Prime Big Deal Days are here, and there are two exciting offers that you shouldn’t miss out on. From stylish tech accessories to an active play system for the family, here are our top picks for the sale.
Get Ready for Prime Big Deal Days
CASETiFY, the globally renowned lifestyle brand famous for its stylish, customizable, and protective tech accessories, is participating in Prime Big Deal Days on October 7–8. Shoppers have the opportunity to enjoy a 20% storewide discount on select CASETiFY products, excluding iPhone 17 Gen products. This is a great chance to grab fashionable tech accessories at a discounted rate, perfect for early holiday shopping. Early deals are already live across Amazon, CASETiFY.com, and Best Buy.
Nex Playground: An Engaging Deal for Active Families
Meanwhile, Nex Playground, the engaging play system that gets kids and families active, has an attractive Prime Day deal. Shoppers can take advantage of a 20% discount on the Nex Playground unit on Amazon. During Prime Big Deal Days, Prime members will have exclusive access to a 3-in-1 bundle, which includes the Nex Playground, Travel Case, and a 12-month Play Pass subscription, for 20% off.
Nex Playground offers a catalogue of 40+ games featuring popular children’s brands like Gabby’s Dollhouse and How To Train Your Dragon. It’s a great addition to family game nights, accommodating up to four players. It also prioritizes safety with features like a magnetic camera cover and no cloud processing. The system is kidSAFE+ COPPA certified.
Just in time for Prime Day on October 7-8, Lepro is illuminating the market with discounts of up to 38% on their innovative indoor and outdoor color-changing smart lighting solutions. Customers can avail of these deals to transform their spaces into stylish and ambient havens.
Lepro is not just another smart lighting brand. It stands apart with its unique LLM-based LightGPM™ and LightBeats™ technologies, which allow the generation of custom lighting scenes from voice and text prompts and intelligent rhythm synchronization respectively.
Smart Lighting Prime Day Deals
The Prime Day deals include discounts on a variety of products. The E1 AI Permanent Outdoor Lights are available at discounts ranging from 34% to 36%. The TB1 AI Smart Table Lamp and TB2 AI Smart Table Lamp are available at 28% and 15% discounts respectively. The R2 AI 6 Inch LED Recessed Light is available in 2-Pack and 4-Pack options at 35% and 38% off respectively.
The S1 AI LED Strip Lights range in length from 16.4 ft to 100 ft, with discounts ranging from 11% to 27%. The B1 AI Smart Light Bulbs come in 2-Pack and 4-Pack options at 35% and 33% off respectively.
As a leading provider of smart lighting solutions, LePro is primarily devoted to offering innovative and stylish solutions for indoor and outdoor lighting needs. The company prides itself on making lighting customization easier and more interactive.
MobileX, a leading customizable wireless service provider, today announced the upcoming launch of its new feature, the Gold Network. This unique service offers customers priority data on demand, a feature that other carriers have yet to provide. By running on QCI 8, the Gold Network ensures faster speeds and lower latency during periods of peak congestion, whether at crowded events or in busy everyday areas.
Benefits and Access Options for The Gold Network
The Gold Network is designed to deliver improved performance during times of network congestion, allowing customers to enjoy smoother streaming, more reliable video chat, and a more responsive overall experience. Customers can opt for Gold On Demand for a one-time speed boost during high-traffic events, or they can choose Gold Unlimited or Gold Build Your Own for continuous monthly priority data access.
MobileX’s founder and CEO, Peter Adderton, stated that the Gold Network gives customers the power to decide when they want to upgrade to priority access. For those who do not require priority data, they can continue to rely on MobileX’s regular high-speed data, which has now been reduced to $1.90 per GB (from $2.10).
Availability
The Gold Network will be available next month (November) via the MobileX app, under XtraOptions. New customers can download the MobileX app from the Apple App Store and Google Play, or purchase a MobileX SIM starter pack at over 3,700 Walmart stores and on Walmart.com.
