Launch

Ulefone touts its Armor 24 as a rugged smartphone that doubles as its own emergency lighting system thanks to its large rear-mounted LED rated for up to 1,000 lumens of brightness. It also serves to eclipse the smartphone's very well-worn 4G/LTE-only SoC - then again, the platform drives a more or less up-to-date display and runs an Android 13-based OS.

The latest addition to Nikon's growing Z-mount lens line-up comes by way of the Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena — a portrait lens that promises creamy bokeh and lightning-fast autofocus performance in a full-metal barrel at a premium price.

Kioxia has announced that its latest product for smart home and mobile devices upgrades to the latest 5.1 standard for the eMMC storage of its category. The new BiCS-series memory is rated to achieve up to 2.7 times the performance of its predecessor, and is touted to be more user-friendly and to integrate better with other components.

LAVA Music has launched its new LAVA ME 4 lineup of 'smart' acoustic-electric guitars, featuring a powerful new DSP system running onboard effects. The new OS has new apps for online jamming, interactive learning, 24-bit recording and new effects presets. Also new is a truss rod for adjusting string height, longer battery life and a pair of wireless foot pedals. The guitars come in carbon fiber, spruce-top and laminate body versions and a range of colors, and are priced from US$399 to US$999.

Lenovo has introduced an upgraded ThinkCentre M90a Pro Gen 4 AIO PC featuring up to Intel 13th gen Core i9 vPro and optional Nvidia RTX 4050 Laptop GPU. The AIO boasts several security features including human presence detection via a radar module embedded in the webcam.

Already seven times over its Kickstarter goal and with almost two months left to the end of the crowdfunding campaign, the Dynamic Scooter Model B aims to redefine commuting with a foldable design, 15 mph top speed, and up to 12 miles range. Shipping in December, its MSRP is US$450, but 48 units at US$249 are still available.

AOC has presented the AGON CG27G2S/BK, a 27-inch gaming monitor with a curved VA panel. Available later this month for under £250, the AOC AGON CG27G2S/BK has a 1500R curvature, 4 ms response times GtG and a 165 Hz refresh rate.

The CMF Watch Pro has debuted as Nothing's first smartwatch. Arriving alongside other CMF-branded products, the Watch Pro has an AMOLED display set within a squircle housing, long battery life and various modern features.

Nothing’s new sub-brand CMF has just launched the Buds Pro TWS earbuds (alongside a smartwatch and a GaN charger) for INR3,499 (~US$42). The budget earbuds feature ANC, transparency mode, Bluetooth 5.3 with fast pair, IP54 rating and 11 hours (or 6.5 hours with ANC) of battery life with Fast Charge support. The CMF Buds Pro are available for pre-order in India.

Mitsubishi is apparently banking on the fame it earned in the 80s and 90s with the Delica 4×4 van that has become so popular for camper conversions and overland builds. Details are scarce, but Mitsubishi teased a new six-seater electric adventure-ready model that is set to debut at the Japan Mobility Show 2023 in October.

Xiaomi has launched the Smart Band 8 in Europe, following its unveiling in China earlier this year. The gadget can track your health with exercise monitoring and heart rate and blood oxygen level sensors. Plus, a range of accessories allows you to wear the watch as a pendant or attach it to your trainer.

The Xiaomi 13T combines a MediaTek Dimensity 8200 Ultra chipset with a 144 Hz AMOLED display, a 5,000 mAh battery and a 50 MP primary camera with OIS. With promised OS updates until Android 17, security patch updates until 2028 and a €649 MSRP, the Xiaomi 13T is well-placed to take on most contemporary smartphones.

The Xiaomi 13T Pro has now arrived globally, as have the Xiaomi 13T, Watch 2 Pro and Smart Band 8. Equipped with a 144 Hz AMOLED display and a MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ SoC, the Xiaomi 13T Pro is also available with 1 TB of storage and 16 GB of RAM.

Xiaomi has now presented the Watch 2 Pro, its first smartwatch since the Mi Watch in 2019. The Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro has a Snapdragon W5 Plus Gen 1 chipset, a 1.43-inch AMOLED display and optional LTE. Available from €269.99, the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro is cheaper than its competitors, whether that be the Galaxy Watch6 and TicWatch Pro 5 or the forthcoming Pixel Watch 2.

GMKtec is now selling the NucBox M3, an Intel Alder Lake-H powered mini-PC with up to 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage. Measuring approximately 114 x 106 x 42 mm, the NucBox M3 also has various expansion options and more ports than contemporary laptops.

Nissan will only release electric vehicles in Europe, going forward, and the brand aims to completely phase out ICE vehicles by 2030. To usher in the company's EV era, it unveiled a track-focussed electric hot hatch concept called Concept 20-23.

LG has entered the niche market of laptops with foldable displays. Joining the ranks of ASUS, HP and Lenovo, the LG Gram Fold is a 17-inch tablet by default that can be folded to use as a 12.3-inch laptop. Billed as catering to five use cases, the LG Gram Fold has a modern Intel Raptor Lake processor and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity.

Huawei has formally unveiled its latest FreeBuds Pro-series TWS earbuds as part of its major Autumn 2023 product event in China. The in-house Kirin A2 chip is touted to confer industry-first "super-CD-level lossless transmission" on the accessories. The Pro 3s are also rated to support LDAC as well as Huawei's own L2HC codec for around US$200.

Huawei has bid goodbye to its Porsche Design partnership. In its place arrives 'Ultimate Design', a new brand that the company has debuted with the Mate 60 RS. Equipped with Kunlun Glass 2 and a ceramic back, the Mate 60 RS also retains all of the flagship features of the Mate 60 Pro and Mate 60 Pro Plus.

Huawei has now released the MatePad Pro 13.2, its latest flagship tablet. Available with a 3:2 OLED display, the MatePad Pro 13.2 also has a large battery and an impressive display within an ultra-thin and lightweight housing.

Samsung has now introduced the Galaxy A05 and Galaxy A05s, two successors to the Galaxy A04. Arriving with different SoCs and display resolutions, the pair share 5,000 mAh batteries, 6 GB of RAM, 128 GB of expandable storage and 50 MP primary cameras.

DJI has introduced the Mini 4 Pro, a follow-up to last year's Mini 3 Pro. Equipped with the same 48 MP and 1/1.3-inch CMOS camera as its predecessor, the Mini 4 Pro adds superior obstacle sensing, true vertical shooting and OcuSync 4 technology, among other changes.

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.