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• The faulty CrowdStrike update disrupted operations at Delta
• The airline sued the cybersecurity outfit, which then filed a motion to dismiss
• The judge denied the motion and gave the lawsuit the go-ahead

Delta’s lawsuit against cybersecurity outfit CrowdStrike got the judge’s green light and will proceed. Earlier this May, Judge Kelly Lee Ellerbe filed their decision with the Fulton County Superior Court, denying CrowdStrike’s motion to dismiss and allowing most of Delta’s claims to move forward.

Here is a little context: Last year, cybersecurity company CrowdStrike pushed a faulty update to users on Windows devices, causing widespread disruption. Banks, airlines, TV broadcasters, and many other companies, were unable to operate nominally due to the dreaded Blue Screen of Death popping up across their IT infrastructure.

US airline Delta was hit particularly hard. According to The Register, it took five days to recover, significantly more than rivals American Airlines and United Airlines. What’s more, the same source claims Delta was forced to ground a lot more airplanes compared to other organizations.

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Motion to dismiss

This prompted Delta to sue CrowdStrike claiming the company deployed the update without permission, bypassed Microsoft’s certification process, and failed to properly test the update before release. CrowdStrike admitted the update was flawed but claims Delta’s delayed recovery was due to its own decisions. The lawsuit included multiple claims, such as breach of contract, trespass, negligence, and fraud.

CrowdStrike filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that Delta’s claims were invalid. The argument here is that the claims should be limited by the contract under Georgia’s economic loss rule, which generally prevents tort claims for purely financial losses arising from a contract. Delta says CrowdStrike violated independent duties, such as obligations under trespass laws and cybersecurity standards.

Now, the judge has partially denied CrowdStrike’s motion to dismiss. Namely, trespass and negligence claims are valid, while fraud claims were upheld in part.

The Register spoke to CrowdStrike’s outside counsel, Michael Carlinsky of law firm Quinn Emanuel, who says that the worst-case scenario is the company having to pay “single-digit millions” to Delta. The airline, on the other hand, is “pleased by the ruling”.

Via The Register

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If you're in need of something to binge this week, Sirens has arrived and it's definitely worthy of a spot on our best Netflix shows round up.

The dark comedy-drama, which arrived today (May 22), already has – at the time of this article's publication – an 86% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes. Clearly, it's gone down well with plenty of professional writers.

For the uninitiated: Sirens is, according to Netflix's own Tudum fan-led website, an "incisive, sexy, and darkly funny exploration of women, power, and class".

The show's story is told over the course of one very explosive weekend, and sees Meghan Fahy play Devon, the concerned older sibling of Milly Alcock's Simone, who has a very creepy relationship with her new boss Michaela (Julianne Moore). Clearly worried about her younger sister, Devon heads to Michaela's country retreat with the view to holding an intervention for Simone.

Why I'm recommending Sirens on Netflix

Kevin Bacon is among Sirens' starry supporting cast (Image credit: Netflix)

There are plenty of great reasons why I'm recommending Sirens this week. With only five episodes, you can easily binge watch it in one or two sittings.

Molly Smith Metzler, the playwright behind the highly-enjoyable Maid, which starred Margaret Qualley, created this Netflix show, which is based on Metzler's own 2011 play Elemano Pea. So, you know this series is in good hands

Smith Metzler told Tudum: “This story has a lot of teeth. There are real moments of drama, and it’s going to make people uncomfortable. Operatic is a word I like to use to describe it. It’s a true dark comedy – and it’s got a Greek mythology vibe.”

The cast is also excellent. Alongside Moore, Fahy, and Alcock, the likes of beloved actor Kevin Bacon. Considering Prime Video canceled The Bondsman, it's nice to see Bacon popping up in a different project, even if I'm still very disappointed to see one of the best Prime Video shows suddenly come to an abrupt end. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Glenn Howerton also plays a supporting role, so you really can't get much more star-studded than that.

If you loved Netflix's The Four Seasons, this is another picturesque series to gape at, too. Expect great on-location scenes, glamorous wardrobes, and plenty of luxury. It's also full to the brim of mystery and has a sinister undertone, as all is not as it seems on this island enclave.

I was sucked in from the get-go and soon realized that I'd streamed three episodes back to back. You'll find yourself desperate to know what's going on, and what's up with Moore's rich philanthropist and animal activist.

I'm keen to see more from Sirens, but we'll have to see if Netflix decides to renew it.

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• Konami has confirmed that Silent Hill f is a standalone game in the series
• The studio says the upcoming game is "a completely new work independent of the series"
• It also adds that players who have never played Silent Hill can experience Silent Hill f without worry

Konami has offered some insight into where Silent Hill f stands in the overall Silent Hill series.

In a new post shared on the Japanese Silent Hill X / Twitter account, Konami clarified that the upcoming horror game is a standalone title in the Silent Hill timeline, suggesting it won't have any connection to any previous games in the series (via IGN).

The studio also confirmed that players will need no prior knowledge of the franchise and that even newcomers to the series can experience Silent Hill f.

"This is a completely new work independent of the series," Konami said (translated via X / Twitter). "Even those who have never played the 'SILENT HILL' series can enjoy this game."

Only a few games in the series, like Silent Hill, Silent Hill 3, and Silent Hill Origins, have a connection, and Silent Hill 2 does offer some links to the first game, but both plots are not directly related.

