Honor Magic 8 Pro Review: A Camera Caught Between Instinct and Algorithm
The Honor Magic 8 Pro is part photography upstart and part AI canvas in how it approaches still photos, relying more and more on what machine learning can do along the way.
The Honor Magic 8 Pro is part photography upstart and part AI canvas in how it approaches still photos, relying more and more on what machine learning can do along the way.
Fujifilm North America Corporation has announced the instax mini Link+, a new smartphone printer that sports a sleeker, more buttoned-up design and works alongside an updated mobile app.
In celebration of Apple's 50th anniversary, Spigen announced a new special edition Classic LS phone case for the iPhone 17 Pro series. Inspired by the Macintosh 128K and Apple Lisa, the Classic LS is a blast from the past.
Hohem has announced its first SSD, a compact SSD with a flip-up USB-C plug that connects directly to an iPhone, enabling ProRes RAW video capture. The Hohem SSD-01 is much more than just a pocket-friendly SSD, though. It also has USB-C ports for power, attaching accessories, and recording audio.
Hohem has announced the iSteady MT3 series, bringing its latest artificial intelligence–driven tracking tools to a new generation of prosumer camera stabilizers. Designed to support mirrorless cameras, action cameras, and smartphones, the MT3 lineup focuses on intelligent subject tracking, flexible mounting, and long battery life in a compact, travel-ready design.
Audio company Shure unveiled the MV88 USB-C, a new USB-C stereo microphone, today at CES Unveiled 2026. The Shure MV88 combines a classic stereo condenser mic with a USB-C connector, promising accessible, high-quality audio on a smartphone or tablet.
VSCO has added an oft-requested feature to its VSCO Capture iPhone camera app launched in June: video recording. The new video recording capabilities work with the app's 50+ photo presets and arrive alongside a new film grain function.
Chinese smartphone makers are all-in on photography. Xiaomi's latest Leica-infused phone, the 17 Ultra by Leica, features incredible camera specs, the famous Leica Red Dot logo, and, most interestingly, a manual lens zoom ring.
In mid-December, as the winter sun drifts across Cairo’s skyline, a new kind of exhibition opens its doors, built not from the work of gallery veterans but from the pockets of everyday people. Each image is a reminder that the world is full of stories happening in the margins of daily life. And increasingly, these stories are being captured through a device nearly everyone carries.
Apple recently deployed more than 40 new iPhone 17 Pro Max devices to capture Red Bull motocross athlete Tyler Bereman hopping from island to island on his motorcycle.
Despite Apple's impressive and successful efforts to give the iPhone 17 series of smartphones a much better front-facing camera, some iPhone 17 Pro users would still prefer to use their device's rear cameras. However, this has the drawback of not allowing you to see how a photo looks. Selfix, "the ultimate selfie case for iPhone," aims to overcome this limitation.
K&F CONCEPT has expanded its lineup of photography accessories with the Popod 72" Phone Tripod, a 3-in-1 magnetic tripod and selfie stick designed for mobile creators. With a snap-open design, adjustable tripod head, Bluetooth remote, and support for 1/4" screw-mounted accessories, the Popod aims to simplify content creation for solo shooters and small-scale creators.
Artist and photographer Alexander Newman Hall went viral recently for a laser photo he created for a multimedia project. However, the internet success came at a great cost, as Hall broke his camera.
Editing app Darkroom has launched version 7, marking one of the most extensive technical overhauls in its 10-year history. At its core is a fully rebuilt rendering engine designed to deliver faster performance, smoother navigation, and a more reliable editing environment across photos and video for iOS and iPadOS.
Google Photos may have "photos" in its name, but recent and upcoming updates focus on powerful new video editing tools. Leading the charge is a new feature to let users create an automated highlight reel of their video clips and photos in just a few clicks.
