Huawei's latest phone fits two telephoto lenses into one camera
Huawei has just announced the Chinese launch of its Pura 80 flagship phones, and the Ultra comes with a clever trick: a 'switchable' dual-lens telephoto camera that allows two different lenses to share the same sensor.
You can see both lenses side-by-side in the largest of the three camera rings on the 80 Ultra's rear, but they share more than just a housing. Both lenses are attached to the same set of periscopic elements and the same image sensor, with a movable prism that directs light from the chosen lens. That's a different approach to the variable telephotos in some Sony Xperia phones, which use a single lens but move parts of the periscopic structure to change the zoom distance.
The Pura 80 Ultra's two lenses offer 3.7x and 9.4x optical zoom — or 83mm and 212mm if you prefer — which is a wider range than Sony's take ever managed. The shorter lens has an f/2.4 aperture and Huawei's spec sheet lists it as a 50-megapixel camera. The other lens is f/3.6 and curiously, despite using the same sensor, is listed with a smaller 12.5-megapixel resolution, suggesting that there's either sensor-cropping or additional pixel-binning going on when using that lens.
Combining the two telephoto lenses isn't just a way of grabbing headlines. Image sensors are among the most expensive components in modern phones, so finding ways to use one sensor for multiple lenses could save costs in the long run. It's also a space saver, even more so by avoiding having two full periscopic systems. That could keep the phone slimmer, but also makes space for better components — the 1/1.28-inch-type sensor used here is larger than most telephotos offer, and possibly enabled by the new design.
Beyond the novel telephoto cameras, the Pura 80 Ultra includes a 50-megapixel main camera with Huawei's returning dynamic aperture design, plus a 40-megapixel ultrawide. A 6.8-inch LTPO OLED display, 5,700mAh battery, and IP68 and 69 ratings round out the flagship spec sheet. It comes with 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage, but Huawei hasn't detailed the chipset that powers it — a secrecy that's become standard in the last few years as it develops its own chips in the wake of US sanctions.
Image: Huawei
The Ultra has launched alongside three other phones: the Pura 80, 80 Pro, and 80 Pro Plus. All three have similar designs, and even the base model includes a triple rear camera, only slightly smaller 6.6-inch LTPO OLED screen, and 5,600mAh battery. The Pro and Pro Plus are the same size as the Ultra, and share its main camera and ultrawide, but have a single 48-megapixel telephoto each. The only edge the Plus gets is a little extra RAM and support for two types of satellite communications, though every Pura 80 phone can connect to the Beidou satellite system.
All the new Pura phones launch running HarmonyOS 5.1, the latest version of Huawei's operating system, which is no longer based on Android. The 80 Ultra starts at CNY9,999 (around $1,390), while the Pro models start at CNY 6,500 (around $900); the regular Pura 80 isn't on sale yet and doesn't have a price. Last year's Pura 70 series launched internationally a few weeks after its China debut, so we'll have to see if the same will be true this year.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Engadget
an hour ago
- Engadget
Razer's new Kishi V3 controllers can fit up to a 13-inch iPad
Razer has announced its latest lineup of Kishi mobile gaming controllers, capable of housing your phone, small tablet and, in the most comically extreme case, a full-size iPad. The Kishi V3 Pro XL is seemingly designed for people who like to play games on the largest possible mobile canvas, but don't want to rely on touch controls or just pair a wireless pad. The two sides of the controller stretch out so wide that the V3 Pro XL is able to accommodate a 13-inch iPad Air or Pro, or compatible Android slate of similar proportions, morphing the tablet into a handheld console that makes the Switch 2 look decidedly miniature in comparison. Take away the "XL" bit and the supersized controller offers the same functionality as the standard Kishi V3 Pro, which is built for USB-C phones and tablets up to 8 inches. Both controllers feature precise anti-drift TMR thumbsticks with swappable caps, dual mouse click-back buttons and claw grip bumpers, as well as Razer's Sensa HD haptics (not currently supported on iOS). Wired and remote play is possible on PC via the Razer Nexus launcher, and you get USB-C passthrough charging built in. There's a 3.5mm headphone jack too if you prefer wired audio. Rounding out the refreshed lineup is the Kishi V3, which is designed for iPhone and Android handsets. Many of the Pro features trickle down to the streamlined option, including the full-size TMR sticks (without the swappable caps) and back buttons. The USB-C 'island' design of the controller makes it widely compatible with cases, so you don't need to yank yours off every time you want to play a game. Whatever model you pick up, Razer will give you up to six free months of Apple Arcade, normally priced at $7 per month. Will that soften the blow of the prices for these controllers? Not really. The Kishi V3 costs $100, the V3 Pro is $150, and the V3 Pro XL comes in at a whopping $200, which seems extremely high for a controller add-on for your massive tablet. But if you've been looking for a controller for that very specific use case, Razer has you covered.