While only some games take place in the titular town, Silent Hill f will notably take place away from America entirely, in the rural Japanese town of Ebisugaoka in the 1960s.

『SILENT HILL f』＜シリーズ最新作登場＞本作はシリーズから独立した完全新作です。「SILENT HILL」シリーズを一度もプレイしたことのない方も遊んでいただくことができます。▼ウィッシュリストはこちらhttps://t.co/N9lsQPDLiM#SILENTHILL #サイレントヒルf #サイレントヒル pic.twitter.com/9rCeDSfV2SMay 20, 2025

Konami revealed new details about the game in March, alongside a creepy new trailer. The story will follow teenager Shimizu Hinako, whose secluded hometown of Ebisugaoka is engulfed in a sudden fog, transforming her home into a haunting nightmare.

"As the town falls silent and the fog thickens, Hinako must navigate the twisted paths of Ebisugaoka, solving complex puzzles and confronting grotesque monsters to survive," the game description reads.

There's no release date for Silent Hill f just yet, but we know that the horror game will be released for PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC. And with Summer Game Fest right around the corner in June, there's every chance we get more details at the annual gaming event.

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AI-lationships is the gag-inducing term Joi AI cooked up to support its recent eye-opening survey on human-to-AI relationships. In it, eight out of 10 Gen Z respondents said they would consider marrying an AI partner.

Before we delve too much into this mind-bending stat, let's look at the source. Joi AI, formerly EVA AI, is a premium online AI companion service that offers a wide range of AI companion personalities, complete with AI-generated imagery that can be, depending on settings and what you pay, NSFW.

It's kind of a cheesy service that caters mostly, I think, to lonely men. Now, don't get me wrong; I know there's a growing epidemic of loneliness. A recent Harvard study found that 21% of US adults report some level of loneliness (some studies suggest the number is far higher).

Disconnection

Remote work, screen time, and other things that take us away from direct human connection are probably not helping this trend, but AI has increasingly stepped into the connection void with a growing army of voice chatbots that can carry on surprisingly realistic and even empathetic-sounding conversations.

And this is by design. Earlier this month, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, whose company is building powerful AI models, suggested we should all have AI friends.

Marriage, then, is perhaps, the next logical extension.

The concept of deep, personal relationships between humans and artificial intelligence traces back to well before we had Gemini Live, ChatGPT, Copilot, and others ready and willing to converse with us at length. The 2013 movie Her was built around the idea of a deeply personal (and concerning) relationship between Joaquin Phoenix's character and Scarlett Johansson's disembodied AI voice long before we could talk to a single AI in real life.

I've had my share of AI conversations, and I find them entertaining and, often, illuminating. I don't see them as personal, though. Perhaps that's because I'm not lonely. The more desperate you are for human connection, the more AI companionship might seem like a reasonable substitute.

But marriage?

Meet-cute in the cloud

At least Joi AI adds static imagery to the playful banter you'll find through its AI partners, but that's the exception and not the rule. Most generative AI chatbots are just voices and undulating screens. You need images and, ultimately, touch to make a genuine connection... don't you?

As I write this, I'm reminded that I met my wife through a phone call and that I was enchanted, initially, by nothing but her voice and wit. But to build our relationship and eventual union, we did date in person. Being with her sealed the deal and made me want to marry her.

I don't understand why Joi AI's respondents, even Generation Z, who are much more deeply immersed in technology, social media, and AI than any generation before it, would accept an AI as a life mate. In the survey, though, they do sound primed for AI connection, with 83% saying they "could build a deep emotional bond with an AI partner."

One expert I spoke to via email, Dr. Sue Varma, a board-certified psychiatrist and author of Practical Optimism, put it in perspective for me. "At our core, we all want the same things: to be seen, to be heard, and to feel valued – not judged or criticized. For Gen Z, that longing is especially strong, and the loneliness they’re experiencing is very real. What they want, what we all want, is meaningful, mutual human connection."

Would you consider marrying an AI?May 22, 2025

Unconvinced that Joi AI's data points to a real trend (I did ask them for survey details and have yet to receive a response), I ran a couple of anecdotal surveys on X (formerly Twitter) and Threads. Across both, less than 10% said yes, they would consider marrying an AI, roughly a third said no on Threads, and the vast majority wondered if I was okay.

As preposterous as I find the whole idea of AI relationships and eventual marriage, I also understand that we're at the start of a revolution. AI's ability to mimic human language and even emotions is growing exponentially, and there's already growing concern about human-to-AI relationships.

"Technology—and AI in particular—isn’t going away. It’s going to keep evolving, and yes, it may offer relationships that seem easy, even comforting. Think of the always-affirming AI: the hype person, the yes-person, the one that never challenges us and always tells us what we want to hear. It’s seductive. But it’s not real," said Dr. Varma, and added, "What we really need to be doing is using AI to support our humanity, not replace it."

The latest Gemini and ChatGPT models provide incredibly human- and expressive-sounding conversations. Some believe AIs have already beat the Turing test (basically when a computer's response is indistinguishable from a human's, at least as perceived by another human).

We will, in this decade, see humanoid robots equipped with these AIs, and that's when things will get really weird. How long before some dude is marrying his AI bot in Vegas?

Joi AI's self-serving survey is ridiculous on the face of it, even if it is also a harbinger of AI relationships to come – and I hope Gen Z swipes left on the whole idea.

