.28-inch CMOS sensor with 50MP effective pixels behind an f/1.8 lens at a 24mm equivalent focal length. That sensor size is closer to what you would find in a decent smartphone camera than in most webcams, which immediately changes expectations for low-light noise, dynamic range, and how camera-like the footage feels compared to typical USB peripherals.

The OBSBOT Tiny 3 outputs 4K at 30 fps for sharp video, or drops to 1080p at up to 120 fps for ultra-smooth motion or slow-motion clips. That 120 fps mode is rare on webcams and genuinely useful for product demos, movement capture, or just making gesture-heavy content feel more cinematic. DCG HDR balances bright windows and dim rooms without the ghosting that makes some HDR modes unusable, which helps when you are stuck with mixed lighting.

Autofocus and exposure behave like a capable point-and-shoot rather than guesswork. Dual All-Pixel PDAF pulls focus quickly, whether you are showing a product, writing on a whiteboard, or pacing during a stream. ISO 100 to 12,800, capped at 6,400 in HDR mode, gives flexibility to stay clean in low light without the image collapsing into noise. Shutter speeds from 1/12,800 to 1/30 second handle fast motion or dim environments without aggressive software smoothing.

Audio is where the Tiny 3 genuinely stands apart from the field. The triple silicon MEMS microphone array includes one omnidirectional and two directional mics, operating at 24-bit sampling with 130dB SPL handling and a 69dB signal-to-noise ratio. In plain terms, the system captures quiet nuance and loud environments without clipping or filling the track with hiss, and noise reduction is strong enough to keep voices clear even in noisy spaces.

Five dedicated audio modes cover different scenarios without needing external hardware. Pure Audio delivers unprocessed stereo for music or ASMR. Spatial Audio enhances stereo separation for vlogs. Smart Omni balances voices and environmental sound for meetings. Directional focuses pickup in front while suppressing surrounding noise, ideal for solo podcasts. Dual-Directional captures front and rear while rejecting sides, built for interviews. Having all five built in lets you tune the mic to your environment instead of buying another device.

AI Tracking 2.0 brings framing intelligence you would usually need a camera operator to achieve. Human tracking offers Single, Group, and Only Me modes, the latter locking onto one person and ignoring distractions. Object tracking lets you box items in software and have the gimbal follow. Zone Tracking sets custom areas where tracking starts or stops. Auto Zoom adjusts framing from close-up to full body, while Face Framing detects which direction you are looking and shifts composition accordingly.

Sustainability

The aircraft-grade aluminum alloy body does more than look polished. Aluminum dissipates heat better than plastic, which keeps the camera cooler during long streams and reduces the risk of thermal issues or early component wear. The material also resists scratches and minor bumps better than glossy finishes, which matters when you are moving the camera between desk, bag, and tripod regularly without babying it.

The OBSBOT Tiny 3 is not user-serviceable in the traditional sense, but that trade-off buys integration and compactness. The non-removable gimbal, sensor, and mic array work as a single tuned system, eliminating external adapters, separate audio devices, and multiple mounting solutions. Over time, that reduces the number of peripherals cluttering your workspace and, eventually, the pile of obsolete gear heading toward e-waste when you simplify or upgrade.

Consolidation itself is a quieter sustainability angle. By combining high-quality video, spatial audio, and intelligent tracking in one device, the Tiny 3 can replace the typical webcam-plus-mic-plus-software stack many creators rely on. Fewer separate products to manufacture, package, ship, and discard adds up over the lifecycle of a setup, even if it is not the kind of sustainability story that comes with certification badges or bold recycled-material claims.

Value

With a $349 full price tag, the OBSBOT Tiny 3 sits in premium webcam territory. This is not an impulse replacement for a blurry laptop camera. It is aimed at people who make a living on video or spend enough time on calls and streams that a camera setup feels like professional infrastructure rather than just another peripheral. The price is higher than most consumer webcams, but it is also attempting significantly more than a fixed lens with a basic mic.

Value shows up through consolidation. At that price point, you get a 4K PTZ camera, triple-mic spatial audio system, and deep AI tracking in one device. Building something similar from separate pieces, a good standalone webcam, a quality USB microphone, plus software for tracking, can match or exceed that total when you add it up. The bigger benefit is simplicity: one cable instead of three, one piece of software, and one object on the desk instead of gear fighting for USB ports.

Comparing what $349 typically gets you elsewhere helps frame where Tiny 3 sits. At similar prices, you might find webcams with strong video but mediocre mics that still need separate audio solutions, or you might approach entry-level camera kits that require capture cards and external mics. Tiny 3’s combination of audio-first design, motorized PTZ tracking, and real-time AI framing is rare enough in this bracket that direct comparisons feel unfair in either direction.

The broader OBSBOT ecosystem adds value for people who grow into complex setups. Pairing the Tiny 3 with OBSBOT’s own Vox SE wireless mics, a physical OBSBOT Tiny Smart Remote 2, or adapters for HDMI and NDI output means the camera scales from simple desk calls to multi-camera streams without needing replacement. That spreads the initial investment over more scenarios and extends useful life, which looks more reasonable when you consider many people outgrow basic webcams within a year anyway.

Verdict

The OBSBOT Tiny 3 feels like a carefully engineered answer to the messy reality of modern video communication, where clear sound, smart framing, and reliable focus matter as much as raw resolution. The combination of a 1/1.28-inch 4K sensor, triple MEMS spatial audio, and a nimble PTZ gimbal packed into a, pardon the pun, tiny aluminum body makes it feel less like a webcam upgrade and more like a miniaturized studio camera that works over USB-C.

It is hardly the cheapest way to appear on screen, but it is one of the few that treats audio, video, and intelligence as a single design problem. For creators, educators, podcasters, and remote workers tired of juggling separate cameras and mics just to sound and look decent, the OBSBOT Tiny 3 makes a strong case for consolidating that setup into one very small, very capable box that disappears into the background while you get on with the work.

The post OBSBOT Tiny 3 4K PTZ Webcam Review: Audio As a First-Class Citizen first appeared on Yanko Design.

Infinix NOTE Edge Review: Visible Luxury

Posted on by

PROS:


  • Distinctive material finishes feel intentional, tactile, and far removed from generic glass phones.

  • Curved AMOLED display integrates seamlessly into the frame with excellent visual balance.

  • Slim profile paired with large battery delivers comfort without sacrificing endurance.

  • Weight distribution feels centered, stable, and comfortable during long daily use.

  • Design language prioritizes subtle luxury over flashy, trend-driven aesthetics.

CONS:


  • Performance prioritizes consistency over raw power for demanding mobile gaming.

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

A design-led smartphone where materials, texture, and restraint create a genuinely premium visual identity.
award-icon

The Infinix NOTE Edge doesn’t announce itself through volume. It doesn’t rely on aggressive angles or oversaturated finishes to command attention. Instead, it arrives with a quieter confidence, the kind that reveals itself slowly as light shifts across its surface and the hand adjusts to its form.

I’ve spent time with devices that prioritize specification lists over tactile experience, and the NOTE Edge represents a deliberate departure from that approach. Infinix has made choices here that suggest an understanding of what makes an object feel considered rather than merely assembled. The 7.2mm profile isn’t thin for the sake of a number on a spec sheet. It’s thin because that dimension allows the curved display to flow into the frame without creating awkward transitions or compromising grip. The fact that a 6,500mAh battery fits inside without adding bulk says something about the internal engineering priorities.

What interests me most about this device isn’t any single feature. It’s how Infinix has leaned into a specific material language, treating the phone less like a piece of consumer electronics and more like a fashion object, with finishes that reference gemstones, textiles, and luxury accessories rather than the gradient glass that dominates this category. The NOTE Edge wants to be noticed, but it doesn’t want to shout. That tension between presence and subtlety defines the entire experience.

Design and Ergonomics

The Silk Green finish on our review unit operates differently than most smartphone surfaces. It’s a leather-like treatment with a texture evocative of luxury handbags, absorbing light rather than bouncing it back indiscriminately. Indoors, the color reads as deep and muted, almost forest-like in its saturation. Move outside, and the green opens up, revealing warmer undertones that shift depending on the angle of observation. This isn’t a static color. It’s a material that responds to its environment, and that responsiveness gives the phone a character that glass-backed devices simply can’t replicate.

The texture matters as much as the color. There’s no cold shock when you pick it up from a table. Fingerprints don’t accumulate the way they do on glossy surfaces. After extended use, the back panel still looks intentional rather than smudged.

Infinix offers alternative finishes that pursue a different aesthetic entirely. The Lunar Titanium, Stellar Blue, and Shadow Black variants use a cat-eye stone inspired treatment that creates visible movement as the phone tilts. Light doesn’t just reflect from these surfaces. It travels across them, producing shifting patterns that never quite settle into a fixed appearance. The finish has enough grip to feel secure without becoming tacky, and it maintains that feel whether your hands are dry or slightly damp. The effect is dramatic without crossing into garish territory, and it demonstrates that Infinix isn’t limiting itself to a single design vocabulary.

The 3D curved 1.5K AMOLED display integrates with the frame through a transition that eliminates the hard edge found on flat-screen devices. The curve is calibrated to reduce perceived width while maintaining usability across the entire display surface. Ultra-narrow bezels, with the bottom edge measuring just 1.87mm at its narrowest point, push content closer to the physical boundary of the device. The 6.78-inch panel feels immersive without forcing the body to expand beyond comfortable one-handed reach. A 120Hz refresh rate keeps motion smooth, 10-bit color depth renders gradients without visible banding, and 4500 nits of peak brightness means outdoor visibility doesn’t require cupped hands or squinting. Gamers benefit from a 2800Hz instant touch sampling rate that registers inputs faster than most users can perceive.

The interaction layer adds functional touches without cluttering the physical design. A dedicated One-Tap button on the frame provides customizable shortcuts to features like the flashlight, camera, or FOLAX AI assistant. The Active Halo Lighting around the rear camera module glows softly in response to notifications, calls, and charging status, with adjustable colors and stepless dimming. Neither element demands attention, but both reward users who engage with them. An integrated IR blaster lets you control TVs, air conditioners, and other appliances directly from the phone. eSIM support, a first for Infinix devices, adds flexibility for travelers and dual-SIM users who’d rather not swap physical cards. Availability varies by region and model, so check the official Infinix website to confirm eSIM support in your market.

Weight distribution deserves specific attention. A 6,500mAh battery creates density that could easily pull the phone off balance, making it feel top-heavy during vertical use or awkward during extended sessions. The NOTE Edge avoids this entirely, with mass centered in the chassis so scrolling, typing, and camera work all feel stable.

The glass-to-frame transition reinforces that sense of cohesion. There’s no lip or ridge where materials meet. Your grip flows uninterrupted around the device, which matters more than it might seem during the first few minutes of handling. Over hours, that seamlessness translates to reduced fatigue. The phone disappears physically while remaining visually present, which is exactly the balance a design-forward device should achieve. Corning Gorilla Glass 7i protects the curved display surface, and IP65 dust and water resistance means the materials can handle exposure to the elements without requiring constant caution.

Software and User Experience (XOS 16)

XOS 16 plays a bigger role in how the NOTE Edge feels than you might expect. Built on Android 16, the interface doesn’t compete with the hardware for attention. It supports it. Transitions stay smooth, layouts feel intentional, and nothing about the experience pulls focus away from what you’re actually doing on the phone.

The Glow Space design language shows up in subtle ways rather than obvious visual tricks. Depth effects, layered wallpapers, and motion cues work especially well with the curved display, giving the interface a sense of dimension without becoming distracting. It pairs naturally with the phone’s physical form, which matters when you’re swiping one handed or shifting between apps quickly. After a few hours, the software fades into the background, which is exactly what good interface design should do.

Haptics feel restrained and precise. Taps register cleanly. Gestures feel confident without being exaggerated. There’s enough feedback to reinforce interaction, but not so much that it becomes noise. Combined with the curved edges and balanced weight, the software contributes directly to how comfortable the device feels over long sessions.

Infinix’s AI layer works best when it stays quiet. System level optimization, background task management, and two-way AI noise reduction operate without demanding attention. The noise cancellation works in both directions, cleaning up background sound on your end while also filtering what you hear from callers. That restraint fits the overall tone of the NOTE Edge.

Longevity is where XOS 16 quietly strengthens the value of the device. Infinix commits to three years of OS updates and five years of security patches, which changes how you think about living with the phone long term. This isn’t software designed to feel fresh for a few months and then age out. It’s built to remain stable, secure, and familiar well beyond the initial ownership window.

Performance and Camera

The MediaTek Dimensity 7100 5G handles daily use without calling attention to itself. Swiping, launching apps, and unlocking all register instantly. It’s the kind of platform that does its job and stays out of the way.

That consistency holds over longer sessions. I kept messaging, maps, and media apps running simultaneously and never felt the system hesitate or dump background processes. The interface stayed responsive after hours of mixed use, which matters more than benchmark numbers when you’re navigating an unfamiliar city or bouncing between work threads and personal messages. Heat management impressed me more than raw speed. Extended navigation, casual gaming, and heavy browsing didn’t produce the kind of warmth that makes you shift your grip or set the phone down. The chassis stayed comfortable against my palm throughout full afternoon sessions. Infinix clearly tuned this device for sustained operation rather than brief bursts of peak performance.

