Allen McCallie ‘26, Business and Ad Manager
The holiday season is in full swing, now is the time to look at what you want from Santa this Christmas. Whether you like music, gaming, or just cool gadgets, there is plenty to put on your Christmas list this year. 2025 has been one of the best years in technology. From new releases and upgrades, there are many things to wish for this holiday season.
If you are looking for a good headphone recommendation, the Sony WH-1000XM6, also known as the XM6s, are from Sony’s XM-1000 line of high-quality headphones. They have significantly improved since the last generation, the XM5s. They have a new battery with a 30-40 hour battery life, and a short three-minute charge gives you three hours of battery life. Sony fixed the biggest complaint with the last generation, which was the headphones not being collapsible, which made them hard to transport. They have since added a new swivel system, making the XM6s a very portable and convenient audio system to carry around day to day. Another notable upgrade is the noise cancellation. The new XM6s have a faster HD Noise Canceling QN3 Processor and twelve microphones to adapt in real time to any environment. This means that on flights, buses, and in noisy spaces, sound will be blocked out, making music or movies stand out more. The increase in the number of microphones also makes recording audio on calls much clearer and smoother than the previous generation. The Sony Sound Connect app has a useful, user-friendly interface, where you will be able to adjust the EQ setting and tune it to your liking. The XM6s have upgrades to Bluetooth 5.3, making features like multi-point pairing smoother with clearer audio. If you are into music or just love high-quality sound, then the XM6s are the perfect gift to go on your list.
Another hot item this Christmas season is the long-awaited Nintendo Switch 2, featuring a brand new magnetic controller system never seen before in a handheld console. The Switch 2 has a new 7.9-inch 1080p LCD screen supporting up to 140 Hz, leading to smoother motions and animations. When docked, the Switch 2 is capable of 4k output depending on the game. The Switch 2 uses a custom Nvidia Tegra T239 processor with an eight-core ARM Cortex-A78C CPU, which makes the Switch 2 more responsive and faster in-game. It has gone through a massive storage upgrade, going from 32 GB in the original Switch to a whopping 256 GB of storage. The microSD Express slot can support up to two terabytes if you want a lot of storage.
The Switch 2 retained the 3.5 headphone jack, which is refreshing to see in 2025, compared to most technology items leaving the headphone jack in the past. There are also two USB-C ports useful for charging, docking, or connecting accessories. Do not be scared of losing your Switch 1 games because most (not all) games are backwards-compatible, meaning you can use old Switch games on the new system. Overall, the Switch 2 is a solid option for casual and serious gaming.
If you’re into photography, or just like capturing moments with your family and friends, the Polaroid Now Instant Camera Generation 3 (Gen 3) is a great option for you. The Gen 3 has done many things to optimize the quality of their photos, like upgrading their autofocus and focus accuracy to a two-lens autofocus system. This means that the camera has two lenses for short and long-range photos, leading to sharper and clearer images compared to older models that struggled to focus. The new Gen three comes in brand new pastel colors like purple, yellow, coral, and pebble white. A review from a customer on the Polaroid website says, “Awesome design, The colors I chose came looking new, which I loved. The film is really easy to use and fun. I liked the usb-c charger because it gave my camera a new identity.” The new convenient feature, like a built-in tripod mount and self-timers, gives the camera a more user-friendly feel, which makes shooting a lot more enjoyable. Something else that is notable is that Polaroid uses 40 percent recycled material when making its Gen 3 camera. With its improved features, vibrant colors, and eco-friendly design, the Gen 3 makes taking photos simple, creative, and enjoyable for everyone.
If you are into tech, this year has plenty to be excited about. From top-notch sound gear like the Sony XM6s, to smooth gaming on the Switch 2, or taking smooth and clear photos on the Polaroid Now Gen 3, there is something for everyone this Christmas. Make sure to put things that bring you joy on your Christmas list this year, just make sure to keep these cool gadgets in mind.
Lyon Life 