Slate Auto rakes in $5 million in deposits
The news: The number of preorder deposits for the Slate Auto EV truck surpassed 100,000 in just over two weeks since the startup announced its “Mr. Potato Head” of vehicles.
The truck, which can also be configured as an SUV, is expected to cost under $20,000 with $7,500 in EV tax incentives. Slate plans to produce 150,000 vehicles by the end of 2027 at its Indiana plant.
Our take: The transformer of trucks wants to capitalize on interest in small trucks and low-tech features. Combining the two in an EV is a bold choice, but such an affordable price could help the truck come out ahead, assuming Slate can meet demand.
Samsung enters its ultra-thin phase
The news: Samsung revealed its latest smartphone, the Galaxy S25 Edge, which measures 5.8 mm thick, or about 30% thinner than the S25 Ultra.
- The phone will be released on May 30 and sell for $1,099.
- Battery life is expected to be comparable to the S24 (but not the S25), and it loses its 1 TB of storage option and telephoto zoom.
It’s the latest addition to the new smartphone form factor field.
Our take: Samsung is beating Apple to the thin-phone punch by a few months. The challenge will be whether the thin phones can avoid bending like the iPhone 6. Technology has obviously improved since 2014, so this trend could stand up.
Spotify lets users choose music by mood
The news: Spotify upgraded its AI DJ to take requests from Premium users.
- The DJ can play music based on genre, artist, activity, or even mood, similar to Netflix’s AI upgrade.
- It speaks between tracks based on the context of the music like a radio host.
Our take: It’s like having your own personal DJ in your ears. DJ engagement has doubled in the past year, Spotify said, and this is yet another tool in its arsenal to keep users engaged and paying Premium prices.