Month: September 2024

Official HONOR Magic V3 case review

If you are wondering what the official HONOR Magic V3 case is like after a few requests here is a quick review but we will have more in the coming weeks so stay tuned for more on the latest device from HONOR..

This case is quite good but would still advise getting a screen protector for the outer screen, there is a decent lip on the front which should protect you, however the frame is quite thin and expected as this is a foldable phone and we should see more cases soon.

The rear of the device will be well protected overall with the case protecting the lens area including a kickstand which is nice, it is not magsafe compatible but you can still wirelessly charge with this case on.

The hinge is also protected here which is good to see and does fold over the outer screen when opened which will add some protection but as always it depends where it lands.

All ports are accessible and you have easy access to keys as you will see in the video below and watch out for more cases soon.

Official case video 

HONOR Wins 39 Media Awards at IFA 2024

Global technology brand HONOR showcased its technological leadership with multiple innovative products, earning 39 “Best of IFA” awards. The HONOR Magic V3 redefines foldable smartphones with its ultra-thin 9.2mm unfolded profile. The HONOR MagicBook Art 14 features a unique detachable camera, balancing visual experience and privacy in ultralight laptops. The HONOR MagicPad2 impresses with its 12.3-inch OLED display, spatial audio, and eye protection technology. These devices highlight HONOR’s commitment to cutting-edge design and human/centric innovation across diverse product categories.

The HONOR Magic V3’s first appearance on the global stage at IFA 2024 has garnered significant praise from leading global tech media. TechRadar awarded the device “Best of IFA 2024”, noting “It absolutely wild to hold it in hand and feel how thin it is.” This sentiment was echoed by Trusted Reviews, which highlighted the Magic V3’s groundbreaking 9.2mm thickness, stating “This is up there with the thinnest foldables we’ve ever held, and it feels all the better for it.” The buzz continued with Android Authority, which emphasized the Magic V3’s potential to reshape the foldable market, remarking ” The HONOR Magic V3 is the world’s thinnest book-style foldable”. These accolades from respected tech authorities underscore HONOR’s successful push to the forefront of foldable technology, with the HONOR Magic V3 setting new benchmarks for design and functionality in the competitive flagship device landscape.

The HONOR MagicBook Art 14 has also captured the attention of leading tech media at IFA 2024. XDA Developers highlighted the perfect balance between display quality with the innovative detachable camera, noting “The simple ingenuity of this idea is the kind of idea I love to see companies try.” Yanko Design was also particularly impressed by its industry-leading innovative design, commenting “HONOR just Killed Apple’s MacBook Notch in the Best Way.” These comments highlight HONOR’s commitment to innovation, positioning the MagicBook Art 14 as a frontrunner in the competitive ultralight laptop market.

The HONOR MagicPad2 also received high acclaim at IFA 2024, with top-tier tech media lauding its exceptional audiovisual capabilities and advanced eye protection technology. Focusing on the productivity and visual performance, Android Headlines commended that “HONOR’s new MagicPad2 is the most-powerful Android Tablet on the market “. Les Numeriques was impressed by the tablet’s immersive productivity experience, stating the HONOR MagicPad2 is “a high-end tablet with AI to boost productivity“.

The enthusiastic reception of HONOR’s latest innovations at IFA 2024 underscores the brand’s unwavering commitment to pushing technological boundaries and delivering exceptional user experiences.

HONOR Magic V3 First Look

The HONOR Magic V3 is the next foldable phone to cross my desk and I am now very interested, after spending some time with this device at the launch event we can now go through the device and show you what is on board. There is also a separate video below from the event showing you much more too.

My first impressions of the device are good so far but time will tell loaded with apps and real time usage will decide the outcome for the full review soon but it is looking good.

Not heavy and not thick like others will this be enough to persuade people who are still on the edge about moving to a foldable smartphone? Have HONOR delivered the best foldable yet you can let us know whilst we test this one out over the coming weeks.

50MP Rear Falcon Camera with 100X Periscope Telephoto Camera

The HONOR Magic V3 is an All-in-One device, with no compromises on any specification. With a similar HONOR Magic camera design, the HONOR Magic V3 excels in imaging with its Falcon Camera System and AI-Motion Sensing Capture and for the first time, features a periscope telephoto lens whilst maintaining its slimness. The HONOR Magic V3 features a 50MP Wide Camera with the largest f/1.6 aperture among foldable phones, perfect for capturing every detail in every photograph. The introduction of the periscope lens facilitates up to 100x zoom, creating exceptional zoom-quality images. The camera set-up on the HONOR Magic V3 creates DSLR-level photography in all scenarios, all on a unfolded screen to enjoy those great quality images on.

