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Tech News
Apple introduced the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 at its 'Surprise and shine' event, adding upgraded health sensors, audio transcription and summary features, and a new ceramic case option for the Series 12. Both models retain the same starting prices as their predecessors, with the Series 12 at $399 and the Ultra 4 at $799.
A CNET survey found that 52% of US adults would consider upgrading their smartphone mainly for longer battery life, while 55% cited price as their top motivator. The findings arrive just before Apple's Sept. 9 event, where the company is expected to unveil its first foldable phone alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max and Ultra models.
US energy storage set another quarterly record, powered largely by seven new gigascale battery installations exceeding one gigawatt-hour each, according to a report from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence and the Solar Energy Industries Association. Behind-the-meter batteries also grew, with data centers accounting for roughly three-quarters of new commercial installations, even as residential battery installations are projected to fall 16% in 2026 after a supporting tax credit expired in 2025.
A report outlines why using Apple CarPlay wirelessly can drain iPhone battery faster than a wired connection, and suggests fixes such as turning off the screen, enabling Low Power Mode, using a wireless charging pad, downloading media offline, and limiting GPS use. It also notes that keeping iOS updated can bring efficiency improvements to CarPlay itself.
A study by Austrian battery-analysis firm Aviloo, based on over 500,000 tests across 20 popular EV models including Tesla's Model Y and Volkswagen's ID.4, found median battery health ranging from 87 to 94 percent after 150,000 kilometers of use. The research found degradation levels between 91-97 percent at 50,000km and 88-95 percent at 100,000km, though rates varied widely depending on climate, battery size and driving habits.
Anker has introduced a 'smart display' on some of its chargers that shows information like temperature, charging mode, status, and real-time wattage output, plus battery progress for compatible devices. The screen also includes a small animated character that reacts to touch, offering playful animations like napping or wobbling when tapped.
Renault's budget brand Dacia is relocating manufacturing of its Spring EV from China to a plant in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, allowing the car to qualify for French EV incentives. The base model costs €17,900 but drops to about €12,200 after credits, making it one of Europe's cheapest electric vehicles. The redesigned Spring is larger, more muscular-looking, and offers modest specs including 155 miles of WLTP range and 80 horsepower.
Battery endurance depends heavily on laptop category: ultrabooks can run 8-12 hours (up to 15 in ideal conditions), standard laptops last 6-10 hours, budget models 4-7 hours, and gaming laptops only 2-4 hours. The charger used also matters, since aftermarket units may deliver imprecise voltage that stresses the battery over time.
Huawei has officially released the Pura X View, a candybar smartphone with an unusually wide 16:9.5 aspect ratio 6.39-inch OLED screen reaching 6,500 nits peak brightness. Despite a slim 6.68mm body, it packs a 7,000mAh silicon-anode battery, Kirin 9030S chipset, HarmonyOS 7, a 200MP camera, stylus support, and IP68/IP69 durability. The device is currently available only in China with no confirmed global release plans.
Android Auto, used by roughly 250 million people worldwide, sometimes drops apps from its launcher without explanation. This typically happens because a phone's battery optimization feature deactivates the app in the background rather than removing it entirely. Users can restore hidden apps or manually hide unwanted ones through their device settings in just a few steps.
A CNET survey found 55% of US adults say a lower price would push them to upgrade their phone, while 52% cite longer battery life and 38% want more storage. Only 12% said AI features would motivate an upgrade, and just 13% said a new form factor like a foldable would sway them. The findings come ahead of Apple's Sept. 9 event, where the company is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone alongside new iPhone 18 Pro models.
EcoFlow has launched the River 260 Gen4 and River 520 Gen4 portable power stations, offering 256Wh and 512Wh of capacity respectively in notably smaller, lighter bodies than prior models. Both use safer LFP battery chemistry and include multiple USB ports, with the 520 model adding a second AC outlet for up to 500W of continuous output.