Forget regular foldable phones -- trifolding handhelds may soon be all the rage. So far, North American customers have not had many trifold phones to consider, but Samsung will change that come early next year with the Samsung Z TriFold, a device that, at the very least, looks super impressive.
Since the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max, smartphone photographers have had the option of also using Night mode while in Portrait mode, but iPhone 17 Pro users do not have that option anymore.
I recently installed iOS 26 on my iPhone. I'm slow, I know, but as I was swiping past my Photos widget, I noticed that one of my photos was in 3D. The image wiggled around as I moved my phone in my hand. "What the hell," I thought.
Come in for the camera but stick around for the battery life. That’s one way to sum up the Oppo Find X9 Pro, a flagship smartphone that makes a strong case for being one of the top three in the world. And with a global version available, this is the kind of device that makes you think about how much you’ve been missing from the average flagship in North America.
This is DJI’s second gimbal within 12 months, following the Osmo Mobile 7P, and it can be viewed as something of a correction. That’s not to denigrate the OM7P, which remains a very capable gimbal unto itself, but the $159 Osmo Mobile 8 addresses numerous shortcomings of its predecessor.
Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation has announced the launch of the new Lytia 901 mobile image sensor. The 200-megapixel sensor is slightly smaller than the Lytia 900 found in many high-end smartphones, but promises many more megapixels and improved HDR.
Chinese smartphone maker Huawei has unveiled its latest flagship, the Huawei Mate 80 Pro Max. The new handheld sets its sights on the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max and promises some groundbreaking new features.
Moment has announced an upgraded version of its Macro lenses for smartphones. The Moment Macro II lenses have more, better glass, promising improved image quality and sharper close-up shots.
Anyone using the "eye test" would probably find that short form video, popularized by TikTok and now found everyone online, is bad for the brain. But a new study from the American Psychological Association now directly ties short form video content with significantly diminished mental health. In short -- pun intended -- it's rotting brains.
As a Chinese brand, OnePlus skips the number 14 for cultural reasons, though after using the OnePlus 15 and its camera, I’m more likely to suggest the previous model was the lucky one. As a phone, the device is very impressive thanks to its outstanding battery life, gaming features, and superb software experience. Yet, as a camera system, it presents results that don’t feel like a worthy successor.
The OnePlus 15 has arrived, ushering in a new era for the major Chinese smartphone company. The latest flagship phone marks the end of OnePlus' Hasselblad partnership, but instead of starting a new strategic collaboration with a different photo company, OnePlus is going it alone with a brand-new in-house mobile photography system: DetailMax Engine.
Apple's newest iPhone "case," iPhone Pocket, is more like a functional fashion accessory that can carry an iPhone and other various pocketable items. It is a stretchy sock-like accessory designed to be carried or worn.
Samsung is reportedly developing a new image signal processing pipeline, dubbed "Exynos 2600," that could support a single 320-megapixel camera or up to three 108-megapixel image sensors simultaneously.
Blackmagic Camera for iOS 3.2 has arrived, adding, among other new features, support for live streaming from the iPhone app directly to leading streaming platforms, including YouTube and Twitch.
A few weeks ago, PetaPixel reported on a series of Chinese smartphones with interesting photography-oriented kits and accessories, including the then-upcoming Nubia Z80 Ultra. That impressive new smartphone and its accompanying camera kit have been launched globally today, and the photo capabilities on offer are well worth a closer look.
Motorola has unveiled the Motorola Edge 70, its thinnest smartphone yet, measuring just 0.24 of an inch (5.99 millimeters) thick. The device headlines a new generation of ultra-thin handsets that aim to balance durability, performance, and advanced camera technology without sacrificing design.
DJI has unveiled the Osmo Mobile 8, a new smartphone gimbal that delivers 360° panning and native automatic tracking.
Sony's newest Xperia smartphone, the Xperia 10 VII, features the first new design in the Xperia 10 series in years, but does little else to move the needle for mobile photographers.
