Discover more from The Shortcut

The Shortcut is the #1 consumer tech publication on Substack, designed to be your one-stop editorial guide to simplify your life. More than just PS5 restock information, we also cover news, reviews and provide best-in-class buying guides.

Over 135,000 subscribers

Tech winners & losers: OnePlus Pad review, Asus ROG Ally outdoes Steam Deck and more

PS5 redesign? This week's tech headlines all in one place

Matt Swider

Apr 28, 2023

🐦 Ask me on Twitter for hand-picked deals from Walmart / Best Buy / B&H Photo / GameStop / Xbox Game Pass / PlayStation Plus / Microsoft Office for Windows $39.99 / MS Office for Mac $39.99

📆 Calendar

📱 Today: OnePlus Pad pre-orders begin in the US – I reviewed it already
👾 7 days: Guardians of the Galaxy (I’ll have an IMAX review in advance)
🤖 12 days: Google IO – we’ll have live updates of the big keynote
🎮 13 days: Asus ROG Ally launch date – I went hands-on already
⚔️ 14 days: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – buy it here
🍎 38 days: Apple’s WWDC 2023 keynote (maybe its AR/VR headset)

Today’s tech 👍 winners & 👎 losers

OnePlus Pad review: $479 Android tablet that's a price-for-performance beast

👍 📱 Winner: This new Android tablet and iPad rival that I reviewed today is superb for its price. We also did an unboxing on Instagram.

Pros

✅ 📱 A $479 Android tablet that rivals the value of Apple’s iPad
✅ ⚙️ Great combo: 128GB of storage & Dimensity 9000 chipset
✅ 📺 Crisp 11.61-inch IPS display with fluid 144Hz refresh rate
✅ 🪄 Software tricks enable SIM-free data sharing, OTP auto-fill

Cons

❌ 🤔 Out-of-the-box settings require some fine-tuning
❌ 🌈 Just one color – you better like Halo Green
❌ 💳 No version with a SIM card

Android tablets are mounting a comeback in 2023, and the new OnePlus Pad is eager to become the best value in their resurgence against the dominant Apple iPad. Google is going to steal headlines with the Pixel Tablet next week and Samsung launched a trio of Galaxy S8 tablets two months ago, but there’s a place for OnePlus, too.

At $479, the OnePlus Pad takes the company’s “Never Settle” motto and stretches it to fit a superb-looking 11.61-inch screen. Next to the iPad 10.9, this OnePlus tablet is bigger, more pixel-dense, offers a higher screen refresh rate and is more affordable when considering the storage specs and the significantly cheaper accessories.

As I suggested in my OnePlus 11 review in February, OnePlus is the best-positioned Android manufacturer for consumers facing a tough economy. The new OnePlus Pad extends OnePlus’ lead in the value-for-performance game. More…

Read my full OnePlus Pad review

Pre-order it from OnePlus

It's time to stop buying video games at launch

👎 💔 Loser: $70 games that ship incomplete, treating gamers like beta testers, writes The Shortcut's

Adam Vjestica

Super Mario 64. It just worked better back in the day (Credit: Nintendo)

When was the last time a video game launched without any issues? Honestly, I couldn’t name one title with any conviction. And that’s why I no longer buy video games on release day.

You see, I grew up during the halcyon days when video games were deemed complete, ready to ship, and worked as intended. Laughably, that was only a few decades ago. More…

Read the editorial from Adam Vjestica

Asus ROG Ally hands-on review: it makes Steam Deck look dated

👍 🎮 Winner: I loved testing this thing – but it’ll all come down to the price. Check out our other video on Instagram.

Pros

✅ 🎮 PC gaming handheld with full HD display and 120Hz refresh rate
✅ ⚙️ Powerful AMD Ryzen Z1 CPU, RDNA 3 GPU and 512GB SSD
✅ 💿 Full Windows 11 and natively supports major gaming platforms
✅ 🙌 Lighter, more ergonomic and grippier than Steam Deck

Cons

❌ 💰 Could be pricey – they’re being coy with the final cost
❌ 🔧 Windows 11 still isn’t optimized for handhelds

Rumor has it that this Steam Deck rival will cost $699.99 and we know it’ll definitely be under $1,000. If it’s the former, then the Asus ROG Ally just might be the ultimate PC gaming handheld… until the Steam Deck 2 launches.

Here’s what I thought about testing it for several hours: More…

My full Asus ROG Ally hands-on review

Dyson's air-purifying headphones are available to buy – they're not cheap

👎 😷 Loser: $1,000? Skip this overpriced tech and the Bane comments

Jack Dyson wearing the Dyson Zone on the London Underground — Image credit: Dyson

➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: Dyson Zone price

👀 You can now own the Dyson Zone headphones
😷 The headset includes a magnetic visor that purifies the air
🤔 You also get noise-canceling and an app
😲 However, they cost $999.99 from Dyson’s website

Read Adam's new story

See the Super Mario Bros. Movie in Japanese – for a limited time

👍 🇯🇵 Winner: I’ll be seeing this one tonight – I already saw the Mario movie five times in 3D, 2D, IMAX, 4DX and Dolby Cinema. Why not once more, right?

The Super Mario Bros. Movie karting scene — Image credit: Universal

🇯🇵 The Super Mario Bros. Movie will be shown in Japanese for a limited time
🎦 Select cinemas and locations will be showing the film
💰 The film continues to rake in the cash – closing in on $1B this weekend
🍄 The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 is inevitable at this point

Let's-a-go to Adam's news story

PS5 sales near 40 million but Sony fails to mention how PSVR 2 is performing

👎 🥽 Loser: While I helped 400,000 people buy a next-gen console via my Twitter, I haven’t been able to fully recommend PSVR 2 (maybe if Spider-Man VR comes out) and Apple’s headset is rumored to be around the corner. Watch out, Sony!