Engadget
3 hours ago
- Engadget
The best Father's Day gifts you can still shop last minute
The big day is approaching and there's plenty of pressure for you to hand over a gift that says a lot all at once. It may be called Father's Day, but this is an event for you to say a loving thank you to whatever person held that special role in your life, irrespective of gender. Here's a list of the best gifts you can give to show your appreciation for all of the parenting they did, and may even still do. Sony's XM series of headphones are the default option for pretty much every regular buyer these days. Sony's latest model, the WH-1000XM6, offer a better looking design, a more comfortable fit and even better sound than its predecessor. As Billy Steele wrote in his review, if you thought the XM5s couldn't get better, you'll be staggered by the improvement here. A lot of small things have been tweaked, including the fact there's an updated processor, more microphones and improved ANC. For $450, they're pricier than the previous XM5 model, but that one is still available as of right now, so it could be a good option if you need to stick to a budget. $448 at Adorama Explore More Buying Options $448 at Amazon$450 at Best Buy I've been obsessed with Dremel's electric multi-tools ever since I watched Alexi Sayle ask 'did I mention we cut?' back in the early '90s. And yet, despite being an adult with my own home, I've never needed to actually go out and buy a Dremel like the 8220 I've had my eye on for years. Look at the thing — it's like an electric Swiss Army Knife, complete with drill and screwdriver bits, sanding bits, polishing bits, metal-cutting discs, grinding stones and engraving tools! Just think about all of the things I can drill, screw, sand, polish, cut, grind and engrave if I had one of those right now. It's 'cos my kids are still under the age of 10, and so haven't grasped the hints that I want them to buy me a Dremel. Hey kids, buy me a Dremel. Anyway . This year, the company launched Blueprint, a new range of dinky cordless power tools to tackle Dremel-sized jobs. That includes the Blueprint 3-in-1 Drill Driver, a handheld drill with a built-in stud finder and its own laser level, even if the latter is only attached to the body with sticky putty. I'm more excited by the Portable Saw Station, a handheld compact electric saw whose carry case turns into its own workbench. That includes templates for making bevel, miter and cross cuts, a line laser and guide track to keep your cuts nice and straight. You see, while my DIY skills might charitably be described as 'elementary,' I've always harbored an ambition to build my very own backyard TARDIS. You know, the blue police box from Doctor Who — hidden between the trees as a little piece of magic. I just need to take six months or so to learn how to do it, and I reckon these sorts of tools would be ideal for the job. Especially since I don't have my own woodshop and would need everything to fit down into as small a space as possible. $80 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $100 at Ace Hardware$80 at Lowe's If you own an iPhone, then the Apple Watch is essentially the default option for what smartwatch you should buy. There's only a handful of devices that match Apple's product for versatility, use and affordability. If you're concerned about your parent's health, then the fall detection features alone may justify the investment. Not to mention the general health tracking capabilities and the ability to keep them healthy with a Fitness+ subscription. I haven't even mentioned the built-in ECG, which is useful for enabling them to keep an eye on their own heart health. Benefits of the Apple Watch Series 10 include its bigger display that's far easier to look at from off-angles. It also carries its own water temperature tracking, so if your parent is a water baby, they can keep an eye on the conditions. This time around, Apple also improved the microphone, making it easier to make calls from your wrist — useful if your parent might want to use it as a lifeline when they're on their own. $299 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $300 at Target$670 at HSN Of course, there are people who don't want a smartwatch, or at least not one that looks like a smartwatch. I get it, some folks don't want to look like a neeeerrrrrrd in their dotage, and it's for those people that I recommend Withings' ScanWatch Nova. It's a hybrid smartwatch in the body of a classic diver's watch that embodies everything that most smartwatches can't. Withings' policy is to build a best-in-class hybrid watch, like the ScanWatch 2, and then put those same guts in a classier body. It has a digital subdial for notifications and an analog one for step counting, which can be set to meet your specific goals. But lurking underneath that body is also an ECG, SpO2 (blood oxygenation) monitoring and a temperature sensor – which can be used for cycle tracking and to warn of infections. All of that tech is hidden in a submariner-style diver's watch that comes with black, blue or green face and