10 years after Insta360 launched its first 360 camera, the X6 arrives as the anniversary flagship — and it arrives in a much, much busier 360 camera market. This time, Insta360 is defending its home turf against a resurgent GoPro Max 2 and a highly capable debut from DJI in the Osmo 360. There's a feeling, then, that the X6 has to be something more than just an annual refresh.
For the most part, it delivers. The squat body houses a pair of larger 1/1.1-inch sensors, and while I wouldn't call the resulting jump in image quality dramatic when set directly against the X5's footage, its effect on where the X6 sits against the wider field is significant.
The GoPro Max 2 has owned daylight sharpness in this category since launch, and the Insta360 X5 has owned the night. The X6 is the first small 360 camera I've tested that doesn't ask you to pick one or the other — it's excellent in both conditions, which makes it, in my view, the best-performing 360 camera you can currently buy.
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)It's a similar story with durability. Waterproof to 20m without a case and 60m with one, the X6 comfortably out-swims both the Osmo 360 and the Max 2, and its lenses remain just as easy (and now cheaper) to replace if you scratch one . Battery life is another strong point: Insta360's 140-minute claim at 8K/30fps held up closely in my testing, with zero overheating during continuous filming.
Where things get messier is the software. The X6 introduces some exciting additions for serious creators, like 10-bit color across every shooting mode including low light, native Dolby Vision, and forthcoming native DaVinci Resolve support, but the mobile app I tested struggled badly, crashing repeatedly during editing and export. I'm hoping the launch app is a lot more robust. The desktop app fared much better, but lacks the AI auto-editing tools that make the mobile experience so appealing on paper.
All of this comes at a premium price, too: the X6 is comfortably the most expensive small 360 camera around. Whether that premium is worth paying will come down to how much you value best-in-class image quality and hardware.
I've also directly compared the Insta360 X6 and Insta360 X5 in real video recording scenarios — check out my early verdict.
Insta360 X6 specsInsta360 X6 specsType:
360 camera
Sensor:
1.1-inch x 2
Focal length:
7.78mm (35mm equivalent)
Max aperture:
f/2.0
Max video resolution:
8K / 50fps
Max photo resolution:
120MP
Storage:
47GB internal + microSD card slot
Screen:
2.32-inch OLED
Connectivity:
USB-C 3.0, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6
Dimensions:
2 x 3.9 x 1.6 inches / 50 x 100 x 40mm
Weight:
6.9oz / 196g
Insta360 X6: Price and availabilityThe Insta360 X6 launched on August 12, 2026, priced from $699.99 / £619 / AU$1,049.99 for the Standard bundle. This gets you the camera itself, a USB-C cable, a protective pouch, a lens cloth and a quick-start guide, but nothing else.
Also available is the Essentials Bundle, priced at $799.99 / £709 / AU$1,159.99. This adds a second Xtreme battery, a 114cm invisible selfie stick, a rubber lens cap, a fast-charge case and an extended warranty, and it might be a sensible starting point if you think you'll use those accessories.
It's quite a price jump over where the X5 launched ($549.99 / £519.99 / AU$929.99 for its own Standard bundle), and it also puts real distance between the X6 and rivals like the DJI Osmo 360 (priced from £409.99 / AU$759 at launch) and GoPro Max 2 ($499.99 / £449.99 / AU$849.95). The X6 is the priciest small 360 camera on the market.
One thing worth budgeting for regardless of which bundle you choose: while the X6 has 47GB of usable built-in storage, 8K footage eats through that fast (more on this in the Design section), so factor in a high-capacity microSD card if you don't already have a spare lying around.
The X6 weighs 6.9oz / 196g, and is noticeably squatter and squarer than its X4 and X5 predecessors, a change I'd put down to the need to accommodate the larger 1/1.1-inch sensors inside. That extra width also allows room for a bigger screen: a 2.32-inch OLED display that supports an always-on mode, a step up from the screens on the last couple of Insta360 X cameras.
That screen also introduces a pressure-sensitive, haptic touch interface, requiring a firmer press to access certain options. It's a clever party trick, but in practice I didn't find it added much to the experience — it feels more like a gimmick for now than a true usability upgrade.
For mounting purposes, you get the same setup as the X5: a standard 1/4-inch tripod thread and Insta360's proprietary magnetic clip mount on the bottom. Between these and adapters for GoPro-style mounting fingers, you can securely bolt the X6 to pretty much anything. During testing, I used the supplied selfie stick for on-foot and cycling footage, and also tested the SmallRig Vehicle Suction Cup Support Kit for car-mounted shots, both of which worked brilliantly.
Future | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenOn the durability front, the X6 is IP68-rated and waterproof to 20m without any additional housing, rising to 60m with Insta360's official dive case (which costs a whopping $179.99 / £158.99 / AU$269.99). This comfortably outclasses the competition: the DJI Osmo 360 tops out at 10m (and DJI itself discourages underwater use, citing stitching issues), while the GoPro Max 2 manages just 5m. If unhoused underwater shooting matters to you, the X6 is the clear class leader.
Insta360 says the X6's lenses are five times more scratch-resistant than the X5's, and cheaper to replace, too. I didn't manage to scratch mine during testing — which speaks well of that durability claim — so I didn't get to experience the swap process, but the X6 offers the same easy-replacement design as the X5, with the replacement kit including all the tools you need to quickly remove the old lens, clean up any debris and attach a new one.
Alongside the usual microSD card slot, the X6 packs 47GB of usable built-in storage — enough for around 50 minutes of 8K/30fps footage, and a useful safety net if you forget a card or fill one up mid-session. Getting footage off the camera is quick, too: Wi-Fi 6.0 supports wireless transfers of up to 100MB/s, while wired USB 3.0 hits 450MB/s. Both speeds are worth having, because as I found out during testing, the X6's video files get enormous very quickly (more on that in the Performance section).
The X6's 2600mAh Xtreme battery is rated for 140 minutes of continuous 8K/30fps recording, a claimed 51% improvement over the X5. I put that figure to the test, and got 136 minutes before the battery gave out, so Insta360's number holds up well in practice. I also didn't experience any overheating during that stretch, which is impressive given that I was testing through an unusually hot UK summer. Charging is fast, too: Insta360 claims 0 to 80% in 24 minutes with a fast charger, and I found those figures accurate.