Signal stability reinforces that dependability. Infinix’s UPS 3.0 Super Signal Technology focuses on low-frequency cellular bands, the 615 to 960 MHz range that travels farther and penetrates obstacles better than higher frequencies. These are the signals that actually reach you in elevators, underground parking garages, and concrete-heavy buildings when everything else drops off.

The engineering behind it involves physically larger antenna components. Infinix increased the radiation arm area of the main low-frequency antenna by 50 percent and the auxiliary antenna’s radiation wall by 30 percent. That translates to a 1.5 to 2 dB gain in low-frequency reception, which sounds modest on paper but shows up clearly in practice. Calls held steady in places where I normally expect a brief dropout. Data kept flowing in basement-level parking where other phones tend to stall while searching for signal.

It’s the kind of reliability you only notice when it’s missing.

The camera follows that same practical mindset. It’s built to produce usable results without demanding expertise.

This is a dual camera setup. The 50MP main sensor handles all meaningful imaging work, while the secondary lens exists for depth separation in portrait shots.

The 50MP main sensor handles everyday situations with consistent color accuracy from shot to shot. Outdoor images retain detail without oversaturating, and indoor shots keep skin tones natural under mixed lighting. Low light performance benefits from Infinix’s AI RAW imaging algorithm, which lifts shadow detail without flattening contrast or blowing highlights. Texture stays intact where other processing tends to smooth everything into mush. You don’t need to fight the camera or babysit settings. Point, shoot, and move on works more often than not.

Live Photo Mode captures a three-second window around each shutter press, giving you motion instead of a single frozen frame. It’s useful for candid moments, pets, or scenes where timing matters. Exporting as GIFs, setting captures as live wallpapers, or sharing to iPhones via NFC makes the feature feel integrated rather than bolted on. The implementation suggests Infinix thought about how people actually use these clips rather than just checking a feature box.

Video recording stays predictable and clean. Footage looks solid in good light, motion doesn’t introduce distracting jitter, and audio capture handles casual recording without issues. Nothing here feels experimental or unfinished.

Audio and Sound Performance

Sound is handled by a dual stereo speaker system co-engineered with JBL, and it’s immediately noticeable once you stop defaulting to headphones. Volume comes up without harshness, and the tonal balance stays intact even when you push it higher than you normally would for casual listening. There’s actual separation here, with dialogue staying forward in videos and podcasts while music doesn’t collapse into a single flat plane.

Infinix leans on a five-magnet acoustic system and a high-elasticity silicone rubber diaphragm, which sounds technical until you use it. Bass has presence without rattling, mids stay clean, and highs don’t spike in a way that fatigues your ears over longer sessions. The diaphragm flexibility contributes to that balanced output, absorbing vibrations that would otherwise muddy the low end. The 360-degree symmetrical sound field matters more than I expected, especially when you’re watching something without holding the phone perfectly straight. Audio stays consistent whether the phone is resting on a table, propped up, or held casually in one hand. That positional flexibility makes the speakers feel genuinely usable rather than an afterthought.

Sustainability and Longevity

Battery capacity tells only part of the endurance story. The 6,500mAh cell in our review unit (6,150mAh in certain regional configurations) provides multi-day operational potential under moderate use patterns. This isn’t about chasing screen-on time records. It’s about eliminating the anxiety that comes with uncertainty around whether a device will last through an unpredictable day.

In practice, that translates to roughly 22 hours of continuous video playback or 26 hours of outdoor navigation before you need to reach for a cable. When you do need to refuel, 45W All-Round FastCharge gets you to 50% in about 27 minutes and a full charge in just over an hour. Bypass Charging routes power directly to the system board during gaming or navigation, which keeps the battery out of the thermal loop and reduces heat buildup during extended plugged-in sessions.

Long-term battery health becomes relevant when capacity numbers reach this scale. Infinix claims the battery retains more than 80% capacity after 2,000 full charge cycles, equivalent to over six years of typical daily use. The company also cites self-healing technology that repairs micro-damage through dynamic recrystallization during low-current recovery. These aren’t marketing abstractions. They’re engineering claims with testable outcomes, and they suggest the multi-day endurance you experience initially should hold over the ownership cycle rather than eroding within the first year. The durability framing extends beyond just the battery. Material choices across the device suggest consideration for how surfaces age, how components withstand repeated stress, and how the phone maintains its character over months rather than weeks.

XOS 16, built on Android 16, runs the software side. Infinix commits to three years of OS updates and five years of security patches, which represents the longest support window the NOTE series has offered. That commitment matters for a device positioned around longevity.

Value

The NOTE Edge occupies a market position that doesn’t get enough attention. It’s a design-forward midrange device, which means it competes on material quality and user experience rather than processor benchmarks or camera sensor counts. For users who prioritize how a phone looks and feels over how it performs in synthetic tests, the value proposition here is substantial.

What you receive for the price includes premium-feeling materials, balanced ergonomics, multi-day battery endurance, and a display that rivals more expensive devices in clarity and immersion. The Dimensity 7100 5G provides capable daily performance without generating the heat or power consumption of flagships processors. The camera handles real-world scenarios reliably. None of these elements represents a compromise.

The fashion-led color palette means the NOTE Edge appeals to users who want their technology to reflect personal aesthetic preferences. This isn’t a device that disappears into generic smartphone uniformity. It makes a statement.

Wrap Up

The Infinix NOTE Edge succeeds because it understands what it’s trying to be. It’s a considered object that prioritizes material quality, ergonomic refinement, and visual identity over the metrics that dominate most smartphone conversations.

The Silk Green finish exemplifies the approach. It’s a material choice that affects how the phone looks, how it feels, how it ages, and how it responds to its environment. Nothing about it exists in isolation. Every decision connects to a broader vision of what a design-forward smartphone should offer. That coherence is rare, and it’s what separates the NOTE Edge from devices that feel like committees designed them.

For users who’ve grown tired of phones that feel like interchangeable glass rectangles, the NOTE Edge represents an alternative worth serious consideration. Infinix has demonstrated that visible luxury and practical usability can coexist in the midrange segment. The result is a device that you’ll want to use, want to look at, and want to keep using long after the initial appeal of any new purchase typically fades.

The post Infinix NOTE Edge Review: Visible Luxury first appeared on Yanko Design.

Huawei Mate X7 Review: When a Foldable Finally Feels Finished

Posted on by

PROS:


  • Exceptionally thin foldable design that feels resolved and comfortable daily

  • Matched dual displays deliver consistent quality folded or unfolded

  • Camera system prioritizes realism, balance, and dependable everyday results

  • Strong battery life with fast wired and genuinely usable wireless charging

  • Thoughtful ergonomics make it feel like a phone first, foldable second

CONS:


  • HarmonyOS requires ecosystem flexibility and willingness to adjust workflows

  • Telephoto zoom range favors balance over extreme long distance reach

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

A foldable that finally disappears into daily life instead of demanding attention.
award-icon

The best foldables are the ones that stop asking for permission. After years of watching the form factor fight against itself, the Mate X7 arrives as something quieter: a device where restraint replaces spectacle, and compromise fades into the background. What makes it notable isn’t ambition. It’s resolution. The proportions feel considered. The materials feel deliberate. The hinge feels invisible in the way all good engineering eventually should. This is not a phone that announces itself as a foldable. It simply behaves like a flagship that opens when you need more space.

What makes the Mate X7 feel distinct is not how much it can do, but how deliberately its form has been resolved. From the first day, the Mate X7 felt less like a concept I needed to accommodate and more like a tool that quietly folded itself into my routine. That’s a subtle distinction, but it’s the one that matters most. This isn’t about novelty anymore. It’s about maturity.

Design and Ergonomics

Folded, the Mate X7 feels surprisingly ordinary in the best way possible. The thickness stays under ten millimeters, which means it slips into pockets without that familiar resistance most book style foldables still have. Unfolded, it measures approximately 4.5 millimeters. Both displays run at 2.4K resolution on LTPO OLED panels with adaptive refresh from 1 to 120 Hz, the outer screen peaking at 3,000 nits and the inner at 2,500 nits. The curved edges soften the contact points in your hand, and the weight feels evenly distributed rather than top heavy. I never found myself adjusting my grip to compensate for the hinge or camera module.

The black vegan leather rear panel changes how the phone sits in the hand. It’s softer than glass, warmer than metal, and far less prone to slipping during one handed use. Fingerprints don’t cling to it the way they would on a glossy surface. Over time, the leather develops a subtle patina rather than showing wear, which frames aging as character rather than damage. It feels like a material choice made for daily comfort, not display.

The redesigned camera module warrants more attention than it usually gets in foldable reviews because it does more than house optics. This shift away from the circular camera island feels less like a styling decision and more like a correction to how foldables have been carrying visual mass. The Time Space Portal design stretches vertically, which aligns with the natural proportions of a folded device instead of fighting them. It also spreads mass along the back rather than concentrating it near the top, which helps explain why the Mate X7 never feels top heavy in the hand. This design only works because Huawei re-engineered the camera system to fit within the physical constraints of a thinner foldable body, allowing it to read as a surface element rather than a mechanical bulge. What you end up with is a camera module that feels integrated into the body instead of attached to it. Paired with the leather rear panel, the camera module reads less like a hardware interruption and more like part of a continuous material composition.

The interface plays a quiet but important role in how the Mate X7 feels to live with. When the phone is folded, core interactions stay comfortably within thumb reach instead of drifting upward or outward. Unfolding the device doesn’t feel like switching modes so much as expanding the same workspace. Apps reflow predictably rather than rearranging themselves in ways that break muscle memory. That predictability matters because it reinforces the physical design choices. You unfold when you want more space, not because the interface forces you to. The software respects the hardware’s proportions, which is why the Mate X7 feels cohesive rather than clever.

Unfolded, the eight inch inner display changes posture more than behavior. You don’t suddenly use the phone differently. You simply see more of what you were already doing. Email triage feels less cramped. Reading long articles feels natural instead of compressed. The crease fades into the background quickly, and because both displays share the same resolution class, refresh rate range, and color tuning, the transition between folded and unfolded never feels like a downgrade or upgrade. It feels consistent.

That consistency is what makes the design work. The Mate X7 doesn’t force you to choose between screens. It lets you forget about the distinction.

Hinge and Durability

Foldables still live or die by trust. The Mate X7 builds that trust quietly. The hinge opens with steady resistance and closes with a controlled final movement. There’s no snap. No wobble. No audible feedback that makes you hesitate. After days of frequent folding and unfolding, it never felt looser or stiffer than it did out of the box.

Knowing there is a layered structure under the inner display changes how you interact with it. You stop hovering your fingers. You stop being overly careful. The screen responds like a screen, not like something you’re afraid to touch. That psychological shift is important, and it’s something many foldables still fail to achieve.

Water resistance doesn’t turn this into a rugged phone, but it removes anxiety from daily life. Light rain, splashes near a sink, condensation from a cold bottle. These moments no longer feel like threats. You don’t think about them. You keep using the phone.

Performance and Thermal Behavior

The Mate X7 uses a Huawei-designed chipset paired with an updated internal cooling system built specifically for the thermal constraints of a foldable chassis. Rather than emphasizing raw performance numbers, the focus here is sustained responsiveness and thermal stability during extended use. That design intent shows up immediately in daily operation.

Performance on the Mate X7 never called attention to itself, which is exactly what I want from a device in this category. Swiping, scrolling, and switching between apps felt effortless. I never found myself waiting for a transition or wondering if the system would keep up. Rather than chasing benchmark headlines, the platform here prioritizes consistency, keeping animations fluid, app launches quick, and daily use free from friction or compromise.

It’s clear that HarmonyOS isn’t just running on this hardware. It’s tuned for it. The software and silicon work together in a way that feels quiet rather than flashy. Menus respond the moment you touch them. Transitions between folded and unfolded states don’t stutter. High refresh rates stay smooth without feeling like the system is straining to maintain them. That kind of optimization is easy to overlook until you use a device where it’s missing.

When I put the Mate X7 through longer stretches of use, the thermal behavior became the real story. Video calls, heavy browsing, photography, and frequent multitasking ran together without noticeable heat buildup. The vapor chamber cooling system does its work invisibly. The phone stayed comfortable in my hand even during more demanding sessions, and I never found myself shifting my grip to avoid a warm spot. That matters more on a foldable because heat has fewer places to go. The Mate X7 handles that constraint well.

The result is a device that feels steady rather than startling. Performance here isn’t about peak numbers. It’s about consistency across hours of use, which is exactly what allows a foldable to function as a primary phone instead of something you second-guess.

Battery Life and Charging

The Mate X7 carries a 5,300 mAh silicon anode battery, with 66 W wired charging and 50 W wireless. In practice, that capacity translates to a full day of mixed use with time split between the outer and inner displays without feeling like a gamble. Even on heavier days, I wasn’t watching the percentage with concern by evening.

Charging reinforces that confidence. Wired charging is fast enough that short top ups meaningfully extend the day. Wireless charging is practical rather than symbolic. Together, they change how you plan your usage. You stop budgeting power. You start trusting the device to keep up.

That confidence is what allows a foldable to function as a primary phone instead of something you plan around.

Camera Experience

The camera system consists of a 50 megapixel main sensor with a variable physical aperture that opens to f/1.49, a 50 megapixel telephoto with 3.5x optical zoom housed in a vertical periscope structure, and a 40 megapixel ultrawide at f/2.2. Video captures at 4K.

