Geely‘s sub-brand Farizon Auto has unveiled its SuperVan commercial EV with a high-voltage swappable battery. The Farizon SuperVan also features a Methanol Range Extender and uses drive-by-wire technology. The Farizon Auto SuperVan can output up to 10kW of 220V AC power for outdoor electricity use. The SuperVan is a great camping vehicle and has a pillarless side opening. The van’s versatility means that it can be configured for multiple purposes. Its drive-by-wire architecture eliminates the physical connection between the driver controls and the wheels. Rather than a mechanical connection between the brake pedal and calipers, a wire is in place as a link. The wire technology is also applied to the steering and acceleration system of the van. The body of the SuperVan can be detached from its rolling chassis, allowing the EV to be easily adaptable to having a longer or short wheelbase, different types of suspension, and different steering configurations. The Farizon Auto SuperVan is termed a New Energy Vehicle (NEV) and it also comes with adaptive cruise control, city and highway auxiliary driving, and an intelligent speed limit assistant. The SuperVan also supports fatigue monitoring and the driver can have a 360-degree digital panoramic view from the cockpit. The Farizon Auto SuperVan delivers intelligent power charging, scheduled charging, and digital key functionality. Certain features of the NEV can be controlled via its companion mobile app. There are still important details lacking for the SuperVan but the optics so far have been promising. More details are expected from Farizon Auto as the release of the SuperVan is awaited.
Samsung traditionally conducts its first Galaxy Unpacked event of the year in February. The event sees the arrival of the new generation of Galaxy S flagship phones. Although we are several months away from the South Korean brand’s next-generation Galaxy S24 series, the rumour mill has been consistently spilling out information about the devices. Now the potential launch timeline of Samsung’s first Unpacked event for 2024 has been tipped. Samsung Galaxy S24 series launch timeline tipped As per reliable tipster Ice Universe on Chinese microblogging site Weibo, Samsung may hold its Galaxy Unpacked event earlier than usual next year. The launch date is tipped to be January 18. This means that the Galaxy S24 series will arrive earlier. Ice Universe adds that the date may not be accurate but the South Korean brand is most likely to announce the next-generation flagships around that time frame. The last time Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event was in January was in 2021 which saw the debut of the Galaxy S21 series. An early launch means that Samsung’s next-generation Galaxy S24 lineup will compete against the flagships offered by brands like Vivo, Xiaomi, and OnePlus that usually announce after the launch of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipset in October or November. The S24 lineup will also help Samsung counter the strong demand for Apple’s iPhone 15 series. Meanwhile, apart from the Galaxy S24’s launch in January, Samsung is widely expected to launch Fan Edition devices of its smartphone, tablet, and TWS earbuds. They have been a lot of news lately with an imminent launch expected in the coming weeks
Apple‘s newly launched iPhone 15 Pro Max has been in the headlines recently due to its severe overheating issues. Although Apple is probably working on a solution, the smartphone has outperformed nearly all its rivals in DxOMark’s camera test. It’s worth noting that it’s come in second place overall, just behind the Huawei P60 Pro. Nevertheless, the iPhone 15 Pro Max stands out as the top performer in certain camera categories. iPhone 15 Pro Max camera system: Pros and Cons As per the DxOMark test results, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is really good at making photos look bright and vibrant, especially on HDR screens. Even in low-light situations, it manages to keep photos well-balanced and not too dark or too bright. The colors, especially when it comes to skin tones, look nice and natural. When there’s plenty of light, it captures lots of detail, so you can see things clearly. The autofocus is quick and accurate, ensuring sharp pictures. Plus, it helps make videos look steady. On the downside, in low-light conditions, you might notice some graininess in the photos, which can be disappointing. Occasionally, there are unwanted things like weird glares or double images in the photos. It does well in good light, but when there’s a big difference between bright and dark parts of a scene, it might struggle a bit. Also, the level of detail can vary when you zoom in, which might not meet your expectations. iPhone 15 Pro Max final scores With all that being said, the iPhone 15 Pro Max with 154 points has performed considerably better compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max which is currently sitting in the 9th position with 146 points. Although the iPhone 15 Pro Max wasn’t able to surpass the Huawei P60 Pro, it has taken the crown in terms of Bokeh mode and Video.