5150mAh Silicon-carbon Battery and Wireless Charging to Power Your Day

The HONOR Magic V3 breaks through technical barriers once again, featuring the newly upgraded third-generation Silicon-carbon Battery. The HONOR Magic V3 is equipped with a 5150mAh battery capacity, beating most bar-shaped flagships on battery capacity, all in a 9.2mm body. The HONOR Magic V3 also brings Wireless SuperCharging of up to 50W for the first time on a foldable smartphone from HONOR.

Read more here

Colour and Pricing 

The HONOR Magic V3 is available three stunning colorways: Reddish Brown, Green and Black, starting at £1,699 in the UK and will be available now via honor.com/uk, O2, Three, Amazon, Argos and Very and Harvey Norman in Ireland.

The HONOR Magic V3 will also be available from both EE and Vodafone, with availability due to be announced in the coming weeks.

For a limited time only, UK customers purchasing through one of HONOR’s retail partners will be able to claim Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX headphones worth £549 with their purchase of HONOR Magic V3.

Customers who purchase HONOR Magic V3 from honor.com/uk, will not only be able to take advantage of a 24 month interest free offer, but for a limited time will be able to claim a £300 Discount Code plus a HONOR Magic-Pen, HONOR SuperCharge Power Adapter Max 66W and 6 Months Screen Protection worth £214.

Video from event

Unboxing and first look

First Look – emporia SMART.6 lite smartphone

Recently reviewed here on tecbuzzIreland was the emporia M6 which offer value and features for its money but the SMArT.6 lite has come in for review.

Beautiful pictures, fast surfing, smart cover. The emporiaSMART.6lite is the new edition of the public’s favourite in the handy 5.5 inch size.

This smartphone is a winner when it comes to features and user-friendliness. It has been developed and produced for all those who appreciate a device that is intuitive and easy to use while also offering all the great facilities afforded by a modern smartphone.

The triple-lens back camera can produce all sorts of beautiful pictures, not least because it has both an HD mode and an auto mode and can be used to take macro photos as well as good portrait and night-time shots. In addition, the phone has an 8 MP front camera for the obligatory selfie.

The emporiaSMART.6lite is the new edition of the public’s favourite SMART.6lite, enhanced with a fingerprint sensor for biometric security. With this, the technology leader for easy-to-use smartphones is addressing self-confident people who value a high-end product that is easy to use, offers product security thanks to regular Android updates and meets all the standards that are placed on a smartphone today.

The phone comes with emporia’s patented interactive Smartcover as standard. This allows important functions (such as the camera, torch, and acceptance and ending of calls) to be used even when the cover is closed. A protected smartphone has never been ready to use so quickly. Also included in the scope of delivery: the charging cradle for easy charging and convenient hands-free calling. Thanks to the proven emporia menu-driven operation and large, easy-to-read buttons, this phone is intuitive and easy to use. Standard applications such as voice input, the pre-installed QR scanner and NFC (near-field communication), which allows you to make cashless, contactless payments at supermarket checkouts, also contribute to its user-friendliness.

A printed user guide provides a plethora of tips and tricks as well as basic information. On top of that, the emporiaCOACH is also supplied pre-installed. The basics of the digital world are taught in just a few easy-to-understand steps.
This new emporia smartphone is IP54-certified (dust- and splash-proof) and patented panic button on its back, which enables the user to call for help very quickly, for example.

Any questions feel free to ask while we test this one out and say tuned for more.

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Unboxing and UI walkthrough

Sky Mobile launches in Ireland today

Sky Mobile has officially launched in Ireland today and to celebrate its arrival, Sky Mobile has introduced a ‘Price for Life’ launch plan including Unlimited calls, texts and 5G data for €15 – meaning customers will pay just €15 per month, for life. In addition to this, Sky Mobile offers a 10GB plan from as little as €10, for customers who don’t want or need an unlimited plan.

Launching with a selection of handsets from Samsung, Xiaomi and HMD – together with a range of sim-only plans – Sky Mobile is set to shake up the Irish mobile market, with fairness, flexibility and transparency at its core. With Sky Mobile, customers will benefit from a range of features including:

  • Fairer Contracts: Unlike some other networks, if a customer takes a handset from Sky Mobile, their bills will be split between the handset and airtime costs – and once the handset is paid for, their bill will automatically reduce by the handset amount, meaning customers will never continue paying for a handset, after it has been paid for.

  • Mix: The ability to change data plans whenever you want. If a customer wants to spend less in a certain month, they can change their plan to include less data and they will pay less. Customers can do this easily through their ‘My Sky’ app.