The camera on the Mate X7 doesn’t ask you to think about it. You raise the phone, frame the shot, and trust the result. That trust builds quickly because the camera behaves the same way whether you’re indoors, outdoors, or somewhere in between. It doesn’t surprise you. It doesn’t overprocess. It just works, and that consistency is what allows photography to feel like a natural extension of using the phone rather than a separate task you have to manage.

The 50 megapixel main sensor handles light with a kind of patience you notice over time. In bright conditions, it holds back instead of pushing saturation or sharpening edges artificially. In low light, the variable physical aperture opens wider, which means the sensor gathers more light without relying entirely on software to compensate. The result is images that retain structure in shadows and control in highlights. Colors stay grounded. Skin tones stay believable. The camera doesn’t chase drama. It preserves what’s actually there.

The 50 megapixel telephoto uses a vertical periscope design, which is what allows it to exist inside a body this thin. At 3.5x optical zoom, the range feels deliberately restrained. It’s not trying to reach the moon. It’s trying to be useful at the distances where you actually want more detail. In practice, details hold together. Color stays consistent with the main sensor. Macro capability follows the same logic. You move closer and the lens responds without hunting or losing sharpness. It feels considered, not novelty driven.

Video capture at 4K benefits from the same restraint. The processing pipeline stays out of the way. High contrast scenes remain readable. Motion stays controlled without aggressive smoothing. Skin tones don’t drift toward artificial warmth or coolness. HDR processing handles mixed lighting without making the image feel overworked. The result is footage that looks balanced, not corrected. You notice this most when reviewing clips later. They look like what you saw, not like what the software decided you should see.

What ties all of this together is the vertical camera module. Because Huawei engineered the optics to fit a constrained space, the camera system doesn’t dominate the device. It doesn’t create a top heavy grip. It doesn’t force a thicker body. Instead, it sits inside the form as a functional element rather than a visual statement. That’s what allows the Mate X7 to feel like a phone that happens to take excellent photos, rather than a camera that happens to fold.

Software and Daily Use

The Mate X7 runs HarmonyOS, optimized specifically for foldable layout behavior and dual display continuity. Transitions between folded and unfolded states happen without disruption. Apps reflow logically. Multitasking feels natural rather than forced.

The absence of Google services remains a practical consideration, but it’s no longer the hard stop it once was for many users. Workarounds exist, and in daily use, most essentials are accessible. Whether that trade off is acceptable depends on your ecosystem priorities, but it no longer overshadows the hardware itself.

Sustainability and Longevity

Sustainability on the Mate X7 is less about messaging and more about what happens when a device is designed to survive years of repetition. A device that lasts longer is inherently more responsible. The Mate X7 feels built to survive years of daily use rather than a single upgrade cycle, largely because it avoids unnecessary complexity. Materials are chosen for strength. The hinge is engineered for repetition. The screens are designed to be used, not protected from the user.

That longevity changes the ownership equation. This doesn’t feel like a phone you replace quickly. It feels like one you settle into.

Value and Perspective

The Mate X7 sits firmly in premium territory, but its value comes from reduction rather than addition. Fewer compromises. Fewer warnings. Fewer behavioral adjustments. You’re not paying for spectacle. You’re paying for cohesion.

It feels less like a statement piece and more like a refined tool. For users willing to step outside familiar software ecosystems, the hardware experience justifies that decision.

Considerations

Living with the Mate X7 asks you to be intentional about your software habits. HarmonyOS is capable and well optimized for this hardware, but it operates outside the ecosystems most people have built their workflows around. That requires awareness, not compromise. Whether it fits depends on how tied you are to specific services and how willing you are to adjust.

This is not a device chasing peak numbers. The performance tuning here prioritizes stability over raw output, and that balance holds up well in daily use. In sustained, heavy scenarios, the ceiling does become visible, but it rarely surfaces during normal workflows. For users who push hardware constantly, it is worth understanding upfront. For everyone else, the experience remains smooth and dependable.

The 3.5x optical zoom is a deliberate choice, not a limitation hidden by marketing. It exists because a longer reach would have required a thicker body or a heavier module. If long range photography defines how you shoot, this restraint matters. If it doesn’t, the telephoto performs exactly as it should.

This is still a foldable. The engineering has matured, the materials have improved, and the confidence I felt using it was real. But a device that folds will always ask for a different kind of respect than one that doesn’t. This invites normal use, not careless use.

Final Thoughts

Living with the Huawei Mate X7 feels less like adapting to the future and more like finally arriving there. The device doesn’t ask for patience. It doesn’t demand care. It doesn’t rely on novelty to justify itself. It works.

That may be the most meaningful evolution in foldable design so far. It earns trust by disappearing into daily life and only reminding you it’s special when you need more space, more light, or more time.

That’s what a finished product feels like. In that sense, the Mate X7 feels less like the next foldable and more like the first one that understands what it’s supposed to be.

The post Huawei Mate X7 Review: When a Foldable Finally Feels Finished first appeared on Yanko Design.

Honor Magic8 Lite: The Lightweight Phone That Lasts Three Days

Posted on by

PROS:


  • Excellent multi-day battery life with a huge 7500 mAh cell

  • Lightweight feel for its size

  • Strong durability story with IP69K, IP68, IP66 ratings

CONS:


  • Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 performance is only mid-tier

  • Unimpressive camera performance

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

Honor’s Magic8 Lite trades raw speed for stamina and toughness, and in doing so becomes one of the few phones you can trust to stay light in your pocket and alive for days at a time

There are phones that chase benchmarks and spec sheets. Then there are phones that quietly decide to solve a very boring and very real problem, which is running out of battery at the worst possible time. The Honor Magic8 Lite belongs firmly in that second group, and that is exactly what makes it interesting.

From the moment you pick it up, the Magic8 Lite feels almost contradictory. It carries a huge 7500 mAh battery, yet it settles into your hand with the easy lightness of a much smaller phone. That contrast sets the tone for the whole experience and gives the phone a very specific kind of charm.

Designer: Honor

This is a device that wants to disappear into your day rather than dominate it. It is not trying to shout about performance or AI tricks, and it does not weigh you down in your pocket or your bag. Instead, it leans into battery endurance, a bright OLED display, and a surprisingly tough body that is happy to live without a case if you are brave enough to try.

This is not a flagship, and it does not pretend to be one. If you are chasing the fastest processor or the most experimental camera system, you will not find that here. What you do get is a phone that feels designed for regular people who want something light, long-lasting, and resilient, a phone that survives a few accidents and still looks good on the table at the end of the day.

Aesthetics

The Honor Magic8 Lite is a reminder that “Lite” does not have to look cheap. Honor uses a plastic frame and plastic rear panel, which helps keep weight in check despite the oversized battery and keeps the phone feeling approachable in the hand. The camera island design has been updated. You get a large circular module that sits high on the rear panel, almost like a watch face sitting on the spine of a book, which continues the design language from its predecessor.

Instead of a single black disc, Honor has adopted a ring-based layout for the Magic8 Lite camera island. The black outer circle houses two cameras and the LED flash, while the inner circle carries the “Matrix AI Vision Camera” text as a graphic centerpiece. The circle is bold enough that your eye goes straight to it, which instantly gives the phone a recognizable appearance from almost any angle. It feels more like a deliberate design motif than a simple camera bump, and that makes the back visually memorable.

The Honor Magic8 Lite is available in Forest Green, Midnight Black, Reddish Brown, and Sunrise Gold in some markets, each one giving the camera ring a slightly different personality. The Reddish Brown version features a vegan leather finish that adds warmth and tactility, while the others use a matte surface that keeps fingerprints under control. The Sunrise Gold option adds a subtle, waterpaint-like pattern that shimmers as you tilt it, giving the phone a more premium character than the materials list would suggest.

Ergonomics

On paper, a 6.79-inch phone with a 7500 mAh battery sounds like a brick waiting to happen. In the hand, the Magic8 Lite is more balanced than you might expect. At 189 grams and roughly 7.8 millimeters thick, it is not featherlight, yet it avoids the dense, top-heavy feel that big battery phones often suffer from.

The matte back panel and brushed metal-like frame both do a good job of resisting fingerprints and smudges. You can use the phone without a case, and it still looks clean at the end of the day, which fits the whole low-maintenance character of the device. The surfaces feel practical rather than precious, so you are less worried about babying it in everyday use.

The flat sides help with grip, while the curved edges at the back soften the transition into your palm. Since the phone leans toward the wider side, you will still want two hands for extended typing or navigation, especially if you have smaller hands. The weight distribution feels centered, so the phone does not constantly try to tip forward when you reach for the top of the screen.

There is one ergonomic misstep. The fingerprint scanner on the side is positioned very close to the bottom edge, which makes the movement from holding position to unlocking feel less natural. Your thumb has to dip down in a way that breaks the otherwise smooth hand position, and it takes a little getting used to if you are coming from a phone with a higher side sensor.

Performance

Inside, the Magic8 Lite runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 with 8 GB of RAM and either 256 or 512 GB of storage. This combination sits firmly in the capable but not aggressive category. For messaging, social media, web browsing, and casual apps, the phone feels smooth enough, especially with the 120 Hz refresh rate helping animations and scrolling feel more fluid. You do start to feel the limits in heavier multitasking and demanding games.

Running MagicOS 9 on top of Android 15, the Magic8 Lite offers Google Gemini out of the box along with a suite of AI features, including AI photo editing tools and AI Translate. These extras sit quietly in the background until you need them, which suits the phone’s everyday focus.

The display is one of the Magic8 Lite’s strongest visual arguments. You get a 6.79-inch OLED panel with a resolution of 2640 x 1200 and a 120 Hz refresh rate. Honor quotes a theoretical peak around 6000 nits, and while you will not hit that number in regular use, outdoor visibility is excellent. The 3480 Hz PWM dimming also aims to make the display more comfortable for sensitive eyes during longer sessions.

Honor gives the Magic8 Lite a 108 MP main camera with a 1/1.67 inch sensor, optical image stabilization, and phase detect autofocus, paired with an ultrawide camera and a 16 MP selfie shooter. The main camera does a relatively good job in most everyday scenarios, delivering detailed images in good light. You can zoom up to 10x, but image quality drops off quickly, and the camera struggles to freeze motion, even in daytime, so it is best treated as a 1x to 2x camera for reliable results. The main camera can record video up to 4K at 30 FPS, and the results are good for the price range.

The ultra-wide camera performs as expected for this class. It is useful for landscapes and group shots, but detail and dynamic range are a step down from the main sensor, so you use it when you need the extra width rather than for pure image quality. The front-facing camera does a decent job, giving natural-looking skin tones and texture. For video recording, both ultra-wide and front cameras are capped at 1080p at 30FPS.

Battery life is the headline act, and the Magic8 Lite fully leans into it. The 7500 mAh silicon carbon battery is significantly larger than the 5000 mAh units that have become standard in many phones. Combined with the efficient Snapdragon 6 Gen 4, this translates into genuinely impressive endurance that reshapes how often you think about charging.

Portrait Mode

In mixed everyday use, you are looking at three full days with comfort, and four days or more if you are a lighter user. Long sessions of streaming, navigation, or social scrolling barely make a dent compared to what you might be used to. This phone simply does not provoke range anxiety, which makes it a very easy recommendation for anyone who hates watching the battery percentage.

Charging is handled by 66W wired fast charging, provided you use Honor’s SuperCharge standard. Some regions include the charger in the box, and others do not, so you may need to factor that into the overall cost. Once plugged in, the phone refuels quickly enough that even a short top-up before you leave the house can add several hours of real use, which fits perfectly with the “charge less, worry less” personality of the Magic8 Lite.

Sustainability

The Magic8 Lite approaches sustainability from a practical angle. The device carries IP69K, IP68, and IP66 certifications, which are unusually comprehensive for this class. That combination means full dust protection, resistance to high-pressure water jets, and safety during water immersion. In daily use, it translates into a phone that can handle heavy rain, spills, and rough handling while still functioning as normal.

Honor claims the Magic8 Lite boosts resilience with its industry-first Ultra Bounce Anti-Drop Technology. This system pairs ultra-tough tempered glass with a reinforced internal structure to better absorb everyday impacts. The idea is simple: keep the phone alive longer by surviving the kind of accidents that usually send devices to repair shops or landfills.

Value

The Honor Magic8 Lite is priced at £399.99, which works out to roughly $510 at current exchange rates. At that level, it sits in the crowded upper mid-range, where you can find phones with faster processors or more ambitious camera systems. What most of those rivals cannot match is the combination of huge battery, lightweight feel, and serious durability that the Magic8 Lite offers as a package.

If your priorities lean toward performance or advanced photography, you may find better raw specs for similar money. You are paying here for peace of mind, long gaps between charges, and a design that does not feel fragile in everyday use. For regular users who value stamina and resilience over benchmark scores, the overall value proposition is quietly compelling.

Verdict

The Honor Magic8 Lite is not the phone for spec chasers, and that is exactly its appeal. It is built for people who care more about getting through a long weekend on one charge than hitting the highest frame rates in the latest game. If you can live with “good enough” performance and the main cameras that are solid but not flagship level, you get a phone that feels light in the hand, tough in daily use, and genuinely low maintenance to own.

