Honor’s flagship Magic 7 Pro launches in the UK and Europe today, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite and protected by top-tier water-resistance. It also features a high resolution 200 megapixel telephoto camera.

Arriving a week after the OnePlus 13 and a week before we expect to meet Samsung’s Galaxy S25 phones, the Magic 7 Pro is among the first phones to release outside of China with Qualcomm’s new chipset inside. That makes it one of the most powerful phones on the market, especially with 12GB of RAM. It also features a sizable 5,270mAh battery built around a silicon-carbon chemistry, allowing it to pack more energy into a smaller space with the Magic 7 Pro measuring just 8.8mm thick.

Much like the new OnePlus phone — and, unexpectedly, Motorola’s $299.99 Moto G Power, which launched in the US yesterday — the Magic 7 Pro is both IP68 and IP69-rated. That means that in addition to the usual protection from dust and submersion in water, it should survive exposure to steam and high-pressure water jets — ideal if you regularly use your phone in a jacuzzi, probably overkill for the rest of us.

Also unusual is the phone’s 200 megapixel 3x periscopic camera. We’ve seen megapixel counts as high as this before, but mostly on main cameras, not zoom lenses — with the exception of Vivo’s X100 Ultra and X200 Pro. It’s bolstered by an AI Super Zoom feature that kicks in at 30x zoom for added clarity, with this and a few other camera AI modes using a combination of on-device and cloud-based large language models to fine-tune images.

There’s even more AI than that, since it ships with Android 15 and Google’s Gemini AI app, which Honor has bolstered with its own AI-powered takes on translation and notes apps.

The Magic 7 Pro launched in China last November, but this is its first appearance outside of the country. Honor is one of several Chinese smartphone manufacturers that saw growth in global market share in 2024, thanks in part to last year’s flagship Magic 6 series and the Magic V3, still the thinnest foldable phone available.

For its European launch the Pro is joined by the Magic 7 Lite, a midrange handset that uses the comparatively sluggish Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chip and arrives still running Android 14. The selling point of that phone is its enormous 6,600mAh battery, which Honor claims will run for three days. There’s no sign of the regular Magic 7, which launched alongside the Pro in China.

The Magic 7 Pro is available to order now from honor.com starting at £1,099.99 / €1,299 (about $1,340), with major retailers and local carriers set to stock it too. The Magic 7 Lite is much cheaper at £399.99 / €369, and also available now.

You might have heard about electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL). Well, there’s some exciting news coming from Jetson, a Swedish startup that’s making waves in the air racing scene. While Australia’s Airspeeder has been working on crewed eVTOL races, Jetson founder and CTO Tomasz Patan recently took the spotlight with a demonstration that many are calling the start of the world’s first eVTOL air racing.

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Airspeeder’s ambitions

Airspeeder has been building momentum since 2017, aiming to establish world championship races with their striking eVTOL aircraft. However, their current races involve remote-controlled vehicles, with pilots safely on the ground. Enter Jetson, who has now demonstrated a crewed flight around a racing pylon, albeit with just one aircraft.

Jetson eVTOL air racing demonstration (Jetson) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

EVTOL PROTOTYPE PROMISES 150 MPH CITY-TO-CITY HOPS

The Jetson One: A game changer

The star of this show is the Jetson One, a personal eVTOL designed for agility and performance. In a recent video, Patan showcases the aircraft’s nimble capabilities by navigating around a 26-foot-tall pylon. While this demonstration does not quite constitute a full race, it offers a tantalizing preview of what eVTOL racing could look like. Here are some key features of the Jetson One:

• Dimensions: 8.86 x 5.25 x 3.67 feet
• Top speed: Software-limited to 63 mph
• Flight time: 20 minutes per charge
• Power source: High-discharge Li-ion batteries
• Control: Joystick-operated
• Maximum altitude: Over 1,500 feet (~460 m)
• Pilot requirements: No license needed in the U.S.

Jetson eVTOL air racing demonstration (Jetson) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

THIS FLYING ELECTRIC VEHICLE BREAKS RECORD WITH 523-MILE NONSTOP FLIGHT

Market response and future plans

The market response to the Jetson One has been remarkable. The company has already confirmed sales of more than 470 units and is now taking orders for the 2026 batch. To secure your place in line, you’ll need to make a non-refundable deposit of $8,000, with the full price tag coming in at $128,000.

Jetson claims that their eVTOL is user-friendly, stating that pilots can master the aircraft in under 60 minutes of flight practice, along with eight simulator sessions. This accessibility could be a game-changer in the personal aviation market.

Jetson eVTOL air racing demonstration (Jetson) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

REVOLUTIONARY FLYING CAR PROMISES HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND 3-HOUR FLIGHTS

Safety and regulatory considerations

While the prospect of personal eVTOLs and air racing is thrilling, it also raises important safety and regulatory questions. Jetson has implemented several safety features, including:

• A race car-inspired safety cell design
• The ability to fly safely with the loss of one motor
• Hands-free hover and emergency functions
• A ballistic parachute with rapid deployment

In terms of regulations, Jetson has made progress, securing two flight permits in Italy for personal eVTOL travel in uncontrolled airspace in fall 2023. However, comprehensive racing regulations are yet to be defined.

Jetson eVTOL air racing demonstration (Jetson) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

The competition: Airspeeder and beyond

While Jetson has made headlines with this demonstration, it’s worth noting that Airspeeder isn’t far behind. They have already created teams and held aerial events, albeit with remote-controlled eVTOLs. Their aircraft boasts impressive specifications, including a top speed of 124 mph and a power-to-weight ratio comparable to Formula 1 cars.

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Jetson eVTOL air racing demonstration (Jetson) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Kurt’s key takeaways

The demonstration by Jetson marks a significant milestone in the evolution of personal aviation and air racing. While it does not yet represent a full-fledged race, it is a tangible step towards a future where eVTOL racing could become a reality. As we look to the skies, it is clear that the race for eVTOL supremacy is just beginning.

What are your thoughts on the future of eVTOL racing and personal aviation after reading about Jetson and Airspeeder? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

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Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter has resulted in a federal lawsuit by the Securities and Exchange Commission alleging that he broke securities laws with a late disclosure, and saved $150 million in the process.

Before Musk agreed to buy Twitter for $44 billion, before he tried to back out of that deal, before he was forced to go through with it, and before he changed its name to X, he started by acquiring a substantial stake in the company but didn’t reveal that fact until weeks later.

The only problem, as the SEC pointed out then, is that by the time he disclosed that stake, it was outside the agency’s required 10-day window. They claim that he should’ve filed his paperwork by March 24th, 2022, instead of when he actually did, on April 4th (and then again on April 5th). During that period, they say he purchased more than $500 million in shares of the company.

However, with only a few days left before the Trump administration takes over and installs a new head of the SEC (along with Elon Musk reportedly snagging an office in the White House complex), it’s unclear how far the lawsuit will go.

The SEC claims Musk cost investors at least $150 million due to the late disclosure and that he harmed any investors who sold stock between March 25th, 2022, and April 1st, 2022. Its lawsuit is seeking the money Elon made as a result of holding off on the disclosure, as well as a civil penalty and other punishments.