  • Swap: Sky Mobile customers will be able to swap their handsets for the latest model a year before their phone contract ends, at no extra cost.

  • Piggybank: Sky Mobile customers can expect more value from their mobile plan, like sharing data with family and friends, discounts on handsets, and rewards, including return European flights or cinema tickets.

Speaking about the launch of Sky Mobile in Ireland, Sky CEO, JD Buckley, said:

“The launch of Sky Mobile marks another key milestone for Sky in Ireland and we are excited to announce its arrival here today. Our launch plan for customers is Unlimited calls, texts and 5G data for €15 and that price is for life. Our Sky Mobile proposition has been built with our customers at its core – providing a service that is fair, flexible and transparent. We believe Irish mobile consumers deserve better than what is currently in the market, and we have launched Sky Mobile to fill that gap.”

Customers will be able to choose between a sim-only plan or sim plans with handsets. Sky Mobile customers who purchase handsets will have the option to pay for their handsets fully upfront or using a Credit Sale Agreement (CSA) to pay for it over 24 or 36 months, with 0% APR. Customers will also have access to worldwide roaming services, available in over 150 countries and Sky Mobile’s Roam Like Home service will be available in 44 countries including the UK and EU.

Commenting on the benefits of Sky Mobile, Aideen Chambers, Director of Sky Mobile, said: “Transparency and fairness are at Sky Mobile’s core and splitting customer’s bills between their airtime plan and handset costs was hugely important to us in launching our mobile offering.

“Our research has told us that when customers come to the end of their contract with some of the other operators in the Irish market, they continue to pay more than necessary, because they are still being charged for a handset that they have already paid for. In fact, our research tells us that over 300,000 customers in the market are significantly overpaying on their mobile bill. With Sky Mobile, this won’t happen. Once your handset has been paid for, your bill will automatically reduce, and you will only pay for your airtime. Everything within the Sky Mobile offering is designed with a customer-first approach. We all use our handsets differently and Sky Mobile has the flexibility to meet everyone’s needs.”

Sky Mobile is launching in Ireland following a long-term wholesale partnership agreement between Sky and Vodafone. Leveraging the Vodafone Mobile Network and connecting it to Sky Ireland’s next generation Mobile Core Network, Sky Mobile will provide over 99% 4G coverage and 5G coverage across the country along with 4G Calling, all of which are included as standard in Sky Mobile’s plan.

Sky Mobile is available now in Sky’s retail stores across Ireland and online at https://www.sky.com/ie/shop/mobile

Over a third of Irish employees admit to faking activity at work – Workhuman Survey

Workhuman the Irish tech unicorn revolutionizing the way employees celebrate, connect with, and appreciate each other in the workplace, today announces new findings from its Human Workplace Index, which found that 36% of Irish employees admit faking activity at work, with 37% of these individuals citing the pursuit of a better work-life balance as a key motivation for this behaviour. Burnout (27%) and unrealistic expectations (25%) were also factors cited as reasons. The survey further details how employees spend their time when pretending to be busy, with 42% scrolling through social media and 41% handling personal errands during work hours.

The Human Workplace Index surveyed 1,000 full-time employees in Ireland and was commissioned by Workhuman and conducted by Pollfish to gain insights into employee engagement and productivity.

The survey also uncovers a correlation between employee engagement and the likelihood of faking activity at work. According to the findings, employees who are less engaged are more prone to pretend they are working. Specifically, 54% of respondents admitted that when they aren’t feeling engaged, they do the bare minimum to get through the day, while 17% confessed to faking activity during these periods of low engagement.

Additionally, the data shows that 29% of employees reported they are required to use time-tracking software on their work devices, and 72% of managers believe it is important to know the exact hours their direct reports work. This emphasis on monitoring could unintentionally lead to more faking activity, as employees may feel pressured to appear busy. On the other hand, supportive management practices can have a positive impact. Nearly half of the employees (46%) believe that their manager’s involvement helps them perform their jobs better, while 32% say that their manager helps remove roadblocks, which can potentially increase employees’ productivity.

Niamh Graham, Senior Vice President of Global Human Experience, Workhuman, said: “The reality is that most Irish employees aren’t faking activity, but many feel compelled to do so. Our research findings highlight deeper issues around workplace expectations, and the illusion of being ‘always on’, with many employees feeling they need to fake activity to appear busy, rather than being genuinely productive. To address this, companies should focus on building a high-trust culture where employees are recognized for their results. High-trust, collaborative working environments, combined with meaningful recognition, can drive greater engagement, higher productivity, and a stronger sense of belonging and purpose. This approach not only reduces the need to fake activity but fosters a more motivated and productive workforce overall.”