Insta360 positions the X6 as "three cameras in one": a 360 camera, a single-lens action cam, and a subject-tracking gimbal-style vlogging camera. In practice, I gravitated almost entirely toward the 360 mode. The X6's size and shape make it a bit unwieldy for hardcore action-camera use compared to something like a GoPro Hero or Insta360's own Ace Pro 2, so I'd treat that mode as a useful fallback rather than a primary draw. The vlogging mode fares better: InstaFrame 2.0 does a genuinely good job of replicating a gimbal-mounted vlogging camera, keeping a chosen subject framed, horizon-levelled and stabilized regardless of how the X6 itself is positioned. You select your subject with a simple double-tap on the screen.
The Insta360 X6 flanked by its main competitors, the DJI Osmo 360 and GoPro Max 2. (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)On the color and post-production side, the X6 supports the 10-bit I-Log flat profile, and — significantly for demanding creators — that 10-bit depth now carries across every shooting mode, including the PureVideo low-light mode, which wasn't the case on the X5. It's also the first 360 camera with native in-camera Dolby Vision. Perhaps the biggest software win here is native DaVinci Resolve compatibility, a first for a 360 camera — though this requires Resolve 22, which wasn't available at the time of testing, so I wasn't able to try it pre-launch. As a Resolve user myself, I'll be checking this out as soon as it lands.
The headline software feature is AI Director, an on-device auto-editing system clearly designed around a simple pitch: shoot footage throughout the day, plug the X6 in to charge overnight, and wake up to a finished (but still adjustable) vlog ready to watch in the app.
Unfortunately, my experience with the Insta360 app itself was rocky. I tested beta versions on both an iPhone 13 and a OnePlus Pad Android tablet, and on the iPhone the app struggled badly, crashing repeatedly during anything demanding — including simply exporting an edited video. This isn't a new problem in my experience reviewing Insta360 cameras, but it was pronounced here; Insta360's own reviewer notes suggest an iPhone 15 is the oldest model considered capable of running the app properly, which is a tough ask given that not everyone upgrades their phone every couple of years.
The Insta360 X6 next to its predecessor, the 2025-launched X5. (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)The app fared somewhat better on the OnePlus Pad, letting me test AI-assisted editing of individual clips, though longer clips took a while to process. Results were generally solid, if not something I'd say beats a hand-edited video. I wasn't able to test the app's other AI editing trick — stitching together multiple shorter clips automatically, complete with transitions and music — on either device: it crashed the iPhone app outright, and simply refused to let me add clips to the editor on Android.
One other app frustration: there's no way to switch between color profiles remotely. If you want to shoot in I-Log or Dolby Vision rather than the standard profile, you have to make that change on the camera itself, which is annoying if, say, the X6 is mounted on a pole on top of your car, as it was during part of my testing.
The desktop Insta360 Studio app, run on my M2 MacBook Air, offered a much more stable experience, though it lacks the AI auto-editing tools found on mobile. What it does offer is more precise manual editing on a larger screen, which I personally find easier to work with regardless of stability. I was able to trim, reframe and export finished clips directly from the X6 to my SSD without needing to move the original files off the camera first, which was a lifesaver given the next issue.
That issue is file size: 8K/30fps footage eats through roughly 1GB of storage per minute, so the X6's 47GB of built-in storage fills up fast, and I ran into storage problems fitting longer clips onto both my phone and my laptop. Factoring in the mobile app's instability — which I do expect to be much improved after launch — I found it far easier to manage and trim footage using the desktop app instead.
Audio is handled by a new 360-degree windproof mic array that "actively filters" wind noise, plus a dedicated hidden mic built specifically for motorcycle riders, designed to cut wind further and clarify engine sound — a niche inclusion, but I suppose a welcome one if it applies to you.
I tested the built-in wind filter, and it works, up to a point: noise was noticeably reduced compared with other modes, but not eliminated. For that, I'd recommend pairing the X6 with Insta360's Mic Pro, which I also tested alongside the camera — it essentially eliminates wind noise altogether, and offers the best noise-cancelling I've experienced from a small wireless mic.
The X6's biggest hardware change is its new dual 1/1.1-inch square sensors, up from the 1/1.28-inch sensors in the X5; that's 33% more sensor area, and around four times the light intake per frame versus its predecessor. That upgrade also brings a higher frame-rate ceiling in 360 mode, with 8K now available at up to 50fps, versus the X5's 30fps cap. Photo resolution climbs too, topping out at 120MP for 360 shots and 42MP in flat mode.
In good lighting, the difference between X5 and X6 footage is there, but it's incremental rather than transformative. I do have to mention AdaptiveTone 2.0 though, which captures two exposures per frame for noticeably better handling of bright skies and high-contrast scenes than I've seen from Insta360 before. I would have previously said the GoPro Max 2 offered the best 360 image quality in good lighting, but now I think the X6 might have equalled or possibly even bettered it.
It's after dark that the X6 really separates itself from the pack, though. The PureVideo low-light mode was already a strength of the X5, but the combination of the larger sensors and 10-bit color now being supported across every shooting mode — including PureVideo itself — pushes noise levels down further still. Neither the DJI Osmo 360's SuperNight mode nor the GoPro Max 2's standard mode (which lacks a dedicated low-light option entirely) come close. I can comfortably say the X6 is the best 360 camera for low-light shooting currently available.
So that's daylight footage that rivals the sharpest in the category, and the best low-light performance by a mile. The X6 is the first small 360 camera I've tested that doesn't force you to accept a trade-off between the two. Where I'd previously have pointed daylight shooters toward the Max 2, and night owls toward the X5, the X6 simply offers the best all-round image quality on the market, in any light.
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Price
The priciest small 360 camera on the market, and substantially more expensive than the X5 was at launch.
3.5/5
Design
Class-leading waterproofing and a bigger, sharper screen, with tough, easily replaceable lenses.
5/5
Performance
Excellent battery life and useful pro-level software additions, let down by an unstable mobile app.
4/5
Image quality
Video quality that leads the category in both daylight sharpness and low-light performance.
5/5
Should I buy the Insta360 X6?Buy it if...You want the best 360 camera image quality around
The X6 delivers the sharpest, cleanest footage overall of any small 360 camera I've tested — no more choosing between daylight sharpness and low-light performance.
