Technologies

We Tested Night Mode on the iPhone 14 Pro, Pixel 7 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra

We compared the best flagship models from Apple, Google and Samsung in a nighttime photo shoot field test.

We’ve been really impressed by the cameras on the Pixel 7 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra. The Pixel 7 Pro’s zoom skills even gave the Galaxy S22 Ultra a run for its money, as well as offering some genuine competition to a professional DSLR. But how do these top phones perform when things go dark?

All three phones pack impressive nighttime shooting modes, which let you capture bright and clear shots even in almost total darkness. I’ve done some night mode testing on the phones already as part of the main Pixel 7 Pro review, but I wanted to spend a bit more side-by-side time with all three phones to see which one truly takes the best-looking images at night.

So I charged them up, put on my winter coat and headed out into the cold and dark streets of the Edinburgh suburb of Leith, Scotland. All images were taken in JPEG format, with the main cameras (unless otherwise stated) and using the dedicated night modes on both the Pixel 7 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra. The iPhone 14 Pro‘s mode kicks in automatically, so I simply made sure it was active when taking photos.

This first test above isn’t a great start for the Pixel 7 Pro. Its shot is darker than its rivals, with quite grungy details on the boat itself.

Zooming in to 100% on the same shots above, it’s clear that both the iPhone 14 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra achieved crisper, more balanced images. Between the two, the S22 Ultra did a better job at capturing more natural color tones and its shot wasn’t affected by reflected lights in its lens — something much more noticeable in the iPhone’s shot.

The Pixel 7 Pro did a much better job in the river scene above, with an excellent exposure across the whole image and tons of details visible on buildings in the distance. All three phones captured the scene well, with sharp details and minimal image noise. The iPhone’s image is a bit more contrasty, which I don’t dislike, but it makes the shot look a touch darker as a result.

One thing to note on the Pixel’s shot however is the noticeable lens flare from the streetlight on the left side of the image. While all three phones suffer from flare to an extent, it’s noticeably worse on the Pixel’s image, which is something I’d found on my initial tests for the review. Some shots I took had flares so prominent they ruined the image, and it’s something that you’ll need to keep in mind with bright light sources.

All three phones captured the old pub front above well, with excellent exposures across the board. I’m impressed at how they’ve all captured lots of detail in the shadowy areas of the images, yet managed to balance the bright highlights in the window and on the carvings well.

As with the earlier image of the boat, the iPhone 14 Pro’s shot leans toward a yellow-tinged white balance, which doesn’t look quite as realistic as the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s shot. The Pixel went a little far the other way, with a more magenta-toned image.

Zooming in to 100% on the same images and things switch around. It’s very marginal, but the Pixel 7 Pro achieved a slightly sharper image than its rivals, with the iPhone following close behind and the S22 Ultra bringing up the rear. I have to pixel peep at this point though, and even then the difference is almost negligible. At full screen, all three images are pin-sharp and look great.

The scene above works to summarize the approach the three phones take. The iPhone’s image has a more yellowy white balance which isn’t particularly realistic. The Pixel 7 Pro’s shot is a little darker and more magenta-toned, while the S22 Ultra’s shot seems to strike a better balance between the two with excellent exposure and more even colors.

But what about when we use the zoom lenses on these phones? Well, starting off with the standard cameras, all three phones have managed to capture solid images above.

Both the iPhone and Pixel offer 2x zoom modes (digitally cropping) and there’s not a huge amount to choose between them in the photos above. The digital crop has noticeably reduced the quality on photos from both phones and while the iPhone’s is a touch sharper, the Pixel’s has slightly better dynamic range, with some of the highlights being less blown out.

At 3x optical zoom on the iPhone 14 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra (the Pixel 7 Pro has a 5x zoom, which I’ll come to), the iPhone’s shot above is noticeably better than its 2x digital zoom shot, with improved details and dynamic range. And although its shot looks a little darker than the S22 Ultra’s, it has sharper, more defined details and a more even dynamic range which results in a better image overall.

Zooming right in to 150%, it’s clear that the iPhone’s dynamic range is better (look at the bright clock face in the upper left of the scene) and the details are much sharper.

The Pixel 7 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra can take their zooms further though, with 5x and 10x optical zooms being offered, respectively. The S22’s image above is obviously a lot more zoomed in, yet it maintains details and exposure. The Pixel’s looks solid too, with good colors and clarity. Given the big difference in zoom levels, there’s little point in deciding which one is better here.

