Tencent's Hunyuan Image 3.0 Tops AI Leaderboard, Surpassing Google's Nano Banana

Tencent Holdings' new artificial intelligence model, Hunyuan Image 3.0, has surpassed Google DeepMind’s "Nano Banana" to become the leading image-generation model. This includes both open-source and closed products, according to a major public leaderboard.

Credit: Hunyuan Image

As of Saturday, the open-source Hunyuan Image 3.0 secured the top position in the text-to-image rankings on LMArena. This AI model evaluation platform was originally started by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.

Google DeepMind’s Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, also known as "Nano Banana," was the previous leader. It rapidly gained popularity after its release in late Aug. due to its image editing accuracy and 3D-figurine generation.

Credit: Hunyuan Image

Tencent released Hunyuan Image 3.0 late last month, stating it was "completely comparable to the industry’s flagship closed-source models." It is the industry’s biggest open-source image-generation model to date.

The model boasts 80 billion parameters, making it the largest open-source image-generation model. Parameters are variables that encode a model’s intelligence and are adjusted during training.

Generally, a higher number of parameters indicates a more powerful model. However, it also requires greater computational resources to train and operate.

On Fal.ai, a global generative media hosting platform, Hunyuan Image 3.0 costs USD 0.10 per megapixel generated. For comparison, Gemini 2.5 Flash Image is priced at USD 0.039 per image.

ByteDance’s flagship model, Seedream 4.0, costs USD 0.03 per image. Tencent said its model was trained on an extensive data set.

This data set comprises 5 billion image-text pairs, video frames, interleaved image-text data, and 6 trillion tokens of text. Tencent stated in its announcement, “Whether you’re an illustrator, designer or creator, this is built to slash your work flow from hours to minutes.”

Hunyuan Image 3.0 is available on Tencent’s official website and has been open-sourced on developer platforms GitHub and Hugging Face. It is trending alongside other recently launched Chinese models, such as DeepSeek’s V3.2-Exp and Z.ai’s GLM-4.6.

LMArena ranks models based on user preferences; users compare two images generated by different models and vote for their favourite. The platform has labelled Hunyuan Image 3.0’s ranking as “preliminary,” meaning current votes are based on a pre-release version of the model.

The model currently supports only text-to-image generation. Tencent plans to introduce additional functionalities, including image-to-image generation and image editing.

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• Tencent’s Hunyuan Image 3.0 leads the LMArena text-to-image rankings.

• The model has 80 billion parameters, making it the largest open-source image-generation model.

• It surpassed Google DeepMind’s "Nano Banana" (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) for the top spot.

Source: SCMP

Epson's Ambitious Strategy to Project a Brighter Future: Amy Kwa

In an era where personal devices dictate much of our content consumption and flat-panel televisions dominate the home entertainment landscape, Epson's Amy Kwa, Regional Manager for Visual Products in Southeast Asia, outlines a determined strategy for projectors to not just survive, but thrive.

Amy Kwa Presenting the Range of Epson's Projectors

Amy is aware of the realities of the market and says, "We’re seeing that consumers want flexibility. They may start a show on their phone, but when it comes to enjoying movies, sports, or gaming, they crave the immersive impact of a big-screen experience." Based on Amys insights, Epson's main problem is two-fold: they need to explain why their product is worth the higher price compared to a lot of cheaper options, and they need to convince customers that a projector is an essential part of the viewing experience, not just an extra. This analysis looks closely at Epson's claims about value, technological superiority, and future vision. It also looks at the tensions and market realities that affect the company's ambitious plan for the living room.

The Cost-Per-Inch Conundrum

Epson deals with the elephant in the room, which is the fact that people think its projectors are too expensive compared to large-screen TVs and competitors with low prices, by positioning projectors as offering better "cost-per-inch" value, especially for sizes over 100–150 inches. Amy goes on to say, "Flat panel TVs may look attractive at smaller sizes, but once you move into larger formats, prices rise and physical size limits become a real constraint. From a cost-per-inch perspective, projectors often deliver substantially better value, especially when you scale up to 100 -150 inches and beyond, unlocking truly cinematic experiences that TV may not be able to match." A 150 inch picture is definitely bigger than any TV you can buy, but it's not clear what this "value" means to everyone. For a lot of families living in HDBs, the projector's extreme scalability may not be as important because they don't have enough space or want screen sizes that are common for bigger TVs like a 65 to 85 inches. This could make the initial investment in a projector and screen less obvious compared to a high-end TV of similar or smaller size.

Epson also says that projectors give you a "softer and more natural viewing experience" because the technology uses reflected light. Amy says that this "helps reduce eye strain during long hours of movies, sports, or gaming." There is a clear technical difference between reflected and direct light, but the claim that this leads to a measurable decrease in eye strain for the average viewer is less clear. Epson ultimately shifts the narrative beyond mere price comparison "A projector isn't just about price comparison with a TV; it offers the added advantage of complementing your lifestyle and bringing people together with its large screen." says Amy. They find that this shift from technical specifications to emotional benefits have made it hard for people to compare TVs' prices and values directly.

Battling the Budget Brigade

Epson is facing a new wave of competition from Chinese manufacturers, who are quickly improving their technology while keeping their prices low. Amy says that the company's proprietary 3-chip 3LCD technology is its main protection. Shee says that it "has set the industry benchmark for colour brightness, image quality, and long-term reliability." According to Amy, this technology is clearly better than common single chip alternatives, which can cause the "rainbow effect," lower colour output, and possible eye discomfort after long periods of viewing. Epson claims that the 3LCD technology will always gives viewers bright, natural, and immersive pictures. This technical difference sets Epson apart from its competitions who may care more about raw brightness numbers than colour accuracy and visual comfort.

