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Our AirPods Pro 3 review just dropped, and they’re our favorite Apple upgrade of 2025. We’re also testing the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and Apple Watch Series 11, with full reviews in the next few days on The Shortcut – just in time for Friday’s big launch.
Tonight, we’ll get our first official glimpse of the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, although you don’t have to wait that long to spy what they look like. Meta leaked its HUD-display-enabled smart glasses right before its keynote tonight.
Here’s everything happening in the world of consumer tech for our Substack subscribers.
👂 AirPods Pro 3 fit much better thanks to ear tips made of silicone and new foam
🔇 2x the Active Noise Canceling (ANC) of the AirPods Pro 2 (and 4x AirPods Pro 1)
🔋 8-hour battery life with ANC turned on can last most flights uninterrupted
💬 Live Translate is effective and accurate in five languages (soon to be nine)
❤️ Heart rate monitor built into the earbuds for use during workouts
🦻 Doubles as an affordable hearing aid like AirPods Pro 2 (worth highlighting again)
💦 IP57 dust and water resistance make them sweatproof
📆 It’s been three years since the AirPods Pro 2
💰 You may be tempted to spend less than $250 elsewhere for fewer features
🤔 AirPods Pro 2 are still a good value
Let’s start our AirPods Pro 3 review with a little inside baseball to prove how good the new AirPods Pro 3 are: The Shortcut straddles the line between publication (on Substack) and influencer (on social media) – we have 1M subscribers and followers backing our website. But we’re not made up of influencers who love everything from Apple and automatically rubber-stamp an Editor’s Choice Award on every gadget from the company. Case in point: our AirPods 4 with ANC review (3.5/5) noted that last year’s $179 earbuds were good, but not the best value vs its AirPods Pro 2, which are often on sale for $199 or less at Amazon.
So, our giving the AirPods Pro 3 a perfect 5/5 review score and an Editor’s Choice Award should give you a sense of how much we truly recommend these earbuds. Apple doubled down on active noise canceling (ANC) that’s twice as effective as the AirPods Pro 2 and offers a better fit with memory-foam-infused silicon eartips. Apple’s more secure seal and improved noise-canceling microphones work hand-in-hand, ear-to-ear, for crisper audio and less outside distraction. These are the best-fitting and best-sounding AirPods yet.
Go deeper: Matt's AirPods Pro 3 review
👀 Oops! Meta accidentally leaked its new Ray-Ban smart glasses
🗺️ It features a built-in HUD for overlaid navigation and messages
🥽 The glasses will be accompanied by a surface electromyography (sEMG) wristband for hands-free interaction
💰 The new smart glasses are expected to cost at least $800 and will be slightly heavier than the current model
📆 More details about the Meta Ray-Ban Display and other products, including the rumored Oakley Meta Sphaera glasses, are expected at Meta's Connect event today
Meta has leaked its upcoming Ray-Ban smart glasses by inadvertently uploading an unlisted video to its YouTube channel.
The video, which was spotted by UploadVR before it was deleted, showed Meta’s new ‘Ray-Ban Display’ smart glasses, which feature a built-in HUD that can provide on-foot navigation and display messages.
Go deeper: Meta and Ray-Ban's plans
🍄 The sequel to the Super Mario Bros. Movie has been revealed
✨ Nintendo announced it will be called The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
🎮 It’s based on the Super Mario Galaxy games that were released on the Wii
🎬 The cast from the first film are back to reprise their roles
Nintendo revealed that the next Super Mario Bros. movie is called… The Super Mario Galaxy Movie! It’ll feature the same star-studded cast as before, including Chris Pratt as Mario and Jack Black as Bowser. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie hits theaters in April 2026 and promises to take the portly plumber on a space-faring adventure.
Nintendo and Illumination will hope The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is as successful as the first film. The Super Mario Bros. Movie became the highest-grossing video game movie of all time and surpassed $1 billion at the box office. Check out the new trailer below.
🗓️ iPhone Air launches this Friday, but many reviews have gone live today
😍 The consensus is that the striking thin-and-light design is a real selling point
🪫 However, it’s led to obvious tradeoffs in terms of battery life and the camera
🤏 Despite this, many will be happy to overlook these flaws for a new design
The iPhone Air is arguably the most exciting addition to Apple’s iPhone lineup this year. However, the impossibly thin profile comes with some caveats that may put some buyers off.
We’ll have our full review soon. But ahead of its September 19 release date, the first round of reviews for the iPhone Air are live – and it seems like the Air’s striking design will appeal to many, even if compromises had to be made.
Here’s what critics made of the $999 iPhone Air.
Go deeper: iPhone Air review round-up
🍊 Our full iPhone 17 Pro Max review is coming soon – we got the orange one
🔋 Critics have praised the impressive battery life, especially on the Max model
📸 Its 48MP rear cameras are also widely regarded as being excellent
🤷♂️ However, those with more recent iPhone models may not need to upgrade
The iPhone Pro line has cemented itself as the phone of choice for photography enthusiasts. However, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max also bring best-in-class battery life to the mix, as well as excellent gaming performance.
With its September 19 release just days away and a $1,099 price tag, does the iPhone 17 Pro do enough to warrant an upgrade? Or is it simply more of the same?