bezel options. Put it on and you'll instantly feel like a rugged, outdoors-y type who has their poop together, and is ready to either Do An Espionage or Solo Pilot A Yacht Around The World. Withings is even smart enough to throw in a whole bunch of tools to help you size your band without needing to schlep to a jewelry store. Oh, and I didn't even mention the 30-day battery life. $670 at Amazon Even if your dad isn't an A/V nut, there's a good chance they've still watched those YouTube videos of people building their own cinemas. But the idea of owning a projector is often better than the reality, which can be quite the time and labor-intensive process. That's why I'm smitten with the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE, a portable projector with the power of a full one. It's small enough to stow in a cupboard when not in use, and can go anywhere in your home or outdoors on warm evenings. Plus, it lacks many of the compromises inherent in those dinky projectors you often see on the market. It'll pump out 1,800 ANSI Lumens of bright, 4K Dolby Vision-tuned light to a screen size of up to 200 inches. The automatic setup is effortless, and I tested it on a wall painted gray and it was able to compensate for the color quite easily. It's not as expensive as some rivals on the market and it'll do a fairly fantastic job no matter the task you ask of it $1,300 at Amazon Let's face it: You want your loved ones to stay healthy, keep an eye on their heart and generally be around for as long as possible. One way to do that is by upgrading your bathroom scales to something like Withings' Body Cardio smart scale. Designed to look as unobtrusive as possible, but hidden inside its shell is a number of extra special features you don't get elsewhere. You'll get a heart-health check, automatic person tracking and a full body composition breakdown, telling you how much fat, water and muscle you're carrying. I'd be remiss not to mention, too, Withings' class-leading Health Mate app, which is great for collating large chunks of health data and helping you understand it in an easy-to-digest manner. $160 at Amazon I'm a big fan of distraction-free writing machines that help me get my head down away from the temptations of the internet. reMarkable's e-paper slates have been a mainstay on this guide for years, and now the company has launched a new flagship model. The reMarkable Paper Pro is bigger and faster than its predecessor, but most importantly of all comes with a color display. On its own, it's a fancy pants e-reader with a stylus that'll let you write, draw and annotate PDFs. But when paired with its own Type Folio, it becomes something much greater indeed, a writing and editing machine that's perfect at home or on the go. If I'm struggling with a draft and need to get away from my desk, the Paper Pro is the perfect gadget to come with me. Plus, I can't get pulled into a Slack chat or avoid the problem by staring hopelessly at my emails. If there's a downside, it's the price. It was already more expensive than the equivalent slate from Apple, and tariffs exacerbated that. But if you've got siblings and can club together to get your parent the thing they need to harness their literary ambitions, you should. $629 at reMarkable There are a lot of Bluetooth turntables which are designed for the hip crowd who want to show off their ye olde-fashioned record player. But if you're looking for something a bit more capital-S serious without shelling out for a high-end Technics unit, Audio Technica's romantically-named ATLP120XBT might be worth a glance. The fact it could be confused for a Technics SL-1210, right down to the s-shaped tone arm is, I'm sure, just a total coincidence . The sound is good, and you'll get adjustable pitch control alongside the belt-driven turntable (sorry, no scratching on this unit). And connectivity-wise, it's well-stocked, with Dual RCA-out, USB or Bluetooth 5.0, with support for aptX. It's a unit I'm thinking about getting for my mum, since it'll enable her to digitize her stack of 78rpm records over that USB connection. $499 at Adorama Explore More Buying Options $499 at Amazon$499 at Macy's Look, if your dad is anything like me, then they're probably not a massive gamer, or might just play the odd title. I'm told that there's a whole genre of Dad Games out there that apparently appeal to the fathers in our lives, which are all about following some sort of process. It's likely then that they won't have paid much attention to The Legend of Zelda series, which feels as un-Dad a game as you could imagine. Which is why I'm here to say that, until the start of this year, I felt the same, but I've since had my eyes opened to how amazing it really is. Even better, is that there's a brand new title in the Zelda series, Tears of the Kingdom , which I'd urge all of you to check out. You play as Link, a little dude who – much like Mario – has to rescue a princess countless times throughout history. That normally involves traversing a beautiful, unspoiled paradise called Hyrule that's scattered with all sorts of