Tech Review – emporia E6 case for emporia SMART 6 and ME6 phones

If you have picked up one of the latest smartphones from emporia like the SMART 6 and ME6 there is a cool case now on sale which is rather nice when it comes to cases it must be said.

With the standout strap on the back of the case you can be sure the case will not fall out of your hand or be swiped from it which is great and also giving you additional grip.

The corners have raised bumpers which is another bonus giving more protection on the gi, there is also a lip around the front meaning the device can be placed face down and the camera area on the back has a raised edge to keep the camera array in good order, inside has a nice finish too keeping the phone in good order all round.

The keys are tactile and work well and all ports accessible which makes for an overall great case to get and keep your shiny new emporia device in good order.

See our other emporia reviews

Features

  • Genuine emporia case with GRIP strap – compatible with Emporia SMART6 and ME6
  • Beautiful fit and feel
  • Blue soft touch
  • Built-in grip strap – just slip in your fingers for secure grip
  • Loop strap makes it easy to hold
  • Elegant design

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Video Review

Esri Ireland strengthens utility sector expertise with UDC partnership

Esri Ireland, the market leader in geographic information system (GIS) technology in Ireland, has teamed up with the digital utility services provider UDC to offer specialist consulting services for Esri Ireland’s utility sector. Through this partnership, gas, electricity, water and wastewater companies will be able to access enhanced support when implementing ArcGIS Utility Network, Esri’s next generation spatial information system for utility management.

“Several of Esri Ireland’s customers in the utility sector are planning to migrate to ArcGIS Utility Network or have already begun on this journey,” says Paul Synnott, Managing Director of Esri Ireland. “By collaborating with UDC, we are giving our customers easy access to utility sector specialists who can advise them about data migration and help them optimise the benefits they gain from their investment in Esri technology.”

Where appropriate, consultants from UDC will join Esri Ireland projects and work alongside Esri Ireland’s Professional Services Team to deliver agreed outcomes for utility customers. In particular, UDC will provide guidance on best practice data cleansing and data migration methods and advise customers on how to represent utility assets digitally. Utilities will also be able to take advantage of UDC’s proprietary auto-migration HEIDE tool, which helps accelerate data migration processes.

Esri Ireland and UDC have already worked together on a successful collaboration with Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) Networks. As part of a project team led by Esri Ireland, UDC carried out a Data Readiness Assessment to evaluate the utility’s data quality, highlighted data recommendations and prepared it for a full data migration. This allowed NIE Networks to quantify the time and resources it will need to migrate data to the new system.

UDC has been providing ArcGIS-based solutions and services for utilities in the USA and Canada for nearly twenty years. It is a Platinum Partner in the Esri Partner Network programme and holds Esri specialty certifications in gas and electric utilities services. For organisations that are migrating to ArcGIS Utility Network, it delivers services ranging from strategic roadmap guidance to data assessment and migration readiness planning, and full migration support.

“After successfully serving North American utilities for the last 20 years, we now have had the good fortune to cross the Atlantic, forge a strong and growing partnership with Esri Ireland, and work with utilities in Ireland,” shares Hamid Akhavan, CEO of UDC. “We are delighted to be working with the fantastic Esri Ireland team, helping more gas, electric and water utilities achieve maximum benefit through digital transformation, leveraging ArcGIS Utility Network.”

Tech Review – Tudia MergeGrip case HONOR 200 Pro

Enhance your user experience with the non-slip textured design of the DualShield Grip. The case includes carefully designed ridges on both sides and the back, ensuring a secure hold and minimizing the risk of accidental drops. Precision cutouts and slim, clicky buttons guarantee easy access to all functions, making this case not only tough but also user-friendly. Plus, it supports wireless charging for seamless power-ups without removing the case.

As before with any of our Tudia cases reviews you are well protected front and rear with this case with all aspects are covered when you have this case on board from the camera lends to the front screen with additional gripping power you are covered with tactile keys and wireless charging check out the video review below for the full details

Features 

● Compatibility : Designed to be compatible with Honor 200 Pro 5G Only.
● Drop Tested : Certified military grade and ToughRhino Technology for dual layer protection against drops and scratches.
● Raised Edge Protection : Protects your camera and screen with raised lip and edges.
● Enhanced Grip : Non-slip textured design on both sides and back provide additional grip while holding your phone.
● Precise Design : Buttons are designed to be slim and easily clickable for stress-free usage.

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Video review