Where the Magic8 Lite really wins is in how all those choices line up around a single idea. The oversized battery, the bright and efficient OLED, the comprehensive water and drop protection, and the fingerprint-resistant finishes all work together to reduce friction in everyday life. It is the phone you grab when you are not sure where the next outlet is, or when you know it might get caught in the rain, and you do it without a second thought.

The post Honor Magic8 Lite: The Lightweight Phone That Lasts Three Days first appeared on Yanko Design.

Honor Magic8 Pro Review: Brilliant Night Shots, Big Battery, Built to Last

Posted on by

PROS:


  • Versatile camera system with great low-light performance

  • Comfortable ergonomics

  • Comprehensive AI features

CONS:


  • Some users will prefer a completely flat screen instead of the gentle curve.

  • Slower shutter speeds, especially in low light

  • No teleconverter-style telephoto option like some close rivals offer

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

The Honor Magic 8 Pro feels like a carefully considered flagship, not a spec stunt. It mixes bold battery life, a genuinely comfortable design, and a playful yet reliable camera system with impressive low light performance, then adds long-term software support to tie it all together.

You might already have seen the Honor Magic 8 Pro, and you might already know all the specs. You might have caught its debut in China or noticed it arriving in parts of Asia and the Middle East last year. Now, Honor is finally bringing this big battery, big camera flagship to Europe, where it steps onto a larger global stage.

On paper, the Honor Magic 8 Pro is all about a trio of promises. It leans on a suite of AI features that aim to make the phone feel smarter and more helpful in the background. It builds around a camera system that claims strong low-light performance and long-range telephoto power. It wraps everything in a premium OLED display that is bright, sharp, and clearly meant to impress the moment you turn it on.

Aesthetics

At first glance, the Honor Magic 8 Pro looks like a confident evolution of modern flagship trends rather than a radical break. It will look very familiar if you have seen the Honor Magic 7 Pro, with a similar silhouette and camera layout that signal continuity rather than reinvention. The proportions, curves, and overall stance feel like a refined second draft rather than a fresh sketch, which can be reassuring if you liked the previous generation.

Honor uses a large camera island that feels more like a sculpted element than a simple bump, and the overall back design reads as deliberate and composed rather than purely functional. The round camera unit sits on a raised, rounded square plate with ring chamfers, which adds depth and a sense of jewelry-like layering when light hits the edges. The black camera unit houses four circles, three of which are actual cameras, plus a small oval-shaped LED flash that tucks neatly into the composition instead of looking like an afterthought.

Color choices for the Magic 8 Pro include Sunrise Gold, Sky Cyan, and Black. The black unit I received features a matte, frosted glass-like finish that feels understated and professional in the hand. The other two color options also use a matte finish, but they add a subtle wave-like pattern, which gives the phone a more playful, tactile character. All three color variants use a color-matching camera island base and side frame, which helps the phone read as a single, continuous object rather than a sandwich of mismatched parts.

Ergonomics

The Honor Magic 8 Pro measures 161.15 mm x 75 mm x 8.4 mm, and weighs 213 g, which puts it on the lighter side of premium flagship smartphones in this size class. The slightly narrower width and relatively low weight make one-handed use more manageable than you might expect from a phone with such a large display and battery. Honor also sticks with a curved screen while many premium flagships have moved back to flat panels, yet the curve here is very slight, so it feels like it borrows the best parts of both approaches without the usual drawbacks.

The curvature of the side frame and back is carefully tuned, which matters a lot for comfort over a full day. The edges of the otherwise flat side frame curve just enough to soften the contact points without creating a slippery, knife-like profile that digs into your palm. The back panel has a gentle bow that nestles into your hand and helps the phone feel slimmer than the numbers suggest, even when you use it without a case.

Button placement is conventional, with the volume rocker and power button located on the left side where your fingers naturally rest. These are joined by a new AI button placed just below, which works a bit like the camera button on an iPhone and gives you quick access to Honor’s smart features. The AI key is slightly raised and has a distinct click that helps avoid accidental presses, and the ultrasonic fingerprint scanner sits high enough on the display that unlocking and general use feel smooth and natural.

Performance

Honor gives the Magic 8 Pro a 6.71-inch LTPO OLED panel with a 1.5K resolution of 2808 x 1256 px and a 120 Hz refresh rate. The company claims 6,000 nits of HDR peak brightness and 1,600 nits of global peak brightness, and while you will not see those numbers all the time, outdoor visibility is excellent even under strong sunlight. In everyday use, the screen feels crisp, fluid, and bright enough that you rarely have to think about legibility or glare.

The panel supports 1.07 billion colors and covers 100 percent of the DCI P3 wide color gamut, so photos and video look rich and saturated without instantly blowing out detail. Color profiles and temperature sliders let you nudge the tone toward either punchy or more neutral, depending on your taste. It is an easy display to enjoy, whether you are scrolling social feeds, reading long articles, or watching HDR content in a dark room.

Honor also pushes very hard on eye comfort. The Magic 8 Pro stacks features like 4320 hertz PWM dimming, Circular Polarized Display 2, Chip Level AI Defocus Display, Dynamic Dimming, Circadian Night Display, Natural Tone Display, and Motion Sickness Relief. These are meant to reduce eye fatigue, support healthier sleep patterns, and adjust color temperature more intelligently over the course of the day.

Audio gets similar attention. The Magic 8 Pro features dual speakers with a large 8 cubic centimeter sound chamber and Honor’s own spatial audio algorithms, which together offer a richer and deeper sound than you might expect from a slim phone. Volume is strong enough for video watching and gaming, and there is a satisfying sense of width and body to music and dialogue.

Portrait Mode

The Honor Magic 8 Pro’s camera system is built to impress on paper and feels very capable in real use, especially once the light starts to drop. At the hardware level, you get a triple rear setup built around a 50 MP main camera with an f/1.6 aperture, a 1/1.3 inch sensor, optical image stabilization, and CIPA 5.5 rated shake compensation. This is joined by a 50 MP ultra wide with an f/2.0 aperture and a 122 degree field of view, plus a headline-grabbing 200 MP telephoto with an f/1.6 aperture, a 1/1.3 inch sensor, optical image stabilization, and CIPA 5.5. Turn it around, and you find a 50 MP front-facing camera for selfies and video calls. Beyond the hardware, Honor has pushed its AiMage system with upgraded image engines that aim to improve detail, color, and low-light performance across all lenses.

The main camera and the telephoto handle most everyday scenes well, with good dynamic range, pleasing color accuracy, and a natural look that avoids heavy over-sharpening. Skin tones in particular look natural, which helps portraits feel more believable and less filtered, even when taken with the phone. Focus is quick and decisive in most situations, so you can frame and shoot without feeling like you are waiting on the phone.

Ultra-wide

In low light, the processing leans toward brightening the entire scene, often making it look noticeably more illuminated than what you actually see with your own eyes, while highlights stay well controlled, so streetlights and signs do not immediately blow out. The trade-off is that shutter speeds tend to be on the slow side, whether you use Night mode or stick with the standard Photo mode, yet stabilization works very well, so handheld shots still come out sharp more often than you might expect from the exposure times involved.

Honor also layers on a few creative tools that make the camera feel more playful. Magic Color gives you professional-like color tuning in a single tap, letting you mimic golden hour warmth or blue hour coolness even when you are not shooting at those exact times of day. Moving Photo now includes Motion Trail, Motion Clone, and Slow Motion effects, which let you capture a bit of motion around your subject and then stylize it without leaving the gallery, so everyday scenes can turn into something closer to a mini motion poster.

Video recording is similarly flexible, though not perfect, with the main camera able to shoot up to 4K at 120 frames per second, while the rest of the rear cameras and the front-facing camera are capped at 4K at 60 frames per second. Stabilization and exposure are solid, but colors can look a bit washed out compared to still photos, and while there is a Log recording option for more serious creators, it is limited to the main camera and only up to a 2x zoom range.

Magic Color – Warm Sunset

Motion Clone

Motion Trail

Inside the Magic 8 Pro, Qualcomm’s latest top-tier processor, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, paired with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, handles everything you throw at it. It is built for high performance in both traditional workloads and AI-heavy tasks. Day-to-day navigation feels snappy, with apps opening quickly and multitasking between social networks, messaging, and media happening without visible stutter. Even with many background apps, the phone maintains a fluid feel that matches its premium positioning.

Honor gives the Magic 8 Pro a dedicated AI button and plenty of AI features, including tools for image editing and productivity. A long press on the AI button analyzes whatever is on screen and suggests context-aware actions such as Circle to Search, AI Photo Agent, AI Summary, and Blur Private Info. It does not always guess exactly what you want, yet it genuinely reduces the number of steps between seeing something on screen and acting on it, which makes AI feel like a physical part of the phone rather than just another icon in the app drawer.

If you do not fancy AI, you can still customize its behaviour, so a single press, double press, or press and hold can trigger different actions. That flexibility turns the AI button into a handy shortcut for whatever you use most, whether that is voice control, the camera, or a specific app you open dozens of times a day. Over time, it starts to feel less like a novelty and more like a small, well-placed tool that quietly adapts to your habits rather than forcing you into a specific way of using the phone.

The Magic 8 Pro packs a 6,270 mAh silicon carbon battery, which is still huge by flagship standards even if it is not quite as oversized as some of the more extreme phones on the market. In everyday use, that capacity translates into very comfortable endurance, with enough headroom to get through a heavy day and, for lighter users, even stretch into a second. Charging is handled by HONOR SuperCharge at up to 100 W wired and up to 80 W wireless, so topping up never feels like a chore, whether you plug in or drop it on a stand.

Sustainability

Honor approaches sustainability on the Magic 8 Pro through durability and longevity rather than bold recycled material claims. The phone carries IP68, IP69, and IP69K ratings, so it is protected against dust, immersion, and even high-pressure water jets, which makes it easier to treat as a true everyday object instead of something fragile. On the front, the HONOR NanoCrystal Shield promises up to ten times better drop resistance than conventional glass and is backed by an SGS 5 Star Drop Resistance Certification, which should help it survive the usual pocket and desk-level accidents with fewer scars.

Software support is the other major part of the story. Honor promises seven years of OS updates for the Magic 8 Pro, which puts it among the longest supported Android phones and encourages you to keep it far beyond a typical two or three-year cycle. Combined with the robust build and strong water resistance, that long support window turns the Magic 8 Pro into more of a long-term device and less of a short-lived gadget, which is a practical, user-friendly angle on sustainability.

Value

In the UK, the Honor Magic 8 Pro is priced at £1,099.99, around $1,350, for the model with 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage. That puts the phone firmly in the ultra-premium flagship space, yet the pricing is aggressive in a quiet way when you line it up against the obvious rivals. An iPhone 17 Pro Max with 512 GB of storage sits noticeably higher on the price ladder, and a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra with 512 GB tends to land in a similar or slightly higher bracket once you match storage. Honor counters with a bigger battery, a well-balanced, great-performing camera system, and very fast wired and wireless charging, which helps the package feel competitive even without the same brand pull.

If you look at closer competition, the Magic 8 Pro sits more naturally alongside phones like the Vivo X300 Pro and Oppo Find X9 Pro. All three offer well-rounded flagships with industry-leading camera performance and a strong focus on telephoto. Both the Vivo X300 Pro and Oppo Find X9 Pro add teleconverter-style lenses for extra flexibility, while Honor leans on well-integrated AI features, a display with one of the most complete eye comfort feature sets on the market, and long software support to make its case.

Verdict

The Honor Magic 8 Pro feels like a very confident statement from Honor. It is not chasing a single headline spec at the expense of everything else. Instead, it combines a sleek design, a genuinely comfortable in hand feel, a bright and eye-friendly display, and a camera system that is both capable and fun, then backs it all with a huge battery and long-term software support.

It is not perfect. Video colors could be richer in some scenarios, the shutter can feel slow, and the price is firmly in ultra-premium territory. Yet when you look at the full package, especially the 6,270 mAh battery, the long OS support, the AI implementation, and the well-tuned cameras, the Magic 8 Pro stands out as one of the more thoughtful big flagships of this cycle. If you want a phone that looks and feels high-end, lasts all day and then some, and leans into AI without feeling gimmicky, this is a very easy device to recommend.

The post Honor Magic8 Pro Review: Brilliant Night Shots, Big Battery, Built to Last first appeared on Yanko Design.

Realme 16 Pro+ Review: Naoto FUkusawa Helped Make a Battery Beast Beautiful

Posted on by

PROS:


  • Sleek design by Naoto Fukusawa

  • Strong portrait camera performance for the price range

  • Huge 7,000mAh battery with 80W wired charging

CONS:


  • Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 is carried over from the previous generation

  • No wireless charging

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

By combining Naoto Fukasawa’s Urban Wild design with a 7000 mAh battery and a sharp 200 MP portrait camera, realme 16 Pro+ proves that refinement and stamina can matter more than chasing raw benchmark numbers.

The realme 16 Pro+ seems to be a modest upgrade in the company’s Number Series. While it is not packed with major improvements in every area, it tries to win you over as a well-rounded package built around design, battery life, and cameras. On paper, it still reads like a wish list: a 200 megapixel main camera with 3.5x telephoto, a 6.8 inch 144 Hz AMOLED display, a 7000 mAh battery with 80 W charging, IP68 and IP69 protection, and a Naoto Fukasawa-designed back made from bio-based silicone.  

