This week, DJI made a surprising move into the field of electric bikes, ChatGPT revealed how it works and Nothing announced three new products, which we'll find out more about at a presentation on Monday next week.
We know that keeping up with the world of technology can be a challenge, so in this weekly roundup, we've rounded up the top stories from the past seven days so you can stay on top of everything.
Next week, be sure to check back with us for all the latest details on the new Samsung Galaxy Unpacked devices. For now, let's get down to business. Speaking of Samsung…
7. Galaxy Unpacked tech leaked ahead of time
Next week's news cycle will almost certainly be dominated by announcements related to Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, but if recent leaks are to be believed, then there may not be any announcements left to share.
Ahead of the event itself, which is scheduled for July 10, leakers have seemingly revealed almost all of the key upgrades headed to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6. Both phones look set to feature a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, IP48 water and dust resistance, and new Galaxy AI features. The Fold, specifically, is rumored to have a brighter main display, slightly better battery life, and a marginally larger cover display, while the Flip is rumored to have a new 50MP main camera and a larger capacity battery.
Incidentally, leakers have also predicted that Samsung will include a pair of Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro earbuds with every Galaxy Z Fold 6 or Galaxy Flip 6 purchase, so we're eager to see what audio upgrades are on the agenda.
6. DJI moved from heaven to earth in the surprise presentation of an electric bicycle
Drone manufacturer DJI has made a surprising leap from its drones to electric bikes. In an official announcement, DJI confirmed that it was working on the Amflow PL, an electric mountain bike featuring its new Avinox drive system. This drive system uses technology otherwise exclusive to drones and smartphones, sending real-time gait data to the touchscreen built into the frame.
The bike will also use an app that will allow you to adjust power settings, put it in anti-theft mode, and check its location, similar to the Cowboy 4 electric bike. Our top electric mountain bike pick right now is the Specialized Levo SL Expert Carbon Electric Mountain BikeA fantastic vehicle that is a bit lighter than the 19.2kg projected for the Amflow PL. It is also a lot cheaper, so the Amflow PL should be good for a place on our list. The best electric bikes list.
5. Nothing announced a new cheap phone, smartwatch and headphones.
Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked isn't the only event taking place next week. Nothing will be unveiling three new devices from its budget tech line, the CMF Phone 1, the CMF Watch Pro 2, and the CMF Buds Pro 2.
As for specs, the CMF Phone 1 features a 6.67-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 50MP Sony camera, a 5,000mAh battery for up to “22 hours” of usage, 16GB of RAM, and a removable backplate that you can customize with your own choice of colors and accessories.
Less is known about the Buds Pro 2 and Watch Pro 2, though the latter will offer interchangeable bezels so you can create different looks for your watch. We’ll learn more about all this tech on July 8 during the Nothing community update on July 8, 2024 at 5am ET / 10am BST / 7pm AEST.
This week, Meta Store sold out of its Quest 2 headset in several regions, and other retailers around the world have also reached the end of their Quest 2 supply. So now you're left with either the Meta Quest 3 (which is a fantastic option anyway) or the Meta Quest Pro (which we don't recommend over the Quest 3).
Those looking for a cheaper option shouldn't panic thinking they've missed their chance. It's looking increasingly likely that a budget Meta Quest 3S will launch at Meta Connect in September. The fact that the Quest 2 has sold out suggests that Meta is making room for a new model of the VR headset in its warehouses.
We'll have to wait and see what it announces at Connect 2024, but if you're on the fence about buying a Quest 3 right now, you might want to wait and see what it shows off in a couple of months.
3. ChatGPT revealed its secret rules
AI chatbots often seem like mysterious black boxes, but this week ChatGPT gave us a fascinating insight into its thought processes – or at least how OpenAI told it to behave.
A Reddit user managed to get ChatGPT to divulge its system instructions with a simple “Hello,” which led to some revealing internal rules such as “never use emojis unless explicitly asked.” Not content with that, ChatGPT also exposed the internal rules for OpenAI’s Dall-E image generator.
An independent ChatGPT user discovered that there are multiple personalities when using the GPT-4o model, which gives us some insight into future versions. No problem, ChatGPT, get rid of it.
2. Leica launched a “budget” camera
Leica’s latest digital compact camera, the D-Lux 8, is now official. It arrives six years after the discontinued D-Lux 7, with a refreshed design and user interface for 2024 inspired by the Leica Q3, Leica’s most expensive full-frame compact camera and one of our favorite cameras of 2023.
The D-Lux 8 sits firmly in the category of minor updates. It has a simpler control layout than the D-Lux 7, a new textured body, an improved OLED viewfinder and higher-resolution LCD, and finally brings raw DNG capture in addition to JPEG to Leica’s D-Lux series. Along with the improved Leica Photos app, it will be easier to edit and share photos on the fly. Apart from that, everything remains the same. We still have the 21MP Micro Four Thirds (MFT) sensor with a maximum photo size of 17MP and 4K video at up to 30fps, plus the handy 24-75mm f/1.7-2.8 zoom for everyday photography.
But most importantly, the D-Lux 8, which costs $1,595 / £1,450, could be a Leica you can in fact buy in 2024.
1. Rising RAM prices could have made the RTX 5090 even less affordable
Were you expecting Nvidia’s RTX 5090 GPU to be a bit more affordable than the 4090? Well, we have some bad news, as analysts this week predicted that its price will skyrocket. That’s because RAM prices are set to rise by 3-8% over the next three months, and are expected to rise further as demand for these types of components increases, in part due to demand for larger and more powerful AI data center servers.
It’s a shame that it could be a more expensive piece of tech, as the RTX 5090 was shaping up to be a real computing beast. Expected to have GDDR7 RAM (offering 60% more bandwidth and a 50% improvement in power efficiency over GDDR6), plus a 30%+ improvement in frames per second for gaming, it’ll be a powerful component for 4K gaming.
There's always the possibility that Nvidia will absorb these costs to help maintain a competitive advantage over rival GPU maker AMD, but we'll have to wait and see what pricing tactic it uses.
