Launch

Motorola launched two variants of the latest generation of its foldable Android smartphone for the first time in 2023. Now, the more vanilla version of the new Razr has finally joined its flagship counterpart on the United States market. It is touted to come in the same vibrant vegan leather color options, but makes some compromises for a more affordable price-point.

Motorola has introduced its latest Edge smartphone for North America. The Motorola Edge 2023 is available for US$499.99 at launch or CAD$849.99 in Canada.

The HOVERAir X1 was known as the Hover X1 on Indiegogo, where it raised nearly US$2 million by the time its campaign ended. Now, the "pocket-sized flying camera" has gone to retail, albeit not at the same early-bird prices. Then again, it has a US$100 introductory discount on its new sales platform for a limited time.

The Play 50 Plus is Honor's latest affordable-class Android smartphone, yet debuts with the OEM's latest design-language tweaks. It aims for a slim and sleek flat-edge look, yet packs a larger-than-average 6,000mAh battery. It goes well with a sizeable display, although it takes a spec hit to help it start at less than US$200.

Qualcomm has presented initial details about Snapdragon X, its new chipset series aimed at the PC industry. Built around next-generation Oryon CPUs, Snapdragon X is being billed as a 'quantum leap forward in performance and power efficiency', thereby challenging current alternatives from the Apple M, AMD Ryzen and Intel Core series.

The PlayStation 5 has received its first major revision since its launch. It is up to 24% lighter and comes with redesigned face plates and a detachable disk drive.

Intel has officially launched the Arc A580 graphics cards for desktops. It has 24 Xe cores and a TGP of 185 Watts. It is available for purchase now, starting at US$189.

Measuring just 55 x 25.36 mm, the Waveshare ESP32-C6-DEV-KIT-N8 features an ESP32-C6 SoC with support for WiFi 6 in the 2.4 GHz band, Bluetooth 5.0, Zigbee 3.0 and Thread 1.3.

UGREEN touts its new PowerRoam 2200 as its best and most mobile portable power station yet, with a higher capacity and an increased U-Turbo max output setting compared to its predecessor, not to mention its own wheels. The OEM also asserts that the PowerZip charging for its LFP batteries goes as "warp-speed", and that it can keep nearly all home appliances going in an emergency.

The Nikon Rumors website has confirmed prior rumours about the launch of a new Nikon NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 PF lens, likely to take place on or around October 10. It is said to be a relatively lightweight lens for wildlife and sports photography, featuring Nikon’s Phase Fresnel lens element which improves sharpness while keeping size and weight down.

Funtouch OS 14, the latest version of the software for the global versions of Vivo and iQOO smartphones, has been declared ready for stable status today (October 7, 2023). It is, as the name suggests, based on Android 14, and is also rated to be more customizable, secure and performance-focused than ever before. It is slated to roll out, starting with two of the OEM's international flagship devices, soon.

CASETiFY has partnered with Nothing to recreate the latter's signature Glyph lighting system on some of the former's latest cases. However, they are not for the Phone (2), or even the Phone (1), but for the newest top-end iPhone instead. The cases debut alongside the inaugural Nothing x CASETiFY Mini Pouch, which is for the brand's Ear (2) TWS earbuds in that instance.

Samsung has quietly released the Galaxy Tab A9 in select markets, with a rumoured wider release slated within the next few weeks. Starting in South America and the Middle East for now, the Galaxy Tab A9 has an 8.7-inch display, a MediaTek Helio G99 chipset, 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of expandable storage.

OnePlus has finally launched the Pad Go after a series of teasers. Available to order later this month, the OnePlus Pad Go combines an 8,000 mAh battery with a 90 Hz display and up to 256 GB of expandable storage, among other features.

SIGMA has just announced the new 10-18mm F2.8 DC DN, touted as the world’s smallest, lightest ultra-wide APS-C zoom lens for the L-Mount, Sony E-mount and Fujifilm X-Mount. It has also announced development of the new full-frame 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS sports lens. The former will be available on October 26, and the latter in December this year.

Tesla Model 3 Performance orders made shortly before the announcement of the Model 3 Highland refresh have been scheduled for anytime between March and July 2024, indicating the imminent launch of the as-yet unannounced Model 3 Performance Highland refresh.