It also arrives with a few important caveats. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chipset is carried over from the realme 15 Pro rather than being a big step up, and the rumoured pricing pushes the 16 Pro+ toward affordable flagship territory rather than a classic, value mid-ranger. That raises a clear question. Does the mix of master level design, big battery stamina, and creator-focused camera hardware do enough to justify the price, or are you better off with a more conventional spec monster? We took a closer look.

Designer: Naoto Fukasawa x realme

Aesthetics

For the realme 16 Pro+, realme partnered again with world-renowned product designer Naoto Fukasawa. The brand has previously collaborated with Fukasawa on the realme X Master Edition, X2 Master Edition, GT Master Edition, and GT2 Pro Master Edition, and this new phone continues that lineage. The design fuses natural elements with contemporary style in what realme calls the Urban Wild Design, aiming to bring a calmer, more tactile character to a very modern device.

The Urban Wild Design is articulated through a deliberate contrast of the mirror-polished camera deco set against a natural texture back panel. The back is built around what realme calls a Metal Mirror Camera Deco, a mirror finish metal plate that frames the lenses like a piece of jewellery on top of a matte, softly grained surface. The back panel uses a bio-based organic silicone derived from plant-based straw, processed with an eco-friendly method that the brand positions as an industry-first eco material. The result is a surface that feels soft, finely textured, and grippy, with a visual warmth and calmness you do not usually get from glass or glossy plastic.  

The 16 Pro+ comes in two colors in most markets. Master Gold is described as the soft golden glow of ripened wheat, with a gentle shimmer that catches the light without looking flashy. Master Black is inspired by the smooth, muted sheen of river pebbles, giving a more understated and refined look. Each variant features a color-matched mirror-polished camera bump and side frame, so the camera island, mid frame, and back panel read as one coherent piece rather than separate parts.

Ergonomics

On paper, the realme 16 Pro+ is not a small phone, yet it feels more considered than the raw numbers suggest. The phone is 8.49 mm thick and weighs 203 g, which puts it firmly in the large phone camp without feeling unwieldy. The square camera bump does not protrude too much, and its sloped edges merge into the back panel to create a smooth transition. The back panel resists fingerprints and smudges quite well, though the glossy camera bump is a different story and picks up marks easily.  

Thanks to the balanced weight and the gentle flow from the slightly curved display to the slightly curved side frame to the slightly curved back panel, the phone is very comfortable to hold in the hand. The volume rocker and power button are positioned where they are easy to reach, so basic controls fall naturally under your fingers. The fingerprint scanner, on the other hand, sits close to the bottom edge of the screen, which makes the move from unlocking the phone to actually using it feel a bit less smooth than it could be.

Performance

Since there was no Pro+ version of the realme 15, there is no direct predecessor of the realme 16 Pro+, but many specs are unchanged from the realme 15 Pro, including the chipset. The 16 Pro+ is powered by Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, Qualcomm’s upper mid-range chipset. While it does not deliver brute flagship power, it is more than strong enough for long gaming or browsing sessions without noticeable throttling. In daily use, the chipset has no trouble keeping up with realme UI 7.0, based on Android 16. Swiping through the 144 Hz interface feels fluid, apps open quickly, and multitasking between social media, messaging, and browsing remains consistently smooth.

The realme 16 Pro+ features a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a 1280 by 2800 resolution and up to 144 Hz refresh rate. According to the spec sheet, it supports a 240 Hz touch sampling rate, 1.07 billion colors, 100 percent DCI P3 coverage, a 5,000,000 to 1 contrast ratio, and a peak brightness of 6500 nits. It is a sharp, bright, and vibrant panel that looks flagship-grade and comfortable in day-to-day use.

Realme brings a 200 megapixel camera to its Number Series for the first time. The triple camera setup consists of a 200 MP main camera, a 50 MP 3.5x telephoto camera, and an 8 MP ultra wide camera, with a 50 MP front-facing camera handling selfies. In the camera app, you can choose between Vibrant and Natural color modes for the rear cameras, depending on whether you prefer punchier social media-ready shots or a more restrained look.

The 23 mm equivalent 200 MP main camera uses Samsung’s HP5 sensor with an f/1.8 aperture lens and both optical and electronic image stabilisation. It can capture very detailed shots with a wide dynamic range in good lighting conditions, and stabilisation helps keep images sharp when light levels drop. In the standard Photo mode, you also get an AI composition feature that analyses your framing and suggests small adjustments for a stronger composition, nudging you to tilt, reframe, or shift your subject for a more balanced shot. This tool is not available in Portrait mode, but it is genuinely helpful for quick point-and-shoot photography.

The 80 mm equivalent 50 MP 3.5x telephoto camera uses Samsung’s JN5 sensor behind an f/2.8 aperture lens, again with OIS and EIS. Portrait mode lets you shoot at 1x, 1.5x, 2x, 3.5x, and 4x, and results across these focal lengths are consistently strong, with pleasing separation and natural-looking depth. realme also packs in a wide range of dedicated Portrait filters, so you can switch between more cinematic, vintage, or punchy looks without leaving the mode.

The 15 mm equivalent 8 MP ultra wide rounds out the rear trio. It does the job for landscapes, interiors, and group shots, but image quality is more functional than exciting, with less detail and dynamic range than the main and telephoto cameras. On the front, there is a 50 MP OmniVision OV50D selfie camera with an f/2.4 aperture lens. This is unusually ambitious for the class. It can capture crisp selfies with plenty of detail.

As for video, the main and front-facing cameras both support 4K recording at up to 60 FPS. The telephoto and ultrawide cameras are limited to 1080p at 30 FPS, which feels a bit disappointing on the telephoto side, especially given how capable it is for stills. It would have been nice to see at least 4K 30 fps from the zoom camera to fully match the rest of the system.

realme 16 Pro+ is built around a huge 7000 mAh battery, and you feel that capacity in day-to-day use. With this much headroom, it comfortably handles a full day of heavy messaging, social media, camera use, and streaming, and lighter users can easily stretch into a second day without reaching for the charger. When you finally do need to charge, the 80 W wired charging support keeps downtime short.

Sustainability

realme 16 Pro+ makes a stronger effort on sustainability than many mid-range phones. The most visible element is the back panel material. Instead of conventional petroleum-based plastic or glass, realme uses a bio-based organic silicone derived from plant-based straw, processed through an eco-friendly method. It is designed to be safer for the skin, gentler on the environment, and more resistant to aging, dirt, and wear, which should help the phone look fresh for longer and reduce the urge to replace it early.

Durability also plays into sustainability. The phone carries both IP68 and IP69 ratings, meaning it is tested for dust tightness, immersion in water, and high-pressure water jets. In practical terms, that level of protection makes the 16 Pro+ far more likely to survive everyday accidents, from rain and spills to brief drops into water. A device that shrugs off this kind of abuse is less likely to be written off early, which again extends its usable life.

On the software side, realme commits to three years of Android OS updates and four years of Android security patches. That is not at the very top of the industry, but it is long enough that you can realistically keep the phone for a full contract cycle and beyond without falling behind on major features or basic security. Combined with the durable hardware and more sustainable back panel material, it makes the 16 Pro+ feel like a phone designed to be used hard and kept in service rather than quickly replaced.

Value

At the time of writing, realme has not confirmed official pricing, but multiple leaks suggest the realme 16 Pro+ will start at INR 39,999 (around $445) for the 8 GB and 128 GB variant. The 8 GB and 256 GB model is rumoured to land at INR 41,999 (around $470), while the 12 GB and 256 GB version could reach INR 44,999 (around $500).

If these figures hold, the 16 Pro+ will sit at the upper end of the mid-range bracket, nudging into affordable flagship territory. In that context, the phone’s value depends on what you care about most. For users who prioritise a premium design, camera versatility, a truly huge 7000 mAh battery, a bright 144 Hz AMOLED display, and sustainability, the package looks competitive.

Verdict

realme 16 Pro+ is not a revolution for the Number Series, but it is a carefully tuned evolution that leans into design, cameras, and battery life instead of chasing raw specs in every direction. The Naoto Fukasawa Urban Wild Design, bio-based silicone back, and Metal Mirror Camera Deco give it a distinctive look and feel, while the solid ergonomics and IP68 plus IP69 ratings make it more robust than many mid-range rivals. Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 is familiar rather than exciting, yet in practice, it keeps realme UI 7.0 and the 144 Hz AMOLED display running smoothly, and the 7000 mAh battery with 80 W charging turns it into a genuine all-day workhorse.

As for the camera, the realme 16 Pro+ consistently turns out pleasing portraits across its various focal lengths, with good subject separation and flattering rendering. The front-facing camera also performs well. Where things get complicated is value, because the rumoured pricing nudges the 16 Pro+ into premium mid-range territory rather than classic budget-friendly mid-range. If you prioritise a phone that looks and feels special, lasts comfortably through heavy days, and gives you reliable portrait and selfie performance, realme 16 Pro+ makes a strong case for itself even as a modest generational upgrade.

The post Realme 16 Pro+ Review: Naoto FUkusawa Helped Make a Battery Beast Beautiful first appeared on Yanko Design.

2025 Audi Q5 TFSI quattro Prestige Review: Evolution as a Design Strategy

Posted on by

PROS:


  • Interior material quality exceeds what the segment typically delivers

  • Screen integration feels intentional rather than bolted on afterward

  • Adaptive air suspension transforms ride character between driving modes

  • Acoustic glass creates genuinely quiet cabin at highway speeds

  • Real exhaust outlets signal design honesty throughout the vehicle

CONS:


  • Rearward visibility compromised by styling choices and roofline rake

  • No hands-free liftgate gesture system like competitors offer

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

Evolution as philosophy: when restraint becomes the boldest design choice.

I spent a week with the third-generation Audi Q5 Prestige in Tambora Gray Metallic, and what struck me first was not any single feature but the accumulation of considered choices. Built on Volkswagen Group’s Premium Platform Combustion architecture with a turbocharged 2.0-liter TFSI four-cylinder producing 261 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque, this compact luxury SUV occupies familiar territory at $63,290 as tested. The design decisions embedded in its surfaces, proportions, and material selections tell a more nuanced story. The Q5 represents what happens when a manufacturer chooses careful iteration over spectacle.

Designer: Audi

What distinguishes this generation from its predecessor is not a single dramatic gesture but rather an accumulation of details that reveal themselves over days rather than minutes, over highway miles rather than showroom walks, over lived experience rather than specification comparisons. The raked silhouette borrows visual vocabulary from the larger Q7, establishing family resemblance without direct mimicry. Panel gaps have tightened to tolerances that reward close inspection. The decorative exhaust finishers have been replaced with genuine rectangular outlets, a small change that signals larger philosophical shifts about authenticity in automotive design. These aren’t features that demand attention at first glance. They’re details that accumulate into a stance that reads as resolved rather than aggressive, as confident rather than desperate to impress, as the work of engineers and designers who understood that restraint requires more discipline than excess.

The vehicle’s proportions establish its intent before any specification sheet is consulted. Wheelbase dimensions remain close to the previous generation, but cargo volume has expanded to 56.9 cubic feet with rear seats folded, a gain of 2.8 cubic feet. That’s design as problem-solving.

Exterior Form Language

The singleframe grille anchors the front fascia with a presence that has become signature Audi vocabulary, wider and higher than before, flanked by functional air curtains that channel airflow along the body sides, reduce turbulence around the front wheels, and contribute measurably to the 25 mpg combined fuel economy figure while adding horizontal emphasis to the front that grounds the vehicle’s face as the LED lighting signatures lift the eye upward, creating a tension between opposing visual forces that produces dynamism without chaos. In person, the Tambora Gray Metallic finish shifts subtly between cool silver and warm graphite depending on the light, a $595 option that flatters the Q5’s surfacing without demanding attention, revealing the gentle curves of the fender flares and the controlled tension of door panel surfacing in ways that more dramatic colors would overwhelm. I walked around this vehicle at least a dozen times during my week with it, and each angle revealed something slightly different about how Audi’s design team approached the challenge of updating a successful shape without losing what made it work.

That’s restraint as design strategy.

The Prestige trim’s LED headlights plus with eight digital DRL signatures represent a departure from the notion that headlights are merely functional, allowing personalization within boundaries that maintain brand coherence, while the digital OLED taillights transform the vehicle’s nighttime presence entirely with a full-width light bar and dynamic animation sequences that other drivers will notice before they recognize the Audi badges. Front and rear lighting can now express personality. You can choose character, but the character stays on-brand, never straying into the visual vocabulary of competitors or aftermarket modifications.

The shoulder line carries through the side profile without interruption, a decision that prioritizes visual length over sculptural drama, that trusts the basic proportions to create interest rather than relying on creases and vents and stamped-in details that would only compete for attention. Where competitors might break this line, the Q5 maintains continuity. The 20-inch 5-arm design wheels from the $800 optional wheel package fill the arches convincingly, and the roofline’s rake creates forward momentum even at rest, suggesting capability without the aggressive stance that defines sportier alternatives.