You need serious underwater durability
IP68-rated and waterproof to 20m without a case, or 60m with Insta360's official dive housing, the X6 comfortably out-swims both the DJI Osmo 360 and GoPro Max 2.
You're a demanding video creator
10-bit color across every shooting mode, native Dolby Vision, and forthcoming native DaVinci Resolve support make the X6 suited to serious post-production work.
You're on a budget
At $699.99 / £619 / AU$1,049.99, the X6 is now the most expensive small 360 camera around, and by some margin. The DJI Osmo 360 and GoPro Max 2 both undercut it significantly.
You own an older phone
Insta360's guidance recommends an iPhone 15 or newer to get a stable experience from the mobile app. I found it crashed repeatedly on my iPhone 13, particularly when editing or exporting footage.
You want flawless software out of the box
Between the app's instability and its inability to switch color profiles remotely, the X6's hardware is currently running ahead of its software. This should improve post-launch, but it's worth going in with realistic expectations.
DJI's debut 360 camera undercuts the X6 significantly while still delivering excellent image quality and a solid companion app experience. It lacks user-replaceable lenses, and DJI doesn't recommend it for underwater use, so it's a better fit for budget-conscious buyers who won't push the X6's headline strengths.
Read our full DJI Osmo 360 review
GoPro Max 2The Max 2's true 8K daylight sharpness once made it the class leader for shooting in good light, and it remains a strong, more affordable option if you mostly shoot outdoors and don't need pristine low-light performance. Its lack of a dedicated night mode is a real limitation next to the X6, though, and its 5m waterproof rating is far behind.
Read our full GoPro Max 2 review
How I tested the Insta360 X6I tested the Insta360 X6 for three weeks, shooting throughout an unusually hot English summer to see how it handled sustained use in warm conditions. I recorded both day and night footage across a range of situations, mounting the camera on the supplied selfie stick for on-foot and cycling shots, and on a SmallRig suction cup mount for car-mounted clips.
I tested audio both with the X6's built-in mics and paired with Insta360's Mic Pro wireless microphone, to compare the camera's own wind reduction against a dedicated external solution.
For editing, I reframed and trimmed footage using the Insta360 Studio desktop app before exporting for final edits and color grading in DaVinci Resolve.
Zhu was renowned for reforms that sought to transition China from the post-Maoist years to a more global market-oriented financial system, without ceding party control over the economy.
Google has announced three major new subsea cable systems as it looks to improve connections across the American continents.
The new Alisios, Canoa, and OlaLuz installations will not only connect North America to its southern neighbor, but also boost connections with Central America.
The three installations will all pass through the Dominican Republic, and include connections from Florida, down to Panama and Chile.
New connectionsNamed after the Spanish for the trade winds which first blew sailors from Europe to the Americas, the Alisios subsea cable system will connect the Dominican Republic, Panama, and Chile.
Taking its name from the native Taíno word for canoe, the Canoa system will connect the Dominican Republic to Bermuda, and also connect with Google's pre-existing Nuvem and Sol cable systems, to create a connection from Latin America and the Caribbean directly to Europe and North America.
Finally, combining the Spanish words for "wave" (ola) and "light" (luz), the OlaLuz subsea cable system will connect the Dominican Republic directly to Florida, which Google says will "significantly strengthen" network capacity between the Caribbean and the East Coast of the US.
(Image credit: Google)Alongside the new installations, Google is also adding a new branch of its Firmina subsea cable landing in the Dominican Republic, offering extra resilience to a system which connects North and South America.
The company notes that all of this new expansion will help strengthen its bid to build a global subsea network, particularly its Pacific Connect initiative, stretching across the world's largest ocean.
"With these new investments, Google continues to pave the way for a more connected and open global cloud network centered on increasing reach, reliability, and resilience for all," the company wrote in a blog post announcing the news.
"New systems can further facilitate future connectivity through strategically placed branching units, mirroring the approach of our Pacific Connect initiative to ensure the network and our partners can grow alongside the needs and opportunities of the region."
Spoilers for Lioness season 3 episode 2 ahead.
Two things can be true at once, and I believe both that Lioness is the weakest TV show in Taylor Sheridan's Paramount+ roster, and that season 3 is its strongest outing yet.
Perhaps it's subjective, but Sheridan seems to thrive much more boldly and openly when he's working with cowboys, a land dispute, and the Wild West. But regardless of what I've been watching, I've been continuously in awe of just how well Sheridan writes his female characters.
From Stacy (Michelle Pfeiffer) in The Madison and Beth (Kelly Reilly) in Yellowstone and Dutton Ranch to Joe (Zoe Saldaña) in Lioness, Sheridan's women are armed with shrewd, fulfilling dialogue, substantial storylines and well-reasoned next steps.
Until now, that is. For the first time ever, I've been left disappointed by Sheridan's treatment of his female characters — though this time, it's women who identify as LGBTQ+.
After Cruz (Laysla De Oliveira) is called away to retrieve a potential hostage in Ukraine, she finally reunites with new love interest Josephina (Genesis Rodriguez) in Lioness season 3 episode 2.
But it's a reunion that left me with a sour taste and a simple question on my lips: why are LGBTQ+ women never allowed to enjoy a single moment of pleasure?
Lioness season 3 episode 2 highlights a fictional pleasure problem with TV's LGBTQ+ women(Image credit: Paramount+)Cruz arrives home to Josephina wearing nothing but a bow wrapped around her midriff. So far, so hot. The pair soon enjoy a bath together, but just as things take a more passionate turn, Cruz's phone rings, calling her back to work with the FBI after undercover Russian operatives raid Joe's house.
The pair are visibly frustrated by the interruption, and have clearly not shared any quality time for some time prior to season 3 beginning. To the untrained eye, you can chalk all of this up to the ebbs and flows of unpredictable military life — but I think the way that this scene is presented stems from a much bigger problem.
There's no doubting that this is a problem for real military soldiers, but I'd bet any money that an emergency work call wouldn't have happened so quickly (the Lionesses are an extra special team, after all). Instead, Sheridan is apparently choosing the time-honored TV tradition of purposefully ensuring that an LGBTQ+ relationship is disrupted.