Audi has introduced several upgrades to its new 2024 Audi Q4 e-tron. Audi’s e-tron electric compact SUVs have had a successful run in 2023. The company is building upon that momentum with the announcement of the 2024 version of the model. It comes with upgraded rear motors that promise to deliver more power and range for the lineup. The demand for electric SUVs and crossovers have been rising across several markets. The 2023 H1 Q4 e-tron sales increased by 51.2%, according to Audi. The 2024 model comes with a new permanently excited synchronous motor on the rear axle. It compact electric SUV has a 77kWh battery that has a range of 349 miles (562km), higher than that of the previous model. It will also come with increased efficiency above its predecessor. It is not yet known how many trims will be available for the 2024 Q4 e-tron. It is however likely to have a 45 with RWD or Quattro, as well as a 55 quattro. Regular or Sportback designs will also be available for the 2024 Q4 e-tron. The new model can deliver up to 250kW but the motor output is identical across both design versions. The Sportback version of the Audi Q4 e-tron has a more aerodynamic design for greater range efficiency across all trim levels. The 2024 Audi Q4 e-tron can go from 0 to 100km/h in 6.7/ 6.2 seconds for the RWD 45/ Quattro versions. The 55 version of the model however achieves a faster acceleration, reaching 100km/h in just 5.4 seconds. The adaptive cruise control onboard the e-tron now supports lane-change assist at on-highway speed. The model offers greater handling, comfort, and stability with several improvements from the 2023 model. The 2024 Audi Q4 e-tron will be available from September 26 at a starting price of about $56,430. More optics of the 2024 Q4 e-tron will be out at the official release.
The Xiaomi 14 series is rumored to launch in November. The company’s next-gen flagship smartphones are expected to be the first devices to house a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip. These phones will be accompanied by other products. One of them will likely be MIUI 15, the next iteration of Xiaomi’s mobile software based on Android. We have been hearing about it for months, just like the phones. The latest findings reveal that the software has hit the stable channel for internal tests. According to Xiaomiui, MIUI 15 stable builds are ready for internal test purposes. The publication has spotted builds for several unreleased devices. Some of these builds are also live in multiple regional flavors, such as ‘Globa’l, ‘EEA’, and ‘India’, in addition to ‘China. Currently, MIUI 15 stable is ready for five products. Xiaomiui suggests their names to be following based on build numbers. Two of the aforementioned Redmi K70 models are expected to be released as Poco F6 and Poco F6 Pro in international markets. Thus, the MIUI 15 stable builds for these handsets are live for China, Global, EEA, and India. While the Xiaomi 14 series builds are only ready for EEA and China. These findings don’t reveal any features of the software. But they confirm the imminent release of MIUI 15.
The Redmi Note 13 series recently made its debut in China. These phones are expected to be released in global markets under Redmi and Poco brands across different markets. According to new findings, one of them could be slightly different and be sold as Poco X6 5G. Let’s check out everything that’s known about this device. According to Xiaomiui, a Poco-branded smartphone with model numbers 2312DRAF3G (Global) and 2312DRAF3I (India) is listed in the IMEI database. As per the first four digits of model numbers, it will be launched in December or later. This handset is codenamed iron_p and could be called Poco X6 5G. It will be almost identical to the Redmi Note 13, which is codenamed gold. MIUI code suggests that this so-called Poco X6 5G will sport a 64MP primary camera instead of a 108MP shooter found on the Redmi Note 13. This makes the Poco device the same as the Redmi Note 13R Pro that leaked recently. So based on the details available so far, the Redmi Note 13 with a 64MP camera will be sold as Redmi Note 13R Pro in China. While in international markets, it could be known by Poco X6 5G with some cosmetic changes. The Poco X6 5G is expected to come with a MediaTek Dimensity 6080 chip, a 6.67-inch 120Hz OLED display, a 5,000mAh battery, and 33W charging support.
The Redmi Note 12 5G made its debut in India in January alongside the Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G and Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus 5G. The device was later followed by the 4G-only Redmi Note 12 in late March as the most affordable model in the lineup. Almost six months after its release, the cheaper Redmi Note 12 received a price cut in the country recently. The product is now also available on yet another online retailer, in addition to the original two. Xiaomi India has silently reduced the price of Redmi Note 12 by ₹2,000. Thus, the phone’s 6GB + 64GB and 6GB + 128GB variants now retail at ₹12,999 and ₹14,999, respectively. In addition to dropping the price, Xiaomi has also made the Redmi Note 12 available via Amazon. Originally, in the online space, the device was sold only via Mi.com and Flipkart. Buyers can pick up the handset in either Ice Blue, Lunar Black, or Sunrise Gold color options. They can even avail of a ₹1,000 discount on transactions through credit cards issued by select banks. As far as specs are concerned, the Redmi Note 12 arrives with a 6.67-inch FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 685 chip, a 50MP rear camera, a 13MP selfie camera, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, a 5,000mAh battery, and 33W charging support.
Are you tired of waiting for Spotify‘s long-promised HiFi tier? Well, new clues suggest it may be closer to reality than ever. A Reddit user has dived deep into Spotify’s app code and unveiled the possibility of a “Supremium” tier, which aims to provide 24-bit Lossless music, touted to be free from “lag and delays.” An AI feature in the new tier can probably recommend new music and patterns While the details remain speculative, what we know is pretty intriguing. Imagine being able to sort your playlists by “danceability” or customizing them based on tempo and key. Sounds fun, right? That’s not all. The tier might also offer smooth transitions between tracks, nixing those awkward moments of silence, and introduce mood-based or genre-specific filtering options. Here’s the kicker: AI-driven playlists and a feature called “Soundcheck” could be on the cards. Think of Soundcheck as a combination of Spotify Wrapped and Daily Mixes, essentially giving you insights into your listening habits and personalized music recommendations. Wait, audiobook lovers, you’re in luck as well. Supremium could potentially offer 30 hours of audiobooks each month, a feature bound to shake up how you consume content on the platform. As for the cost, Supremium is currently tagged at $20 per month, more expensive than any existing Spotify Premium plans, but in line with Tidal’s 24-bit HiFi Plus offering. The price, of course, is subject to change if and when this becomes official.
