Conforme informamos ontem, a Apple liberou as Release Candidates das versões 27.2 dos seus sistemas operacionais, incluindo algumas reformulações visuais e novidades.

Vamos conferir o que chegou para os sistemas da Maçã?

iOS/iPadOS 27.2

No caso da RC do iOS 27.2, há uma série de pistas sobre implementações de recursos futuros, além de integrações com outros sistemas: é o caso da adição do código de configuração do som surround com quatro HomePods e a nova Apple TV 4K (quarta geração):

iOS 27.2 RC adds setup code for surround sound with 4 HomePods and Apple TV 4K (4th gen).

The code was already included in the iPhone Duo 27.2 simulator runtime. https://t.co/LXuYyOxBQi pic.twitter.com/0FqZnZN1qb

— pdfu (@itspdfu) October 19, 2026

Um indício deixado no sistema para um recurso futuro é a não contabilização de conversas silenciadas na contagem das notificações de mensagens não lidas no app Mensagens (Messages):

iOS 27.2 RC indicates that Apple is working on a feature to exclude muted chats from the unread count in the Messages app

— Aaron (@aaronp613) October 19, 2026

O código do sistema também apresenta vestígios do MacBook Pro com tela sensível ao toque (também chamado de “MacBook Ultra”) para o recurso Sidecar:

iOS 27.2 once again likely references the upcoming MacBook Pro with a touchscreen

The code for SideCar adds a new mention of "touch display" pic.twitter.com/KWwMwqo0hm

— Aaron (@aaronp613) October 19, 2026

Outro achado no sistema foi uma menção ao iOS 28, que deverá chegar aos aparelhos no ano que vem:

iOS 27.2 RC already references iOS 28 pic.twitter.com/oAJ2aBulGq

— Aaron (@aaronp613) October 19, 2026

Software do HomePod 27.2

Às vésperas da chegada do HomePod mini 2, o software dos alto-falantes inteligentes da Apple ganhou algumas novidades que se aplicam aos demais modelos compatíveis com a atualização (para ser mais exato, o HomePod mini de primeira geração e o HomePod de segunda geração), como o Sound Glow (que exibe luzes ambientes no topo do alto-falante de acordo com o som que está sendo reproduzido) e o bloqueio dos controles de toque:

Sound Glow will work on HomePod mini 1, HomePod mini 2 and HomePod (2nd generation)!

In HomePod Software 27.2 RC, the LightShowCapability check is “productType > 1,” so only the original HomePod is unsupported. https://t.co/KwMrrAx7rf

— pdfu (@itspdfu) October 19, 2026

All HomePod models will support the Lock Controls setting, according to HomePod software 27.2 RC.

You should see the setting in the Home app after updating both HomePod and iPhone. https://t.co/lAPVuRg3av

— pdfu (@itspdfu) October 19, 2026

O leaker pdfu [@itspdfu] confirmou ainda que o Party Mode (“Modo Festa” em tradução direta) é um modo de renderização “difuso” secundário para som surround, o que significa que, para aproveitá-lo, será necessário ter uma Apple TV 4K de quarta geração:

audioOS 27.2 confirms that Whole Room Audio (Party Mode) is a secondary “diffuse” rendering mode for surround sound, so you’ll need the new Apple TV 4K.

The feature has an interesting implementation: it gives diagonally opposite HomePods the same L/R stereo role.

Front left →… pic.twitter.com/2uPCGrjPks

— pdfu (@itspdfu) October 19, 2026

tvOS 27.2

Ainda sobre o som surround com HomePods na Apple TV, será possível ajustar o modo dos alto-falantes, o ganho de surround e o funcionamento do som estéreo:

You’ll get new audio controls when you set up four HomePods with the new Apple TV.

Speaker Mode: Surround Sound or Whole Room Audio.

Specifically for Surround Sound:
• Spatialize Stereo: Control whether to play a spatially processed mix for video and music. As reported in… pic.twitter.com/KDzUeu3VpU

— pdfu (@itspdfu) October 19, 2026

A nova versão do sistema também permite a exibição aleatória de protetores de tela personalizados com Memórias, Apresentações de Slides ou Retratos:

tvOS 27.2 allows you to shuffle through available Screen Savers throughout the day.

You can also set up Memories & Slideshows or Portraits screen savers on iPhone or iPad without sharing your whole library.

