We’re fast approaching the period where all the latest gadgets are announced in splashy keynotes. This week was Apple’s turn to shine, but that’s not to say other tech giants didn’t get a foot in the door too. Catch up with all the tech news you need to know this week.
Apple’s iPhone 11 and 11 Pro features a better camera
Apple has just announced their latest suite of iPhones, and we’re grateful that the naming is back to standard numbers (although the 11 Pro Max is a bit of a mouthful). The new phones are just a subtle upgrade from the previous generation, yet pack one of the best camera lineups seen in a smartphone this year.
The 11 (the elder brother of the XR of sorts) now has a dual-camera system with a wide and ultra-wide lens. The 11 Pro and Pro Max are one-upping that with a telephoto lens as a third. All the phones would be able to film 4K video and now also have Night mode for all the shots you want to take in the dark.
The iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max will be available for pre-order from September 13, and will be available from September 20. The prices start at S$1,149, S$1,649, and S$1,799 respectively. Check out all the announcements from Apple in our roundup here.
Bang & Olufsen launches their first soundbar, the Beosound Stage
After many decades designing and engineering some of the best speakers and televisions on the market, Bang & Olufsen have finally merged the two worlds and created their first soundbar, the Beosound Stage.
Designed in collaboration with Danish studio NORM Architects, the Beosound Stage doesn’t need a subwoofer or any satellites to deliver room-filling sound to accompany whichever hit you have playing on your 4K OLED screen. Eleven speaker drivers and a 50-watt amplifier give way to the three-channel speaker that also features Dolby Atmos for 3D sound.
Its sleek, minimalistic frame adheres to the B&O design ethos of elegance, and is available in three styles: natural aluminium, bronzed aluminium, and smoked oak. The aluminium and bronze tone aluminium Beosound Stage will retail for S$2,500, and the smoked oak variant will retail for S$3,500.
Huawei announces their junior flagship smartphone, the nova 5T
If there’s any phone set to capture the millennial market, it’s Huawei’s latest junior flagship, the nova 5T. Boasting an impressive set of five cameras – four at the back, one at the front – it has all the necessary tools for the digital generation to capture an Instagram moment at the tap of a finger.
The four cameras include a 48 megapixel wide lens, a 16 megapixel ultra wide lens, a 2 megapixel depth lens and a 2 megapixel macro lens. For all your selfie-needs, there is the stunning 32 megapixel front-facing camera. If you run out of battery (which shouldn’t be an issue), a 30-minute quick charge will pump it back up to 50%.
The Huawei nova 5t will retail for S$598. You can pre-order the phone at my-huawei.com.
Jack Ma bids farewell to Alibaba in a concert fit for a rockstar
Over 60,000 Alibaba employees packed a stadium to not only wish their boss Jack Ma a happy 55th birthday, but also to bid him farewell as he steps down from the company he founded. A year ago, Ma announced that David Zhang, then CEO of the e-commerce giant, would take over his position as the executive chairman.
The four-hour-long celebration saw Ma’s staff putting on skits and performances as a tribute to his reputation for extravagant shows.
“After tonight I will start a new life. I do believe the world is good, there are so many opportunities, and I love excitement so much, which is why I will retire early,” Ma told the crowd. Towards the end, Ma and co. came out on stage in rockstar garb, singing classic Chinese pop songs. This won’t be the last the world will see of Ma, as he has his eyes set on philanthropy and education.
You can now share your Spotify songs directly to Snapchat
Your impeccable taste in music can now be shared with all your followers in this new partnership from Spotify and Snapchat. Just like how it was for Instagram, the feature is now rolled out to Snapchat as well.
If you’re listening to a track you think your friends should know, just tap the share menu on Spotify and select Snapchat from the list. You can send the Snap to either a few friends, or post it on your story. Similarly, if you see a song you like on Snapchat, you just need to tap your screen and Spotify will open and start playing the said song.
Josiah Neo
Writer
Josiah Neo is a tech writer who contributes occasionally to the fashion, travel, and culture beats. When he’s not busy keeping up with the keynotes, he’s probably stuffing his face with the best Melbournian donuts (at Shortstop, BTW) or watching his favourite esports team, the Los Angeles Valiant, pummel their opponents into oblivion.
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