Samsung has covertly announced its next flagship mobile SoC, the Exynos 2400. Details about its CPU and GPU are scant, but the former is said to be 70% faster than the Exynos 2200.

The new Nukeproof Megawatt Carbon electric mountain bike features SRAM's newly-announced Eagle Powertrain alongside improved suspension dynamics. The Megawatt Carbon will be available in two flavours, starting at US$9,899 with the Megawatt Carbon Pro.

After 7 years, Leica has launched the successor to its Sofort instant camera, the Sofort 2. The Sofort 2 is a hybrid camera – a 5 MP digital camera that can selectively print from its own memory or from a smartphone or other camera, via the Leica FOTOS app. It will be available from November 9, for US$389 or €379.

Huawei has opened orders for the Watch Ultimate Design, an 18K gold version of the Watch Ultimate. Previously known as the Watch Ultimate Gold Edition, the Watch Ultimate Design retails for nearly €3,000, making it one of the most expensive smartwatches around.

Tesla's biggest EV competitor in the US market, The Hyundai Motor Group, will be joining the Supercharger bandwagon in 2024, with NACS becoming the default plug for Hyundai and Kia in 2025. Genesis has yet to make an announcement, but one is likely imminent, given the shared vehicle platforms.

Amazfit has started selling the Active, a mid-range smartwatch with a 1.75-inch AMOLED display. Offered with up to 14 days of battery life, the Amazfit Active also supports GPS services and weighs less than 25 g before a strap is factored in.

Samsung has announced the Galaxy SmartTag2, a replacement for both the Galaxy SmartTag and Galaxy SmartTag+. Available later this month for US$29.99, the Galaxy SmartTag 2 has BLE and UWB connectivity with a redesigned housing and up to 700 days of battery life.

SRAM's Eagle Powertrain is an e-bike battery, motor, and controller setup that aims to make riding an eMTB a seamless experience. The 250 W (nominal) system comes with two ride modes and is compatible with 630 Wh or 720 Wh battery units from Brose.

Google asserts that its computational photo and video upgrades for the Pixel 8 series are as powerful as those of its camera hardware upgrades. The Redmond giant has unveiled new editing tweaks that work on the vanilla 8 as well as the 8 Pro such as Audio Magic Eraser; then again, the new Video Boost with Night Sight and new Pro mode are only available on the higher-end model.

Google has re-released its flagship TWS earbuds in new colorways to mark its latest major product event. The Pixel Buds Pro will also soon upgrade to the Redmond giant's Clear Calling feature, and will also start optimizing latency in gaming soon. Then again, these new features are compatible with the new Pixel 8 and 8 Pro smartphones.

Xiaomi has made the Smart Band 8 Active available to order globally, shortly after it released the Smart Band 8 outside China. Available for under US$20 in the US, the Smart Band 8 Active has a 1.47-inch display, up to 14 days of battery life and is available in multiple colour options.

Volvo's first compact electric SUV is landing in the US at a downright affordable US$34,950 in early 2024. It will be offered in five different trims, starting with the Single Motor Extended Range Core trim and topping out at US$46,600 for the Twin Motor Performance AWD Ultra trim.

Samsung has introduced the Galaxy Buds FE, a cheaper alternative to the likes of the Galaxy Buds2 Pro. While Samsung's first Fan Edition earbuds start at under US$100, they retain ANC, Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity and 30 hours of battery life with their charging case factored in.

The Moaan inkPalm 5 Pro is Xiaomi's latest E-reader. Equipped with a 5.2-inch E Ink display, the Moaan inkPalm 5 Pro runs Android, has 64 GB of built-in storage and 24 colour temperature stages, among other features.

Samsung has introduced the Galaxy Tab S9 FE and Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus, both successors of sorts to the Galaxy Tab S7 FE. The Galaxy Tab S9 FE series starts at US$449, putting it squarely in mid-range territory.

Samsung has finally replaced the Galaxy S21 FE after an 18-month tenure. In its place arrives the Galaxy S23 FE, a 6.4-inch handset powered by an Exynos chipset in some markets and a Snapdragon equivalent in others. The Galaxy S23 FE starts at US$599 in the US, with a 256 GB of storage variant available for US$659.