The features were announced in the Apple TV 4K press release. pic.twitter.com/1VNsCBzymi

— pdfu (@itspdfu) October 19, 2026

Bastante coisa, né?

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NOTA DE TRANSPARÊNCIA: O MacMagazine recebe uma pequena comissão sobre vendas concluídas por meio de links deste post, mas você, como consumidor, não paga nada a mais pelos produtos/serviços ao usar os nossos links de afiliado.

Apple’s new $299 HomeView combines a HomePod speaker with a small touchscreen and Siri AI, but its limited app selection and unclear purpose make it hard to recommend until real-world use cases emerge.

Apple is bundling a free streaming trial with each of its new home devices on its U.S. store. The $299 Apple TV 4K comes with 3 months of Apple TV free, while the $149 HomePod mini 2 and the $299 Apple HomeView each come with 3 months of Apple Music free, according to Apple’s buy […]

The post Apple TV 4K comes with 3 months of Apple TV, HomePod mini 2 with Apple Music appeared first on The Mac Observer.

Depois de detalhar uma possível nova versão do HomeView planejada para ser lançada em 2027, o jornalista da Bloomberg, Mark Gurman, comentou na última edição da sua newsletter “Power On” que as Apple Stores estariam se organizando para mais um lançamento em 6 de novembro (uma sexta-feira), que poderá ser destinado a um produto revelado no suposto “evento” que a empresa realizará no dia 27 de outubro.

Considerando que — ainda de acordo com ele — esse evento poderá revelar o “MacBook Ultra” (modelo com tela OLED ¹Organic light-emitting diode, ou diodo emissor de luz orgânico. sensível ao toque), um novo iMac com o chip M6, a nova geração do iPad mini (com tela OLED) e uma nova versão do MacBook Pro de 14 polegadas com o chip M6, qualquer um desses produtos passa a ser candidato a esse lançamento — ou todos juntos, é claro.

Apple plans a retail store reset for Nov. 6, indicating potential new Mac release timing. More in Power On: https://t.co/imlJIzWeaS

— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) October 18, 2026

Caso o rumor se concretize, a Apple terá um lançamento para cada sexta-feira pelas próximas quatro semanas, começando com o iPhone Duo e concluindo o cronograma com a chegada da nova Apple TV 4K e do HomeView, revelados junto com o HomePod mini 2 na última terça-feira (13/10).

A relação de lançamentos ficaria mais ou menos assim:

• 23 de outubro: iPhone Duo
• 30 de outubro: HomePod mini 2
• 6 de novembro: novos Macs e/ou novo iPad mini
• 13 de novembro: HomeView e Apple TV 4K

Falando em iPhone Duo…

Escassez do Duo pode aumentar as vendas do 18 Pro?

O jornalista também aproveitou o espaço para comentar a pré-venda do dobrável da Apple, classificada por ele como “desastrosa”, já que os prazos de entrega estão em janeiro (no caso dos Estados Unidos) ou em fevereiro (no caso do Brasil)!

Apple’s iPhone Duo preorders were an absolute disaster. That may help the iPhone 18 Pro. More in Power On: https://t.co/qX4Wp8R6sc

— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) October 18, 2026

Segundo ele, a Apple cometeu um “erro grave” ao manter o lançamento do Duo no início do primeiro trimestre fiscal sem ter um grande estoque do aparelho em escala global, em vez de lançar o produto inicialmente apenas nos Estados Unidos e na China. A empresa também poderia ter a intenção de oferecer os iPhones 18 Pro/18 Pro Max como alternativas ao Duo.

NOTA DE TRANSPARÊNCIA: O MacMagazine recebe uma pequena comissão sobre vendas concluídas por meio de links deste post, mas você, como consumidor, não paga nada a mais pelos produtos/serviços ao usar os nossos links de afiliado.

Notas de rodapé

• 1
  Organic light-emitting diode, ou diodo emissor de luz orgânico.

Na edição mais recente da sua newsletter “Power On”, o jornalista (da Bloomberg) Mark Gurman comentou uma possível nova versão do HomeView, com uma tela maior e um braço robótico articulado.

De acordo com ele, o novo modelo chegaria às lojas em 2027 e contaria com uma tela de 9 polegadas, 2″ a mais do que o produto revelado recentemente pela Apple. O braço articulado permitiria ainda que o visor fosse girado em até 360 graus, e o nome do produto poderia ter sufixos como “Ultra”, “360” ou “Max”.