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In the great iOS vs Android debate, you’ll often hear Apple fans bringing up Airdrop as one of the iPhone’s key advantages. However, it seems OnePlus is hoping to bring AirDrop-style sharing and drag-and-drop file transfers to its Android phones.

O+ Connect, which comprises a feature built into OnePlus' OxygenOS Android wrapper and an app for compatible third-party devices, brings these features to OnePlus devices, starting with the OnePlus 13R.

As for the flagship OnePlus 13, the company has confirmed O+ Connect support is on the way, but we don't know exactly when yet. Additionally, the feature is only available for UK and EU users at the moment.

This enables users to view and transfer files between their OnePlus phone and iPhone, iPad, or Mac wirelessly, which is usually impossible without using an intermediary like Google Drive or WeTransfer.

The corresponding O+ Connect app can be found on an official OnePlus website or on the iOS App Store.

Curiously, the O+ Connect app supports macOS all the way back to version 10.4, released in 2005 as macOS X Tiger – this means that any Mac released in the last 20 years should be supported; talk about backwards compatibility.

It’s worth mentioning that the O+ Connect app was originally released under the same name for Oppo phones. Oppo and OnePlus are both owned by parent company BBK Electronics, and while the two companies often share designs and features, they are distinct. It’s something to keep in mind if you use both OnePlus and Oppo devices.

Building bridges

O+ Connect is coming to the OnePlus 13, but we don't know exactly when yet. (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

According to OnePlus, the integration of the O+ Connect app marks the start of an ecosystem that will aim to connect OnePlus users with devices from multiple other brands – not just Apple.

Personally speaking, I’ve experienced the sheer horror of trying to move a large video from an Android phone to my MacBook, or from an iPhone to an Android device, one too many times.

Though third-party solutions like LocalSend are very effective, I welcome OnePlus’ addition of O+ Connect – it’s great to see phone makers tackling this issue with first-party solutions.

I think phone makers have some right to protect and encircle their own ecosystems, but making file sharing easier really has no downside from a consumer perspective. I'm glad to see OnePlus leading the way on this.

O+ Connect is on its way to the OnePlus 13, but I’m hoping it’ll come to more of the best OnePlus phones soon. Let us know if you’ll be using this new feature in the comments below.

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It's a whole different kind of dark mode for the paparazzi-like AI feature in Windows 11.

Irsay started with the Colts as a teenage ball boy and took ownership after his father's death in 1997. The team won a Super Bowl and two AFC championships under his nearly three-decade tenure.

(Image credit: AJ Mast)

In a cost-cutting move, the Treasury Department will soon stop minting new pennies. The one-cent coins will still be legal tender. There are more than 100 billion pennies in circulation but many are gathering dust in change jars and forgotten pockets.

(Image credit: Saul Loeb)

The federal judge also told the administration to reinstate department employees who lost their jobs during the reduction-in-force announced in March.

(Image credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

• Coinbase filed a new form with the Maine Attorney General
• It confirmed when the attack happened and how many people were affected
• The company confirmed offering a bounty

We now know exactly how many people are affected by the recent Coinbase data breach - 69,461. The company confirmed the news in a new filing with the Office of the Maine Attorney General. In the filing, the company said that the attack took place in late December, 2024, and that it was spotted months later, in mid-May 2025.

It also shared a data breach notification letter it is sending out to affected people, in which it detailed what happened.

Apparently, threat actors bribed “a small number of individuals performing services for Coinbase” to have them exfiltrate sensitive customer data.

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Extortions and bounties

These individuals, which were allegedly fired afterwards, stole identity information (names, dates of birth, last four digits of their social security numbers), masked bank account numbers and “some bank account identifiers”, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, images of IDs, driver’s licenses, and passports, and different account information (transaction history, balance, transfers, and more).

The attackers then tried to extort Coinbase for $20 million, in exchange for deleting the data. Coinbase not only denied the offer, but also doubled-down on it, offering the exact same sum - $20 million, to whoever comes forward with actionable information about the identities or whereabouts of the attackers.

Earlier reports on Reuters claimed the attack might cost Coinbase between $180 million and $400 million, citing a regulatory filing the company submitted recently.

Besides offering a $20 million bounty, Coinbase also promised to “make customers whole” - by reimbursing anyone who can prove that they lost money after a social engineering attack made possible by the data stolen from the crypto exchange.

Coinbase also said it was working with law enforcement, and urged users to stay vigilant, create strong passwords, set up multi-factor authentication (MFA), and never share their login credentials with anyone.

Via TechCrunch

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The Senate parliamentarian advised lawmakers that they couldn't use the Congressional Review Act to revoke California's right to set vehicle standards. But they did it anyway. Expect a legal fight.

(Image credit: Andy Bao)

I've never seen my dad perform with his band, but AI changed that for me.

Review: The phone is packed with great tech but it's the AI skills that really surprised me

Honor 400 Pro: Two-minute review

‘Flagship killer’ would perhaps be too strident a term to apply to the Honor 400 Pro. Rather, it seeks to subtly undermine the premium crowd with competitive specifications and a slightly lower asking price.

This is a well-built phone made of flagship-grade materials, with the kind of IP68/IP69 dust and water resistance rating that puts many a full-priced handset to shame. Its 6.67-inch OLED display, too, is about as bright, sharp, and accurate as you could reasonably expect.

While you won’t be getting the absolute best performance the smartphone market has to offer, you simply won’t notice that Honor has opted for last year’s top processor unless you take a glance at the spec sheet. The 400 Pro performs very smoothly indeed.