This doesn't happen quite so often with men, as most Russell T Davies dramas will tell you, but LGBTQ+ women are a much more frequent casualty. Typically, the separation is more overt, killing off one partner in the blink of an eye (much like in The 100 or Last Tango in Halifax).
Here, we're presented with an unusual grey spot. Our two lovebirds can be together ideologically, yet are being denied the pleasure of romance itself by being kept at arm's length. There's something really cruel about this, and I can't help but wonder if Sheridan was aware of his unconscious bias while writing.
If Cruz and Josephina's relationship unravels over the course of Lioness season 3, I won't be surprised. With Joe's life so fatally on the line, the well-being of everyone else is always going to come in second place, and what's a more vulnerable place than flying under the radar?
A study commissioned by the European Parliament is calling for strict, binding regulations to block illegal live sports streams across the EU within 30 minutes — and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are also in the firing line.
For users relying on the best VPN to protect their digital privacy, this could be a major turning point. Rather than asking member countries to voluntarily crack down on copyright infringement, the report urges the EU to implement mandatory real-time blocking.
If accepted, this would mean a maximum 30-minute notice-and-takedown window for streaming intermediaries hosting the content. While network infrastructure providers — such as ISPs, CDNs, VPNs, and DNS resolvers — would be subject to dynamic and real-time blocking orders to disrupt access to those streams.
Authored by Professor Giovanni Maria Riccio at the request of the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee (JURI), the study argues that the EU’s current voluntary guidelines aren't working. Specifically, according to the report, "the current EU response to live-content piracy remains fragmented and not fully adapted to the speed and technical complexity of live broadcasts."
The proposed solution heavily mirrors Italy’s controversial Piracy Shield, demanding a rapid 30-minute blocking window from the moment a rights holder files a copyright complaint.
What a 30-minute takedown means for VPN usersIf these recommendations evolve into binding EU law, VPN providers could be forced to prevent users from circumventing active blocks.
This echoes what the Motion Picture Association (MPA) previously asked for when pressing for VPNs to take a more active role in policing pirated content, and this report adds significant fuel to that fire.
For the everyday internet user, this raises urgent concerns over collateral damage and internet censorship. The push for real-time blocking relies heavily on IP and DNS filtering, which is a technically imprecise method. Because a single IP address can host hundreds of legitimate websites alongside one illegal stream, innocent sites are regularly caught in the crossfire.
We've seen this play out disastrously before. In Spain, an aggressive anti-piracy campaign by La Liga resulted in over 500,000 domains being wrongly blocked. The collateral damage was so severe that critics warned La Liga's war on piracy was breaking the internet in Spain, prompting a European ISP group to demand that rightsholders be held liable for the fallout.
Despite recent legal victories, including a ruling that VPNs are lawful technical tools and NordVPN successfully fighting off piracy fines in Spain, the VPN industry remains under immense legal pressure. Following France’s previous order to block illegal streaming sites, an EU-wide regulation would set an even more dangerous precedent for online privacy.
Can a rapid-fire block actually work?(Image credit: Shutterstock / gonin)Professor Riccio's report acknowledges the very real risks of over-blocking inherent in live-content anti-piracy measures.
To mitigate the potential for widespread internet outages or collateral disruption to lawful services, the study recommends that blocking orders be narrowly tailored: limited strictly to the duration of the live event and subject to strict judicial or administrative oversight.
However, the report also underscores a structural driver of piracy that technical enforcement alone cannot resolve. It points out that when legal access to sports is fragmented across multiple costly, geo-restricted subscriptions, many consumers turn to illegal streams simply because lawful options are unaffordable or inaccessible.
In this context, blocking measures, however swift, risk being blunt instruments unless accompanied by improvements in the affordability, availability, and cross-border accessibility of legal offers.
For now, this remains a study rather than immediate legislation. But with the European Commission actively reviewing copyright directives in the digital market, the pressure to act on live-content piracy is mounting, and the clock on faster, more harmonised enforcement is ticking.
First there was the phone. Then there was the iPhone. And now, according to Honor, there is the Robot Phone — a “revolutionary, category-creating device that shatters the physical boundaries of traditional mobile technology.”
Now look, I love to call out marketing department hyperbole as much as the next journalist, but notwithstanding its description as the evolutionary successor to Apple’s greatest-ever product — sell 3 billion units, then we’ll have that conversation — the Chinese tech company is right to position the Robot Phone as something wholly different to what’s come before.
No smartphone I’ve ever come across features a fully motorized, three-axis mechanical gimbal built directly into its chassis, nor such a comprehensive suite of professional-grade camera features, some of which are autonomously controlled by a physically expressive AI agent (it even has a name: YOYO). We’re in full The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy territory here, and while the Robot Phone may never become as mainstream as the iPhone, it most definitely is as revolutionary as Honor wants us to believe.
First teased in October 2025, the Robot Phone appeared in prototype form at MWC 2026, before finding its way to the Cannes Film Festival and, more recently, the World Cup final (Spain’s Eric Garcia was spotted filming with the device). Now, it’s officially launched in China for ¥9,999 (around $1,500 / £1,100 / AU$2,100), and I was among the first group of journalists permitted to hold, capture, and critique the Robot Phone at its extravagant Shenzhen showcase.
Gimme, gimme, gimme a gimbalYes, the Robot Phone is like a prop from 2001: A Space Odyssey (Image credit: Future)Let’s start on that gimbal, which marks the Robot Phone out as something entirely different from any of the best phones money can buy in 2026. It really is as if Honor has strapped a DJI Osmo Pocket to its flagship Magic 8 Pro, except the gimbal in question can tuck itself away into the phone’s rear panel when not in use, almost like an S Pen slipping discreetly into a Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Why would you want a gimbal attached to your phone? For several reasons. There’s the improved video stabilization, which results in steadier footage; the manual 360-degree control of the gimbal camera itself; the AI-powered subject tracking; or even the many automatic shooting modes like AI SpinShot (a 90- or 180-degree camera roll) and Tilt Locked (which locks the phone’s gimbal at your chosen angle).
@techradar ♬ Venus and Flower - Austin FarwellThis is no knock-off gimbal, either. Honor says the Robot Phone’s mechanical gimbal system — which features more than 100 individual components — is some 65% smaller than mainstream gimbal systems like the Osmo Pocket, and its structure is 200% stronger as a result. The gimbal motor itself weighs just 2.6g and facilitates movement speeds of up to 360 degrees per second, while a dedicated Flip Motor delivers a torque density of 120 Nm/L.
