Launch

Kawasaki's faired Ninja e-1 and naked Z e-1 electric motorcycles have been more or less fully unveiled. While they bear the classic aggressive Ninja styling, the performance is a let-down for anyone expecting anything more than a 125 cc competitor.

Audi has upgraded the Q4 e-tron electric compact SUV for the 2024 model year to more closely resemble its goal of a do-it-all EV. Thanks to upgraded rear motors, the latest Q4 e-tron has more range, more power, and upgraded suspension for a sportier ride.

OnePlus has announced a new version of its flagship TWS earbuds for the European market. The 2Rs have most of the same specs as their premium counterparts, which include wide-band active noise cancellation (ANC), LHDC codec support and up to 39 hours of battery life. Then again, OnePlus might have factored the discounts that make the original Buds Pro 2 a better deal into their pricing.

The Tecno Phantom V Flip is one of the cheapest clamshell foldables around, following the release of the Motorola Razr 40 earlier this year. Eventually available in Europe, the handset will arrive first in India, where Tecno has priced it at INR 49,999 (~US$601).

Xiaomi has begun offering the Redmi Buds 5, a pair of earbuds that retails for CNY 199 (~US$27) in China. Available in three colours, the Xiaomi Redmi Buds 5 has ANC, 8 hours of battery life with the technology activated and Bluetooth Multipoint, among other features.

Microsoft advertises the new Surface Go 4 as being exclusively for businesses. However, the new 2-in-1 is available to order freely in multiple countries, including the US. The Surface Go 4 starts at US$579.99 with Intel Processor N200, 8 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage.

Microsoft has updated its flagship laptop and 2-in-1 machine. Available as the Surface Laptop Studio 2, the new device comes with Intel Raptor Lake-H processors, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series GPUs and an updated trackpad. The Surface Laptop Studio 2 starts at US$1,999.99 but US$2,399.99 for a version with a dedicated GPU.

Microsoft has refreshed its Surface Laptop Go series, which is now on its third generation. The Surface Laptop Go 3 is still missing a backlit keyboard and retains the same I/O as its predecessor. Microsoft equips the new Surface Laptop Go with an Intel Core i5-1235U processor, plus up to 512 GB of storage and 16 GB of RAM.

Soundcore asserts that its latest portable Bluetooth speakers are tough enough to be thrown into a bag and accompany the user at a barbeque or bonfire. One might indeed be inclined to keep the Motion 100 or 300 around at all times due to their support of the LDAC codec, not to mention "wireless Hi-Res audio". They also boast at least 12 hours of maximum battery life and a "premium" appearance.

NIO has confirmed that it has made its own smartphone for fans of its premium automotive experience. The inaugural Phone is equipped with some high-end features to match those from the Samsung Galaxy S series and even the newest iPhones, although they are geared for close integration with first-party cars in this case.

David Brown Automotive has announced its Mini eMastered as a custom production electric Mini Conversion with a 0-60 time of just 8.5 seconds. The bespoke restomod aims to modernise the drive train but keep the spirit that made the Mini special.

Bambu Lab has just launched the A1 mini, a compact, entry-level, multicolor 3D printer packed with state-of-the-art features, including auto bed leveling, active vibration and flow-rate compensation, motor noise cancellation, tool-less swappable nozzle and a monitoring camera. The new AMS lite system automates filament loading with 4 spools at a time. The A1 mini is priced at an attractive US$459, or US$299 without the AMS lite, and will be available from mid-October.

Xiaomi has revealed the Redmi Note 13 5G in China, where it starts for just CNY 1,099 (~US$151). Equipped with a bright AMOLED display, the Redmi Note 13 5G also has a 108 MP primary camera, a 5,000 mAh battery and a modern MediaTek Dimensity chipset, among other features.

Xiaomi has launched the Redmi Note 13 Pro in China, its mid-tier offering between the Redmi Note 13 5G and Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus. The Redmi Note 13 Pro features some of the same hardware as its Pro Plus sibling but in a cheaper overall package that also houses Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset.

The newly launched Instax Pal is a tiny, palm-sized camera without screen or viewfinder, and a playful design aimed at younger customers. It’s also the first all-digital Instax camera, and must be paired with an Instax printer to actually get prints. A mobile app allows editing photos before printing. The Instax Pal will come bundled with the mini Link 2 printer for US$200 in late October.

Xiaomi has presented the Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus, the premier model in its new Redmi Note 13 series. Featuring plenty of changes from last year's model, the Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus has a curved display, IP68 certification and 120 W fast charging capabilities, all for CNY 1,899 (~US$261) in China.