The headline feature here is an all-new 200MP main camera, which captures good photos in a range of lighting conditions. You also get a decent dedicated 3x telephoto camera, which can be further boosted through the use of AI.

(Image credit: Future)

Another impressive AI camera trick is Image to video, though its ability to turn stills into brief videos is a party trick that probably won’t see much practical use beyond showcasing the latest artificial intelligence gimmick.

No matter – the Honor 400 Pro is a thoughtfully balanced phone built on solid specifications, which includes a larger-than-average 5,300mAh battery and speedy 100W wired charging support. You also get 50W wireless charging, though both speeds are reliant on you having the necessary charger to hand.

Honor’s Magic OS 9.0 continues the brand's slightly tiresome obsession with iOS, and it remains a somewhat busy UI. However, it’s also fast and flexible, and Honor’s new six-year update promise is one of the best in the business.

All in all, the Honor 400 Pro is part of a compelling group of in-betweener smartphones, offering less compromise than even the best mid-range smartphones while still costing much less money than your average flagship.

It’s not unique, nor is it without its flaws, but it’s a very accomplished option for those willing to leave the usual suspects behind in pursuit of a bargain.

Honor 400 Pro review: price and availability

(Image credit: Future)

• Costs £699.99 in the UK
• Released May 2025
• No availability in the US or Australia

The Honor 400 Pro was launched globally, alongside its brother, the Honor 400, on May 22, 2025. It won’t be receiving a launch in the US, as is customary from the brand, and there are no plans for Australia at the time of writing.

Pricing for the sole Honor 400 Pro model stands at £699.99 (around $930 / AU$1,450), which isn’t a figure we see all that often. This pitches it well above the Google Pixel 9a and the Samsung Galaxy A56 (both £499), and just short of the Google Pixel 9 and Samsung Galaxy S25 (both £799).

This isn’t quite a full-on flagship phone, then, but it’s also far too expensive to be classed as a mid-ranger. It’s one of those ‘affordable flagship’ phones like the OnePlus 13R, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, or the Nubia Z70 Ultra.

Incidentally, an even cheaper version of the Honor 400, the Honor 400 Lite, launched on April 22 at a cost of £249.99.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Honor 400 Pro review: specsHonor 400 Pro specs

Dimensions:

160.8mm x 76.1mm x 8.1mm

Weight:

205g

Display:

6.7-inch 1.5K (2800 x 1280) up to 120Hz AMOLED

Chipset:

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

RAM:

12GB

Storage:

512GB

OS:

Android 15 with MagicOS 9.0

Primary camera:

200MP (f/1.9)

Ultra-wide camera:

12MP (f/2.2)

Telephoto camera:

50MP with 3x zoom (f/2.4)

Front camera:

16MP

Battery:

5,300mAh

Charging:

100W wired, 50W wireless

Colors:

Lunar Grey, Midnight Black

Honor 400 Pro review: designImage 1 of 2

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(Image credit: Future)

• Silky matte glass back
• Unusual curved-trapeze camera module
• IP68 & IP69 dust and water resistance

With the Honor 400 Pro, Honor has dropped the distinctive Casa Milá-inspired camera module of the Honor 200 Pro in favor of a kind of rounded trapezium shape (a trapercle?). It’s a little wonky-looking, though I quite like the unorthodox camera configuration.

Otherwise, Honor has retained the basic look of its affordable flagship range – unlike the regular Honor 400, which has contracted a serious case of the iPhones.

This means that the Honor 400 Pro retains its gently rounded look, with 2.5D glass to the front and back – the latter in a pleasingly silky-to-the-touch finish. The aluminum frame, too, curves around gently, resulting in a phone that sits comfortably in the hand.

These curves also serve to disguise the fact that the Honor 400 is a fairly big phone, with a thickness of 8.1mm (the Honor 400 is 7.3mm) and a relatively heavy weight of 205g (vs 184g).

This time around, Honor has fitted its almost-flagship with both IP68 and IP69 certification. That’s quite an advance on the Honor 200 Pro, which only managed an IP65 rating.

The Honor 400 Pro is available in just two colors: Lunar Grey and Midnight Black. Not the most inspiring selection, it has to be said, but they do look nice and professional, which is kind of the name of the game here.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Honor 400 Pro review: displayImage 1 of 2

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(Image credit: Future)

• 6.7-inch quad-curved 120Hz OLED display
• 3,840Hz PWM dimming
• 5,000 nits peak brightness

Honor has really knocked it out of the park with the displays in the Honor 400 range this year. In the Honor 400, you’re getting a 6.7-inch OLED with a just-so 2800 x 1280 resolution and a 120Hz peak refresh rate.

That’s fractionally smaller than last year’s 6.78-inch screen, but I defy anyone to portray this as meaningful. Not when the peak brightness has been boosted from an already-excellent 4,000 nits in the Honor 200 Pro to 5,000 nits here.

This top-end figure applies to limited HDR scenarios, of course. With autobrightness switched off, I recorded a maximum brightness of around 600 nits. That’s decent enough, though it’s about half what the Pixel 9 can manage.

Color accuracy is superb, at least when you drop the slightly over-the-top Vivid color mode and select Normal instead.

The Honor 400 Pro display also supports an elevated PWM dimming rate of 3840Hz, just like the Honor 200 Pro before it. This helps reduce eye strain by lowering flicker at lower brightness levels. That's something Samsung and Google continue to overlook.