Full disclosure: I did not know what torque density meant before seeing the Robot Phone for myself, but I now know it’s a measure of how much twisting force a motor can produce relative to its size. A figure of 120 N·m/L is, apparently, very good — it means the Robot Phone’s motor is powerful enough to turn the gimbal with speed and precision, despite being small enough to fit snugly into the phone’s rear camera module.
And good news! This mechanical gimbal system works very well. I was skeptical about how effective a phone-mounted gimbal could possibly be, but after playing around with the Robot Phone’s various shooting modes, it produces dynamic, professional-grade footage — or at least footage that’s comparable to what you can achieve with larger, dedicated gimbals like the DJI Osmo Pocket. The key distinction, of course, is that the Robot Phone doesn’t ask you to walk around with (or purchase) a separate gimbal.
The gimbal camera is a 200MP 1/1.28-inch sensor with an f/1.6 aperture, supporting up to 4K video with special recording formats like LogC3 and ARRI Cinema. The latter comes as a result of ARRI’s partnership with Honor on the Robot Phone; the German brand — known for producing motion picture film cameras — lends its expertise to help bring Hollywood-grade color science to Honor’s smartphone pipeline.
The Honor Robot Phone (right) alongside an Insta360 gimbal (left) (Image credit: Future)Not to get too technical, but Honor says the Robot Phone performs noise reduction earlier in the RAW domain, processes data in 14-bit 4:4:4, and outputs 10-bit LogC3 and 4:2:2 video, preserving more usable image information for post-production. ARRI LogC3, meanwhile, preserves more highlights and shadows, while ARRI Wide Gamut 3 provides a broader color spectrum.
If that all sounds like a foreign language to you, that’s because the Robot Phone is absolutely intended for video creators, rather than regular folk; its video stabilization capabilities are certainly useful for everyday shooting, but for me, they’re not leagues ahead of what you’ll get from software-based stabilization features in other phones, like Apple's Action Mode or Samsung's Super Steady with Horizontal Lock. The real juicy benefits are those post-production features, which were hard to capture and quantify in my short hands-on session, but were certainly present.
Say ‘hello’ (again) to YOYOYOYO agent being demonstrated on the Honor Robot Phone (Image credit: Future)I did, however, get a taste of the Robot Phone’s YOYO agent. This agentic assistant initially debuted on the Magic 8 Pro in China as a tool for carrying out cross-app smartphone tasks on your behalf — it’s not dissimilar to Google’s Gemini Intelligence feature in that way — but on the Robot Phone, YOYO uses the existence of a gimbal to express itself physically. At launch, YOYO can nod, shake its (gimbal) head, dance to music, and perform other motorized oddities, which are complemented by over 100 on-screen facial expressions.
The desired effect is that YOYO feels like a physical companion in your pocket, unlike any other smartphone-based assistant on the market. The reality is that these physical gestures and on-screen expressions are the definition of gimmickry, though the ability to give YOYO gimbal-related commands using natural language — “turn left 45 degrees” or “turn around for five seconds,” for instance — is genuinely useful, and worked well.
Outside of its gimbal and YOYO agent, the Robot Phone is every bit a 2026 flagship. It’s got a 6.3-inch display; it measures just 9.59mm thick (for context, that’s less than 1mm thicker than an iPhone 17 Pro Max); there’s a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, a sizeable 7,060mAh battery, and two additional flagship-grade cameras (a 200MP telephoto and 50MP ultra-wide).
The Robot Phone's gimbal tucks into the rear camera moduleFutureThe Robot Phone is just 9.59mm thickFutureFutureFace-on, with the gimbal deactivated, the Robot Phone looks like a regular 6.3-inch phoneFutureIn the hand, the Robot Phone doesn’t feel too dissimilar to existing 6.3-inch phones on the market, which is quite the feat given that there’s a full-on gimbal on offer here. That said, I’m not sure how well that gimbal is going to hold up to real-world use — I felt, for instance, like I could easily (or accidentally) snap off the plastic shield covering it. And that’s to say nothing of its vulnerability to dust and debris when fully extended.
But none of this really matters. The Robot Phone is not meant to be treated like a regular phone, because it is not a regular phone. Heck, almost nobody reading this can even buy it. It’s a ridiculous, remarkable product that should be thought of more like the Samsung TriFold — i.e., an example of what’s technologically possible — than as a genuine disruptor to an industry that foldable phones have barely managed to dent.
The Robot Phone is essentially Honor saying, “Look at what we’ve been able to do with technology,” and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. To have brought a fully functioning robotic phone to market is no mean feat, and it’s exciting to see and touch a device that’s so drastically different from the phones we’ve become used to.
In many ways, the Robot Phone is like one of those outlandish gadgets from science fiction movies. And using it made me feel like a kid again.
If you didn't already know it, there's a total solar eclipse today, August 12. Totality will occur in parts of Spain, Portugal, Greenland and Iceland, and a partial eclipse will be visible further afield across Europe, including the UK, and even as far as northern North America. If you're in any of those regions, it promises to be a truly unmissable spectacle.
A poll on the TechRadar WhatsApp channel showed that plenty of you are planning on photographing the 2026 eclipse (voting is still open, and you can vote below). That's great, and you should definitely go for it — but you should definitely also read our how to photograph a solar eclipse guide and, most importantly, taking precautionary measures to protect both your eyes and your gear.
You'll need solar glasses to protect your eyes while looking directly towards the Sun — with astronomical demand, good luck buying some at this late stage — but also a solar filter for your camera gear.
If you're in any doubt about the risks to camera kit, take this post by Lensrentals, as your warning. The risk to unprotected camera gear when you point it directly at the Sun, even for short periods, is clearly seen in the photos of damaged rental gear returned to Lensrentals following the 2017 solar eclipse in the US (and in the YouTube video below).
Closeup of a shutter damaged by exposure to the sun from the 2017 solar eclipse, damaged rental gear returned to Lensrentals.comLensrentalsCloseup of a shutter damaged by exposure to the sun from the 2017 solar eclipse, damaged rental gear returned to Lensrentals © 2026 Lensrentals.comLensrentalsPhotographing a solar eclipse — the risks to camera gearSensors were the most commonly damaged component, whether that was in a DSLR or mirrorless model. The intense light and heat generated as it was focused through the lens without a solar filter attached literally melted sensors — and you can see the permanent damage in the image above.