Real exhaust outlets replace the decorative finishers of the outgoing model, communicating mechanical honesty in a market where many competitors still rely on chrome trim pieces that hide the actual exhaust routing somewhere underneath the bumper, a detail that speaks to broader shifts in automotive design thinking about authenticity versus theater, about what we show versus what actually exists, about whether buyers notice or care about such distinctions and what it says about a brand that assumes they do. The previous generation’s false tips suggested performance that the actual exhaust system didn’t support. What you see is what exists. Light catches the fender flares and door panels in ways that reveal gentle curves rather than aggressive angles, while the 12-volt mild hybrid system recovers energy during deceleration invisibly, feeding it back into the electrical architecture that powers the countless systems modern buyers expect, the design absorbing the technology rather than announcing it, integrating engineering advances into surfaces that look simpler than they are.

Interior Architecture

The cabin represents the most significant departure from the previous generation. Sliding into the Pearl Beige interior for the first time, you notice the difference immediately. Where the predecessor was criticized for visual austerity, the new interior addresses this through layered materials and deliberate contrast.

The 14.5-inch MMI touch display dominates the center stack with a presence that might overwhelm in lesser integrations, but here it sits within the dashboard architecture rather than perched atop it like an afterthought, paired with the 11.9-inch Audi virtual cockpit plus that renders navigation and vehicle information with the kind of clarity and customization that once defined luxury flagships, while the Prestige package adds a 10.9-inch MMI passenger display that allows front passengers to manage navigation or entertainment without distracting the driver, though I found myself wondering whether the additional screen complexity serves real needs or simply provides another differentiator on specification sheets that buyers compare without understanding what they actually want. Screen integration matters more than screen dimensions. Too many competitors treat displays as afterthoughts, floating tablets stuck to dashboards designed before touchscreens became standard. Here, the screens belong, and that belonging required more engineering effort than simply making them larger.

The driver’s position establishes immediate relationship to the controls. Power tilt-and-telescopic steering allows precise positioning. The head-up display projects information directly into the sightline. Tri-zone climate control divides the cabin into manageable thermal territories. These are ergonomic solutions dressed in premium materials.

Rear seat architecture employs a 40/20/40 split-folding configuration with sliding capability. The center section folds independently. This configuration solves real-world problems.

Storage solutions throughout the cabin demonstrate attention to daily use patterns, expanding door bins and reorganized center console compartments creating a space that feels designed by people who actually load groceries and manage coffee cups during commutes rather than by stylists optimizing photography angles, while the LED interior lighting pro package adds atmosphere without distraction, touching surfaces that matter at night, transforming the Pearl Beige leather into warmer tones under ambient illumination that makes the cabin feel like a different space after dark, more intimate, more considered, without requiring any adjustment from the driver beyond the simple act of driving into evening.

Material Composition

Material selection in the Q5 follows a hierarchy of touch frequency that allocates budget where it matters most to perceived quality, soft-touch plastics yielding appropriately under pressure on surfaces that hands contact regularly, leather wrapping appearing where fingers rest during normal driving, metal accents providing cool contrast to warmer materials, while lower surfaces that are seen but rarely touched employ more practical materials that clean easily and resist the wear that comes from thousands of entries and exits, from muddy shoes in winter and sandy feet in summer, from the accumulated debris of lives actually lived in vehicles rather than merely photographed in them. This graduated approach represents mature design thinking.

Run a hand across the dashboard, and you feel seams, grain, the subtle undulation of material stretched over structure.

Technology Integration

The MMI interface operates through that 14.5-inch touchscreen with a responsiveness that has improved markedly from previous generations, haptic feedback providing confirmation of inputs, menu structures reorganized to reduce navigation depth for common functions, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration appearing as expected equipment alongside smartphone mirroring that handles the connection without the lag that plagues some competitors, while navigation through the MMI Navigation plus system renders on either the center screen or the Virtual Cockpit depending on preference, allowing drivers to keep route guidance in their primary sightline rather than glancing repeatedly toward the center stack. The system works. It doesn’t delight, but it doesn’t frustrate either, which may be the more important achievement.

Driver assistance helps without replacing. Adaptive cruise assist maintains distance. Lane-keeping provides gentle input. Blind-spot monitoring illuminates warnings where they belong.

The Bang & Olufsen sound system with 3D sound represents the kind of feature that separates luxury from mainstream, speaker placement optimized for the cabin’s acoustic properties, resulting sound quality rewarding careful listening with spatial depth that the 3D processing enhances without artificiality, dialogue in podcasts and calls maintaining clarity at any volume level, bass response that never overwhelms or distorts, treble that sparkles without harshness, and an overall presentation that treats sound as part of the ownership experience rather than as a checkbox on a features list, though whether the additional cost over the standard Audi sound system justifies itself depends on how much time you spend with music versus podcasts versus phone calls versus the blessed silence that the acoustic front door glass enables.

That’s considered acoustic engineering. Not afterthought. Not badge upgrade.

Powertrain Character

The 2.0-liter turbocharged TFSI four-cylinder delivers 261 horsepower through a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission with standard quattro all-wheel drive, acceleration to 60 mph arriving in approximately 5.7 seconds. Quick enough to merge confidently. Not so aggressive that the Q5 pretends it’s something else.

The throttle response sharpens noticeably in Dynamic mode, and you feel the adaptive air suspension firm up within the first few corners, the brake pedal maintaining consistent firmness through repeated stops rather than going soft the way some competitors do when you start pushing harder than normal driving requires, which builds confidence when you find yourself on twisting roads that the Q5 wasn’t explicitly designed for but handles with more composure than its luxury SUV positioning might suggest, the steering weighting up appropriately, the body roll decreasing to levels that keep passengers comfortable rather than alarmed, the overall character shifting from relaxed cruiser to willing partner in ways that feel genuine rather than programmed, the 12-volt mild hybrid system contributing invisibly by recovering energy during deceleration and allowing the engine to shut down earlier during coasting and restart with less perceptible vibration than previous generations managed. Road surface changes come through the floor clearly enough to tell you about grip conditions without intruding on comfort.

Comfort mode isolates. Dynamic mode engages. The vehicle accommodates different moods.

Daily Reality

The quiet cabin emerges from engineering investments that never appear on feature lists, the Prestige’s acoustic front door glass joining sound-deadening materials lining the firewall and floor, upgraded door seals creating tighter barriers against road and wind noise, the panoramic sunroof’s surprisingly effective isolation preventing the drumming that open glass surfaces often produce at highway speeds, all of it combining to create a space where conversation happens at normal volume, where phone calls require no raised voice, where the outside world maintains a respectful distance, where you can think clearly during commutes that would exhaust you in lesser vehicles.

I fit a carry-on, camera bag, and weekend groceries back there without much fuss.

Cargo capacity numbers tell only part of the story, the 56.9 cubic feet available with rear seats folded accommodating large items in theory while the cargo floor’s height and liftgate opening dimensions determine what actually fits in practice, the Q5 managing these secondary measurements well with a floor sitting at reasonable height for loading, an opening wide enough to accept furniture and sporting equipment without excessive maneuvering, a power liftgate that operates with sufficient speed that waiting never feels burdensome, though I wished for a hands-free gesture system that competitors offer, the kind of feature you don’t appreciate until you approach with arms full and discover that someone else’s design team thought further ahead about your actual usage patterns.

The mild hybrid system represents the kind of engineering that never announces itself, recovering energy during deceleration and feeding it back into electrical systems that power climate control, screens, and driver assistance without drawing from the primary powertrain. The 12-volt architecture operates beneath conscious awareness, its presence detectable only in the slightly smoother restart behavior after traffic stops and the fractionally quicker throttle response during initial acceleration. Audi has chosen integration over declaration, embedding efficiency gains into the driving experience rather than celebrating them with dashboard displays or efficiency modes that remind you constantly of their existence.

Visibility from the driver’s seat balances the rakish roofline against practical sightline needs, rearward vision compromised somewhat by styling priorities, the top view camera system compensating effectively during parking maneuvers with its overhead perspective, the ventilated front sport seats proving their worth during warmer days, the side mirrors sized appropriately, the A-pillars intruding less than some competitors, the overall sense being adequate rather than exceptional outward vision, a common trade-off in the segment that the Q5 navigates without distinguishing itself positively or negatively, simply accepting the compromise that modern design priorities impose on driver awareness in exchange for the sleeker proportions that buyers say they want when surveyed about preference and prove they want by opening their wallets.

The ventilated seats earned their keep. The head-up display reduced my glances away from the road. The adaptive cruise made highway miles disappear.

Competitive Context

The compact luxury SUV segment has become perhaps the most contested territory in the automotive market, with the BMW X3 emphasizing driving dynamics, the Mercedes-Benz GLC projecting traditional luxury, the Lexus NX offering advanced hybrid technology, and the Volvo XC60 pursuing Scandinavian restraint, all targeting similar buyers with similar vehicles at similar price points, differentiating through philosophy rather than fundamental capability, through brand values rather than objective superiority, through heritage and design language rather than measurable advantages that would make one choice clearly correct and the others clearly wrong.

Buyers who prioritize sharp handling find the BMW more engaging. Those seeking hybrid efficiency examine the Lexus.

At $63,290 as tested, this Prestige-trimmed Q5 with the 20-inch wheel package enters territory where buyer expectations rise accordingly, the base Q5 starting at $52,200 before destination, the $8,400 Prestige package adding adaptive air suspension, head-up display, digital OLED taillights, panoramic sunroof, ventilated seats, and the Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system among extensive equipment, creating a vehicle that competes not only against segment rivals but against entry-level offerings from Porsche and higher-trim vehicles from mainstream luxury brands, forcing buyers to consider what they actually value and whether the Audi badge, the Virtual Cockpit interface, the specific execution of materials and technology justifies choosing this over alternatives that might offer more in one area while offering less in others.

Who Should Buy This

The Q5 Prestige suits buyers who have arrived, not those announcing their arrival. It rewards those who appreciate quality construction over attention-seeking design, who prefer refinement to drama, and who’ll notice the material choices and ergonomic solutions that accumulate into daily satisfaction. This isn’t a vehicle for people still trying to prove something.

If you want sharp handling, the BMW X3 will engage you more directly. If you want the most advanced hybrid technology, the Lexus NX deserves serious consideration. If you want Scandinavian minimalism, the Volvo XC60 delivers that aesthetic more purely. The Q5 Prestige targets those who want competence across all dimensions rather than excellence in any single one, those who value the cumulative effect of many good decisions over a few dramatic gestures.

Design Verdict

Audi has chosen evolution over revolution with this third-generation Q5, and the choice reflects confidence in the existing formula rather than desperation to change perception, the design improvements real but subtle in ways that require time to appreciate fully, better proportions becoming apparent only when parked beside the previous generation, more honest details revealing themselves only to those who look closely at exhaust outlets and lighting signatures and panel fit, richer interior materials rewarding touch rather than just sight, more advanced technology integrated more thoughtfully into an architecture that anticipates where drivers will look and reach rather than simply adding screens to surfaces that accommodate them.

I think the Q5 makes one of the stronger cases in this segment for quiet competence over dramatic gesture. Whether that philosophy connects depends on what buyers seek.

The post 2025 Audi Q5 TFSI quattro Prestige Review: Evolution as a Design Strategy first appeared on Yanko Design.

Lexus LX 700h Overtrail Review: Overbuilt for the Road and That’s the Point

Posted on by

PROS:


  • Highway composure rivals luxury sedans despite off-road tires

  • Seats built for hours, not just showroom impressions

  • Hybrid torque smooths every merge and grade effortlessly

  • Genuine off-road hardware never compromises daily driving

  • Restrained design reduces visual bulk without losing presence

CONS:


  • Dual-screen infotainment takes time to internalize

  • Third row remains tight for adult passengers

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

The capability you'll never use shapes every mile you actually drive.

I spent a week with the 2025 Lexus LX 700h Overtrail on a family road trip. Not crawling over rocks. Not testing approach angles. Just driving, for hours, across highways and through small towns with my family loaded in.

Designer: Lexus

The Overtrail package is engineered for terrain I never touched. Electronically locking front and rear differentials. A torsen center diff. 33-inch all-terrain tires mounted on 18-inch wheels. Multi-Terrain Select with crawl control and downhill assist. Lexus built this thing to climb, descend, and articulate through conditions that would strand most luxury SUVs.

I used it to pick up coffee and cover 400 miles of interstate.

That disconnect sounds like a waste. It isn’t. The Overtrail’s capability translates into something unexpected on pavement: confidence that borders on calm.

Design Intent: Restraint Over Spectacle

Most off-road trims exaggerate aggression. Overtrail does the opposite. It reads like industrial equipment that happens to be finished well.

My tester arrived in Desert Moon Beige, a color that does real design work. In overcast light, it leans neutral and slightly cool. In direct sun, it warms without becoming flashy. There’s no metallic sparkle, no high-contrast drama. The finish behaves like a muted architectural surface, and that restraint helps the LX feel calmer and less imposing despite its size. For a vehicle this large, color choice matters more than most buyers realize. Desert Moon Beige actively reduces perceived bulk.

The Overtrail-specific dark spindle grille anchors the front fascia with no chrome and no bright interruptions. Horizontal slat density visually lowers the nose and widens the stance. The black surround ties directly into lower cladding and wheel arch trim, creating a continuous dark band that grounds the vehicle from every angle. Headlights sit high and slim, emphasizing width rather than height. The LED signature reads clean and controlled, not aggressive.