Bose has now unveiled its Quiet Comfort lineup of noise-canceling headphones in the Chinese market. This comes on the heels of the earlier release of the headphones for the global market. The new Bose headphones support immersive spatial audio for excellent spatial processing. The Bose Quiet Comfort series of headphones include the Bose QC noise-canceling earbuds Ultra, QC head-mounted noise-canceling headphones, and QC head-mounted noise-canceling headphones Ultra. The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra features an onboard IMU and digital signal processing software developed by Bose. This helps to deliver an optimal sound effect. The noise-canceling headphones support the latest smart in-ear sound field synchronization technology. It also has an audio-visual synchronization technology. The headphones have a battery life of up to 24 hours and support Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. The QC noise-canceling Ultra headphones weigh 252g and are compatible with Snapdragon Listen technology. The Quiet Comfort headphones support noise cancellation and offer a transparency mode. They weigh 240g and have a battery life of about 24 hours like the QC Ultra. Unlike the QC Ultra which supports Bluetooth 5.3, the QC noise-canceling headphones support Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity. The QC noise-canceling earbuds Ultra has a responsive touch function, intelligent in-ear sound field adjustment, and an IPX4 waterproof rating. It offers up to 4 hours of playback with immersive audio active and 6 hours when immersive audio is off. The Bose QC noise-canceling earbuds are the cheapest of the trio and are priced at 2,299 yuan (~$315). The QC noise-canceling headphones Ultra is the most expensive at 3,599 yuan (~$493). The new Bose Quiet Comfort noise-canceling products are available from retail platforms in China including JD.com
It’s been many months since the Xiaomi 13 series debuted and there is still some time before the Xiaomi 14 smartphones are unveiled. However, it’s about time for the company’s premium mid-range Xiaomi 13T series. This new lineup includes the Xiaomi 13T and Xiaomi 13T Pro, both of which are confirmed to launch on September 25th in an event taking place in Berlin. Both models will bring solid specifications for the price but the Pro model is destined to be particularly enticing. And it also happens to be the focus of this roundup. We already gathered all the details of the standard Xiaomi 13T in a previous post. Design and Display Xiaomi is bringing notable design changes to the Xiaomi 13T Pro. Based on leaked images, the back of the smartphone is expected to be made of glass or leather, with a square camera module in the top left corner. The smartphone looks more refined and more premium as compared to the Xiaomi 12T Pro. But looks can be subjective so we’ll leave that decision to you. The Xiaomi 13T Pro is said to arrive in Black and Blue, with the first color being under a glass panel while the second being part of a vegan leather design. The smartphone closely resembles the design of the Redmi K60 Ultra. In fact, rumors suggest that it is the same phone with a different name. Since the K60 Ultra is limited to China, it’s fortunate that we are getting it in the global market in some form. Anyways, the Xiaomi 13T Pro gets a flat display on the front with a punch-hole selfie camera cutout in the top center. The screen is expected to be the 6.67” OLED with a 144 Hz refresh rate and 1220p resolution. For comparison, the Xiaomi 12T Pro debuted with the same 6.67” display, featuring a lower 120Hz refresh rate. Other Specifications The Xiaomi 13T Pro is expected to come with some notable hardware under the hood. For starters, the handset could be powered by the Dimensity 9200+ chip. This is a flagship SoC from MediaTek based on TSMC’s NP4 node. It brings one fast Cortex-X3 core with up to 3.05 GHz, three A715 cores with up to 2.85 GHz, and four power-efficiency cores (Cortex-A510) clocked at up to 1.8 GHz. The handset is likely to be offered in a choice between 12GB or 16GB of RAM and diverse storage options, including 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB. Keeping the lights on will be a 5,000mAh battery, which is said to support 120W fast charging. We don’t expect to see wireless charging support on the Xiaomi 13T Pro. However, the handset is supposed to be IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min). The Xiaomi 13T Pro’s camera will be Leica-branded and is expected to feature a 50MP main sensor with a Sony IMX707 sensor, a 50MP telephoto camera with up to 3x optical zoom, and a 13MP ultrawide-angle camera. The front-facing camera will remain at 20MP, the same as the Redmi K60 Ultra. In other words, the only changes to the camera system are on the back of the phone. Expected Pricing The Xiaomi 13T Pro’s price is likely to be similar to the last year’s model. The top-end Xiaomi 12T Pro, which offers 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, is currently listed in Europe for approximately 719 euros. Rumors are indicating that the Xiaomi 13T Pro will be priced at €900 for the 12GB + 512GB configuration option. We will undoubtedly learn all the details on the day of the launch. Stay tuned for updates.