That's not all. Lensrentals shared photos of melted shutters, lens aperture blades (see the lead image), mirror damage in DSLRs, and even damage to a built-in ND filter system in one of its cinema cameras. All this damage is permanent, and repairs are costly.
You really don't want to take any shortcuts for today's solar eclipse. Protect yourself, and protect your gear! You can find further eclipse safety at the NASA site.
Will you be watching the solar eclipse? If you're photographing it, what gear will you be using? Make sure you vote in our poll below, and share your favorite shots with us at news@techradar.com — we'll feature your best images in our follow-up coverage.
Yesterday's primaries provided more insight into what voters in both parties want from their new leaders. And, Trump secretly switched planes in Turkey last month amid a foreign threat
(Image credit: Scott Olson)
The memory crisis that has blighted upgraders and new PC builders this year isn't going away anytime soon, but while DDR5 gets most of the attention, millions of perfectly capable PCs still use the more affordable DDR4.
The 32GB Gigastone GST Game Pro DDR4-3200 kit is now $230 (was $250) at Newegg. That's only a $20 saving, so this isn't a massive price cut, but in the current memory market, any reduction on a useful 32GB kit is welcome in my opinion.
You get two matched 16GB DDR4 modules running at 3200MHz with relatively tight CL16-18-18-38 timings. The memory operates at 1.35V and supports Intel XMP 2.0, allowing compatible systems to apply its 3200MHz performance profile without manually configuring every memory setting.
This 32GB dual-channel kit combines two 16GB DDR4-3200 modules with CL16-18-18-38 timings, 1.35V operation, XMP 2.0 support, 288-pin UDIMMs, heat spreaders, and a five-year warranty.View Deal
Also considerThis 32GB DDR4 kit combines two 16GB modules with 3200MHz speeds, CL16 timings, RGB lighting, XMP 2.0 support, 1.35V operation, and compatibility with Intel and AMD Ryzen desktop systems.View Deal
Should you buy it?✅ Buy the Gigastone GST Game Pro if...
Your desktop already uses DDR4 and you want to move to 32GB without rebuilding the rest of your PC. That's plenty of memory for heavy multitasking, content creation, and other demanding workloads, and the two-module configuration gives you a matched dual-channel kit.
❌ Skip the Gigastone GST Game Pro if...
You're building a completely new PC around a modern DDR5 platform. DDR4 and DDR5 aren't interchangeable, so motherboard compatibility is essential. You should also check your motherboard's supported speeds and XMP capabilities before buying if you want to run the kit at its advertised 3200MHz.
Why we recommend itDDR4-3200 with CL16 timings remains a solid specification for compatible Intel and AMD desktops. The 32GB capacity provides considerably more breathing room than an older 16GB setup, and XMP 2.0 makes reaching the rated 3200MHz speed straightforward on supported systems.
The kit also includes heat spreaders and carries a five-year warranty. There are no elaborate RGB effects or other unnecessary extras here; it's all about adding a useful amount of relatively fast DDR4 memory to an existing desktop.
Price context & historical valueNewegg has reduced the kit from $249.99 to $229.99, saving $20, or around 8%. That's a fairly modest discount, and still more than you'd have paid for it this time last year, but it's one of the cheaper options we've seen lately.
For anyone with a DDR4 machine that's otherwise doing everything they need, upgrading the memory can also make considerably more sense than moving to DDR5. Switching memory generations generally means buying a compatible motherboard and potentially a new processor, turning a RAM upgrade into a much more expensive project.
You can save even more on component upgrades when using Newegg's Trade-in program here. And for more savings, we track the best RAM deals each week.
The Catch: What to know before you buyThis is desktop DDR4 UDIMM memory, not DDR5 or laptop SO-DIMM memory, and Gigastone advises using the matched kit together. Reaching 3200MHz also depends on your processor, motherboard, and memory settings, so don't assume every DDR4 system will automatically run it at full speed.
X-Men '97 season 2 episode 9 has finally made its Disney+ debut and, while it packs way too much into its 25-minute runtime to deliver a satisfying end to the Marvel TV show's latest season, some big questions remain unanswered after its final end credits roll.
So, what happens to the titular team? Is there an end credits scene to stick around for? And how does this season's finale, titled 'Survival of the Fittest', set up the Disney+ show's next installment? I'll provide — or, at the very least, try to provide — answers to those queries below.
Be advised, full spoilers immediately follow for X-Men '97 season 2. Do not proceed past this point until you've watched it.
Does Eson the Searcher kill Nightcrawler in X-Men '97 season 2 episode 9?Kuuuuuuurrrrt! (Image credit: Marvel Animation/Disney+)It would appear so, but we don't actually see him perish on-screen, so there's every chance that he's still alive.
But, let's back up a bit first to explain how we got to this point. In a bid to stop Apocalypse from fully taking over the mind and body of the resurrect Gambit, Rogue, Nightcrawler, and Beast travel to the deep ocean to track down Ship. That's the sentient, Celestial-built vessel that created Apocalypse in the first place.
Anyway, after the trio make their way inside, Rogue enters the Celestial Shrine and meets the Celestial known as Eson the Searcher. After a tense back and forth, Rogue convinces Eson that Gambit's life is worth saving. Accepting her argument that life can advance through love, and not just struggle as Eson claims, the latter imbues Rogue with Celestial power to battle Apocalypse one final time.
There is a caveat, though: if Rogue succeeds in her attempt to remove Apocalypse from Gambit's mind and, by proxy, saves her lover, she'll have to sacrifice her life for Gambit's, which Rogue agrees to.
Yeah, whoop his ahh, Rogue (Image credit: Marvel Animation/Disney+)Fast-forward to the finale's third act, and Apocalypse ends up taking full control of Gambit. Using the revived mutant's brainwashing powers, he brings the combined forces of the X-Men and X-Force — everyone except Professor X, anyway — under his spell.