Wheel choice plays a bigger role than it first appears. The 18-inch black wheels with tall all-terrain sidewalls visually compress the body and soften the stance. That extra tire volume signals off-road intent, but it also calms the design. Larger wheels would have sharpened the edges and made the LX feel top-heavy. Instead, Overtrail looks grounded and planted, even parked. Tire tread is visible but not visually loud. Capable at rest, quiet in motion.

My vehicle included two options worth noting. Black side steps visually lower the body line and materially improve daily usability, making entry and exit easier on a family road trip without making the vehicle look less capable. A roof rack subtly changes the silhouette and adds a hint of expedition intent, but it remains proportionally integrated and introduces no visual clutter or noticeable wind noise. Both are optional, not standard, and both reinforce the configured nature of this specific vehicle.

Nothing about Overtrail pretends to be lightweight or sporty. The surfaces are thick. Panel gaps look engineered for durability, not minimized for show. It feels designed to survive abrasion, dust, and neglect without losing its identity. In this exact configuration, the LX 700h Overtrail looks intentional, grounded, and restrained. It doesn’t read as an off-road costume. It reads as a long-distance vehicle that happens to be engineered far beyond what most daily driving demands. That material honesty carries into the cabin.

Cabin Design: Luxury Filtered Through Utility

Inside, Overtrail prioritizes clarity, durability, and spatial calm. These qualities become obvious after hours behind the wheel.

The seats deserve specific credit. Cushions are broad and upright, with a firmness that supports posture rather than sinking you in. On a road trip, this matters more than initial plushness. Hours in, fatigue stays low. Lexus tuned these seats for sustained comfort, not showroom softness.

Material choices reinforce that goal. Leather surfaces feel resilient rather than delicate. Trim finishes avoid gloss in favor of textures that diffuse light. In changing daylight conditions, the cabin stays visually quiet. No glare. No sparkle. That reduces cognitive load on long highway stretches.

The dual-screen layout finally makes sense in this context. The upper 12.3-inch display handles navigation and media without feeling crowded. The lower 7-inch screen anchors climate and vehicle functions in a fixed visual zone. This separation reduces hunting for controls. Muscle memory builds quickly when you’re driving for hours rather than minutes.

Physical controls deserve credit. Knobs and buttons for key functions feel deliberate and weighted. Lexus resisted the urge to bury everything in menus, and that restraint pays off when you’re adjusting climate or audio repeatedly during a 6-hour drive.

Powertrain: Hybrid Torque Without Drama

The 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 hybrid pairs with a high-torque electric motor and 10-speed automatic. Output reaches 457 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque, significantly more twist than the non-hybrid LX600.

On paper, those numbers suggest performance ambitions. In practice, the hybrid system plays a subtler role. It smooths transitions and fills gaps rather than announcing itself.

Throttle response feels immediate without being jumpy. Low-speed acceleration is effortless, especially when merging or climbing grades. The electric assist masks turbo lag and prevents the drivetrain from feeling strained under load. At highway speeds, the LX settles into a relaxed cruising rhythm. Engine noise stays muted. Gear changes are unobtrusive.

The vehicle never feels confused about its identity. Power delivery remains linear and confident, reinforcing the sense that this is a long-distance machine. EPA ratings land at 19 city, 22 highway, and 20 combined. Real-world highway testing shows around 20 mpg on premium fuel. The roughly 22-gallon fuel tank helps offset the hybrid system’s modest efficiency gains, though range still trails some non-hybrid rivals due to weight and tire choice. Off-road tire fitment can drop economy nearer to 13 mpg in demanding conditions. For my highway-heavy week, fuel stops came more often than expected but never felt punishing.

Ride Quality: The Overtrail Surprise

This is where the experience becomes genuinely interesting.

Despite the aggressive tire and suspension setup, the LX 700h Overtrail rides with unexpected composure on the highway. No constant jiggle. No nervous vertical motion. Expansion joints and uneven pavement are absorbed with a controlled, damped response rather than sharp impacts.

The tall sidewalls do significant work here, but suspension tuning deserves equal credit. Lexus prioritized body control over stiffness. The vehicle settles quickly after bumps, maintaining a sense of mass without sluggishness. It doesn’t float, but it doesn’t punish either.

At highway speeds, the cabin remains impressively insulated. Tire noise is present but subdued, more of a distant texture than a distraction. Wind noise stays low, even around the mirrors and A-pillars. That achievement isn’t trivial given the LX’s frontal area.

Long stretches reveal another strength. The ride stays consistent over time. Some off-road oriented vehicles feel fine initially, then wear you down. Overtrail maintains its composure. After hours, it still feels predictable and settled.

Steering and Control: Calm Over Sharpness

Steering feel aligns with the rest of the design philosophy. It isn’t sporty, but it’s precise enough to inspire confidence.

On-center stability is strong, which reduces constant micro-corrections on the highway. The wheel weights up naturally at speed, reinforcing a sense of control rather than urgency.

In corners, the LX reminds you of its 6,000-plus pounds. But it manages weight transfer gracefully. No sudden lean. No delayed response. Everything happens predictably. That predictability becomes a form of comfort on long drives.

Driver assistance systems stay mostly out of the way. Lane keeping and adaptive cruise work quietly in the background without aggressive corrections. That restraint fits the Overtrail personality. The vehicle supports the driver rather than competing for attention.

The Off-Road Hardware You May Never Use

The Overtrail package isn’t cosmetic. The hardware is real.

Front and rear electronically locking differentials provide genuine capability. The torsen center diff, front skid plate, and 33-inch all-terrain tires on 18-inch wheels add articulation and low-speed control that matter on dirt and rock. Multi-Terrain Select, crawl control, and downhill assist mean Lexus built systems for conditions most owners will never encounter.

Physical buttons for drive modes make it both automatic point-and-shoot capable and manually configurable for serious terrain. Reviewers who have tested Overtrail in off-road conditions confirm it performs. I simply chose not to.

That choice reveals the real achievement. Lexus engineered an off-road package that doesn’t dominate the on-road experience. The hardware adds capability without injecting harshness, noise, or visual chaos into daily use.

What Lexus Got Right and What They Didn’t

The interior craftsmanship is excellent. High-end materials and supportive seats make long drives comfortable. Physical controls for essential functions feel deliberate and earned. Safety technology is plentiful.

The digital user experience is less cohesive. The dual-screen infotainment can feel disjointed and layered in ways that take time to internalize. Some competitors offer more advanced hands-free driver assistance. Cargo space is modest with the third row up, though it grows significantly when folded. The third row itself is tight for adults.

At six-figure pricing, starting around $114,500 to $119,000 before options, some buyers may expect interior richness that matches or exceeds European benchmarks. Lexus delivers refinement and durability, but the cabin doesn’t scream opulence. It whispers capability.

The Design Takeaway

The LX 700h Overtrail is not an off-road cosplay vehicle that sacrifices road comfort. It’s a long-distance luxury SUV that happens to be overbuilt for terrain you may never touch.

From a design perspective, that’s the real achievement. Ruggedness doesn’t need to announce itself loudly. Sometimes the most confident design choice is letting capability exist quietly beneath the surface.

I drove it across states with my family. The off-road hardware sat unused, but its presence shaped everything about how the vehicle behaved. The mass felt intentional. The composure felt earned. The confidence felt deserved.

For buyers who want genuine capability without the aesthetic compromise, Overtrail makes a compelling argument. You’re paying for engineering that may never be tested, but you feel it every mile anyway.

Price: Starting at $114,500 (Overtrail trim)

Powertrain: 3.4L twin-turbo V6 hybrid, 457 hp, 583 lb-ft

Fuel Economy: 19 city / 22 highway / 20 combined (EPA)

Key Features: Electronically locking front/rear differentials, 33-inch all-terrain tires, Multi-Terrain Select, adaptive suspension, dual-screen infotainment with physical controls

The post Lexus LX 700h Overtrail Review: Overbuilt for the Road and That’s the Point first appeared on Yanko Design.

Antigravity A1 Review: Reimagining What a Drone Feels Like to Fly

Posted on by

PROS:


  • Unique immersive experience with vision goggles

  • 8K 360 capture with post-flight reframing

  • Intuitive one-hand grip controller and automated modes lower the skill barrier

CONS:


  • Several pieces to carry and manage: drone, goggles, and controller

  • First-time setup and learning curve can feel overwhelming

  • Visual observer requirements in places like the U.S. limit solo flying

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

Antigravity A1 turns flying a drone into a new point of view, and once you are inside it, the experience feels hard to put a price on.

Antigravity is Insta360’s bold experiment in what happens when a 360‑camera company stops thinking only about the camera and starts redesigning the entire act of flying. It is an independent drone brand, incubated by Insta360, built on the same obsession with immersive imaging and playful storytelling, but free to rethink the aircraft, the controls, and the viewing experience as one coherent object. Instead of asking how to strap a 360 camera onto a drone, Antigravity asks how to make the whole system feel like a natural extension of your point of view.

Antigravity A1 is the first expression of that idea. It is a compact 8K 360 drone that arrives as a complete kit, with Vision goggles and a single‑hand Grip controller that you steer with subtle tilts and gestures. You do not fly it by staring at a phone and juggling twin sticks. You put on the goggles, step into a 360‑degree bubble of imagery, and guide the drone by moving your hand in the direction you want to travel. What was the experience with Antigravity A1 like? We tested it to bring you that answer.

Designer: Antigravity

Aesthetics

Antigravity A1 presents itself more as a system than a single object. There is the compact drone with its dual cameras, the Vision goggles, and the one‑hand Grip controller. Visually, the aircraft itself is quite understated. Aside from the two opposing lenses and the leg that shields the lower camera on the ground, it looks like a neat, functional quadcopter. The drama is reserved for what the system does, not how the airframe shouts for attention.

The Vision goggles lean into an almost character-like, even bug-like look, especially when you fold up the black antennas on each side that resemble insect feelers. The front shell is white with two large, dark circular eyes, giving the whole front a slightly cartoonish face. In between and just above those eyes sits an inverted triangle-shaped grille with a subtle Antigravity logo, adding a small technical accent without breaking the simplicity.  The fabric strap and thick face padding sit behind this front mask. Wearing the goggles does look strange at first, but in a strangely cool way.


 
The Grip motion controller has a white plastic shell with buttons and a dial that uses color and icon cues to hint at their functions. On the back, a black trigger-style pull bar sits where your index finger naturally rests. There are additional buttons on each side. The mix of white body, black accents, and clearly marked controls makes the Grip look approachable rather than intimidating, which suits a controller that is meant to translate simple hand movements into flight.

Overall, the drone, goggles, and controller share a cohesive design language. They all use the same soft white shell, black accents, and gently rounded forms. The whole kit feels like a single, intentional system rather than three unrelated gadgets.

Ergonomics

The Vision goggles are where comfort really matters, and Antigravity has clearly spent time on fit. The goggles weigh 340 grams, yet the padding and strap geometry distribute that weight in a way that avoids obvious pressure points, even during longer sessions. The side that meets your face feels soft and accommodating, so the hardware never feels harsh. Once the 360-degree image appears, the headset fades faster than you might expect, which is exactly what you want from an immersive device. Optional corrective inserts mean many glasses wearers can enjoy a sharp view without wrestling frames under the band, which makes the experience more inclusive and less fussy.

Power for the goggles lives in a separate battery pack that you can wear on a lanyard around your neck. At 175 grams, it is not heavy, but over time, it can feel slightly cumbersome to have it hanging there, especially when you are moving around. Antigravity sells a 1.2 metre (3.9 foot) USB-C to DC power cable that lets you route the battery to a trouser pocket or bag instead, which makes the whole setup feel less dangly and more integrated.

You adjust the head strap with velcro, which works, but it is not perfect. A small buckle or hinge mechanism would make it much easier to put the goggles on or take them off while wearing a hat, without having to readjust the strap length every time. It is a minor detail, yet it shows how close the design already is. You start wishing for refinements, not fixes.

The Grip controller is where Antigravity’s ergonomic thinking really shows. It rests comfortably in one hand, with a form that supports a natural, slightly relaxed grip rather than a tense, clawed hold. For my hand, it is just a tiny bit on the large side, enough to notice but not enough to break the experience. This is very much nitpicking, and it actually underlines how well resolved the controller already is. When you are down to debating a few millimetres of girth, it means the fundamentals of comfort and control are in a very good place.

Performance

My experience with Antigravity A1 actually started at IFA in Berlin in early September. Outside the exhibition halls, I slipped on the Vision goggles while an Antigravity staff member flew the drone. As the A1 lifted and the IFA venue unfolded beneath me in every direction, my legs actually shivered a little, even though I like heights. Being wrapped in a live 360-degree view felt less like watching a screen and more like I was flying. That first taste was magical, which made me both excited and nervous to test the A1 myself later. I had almost crashed a friend’s drone years ago and had not flown since, so my piloting skills were close to none.

That magic comes with a setup phase that feels more like preparing a small system than turning on a single gadget. The first time you connect the drone, pair the Vision goggles, update firmware, and learn the grip controls, it can feel overwhelming. There are menus on the drone, options in the goggles, and status lights to decode, and they all compete for your attention at once. After a few sessions, it settles into a rhythm, but that initial ramp is something you feel before you ever lift off on your own.

