Phone news this week: HONOR Magic9 Pro Max launch and Mate 90
HONOR's Magic9 Pro Max and Huawei's Mate 90 launched in China, iOS 27.0.1 fixed iPhone 18 Pro bugs, and One UI 9 reached Galaxy S25 phones in the US.
The HONOR Magic9 Pro Max launch led a busy week for flagship phones, with Huawei’s Mate 90 series and the iQOO 16 also arriving in China. Owners of current iPhones and Galaxy phones got meaningful updates too: iOS 27.0.1 fixes early iPhone 18 Pro bugs, and stable One UI 9 reached the Galaxy S25 family in the US.
This week in 30 seconds
- HONOR launched the Magic9 Pro Max in China at CNY 6,499, with two 200MP cameras and an 8,800mAh battery.
- Apple’s iOS 27.0.1 fixes Face ID restarts and a 2x photo artifact on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.
- Stable One UI 9 with Android 17 is rolling out to the Galaxy S25 series, Z Fold7 and Z Flip7 in Korea and the US.
- Huawei put five Mate 90 models on sale in China, priced from CNY 5,999 to CNY 12,999.
- The iQOO 16 launched in China, and OnePlus confirmed the OnePlus 16 for October 12.
HONOR Magic9 Pro Max launch: two 200MP cameras and ARRI video tools
HONOR launched the HONOR Magic9 Pro Max in China on September 28, 2026, and sales started the same day at CNY 6,499. It is the brand’s first Pro Max flagship and is built around video: a 200MP main camera with a 1/1.28-inch sensor, a second 200MP periscope telephoto at 3.5x, a 50MP ultrawide, and a cinema mode developed with ARRI that records ARRI LogC3 footage and offers preset ARRI Looks.
Inside are the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, an 8,800mAh silicon-carbon battery with 100W wired and 80W wireless charging, a 6.8-inch LTPO OLED display, and IP68, IP69 and IP69K ratings. The smaller HONOR Magic9 launched alongside it from CNY 4,999 with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and the same 200MP main-plus-telephoto idea in a 6.37-inch body.
Availability: China now. HONOR says rollouts in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Southeast Asia will be announced shortly; dates and prices are not announced. Not announced for the US.
iOS 27.0.1 fixes Face ID restarts on the iPhone 18 Pro
Apple released iOS 27.0.1 on September 28, the first fix update for iOS 27. For iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max owners, it fixes unexpected restarts when Face ID fails to authenticate and a color artifact that could appear in some 2x photos taken at f/1.48.
The update also fixes a touchscreen freeze that could happen on any supported iPhone when Notification Center and Control Center were opened at the same time. Early user reports say an AT&T connectivity problem on some US iPhone 18 Pro Max units is not addressed yet.
Availability: Rolling out now worldwide for iPhone 11 and later in Settings > General > Software Update.
One UI 9 reaches the Galaxy S25, Z Fold7 and Z Flip7 in the US
Samsung’s stable One UI 9, based on Android 17, started rolling out in South Korea on September 28 to the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy S25 Edge, Galaxy S25 FE, Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Z Flip7. US units began receiving it from October 2, starting with carrier models.
Coming from One UI 8.5, the download is about 4GB. It adds My FanCam subject tracking in video, a Warranty and Care section in Settings, privacy alerts and more Quick Panel customization.
Availability: South Korea and the US now, in waves by carrier and model. Samsung has not announced dates for Europe.
Huawei Mate 90 series goes on sale the day it launches
Huawei launched the Mate 90 series in China on October 1 and opened sales the same day, a first for the Mate line. There are five models: the Mate 90 from CNY 5,999 with the Kirin 9030, the Mate 90 Pro from CNY 6,999 with the new Kirin 9035, the Mate 90 Pro Max from CNY 9,499, a Pro Max Collector’s Edition, and the Mate 90 RS Ultimate Design from CNY 12,999. All of them run HarmonyOS 7.
The Mate 90 Pro Max is the camera flagship: a 6.9-inch OLED, a 200MP periscope telephoto, a 6,800mAh battery with 100W wired and 50W wireless charging, and support for an optional 1-inch camera module sold separately. Its 16GB versions use the new Kirin 9050 Pro. Prices went up: the 16GB/512GB Pro Max costs CNY 9,999, about CNY 2,000 more than the equivalent Mate 80 model at launch.
Availability: China now. A global launch is not announced. Not sold in the US.
iQOO 16 launches with a 2K 165Hz display
iQOO, vivo’s performance brand, launched the iQOO 16 in China on September 29. It pairs the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 with iQOO’s own Q4 gaming chip, a 6.85-inch 2K AMOLED panel at up to 165Hz, and an 8,400mAh battery with 100W charging. Prices start at CNY 5,999 for 12GB/256GB and reach CNY 8,499 for 16GB/1TB, and it runs OriginOS 7 on Android 17.
Availability: China only for now. A global version has appeared in certification listings, but iQOO has not announced a launch date. Not announced for the US or Europe.
OnePlus 16 launch date confirmed for October 12
OnePlus confirmed on September 28 that the OnePlus 16 launches in China on October 12. Confirmed so far: the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, a 200MP main camera, a 50MP 3x telephoto, and a display that runs at 165Hz system-wide and up to 185Hz in supported games. OnePlus no longer releases new phones in the US and Europe, so this is a China-first flagship.
Availability: China from October 12. No US or European release; other markets not announced.
HONOR Magic9 Pro Max vs Huawei Mate 90 Pro Max vs iQOO 16
Three new China flagships arrived in the same week; here is how they line up on confirmed specs.
| HONOR Magic9 Pro Max | Huawei Mate 90 Pro Max | iQOO 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chip | Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 | Kirin 9050 Pro (16GB versions) | Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 |
| Display | 6.8-inch LTPO OLED, 120Hz | 6.9-inch OLED | 6.85-inch 2K AMOLED, up to 165Hz |
| Battery | 8,800mAh | 6,800mAh | 8,400mAh |
| Charging | 100W wired, 80W wireless | 100W wired, 50W wireless | 100W wired |
| Starting price | CNY 6,499 | CNY 9,499 | CNY 5,999 |
| Global launch | Europe, MEA and SEA “shortly” | Not announced | Not announced |
What’s coming next
- October 12: OnePlus 16 launches in China. Apple also opens “Get Ready” for the iPhone Duo, so buyers can save their configuration before pre-orders.
- October 15: REDMAGIC 12 Pro+ launch event in China.
- October 16: iPhone Duo pre-orders open at 5 a.m. PT, ahead of availability on October 23 from $1,999. 28 more countries follow on October 30.
- October 27: European launch and pre-orders for the vivo X500 Pro and vivo X500 Pro Max, with sales from November 5.
Missed last week? Read Phone news this week: Xiaomi 18 Pro launch, vivo X500, Find X10.