The Nothing Phone 3a Lite looks to be just as quirky as its siblings, including the standard Nothing Phone 3 and Nothing Phone 3a series. However, in its pursuit of a lower price tag, the Nothing Phone 3a Lite may have made too many trade-offs.
It only takes a few shots to realize just how different the Vivo X300 Pro is as a mobile photography tool. It is laden with improved performance and output, plus a photography kit made up of a 2.35x telephoto lens extender and grip with built-in physical controls and a 2300mAh battery. It's stacked.
Sandmarc has announced a new Telephoto 48mm lens for Apple's latest iPhone models, designed to take Apple's tetraprism camera even further.
Hollyland's new Vcore is a compact camera accessory that promises to turn an iPhone or Android smartphone into a professional on-camera monitor, wireless video transmitter, and media management solution.
The iPhone 17 has been out for over a month now, but for smartphone photographers wanting to use Adobe's Project Indigo to shoot on, they have been left disappointed -- until now.
Earlier this month, Chinese smartphone maker Realme (stylized "realme") announced a strategic partnership with Ricoh Imaging, promising the mobile industry's "deepest imaging collaboration in street photography." The fruits of the partnership were revealed this week with the Realme GT8 Pro, which sports a customizable camera island and significant Ricoh GR influence throughout.
Smartphone cameras have taken giant leaps forward, but can they really be as good as a Leica? Photographer David Imel, who is co-host of the Waveform Podcast, recently created a fascinating test to find out.
How often do people go out with friends, take a bunch of photos, and then forget to share them? It's a common problem: many people have dozens, if not hundreds, of images of their friends and family on their phones that they just never sent. Others have to hound their friends to get the photos they want. A new photo-sharing app PicSee aims to solve this problem from both sides automatically.
Honor has announced that it is developing a smartphone with a camera that extends from the device using a robotic arm. For now, there's only a bizarre, mostly AI-generated video of the phone but the company says it will share additional details at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next year.
VSCO, the Visual Supply Company, has announced AI Lab. It is a suite of new AI-powered editing tools to help photographers achieve professional-level results inside VSCO.
Just this week, three different photography-focused kits for smartphones made the news. Vivo, Oppo, and Nubia all have specialized kits designed for enthusiast mobile photographers, and each promises to improve smartphone camera capabilities above and beyond what phones can do out of the box.
While each of Apple's latest iPhone models has a different rear camera system, they all feature the same brand-new Center Stage front-facing, or "selfie," camera. The base iPhone 17, ultra-thin iPhone Air, and flagship iPhone 17 Pro all have the same Center Stage camera, complete with its groundbreaking square image sensor and sophisticated new features. We sat down with key minds at Apple to learn more about the new camera and how it empowers mobile photography.
Vivo has unveiled its new flagship smartphone, the X300 Pro. The Vivo X300 Pro, which will arrive first in China, promises significant upgrades to its Zeiss-engineered triple rear camera system.
In March 2017, Apple unveiled Clips, an app that aimed to make it easier for people to create fun and expressive videos on iPhone and iPad. The app has run its course and has been pulled from the App Store.
Skylum has officially released Luminar Mobile for Android Version 2.0, introducing a bevy of new features designed to make mobile photo editing more intuitive, flexible, and efficient. With this update, Android users gain access to professional-grade tools previously reserved for desktop applications, right in the palm of their hand.
Blackmagic Design has continued its rapid expansion into mobile filmmaking with a wave of updates that bridge the gap between smartphone and cinema camera production. Since the launch of Blackmagic Camera 3.0 last month, the app has introduced remote clip syncing, Apple Log 2 support, and, most notably, full iPhone 17 support.
For most iPhone owners, the smartphone's cameras are a massive draw. However, as a recent post on Reddit shows, for those who work in sensitive industries, their iPhone may not even have a camera at all. There's an entire specialized industry focused on stripping the camera systems from Apple's handhelds.