JBL launches Pulse 6 portable speaker in Brazil with a price of R$ 1,999

Tuesday in Brazilian e-commerce features various promotions on cutting-edge technology products, with discounts reaching an impressive 53% reduction. Six notable offers were selected, ranging from the 55" 4K Philips Ambilight Smart TV to the WAP Spot Cleaner W3 3-in-1 Portable Extractor, the Echo Dot Max with Alexa+ and integrated smart hub, the Samsung Galaxy A36 5G 128GB smartphone, the Soundcore P20i by Anker TWS Earbuds, and the Max Racer Tactical Gaming Chair with massage functionality. The available options cater to different consumer profiles, with prices starting at R$ 138.

The PHILIPS Ambilight 55" 55PUG8100/78 Smart TV stands out as the only model in the Brazilian market to feature Ambilight technology, which uses LED lighting behind the television to synchronize with the image colors, visually expanding the content. It features a 55-inch 4K Ultra HD LED panel, Ambilight on three sides (top and two sides), 72 ambiance modes, P5 Perfect Picture Engine with AI, support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos audio, Google TV interface with native apps like Netflix and Disney+, integrated Google Assistant with voice commands, compatibility with Alexa and Chromecast built-in, three HDMI 2.1 ports with gamer features (ALLM and VRR), two USB ports, digital tuner, P5 Perfect Natural Reality for 4K upscaling, and a slim, bezel-less design. This exclusive Black Friday Amazon Prime offer is available with a 24% discount, costing R$ 2,423.89 in 10 installments of R$ 242.47, representing savings of R$ 775 off the full price.

The WAP Spot Cleaner W3 is cited as the best-selling portable extractor in Brazil, boasting positive reviews of 4.7 stars from 3,900 buyers and over 4,000 units sold last month, earning the absolute Bestseller seal on Amazon. This compact appliance integrates three functions: spraying, scrubbing, and extracting, making it ideal for deep cleaning upholstered sofas, chairs, car seats, cribs, carpets, and mattresses without the need for professional services. It has a 1,450W motor for powerful suction, a 3-in-1 system (cleaning solution nozzle, scrubbing brush, and liquid dirt suction), separate reservoirs of 1.8L (clean) and 1.5L (dirty), self-cleaning nozzle function, a 4-meter power cord, a rotating brush nozzle, a 1.2-meter flexible hose, a portable 4.3kg design with a handle, a washable HEPA filter, and INMETRO certification. The Amazon Black Friday offer provides a 48% discount, resulting in a price of R$ 439.90 in 8 installments of R$ 55.04, generating savings of R$ 410.

The Echo Dot Max, a 2025 launch from the Amazon Echo line, represents a significant evolution from the 5th generation Echo Dot, introducing early access to Alexa+ (new generative AI Alexa), a complete smart home hub, and enhanced audio engineered by Amazon. It comes equipped with Alexa+ with generative AI, allowing natural conversations without needing to repeat commands, contextual memory, and personalized routine summaries. Its omnidirectional audio uses a reinforced neodymium driver and dedicated tweeter, offering bass up to twice as powerful as the 5th generation Echo Dot and clearer sound in all directions, plus on-demand Dolby Atmos support. As a smart home hub, it integrates Matter, Zigbee, and Thread, controlling devices from various manufacturers directly from the speaker, eliminating the need for external hubs. The device operates with Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, long-range microphones with noise cancellation, a temperature and air quality sensor, a physical privacy button, and supports native streaming of services like Amazon Music and Spotify. The design is a premium spherical shape in Purple with recycled fabric, and includes 90 free days of Amazon Music. Amazon selected this model with Early Access to Alexa+, available in up to 12 interest-free installments of R$ 59.24 (totaling R$ 710.88, a 29% discount) or for R$ 639 upfront via Pix (36% discount), saving up to R$ 360.

The Samsung Galaxy A36 5G is the latest mid-range smartphone in Samsung's A series for 2025, representing a considerable advancement over the previous Galaxy A35 by incorporating the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 processor and basic Galaxy AI features, previously exclusive to the Galaxy S line. It is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 octa-core 5G processor, which is up to 25% faster than the A35's Exynos 1380, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of internal storage expandable up to 1TB via microSD. Its 6.7-inch Full HD+ (2340×1080) Super AMOLED screen features an adaptive refresh rate of 120Hz and a peak brightness of 1,900 nits, ensuring good visibility under intense sunlight. The triple rear camera includes a 50MP main lens with OIS, an 8MP ultrawide, and a 5MP macro, complemented by a 12MP front camera, and 4K 30fps video recording capability. Galaxy AI features such as Circle to Search, Nightography with AI, and Object Eraser are present, as is a 5,000 mAh battery with 45W fast charging (reaching 0-65% in 30 minutes). The device operates with 5G dual-SIM, Android 15 with One UI 7, IP67 dust and water resistance certification, NFC for payments, an under-display fingerprint reader, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, Samsung Knox, and guarantees 6 years of Android updates and patches. In White, the offer allows purchase for R$ 1,344 upfront via Pix with a 47% discount, or R$ 1,493 in 10 interest-free installments of R$ 149.37, saving up to R$ 1,194.