The main differences between this screen and the Honor 400’s relate to small aesthetic choices. The Pro Display curves away at the edges, though this didn’t interfere with content in any way, nor did it lead to any unintended presses.

Slightly more bothersome is the longer display notch, which crams in depth-sensing capabilities at the expense of a little real estate. If you like to take your video content full screen, you’re more likely to be bothered by this, but it didn’t trouble me too much.

• Display score: 4 / 5

Honor 400 Pro review: cameras

(Image credit: Future)

• 200MP main (f/1.9)
• 50MP 3x telephoto (f/2.4)
• 12MP ultra-wide macro (f/2.2)

Honor has really ramped up its camera offering with the Honor 400 series this year. The headline event for the Honor 400 Pro is a new 200MP AI Main Camera, which packs a large 1/1.4-inch sensor, an f/1.9 aperture, and OIS.

We’ll get into the ‘AI’ part of that main camera soon enough, but at a basic level this camera takes sharp, contrasty shots in most situations. You can choose from three basic looks depending on whether you want your shots to look natural, punched up for social media, or to take on a certain artful film camera aesthetic.

Shots from this main sensor are slightly less impressive here on a £700 phone than they are on the £400 Honor 400, which shares the same component. There’s simply a lot more competition at this level. With that said, they’re still more than serviceable.

Unlike the Honor 400, this main sensor isn’t pulling double duty to provide all of your zoomed shots. There's major assistance on that front from a dedicated 50MP telephoto camera, utilizing a Sony IMX856 sensor and aided by OIS, which grabs nice, sharp shots at its natural 3x zoom length and usable shots at 6x or even 10x.

Beyond that, you’ll find too much noise for this to be a viable option, though Honor’s AI image enhancement technology is one of the most impressive around. Stray beyond 30x, and the phone should offer you the chance to activate AI assistance. Head back into the picture after shooting and, after a minute or so of processing time, you’ll be given a much clearer shot.

The results here can vary wildly in effectiveness, and it certainly does no favors to the human face, while it can really miss the target with some fine details, particularly at the 50x maximum range. However, there’s no denying that this can turn out much improved hybrid zoom shots given the right subject and shooting conditions.

What I will say is that this 3x telephoto camera does change the tone of the shots from the main sensor. Moving from 2x (which crops in on the main sensor) to 3x sees a slightly jarring shift from a more natural look to a more vivid, dare I say exaggerated one. It's not ruinous, but you don't get the seamless transition of the truly top-level flagship phone cameras here.

(Image credit: Future)

The 12MP ultra-wide is the weakest camera of the three, bringing with it a marked drop-off in detail and contrast. Still, it remains a viable camera.

Going back to the matter of AI, perhaps the most attention-grabbing – if not exactly useful – feature of the Honor 400 Pro’s camera is Image to video. The Honor 400 series is the first to utilize this Google AI-driven feature, which essentially turns any normal still photo (it doesn’t even need to have been taken on the phone) into a five-second mini-video.

As with so many AI-driven features these days, the results aren’t universally brilliant, but some prove to be alarmingly convincing.

Using one shot that was sent to me of a chicken and a cat facing off under a table, this AI tool caused the chicken to strut forward while the cat casually twitched its ears. Another chicken scuttled in from off camera, while a second cat was revealed to be lying down behind that original chicken. Neither of those last two creatures even existed in the original shot.

It’s undeniably impressive, and even a little scary. But I have to ask myself when I’d use this feature beyond showing off the power of AI to my friends and family. So far, I’ve got nothing.

The 50MP front camera takes decent selfie shots, aided by an additional depth sensor for better portraits with nicely blurred, clearly delineated backgrounds.

Video capture extends to 4K and 60fps, which is another way in which the Pro stands out from the Honor 400 (which only hits 4K/30fps).

• Camera score: 4 / 5

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(Image credit: Future)Honor 400 Pro review: performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset
• 12GB RAM and 512GB storage

Performance has ostensibly taken an incremental bump over last year’s Honor 200 Pro. Out goes the stripped-back Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, in comes Qualcomm’s full-fat Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

However, that Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip turned out to be much less capable than its name initially suggested, dropping behind Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in graphical terms.

What we have here, then, is a phone that performs as well as the 2024 flagship crowd. That works out to be a pretty good level for a £700 phone, and indeed, this is the same component that runs the excellent OnePlus 13R. It also means that the Honor 400 Pro comfortably outperforms the entire Pixel 9 range.

Benchmark results are precisely what we’ve come to expect from this well-established chip, as is gaming performance. Genshin Impact will run fluidly on high settings, while demanding console racer GRID Legends speeds by at an appreciable lick.

The existence of the Nubia Z70 Ultra and the Poco F7 Ultra means that the Honor 400 Pro isn’t top of its weight class. Both of those rivals run on the superior Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, and only charge £649 for the privilege. However, Honor's phone remains a very capable runner, backed by 12GB of RAM and a generous 512GB of internal storage.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Honor 400 Pro review: software

(Image credit: Future)

• Magic OS 9.0, based on Android 15
• Six years of OS updates and security patches

The Honor 400 Pro runs Magic OS 9.0, which is the company’s bespoke Android 15 skin. It’s the same basic software provision as that of the Honor Magic 7 Pro.