Power On: Apple’s new HomeView shows the undeniable potential of a higher-end version with a robotic arm. https://t.co/NVMPS3cJOo

— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) October 18, 2026

Na avaliação do jornalista, essa nova versão não seria um sucessor ou uma nova geração do HomeView, mas uma “opção mais sofisticada” do produto revelado na semana passada, posicionada “em uma categoria superior”.

A variante com um braço robótico poderia permitir, por exemplo, que a tela do aparelho acompanhasse a movimentação do usuário enquanto ele circulasse pela cozinha durante uma chamada pelo FaceTime, ou se voltasse para quem estivesse falando, caso haja uma família reunida (já que, mesmo em sua versão original, o HomeView é projetado para reconhecer até seis pessoas diferentes).

Veremos o que vem por aí…

Apple has released Safari Technology Preview 254, its experimental browser for web developers, with live pinch-to-zoom on macOS, new CSS sizing tools and HEVC video encoding for web apps. The WebKit team published the release notes on October 8, 2026, and the build is available for macOS Golden Gate and macOS Tahoe. If you already […]

The post Safari Technology Preview 254 adds live pinch-to-zoom on Mac and calc-size() appeared first on The Mac Observer.

Apple HomeView costs £299 in the UK, C$429 in Canada and A$449 in Australia, according to Apple’s online stores in those countries, and the new Apple TV 4K (4th generation) costs exactly the same in each of them. Both are $299 in the U.S., and both arrive on Friday, November 13. HomeView is sold in […]

The post HomeView and Apple TV 4K cost £299, C$429 and A$449: prices outside the US appeared first on The Mac Observer.

The 2026 Porsche Macan Turbo EV is a two-row crossover with 630 horsepower and a 100-kilowatt-hour battery.

Nature provides an array of tools for how to navigate the unknown—even in the dark.

From scuba-diving lizards to cliff-climbing goats, nature's organisms have always been able to overcome impossible odds.

Nature is a reminder that nothing is normal, yet everything belongs.

Major TV networks were notified on Friday that the department was examining whether they violated antitrust laws when they suspended pool coverage of President Trump.

Christopher Nolan's engrossing take on The Odyssey dominated at the box office and spurred a newfound interest in classic literature among filmgoers. But a new retelling of the story made entirely with AI is so bad that it might just make viewers hate the original tale altogether.

The new film, called Odysseus: The Fall, comes via AI firm Fountain 0 and is written and directed by company cofounder Ash Koosha, who also lent his likeness to the title character and created all of the music. (The film's credits are very short.) The studio's only previous work is an AI film called Dreams of Violets that made it into Tribeca earlier this year. Th …

Read the full story at The Verge.

iPhone 18 Pro is at the center of What Holds Us, a new photography exhibition built around three very different approaches to image-making. Alex Prager, Jack Davison, and Jimmy Chin shot the entire project on Apple’s latest Pro iPhone, using the device in environments ranging from a Los Angeles soundstage to a London warehouse and the high-altitude terrain of British Columbia.

Curated by Kathy Ryan, the former longtime director of photography for The New York Times Magazine, the exhibition examines connection through touch, shared experience, physical environments, and human relationships.

It also gives Apple a more ambitious showcase for the iPhone 18 Pro camera than a conventional product demonstration. Rather than presenting standardized comparisons or individual sample images. What Holds Us asks three established photographers to work within their own visual languages while using the phone as their sole camera.

The exhibition opens in New York City on September 18 and runs through September 20 before traveling to London and Shanghai in the coming months.

iPhone 18 Pro takes three very different photographic approaches

The project works partly because the three photographers have little stylistically in common.

Jimmy Chin took iPhone 18 Pro into the Bugaboo Mountains of southeastern British Columbia, working around snow, ice, steep climbing terrain, and winds reaching as high as 70 miles per hour.

His series focuses on trust and connection within climbing, with veteran mountaineer Conrad Anker appearing throughout the photographs. Some images place Anker as a small figure against vast mountain landscapes, while others move much closer to rock, snow, and glacial textures.

Chin used both the 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide and Telephoto cameras to shift between those extremes. The practical appeal was also straightforward: carrying a phone instead of a full conventional camera setup reduced the equipment required in an environment where weight and mobility affect every decision.

Jack Davison took almost the opposite approach. Shooting inside a former sugar warehouse in London, he created intimate portraits built around people interacting with clay and chalk.