Just as all hope seems lost, Rogue shows up. Using her gifted abilities, she cleanses her fellow mutants before tackling Apoc-Gambit, who she defeats by using her famous involuntary superpower — i.e., her skin-to-skin contact ability — to wrest Apocalypse from Gambit's mind and seal him in a Celestrial crystal, which she hands to Cable.
With the day saved, and Gambit alive and well, Rogue kisses Gambit in what she expects to be a final goodbye. However, as her temporary Celestial powers dissipate, she soon realizes something's wrong because, as per her deal with Eson, she hasn't lost her life.
Is this a temporary or permanent goodbye, Kurt? (Image credit: Marvel Animation/Disney+)As it happens, as soon as Rogue left Beast and Nightcrawler on Ship to save Gambit, Nightcrawler enters the Celestial Shrine. There, he makes a new deal with Eson: spare Rogue's life and take Nightcrawler's instead, which Eson agrees to do.
Is this the last we've seen of the teleporting mutant in X-Men '97? I doubt it. After all, if Gambit's resurrection proved anything, it's that popular characters don't stay dead in this universe for long. Furthermore, we didn't actually see Eson take Nightcrawler's life so, if we take the 'no body, no death' trope into account, there's no reason to believe that the Marvel Phase 6 TV show won't reunite us with Nightcrawler at some point.
Is there a mid-credits scene or post-credits scene in the X-Men '97 season 2 finale?Something's off about you, Val... (Image credit: Marvel Animation/Disney+)Yes, there's a mid-credits scene that lays the foundations for the X-Men animated series' third season.
In it, we're reunited with who we think is United Nations official and X-Force founder Valerie Cooper. As she thumbs through a top-secret file, we see a news bulletin state that prominent anti-mutant politician Greydon Creed has won the race to be the next US President. It's a moment that makes Nightcrawler's sacrifice all the more hurtful, to, because Creed is Nightcrawler's half-brother.
But, I digress. As Cooper tuts, she opens the aforementioned file, which contains information on the shapeshifting mutant called Mystique. It also shows her known associates, including Blob, Toad, and Pyro — all of whom are members of the Brotherhood of Mutants, of which Mystique is also a part of.
Well, hello there, Mystique! (Image credit: Marvel Animation/Disney+)Then, the door of Cooper's office opens — and in walks the real Valerie Cooper. Startled, she asks who the impersonator is. Before the real Cooper can finish her question, though, she's shot in the stomach.
Falling to the floor, Cooper watches in horror as the fake Cooper reveals her true identity: it's none other than Mystique. Smiling, she says she's "just catching up on some light reading" and then reveals that her files says Mystique wants to attack the United States. Transforming back into Cooper, Mystique adds "I'll say" before she fires again at the real Cooper as the screen cuts to black.
How does X-Men '97's season 2 finale set up its third season? And will it feature Onslaught?Expect to see more scenes like this in X-Men '97 season 3, folks (Image credit: Marvel Animation/Disney+)There's no official plot brief to speak of, but that doesn't mean we can't predict what'll happen in season 3 following the events of 'Survival of the Fittest'.
For one, it seems Mystique and the Brotherhood of Mutants will commit to terrorizing the United States with a guerrilla warfare campaign, especially with Creed now at the helm of the western world's most powerful nation. It'll be interesting, then, to see how the X-Men approach tackling the Brotherhood and, by proxy, defending democracy and a staunch anti-mutant US President.
Speaking of the X-Men, it'll be similarly intriguing to see how they now operate. Will they continue to exist under their X-Corp rebrand, or return to being known as the X-Men? Additionally, will they learn to live alongside other mutant groups like the government-funded X-Factor and Cable-led X-Force, or can we expect to see these three teams butt heads again over how to handle threats against their kind and/or humanity as a whole?
Then there's the small matter of Onslaught. In the comics, Onslaught is a giant, sentient psionic being born from the combined subconsciouses of Professor X and Magneto, who also goes on to be one of not only the X-Men's most challenging foes, but the Marvel universe's entire hero roster.
Onslaught's debut has been tentatively teased throughout this Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) adjacent TV show's first two seasons, so it's possible that it'll finally make its bow in X-Men '97 season 3. That said, I'd expect more teasers before Onslaught is formally introduced as the series' Big Bad further down the line. I guess we'll have to see what Marvel's got up its sleeve for next season first.
Does X-Men '97 season 3 have an official release date yet?It's going to be something of a long wait for X-Men '97's return on Disney+ (Image credit: Marvel Animation/Disney+)No, but it'll arrive sometime in 2027. Brad Winderbaum, who oversees Marvel's TV, animation, streaming, and comic book divisions, separately told Collider and comicbook.com that season 3 will premiere next year.
So, when is it likely to air? Currently, Daredevil: Born Again season 3 is the only other Marvel TV show slated to drop next year. The live-action series is reportedly eyeing a March 2027 launch, too, so it's incredibly unlikely that we'll see X-Men '97 season 3 before mid-2027.
My best guess? It'll follow in the footsteps of its predecessor and come out next July. MCU fans will need something to tide them over until Avengers: Secret Wars wraps up the Marvel Multiverse Saga when it hits theaters next December, so releasing X-Men '97 season 3 between Daredevil: Born Again's next chapter and the aforementioned film would cover that base.
For more Marvel coverage, find out what we know so far about Daredevil: Born Again season 3 and get the full lowdown on Avengers: Secret Wars. While you're here, learn all there is to know about Avengers: Doomsday and everything that's been revealed about VisionQuest, too.
Evaluating AI agents in production tends to focus only on positive results. Did the agent complete the task? Was the output accurate? Did the demo go well?
The answers to those questions matter, but they miss the case that determines whether an enterprise can actually trust agents with real work: what happens in the 30% of instances where something goes wrong?
In financial services, for example, an autonomous agent that mishandles a money-movement workflow doesn't turn into an innocuous support ticket. It creates legal liability that can extend across an entire business.
In healthcare, unchecked data access calls can compromise patient safety and lead to HIPAA violations. Highly regulated industries can’t treat failure as a minor inconvenience. And when the stakes are categorically higher than in most other sectors, it changes what "production-ready" means.
The problem? Most popular agent frameworks were built by teams focused on connecting large language models to reasoning loops and evaluation. While valuable, it's not the same discipline as distributed systems engineering.