Mobile app – Tutorial

Packing the Antigravity A1 means finding room for the drone, the goggles and their separate battery, and the grip controller, often in a dedicated case or carefully arranged backpack. This nudges the whole experience away from “throw it in your bag just in case” and toward “plan a proper flying session.” The result is that the A1 feels more like a deliberate outing than a casual accessory.

On paper, the A1 looks quite sensible. With the standard battery, it weighs 249 g, staying just under the 250 g threshold that works nicely with regulations in many places, and it offers up to about 24 minutes of flight time in ideal conditions. Pop in the high-capacity battery, and the weight goes over 250 g, but Antigravity quotes up to around 39 minutes in the air. In reality, you get a solid single session per pack and will want spares if you plan to film seriously.

Flight behaviour is also adjustable. There are three flight modes, Cinematic, Normal, and Sport, so you can match how the drone responds to the scene you are flying in. Together with Free Motion and FPV, that gives the A1 enough range to feel relaxed and floaty when you want it, or more direct and energetic when the shot calls for it.

Vision goggles menu

On top of those basics, Antigravity adds automated tools like Sky Genie, Deep Track, and Sky Path. Sky Genie runs preprogrammed patterns that give you smooth, cinematic moves with minimal effort. Deep Track follows a chosen subject automatically, so you can focus more on timing than stick precision. Sky Path lets you record waypoints and have the A1 repeat the route on its own, which is handy for repeated takes or for nervous pilots.

Safety and workflow sit quietly in the background, which is exactly where they should be. Obstacle sensors on the top and bottom help protect the drone when you are close to structures or changes in elevation, and one click Return to Home acts as a psychological parachute. Knowing you can call the drone back with a single command does a lot to calm the nerves, especially if your last memory of drones involves a near crash.

In the United States, FAA rules treat goggle-only flying as beyond visual line of sight, so you are meant to have a visual observer watching the drone while you are wearing the headset. That nudges the A1 away from solo, spur-of-the-moment flights and toward planned sessions with someone beside you acting as spotter.

On the imaging side, the A1 records up to 8K 360-degree video, with lower resolutions unlocking higher frame rates when you want smoother motion. Footage can be stored on internal memory or a microSD card, and you can offload it either by removing the card or plugging in via USB-C, so it slips neatly into most existing editing habits.

Vision goggle screen recording

The real leap, though, comes from the goggles. They are the thing that truly sets A1 apart from almost every other consumer drone. Instead of glancing down at a phone, you step into an immersive 360-degree view that tracks your head and surrounds your vision. The drone feels less like a gadget in the sky and more like the spot your eyes and body are occupying. A double-tap on the side button flips you into passthrough view, so you can check your surroundings without pulling the headset off, and a tiny outer display mirrors a miniature version of the live feed for people nearby.

That small detail turned out to be important in Bali, where a group of local kids noticed the goggles and the moving image, wandered over, and suddenly found themselves taking turns “flying” above their own neighbourhood. Their gasps, laughter, and stunned silence were as memorable as the footage itself.

Mobile app

The magic continues even after you land. Because the A1 captures everything in 360 degrees, you can decide on your framing after the flight, which feels a bit like getting a second chance at every shot. Antigravity provides both mobile and desktop apps for this, so you can scrub through the sphere, mark angles, and carve out regular flat videos without having to nail every move in real time.

Desktop app

If you have used the Insta360 app, the Antigravity app will feel instantly familiar, with similar timelines, keyframes, and swipe-to-pan gestures. Even if you have not, it is straightforward to learn, helped by clear icons and responsive previews. There is also an AI auto-edit mode that can assemble quick cuts for you, which is handy when you just want something shareable without sinking an evening into manual reframing.

In the end, A1’s performance is not just about how long it stays in the air or how many modes it offers. Those pieces matter, and they are solid, but what you remember is the feeling of lifting off inside the goggles and the ease with which you can hand that experience to someone else. It still behaves like a well-mannered compact drone on the spec sheet, yet in use it edges closer to a shared flying machine, one that turns a patch of ground into a small, temporary viewing platform in the sky.

Sustainability

Antigravity does not make any big sustainability claims with the A1. There is no mention of recycled materials or lower-impact manufacturing, and the packaging and hardware feel very much in line with a typical consumer drone. This is not a product that sells itself on being green, and the company does not pretend otherwise. 

What you do get is some support for repairing rather than replacing. The A1 ships with spare propellers in the box, which encourages you to swap out damaged blades instead of treating minor knocks as the end of the drone. Antigravity also sells replacement lenses, so a scratched front element does not automatically become a total write-off. It is a small step, but it nudges the A1 slightly toward a longer, more fixable life rather than a purely disposable gadget.

Value

The standard Antigravity A1 bundle starts at 1599 USD, with Explorer and Infinity bundles stepping up battery count and accessories for longer, more serious flying. It is undeniably an expensive system, especially compared to regular camera drones that only give you a phone view.

At the same time, what you are really paying for is the experience of being inside the flight and reframing your shots after the fact. That sense of presence and flexibility is hard to put a number on, and for me, it nudges the A1 from “costly gadget” toward something closer to a priceless experience machine, if you know you will actually use it.

Verdict

Antigravity A1 is not the simplest drone in terms of equipment. You are managing goggles, a grip controller, multiple batteries, and in some places, you also need a visual observer if regulations require it. On top of that, the price sits firmly in premium territory. In return, you get a very different kind of flying. At first, setup and piloting can feel overwhelming, but it becomes natural surprisingly quickly, and there are plenty of automated features to help you keep the drone under control and capture cool shots. Combined with 360-degree capture and post-flight reframing in the Antigravity app, it feels less like operating hardware and more like stepping into a movable viewpoint.

If you just want straightforward aerial clips, the A1 is probably more than you need. If you care about immersive perspective and shared experiences, the mix of kit, software, and feeling it delivers starts to justify the cost. It is fussy, ambitious, and occasionally awkward, yet when you are inside that live 360-degree view, it really does reimagine what a drone can feel like to fly.

The post Antigravity A1 Review: Reimagining What a Drone Feels Like to Fly first appeared on Yanko Design.

2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI Review: Car of the Year

Posted on by


PROS:


  • Exceptionally balanced chassis favors control over spectacle

  • Clark Plaid seating blends comfort, grip, and heritage

  • Torque rich powerband rewards real world driving

  • Daily usability achieved without sacrificing design intent

  • Restraint driven design feels complete and confident

CONS:


  • Touch sensitive controls reduce tactile certainty

  • Front wheel drive limits ultimate track theatrics

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

The GTI wins not by doing more, but by knowing when to stop.
award-icon

Forty years into its production run, the Volkswagen Golf GTI faces a question most performance cars never survive long enough to answer: what happens when the formula is complete? The 2025 model responds not with reinvention but with refinement so deliberate it borders on philosophical. Look at the grille: a single red line, unbroken, tracing the car’s width before disappearing into the headlight housings. No additional accent. No secondary flourish. That line is the thesis statement. Where competitors chase headline numbers and aggressive styling cues, the GTI presents something rarer in automotive design: the confidence to stop adding.

The exterior reads as studied understatement. Body lines remain clean, uninterrupted by vents or scoops that would suggest performance requiring constant explanation. The silhouette sits low without crouching, planted without posturing. In Alpine Silver Metallic, our test vehicle demonstrated how surface finish interacts with the car’s subtle curves, catching light across hood creases that reveal themselves gradually rather than announcing their presence.

Material Language

Inside, the cabin architecture prioritizes tactile hierarchy over visual spectacle. The flat-bottom steering wheel occupies the central position in this material conversation, wrapped in leather that wears smooth at the nine-and-three positions within the first few hundred miles of use. Stainless steel pedals catch light from the footwell, their brushed finish contrasting with the matte black plastic surrounds. Red ambient lighting threads through the dashboard at night, the only concession to interior theater.

The Clark Plaid seats deserve separate consideration. This textile pattern has appeared in every GTI generation since 1976, and its persistence represents something beyond brand consistency. The weave itself tells a story about Volkswagen’s understanding of what performance seating actually requires: grip during lateral loading, breathability across temperature changes, durability that improves rather than degrades with use. Bolster foam density sits firmer than typical sport cloth, shaped to contain rather than squeeze the occupant. The fabric’s black and gray threads intersect at angles that catch cabin light differently depending on sun position, creating visual movement even when the car sits still. After a four-hour highway stint from Dallas to Austin, the seats demonstrated no pressure point fatigue, a claim many leather-wrapped alternatives cannot make. This is functional heritage, not nostalgia. The plaid works because the problem it solves has not changed.

Dual 10.25-inch displays span the dashboard width, their bezels thin enough to suggest a single continuous surface interrupted only by the steering column. Touch-sensitive sliders for climate and volume occupy positions along the center console where physical controls once lived. This represents the GTI’s single visible concession to interface trends over tactile tradition, a trade that prioritizes visual continuity at a modest ergonomic cost. The adjustment period is real but brief.

Chassis Philosophy

The mechanical architecture beneath reveals Volkswagen’s approach to performance engineering. The 2.0-liter EA888 engine produces 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, figures that appear conservative against current competition. These numbers obscure the delivery character. Torque arrives at 1,600 rpm and sustains through 4,300 rpm, creating a powerband that rewards partial throttle exploration rather than demanding full commitment.

Our test vehicle carried the seven-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission, a choice that alters the car’s personality without diminishing it. Upshifts compress into moments brief enough to feel like hesitations rather than events. Downshifts arrive with rev-matching that sounds intentional, the exhaust note rising through an acoustic signature tuned to communicate engagement without theater.

The VAQ electronic limited-slip differential manages front-wheel traction with intervention subtle enough to require attention to notice. Corner exit acceleration produces no wheel scrabble, no steering correction, no sense of mechanical systems working to contain mechanical excess. The differential’s operation suggests integration rather than intervention, a chassis behaving as a single coordinated system rather than independent components managed by software.

Dynamic Chassis Control adaptive dampers present a genuine choice rather than a marketing checkbox. Comfort mode absorbs expansion joints and surface imperfections with compliance that transforms the GTI into a credible highway cruiser. Sport mode firms the response enough to communicate surface texture through the steering rim and seat cushion. Steering weight builds progressively from center, carrying none of the artificial resistance that plagues many electronically assisted systems. Brake pedal travel follows the same logic: firm initial resistance, progressive bite, linear relationship between input and outcome. The spread between these settings covers sufficient range that drivers will likely settle into a preference rather than toggle constantly. These are not remarkable specifications. They are evidence of calibration discipline.

The Architecture of Usefulness

The hatchback form factor delivers practicality the GTI’s sedan competitors cannot match. Rear cargo volume expands from 22.8 cubic feet with seats upright to 52.7 cubic feet with the rear bench folded, the rear seatbacks folding via a single pull lever that releases with satisfying mechanical precision. The load floor sits level with the rear bumper height, its carpeted surface firm enough to slide boxes across without catching. This utility exists without visual compromise, the roofline maintaining its sporting rake while enclosing genuinely useful interior volume.

Rear passenger space accommodates adults across moderate distances. Legroom measures adequate for passengers under six feet, though knee contact with front seatbacks remains possible depending on front occupant positioning. Headroom proves more generous than the roofline suggests, the seating position dropping occupants low enough to clear the tapering roof glass.

The rear door apertures open wide enough for easy entry, their weatherstripping creating a soft thud on close that communicates build quality without conscious attention. Small storage solutions appear throughout: door pockets sized for water bottles, a center console bin deep enough for phones and wallets, map pockets behind the front seats. For a vehicle this compact, the packaging efficiency represents thoughtful spatial engineering.

The Value Proposition

At $33,860 as tested, the GTI positions itself not against the Civic Type R or GR Corolla but adjacent to them. This is strategic design territory. Volkswagen occupies the space where daily usability and driving engagement overlap, ceding the performance margins to competitors who build cars requiring accommodation. The Type R demands you rise to its level. The GR Corolla rewards commitment with drama. The GTI meets you where you already are.

2025 Toyota GR Corolla Premium Manual Review

The four-year bumper-to-bumper warranty and two years of included maintenance read as confidence in the object’s longevity, not as purchase incentives. This is the rarest positioning in contemporary automotive design: a performance car priced for accessibility that does not apologize for what it excludes. The GTI excludes excess. That exclusion is the product.

Resolution: Why This Is Our Car of the Year

The 2025 Golf GTI represents something increasingly rare in automotive design: a product that knows what it is and refuses to pretend otherwise. The chassis does not apologize for being front-wheel drive. The power figures do not strain toward competition with larger engines. The interior does not disguise its price point behind aggressive styling that overpromises.

What remains is a vehicle that executes its intended purpose with precision that approaches elegance. The hot hatch formula, refined across four decades, arrives here in what may be its final evolved form before electrification rewrites the category’s rules entirely. For drivers seeking performance that integrates into daily life rather than demanding accommodation from it, the GTI presents an argument for restraint that carries more conviction than any competitor’s argument for excess.

The 2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI is Yanko Design’s 2025 Car of the Year and earns our Editor’s Choice Award because it answers the question that matters: can a performance car be finished?

Yes. This is what finished looks like. Not the absence of ambition, but the presence of conviction. Volkswagen built the GTI they intended to build: complete, coherent, and resolved. In the final years before electrification rewrites every assumption about what a driver’s car can be, this is the closing argument for internal combustion restraint.

The award goes to the car that knew when to stop.

The post 2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI Review: Car of the Year first appeared on Yanko Design.