New Google phone review, Switch 2 update, Sony party speakers, $9 Apple TV+ deal

10 tech stories in the quickest format possible

Today’s 10-story newsletter ends with discount codes below for subscribers ⤵️

👋📈 Welcome! We have thousands of new tech-buying subscribers at The Shortcut, the #1 consumer tech site on Substack. Overnight, we added 1,000 more of you (all added organically).

🤞 Our promise. We send in-depth single-story posts or 10-story digests about tech. The promise is to help you gain knowledge about tech in less than 10 minutes a day – and never flood your inbox. Subscribers get 1:1 tech buying advice from us, too.

🙏 Thank you. Myself, Adam, Kevin and Max thank you for your support. Notice? We have no pesky banner ads? We’re unbiased and funded by paid subscribers.

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💰 1. Exclusive PlayStation/Xbox discount codes from Eneba for our subscribers

Never overpay! The Shortcut has partnered with Eneba to bring you discount codes for gift cards to online stores like PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo.

• 🔒 Reserved for The Shortcut subscribers for now because the discount codes are very limited. First come, first served at the bottom of the email

• 🟦 $100 PlayStation Store for $89 (save $11)

  • Yes, this can be redeemed to pay for your PS+ renewal

• ❎ $60 Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $50 (save $10)

• 🍄 $50 Nintendo eShop gift card for $45 (save $5)

• 🔢 Discount codes are at the bottom of the email for subscribers

Eneba’s prices fluctuate, but if you’re a subscriber and having a hard time redeeming for the amount listed, please message me. I’ll be happy to walk you through it.

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📱 2. Google Pixel 9a review: the $500 AI phone that rivals Apple’s iPhone 16e

🏆 Review score: 4.5/5

Editor’s Choice Award

✅ Pros

• 📱 OLED screen that gets really bright

• 🏎️ Tensor G4 delivers solid performance

• 📸 Reliable cameras with plenty of AI chops

• 🔋 All-day battery life

• 7️⃣ Seven years of software updates

❌ Cons

• 🐌 Charging speed is still slow

• 📐 Design is more generic this year

• 💾 Storage might not be enough for some people

Our Pixel 9 Pro XL review and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold review prove we loved Google’s 2024 phones, but they cost $1,0999 and $1,799, respectively. How about a $500 version with Gemini AI, a bright OLED screen, and good cameras?

That’s the idea behind Max’s in-depth Google Pixel 9a review. My iPhone 16e review proves that Apple’s $599 phone has its place (for my parents), but there’s now a better value out there – if you’re willing to switch to Android.

🚨 3. Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order could happen at any time in the US

Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle (Image credit: Max Buondonno / The Shortcut)

• 📆 Nintendo still needs to set a new date for Switch 2 pre-orders

• 📰 But new info: a fresh US retailer launched a pre-order console page

• 🏬 Sam’s Club is the fifth major online store in the US that’ll take reservations

• 💰 So far, every American store is sticking to the Switch 2 price of $449

• 📧 The Shortcut subscribers will get the first pre-order links for US stores

The Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order date was supposed to be April 9, but because US tariffs delayed reservations, all American stores have been in a holding pattern.

Good news: Switch 2 pre-orders could start at any moment, according to multiple US retailer sources that The Shortcut spoke to this afternoon. They’re waiting for the green light from Nintendo. Here are the links, including the recently added Sam’s Club destination for the Switch 2 Mario Kart bundle.

• 🌟 Walmart Switch 2 console / Mario Kart World bundle (not in stock yet)

• 🏷️ Best Buy Switch 2 console / Mario Kart World bundle (not in stock yet)

• 🎯 Target Switch 2 console / Mario Kart World bundle (not in stock yet)

• 🛑 GameStop Switch 2 console / Mario Kart World bundle (not in stock yet)

• 🏬 Sam’s Club Switch 2 console / Mario Kart World bundle (not in stock yet)

• 📦 Amazon (not live; we’ll see if Amazon even sells it at launch)

Check out our Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order guide for everything you need to know.

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🔈 4. Sony Ult Tower 9 hands-on review: Sony's party speaker had us singing

All of the new Sony Ult speakers Nintendo Switch 2 (Image credit: Kevin Lee / The Shortcut)

✅ Pros

• 🥳 Tricked-out Party speaker 360º room-filling sound

• 🚨 New LED lights have further reach to set the party vibe

• 🫨 Ult button pumps up the bass in two frequencies

• 🎤 New Ult mics for $149 seem like a good deal for karaoke

• 🔋 25-hour battery life makes this a portable beast

• 🛞 They see me rollin': 50% larger wheels in this unit

• 💰 No price increase vs the model from 2.5 years ago

❌ Cons

• 💸 The XV900 from September 2022 is down to $600

The Sony Ult Tower 9 is the loudest portable party speaker I’ve tested – and it had me singing karaoke by the end of my first night with it. At maximum volume, it can shake up a party and literally shake your room. Sorry, neighbors. That was only 50%.

Testing Sony Ult Tower 9 speaker (Image credit: Kevin Lee / The Shortcut)

The Ult Tower 9 replaces Sony’s XV900 tower speaker I tested two-and-a-half years ago when I started The Shortcut (time flies), with bigger sound, bolder lighting, and larger wheels. Sony has opted for a much simpler naming scheme, too, like the Ult Wear headphones and many of its recent speaker refreshes over the last 12 months.