Davison is known for high-contrast black-and-white imagery, and his contribution emphasizes texture, shadows, highlights, skin, and physical contact with the material. Some subjects appear partly covered in clay, while others manipulate it directly, leaving fingerprints and marks across the compositions.

For Davison, the smaller camera changed the relationship between photographer and subject. Without a large camera constantly positioned in front of his face, he could maintain more eye contact and work at closer range.

His use of slower shutter speeds, RAW capture, and multiple lenses also illustrates how Apple increasingly wants the Pro iPhone camera to function as a configurable photographic tool rather than simply a computational point-and-shoot system.

Alex Prager pushes the phone into large-scale production

Alex Prager’s section places iPhone 18 Pro inside a much more elaborate production environment.

Working on a Los Angeles soundstage, Prager created color-heavy scenes filled with crowds, confetti, staged city elements, costumes, and loosely choreographed movement. Some images use high viewpoints to turn groups of people into a continuous visual pattern, while tighter photographs isolate individual figures within the same constructed world.

The visual approach resembles film production more than spontaneous mobile photography, which gives the project another test for the phone. The camera has to preserve detail across numerous faces, costumes, props, highlights, and areas of movement while operating within scenes deliberately designed for large-format presentation.

Prager also treated the camera’s immediacy as part of the creative process rather than simply a convenience. The ease of moving between perspectives and capturing repeated moments allowed the scenes to evolve through improvisation instead of being locked into a single carefully prepared frame.

That approach aligns with a recurring theme across the exhibition: the phone becomes less intrusive without requiring the photographers to abandon their existing visual standards.

For Apple, it is a useful distinction. Professional photography campaigns built around smartphones can easily become exercises in technical proof, where the central question is whether a phone can imitate equipment already available to photographers. What Holds Us is more interested in how a smaller camera changes the way an artist works.

Variable aperture gives the project a new technical foundation

The exhibition arrives alongside one of Apple’s most significant physical camera changes in years.

iPhone 18 Pro introduces variable aperture on its 48MP Fusion Main camera. The lens can operate at ƒ/1.48, ƒ/1.8, ƒ/2.8, or ƒ/4.0, changing both light intake and depth of field.

A wider ƒ/1.48 aperture is designed for stronger low-light performance, while narrower settings can retain more detail across different planes of an image. Apple also lets photographers select aperture settings manually through new Pro controls in the Camera app.

Those controls extend to shutter speed and white balance, with a histogram available for monitoring exposure. ProRAW remains available for photographers who want greater flexibility during post-production.

The rear camera system also includes 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide and 48MP Fusion Telephoto cameras, providing focal lengths from 13mm at the wide end through an optical-quality 8x option.

What Holds Us does not reduce the exhibition to those specifications, but the technical changes help explain why Apple chose photography, rather than video, for this particular campaign. Variable aperture affects choices that photographers traditionally make during capture, especially around available light and how much of a scene remains in focus.

What Holds Us extends the Shot on iPhone idea

Apple has spent years using Shot on iPhone campaigns to demonstrate camera quality through finished work rather than charts and controlled tests. What Holds Us pushes that format closer to a conventional curated exhibition.

Ryan connects the three bodies of work through the idea of human presence, but each artist interprets it differently. Chin finds it through dependence between climbers in hostile landscapes. Davison uses physical contact between people and clay. Prager builds populated fictional environments in which individual expressions emerge from larger crowds.

The images therefore function as an exhibition first and a hardware showcase second, even though the production is closely tied to the launch of iPhone 18 Pro.

That balance may be the most effective part of the campaign. Apple does not need to demonstrate that a modern iPhone can produce a technically competent photograph. The more interesting challenge is showing where its smaller size, computational processing, lens flexibility, RAW workflow, and new manual controls can alter the photographer’s decisions.

New York visitors will get the first opportunity to see how those images hold up away from a phone or computer display when What Holds Us opens September 18. After its three-day New York run, Apple says the exhibition will continue to London and Shanghai, giving the iPhone 18 Pro photography project a physical life beyond the launch campaign.

The post iPhone 18 Pro exhibition puts three photographers behind Apple’s new camera system appeared first on AppleMagazine.