Epson's also focus on the "transparency" of their claims. Amy says, "Epson publishes both white and colour lumen outputs based on internationally recognised standards (ISO and IDMS). This is different from some brands that advertise bright brightness figures without using industry-standard brightness measurements, which can lead to performance that is washed out or inconsistent." This shows a real problem in the industry where false specifications can make things hard for customers. Epson relies on more than just technology; it also has a "robust after-sales service network" and long warranty options. "This level of support is often missing from brands that only sell online," Amy says. "It's what makes people and businesses trust Epson."

Debunking Projector's Myths and Defining Realities

Amy also addresses common complains about projectors being hard to set up and needing darker rooms. She says that Epson's lifestyle models have features like auto-keystone correction, screen fit, and instant power-on that make them stand out. "Today’s projectors are designed for ease. Lifestyle models like EpiqVision Mini EF-21/22 series are optimised for frequent movement around the home, with features such as auto-keystone correction, screen fit, and instant power-on making setup practically plug-and-play. They also go beyond just being a display, with built-in operating systems, Bluetooth speaker connectivity, Chromecast integration, and Google Voice Assistant functions, removing the need for external devices and delivering the ultimate home viewing experience" she shared. Epson's new Epiqvision Ultra Laser Projection TV (LS800B) paired with the Epson ELPSC36 ALR (Ambient Light Rejecting) screen also "allow home users to enjoy a massive 150-inch viewing experience, even in brightly lit living rooms, effectively debunking the myth that projectors require a dark environment." Amy claims and she doubles down by stating that "Laser projectors also have much longer lifespans these days with up to 20,000 maintenance free hours. That’s a 5-hour movie marathon everyday for 10 years!" Current demand for large-screen remains strong and Amy believes that both TV and Projectors have their place in the market.

The Projected Evolution

Epson's vision for the future of home entertainment is that projectors will become more than just display devices. They will become flexible, integrated "hubs" that can fit into smaller, more multifunctional living spaces in Southeast Asia. Amy Kwa expects a need for small, stylish, and flexible devices that don't sacrifice performance. "Looking ahead, changes in lifestyle in Southeast Asia will have a big impact on home entertainment," they say. Homes are getting smaller, floor plans are changing, and rooms are being used for more than one thing... This means that people who own homes will look for entertainment devices that are small, stylish, and flexible without losing performance. The goal is to make the smallest Epson projectors yet have real 4K cinematic quality, surround sound, and smart features. Amy says, "These new products will bring high-end, big-screen entertainment into people's homes at a price that makes it easier for more people to enjoy". Her vision of a future projector will be one with "a lot of different operating systems and built-in streaming options, so that people can easily switch from a family movie night to a work presentation, all in a sleek, compact form factor." This vision is appealing because it takes into account changes in people's lives, but it will only come true if the promise of "no compromises" in quality and "competitive price-points" can be kept while staying ahead of the competition in technology.

Amy Kwa, Regional Manager for Visual Products in Southeast Asia, EPSON

Amy Kwa says that Epson's plan for its visual products division is to stand out from the competition and adapt to the future. The company is able to do well in a tough market by focussing on the size and immersive quality of its 3LCD technology, its promise of clear specifications, and its strong support after the sale. The "cost-per-inch" argument and the debunking of the "dark room" myth are the main points of its pitch, but to make them work for everyone, they need to think about other investments like ALR screens. Epson wants to change the projector's role in the future, turning it into a smart, flexible hub for everyday life. The ability to consistently deliver high-quality technology that meets changing consumer needs for convenience, quality, and integrated functionality will be key to the success of this ambitious vision. This will be especially important in a market that is changing quickly and where "high-end experiences are more accessible" through competitive pricing. "Ultimately, disruption will not come from a single feature alone, but from how technological innovations will adapt to the evolving needs of Southeast Asian households, across scale, quality, portability, and intelligence," Amy claims.

Telstra Fined USD 18 Million for Misleading Internet Customers

Australia’s Federal Court has fined Telstra USD 18 million and ordered it to pay more than USD 2.3 million in compensation for misleading 8,897 customers of its budget internet provider, Belong. The telecommunications company moved these customers to lower-speed NBN plans in late 2020 without informing them.

Credit: Telstra

While the new plan maintained the same maximum download speed, the maximum upload speed was halved from 40 megabits per second to 20 megabits per second. Customers were not notified of this significant change to their service.

Credit: Telstra

In addition to the fine, Telstra must repay $15 to each affected customer for every month they were on the reduced-speed plan. This compensation totals more than USD 2.3 million, addressing the financial impact on the customers.

ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey stated, “The USD 18 million penalty sends a strong message to all businesses that they cannot mislead consumers by making changes to key aspects of a service without informing customers of those changes.”

Brakey further noted, “Telstra’s failure to inform customers that their broadband service had been changed denied them the opportunity to decide whether the changed service was suitable for their needs.”

She highlighted that misleading pricing and claims concerning essential services, with a particular focus on telecommunications, are among the ACCC’s current enforcement priorities.

The ACCC took Telstra to court in Dec. 2022. The Federal Court found the company breached consumer law in Feb. this year.

The court ordered Telstra to cover a portion of the consumer watchdog's legal costs. Telstra launched Belong in 2013 as its low-cost internet and mobile service provider.

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• Telstra was fined $18 million by Australia’s Federal Court.

• The company must pay more than $2.3 million in compensation to 8,897 Belong customers.

• Customers were moved to lower-speed NBN plans with halved upload speeds without notice.

Source: 9 NEWS