The Soundcore P20i by Anker TWS Earbuds are listed as one of the best-selling entry-level TWS earbuds on Mercado Livre, achieving 4.8 stars with over 50,000 buyers. They utilize Soundcore's BassUp 2.0 standard, providing remarkable bass for their price range. The earbuds feature 10mm drivers for deep bass and defined highs, BassUp 2.0 technology (which boosts bass up to twice with a touch), Bluetooth 5.3 with a 10-meter range, and a battery life of 10 hours per charge, totaling an additional 20 hours in the case (up to 30 hours of playback), with fast charging from 10 minutes to 2 hours of music. Equipped with two AI microphones for calls, they offer algorithmic noise reduction for vocal clarity in noisy environments. They are sweat and splash resistant (IPX5), feature an ergonomic in-ear design with three sizes of silicone tips, customizable touch controls, and can be configured via the Soundcore app in Portuguese with over 22 EQ presets and a low-latency gaming mode. Weighing only 3.6g per earbud, they come with a 12-month Anker Brazil warranty. In Black, this offer presents a 53% discount, reaching the lowest price on the list at R$ 138 in 4 interest-free installments of R$ 34.50, considered the best TWS cost-benefit below R$ 150.

The Max Racer Tactical is cited as one of the best-selling executive gaming chairs in Brazil, boasting 4.5 stars from over 500 buyers and the Mercado Livre Black Friday seal. It combines professional ergonomics with an integrated massage function at a much lower cost than imported competitors. The upholstery is made of premium black PVC leather, easy to clean and resistant to spills. The chair offers adjustable lumbar massage in 8 points with 3 intensity levels to relieve muscle tension after long periods of work or gaming. It includes a retractable footrest that transforms the chair into a bed for quick rest, a full 180° recline for naps, a Butterfly mechanism for smooth tilting, a certified Class 4 gas piston for safe height adjustment, 3D adjustable arms (height, depth, and rotation), removable memory foam lumbar and cervical pillows, a 5-star reinforced nylon base, silent 60mm casters suitable for hard floors or carpets, a high-strength steel frame, and high-density injected foam filling. It supports up to 150kg and is ergonomically designed for long sessions (over 8 hours). Assembly takes about 20 minutes with an illustrated manual, and there is a 12-month warranty. With a 38% discount, the price drops to R$ 1,352 in 10 interest-free installments of R$ 135.28, representing savings of R$ 847.

The six presented offers cover distinct technological niches, and the final choice depends on consumer needs. For those seeking a 55" Smart TV with exclusive Ambilight technology, Dolby Vision, and Atmos, the Philips 55PUG8100/78 (with 24% discount) is the only option with these features. For deep cleaning of upholstery and carpets at home, the WAP Spot Cleaner W3 (with 48% discount) is the leading portable extractor, costing R$ 439. For a next-generation smart speaker with Alexa+ (generative AI) and integrated hub (Matter + Zigbee + Thread) for less than R$ 650, the Echo Dot Max (with 36% discount on Pix) sets a new standard for the Echo line, eliminating the need for a separate hub. In the mid-range smartphone segment, the Galaxy A36 (with 47% discount, saving R$ 1,194) is the newest A series release, offering Galaxy AI, OIS, and IP67 certification for under R$ 1,400 via Pix. For the first TWS earbud with Bluetooth 5.3, BassUp 2.0, and up to 30 hours of battery, the Soundcore P20i by Anker (with 53% discount) is unmatched in cost-benefit in the entry category. Finally, for an executive gaming chair with lumbar massage and 180° recline, the Max Racer Tactical (with 38% discount) is the best alternative for home office and gaming in the national market, costing less than R$ 1,400.

Xiaomi recently introduced a series of new external battery packs, among which the Xiaomi UltraThin Magnetic Power Bank 5000 15W stands out due to its extremely thin body. This power bank looks thinner than a chocolate bar. The reviewers used this device for about twenty days to determine if it is worth buying.

This power bank is thinner than a modern smartphone. Its dimensions are 98.5 mm in length and 71.5 mm in width. The device's design immediately attracts attention due to its compactness.

Xiaomi has equipped this power bank with wireless charging support. It easily attaches to the back panel of smartphones supporting MagSafe, after which the charging process begins. When attached to the phone, the power bank does not significantly increase the overall weight of the gadget, which simplifies its use.