monsters who want to kill you. From the outside, you might think that it's all just button-mashing and hyperactive combat, which is not a dad-friendly genre. But, in fact, the game puts far more emphasis on puzzle-solving and lateral thinking, and it has the best 3D puzzles this side of the Portal series which alone makes it ideal for dads the world over. Not to mention the freedom to tackle the game any which way you want to, giving you the choice to build your own solution rather than being forced to comply with Nintendo's. In the last game, Breath of the Wild , you could harness the game's physics and chemistry engines to dispatch troublesome enemies by using the environment against them. For instance, you could freeze them and then give them a whack, building up the kinetic energy to such an extent that they're sent hurtling miles away from you. Or, if you approach them in the middle of a storm, you can get them to raise their metallic swords in anger and get a dose of lightning. In this one, you can find scattered electronic components and assemble them however you want to jury-rig vehicles to help you get around. I mean, what could be more Dad-Game than that? $70 at Macy's Explore More Buying Options $70 at Target$70 at HSN And if you're buying Tears of the Kingdom , then you might want to get the console to go with it. Nintendo's Switch OLED Edition takes the same portable-home console hybrid you already know and love, but dials it up to 11. Now, you might be wondering why I'm not recommending you get your elbows out and try to snag a Switch 2 instead. Honestly? If your dad is more of a casual gamer, then the existing Switch is already such a compelling option, it's hard to justify the extra cost for the newer model. After all, the OLED Edition got a lot of necessary hardware upgrades, including a far better display. Given the game recommendation, my preference would be the Tears of the Kingdom specific Switch. It comes with gold Joy Cons with lovely Zonai designs on the body and a gorgeous white and gold TV dock. Even nicer is the concentric circle watermark on the underside, which looks significantly classier than the plain option. Especially if they're going to play the game on the go, when they might want to let the world know that they appreciate the finer things in life. Plus, the Switch has a mature and deep library of games that won't be going anywhere in a hurry, especially given the emphasis on backward compatibility between the old and the new. $290 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $310 at GameStop At school, one of my friend's dads converted one of his home's bedrooms into a White Room. It's a soundproofed room with nothing but a single armchair facing a fancy HiFi, a dedicated space for Music Appreciation. In retrospect, the fact that my friend's bedroom was half the size and he had to share with his younger sibling was pretty rough. I suspect, deep down in the DNA of every dad, is the Dad Urge (™) to develop an unhealthy interest in high-end audio gear. Thankfully, there's an easy way to prevent your parent blowing your inheritance on a pair of B&W Nautilus. Chinese high-end audio masters Fiio produce a wonderfully elegant desktop DAC and speaker pair that'll do the same job as a White Room at a fraction of the cost. The R7 has an Android music player in front that'll connect directly to their streaming service of choice. And it can also play locally stored music, or connect it to another player via AirPlay, USB, Bluetooth, optical or analog audio lines. The R7 can be paired with Fiio's matching set of SP3 speakers that have 3.5-inch woofers, 1-inch tweeters and wonderfully smooth sound. The price all-in is a bit steep, but it might scratch that itch without causing any ructions around the Thanksgiving dinner table. $700 at Amazon I'll make no bones about the fact that, as a dad, I'm writing this guide as much as a vehicle for wish fulfillment as I am to dole out consumer advice. And, like a lot of people. I've gradually grown more and more obsessed with Fujifilm's X-series of cameras. A combination of old-school rangefinder styling, great photo quality and relatively limited supply has made them a hot ticket. The fact the X-series comes with film simulation modes is, for many, the thing that puts it on top over plenty of cameras from other manufacturers. But the high price of the flagship – edging north of $1600 — X100 means it's a pricey and dicey proposition for any hobbyist photographer. Thankfully, Fujifilm has a cheaper and I might even argue better option in the form of the X-T30. It's a step down on the spec list, with an older 26.1-megapixel sensor compared to the 40.2 of its newer sibling. But what it's got going for it is the smaller body size which makes it so portable as to be pocketable, ease of use and the same analog dials for fine-grain control. Not to mention that, when paired with the 35mm f/2 lens, it's wicked fast and takes pretty beautiful shots. I've been into my local camera shop multiple times to try out the X-T30 with this lens but, so far, neither of my kids have picked up the hint and bought one for me. $899 at Amazon If anyone asks me what TV to go for, my knee jerk reaction is to recommend LG given the broad advantages it has over its competitors. The company's OLED TVs remain best in class and I think the base-ish model OLEDs offer excellent value for money. 