ONYX is finally selling the BOOX Palma freely, a 159 x 80 x 8 mm and 170 g E-reader with a 6.13-inch display. Available in black or white finishes, the ONYX BOOX Palma can access the Google Play Store through Android 11, which it supports with an octa-core Qualcomm chipset, 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of expandable storage.

Amazon just unveiled the third generation Echo Show 8 at its launch event yesterday. The smart speaker now features spatial immersive audio and room adaptation, and its 8” screen features proximity-based Adaptive Content for maximum legibility. It can now connect with Zigbee, Sidewalk, Thread, Bluetooth, and Matter compatible devices. The new Echo Show can be pre-ordered for US$150 and will begin shipping on October 25.

Black Shark - which started out as Xiaomi's gaming smartphone division - has heralded its "new gaming era" with the Green Ghost controller. It boasts ALPS joysticks for enhanced "durability" and "2,000-level accuracy". It has been joined by a new smartwatch, open-ear earbuds and a new MagCooler 3 Pro in the brand's updated web-store.

EE has announced plans to bring Wi-Fi 7 routers powered by Qualcomm to the UK market soon. The carrier asserts that its residential broadband customers will be among the first on Earth to access such potential speeds thanks to the new devices. The partners are also confident that the upgrade will improve the service in general.

Qualcomm has announced that it will partner the US broadband company Charter to deliver a new router for the latter's Spectrum Advanced WiFi service. It is rated to deliver 10 gigabit per second (Gb/s) wired speeds as well as Wi-Fi 7 to the customers that upgrade to it, while still supporting features such as the My Spectrum App and Security Shield.

Qualcomm asserts that it will unlock next-gen broadband speeds with its new 10G Fiber Platform. It is designed to become the basis of next-gen service access devices capable of using 10 gigabit (10Gb) cables to unleash Wi-Fi 7 speeds within the home. It also features Qualcomm's Service Defined Wi-Fi technology, a feature touted to make the gateway in question as custom as possible.

Samsung has introduced the Galaxy Watch6 Classic PXG Edition, the fourth special edition version of the Galaxy Watch6 series. The PXG Edition is available in 43 mm and 47 mm variants, but only in South Korea for now.

The Teclast P85T is an 8-inch tablet powered by an Allwinner A523 chipset, 4 GB of RAM and a 5,000 mAh battery. Available for US$79.99, the Teclast P85T ships with Android 13 and can be purchased with a first-party folio case.

The Garmin Vivoactive 5 GPS smartwatch is now available in various markets, including North America and Europe. The 42.2 mm (~1.7-in) wide device has a 1.2-in AMOLED display and can last up to 11 days with typical use. Other features include Morning Report, Body Battery energy monitoring and Garmin Pay contactless payments.

An EXPEED 7 processor and 24.5 MP BSI sensor with 8.0-stop, five-axis IBIS meet to produce a retro camera with promising specifications and features for photography and videography alike. Dual card slots also give the Zf redundant storage, while an array of colours adds even more personality to the package.

In another case of interesting smartphones with limited regional availability, Honor has announced a new version of its X40 GT. The Android smartphone's new Racing Edition can now be reserved in new colorways and with more RAM than the original. On the other hand, a next-gen version might be on the way.

Measuring only 175 x 175 x 44.2 mm, the ASUS ExpertCenter PB63 mini PCs pack quite a punch for their size. Users can opt for a top-of-the-line Core i9-13900 processor and pair it with DDR5 RAM and up to three storage devices.

Garmin has released the Tactix 7 AMOLED, a model that slots in below the Pro Ballistics edition at US$1,399.99. The Garmin Tactix 7 AMOLED is available to order now but only as a 51 mm smartwatch.

Lofree asserts that its latest product is "extremely thin" compared to the average "all aluminum" mechanical keyboard. Nevertheless, it still accommodates "highly acclaimed" Full POM switches from Kailh that are, moreover, hot-swappable and paired to custom keycap layouts. The Flow also integrates an "innovative" Gasket Mount system and can be used in wired or wireless modes.

Honor has now released the V Purse in China, a wraparound foldable that the company originally billed as a prototype. The Honor V Purse starts at CNY 5,999 (~US$826) with 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, but only comes with the outdated Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G chipset.

Although it uses the Unisoc Tiger T606 processor, which arrived in 2019, the Oscal Pad 15 is a new tablet that ships loaded with Android 13-based software. Its highlights include a generous 8,280 mAh battery, a pair of 13/16 MP cameras, as well as 256 GB storage space. Early bird prices start at US$149.99.

