Welcome to a bunch of new subscribers and apologies for a delayed mail-out. There’s always so much happening but this September has been an exciting one with the launch of the new iPhone 17 range and accessories, loads of new EV news, plus I’ve put out a few long reads on Recharged. I also got to see Club Med SA’s progress in KZN (I think it’s the best thing to happen to the province!), and they’ve also just launched a ‘get a quote’ feature. More details on Recharged.
If you use Instagram, have you noticed they finally delivered on a promise? Views on stories used to be dismal if you post more than once, but now, I post 3x stories and all of them consistently get high views; and better than before. But, it is a Meta owned platform after all, who knows how long it’ll last.
📞 Talk of the Town: New Phones and Trends
Speaking of IG stories, there’s some test shots from the new iPhone 17 Pro up on @nafisa that expires by 15h30 on 25 September from my review unit. Can’t say I’m a fan of the colours, they are too loud, however, I’m impressed with its battery life so far. And you can finally shoot in dual capture with both cameras now. I also published my much awaited review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and how it transformed the way I travel and working on-the-go. It makes me not want to take my iPad anywhere.
🔋 Watt’s New in the EV space?
The biggest EV news this month is the launch of the BYD Dolphin Surf, South Africa’s newest cheapest EV, starting at R340k. It’s significant because it breaks the R400k barrier, and interestingly, my queries are from those who would not have considered an EV before. But this is BYD’s goal, to make it accessible to all. It’s the EV that will take you from A to B without worrying about rising fuel costs. Worth checking out, including Dolphin Surf launch offers.
Earlier this month I went to Germany as a guest of BMW South Africa for the global unveiling of the Neue Klasse iX3, which promises 800km of range thanks to its new battery technology, plus its new Panoramic Vision, a display strip across the windshield with useful yet customisable info. I also got to check out its new EV plant in Hungary. Catch up on Recharged. I also published my long-term review of the all electric VW ID.4 Pro, which is set to launch in South Africa next year. Read all about it here.
🕹️ Gadget Goals: Gear to Geek Out
Are USB flash drives a thing again? If you see the price of smartphone storage today, it’s more cost-effective to buy a flash drive instead of a higher capacity phone, if you factor cloud storage as well. SanDisk recently sent me the Ultra Luxe USB-C Flash Drive to check out, where I share more on TikTok [spon].
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If you’re into action-cams, DJI has entered new territory with the Osmo 360, its first dedicated 360° action camera. Yenziwe breaks it down for you, and the difference between its main competitor, the Insta360.
📲 App-solutely Essential
It was recently brought to my attention how difficult it is to redeem my affiliate Airalo codes, the global travel eSIM provider. In addition to my regular $3 code for each new user using “NAFISA1418” at checkout when you make your first purchase, I also have a code for existing users to get 10% off all your future purchases. Simply use the code “RZA10” at checkout for the discount. Saving in dollars goes a long way! I mean, I also use it for my own purchases!
Reads you may want to catch up on:
Till next time,
Nafisa