2023's OLED C3, for example, offers plenty of the same features as its higher-priced siblings. There may not be too many extra bells and whistles but for pure picture quality, you're good to go with its massive contrast ratio and great black reproduction. Essentially, it's a TV for people with champagne tastes but something a bit closer to a Bud Light budget. $1,227 at Amazon I suspect a lot of dads fall into the trap of having the ability to buy themselves nice things, but never actually go through with it. (I could easily buy myself a Dremel, for instance, but I still haven't!) One thing they've probably thought about but not followed through on is to upgrade their coffee routine from whatever they bought before you were born. I myself was making at home lattes with instant coffee and a microwave for far longer than I'm prepared to admit. But I was wary about buying a bean-to-cup machine given that they can become a time-consuming hobby in and of themselves. So, after plenty of research, I bought the Creatista Plus, a Nespresso-compatible machine that makes pretty decent coffee at home. As well as producing standard drinks, you can use the built in steam wand to prepare milk for something that's close enough to barista-standard. Now, I'll say that it is a lot pricier than some of the machines in its class, but I chose it as much for how it looked as what it did. Sure, there's a built-in digital display that'll give you fine-grain control over every fact of your coffee, but it also looks like a proper grown-up coffee machine. And it's the sort of thing that should stand proudly on your countertop as it forms a key part of your dad's morning routine. $570 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $600 at Macy's$450 at Best Buy Do you find that it's harder and harder to relate to your folks as you, and they, get older? Some of this, I'm sure, is down to the media they consume, especially if they've become trapped in the echo chambers found in the basement of your cable TV guide. If they're an avid reader, however, then it might be worth offering them Capitalist Realism by the British philosopher Mark Fisher. It serves as a relatively short, and fairly gentle introduction to Fisher's viewpoint on the culture at large, especially given what's going on right now. At 81 pages, it can hardly be called a weighty tome, and it lacks some of the florid language you often see from philosophy books. Fisher often draws parallels between his points and various pop culture milestones that most folks will be familiar with. A treatise on Office Space's rules around pieces of flair dovetails into an exploration of how politicians focus on metrics for success will hide the diminished quality of whatever they're trying to improve. References to lines of dialog from Heat become points to connect the destruction of community and the way mental health has become an individualized issue, rather than a societal one. And it might just help make your Thanksgiving dinner conversations a little more pleasant in future. $14 at Amazon
Android Authority
3 hours ago
- Android Authority
I love the Kishi V3 Pro, but the Razer Tax is real
Razer Kishi V3 Pro The Razer Kishi V3 Pro is the best purely telescopic mobile controller you can get right now. It has swappable TMR sticks and a ton of extra buttons, all of which are customizable. The build quality is terrific, it's comfortable to use, and the companion Razer Nexus app offers a ton of great features with no subscription needed. At an MSRP of $149, you need to be living the luxury life to buy it, but if you can justify the cost you'll love the Kishi V3 Pro. Whenever I review a Razer product, I always end up saying the same thing: 'It's amazing, but I wouldn't pay [exorbitant price Razer is asking] for it.' I would love to tell you that I won't be using that line in this review, but let's be real: you already know from the headline that I'm going to dust it off to tell you about the new Razer Kishi V3 Pro and its two siblings. In a word, these controllers are great. The Pro models easily surpass the Razer Kishi Ultra from last year, and the vanilla Kishi V3 is an interesting new option that makes the family a bit more accessible. But I can appreciate them as they are because Razer was kind enough to send them to me for free for testing — I'm not sure most people will want to pay the asking price for them. But I'm getting ahead of myself. First, let me tell you why there are three controllers launching this year and what makes them different. Razer Kishi V3 series: Baby, mommy, and big daddy C. Scott Brown / Android Authority As a refresher, the $149 Kishi Ultra from 2024 is a telescopic mobile controller that only works when connected to something. In other words, there is no battery