In an exciting development for tech enthusiasts and adventurers alike, T-Mobile has announced a significant expansion of its T-Satellite service, powered by Starlink’s 650+ satellites. This expansion introduces satellite data connectivity for several popular apps, extending their reach to places where traditional cell signals dare not tread.
The Satellite-Powered App Experience
Building on the initial success of T-Satellite’s messaging services launched earlier this year, users in the U.S. can now enjoy essential apps like WhatsApp, AllTrails, AccuWeather, and Google Maps even in the most remote locations. This advancement means that voice and video chats on WhatsApp, among other features, are now possible via satellite, offering users a new level of communication freedom. Picture this: having a video call with friends while hiking in a secluded canyon, with no cell tower in sight.
Mike Katz, President of Marketing, Innovation, and Experience at T-Mobile, expressed his enthusiasm: “We’ve been astounded by the positive feedback from T-Satellite’s initial launch. Extending support to critical apps and services not only enhances safety but also offers peace of mind to our users, allowing them to stay connected anywhere they can see the sky.”
Apps That Go Beyond Boundaries
The integration of satellite connectivity has opened up a new realm of possibilities for app usage. Notable mentions include:
AllTrails: Navigate and explore over 500,000 trails with real-time location sharing, no matter how far off the grid you go.
AccuWeather: Access hyper-local forecasts and storm alerts, ensuring you’re prepared for any weather conditions, no matter where your adventure takes you.
CalTopo: Perfect for planners, offering custom map-building capabilities for hikes and trips, now enhanced with real-time satellite connectivity.
onX Suite: From hunting to offroading, these apps provide comprehensive data for outdoor enthusiasts, even in the most isolated areas.
X: Stay updated with trending topics and social media interactions, maintaining your digital presence even in remote locales.
For businesses, the T-Satellite service offers vital connectivity enhancements. Integrations with platforms like Dialpad and FLORIAN enable seamless communication during outages or in areas lacking terrestrial coverage, proving invaluable for field teams and first responders.
Seamless Connectivity for All
Using satellite-ready apps remains straightforward for T-Mobile customers. The phone automatically switches to satellite mode when terrestrial signals are unavailable, maintaining a seamless experience without the need for manual adjustments. This ensures that the critical services offered by these apps are available wherever you are, without the data-heavy demands of traditional networks.
T-Satellite service is included at no extra cost in T-Mobile’s premium plans, and for a modest fee, users of other networks can also benefit from this groundbreaking service. The initiative isn’t just for existing customers; developers are encouraged to connect with T-Mobile to explore the potential of keeping their apps live and accessible in this new era of connectivity.
With T-Satellite, T-Mobile is reshaping the landscape of connectivity, ensuring that being off the grid no longer means being out of touch. Whether you’re scaling mountains or simply escaping to a remote retreat, staying connected is now as easy as looking up at the sky.
Mecool probably isn’t on your radar if you need a streaming device for your television, but maybe they should be. The company makes a wide range of options running Android TV and the newer Google TV software by Google. I’ve recently been testing the latest addition to the Mecool lineup in the MEgo1 4k Streaming Stick.
Design
The build of the MEgo1 is pretty standard for a TV streaming stick. You get basically a glorified thumb drive with a male HDMI port on one end. The only other port is the power input, provided in this case by a USB-C option. There’s also the Mecool branding and blue LED status light to let you know you have it powered on and ready to stream.
Internally, the MEgo1 is powered by a Realtek RTD1325 ARM chipset, paired with 2GB of RAM and only 8GB of storage. This should be fine to run most apps, but I’m immediately concerned out of the box that I’ll be running out of storage.
The included remote is very good. Mecool has followed the Google TV remote guidelines almost to the specs, and that’s a positive. The MEgo1 layout is intuitive, modern, and uncluttered while still offering the buttons you truly need. There are dedicated shortcuts for YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ at the bottom which should cover some of the most used apps in any household at this point.
Setup and Performance
Getting a Google TV device up and going is easier than it’s ever been. Logging into the MEgo1 takes just a few minutes with Google’s fantastic account setup from your phone’s existing accounts. Using a QR code to the link, the two devices syncs the needed information seamlessly over Wi-Fi.
Daily use of the Mecool MEgo1 Streaming Stick has been OK. When you first get it setup and settled, the UI is fairly snappy and transitions are decent between apps. I had no issues getting my favorite apps installed and ready to veg-out on the couch.
It’s when you get these apps installed and used for a few days, you start to see some limitations. I’d estimate that I’m more the majority than the minority that in today’s streaming situation, it takes you at least five services to enjoy all the media subscriptions you’re paying for.
Due to the size and RAM caching of these apps, the 2GB of RAM and the internal storage only being 8GB starts to show after a few weeks of use. It didn’t take long to start seeing more stuttering when moving between the interface as RAM became scarce.
The same is true for actually memory becoming full as the apps offloaded data into the internal storage. The issue arrives almost immediately due to the 8GB of storage also includes the underlying operating system taking up well over half at around 4.5GB. This leaves user apps with a paltry 3.5 to 4GB of real storage at their disposal.
I think for most users, especially at $70, there’s a need for at least double of each of these defaults found on the MEgo1. I’d worry less about 4GB of RAM, and even 16GB of storage would still make me nervous. One of the most seen complaints around the launch of Google’s own Chromecast with Google TV is that it only comes with 16GB of storage.
“For a user looking to get a 4K Google TV stick, the Mecool MEgo1 is a confounding product. Priced at $70, its middling specs make it a tough sell when similar devices from competitors are a third of the price, and a better-specced Mecool box is available for the same cost.”
Software
The Mecool MEgo1 is a pretty standard affair for Google TV devices. You have Android’s television operating system with a fairly clean, and snappy interface. It’s focused around the company’s user data and tries to surface the next available show you want to watch based off your history and trends.
It is nice that the MEgo1 is certified for all the major streaming apps. Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video are all here with full 4K support. This can be a deal-breaker for some brands, but Mecool has this covered with zero issues in my testing. When you need to find that niche streaming app, the full Play Store is available as well.
Final Thoughts
The Mecool MEgo1 is a bit of a confounding product addition for the company. Historically, their streaming devices are usually on the high-end with a budget pricing. The MEgo1 is somewhat of the exact opposite. The middling, and almost minimal specs, for a price of $70 makes this a hard sell. You can easily get a similar streaming stick running Google TV from other brands for around a third of the price, or for the about same price, you can get a better streaming box from Mecool like the KM9 Pro.
Hold onto your hiking boots, folks! Suunto just dropped the Vertical 2, and trust us, this isn’t just another GPS sports watch—it’s positioning itself as the new generation of the ultimate companion, ready for both the highest peaks and your everyday adventures. Whether you’re an extreme expedition fanatic or just trying to track that daily run, Suunto designed the Vertical 2 to seamlessly blend endurance and performance.
Let’s dive into the major features that are going to make this watch a must-have on your wrist!
Brighter, Faster, and Built to Last
Say goodbye to squinting at your maps! The Vertical 2 boasts a larger, brighter, and energy-efficient 1.5-inch AMOLED display. With a resolution of 466 x 466 pixels and utilizing LTPO-Display-Technologies, this screen promises exceptional clarity and readability, even when you’re staring straight into the sun. Maps and metrics will stay crystal clear no matter the environment.
Running demanding navigation tools requires serious speed. Suunto upgraded the processor and expanded the memory, making the user interface faster and smoother than before. Plus, this update ensures the watch is ready for all kinds of future software updates.
For the serious data junkies, the Vertical 2 features a completely redesigned optical heart rate sensor. This improved tech offers even higher accuracy for heart rate measurement right at the wrist, supporting everything from training and recovery tracking to general health monitoring. It also includes HRV measurement (Heart Rate Variability).
Never Get Lost (Or Stuck in the Dark!)
If you love tackling mountainous or hilly terrain, the new Climb Guidance function is a game-changer. This feature helps users prepare and navigate by providing real-time elevation profiles, color-coded route sections, and advanced notifications about upcoming ascents and descents. It brings detailed insights into gradients, distances, and altitude differences, significantly improving both route planning and on-trail navigation.
You’ll get sophisticated navigation tools supported by free, detailed offline maps right on the watch and in the Suunto app. These detailed maps include contour lines, paths, and terrain features, making route planning precise. And for those spontaneous moments, Quick-start navigation allows you to change your route mid-activity without pausing the recording!
Here’s a practical addition for safety and comfort: an integrated LED flashlight built right into the bezel. Perfect for low-light situations, the flashlight has adjustable brightness levels, a red light mode for night vision, and key safety modes like SOS and Pulse functions—light when you need it most, whether you’re in a tent or an emergency situation.
Endurance That Won’t Quit
The Vertical 2 is known for its rugged design and exceptional battery life.
Marathon Battery: Even in the most accurate Dualband-GNSS mode, the Vertical 2 manages an impressive 65 hours of GPS-tracking. For daily use, you can expect up to 20 days of Smartwatch usage, and it can be fully recharged in just two hours!
Tough as Nails: Designed for long days and built for durability, the watch is available in robust stainless steel (87 grams) or lightweight titanium (74 grams). It features sapphire crystal and is waterproof up to 100 meters (10 ATM). Plus, three side buttons ensure easy operation in any weather—even while wearing gloves.
Sporting Smarts: Beyond adventure, the Vertical 2 supports training with over 115 sport modes (including 22 new options for trail running, cycling, swimming, and skiing). You also get features like sport-specific heatmaps, weather alerts, recovery trackers, and the Suunto Coach for data-supported training guidance.
The Suunto Vertical 2 stainless steel model is priced at $599.00, and the titanium version is $699.00. You can snag one starting September 30, 2025, on suunto.com and at selected retailers worldwide. Go get your next adventure started!
I’m a big fan of OnePlus. That’s been pretty evident by my coverage here on AG over the years. The company has found a fantastic balance between forward-thinking hardware, unique user interfaces, and budget in the Android market. The same is true for the wireless earbuds segment with the OnePlus Buds brand.
The company has done is again with the new OnePlus Buds 4 and let’s dive into why I think these are some of the best “barely not flagship” earbuds on the scene.
Design
The OnePlus Buds 4 build off the previous line from OnePlus. You get the same teardrop and stemmed earpiece with silicone passive hardware noise suppression. I’ve found the Buds 4 comfortable and stayed very stable in my ears.
One thing that OnePlus included this year that I love is the new capacitive features. The Buds 4 keep the larger area on the main top portion of each earpiece. This serves for play/pause and taking calls like most other earbuds. Where they expanded is a new vertical strip on the stems that can control volume.
I love that these types of interactions make it from the more premium OnePlus Buds Pro 3. It’s not the same as the pressable portion of the stem on those buds, but it’s the same concept. Having quick access to volume controls seems trivial until have earbuds like the Buds 4 and can’t see how you lived without it.
Internally, you have all the makings of modern wireless earbuds. It all starts with the active noise cancellation, capable of 55db of reduction. You also get Bluetooth 5.4 with Google Quick Pair and 11mm woofers and 6mm tweeter pumping out the sound.
“The new capacitive volume controls on the stems are a feature I absolutely love; it’s the kind of quick access that seems trivial at first, but once you have it, you can’t see how you lived without it. The audio quality is just as impressive, delivering a balanced sound that packs a punch, and the battery life is solid enough to easily get me through a full workday with ANC on.”
Sound
Since we’re on the subject, let’s talk about the listening experience. I don’t know how much the OnePlus Bud 4 bring to the table over last year’s Buds 3, but that’s a positive. That’s because that was already a fantastic sounding earbuds.
OnePlus always excels at this, and the combination of ANC and sound quality is very good. The noise cancellation makes sure the majority of your outside interference is curbed to a minimum. Is it as immersive as canned alternatives, no, but it’s well above the standards of $130 earbuds. I’d match these up to any other on the market.
The same is true on audio playback. OnePlus has found a winning formula over the last few generations that carries over to the Buds 4. The mix of the woofers and tweeters is balanced while still packing a punch when called for in the music. Whether you are listening to a muted podcast or a banger, you’ll enjoy what the OnePlus Buds 4 earbuds pump out.
Battery Life
OnePlus estimates that the new Buds 4 will last up to six hours with ANC on and around 11 hours with it turned off. I’ve found this to be relatively accurate. I am able to get through a full eight-hour shift, while taking a few breaks, with no issues of endurance with ANC turned on.
In true OnePlus fashion, when you do run out of battery, it’s a quick solution. The case gets you around three extra charges of the earbuds without reaching for a power adapter or outlet. When you do need to top off the entire package, there’s USB-C quick charge and wired charging. You can get around 3.5 hours of playback back in under 10 minutes, and full charge of the case and Buds 4 in a little over an hour. My only knock is at this price point, you should include Qi wireless charging.
Final Thoughts
Awarded to products with an average rating of 3.75 stars or higher, the AndroidGuys Smart Pick recognizes a balance of quality, performance, and value.
Products with this distinction deserve to be on your short list of purchase candidates.
OnePlus brings another compelling option to the wireless earbuds market with the Buds 4. The active noise cancellation, quality sound, and above average battery life make them worth the $130. Add in the new capacitive volume controls and I think you should just buy them if already shopping earbuds.
You can purchase the new OnePlus Buds 4 for the previously stated $130 in two colors: Storm Gray and Zen Green. The Zen is very subtle in our review models and can be mistaken for Gray as well, but the hint of greens shines through when under lights at an angle. If you act now, you can use code HARVEST to save $30 from general purchase.
SteelSeries, the original esports brand, today announced the launch of its groundbreaking Arctis Nova Elite headset. This headset, the first of its kind to receive Hi-Res Wireless Certification, redefines the limits of gaming audio technology with its meticulous design, engineering, and craftsmanship.
Advanced Wireless Audio Technology and Multi-Source Connectivity
The Arctis Nova Elite delivers a Hi-Res Wireless Certified immersive listening experience across PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and PC. This is made possible through 24-Bit/96KHz transmission over 2.4GHz and Bluetooth, powered by a new GameHub and next-gen LC3+ codec. The headset’s custom 40mm Carbon Fiber Speaker Drivers provide unparalleled accuracy and performance, reproducing frequencies from 10Hz to 40kHz.
The Arctis Nova Elite also introduces OmniPlay, a first-of-its-kind technology that allows users to connect, mix, and play up to four sources on PC, Console, Bluetooth, and Line-In simultaneously. This feature, combined with Triple USB-C inputs, enables seamless transitions between all connected devices for true audio multitasking.
Premium Design and All-Day Comfort
Additional features include the best Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) in gaming, AI Noise Rejecting Microphones, and the Arctis App with 200+ game-specific audio presets. The headset also boasts an Infinite Power System that provides unlimited battery life with a dual-battery system.
Designed in conjunction with renowned designer Jacob Wagner, the Arctis Nova Elite combines Scandinavian minimalism with functional elegance. It features an all-metal frame, metal control wheel, and plush memory foam ear-cups for exceptional comfort.
Availability and Price
The Arctis Nova Elite is available at SteelSeries.com and select retailers worldwide from September 30 for MSRP: NA $599.99 | UK £599.99 | EMEA €649.99 | APAC $649.99.
If you’ve been following along our journey here at AndroidGuys, you know that we are big fans of Anker and its sub-brands. The brand we may feature the most, is Soundcore, the company’s audio and theater outlet. As usual, Summer leading into Fall brings out launches of many new devices.
Soundcore has shared three of its new lineup with us, and we’ve come away convinced that you can’t go wrong with any of them.
Level Up is where we explore the gear that actually makes a difference, whether that’s in how you live, work, or unwind. Each edition brings together standout products, whether tied by brand or by theme, that turn the everyday into something a little more exceptional.
Soundcore P40i ANC
Let’s start with the most “basic” of the group, the new Soundcore P40i. These earbuds are a solid pair of teardrop and stem buds we’ve all come accustomed to from Anker. The quality is good, the case is small, and the sound is all Soundcore appropriate. There’s also touch controls in a capacitive area of each earpiece.
Add in an active noise cancellation and up to 60 hours of total playback, the special price of $48 at launch is a steal. There’s even a new “hidden” feature of a phone kickstand built into the inside of the case. This make commute media watching even easier the next time you travel with the Soundcore P40i ANC earbuds.
This might be my favorite mashup Anker has ever done. How can a company built on portable power solutions also innovate on the audio line? Yep, let’s add a full power bank to the earbud’s casing. That’s right, it has a dual output-input USB-C female port, a dedicated USB-C two-way cable, and even an Apple Lighting adapter in the top of the lid.
These are very similar to the P40i earbuds in design and sound, but the addition of 3,000mAh can be used in a pinch to also recharge your phone on the go. This isn’t a ton of capacity, but at 10 Watts, it’s estimated to recharge most phones from 0% to around 50% just using the Soundcore P41i case. You have a crisp LED front display to always know the current state of the battery life of the case as well as the earbuds too.
At $80, the combination of the Soundcore P41i is well worth it, and I’m actually shocked Anker hadn’t made this device already. Oh, did we mention it also has the same phone stand as the P40i?
Our final mention of this Level Up is the Soundcore V40i earbuds. These sport minded buds can handle any run or workout you can imagine. The looped design keeps them comfortably positioned, and you can even adjust the earpiece in three different options to tweak this even further. They are IP55 rated to make sure even outdoor settings shouldn’t be an issue.
The open-ear design means you get a hybrid listening experience of fantastic playback while also still being aware of your surroundings. The outside of the units have a large capacitive area for playback controls that are easy to find even while active.
The included charging case has a wow factor or retro-futuristic elements. The power port is in the bottom, but the Soundcore V40i buds stay secure with magnetic pogo pins and a LED ring shows the charging status. All this in an $80 value make the V40i a viable option for the athlete in the family.
FiiO, a leading provider of high-quality audio products, has announced the release of its latest innovation, the SNOWSKY DAC and Headphone Amplifier – TINY.
Optimized for portability without compromising on audio performance, TINY brings professional-grade sound tuning to audiophiles, gamers, and music enthusiasts. The device, which can be plugged into a smartphone, offers Hi-Fi sound quality that fits in the palm of your hand.
TINY combines sleek, minimalist design with deep sonic control and uncompromising audio fidelity. Despite its modest size, TINY has a fully featured DSP engine, 10-band parametric EQ with the FiiO Control app, supports multiple high-resolution formats, and is housed in a rugged all-metal body.
Perfect for wired headphones and IEMs, TINY takes full advantage of all high-res music streaming services, from Spotify Lossless to Apple Music, TIDAL, and Amazon Music. This device allows users to access CD quality or high-res sound files across all smartphones at an incredibly affordable price.
Two versions of the TINY – Audio Output and Charging Features
TINY A: Combines a 3.5 mm and USB-C port, supports fast charging up to 2 A / 20 V, enabling audio playback while charging.
TINY B: Offers both a 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm output in a single-ended architecture. Both ports can work simultaneously so you can share music with a friend.
Price and Availability
Priced at just £19.99 / $19.99, this compact audio amplifier is the most affordable smartphone upgrade of 2025. Available now via Advanced MP3 Players and now unavailable on Amazon, this affordable smartphone upgrade offers unparalleled audio quality with universal compatibility.