Few of these frameworks were built by people who spend their careers thinking about recovery, consistency and fault isolation. Many give little thought to what happens when an agent fails mid-flight, and that gap can be very expensive once agents are handling real-world transactions.
Replaying From Scratch Doesn't WorkWhen a sales agent moves through a 10-step workflow and fails at step nine, the naive recovery approach is to start the entire flow over from step one. That sounds harmless until you account for what each step actually costs. Every restart means re-running every LLM call that already succeeded, burning through token spend for work that was already done correctly. At scale, that inefficiency turns a single bug into a real financial problem.
It also produces a worse experience for the people and systems downstream. In a regulated workflow, it’s sloppy work that becomes a compliance and audit problem waiting to surface.
The fix is durable execution: checkpointing that captures progress at each meaningful step, so recovery means resuming from step nine, not replaying the whole sequence. This has become standard practice in distributed systems, and agent orchestration needs to follow suit.
When you’re evaluating agent frameworks, here’s the question you should ask: if an agent fails partway through a long-running task, does the system resume from where it left off, or does it start over? The answer will tell you the difference between frameworks built for production and those built for demos.
There’s an Access Problem Nobody Talks AboutSecurity in agentic systems presents its own version of this challenge, and it starts with a question that sounds basic but that most organizations can't seem to answer: can you prove exactly who or what did what, and when?
That question is harder to answer as agents act on behalf of other agents, which act on behalf of humans. Each layer of delegation adds ambiguity about accountability. And when you add MCP servers into the mix, the exposure compounds. MCP gives language models access to company records, patient data and internal systems. The vast majority of MCP servers in production today connect to some kind of database, and the common mistake is granting broad access to that entire data store rather than narrowly scoping what each server can see.
That distinction matters when something goes wrong. If a system with broad access suffers a breach or a supply chain compromise, the attacker gains access to the entire environment. Scoped access, where an MCP server or agent can only reach the specific data it needs for the task at hand, is one of the most overlooked design decisions in agentic architecture right now. It's also a relatively cheap problem to fix before deployment, yet one of the most expensive to fix after a breach.
Identity adds another layer. Many organizations still use traditional authentication protocols that were made for human users logging into applications, not for autonomous systems that act at machine speed and scale. Without verifiable identities for each agent and each component, malicious code can impersonate a legitimate part of the system and operate undetected.
What’s needed here is what’s known as cryptographic attestation: a tamper-proof record of everything that happened in the system tied to the specific identity that did it. That record lets you replay the system's state after the fact and determine with certainty that a specific piece of code accessed a specific system at a specific moment. Why? Because that identity was managed and enforced in real time. It's the difference between a policy that says a component “should” be trusted and a system that can prove what it actually did.
Design to Limit the Blast Radius, Not Just Patch the DamageThere's also a problem with how most organizations think about vulnerabilities. The industry's attention is almost entirely on patching known CVEs, and that's necessary. But at the same time, it misses something important: a vulnerability only becomes a known CVE after a breach has already occurred. Patch management is inherently reactive and does nothing while a system is actively compromised, by which point malicious code is already trying to move laterally through the network.
This is why runtime enforcement deserves far more attention. The goal isn't just prevention; it's containment. If a system is compromised, can you detect that a component is behaving abnormally and immediately restrict its access, even before you’ve identified or patched the underlying flaw? Limiting the blast radius in real time, rather than relying solely on detection after the fact, is what separates a contained incident from a full-scale breach.
Zero trust principles should be applied specifically to AI workloads, not just inherited from traditional cloud-native security protocols. That means strict authentication and authorization for every agent and MCP server, clear policies on what each component is allowed to access, and controls that stop compromised components from sending data outside the organization.
You Need to Prove Safety, Not Just FunctionThis isn’t pessimism toward AI agents; it's about engineering maturity. Every distributed system that has matured into something enterprises trust with critical workloads, from databases to cloud infrastructure, went through this same evolution. They go from optimizing for common cases to designing explicitly for the rare, expensive failure.
Agentic AI is now at that point. The organizations that get it right will be able to sit down with an auditor or a regulator and demonstrate, with evidence, exactly how their systems behave when something breaks:
- Durable recovery that doesn't waste a single completed step.
- Access that's scoped to the task, not the whole database.
- Identity that can be cryptographically verified, not just assumed.
- Containment that activates in real time, not after the fact.
These are the bars that enterprises serious about deploying AI agents at scale need to meet.
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After President Trump took office, Andrew Tate proclaimed, "The Tates will be free." A year later, Tate is being held in federal prison after he was arrested following a U.K. extradition request.
(Image credit: Alon Skuy/Getty Images)
Things have already taken a near-fatal turn in Lioness season 3, which is something I didn't expect to happen so soon. Indeed, last week, we saw two unnamed Russian agents posing as police officers turn up at Joe's door and demand to enter her home, only for them to be killed in the process.
The entire team is called out to investigate, but when a group of "watchers" are spotted on a nearby roof, the Lionesses wonder if it's a trap... if they're here, they're not looking elsewhere.
For now, the answer hangs in the balance. So, when does season 3 episode 3 arrive on Paramount+?
What time can I watch Lioness season 3 episode 3 on Paramount+?Lioness season 3 episode 3 will drop on one of the world's best streaming services in the US and Canada on Sunday, August 16 at 12am PT / 3am ET.
Here's when it will be released in other nations globally:
Lioness season 3 will have a total of eight episodes, with new entries airing weekly. That gives us the following schedule:
The exercise can help you identify what's wasting your time — and make room for what matters, says psychotherapist Niro Feliciano. Take a moment to try it. You might be surprised with what you find.
A recent series of cyberattacks on U.S. water systems has exposed vulnerabilities across critical infrastructure during the Iran war.
(Image credit: Ellen Schmidt)
Federal efforts to revive uranium mining in the West and decrease reliance on Russian uranium raise concerns about drinking water for tribal communities reckoning with the industry's deadly legacy.
(Image credit: EcoFlight)
Shoppers' changing habits are fueling a major shift in what types of businesses are occupying storefronts.
(Image credit: Thalia Juarez for NPR)
A 600-mile journey along the shores of Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and Ivory Coast reveals one of the world's most consequential transformations.
Experts say AI can get personal finance fundamentals right but may struggle with nuanced questions.
(Image credit: Kiichiro Sato)