or Bluetooth on board, and it only functions when a smartphone is slotted into it or it is connected with a USB-C cable to another system, such as a laptop. The Kishi Ultra had RGB lights, a standard set of analog sticks, two customizable 'claw-grip' buttons near the triggers, and the ability to act as a virtual controller for mobile games that don't support physical controller input, such as Genshin Impact. The Kishi V3 family is an evolution of the Ultra. At the bottom end, the standard Kishi V3 ($99.99 at Amazon) removes many of the premium features to bring the price down to $99. This is still pretty pricey for a mobile controller, but it does match its premium competition, and does have a few perks that make that price almost worth it. I'll touch on this in a bit. C. Scott Brown / Android Authority Meanwhile, the Razer Kishi V3 Pro ($149.99 at Amazon) is the follow-up to the Kishi Ultra in everything but name. Although it lacks the Chroma RGB lighting (all three V3 controllers lack it for some reason), it does literally everything else the Ultra does, including working with small 8-inch tablets. It also throws in some new premium features, including the long-awaited upgrade to a higher tier of analog stick technology. Like the Kishi Ultra, the Kishi V3 Pro will cost you $149. Razer Finally, the Kishi V3 Pro XL ($199.99 at Amazon) is exactly the same as the Kishi V3 Pro, just bigger. It's specifically designed for tablets that are 10 inches or larger. It does not work at all with smartphones. Because it's larger, it comes in at a whopping $199. Unfortunately, Razer didn't send me this one to check out, but I can already tell that a $200 controller that only works on large tablets is the very definition of an excessively niche product. That's the basic gist on each model. Now I can dive in a bit deeper, starting with the standard version. Razer Kishi V3 review: Nice, but a little too lean C. Scott Brown / Android Authority Compared to the Ultra, Razer took a lot away from the Kishi V3 to make it less expensive. First, it shrunk it down a bit. The grips are smaller than the full-sized ones you'll find on the Ultra and the other two V3 models. This makes it a little less comfortable to hold. I think it's still really comfortable, though, especially when compared to most telescopic controllers out there, which tend to feel cramped. The overall footprint of the controller is also smaller, and it weighs a lot less, too — I measured just 175g for the Kishi V3 against the 267g of the V3 Pro. Depending on your travel needs with this controller, that could be a good thing. Razer took a lot away from the Kishi V3 to make it $99. However, one of the ways Razer slashed down the weight of the Kishi V3 is by removing all haptic motors. High-quality rumble effects are a necessity with any controller I own, so the fact that the Kishi V3 doesn't even have bad haptics is a deal-breaker for me, though if you've used previous generation Kishi controllers like the original or the Kishi V2, you might not be as concerned. The Kishi V3 also doesn't have the customizable claw-grip buttons near the triggers and swaps the eight-way D-Pad for a standard four-way model. The mecha-tactile ABXY face buttons are also gone, with pretty standard buttons in their place. Again, this is all like previous vanilla Kishi models, but it's quite a step down from the Ultra/Pro versions. The Kishi V3 is also less compatible with gaming devices as it's locked to phones only. Unless you have a really small tablet, it's not going to fit into the Kishi V3. If you have a big phone, though, it will work fine — even if it's in a thick case. While it sounds like Razer didn't do anything but remove features from the Ultra and carry over the Kishi V2 to make the Kishi V3, there are two new things added. The first, and most important, is the introduction of TMR sticks. TMR stands for 'tunnel magnetoresistance.' It's a technology that increases precision and decreases the potential for stick drift. In many ways, TMR sticks are even better than Hall effect designs. Seeing them on this $99 controller is really nice. In fact, seeing them on any mobile controller is nice, as TMR is rare to see outside of the most high-end units. Notably, Razer brought two customizable back buttons to the Kishi V3 along with TMR sticks — a rarity in this product category. Elsewhere, Razer added two new mouse-click-style buttons on the back of the Kishi V3. These are customizable using the subscription-free Razer Nexus app for Android and iOS. The Razer Nexus app is also where you set up virtual controls for Genshin Impact and other games. It's a terrific piece of software, and it's great that Razer is keeping it free, unlike some other companies I know of (cough Backbone cough). While I would never use the Kishi V3 as my go-to controller due to its lack of haptics, a $99 price for a controller with TMR sticks is at least approaching competitive, which is nice to see from Razer. Razer Kishi V3 Perfect for large tablets • Swappable TMR sticks • Lots of extra buttons MSRP: $99.99 More customizable