Ford's new F-150 Lightning Flash trim will come standard with 320 miles of range and a 15.5-inch touchscreen infotainment display, with premium tech options filtering down to the US$69,995 trim. Starting in 2024, Ford will also equip all F-150 Lightning units with a battery heat pump for a cold-weather range boost.

Nokia has released a Limited Edition of its XR21 to celebrate the fact that it now sells smartphones manufactured in Europe. The new version of the rugged Android device has an exclusive colorway and will come with custom engraving. It will also come in a potentially collectable retail box, and will be more expensive than the standard variant.

Rivian's R1S electric SUV is now available with the Max pack battery option in the online vehicle configurator, which bumps the maximum range of the EV up from 352 miles (~566.5 km) to 400 miles (~643.7 km). The Max pack is still unavailable for the top-end Quad-Motor AWD variant of the R1S.

The Poly Voyager Surround 85 UC are new Bluetooth headphones that the user can charge simply by placing them on their custom stand. It is powered by NuCurrent NuSync technology to power up via a "unique" near-field communication (NFC) system. The Surround 85 UC headset also supports adaptive ANC and is rated for up to 21 hours of use.

Acer Chromebooks have gone Plus for the first time with the series' latest 514 and 515 variants. The former has a 14-inch WUXGA display driven by a Ryzen 5 7000-series platform, whereas the latter has either 12th- or 13th-gen Intel processors for the potential to 2x the average Chrome OS productivity experience. The OEM asserts that they will deliver a workload capacity enhanced with "AI-powered Google and Adobe features".

GameForce is now selling the ACE and Indie, two gaming handhelds built around 5.5-inch displays. Equipped with the Rockchip RK3588S and Rockchip RK3566, respectively, the pair have hall effect joysticks and run Android 12 via LineageOS 19.

Beyerdynamic is extending its foray into gaming audio with the launch of the MMX 200 wireless, its first wireless gaming headphone, featuring a closed-back design, a transparency mode, low-latency with USB-C dongle, and a detachable boom mic. Its 35 hour battery life and foam-filled faux leather earcups are ideal for long gaming sessions. The MMX 200 is on sale now for US$249.

OPPO's latest clamshell foldable Android smartphone will be available in international markets soon, according to some of the OEM's new teasers. They include a post confirming that the Find N3 Flip is coming to India soon, although the "trendsetter in tech esthetics" will launch in Indonesia beforehand.

Peopoly has launched the Magneto X 3D desktop FDM printer which replaces a conventional belt and pulley system with its proprietary magnetic linear motor system, delivering high precision and print speeds, and making it the first desktop printer to feature this technology. The Magneto X is launched at an introductory price of US$1399, and a US$1999 retail price.

The Minisforum BD770i features an 8-core AMD Ryzen 7 7745HX mobile CPU paired with dual-channel DDR5 memory and two PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots. Additionally, users have the option to add discrete graphics thanks to the PCIe 5.0 x16 slot.

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has now opened pre-orders for the Raspberry Pi 5, a single-board computer powered by a Broadcom BCM2712 chipset. Initial benchmarks suggest that the Raspberry Pi 5 handily outperforms its predecessor, but not necessarily the likes of the Orange Pi 5.

Shure has just launched the SM7dB XLR microphone, an updated version of the iconic SM7B that improves upon its gain-hungry predecessor with a built-in preamp for up to +28 dB boost in the output signal. The SM7dB remains unchanged in terms of its design, signature sound and EQ controls, and at US$499, costs US$100 more.

Honda appears to be entering the electric SUV space with an SUV that will slot in next to the Honda Passport. The Prologue will start in the “upper US$40,000s,” and it will be available with 21-inch wheels and an AWD drive train with 288 hp.

Sony has announced three new wireless microphones aimed at content creators. The ECM-W3 and ECM-W3S are designed for vlogging and interviews, with discreet, clippable transmitters, and cost US$470 and US$350 respectively. The ECM-S1 is a wireless desktop mic costing US$420. All three feature digital noise reduction, and start shipping in late October.

Qualcomm has introduced a first-gen Snapdragon AR1 Platform alongside its Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2, the former of which is specifically intended for the smart glasses and other augmented reality (AR) hardware of the near future. The latter, on the other hand, will power more virtual reality (VR) -focused headsets such as the Meta Quest 3.