When Paul W.S. Anderson's Resident Evil hit theaters in 2002, video game movies were largely seen as a niche. Films like Mortal Kombat and Tomb Raider had proven that big-screen game adaptations could be successful, but the commercial and critical failure of projects like the 1993 Super Mario Bros. still cast a long shadow. And while Anderson's vision of Raccoon City might have captivated audiences on the whole, many hardcore fans of Capcom's games were left disappointed by the way the original movies wildly deviated from the source material.

Weapons director Zach Cregger's new take on Resident Evil is a return to the franchise's fundamenta …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Nintendo has gotten quite good at making open-ended games. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild upended the idea of what a Zelda game could be by giving the player free rein to tackle any part of the map, a philosophy iterated upon with Tears of the Kingdom. On the Switch 2 this idea expanded to Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza. Now, Nintendo has brought this philosophy to Fire Emblem with Fortune's Weave. It works really well; with its many ways to progress through the game and tailor teams to your liking, Fortune's Weave has become my favorite game on the Switch 2 so far.

Fortune's Weave's structure is a big reason why it feels …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Fun camera features help make these candy bar iPhones stand out from the dazzle of the folding iPhone Duo.

Fun camera features help make these candy bar iPhones stand out from the dazzle of the folding iPhone Duo.

AYN Thor is not trying to win attention simply by putting a faster processor inside a conventional handheld. Its defining feature is the clamshell design: a large 6-inch AMOLED screen sits above a second display, giving the device a layout that is much closer to a portable dual-screen gaming system than a traditional Android game console.

The Banggood configuration covered here pairs the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 platform with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, while the wider Thor lineup also includes higher-memory versions. AYN’s own current product information lists the standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 configurations alongside a 6-inch AMOLED main display, a 3.92-inch secondary AMOLED screen, Android 13 and a 6000mAh battery.

That makes the Thor interesting for a very specific reason: the second screen can change how certain games and emulators are played, rather than merely adding another display to the specification sheet.

The Second Screen Is the Real Story

Most Android gaming handhelds use a single display and place all controls around it. The Thor takes a different route.

Its upper panel is a 6-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, while the lower section provides a smaller 3.92-inch AMOLED touchscreen. The primary display runs at 1920 × 1080, while the secondary panel uses a 1080 × 1240 resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate.

The difference in refresh rate is actually useful to understand. The top screen is optimized for the main gaming experience, while the lower screen is better thought of as a companion interface.

That opens up several possibilities. In dual-screen emulation, one display can show the main game while the second handles maps, menus, touch controls or other information. For games designed around two screens, the physical arrangement can also feel considerably more natural than trying to reproduce the same layout on a single panel.

This is where the Thor has a clearer identity than another Android handheld with similar processing hardware.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Gives the Thor Plenty of Headroom

The 8GB/128GB configuration uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the same platform used by several other high-performance Android handhelds. AYN’s specifications identify the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 versions as the Base, Pro and Max models, with RAM and storage increasing depending on configuration.

For the Thor, the processor is less interesting as a headline number than what it enables.

Android gaming, retro emulation and game streaming can all benefit from additional processing headroom, but the dual-screen design is where the hardware becomes more purposeful. The system has to manage two displays and the associated touch input while still maintaining a responsive gaming interface.

The 8GB configuration therefore makes sense as the entry point for users who want the Thor’s unusual hardware without necessarily moving to one of the larger storage variants.

Android 13 Keeps the Platform Flexible

The Thor runs Android 13, which gives it access to the broader Android gaming and emulation ecosystem rather than locking it into a proprietary game library. AYN’s product information also confirms that games are not preinstalled, meaning buyers should think of the device as an Android gaming platform rather than a ready-made retro library.

That distinction matters.

The real value of an Android handheld is often determined by how well its software environment fits the user’s preferred games and emulators. With the Thor, there is an additional consideration: configuring software to take advantage of two physical screens.

For example, a dual-screen setup can be particularly useful for systems and games that were originally designed around separate gameplay and information displays. Retro Game Corps’ setup guide specifically covers the additional considerations involved in configuring dual-screen Android handhelds such as the Thor.

Hall-Effect Sticks Are a Practical Hardware Choice

The Thor also uses Hall-effect joysticks, which detect stick movement magnetically rather than relying on traditional mechanical contact for position sensing. AYN lists Hall sticks among the device’s hardware features.

For an Android gaming handheld, this is more relevant than it might initially appear.