I think I can speak for the extended TechRadar family when I say that Honor’s UI isn’t our favorite. Bloatware continues to blight it, with unwanted preinstallations of Booking.com, Temu, ReelShort, and much more besides. Honor itself gives you duplicate App Store and email apps, and a stack of its own tool apps.

While this is a take on Google’s Android, Honor seems to be far more inclined towards Apple’s iOS. Everything from the split notification pane to the Settings menu and the lack of a dedicated app tray (by default) speaks to a fondness for Apple’s mobile operating system. Even the icons and the Settings menu are designed in a way that will be familiar to anyone who’s used an iPhone recently.

(Image credit: Future)

You even get a version of Apple’s Dynamic Island, here called Magic Capsule, which offers little widget-like bubbles of information around the extended selfie notch. With that said, it’s an undeniably useful way of surfacing media controls, timers, and the like, and Honor is far from the only Android manufacturer to follow Apple’s lead in this way.

Indeed, Magic OS, for all its clutter and bloat, remains a very functional and extremely snappy UI. Magic Portal is a power user’s dream, providing an easy way to drag text and images between apps. The knuckle gesture shortcut for circling text in this way isn’t 100% reliable, but you can get used to it.

Topping off Honor's somewhat mixed software provision is a commendably strong commitment to six years of OS updates and security patches. Only Google and Samsung do this better with their respective seven-year promises.

What's more, Honor has committed to providing an Android 16 update before the end of 2025, which isn't something you see too often.

• Software score: 3.5 / 5

Honor 400 Pro review: battery life

(Image credit: Future)

• 5,300mAh silicon-carbon battery
• 100W wired charging
• 50W wireless charging

Honor seems intent on pushing battery and charging technology in its phones. The Honor 400 Pro gets a meaty 5,300mAh battery, which falls comfortably north of the 5,000mAh average – if not quite as far north as the OnePlus 13R and the Nubia Z70 Ultra, both of which hit the giddy heights of 6,000mAh.

It’s sufficient to get the Honor through a full day of heavy use with remaining charge to spare. Indeed, a moderate day with around four hours of screen-on time left me with more than 60% left in the tank. Average use in a fairly consistent network environment will get you two days on a single charge, no problem.

Talking of charging, Honor goes harder than it probably needs to here. There’s 100W wired charging support that’s seemingly able to get you from empty to 51% in just 15 minutes.

I say ‘seemingly’ because Honor, like most modern manufacturers, no longer bundles in a charger. Without one of Honor’s SuperCharge chargers to hand, I was unable to put those claims to the test.

Ditto for the claim of 50W wireless charging support. It’s good to see, but you’ll need one of the brand’s own SuperCharge wireless chargers to hit that maximum speed.

• Battery score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Honor 400 Pro?Honor 400 Lite score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

The Honor 400 Pro isn’t the prettiest phone on the market, but it’s more distinctive than the rest of the range and it’s very well built.

4 / 5

Display

Honor’s display is sharp, bright, and color-accurate, with an appreciable focus on eye health.

4.5 / 5

Performance

It’s not quite a top performer, but the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 continues to do a good job.

4 / 5

Camera

The 200MP main camera takes good shots in all conditions, while the dedicated 3x telephoto is a competent performer. Honor’s AI features are a little hit and miss, but can be very impressive.

4 / 5

Battery

With a large(ish) 5,300mAh battery supplying two days of use, and rapid 100W wired/50 wireless charging support, the Honor 400 is very well equipped.

4 / 5

Software

Honor’s Magic OS remains cluttered and a little too beholden to iOS, but it’s fast and functional, and Honor’s new six-year update promise is very competitive.

3.5 / 5

Value

You're getting a solid phone with some unique features at a low price.

4 / 5

Buy it if...

You want a more affordable flagship
The Honor 400 Pro offers a strong approximation of what the Honor Magic 7 Pro can do, but for hundreds of pounds less.

You’re all onboard with AI working to enhance your photos
With the ability to enhance your extreme zoomed shots and even generate brief videos from stills, the Honor 400 Pro’s camera goes further than most with AI.

You like Apple’s way of doing things
Honor clearly likes Apple’s style even more than Google’s, with Magic OS 9.0 emulating iOS in a number of ways.

Don't buy it if...

You like Android to be Android
With Honor’s iOS obsession, and its insistence on filling its phones out with bloatware, the Honor 400 Pro strays far from stock Android.

You demand the best performance possible for you money
The Honor 400 Pro is a fast phone, but you can get faster for the money in the Poco F7 Ultra and the Nubia Z70 Ultra.

Honor 400 Pro review: also consider

The Honor 400 Pro isn't the only affordable flagship phone on the market. Here are some of the better alternatives to consider.

OnePlus 13R
The OnePlus 13R is another almost-flagship running on Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 power, but it packs a larger battery and cleaner software.

Read our full OnePlus 13R review

Nubia Z70 Ultra
Nubia’s phone is even cheaper than the Honor 400 Pro, but it features superior performance and an even larger battery. It also features a deep 3.3x telephoto camera and a main camera with a novel variable aperture. We haven't tested it for ourselves yet, mind.

Poco F7 Ultra
The Poco F7 Ultra outguns the Honor with its Snapdragon 8 Elite chip for £649, though it’s not as refined or well-rounded.