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🛍️ 5. I just pre-ordered Nintendo Switch 2 – these are my top tips to get one

Adam is his lair pre-ordering the Switch 2 this week (Image credit: Adam Vjestica / The Shortcut)

• 👇 I managed to pre-order a Switch 2, here are the tips I learned

• 🚨 Sign up for notifications from The Shortcut or follow Matt Swider on X/Twitter for instant updates

• ✍️ Register with retailers like Target or Best Buy in advance to avoid delays and technical issues during pre-order

• 👉 Secure the console first; accessories and games can be purchased later, as they are less likely to sell out.

• 💰 Ensure sufficient funds are in your account, and consider the Mario Kart World bundle to save $30 before it sells out

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6. Get 3 months of Apple TV+ for just $9 with this limited-time deal

From Matt S., here’s how to save money watching Mark S.

• 🙌 You can currently get three months of Apple TV+ for $2.99 a month in a limited-time deal from Apple directly

• 📉 The monthly rate has been reduced by 70% to coincide with the new series of the Jon Hamm-fronted Your Friends & Neighbors

• 🚨 You'll have to be quick to get it, though – the offer runs out on April 24

• 👏 Apple TV+ can be watched on any device, but you just have to claim the offer from Apple directly as a new or returning subscriber

Apple is running a great promo on Apple TV+ at the moment, all thanks to the impending launch of one series.

Because of the premiere of the new Jon Hamm series Your Friends & Neighbors, Apple has slashed the price of its streaming service to just $2.99 a month for three months – and you have from now through April 24 to claim the offer.

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7. iPhone 17 Pro leaks say dual-capture for video recording is on the way

• 🎥 Apple is rumored to add a new feature to the iPhone 17 Pro for recording video

• 🤳 A leak suggests you’ll be able to record your front and rear cameras simultaneously

• 🧑‍💻 The feature will be geared toward content creators

• 🤔 It’s unclear why the feature will only be available on the Pro series

• 📅 Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17 series this September

Apple is focusing heavily on video capture with the iPhone 17 Pro, according to rumors and leaks we’ve seen. Now, it looks like the company will be adding an interesting new feature to help emphasize that: the ability to record with your selfie camera and the rear camera at the same time.

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📺 8. Samsung QN990F Neo QLED hands-on: the first wireless 8K TV

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✅ Pros

• 🛜 Wireless One Connect Box makes connecting your consoles and other device seamless

• 📶 30-foot wireless signal that works through TV cabinets and walls

• 🪞 Glare-Free technology eliminates any reflections without making the screen matte

• 📺 8K AI Upscaller makes lower resolution streaming and gaming look tack sharp

• 🎮 Gaming over wireless looks smooth and feels responsive

❌ Cons

• 🤑 8K TV pricing is still expensive, 65-inch TVs start at $5,499

• 🚶🏻‍♂️ Wireless setup limits 8K gaming to 60Hz

The Shortcut team got time with Samsung’s new 2025 TVs and we have a hands-on of most of the 8K and 4K TVs. Of course, Kevin Lee and I brought a PS5 Pro with us to benchmark their performance. We loved Samsung’s 8K resolution and new Wireless One Connect Box (rivaling the LG M5 ZeroConnect box). Here’s what we found.

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9. Switch 2's mouse mode is Nintendo's secret weapon

• 🐭 Nintendo Switch 2's mouse is enabled by optical sensors in the Joy-Con 2

• 🕹️ It enhances gameplay possibilities as it’s a system-level feature

• 💪 This intuitive input method bridges a generational divide, offering superior precision for first-person shooters and real-time strategy games

• 💻 It combines the benefits of console and PC gaming, making it a compelling choice over PC handhelds

• 😮 Developers are using mouse controls to create innovative gameplay, such as Drag X Drive’s wheelchair basketball and Nitrome’s Mouse Work

This isn't Nintendo's first mouse (Credit: Max Buondonno / The Shortcut and Nintendo)

We got Switch hands-on time and tested Nintendo’s new mouse controls on Metroid Prime 4. It was enough to send Adam Vjestica rushing to pre-order the console.

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10. Ult Field 3 and Field 5: portable Sony speakers that punch above their size

• 🔊 Sony has announced a new line of Ult Bluetooth speakers

• 🤘 The Field 5 and Field 3 are designed to be taken anywhere with durable designs and punchy sound quality

• 🎤 The Tower 9 is meant to serve as your primary party speaker - and it’s perfect for karaoke

• 🛍️ All of the new speakers launch today at various retailers

I’m jazzed about the Sony Ult Tower 9, but more practical portable sizes can be had from the Ult Field 5 and Ult Field 5, now on sale.

⬆️ Tap the 🌟 icon button on this page ⬆️

🔒 Bonus: $100 PS, $50 Nintendo deal; $10 off Xbox Game Pass

• 🟦 $100 PlayStation giftcard for $89

• 🍄 $50 Nintendo Gift Card for $45

• ❎ $60 Xbox Game Pass for $50

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Here are the actual discount codes & directions for paid subscribers ⤵️