Among other features, the thin Xiaomi power bank includes a Type-C port, one button, and four LEDs to display the battery charging status.

During testing, it was found that one full charge of this power bank only allows for one charge of a smartphone. This may be a problem for users planning to use it during long trips, as people usually expect to be able to charge their phone two or three times from a single charge.

When charging an iPhone 16 using the Xiaomi power bank, overheating was observed in both the phone and the external battery. Although the charging process did not stop, the company could take measures to improve temperature control.

Visually, this power bank looks like a masterpiece, but in actual use, it proves to be less practical. Nevertheless, for those who do not want to carry bulky external batteries, this device represents the best option. The product rating was 7 out of 10.

Financial indicators of government procurement in the urban bodies of Madhya Pradesh have caused widespread resonance. Colossal differences in the cost of goods were recorded: for example, one liter of disinfectant (phenal) was accounted for at a price of only ₹5, while an analogous product cost ₹33,500. Similarly, 60W LED lamps were purchased for ₹306, whereas in the city of Bhopal, the same lamp cost ₹11,800. Furthermore, there was a price difference of two to six lakh rupees observed in the purchase of garbage trucks.

This data raises questions about how thoroughly control and price comparison were conducted when spending public funds. A video recording of an old speech by Additional Minister for Urban Bodies, Sanjay Dubey, went viral on social media, where he warned officials about problems in the urban body procurement process. At a meeting, based on an analysis presented by Additional Director MPSEDC Anshuman Raj, information was provided regarding significant discrepancies in procurement rates. Officials were clearly informed that any anomalous prices and violations in procurement would no longer be ignored.

According to the data presented at the meeting, 374 urban bodies in Madhya Pradesh made purchases worth approximately ₹1,134 crore through the government e-marketplace GeM over the last three years. Analysis of these expenditures showed that by purchasing goods at average market rates, approximately ₹250 crore could have been saved. This figure raises questions about the public procurement procedure, price evaluation, and official accountability. When the same item is purchased at vastly different prices in different bodies, it becomes critically important to ascertain the reason for this discrepancy: whether the quality of the goods, technical specifications, or purchasing conditions differed.

Nevertheless, the calculation of potential savings by purchasing at average rates is not definitive proof of corruption itself. To establish the truth, verification of the specifications, quality, volume, delivery, installation, and payment records of the respective products is necessary. Despite this, the figures obtained undoubtedly call into question the effectiveness of the price comparison system in government procurement.

The example of the purchase of phenolic disinfectant was particularly highlighted in the presentation. According to statistics, in one urban body, the price per liter of the product was ₹5, whereas in another location, the cost for a similar product was recorded at ₹33,500. Such a huge price gap for a product of the same category is shocking. Usually, purchases consider quality, volume, brand, technical standards, and market rates. Therefore, it is necessary to verify whether the goods bought in both places were identical. If their characteristics differed, this should have been clearly reflected in the documentation.

The main question in this case is on what basis the price was set. Was a comparison of various rates conducted before the purchase? Did the relevant officials assess the real cost and utility of the product? Answers to these questions can only be obtained after a thorough examination of the procurement documentation and technical descriptions.

A significant price difference was also evident in the purchase of LED lamps. The presentation showed that a 60-watt LED lamp was purchased for ₹306, while in Bhopal, the same lamp cost ₹11,800. The total cost of this purchase in Bhopal amounted to ₹3.78 lakh. Such a large difference in the price per lamp of the same wattage naturally raises questions about the procurement process. However, wattage alone cannot determine the complete identity of both lamps; their quality, technical standards, additional devices, installation, and other conditions are also important.

But if the product characteristics and purchasing conditions were the same, then such a price difference becomes the subject of a serious investigation. In government procurement, it is not enough just to order goods; it is necessary to ensure that payment is made at a fair rate and that public money is used properly.

Sanjay Dubey also cited the example of the purchase of garbage trucks. According to him, one urban body bought a garbage truck for two lakh rupees, while another body spent six lakh rupees on a similar machine with four garbage bins. Questions regarding the price difference also arose in this example. Were the size, construction, quality, and purpose of both garbage trucks the same? Did the six lakh purchase include additional amenities or other expenses? Only checking these aspects can reveal the true reason for the discrepancy.

Sanjay Dubey also expressed concerns about increasing prices by adding additional items to the procurement and conducting purchases through his acquaintances. This remark raises alarm about the transparency and impartiality of the procurement process. If the price was unjustifiably inflated in any procurement, a check of the documentation and payment records is necessary to determine responsibility.

The presentation also included a report on expenditures for various items over the last three years, including details on the purchase of Garbage Tippers, Street Lights, and disinfectants.