Here’s what critics made of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Go deeper: iPhone 17 Pro review round-up
📆 Amazon Prime Day October, called 'Prime Big Deal Days,' runs from October 7 to 8
🚨 Deals start at 12:01 am PT on October 7, featuring discounts on beauty, electronics, and brands like LEGO, Samsung, and LG
💰 Prime membership is required to access deals, costing $14.99/month or $139/year, with a free 30-day trial for eligible users
👍 Young adults can access a six-month $0 trial, followed by discounted rates of $7.49/month or $69/year
Amazon has announced Prime Day will return on October 7 to October 8. It’s called ‘Prime Big Deal Days’, but it’s essentially another mini-Prime Day.
Amazon Prime Day October deals preview
It’s important to note that October’s Prime Day event is only for Amazon Prime members. You won’t be able to access the deals when they go live unless you subscribe to Amazon Prime.
Go deeper: Amazon Prime Day October news
🆕 Qualcomm has launched the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, its next-generation premium mobile platform
👏 The new name and visual identity aim to simplify understanding for consumers
👍 The naming reflects performance, launch timing, and its role in Qualcomm's portfolio
🎉 It marks the fifth generation of Qualcomm's 8-series platform
Qualcomm has debuted its next-generation premium mobile platform, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The fifth generation of Qualcomm’s 8-series platform comes with a new name and visual identity to make things easier for consumers to understand. As Qualcomm states on its website: “Our naming reflects a combination of factors: performance capabilities, launch timing and how each platform fits within our broader portfolio.”
Stay tuned: We’ll have more on the next-generation Android phone chipset next week.
😳 Nintendo is bringing back the Virtual Boy next year
🤩 Virtual Boy games will be playable on the Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch
🤔 However, you’ll need to purchase the Virtual Boy console to enjoy them
📦 A cardboard version of the accessory will also be released for a cheaper price
It’s hard to believe, but Nintendo is bringing back the Virtual Boy. Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members will soon be able to revisit the Virtual Boy’s library of 14 games after almost 30 years.
The Virtual Boy was one of the few big misfires from Nintendo during its storied history. Despite this, some fans still hold a soft spot for the console, and Nintendo clearly believes the Virtual Boy is worthy of revival. We’ve rounded up all the Virtual Boy games coming to Switch Online, the release date and the price.
Go deeper: Virtual Boy for Switch news
📽️ Roku unveiled its first projector, the Aurzen Roku TV Smart Projector D1R Cube
📺 Displays a 1080p picture with a 40-150 inch screen and 330 ANSI lumens
🍱 Preloaded with streaming apps, free Roku Originals and 400 ad-free live channels
📶 Equipped with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and AirPlay 2 support
🔋 No built-in battery for on-the-go streaming
💰 Available now for $169 to start
Portable projectors are only getting cheaper and better as Roku introduces its $169 Aurzen Roku TV Smart Projector D1R Cube. This new Roku projector can create a screen size of 40-150 inches and a 1080p picture with up to 330 ANSI lumens of brightness. Like all other Roku devices, this one comes with popular streaming apps preloaded, plus access to free Roku Originals and 500 live TV channels. Additionally, you can connect other devices to this projector over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and AirPlay 2.
Unfortunately, the Aurzen Roku TV Smart Projector D1R Cube doesn’t feature a built-in battery like the Xgimi MoGo 3 Pro, so you’ll need to keep this one plugged into the wall. Lastly, a 5W built-in speaker rounds out this completely self-contained Roku streaming device
🙏 Spotify is finally introducing lossless audio with 24-bit / 44.1kHz FLAC for Premium users in select markets
🎧 The feature is rolling out to 50 markets, including the US, UK, and Germany, over the next two months
💰 Contrary to previous reports, Spotify’s lossless audio won’t require a higher subscription tier
👉 Users can enable lossless audio in the app’s settings and will see an indicator for supported tracks in the Now Playing bar
Spotify is finally getting lossless audio after almost a decade of rumors, speculation and several false dawns. The world's most popular streaming platform is catching up with Apple, Amazon, Deezer, Qobuz, Tidal and many more by offering lossless audio to its users.
It means Spotify subscribers are no longer restricted to paltry bitrates of 24kbps (Low) to 320kbps (Very High) for Premium users. Instead, 24-bit / 44.1kHz FLAC is rolling out to Premium subscribers in 50 markets (starting with Australia, Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, the US, and the UK) over the next two months.
🟦 $100 PlayStation gift card for $89
Can be used on PS+ or PS5 digital games
🍄 $50 Nintendo Gift Card for $45
Use funds for Nintendo Online or digital eShop games
Can’t be used for Nintendo hardware, sorry
❎ $30 off Xbox Game Pass Core (3 months) for just $14
Converts 2:1 to Game Pass Ultimate, so it’ll cost $28 vs Microsoft’s $60
🟩 $50 Xbox Gift Card for $43
🟩 $100 Xbox Gift Card for $87
We’re expanding our discount codes for paid subscribers as a pack-in. It’s sort of like CD-ROM pack-ins for subscribers of 90s magazines.
😬 Can’t afford it? Totally fine. I’m opening up more ways to be a paid subscriber for people who can’t spare the $5/mo ($4.16/mo) to keep us going. Support us in other ways by referring your friends & family to The Shortcut. Help us grow!
Here are the actual discount codes for paid subscribers ⤵️