than ever. The Razer Kishi V3 improves on the V2 base model with swappable TMR sticks and extra buttons. See price at Amazon Positives Perfect for large tablets Perfect for large tablets Swappable TMR sticks Swappable TMR sticks Lots of extra buttons Cons No haptics Razer Kishi V3 Pro review: Beats the Ultra, but the price still stings C. Scott Brown / Android Authority As mentioned earlier, the Kishi V3 Pro is the true follow-up to the Kishi Ultra. Aside from the RGB lighting, the Kishi V3 Pro has every single feature of the Kishi Ultra and even finds room to add in three upgrades. The first Kishi V3 Pro upgrade is the introduction of TMR sticks, just like the vanilla V3. However, it ups the ante by making those sticks swappable, which is the second upgrade. In the box, you'll find two alternate sticks: one with a cushy domed top and another with the same ridged top as the standard sticks but with an extended stem. You can put these two extra sticks on either the right or left sticks of the controller, depending on your preferences. Changing the sticks is easy: just pull up on the stick to remove the current one, line up the arrows on the new stick, and push down. The third upgrade is the introduction of the two customizable buttons on the back, the same ones we see on the standard V3. Since the Kishi V3 Pro still has the claw-grip buttons near the triggers, that gives you a total of four buttons that you can customize as you wish without needing to sacrifice any of the standard controller buttons. So really, the Kishi V3 Pro is the Ultra without RGB lighting and with swappable TMR sticks and two extra buttons. Although the loss of RGB stings a bit, those three upgrades make this a much better controller than the Ultra. Of course, Razer is still asking $149 for the Kishi V3 Pro, which is a big ask. Razer Kishi V3 Pro Swappable TMR sticks • Four extra customizable buttons • Powerful free companion software MSRP: $149.99 Razer's Kishi series gets even better. Swappable TMR sticks and lots of extra customizable buttons make this a powerful telescopic mobile controller. See price at Amazon Positives Swappable TMR sticks Swappable TMR sticks Four extra customizable buttons Four extra customizable buttons Powerful free companion software Powerful free companion software Virtual controller support Virtual controller support Great build quality Cons Really expensive Really expensive No Chroma RGB No Chroma RGB Won't travel well Razer Kishi V3 series verdict: Don't pay full price for the Pro C. Scott Brown / Android Authority I really don't want you to come away from this review thinking that I don't love these controllers — I really do. The Razer Kishi V3 is pretty terrific considering I couldn't even find a competitor device with TMR sticks for $99 — the basic Backbone One ($99.99 at Amazon) matches it for price and is great, but those sticks are a world apart. If you game on an iPhone, it's an especially great deal because iOS doesn't support haptics anyway, so you won't be missing anything. But $99 for an Android gamer like me who expects their controller to shake when they're shot in-game? That's just too much money to not get rumble. Likewise, the Kishi V3 Pro is practically perfect. It has pretty much everything anyone could want from a telescopic mobile controller. With a $149 price, though, it had better be everything you could want, because that is the price of two Xbox or Sony DualSense controllers. OK, so here's the line: The Razer Kishi V3 Pro is amazing, but I wouldn't pay $149 for it. The Backbone Pro ($169.99 at Manufacturer site) is the obvious alternative here, even though it doesn't have haptics or upgraded sticks, but it does offer Bluetooth connectivity for use as a gamepad without a docked device. However, there are competitors out there that offer nearly everything the Kishi V3 Pro does for a lot less. Although you wouldn't get TMR, you could buy two models of comparable GameSir controllers for what Razer is asking for just one. Take, for example, the GameSir G8 Plus ($79.99 at Amazon), which is easily found for half the price of the Kishi V3 Pro. It has Hall effect sticks, which is a slight step down from TMR, but then it has literally everything else. It also supports Bluetooth connectivity. Meanwhile, the G8 Galileo ($79.99 at Amazon) is even more similar to the Kishi series because it relies on a USB-C connection instead of Bluetooth. You could add both of these GameSir models to your cart for the price you'd pay for one Kishi V3 Pro. Even the 2024 Razer Kishi Ultra is a good deal in comparison. On Amazon, you can get a refurbished Kishi Ultra for just $90, which is not bad considering how close to the V3 Pro it is. Also, now that the V3 Pro exists, Razer will likely discontinue the Ultra, bringing the new models down in price eventually, too. Still, there's no denying that the Kishi V3 Pro is a beast. If money is no object to you, it goes on a good sale, or you simply want the best, most feature-rich telescopic controller you can get, this is the one. I just hope your wallet is ready for the Razer Tax.