Read our full Poco F7 Ultra review

How I tested the Honor 400 Pro

• Review test period = 1 week
• Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, gaming, streaming video, music playback
• Tools used = Geekbench 6, GFXBench, 3DMark, native Android stats, Samsung 65W power adapter

First reviewed: May 2025

• Secretlab has revealed its Warhammer 40,000 Edition Magnus Pro Sit-to-Stand Metal Desk
• The desk features the Imperium of Man design from the game and offers magnetic cable anchors and sheaths for cable management
• The desk can be adjusted between 650mm and 1,250mm and features a custom backlit control panel

Secretlab has announced the latest addition to its Warhammer 40,000 collection, the Magnus Pro Sit-to-Stand Metal Desk Warhammer 40,000 Edition.

Designed in collaboration with Games Workshop, the Secretlab Magnus Pro Sit-to-Stand Metal Desk Warhammer 40,000 Edition follows Secretlab's release of the Titan Evo Warhammer 40,000 Ultramarines Edition chair that completes the ultimate PC and tabletop gaming setup fit for Warhammer fans.

The officially licensed desk is designed to clear up space and manage cable clutter with the Secretlab Cable Management Bundle Warhammer 40,000 Edition magnetic cable anchors and sheaths to help maintain your workspace.

Fans will recognize the map of the Imperium of Man design, which covers the entire desk, featuring Holy Terra and Mars at its center, detailed with black, gold, and red legends that indicate Imperial bastions and strongholds, major Imperial worlds, and Chaos-infested zones.

It also pairs with the bundled Secretlab Magpad Desk Mat Warhammer 40,000 Edition, to "pay homage to the Throneworld of the Imperium".

The sit-to-stand desk can be adjusted between 650mm and 1,250mm thanks to its precise controls. Alongside the map design, the desk also offers a custom backlit control panel on the edge of the desk for easy access.

It also features the world’s first integrated power supply column, concealing a single cable within the desk leg, which leads to a power socket at the top.

There is no release date just yet, but the Secretlab Magnus Pro Sit-to-Stand Metal Desk Warhammer 40,000 Edition (Bundle) will start at US$878 / CA$1,098 for the standard size (1.5m) and US$1,028 / CA$1,228 for the XL size (1.7m).

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Even though it’s been almost a year since they released, I’ve still been going on and on about the Nothing Ear and Nothing Ear (a) as though they were the hot new gadgets in the block. But it’s time to stop dwelling on the past, even if one model does rank among the best wireless earbuds, and look to the future.

Given that it’s been releasing new earbuds ever year, a regular ol' Santa Claus of music, it seems likely that tech company Nothing will be preparing a new pair of Nothing Ear buds for 2025 – especially given that company is now pairing with British hi-fi great KEF and has several audio products planned for release this year.

The company’s been operating with an infuriating lack of a numbering system since the Ear (2), so I’m just going to call these the Nothing Ear (2025) for the purpose of making this article at least a little bit easy to read.

At the time of writing, the only hints we have about a new set of Ear-branded buds and a budget companion are the hints about the KEF tie-up. So here's what I want to see in the new buds, in the absence of any concrete leaks about features. I’ve tested both of the 2024 models – as well as the Nothing Ear (open) – and will draw on that for this wish-list.

Nothing Ear (2025): cut to the chase

• What is it? The newest generation of Nothing earbuds
• When could it launch? Likely later in 2025
• How much could it cost? Standard for around $150 / £130 / AU$250, the cheaper (a) version for about a third less

(Image credit: Future)Nothing Ear (2025): price and release date predictions

So far, we've been looking at annual releases from Nothing; the Ear came out in April 2024 and the Ear (2) (which came before the Ear, despite the name) was released in March 2023.

Nothing has said that's working on a pair of over-ear headphones for release likely later this year, but hasn't said anything about new earbuds specifically – only that it has multiple new audio products coming from its partnership with KEF.

Based on the yearly cycle, I'd have expected to see the new earbuds already. It’s possible that the September 2024 release of the Nothing Ear (open) has caused the company to push its schedule by a few months, so let’s hope the new buds come in the middle few months of the year, or perhaps towards the end.

And what about price? We’ve heard nothing on that front, but Nothing hasn’t done much to change the cost of its buds between generations. The Nothing Ear cost $149 / £129 / AU$249, while the Nothing Ear (a) went for $99 / £99 / AU$192.

(Image credit: Future)Nothing Ear (2025): what we want to see

I reviewed the Nothing Ear for TechRadar and have been using the (a) for the best part of a year now as my 'standard' earbuds. So here's what I'd love to see on a new-and-improved version of the duo:

1. A new Nothing Ear (a)

If, like me, you think the Nothing Ear (a) remain some of the best earbuds you can buy right now, you might be alarmed to know that there are no guarantees a new version of this model will return.

In fairness there’s no reason that a new Nothing Ear (a) won’t come out, but remember that 2024 was the first year we saw an (a)-style affordable alternative, following the company’s trend of (a) smartphones. So it’s not a recurring product type that’s guaranteed to return.

I hope it does, though, because the Nothing Ear (a) have become the budget headphones I compare rivals too – and some updated ones in 2025 could wipe the floor clean with the competition.

2. A longer battery life

My main gripe with the Nothing Ear in my review, which I also bump into when I’m using the Ear (a,) is that neither has a particularly impressive battery life.

For context, you get about five hours of listening with the standard model and an extra half hour with the (a) – both figures while ANC is turned on. By my personal standards, anything sub-six-hour is sub-standard – I really like to see eight hours on the spec list.

