TECH REVIEW: We assess South Africa's cheapest electric car, the BYD Dolphin Surf and the iPhone 17 Pro

iPhone 17 Pro

"It's the most drastically redesigned device... people are going to love or hate it."

Tech journalist Nafisa Akabor says the newly released iPhone 17 Pro is drawing mixed reactions.

"I don't really like the redesign, and I don't understand the colour choices. I know it's such a trivial thing, but I mean, an orange phone?"

Akabor notes that while the updated camera and battery performance are impressive, the switch from titanium to aluminium makes the device more prone to scratches.

"I accidentally dropped it once, and it already has things on it, which is quite bad."

She advises that upgrading may only be worthwhile for users still holding onto older models, such as the iPhone 15 or earlier, as newer phones now offer only incremental improvements. 

Akabor also points out that smartphone sales have slowed globally, with more users keeping their devices for longer due to improved software support and high costs.

The iPhone 17 Pro is available for purchase starting at R28,599.

BYD Dolphin Surf

Turning to electric vehicles, Akabor highlights the arrival of the BYD Dolphin Surf, South Africa’s most affordable electric vehicle (EV) at R340,000. 

With a 232 km range and a home wall charger included, she describes it as an ideal city commuter car rather than a long-distance option. 

"It's very much a run-around city EV; it's something we've been lacking. For years, we've been getting these bigger and larger SUVs, bigger batteries - those are very capable - but they are over R1 million. So, this particular car addresses the specific market and the need to have a cheap run-around EV. I say cheap, but R340 000 is still a lot of money, and hopefully it'll get cheaper."

To listen to Akabor in conversation with CapeTalk's Clarence Ford, use the audio player below: