News

LEGO’s love of supercars is leaving the Speed Champions theme behind in favor of a larger and far more detailed format. The upcoming LEGO McLaren MP4/4 won’t be launching until later this year, but today we can offer a first look at just how set number 10330 will stack up.

Microsoft has now taken to the official Xbox Wire to officially unveil the first new Xbox controllers of the year. This time around we are getting an entirely new batch of gamepads by way of the Vapor Xbox Wireless Controller Collection. The collection includes a new design available inside of the Xbox Design Lab – the online custom Xbox controller editor – and the new Xbox Wireless Controller – Dream Vapor Special Edition (this one is now available for pre-order). Head below for a closer look and more details. 

Vactidy, a smart home appliance manufacturer, has released its new Blitz V8 Pro Cordless Vacuum with a special launch discount on Amazon. Now available for purchase, this new model offers up some improvements from its predecessor, combining more powerful suction with the brand’s multi-cyclone CycloneFlow technology – plus lower noise levels, and accessory storage racks to round out the package.

CASETIFY tonight is launching one of its most long-awaited collaborations to date. The popular manga-turned-anime series, Jujutsu Kaisen, is finally getting the case treatment with a collection of iPhone 15 covers and a themed AirPods Pro case. Ahead of launching tonight, we’re taking a hands-on look at some of these new accessories.

Skylight, a brand best known for its smart digital picture frames, is introducing its new smart calendar today. With a focus on products that help keep the entire family stay organized and to “find clarity in the chaos of daily life,” the brand is ready to introduce its new Calendar Max. Joining its already existing lineup of smart Skylight Calendars, the latest model ups the ante in terms of tech while providing a sort of central hub for your family’s schedules across the larger 27-inch display. Now available for pre-order, you can get a closer look at how the new Skylight Calendar Max stacks up below. 

While the existing SANDMARC pro leather iPhone 15 cases were already among my absolute favorite – I’m using one right now – the brand is introducing a newer, slimmer minimalist model today. After a “surge in requests over to a stripped down version of our Pro series,” SANDMARC opted to bring its leather treatment over to a more sleek version of its wonderful, but for some, a little too robust Pro Series model. Now available for purchase for iPhone 15 and 14 users in a range of colorways, you can head below for more details and our exclusive discount code. 

Listen to a recap of the best deals and news from 9to5Toys each day at noon. 9to5Toys Daily is available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed. New episodes of 9to5Toys Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in iTunes/Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they are available.

• Apple Watch Series 9 now starts from new all-time low of $309, today only (Reg. $399+)
• Skip Qi2 and just grab an official Apple MagSafe Charger while they’re down to $27 (Reg. $39)
• DJI’s Mini 3 Pro folding drone shoots vertical video at $600 (Save $159), with DJI RC at $730

We’ve been able to share first looks at many of the upcoming LEGO Star Wars 25th anniversary sets over the past few days, but it seems LEGO has more in store for us. The company has already shown off five creations due out in March to celebrate the milestone for its most popular theme, but today is back to confirm that there are six special minifigures coming out for the 25th anniversary of LEGO Star Wars.

Segway has launched its new Ninebot S2 Self-Balancing Scooter, following the lineup of CES 2024 announcements from earlier this month. Now available for pre-sale purchase, this second-generation model offers more personalization through the adjustable control bar height, with RGB wheel light and taillight customization, as well as a built-in Bluetooth speaker – and you’ll get all this for a price that falls $150 lower than its predecessor.

Today, we’re getting another first look at three upcoming LEGO Star Wars 2024 sets. Continuing to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Star Wars theme, the new LEGO Midi-Scale Invisible Hand will be debuting in March as set number 75377 alongside both the Millennium Falcon 75375 and Tantive IV 75376.

Anker is one of the first to the market with a Qi2 power bank, and I’ve been daily driving the new portable 15W MagSafe stand for the past few weeks. Complete with an iPhone 15-ready design and 6,600mAh battery, this new release fixes many of the issues that have plagued previous MagSafe-compatible power banks.

The first PlayStation State of Play of 2024 is scheduled for this week. After getting a lengthy gaming showcase from the folks over at Xbox with the first look at the new Indiana Jones game, it’s now PlayStation’s turn. Sony has taken to the official PlayStation Blog today to announce the next State of Play showcase, and we are just about 48 hours away from showtime. Kicking off this Wednesday, Sony is now ready to get its gamers stoked for what’s to come with a look at over a dozen PS5 and PS VR2 titles. Head below for all of the details. 

Listen to a recap of the best deals and news from 9to5Toys each day at noon. 9to5Toys Daily is available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed. New episodes of 9to5Toys Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in iTunes/Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they are available.

• Apple’s 14-inch M2 Pro MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM hits $1,599 (New low, Reg. $2,199)
• Clearance deals take $479 off Google’s 256GB Pixel 7 Pro at new low of $520
• Sony’s popular XM5 ANC headphones come in three styles at $328 (Second-best, Save $70)

Update: You can now buy the mini Poké Ball directly from the official Pokémon Center website.

The Pokémon Company today is announcing a new collaboration with the folks over at The Wand Company. The two have already been releasing some of the best collectibles for Trainers with the authentic Poké Ball replicas, and now we’re getting a new series of mini Poké Ball to collect.

Just how LEGO plans to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Star Wars sets is beginning to take shape, as today we have an official look at the new buildable LEGO R2-D2 coming out on March 1 with a special Darth Malak minifigure.

Update: New, higher resolution photos are here!

Today, we’re getting a first look at one of the upcoming LEGO Star Wars sets from March. Slated to hit the scene later this year, we’ve known that the upcoming LEGO Tantive IV Boarding Diorama 75387 would include over 500 pieces for some time now. But now, we know exactly how it’ll stack up with a first look.

After featuring the new Samsung S24 cases from Spigen, Moment, OtterBox, and others (you’ll find all of them waiting in our roundup), it is now time to look at the new Smartish Samsung S24 wallet case. Now available for all three models of Samsung’s latest handset, the new Wallet Slayer Vol. 1 from Smartish comes in a range of colors and styles, from matte black through to more involved patterns and even an option with the rope strap. Best of all, it is now seeing some notable launch deals. Pricing kicks off from just over $20 Prime shipped and you’ll find the details down below. 

Nomad today is officially shipping its new Qi2 charging stand. The company is retrofitting its signature Stand One design with the new 15W charging tech, all while dropping the price just a tad in the process.

With the release of EA’s WRC rally game last year, more people might be dipping their toes into the wild world of driving very fast cars very fast down narrow dirt roads. One piece of hardware that can make the experience more immersive is a sequential shifter. It might be a bit of a one-trick-pony compared to some more expensive offerings from other brands, but the quality for $130 price tag, the Moza SGP Sequential Shifter seems to be a sweet spot for those looking for something specific. I’ve been slamming through the gears so be sure to hit the video below and see it in action. 

The latest Pokémon TCG set is hitting store shelves today! Paldean Fates brings a collection of all-new cards with some entirely fresh shiny designs for Scarlet and Violet. And to mark the occasion, Amazon is debuting the new packs with some launch day Pokémon Paldean Fates deals to help get Trainers in on the TCG action for less.

Well, we aren’t even a month into 2024 and we already have our second report on what could be the next-generation Nintendo Switch console, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch Pro, or whatever it might be called. After a CES 2024 press release mentioned the upcoming console by name, a fresh report from Bloomberg suggests Nintendo next Switch console is indeed coming this year with a new display. Head below for the details. 

The budget smart home company, Wyze, has launched its new Floodlight Cam v2. Now available for purchase, this second-generation model boasts some significant upgrades over its predecessor, offering local storage, 24/7 continuous recording, and an improved 2K video quality – you’ll get all these features and more for under $60 on Amazon, making it one of the cheapest floodlight security cameras on the market.

B&H is a cornerstone here in New York and in the world of consumer electronics. The retailer is now celebrating its 50th anniversary in a way that is simply too good not to share, releasing a custom LEGO model of the company’s flagship store in Midtown.

mophie has now introduced its new 2024 wireless charge pad. While brands are focused on the new Qi2 power standard, mophie has decided to update its lineup of charging gear with a simple and affordable new wireless power solution ready to deliver 15W of power to your new Samsung S24 or any other Qi-enabled gear. Now available for purchase directly from the ZAGG official site, you can learn more about the new 2024 mophie wireless charge pad below. 

The Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition is coming to PC very soon. In PlayStation’s continued effort to bring some of its big-time and once exclusive titles to PC, Sony has now announced that Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition will land on battlestations everywhere come March. PlayStation has been spreading the love with PC gamers for a little while now, and next up will be the latest entry in Aloy’s future-past adventure alongside a host of extra goodies. All of the details are down below. 

The latest Pokémon TCG expansion set launches tomorrow with Paldean Fates. Ahead of time, I was sent over a bundle of the new packs, which feature Shiny Pokémon for the first time in the Scarlet and Violet area of the card game alongside tons of fresh full art designs, new Paradox Pokémon, and more.

Update: The first deals on the new Elevation Lab AirTag safety pin mounts are now live. While the best value is available via on-page coupons on the 2- and 4-packs, the singles are now starting from just under $10 Prime shipped – the regularly $30 4-packs are now selling for $18.

Just after the release of its new magnetic waterproof solution, Elevation Lab is back with another AirTag mounting solution. Its new AirTag Pin Mount is now available for purchase with a notable launch discount on Amazon to provide a new way to affix Apple’s item trackers to well, the kids’ clothing (or other bags, backacks, purses, and more). Now starting from just under $10.50, you’ll find all of the details down below. 

BIGBIG WON, a maker of gaming peripherals, has launched its new Rainbow 2 Pro Wireless Gaming Controller that features motion control, a hall-effect trigger, a 1000Hz polling rate, 12-bit Axis Resolution, remappable buttons, and RGB lighting. Now available for purchase, this controller is an affordable alternative to name-brand devices and comes compatible across several popular platforms, giving gamers far more freedom and flexibility than its single-connection competitors.

Check out the new limited edition white and gold gaming keyboard from SteelSeries. The brand is a leader in PC gaming peripherals, for those unfamiliar, and is back at it again today with its latest special edition creation. After featuring is limited run Ghost Edition translucent gaming keyboard back in the fall, today SteelSeries is introducing its new Apex Pro Mini: Limited-Edition White x Gold keyboard. All of the details are waiting below. 

Following the announcement of Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding landing on iPhone and Mac later this month, Backbone has now officially unveiled its new Backbone One Death Stranding Limited Edition Controller. The brand debuted the second-generation version of its popular USB-C iPhone 15/Android controller back in November (shortly before we went hands-on), but it has now teamed up with Kojima Productions to reveal its sweet new golden translucent special edition model. Check it out below. 

Satechi’s Stand and Hub is easily one of my favorite Mac mini accessories ever, and now it’s getting an upgrade. Earlier this year at CES, the company refreshed the aluminum-clad stand to feature improved NVMe SSD support. I’ve been putting it to the test with my Mac Studio since, and am happy to report it’s even more of a must-have than before.

Listen to a recap of the best deals and news from 9to5Toys each day at noon. 9to5Toys Daily is available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed. New episodes of 9to5Toys Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in iTunes/Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they are available.

• Apple Watch Ultra 2 sees rare refurbished discount to $645 (New low, Orig. $799)
• OnePlus 12 pre-order deals go live at $800 (Save $100), trade-in bonus, more
• Bring TicWatch Pro 5 smartwatch and its Snapdragon W5+ chip to your wrist for $227

Peak Design – a brand focused on content-creators, camera accessories, and its range of smartphone add-on gear – is teaming up with the folks at Nomad to launch its new Rugged iPhone 15 case today. The brand, as far as the smartphone case scene is concerned, is perhaps best known for its fabric-wrapped Everyday case – a model we recently went hands-on with for review. But the new Peak Design x Nomad Rugged Case flips the script to some degree to provide a more robust solution designed in collaboration with the pros over at Nomad – a brand we are also quite fond of. Head below for a closer look at the new Peak Design x Nomad Rugged iPhone 15 Pro case. 

ESR today is launching its very first Qi2 accessory. While other brands opted to take to CES 2024 with news about their latest charging gear, ESR has held off to capture some of the spotlight for itself. Despite being later than its competition, the company can still claim to ship the first Qi2 car mount – which arrives with a launch discount to celebrate.

Listen to a recap of the best deals and news from 9to5Toys each day at noon. 9to5Toys Daily is available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed. New episodes of 9to5Toys Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in iTunes/Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they are available.

• Save $123 on a cellular Apple Watch SE 2 at $206 while it’s lower than the GPS model
• Apple’s FineWoven iPhone 15 cases are finally worth a try with deals from $18 (Reg. $59)
• New all-time low takes $275 off Samsung’s 11-inch Galaxy Tab S9 256GB tablet at $645

Today, Samsung is unveiling its newest internal SSD known as the 990 EVO. Before Samsung delivered its new transparent display tech and its upcoming smart TV lineup at CES 2024, the last major release from its storage business was with the pro-grade USB 3.2 2×2 T9 portable SSDs – here’s our hands-on review. But today the brand is turning its attention to the more modest internal SSD solutions with the unveil of its new 990 EVO solid-state drives. Head below for all of the details. 