You might be wondering who listens to music for 8 hours straight – but I think you’d be surprised. That is, after all, the length of an average working day, and it’s the amount of time you might be wanting to listen if you’re travelling or working on something that requires audio.

More than once the Ear (a) have run out of juice when I’ve needed them: once on a bus ride to my hometown, another time in the afternoon of a working day.

So I’d love to see any of Nothing’s new earbuds offer a little more listening time before they run out of power.

3. Improved cases

(Image credit: Future)

Both the Nothing Ear and Nothing Ear (a) came with cheap-feeling plasticky charging cases. I can excuse the (a)’s – the case is incredibly small, and the products are cheap themselves. But that’s not quite the case with the flagship device.

The Nothing Ear’s case creaks a little in the hand, a true symptom of cheap plastic, and it doesn’t feel particularly premium to hold. It’s just a case, you’re not meant to get too riled-up about it, but Nothing’s decision to use see-through fronts in an attempt to evoke noughties-style gadget-nostalgia shows that case design is important to it.

I’ve tested loads of much-cheaper earbuds that come with cases that feel more premium, usually due to the material or texture, for example the Sony WF-C510. Nothing should take notes.

4. A slightly higher max volume

I know the whole point of active noise cancellation, or ANC, is to allow you to hear your music without you having to do so at a hearing-damagingly loud volume. But to get pumped, you sometimes need to play your tunes loud, and neither of the 2024 Nothing Ear products allowed for that.

It’s not that I struggled to hear music (most of the time), just that the earbuds never let me turn the volume up to 11 – it’s also an issue I had with the the open-ear buds later in the year. Come on Nothing, let’s push that decibel count a little.

5. The (a) having sound profile personalization

They say beggars can’t be choosers, but I’m about to choose a premium feature I want to come to the affordable earbuds.

One major difference between the Nothing Ear (a) and its premium sibling is that the latter had a sound personalization feature – it was an easy test that created a custom audio mix based on your unique sonic sensibilities. I tried it, and I loved it.

Sure, a lack of features in the Nothing Ear (a) is the price you’re paying for… well, not paying a price. But it’s been a year – let’s let the budget buyers enjoy it now too. And maybe the higher-end model will have a new flagship feature to draw people to it.

6. Funkier colors on the top-end model

(Image credit: Future)

I’ve been writing about tech for over six years now, and perhaps the most common complaint I’ve made about anything is how gadgets all too often come in only two boring color options: white or black. I want some color!

Thankfully, the Nothing Ear (a) is one of the rare exceptions of funky-colored buds, coming in a yellow option that obviously I love to wear out. But if you don’t like yellow, you’re going to be left blue.

I’d love to see a few more color options (colorways, as tech nerds call them) available in future generations. Admittedly Nothing is reticent to color products, judging by its phones, but it does offer its CMF-branded gadgets in a few more vibrant hues so perhaps it’s time to take inspiration from that budget range.

7. Keep the equalizer

There’s no indication that Nothing is going to change the equalizer in its Nothing X app… but I can see why it’d want to.

The Nothing X equalizer is pretty barebones by industry standards – many rivals offer eight- or 10-band equalizers, letting you tweak your sound profile down to the wire. However Nothing offers a three-band one so you can change bass, treble and mid, and that’s it.

Many audiophiles will find this insufficient but I think that’s besides the point – a simple EQ like this is really easy to use for people who aren’t audiophiles, and it gives them a way to customize their music without having to sit through endless YouTube tutorials on what the various settings do. So I’d like to see Nothing keep this feature the same.

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• Capcom announces a new Monster Hunter Wilds and Street Fighter 6 collaboration event
• The special collab releases on May 28 and will feature a new side quest and Street Fighter 6 rewards, including an Akuma layered armor set
• Additional paid Street Fighter 6 DLC will be released the same day

Capcom has unveiled its Monster Hunter Wilds special collaboration event with its own fighting game, Street Fighter 6.

"A demon begins his HUNT. Become the master of the fist with the Monster Hunter Wilds x Street Fighter 6 Special Collaboration!" Capcom teased in its announcement.

The event goes live on May 28 and will introduce a brand new side mission called Ultimate Strength, which can be completed to recieve special collab rewards including a free Akuma full armor set and layered equipment based on the Street Fighter character.

Equipping either set allows players to use Akuma's unique item and gestures to perform his fighting moves. Attack power of Akuma's unique actions is determined by the main weapon equipped.

The full armor set boosts attack power more compared to the full layered armor set, Capcom explained in a post on its website, and Assisted Combos and other actions will gain stun properties, while the Drive Impact action will gain an offset effect.

Completing accompanying event arena quests, Demonic Strength and True Strength, will also result in additional rewards like the 'Blanka-chan' Palico full armor set and layered equipment, and a Hunter Profile background, nameplate, and pose.

Players must be Hunter Rank 21 or higher to take on the side mission, which can be initiated by talking to Quinn at the Oilwell Basin Base Camp.

Capcom also notes this collaboration will be a permanent addition to the game, so there's no need to fear missing out.

Additional paid downloadable content (DLC) inspired by Street Fighter 6 will also be available from May 28, including Chun-Li and Cammy outfits for Alma, a Blanka-Chan Doll pendant, a sticker set, and a gesture pack.

In case you missed it, Capcom has released its roadmap for Monster Hunter Wilds, which reveals what updates we can expect for the rest of the year.

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Andy Jassy says the retailer hasn't seen a sales slump or any significant increase in price averages so far.