The controls are likely to see much more use than many of the device’s headline specifications. Precise analog input matters for action games, racing titles and 3D emulation, while the absence of conventional contact-based sensing can help reduce one common source of stick-position problems over long-term use.

It also reinforces the idea that the Thor is designed as a serious gaming device rather than simply an Android tablet folded into a portable shell.

A 6,000mAh Battery Balances the Dual-Screen Hardware

A 6,000mAh battery sits inside the Thor, according to AYN’s current specifications. The device also supports 27W charging.

Battery capacity alone does not tell the whole story, especially on a dual-screen handheld.

The actual runtime will depend heavily on brightness, refresh rate, emulator workload, wireless connectivity and how frequently the secondary display is active. More demanding games will naturally place a greater load on the Snapdragon platform than lightweight retro titles.

For this reason, the Thor’s battery should be viewed as part of a larger power-management equation rather than judged only by the 6000mAh figure.

The Flip Design Solves a Portability Problem

There is another advantage to the clamshell construction that has little to do with gaming performance: screen protection.

When the Thor is closed, the two displays face inward. That gives the handheld a natural protective position when it is placed inside a bag or carried between locations.

The closed form also makes the Thor visually distinct from the large number of slab-style Android gaming handhelds now available.

However, the hinge introduces its own design considerations. Users who want the device primarily for traditional single-screen Android gaming may not need a second display or a clamshell mechanism. The dual-screen architecture becomes much more valuable when the software can actually make use of it.

8GB + 128GB Is the More Straightforward Configuration

The Banggood listing specifically covers the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage version.

That capacity should be enough for a focused Android gaming setup, but storage requirements can grow quickly once users begin adding large game files, emulator libraries and multiple applications.

AYN’s wider lineup includes a 12GB/256GB model and higher-end 16GB configurations with substantially more storage.

This makes the 8GB/128GB model easier to understand as an entry configuration rather than the only version of the Thor. Buyers who plan to maintain a large local game library should pay particular attention to storage before choosing between variants.

Who Actually Benefits From Two Screens?

The Thor makes the most sense for users whose gaming habits can take advantage of its unusual layout.

Dual-screen emulation is an obvious example. Systems that originally used two displays can be represented more naturally when the handheld itself physically provides two panels.

The secondary display can also be useful for touch-based controls, menus or supplementary information while the main display remains dedicated to gameplay.

For ordinary Android games that only need one screen, however, the second panel becomes less important. In that situation, the Thor’s main advantage is its unusual form factor rather than a fundamental change in gameplay.

That distinction is worth keeping in mind when comparing it with conventional single-screen Android handhelds.

A Different Kind of Android Gaming Handheld

The AYN Thor gaming handheld ‘s most interesting feature is not the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 by itself, nor is it simply the 120Hz AMOLED display.

It is the combination of a 6-inch 120Hz AMOLED main screen, a secondary AMOLED touchscreen, Hall-effect controls, Android 13 and a 6000mAh battery inside a foldable chassis.

That combination gives the Thor a specific purpose.

For users who mainly want a standard Android gaming handheld, its dual-screen construction may be more hardware than they need. But for players interested in DS/3DS-style emulation, dual-screen interfaces or experimenting with different Android gaming layouts, the second display provides a capability that conventional handhelds simply cannot reproduce in the same physical way.

The result is a device that stands apart not because it has the longest specification sheet, but because its hardware is built around a different idea of what a portable gaming console can be.

The post AYN Thor Review: Why Its Dual-Screen Design Makes This Android Handheld Different appeared first on IGeeKphone China Phone, Tablet PC, VR, RC Drone News, Reviews.

Small RC cars often have to make a compromise between portability and driving performance. The ZLL SG616 PRO/MAX takes a different approach, packing four-wheel drive, proportional controls and a relatively aggressive power system into a 1:24-scale chassis.

1:24 scale also changes where the car makes the most sense. Rather than requiring a large dedicated driving area, its compact dimensions make it easier to use on driveways, compact outdoor spaces and other locations where a larger 4WD RC car would be inconvenient.

What makes this model particularly interesting is that buyers can choose between a brushed version and a brushless version. The brushed model is rated for up to 30 km/h, while the brushless configuration raises the claimed top speed to 38 km/h.

A Compact RC Car With Serious Speed

At 208 × 113 × 80 mm, the SG616 is small enough to transport easily, but its specifications are closer to what enthusiasts expect from a performance-oriented RC vehicle than a basic toy-grade car.

