Technologies

Don’t Overlook This Subtle Feature on Your iPhone 16 Pro. Your Eyes Will Thank You

Commentary: The iPhone 16’s screen can dim further than ever, making nighttime reading and social media scrolling noticeably easier.

Many of us have probably been in this situation: It’s an evening flight and someone pulls out their phone, lighting up the cabin like a Broadway show. Eyes sting, blinking ensues, annoyance grows and an internal debate begins about whether to go full Larry David on the poor sap and their phone, which seems to glow brighter than the sun.

Thankfully, those kinds of events might be in my traveling past. At last, Apple has come to the rescue by lowering the minimum brightness across all the displays on its iPhone 16 series.

It might seem odd that such a minor iPhone 16 Pro feature has had such a big impact on me, when you consider the flurry of additions Apple has made: bigger batteries, larger screens and the new Camera Control button.

Also, check out: A Billion Pixels a Second: A Rare Look Inside Apple’s Secret iPhone 16 Camera Labs

The display’s lower brightness is easily lost among all the other hubbub surrounding the iPhone. After all, there are Snoop Dogg commercials for the iPhone 16 with him touting Apple Intelligence. I’ve even gone on record to say that the iPhone 16 Pro’s updated slow-motion recording feature is my favorite thing on an iPhone in years.

But the minimum brightness on the iPhone 16 is something you can only appreciate when you see it (or don’t), even if you aren’t on a dark plane or enjoying an evening car ride. Previous iPhone models had screens that could dim down to 2 nits. The iPhone 16 can go even lower, all the way down to 1 nit.

Now, this isn’t Apple pulling a Nigel Tufnel from Spinal Tap and saying, «These go to 11» or, in the iPhone’s case, down to 1. It’s actually noticeable.

The iPhone 16 loses the glare

I hate to admit it, but I like to read on my phone in bed. I know it’s a horrible habit. But when I would read on my old iPhone 15 Pro, there were times when I had the brightness all the way down and it still had a bit of glare. That glare is gone with the iPhone 16 Pro I’ve been using. And I notice that my eyes feel less strained as a result.

Is there a chance I killed off those light-sensitive cells in my eyes from years of reading on my phone in bed? Absolutely. But the iPhone 16 Pro really is less bright when I have the screen cranked down.
Below is a photo of the iPhone 15 Pro side by side with the iPhone 16 Pro in a dark room. Both have their screen’s brightness turned all the way down. And the 15 Pro is definitely still brighter.

Why the iPhone 16 is worth considering

I won’t say that you should buy the iPhone 16 or 16 Pro simply for how dim their screens can go. But this feature is representative of the small but significant ways Apple delights its customers. If you’re coming from an iPhone 12 series or older, than the iPhone 16 is an excellent upgrade.

And if you succumb to Snoop Dogg’s charismatic pressure and get a new iPhone or buy one as a gift for a friend or family member and you happen to be sitting next to them on an overnight flight, your eyes will thank you. (Or even if you like to read late at night on your phone.) Now don’t get me started on the iPhone 16’s amazing speakers. After all, there’s a reason that the iPhone 16 tops our list for the best iPhone of 2025.

Check Out the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s Cameras, Display and Colors

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Monday, Oct. 27

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 27.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? I thought 8-Across was a bit of an odd one, since it was asking for a sound that has no universal spelling. If you need help, read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: «Soooo cute!» reactions
Answer: AWS

4A clue: ___ mode (battery-saving state)
Answer: SLEEP

6A clue: Afica’s largest capital city
Answer: CAIRO

7A clue: Bicker, bicker, bicker
Answer: ARGUE

8A clue: Close-mouthed sound of agreement
Answer: MMHMM

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Reason to suddenly bolt awake
Answer: ALARM

2D clue: Put on a scale
Answer: WEIGH

3D clue: kin-care product dispensed with a dropper
Answer: SERUM

4D clue: Total rip-off
Answer: SCAM

5D clue: «The Raven» or «The Road Not Taken»
Answer: POEM

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Oct. 27, #399

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Oct. 27, No. 399.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tricky one. Hope you know your NBA history! If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Help athletes learn.

Green group hint: Statistics.

Blue group hint: From Sin City.

Purple group hint: Not Queens, but…

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Coach.

Green group: Seen in a baseball scorebug.

Blue group: UNLV

Purple group: Home cities of the NBA’s Kings franchise, over time.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is coach. The four answers are drill, instruct, school and teach.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is seen in a baseball scorebug. The four answers are count, inning, outs and score.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is UNLV. The four answers are Las, Nevada, University and Vegas.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is home cities of the NBA’s Kings franchise, over time. The four answers are Cincinnati, Kansas City, Rochester and Sacramento.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 27, #869

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Oct. 27, No. 869.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle has a fun mix of topics today. They’re not too tough but if you need help you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Reach out from a center point.

Green group hint: Barely.

Blue group hint: Decorative eats in a drink.

Purple group hint: Not two or three, but …