Today, we’re getting an official look at the upcoming LEGO Micro Ninjago City set. This gift with purchase should be launching before spring and arrives to give one of the most beloved creations in all of LEGO history some love as a miniature recreation.

Today, Positive Grid is ready to unleash the latest advancement to its smart guitar amp and Bluetooth speaker systems with the new Spark LINK Go wireless guitar system. Designed for ultra-low latency, the new Spark LINK is a wireless transmission system that allows players to connect their guitars wirelessly to any of the Spark smart guitar amps (or any other amp you might use). Seemingly a natural progression, this was one of the things that immediately came to mind for me when I was going hands-on with some of the Spark mini guitar amp systems previously, and now Positive Grid is ready to unleash a wireless guitar rig of its own. Head below for a closer look at the new Spark LINK wireless guitar system. 

Update: The new Pastel Pink Joy-Con are now up for pre-order at Amazon, GameStop and Best Buy.

A new set of official pink Joy-Con are on the way. Nintendo has just taken to its official X (Twitter) account to reveal the next special edition Joy-Con release. Set to launch alongside the release of the Princess Peach game, a brand new set of pastel pink Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers will be available at select retailers in about two month’s time. Head below for more details and a closer look. 

For the past two months, I have been using one of the most unconventional cases on the market for my iPhone 15 Pro. Well, if you can call all of the minimalism that is the Arc Pulse a case, that is. This aluminum bumper has been one of my favorite accessories for the past few iPhone generations, and now I am putting that adoration to the test with a long-term review.

Listen to a recap of the best deals and news from 9to5Toys each day at noon. 9to5Toys Daily is available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed. New episodes of 9to5Toys Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in iTunes/Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they are available.

• Apple’s latest 11-inch M2 iPad Pro on sale for the first time since Black Friday at $1,000 (Save $99)
• Save $450 on the recent folding Motorola razr+ while it’s down to a new $550 all-time low
• Anker’s new Prime USB-C power banks fall to best prices yet from $72 (Reg. $90+)

LEGO today is kicking off its first double Insiders Points promotion of the year. If you’ve been looking for a chance to score a little extra cash back on all of those new 2024 sets that just hit store shelves earlier in the month or have had your eye on something else, the first chance to score some extra cash back is here. Plus, a bonus freebie Year of the Dragon set!

Nvidia is starting the year off with some new GPUs – the 4070 Super, 4070 Ti Super, and the 4080 Super. The first to be released is the 4070 Super, which is now available. The 4070 Ti Super comes out on January 24, and the 4080 Super will be released on January 31st. To start things off, we got our hands on the PNY 4070 Super Verto Overclocked card. How does it perform for the $599 price tag? Be sure to hit the video below to see all of the details. 

Today we are testing out the latest PNY Elite-X USB-C flash drive. As a regular user of both portable SSD storage and cloud options, I thought it would be a good idea to put one of these old school-style flash drives to the test for a month or so to see if it was even useful. PNY’s latest release landed at the tail end of 2023 and I immediately thought to myself, are these tiny drives still something that can come in handy? Head below for our hands-on impressions. 

It seems the LEGO Star Wars team may have more than we originally reported to celebrate the theme’s 25th anniversary. There looks to be one more build from the celebratory lineup coming in 2024, which is set to release later this fall. 

The folks over at Journey have been on a roll over the last couple months with new releases, and it is now ready to debut its new desktop charger. We just recently featured its MagSafe wireless kickstand power bank, just after the release of its Find My accessories and its new TRIO ULTRA 15W MagSafe stand with Apple Watch fast charging, but today we are focusing in on the new Blitz desktop charging station. Now available for purchase directly from the official site with a notable 20% launch deal, you can get a complete breakdown below. 

Anker’s first wave of new Qi2 chargers have officially begun shipping after months of waiting. I’ve been trying out a few of them for the past few weeks, and out of everything, the new MagGo 3-in-1 Charging Station has been my favorite. It’s the first from the company, and has won me over by shipping all the bells and whistles like 15W MagSafe, Apple Watch fast charging, and a compact build – all for $110.