The 1:24 scale also changes where the car makes the most sense. Rather than requiring a large dedicated driving area, its compact dimensions make it easier to use on driveways, compact outdoor spaces and other locations where a larger RC truck would be inconvenient.

The 12 mm ground clearance is modest, so the SG616 is not designed to behave like a full-size crawler. Its appeal is instead centered on quick acceleration, directional control and short off-road runs.

Brushed or Brushless: The Important Buying Decision

The biggest difference between the SG616 PRO and MAX configurations is the power system.

The brushed version uses an RC180 motor and has a claimed maximum speed of 30 km/h. The brushless version moves to a 2030 4500KV motor and is rated for up to 38 km/h. Both configurations use an integrated 35A ESC.

That distinction matters because the brushless model is not simply a cosmetic upgrade. Its higher claimed speed makes it more suitable for users who want a faster RC driving experience, while the brushed version may make more sense for someone who values a simpler setup.

The brushless configuration also gets an all-metal driveshaft, giving it a mechanical upgrade beyond the motor itself.

Four-Wheel Drive and Independent Suspension

The SG616 uses a 4WD drivetrain with planetary differential gearing and independent suspension. Combined with a 45-degree steering angle, these features are intended to give the small chassis more flexibility when changing direction or dealing with uneven surfaces.

The car also uses ball bearings throughout, while an aluminum motor heatsink helps manage heat around the power system.

This combination is more important than the headline speed. A fast RC car is only enjoyable when the chassis can translate that power into controllable movement. The SG616’s proportional throttle and four-wheel-drive layout are therefore two of its more meaningful features.

Full-Proportional Control Makes a Difference

The included 2.4GHz transmitter provides four control channels and a claimed control distance of around 80 to 100 meters, depending on the configuration or listing specification.

More importantly, the car supports full-proportional control. Instead of limiting the vehicle to simple forward, reverse and steering commands, proportional control allows the driver to vary throttle input more precisely.

That is useful when moving through tighter spaces. It also gives the SG616 a more controllable feel when approaching corners or transitioning between slower technical driving and high-speed runs.

Battery Life Is Designed Around Short Sessions

The SG616 uses a 7.4V Li-ion battery, with the brushed and brushless versions using 500mAh and 800mAh capacities respectively according to the current listing. Charging takes approximately 1.5 hours, while the advertised running time is around 30 to 40 minutes.

These numbers suggest that the car is better suited to several relatively short driving sessions than continuous long-distance running.

The included USB charging cable also keeps the package straightforward. Buyers receive the car, battery, transmitter, charging cable, manual, spare R-clips and screwdriver, so there is no need to assemble a separate basic control system before getting started.

Designed for Outdoor Driving

The SG616 has several details aimed at reducing the limitations of a compact RC chassis.

Its circuit board and steering servo are listed as waterproof, while the front bumper integrates LED lights for a more distinctive appearance during low-light driving. The 47 mm tires and independent suspension also help the car deal with surfaces that are less predictable than a smooth indoor floor.

However, waterproof electronics should not automatically be interpreted as a license for deep-water driving. The practical advantage is better resistance to splashes and wet conditions rather than treating the car as a fully submersible vehicle.

What Kind of RC Driver Is It For?

The ZLL SG616 PRO/MAX occupies an interesting middle ground.

It is substantially more performance-focused than a basic toy RC car, yet its 1:24 scale keeps it much easier to carry and deploy than a larger hobby-grade truck. The brushless version is particularly notable for its claimed 38 km/h maximum speed, while the proportional controls and 4WD system give the driver more control than a simple entry-level model.

For buyers deciding between the two versions, the choice largely comes down to driving priorities. The brushed model provides a lower-speed configuration, while the brushless model targets users who specifically want more speed and the additional mechanical hardware that comes with that configuration.

Final Takeaway

ZLL SG616 PRO/MAX is interesting because it does not rely on one headline specification. Its appeal comes from how several features work together: a compact 1:24 chassis, 4WD, independent suspension, proportional throttle, 2.4GHz control and two different motor configurations.

The brushless version’s 38 km/h claim is certainly the attention-grabbing number, but the proportional controls, drivetrain design and compact dimensions may ultimately have a greater impact on everyday usability.

For shoppers comparing small off-road RC cars, the SG616 is therefore worth looking at as a performance-focused compact model rather than simply another inexpensive remote-control toy.

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