iPhone SE 5G might be coming this March
In his latest newsletter, tech journalist and Apple development guru Mark Gurman claims that Apple is going to release an update to its iPhone SE lineup. The announcement is expected to come during the company’s virtual spring presentation “likely” happening in March or April. Based on previous SE iterations, Apple will probably keep the now-ageing iPhone 8 design and just stick in a new System on Chip (SoC). The A15 chip from last year’s iPhone 13 looks ripe for the picking. That SoC will also bring 5G connectivity to the iPhone SE.
Although no other changes or upgrades were mentioned, Apple might treat fans of the SE lineup with improved camera sensors and increased storage capacity. But that’s still a ‘maybe’ at this point. A larger battery should be seriously considered though, to accommodate the higher battery draw of 5G connectivity. Unless Apple completely surprises everyone with a redesign and improved specs while maintaining the $400 (R6,200) price – very unlikely – fans of the SE might be disappointed. They’ll still be getting 2017 era bezels with the chin and physical home button. That’s the price you pay for an entry-level iPhone, we guess.
Source: Engadget
Nas will sell royalty rights to two songs as NFTs
NFTs were all the rage last year with Collins Dictionary even dubbing it ‘word of the year’. It doesn’t look like that momentum is slowing down any time soon. Whether it be the latest celebrity or big company jumping on the bandwagon, the use cases seem to get more bizarre as time goes on. Just look at Cryptoland.
American rapper Nas is the latest to join the NFT craze but this time, it’s actually a refreshing concept. The rapper will sell the royalty rights to two of his songs as NFTs. Using Royal, a song ownership platform, 760 tokens will be available for Ultra Black and 1,100 tokens for Rare spread across three ownership tiers. For Ultra Black for example, the gold tier will give you 0.0143% streaming royalty ownership for $50 (~R780), the platinum tier will net you 0.0857% streaming royalty ownership for $250 (~R3,900) and the diamond tier will get you 2.14% streaming royalty ownership for $4,999 (~R78,200). Head over to Royal’s website to learn more if you’re interested.
Source: NME
A Japanese auto parts maker has apparently seen schematics for Apple’s car
According to Nikkei Asia, back in 2020, a man claiming to be an Apple parts manager presented schematics for parts of an electric vehicle to Japanese auto parts maker Sanden. Sanden didn’t fare too well during the following global descent into pandemic lockdowns so that chapter in Apple’s own EV book seems to be closed.
As far as bare rumours go, this is right up there with the best of them. But in his November 2021 newsletter, Mark Gurman reported that Apple was stepping up its work on its EV project and was aiming for a fully autonomous EV by 2025. The road hasn’t been very clear though. Numerous setbacks and key departures will most likely affect that timeline.
With more manufacturers getting in on the burgeoning EV market, Apple will need to step up it’s game if it wants to compete. Or, it could do what it does with its phone and wait for everyone to do it first but then do it better. As long as they don’t put the charging port underneath, things should be fine.
Realme GT Neo 2 Dragon Ball edition teased - likely won’t come to SA though
Smartphone manufacturers are starting to catch on that limited and fan editions of phones actually sell, despite what you might think. Samsung, OnePlus and now Realme have seen limited or fan edition releases of devices in the past few months. The Realme GT Neo 2 is the latest to receive a limited edition, courtesy of the popular anime series Dragon Ball.
As is usually the case with limited editions like this, the GT Neo 2 Dragon Ball edition will consist of the same specs as the original handset, but with a new coat of paint. Realme Chief marketing officer, Francis Wong tweeted the reveal on 7 January. While it’s confirmed for a China release and with an India release very likely, it is unclear whether the rest of the world will be so lucky. If you’re a fan of both the Realme GT Neo 2 and Dragon Ball let Wong know you want it to come here too. Or pick one up online, your choice.
Source: TechRadar