The Cubot Tab 40 is a budget tablet based around a Unisoc Tiger T616 chipset and a 10.4-inch display. Available now for as little as US$109.99, the Cubot Tab 40 also has 8 GB of RAM and comes pre-installed with Android 13.

Blackmagic Design has launched its first full-frame camera, the Cinema Camera 6K, in a portable form factor. This is also its first L-mount camera, enabling use of lenses from Leica, Panasonic and Sigma. Its full frame 6K sensor can shoot most popular cinematic aspect ratios, at 36 fps in 6K or 120 fps in 1080 HD. The Cinema Camera 6K is available now for US$2,595.

Optoma asserts that its latest 4K projector offers just about all the advantages of its predecessor in a package reduced in size by 34%. These potential benefits include a 240Hz/1080p "ultra-low" latency Gaming Mode, "flexible" short-throw technology and HDMI 2.0. The UHZ35ST also boasts eco-friendly features such as the potential for energy-efficient use and a 50% post-consumer recyclable plastic chassis.

The Magellan 5 is a new E-reader from ONYX BOOX with a 6-inch display and a 3,000 mAh battery. The ONYX BOOX Magellan 5 also runs Android 11 and is available for US$179.99.

Oukitel asserts that its latest device proves that "Camo is the New Fashion" among rugged smartphones. The WP27 does indeed strive to stand out with its new colorway, and also offers a 120Hz display, 12GB of RAM and Android 13, albeit with a 4G/LTE-only SoC. It is available at just US$159.99 for a limited time to celebrate its launch.

ASUS has unleashed the TUF Gaming VG249QL3A, a 23.8-inch gaming monitor that relies on a Fast IPS panel. According to ASUS, the TUF Gaming VG249QL3A delivers a 180 Hz refresh rate with 1 ms response times, as well as a 1080p resolution and 350 nits peak brightness.

Acer has launched the Nitro XV282K V3, a new mid-sized gaming monitor with a 4K resolution and 150 Hz refresh rate. Available now in the US, the gaming monitor also has modern I/O and retails for less than US$450.

OPPO has unleashed a new round camera hump device on the Android smartphone market. However, despite this resemblance to the Find X6 flagship series, the A2 Pro has a mid-range MediaTek chipset and dual rear cameras. Nevertheless, it boasts a 120Hz display, up to 12GB of RAM and a vegan leather finish option.

Acer has released the Nitro XZ320QK P3, a US$499.99 gaming monitor with a 4K resolution and a 165 Hz refresh rate. The Nitro XZ320QK P3 also has a 1500R curvature, modern I/O and good colour accuracy, among other features.

Samsung has presented the W24 and W24 Flip, both higher-end alternatives to the Galaxy Z Fold5 and Galaxy Z Flip5. Not only has Samsung equipped the W24 series with more RAM and storage than their Galaxy Z counterparts, but they also have more robust ceramic back panels to boot.

ARM has now successfully implemented its initial public offering (IPO), said to have inflated its stock price by 10% right from the start of trading. Big names in tech such as Samsung, Intel, AMD and MediaTek are projected to become significantly invested in the offering, now hailed as the largest of its kind in the last few years.

Infinix has now unleashed a new version of its Note 30 Android smartphone. The OEM has partnered with the BMW division Designworks to produce a motorsport-inspired finish for VIP Racing Edition. It incorporates 3D Lighting Leather for a new kind of notification light system.

Rivian R1T owners are reporting a drastic improvement in ride quality thanks to the latest 2023.34.0 software update. Aside from some handy new ADAS features, they say that their electric pickup trucks now handle small bumps and handling manoeuvres with much more composure.

Qualcomm has unveiled the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2, a new 4 nm chipset that will debut next week in the Redmi Note 13 Pro. Surprisingly, it appears that the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 is the weakest Snapdragon 7 series chipset yet since Qualcomm's naming re-brand.

Bose's new flagship TWS earbuds are now officially Ultra as well as QuietComfort-series flagships. They are rated for the same high-end specs as their Headphone counterparts - first-gen Immersive Audio included - just in a TWS IPX4-rated package. Then again, potential customers may find their battery life does not match up to their sky-high pricing.

Bose has finally confirmed that its new top-end QuietComfort headphones are Ultra for the first time. They have also launched with first-gen Immersive Audio, the iconic brand's take on spatial audio. The Ultra Headphones also boast noise cancellation and up-to-date internals.

At just 170 x 125 x 50 mm, the HUNSN BM34 punches above its weight thanks to the extensive connectivity and storage interfaces it offers, while the Intel N100 CPU helps keep the price down.