Bucket Tech: Apple Event 2025

This years Apple Event saw a host of products being launched, none more anticipated than the new iPhone 17. The model line up for their new device range has expanded which now includes a super slim iPhone 17 Air. The event drew much fan fair to see what new exciting developments have happened at Apple Park since last year, and while the new products are getting much attention since their release, many tech experts weren't that impressed with what was showcased. The iPhone 17 features Apples new A19 processor which is built on a 3nm process, it's faster and more efficient than the A18 with improved CPU/GPU performance for tasks like AI and gaming. The Pro models will feature the A19 Pro variant that is custom made for complex tasks that users might be using those devices for. Screen sizes start from 6,3-inches and features Pro-Motion, the unibodies are made from aluminium which assists in keeping the device cool. 

iPhone 17

The iPhone 17 screen has been enlarged to 6.3-inch 120Hz ProMotion display which gives you better clarity and refresh rate. This will greatly improve gaming and watching high resolution videos on the device. The brightness has also been enhance with the screen now giving 3000 nits in peak brightness. Battery life has been improved with the device giving you an additional 8 hours vs the iPhone 16 for video playback, with the fast charge, you can charge your device from 0% to 50% in just 20 minutes. The Dual Fusion camera eco-system features a 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide camera, thats 13mm focal length with hybrid focus pixels, it also has a 12MP 1 x Macro lens with 26mm focal length. 

iPhone 17 Air

The first of its kind ,Apple’s thinnest iPhone ever at 5.6mm and 165 grams, featuring a 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR display with 120Hz ProMotion and Ceramic Shield 2 for durability. Powered by the A19 Pro chip, it offers pro-level performance and all-day battery life. It has a single 48MP Fusion Main camera with 2x Telephoto, an 18MP Center Stage front camera, and supports Apple Intelligence tools like Clean Up. Available in four colors—space black, cloud white, light gold, and sky blue—it uses a titanium frame, eSIM-only connectivity, and a C1 modem. 

iPhone 17 Pro

The 17 Pro where the business sector would be focused on, it features a 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR display with 120Hz ProMotion and Ceramic Shield 2. Powered by the A19 Pro chip, it delivers top-tier performance and efficiency. It includes a triple-camera system: 48MP Fusion Main, 48MP Ultra Wide, and 5x Telephoto, with advanced Apple Intelligence features like Clean Up. Constructed with a titanium frame, it supports eSIM-only connectivity and the C1 modem. Available in four colors—space black, cloud white, light gold, and sky blue—it offers all-day battery life.

iPhone 17 Pro Max

The range topping iPhone 17 Pro Max features a 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR display with 120Hz ProMotion and Ceramic Shield 2 for enhanced durability. Powered by the A19 Pro chip, it offers exceptional performance and efficiency. The triple-camera system includes a 48MP Fusion Main, 48MP Ultra Wide, and 5x Telephoto, enhanced by Apple Intelligence features like Clean Up. Built with a titanium frame, it supports eSIM-only connectivity and the C1 modem. Available in space black, cloud white, light gold, and sky blue, it provides all-day battery life. 

Bucket Tech: HUAWEI P Smart S

Huawei has long been known as a brand that caters to the needs of young consumers, and the new mid-range HUAWEI P Smart S is testament to this, combining stylish design, essential innovations and great value. It boasts a beautiful, big display for immersive viewing, an enduring battery life that keeps up with the youth’s hectic lifestyle, as well as a smarter camera that allows users to capture what they see effortlessly, making it stand out as a photography, entertainment and social companion.

Shimmering design

The new HUAWEI P Smart S has a 6.3" OLED Dewdrop Display, with a high screen-to-body ratio of 90.17%, offering a massive viewing area and displaying content in fine details and vivid colours. With its integrated 3D curved edges, the device is comfortable to hold, and lovely to look at.

The HUAWEI P Smart S further elevates its fashion elements by using nature-inspired colour tones in two eye-catching colour variants: Breathing Crystal and Midnight Black.

Enduring battery life

The young consumer is all about their smartphones, so they need a battery that can keep up with them. For this reason, the HUAWEI P Smart S has a 4,000mAh high-capacity battery for all the users’ gaming, browsing, reading, music or series and movie needs.

 

Breath-taking photography

This smartphone’s rear camera is capable of producing high-definition images, thanks to its 48MP Main Camera. Even zoomed in, the details are crisp and sharp. The HUAWEI P Smart S also excels in night photography due to its high sensitivity performance and AI capability.

Thanks to the device’s 120° 8MP Ultra-Wide Angle Camera and 2MP Macro Camera, users are able to capture from a more creative perspective, from distant landscapes to intricate details just 4cm from the lens. On top of this, a sophisticated 2MP Depth Camera helps subtly accentuate the subject with realistic and immersive bokeh effects.

The 16MP selfie camera is also bound to be popular with the youth market, as its AI beautification and Circular Flash provides soft lighting for selfies when shooting in low-light conditions.

The HUAWEI P Smart S is available now for just R5,999.00 from MTN and Telkom mobile operators, Huawei stores and Huawei online www.huaweistore.co.za. Plus get 15 GB free cloud storage for 12 months      

Bucket Tech: DJ Mavic Air 2

Yesterday DJI, the leaders in compact drones dropped their latest model in the Mavic series, the Mavic Air 2. Dimensions wise, its pretty much the same as the Mavic Air 1 but has a whole lot more features which should please most people out there. While DJI have a wide variety of drones, the compact fold-able Mavic series is perfect for those who consider droning just a little bit more than a hobby, as the camera and flying features gives the user much better better footage. Key features on the Mavic Air 2 is it's new 48MP camera which gives much more detail in still photos, at a wider angle. It's also capable of doing a hyperlapse in 8K! With the new 1/2 inch CMOS sensor and smart photo feature, it gives still pictures a better dynamic range, better colour optimization and noise reduction on close ups. For those interested in the video aspects, the camera can shoot in 4K 60p, and can do slow motion videos right down to 240fps. With the bigger sensor, this also means you can shoot video in HDR as well. Battery improvements have been made to the Mavic Air 2 as well with a maximum flight time of 34 minutes, this seriously handy given that the new maximum distance flight is upped to 10km and still broadcasts pictures to you in HD all thanks to OcuSync 2.0. Tracking has been upgraded to, from either a manual or automatic stand point, select the object to focus on and the camera will keep track on that no matter what direction you're flying in.and will keep the picture as stable as possible. With Active track 3.0, the Mavic Air 2 will follow you and avoid any obstacle that comes into it's flight path. It really is a little gem of a drone, pricing is yet to be released locally but it's exciting to see what DJI is cramming into this tiny devices.