Tech Digest daily roundup: VW ID.7 electric saloon makes debut at CES 2023
The roll-out of Volkswagen‘s ID family of models continues with this, the VW ID.7 electric saloon, which has been shown off at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The German firm has pulled the covers off its Tesla Model 3 rival and confirmed the ID.7 name, but has stopped short of revealing the vehicle’s full design; we’ll see this unveiled later this year. However, Volkswagen has outlined some key technical details of this sixth member of the ID family. Firstly, the ID.7 is targeting a claimed range of 435 miles. The brand says that “efficient aerodynamics help to reduce the drag coefficient” and therefore boost range. Autoexpress
Apple is set to increase the cost of replacing batteries in older iPhone models from 1st of March this year. The tech giant will charge an extra $20 in the US for battery replacements on iPhone 13, 12, 11 and X models. Customers in the US using a notched iPhone (iPhone X through iPhone 13) will see the price jump from $69 to $89. Meanwhile, anyone still rocking an iPhone SE or iPhone 8 (basically, an iPhone with the home button) will see battery replacement service climb from $49 to $69. Metro
Since the Google Pixel 7 and the Google Pixel 7 Pro were unveiled last year, devices in the Pixel range have been been some of the hottest Android phones on the market. Users have flocked to the Pixel thanks to its intelligent design and useful AI-powered feature set. Late last year, we saw a roadmap for the next three years of Google Pixel phones. That report suggested that the long-awaited Google Pixel Fold would come to market around April/May 2023, at the Google I/O event. But now, a report from Korean media outlet, The Elec, suggests that mass production for the Pixel Fold is unlikely to start until the third quarter of 2023. T3
A new maker of high-end OLED TVs is coming to Europe. Chinese brand Konka is bringing its TVs to these shores to compete with the likes of Sony, Panasonic, LG, Philips, Samsung and the other makers of the best OLED TVs around. Konka is launching 55- and 65-inch OLED TVs in Europe. It has partnered with an unnamed OEM (original equipment manufacturer). It claims it has “no desire to compete on price with competitors”, which would suggest its TVs will be priced similarly to those made by household names. What Hi-Fi
The former boss of collapsed cryptocurrency exchange FTX has officially denied charges that he defrauded customers and investors. Sam Bankman-Fried pleaded not guilty in a US court to claims that he took customer deposits at FTX to fund his other firm, Alameda Research, buy property and make political donations. He was released after his arrest last month on a $250m (£208m) bail package. But he faces more than 100 years in prison if convicted. Judge Lewis Kaplan set a trial date of 2 October. BBC
Walter Cunningham, the last surviving astronaut from the first successful crewed space mission in NASA’s Apollo program, has died aged 90. Cunningham joined crewmates Walter Schirra and Donn Eisele for the 11-day Apollo 7 mission in 1968, which was conducted in low-Earth orbit. Their mission was the first human test flight of the new Apollo spacecraft, which would see a dozen astronauts land on the lunar surface from 1969 and 1972. Sky News