Which phone takes the best night mode photos?

Overall I’m impressed at how well all three phones have done in these tests. Despite the dark conditions, I got images that are bright, colorful and packed with details, which is amazing to see given that I just took the shots hand-held, without a tripod — which I would need if I were taking the same shot on my professional camera. There’s not a huge gulf between any of them and any photographer would be pleased with the results they’re able to get in night time conditions.

That said, I’d have to give the overall win to the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. Its shots were consistently bright and clear, and crucially produced more natural color tones than the iPhone 14 Pro or Pixel 7 Pro managed to achieve. The iPhone sometimes produced slightly sharper images, but that’s only noticeable when you zoom right into a pixel-level view, which most of us are unlikely to do. For pure, straight-out-of-camera images that are ready to upload to Instagram, the S22 Ultra slightly edges out its rivals.

Technologies

Need Gift Ideas? Google’s Holiday 100 Shopping List Includes Switch 2, Home Movie Projectors

You can shell out hundreds for a new gaming console or spend less on classic games and backpack charms.

The spooky season has just ended, and Google is already turning its attention to holiday shopping. The search giant just released its annual list of 100 top holiday gift ideas based on the hottest trends of 2025.

The Google Holiday 100 list is an annual shopping guide compiled from searches for various products conducted between May and September. Using that data, Google creates a catalog of the year’s top trending gift ideas across various industries, including tech, toys, fashion and wellness. You can view the entire Google Holiday 100 list here.

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Nintendo Switch 2

This year’s breakaway technology hit was the Switch 2, Nintendo’s latest family-friendly video games console. Unsurprisingly, it appears on 2025’s Holiday 100 list. The console was released in June and has sold more than 10 million units thus far, with Nintendo hiking up sales expectations even among uncertain economic conditions and tariff pricing.

Google Pixel Watch 4

The Google Pixel Watch 4 is a standout wearable that made the Holiday 100 list. Its inclusion isn’t just Google stuffing its own product into a list. If you’re buying a gift for fitness-focused folks, CNET’s Vanessa Hand Orellana wrote that the latest iteration of Google’s smartwatch «hits a sweet spot between universally appealing design, seamless compatibility with the Android ecosystem, potentially life-saving safety features and robust health and fitness tracking.»

Red-light face masks

Your algorithm may have served you up a boatload of red light therapy content from health and beauty influencers this year. Search volume for red light masks has spiked in the past few months, so the LED masks have been included in the Holiday 100 buying guide this year. Just make sure to purchase one of the best FDA-approved masks.

Movie projectors to backpack charms

If you’re looking for gifts across other categories, Google has some top 2025 searches for big and small. Home theaters are apparently in this year, as searches for movie projectors spiked by a whopping 945%. Searches for backpack charms also hit an all-time high this year, so those are a safe bet for stocking stuffing for any young kids.

Checkers (the actual board game)

Even though many gifts given out at Christmas this year will surely be high-tech gadgets and accessories, the board game of checkers is also on the list. There’s always room for the classics.

As you prepare for the Herculean task of yearly holiday shopping, Google’s Holiday 100 is a good place to start. But if you’re looking to beat the crowd on the best tech deals around, CNET is already collecting pre-Black Friday deals.

Technologies

Look Up Tonight to Spot November’s Supermoon, the Brightest Moon of 2025

Has the moon been looking brighter and bigger to you for the past few days? Here’s why this month’s supermoon is even more super.

It’s already a great month for skygazers, with a trio of meteor showers and the return of the northern hemisphere winter constellations. On Tuesday night, it also features the second of four supermoons in a row. This month’s supermoon will happen on Nov. 4-5, and November’s beaver moon is special because it’ll be the brightest full moon of 2025.

In addition to being a supermoon, November’s full moon is known as the beaver moon. There is some debate as to why it was named this way. Some believe that this was the best time of year in the old days to set beaver traps to get pelts for winter clothing. Others believe that it coincides with the busiest part of the year for beavers, who are now stocking their lodges with supplies for the upcoming winter.

Here’s what time it’ll look its biggest and brightest, and what else you need to know about the November supermoon.

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The brightest supermoon: When’s the best time to see it?

The moon will reach peak illumination at 8:19 a.m. ET on Nov. 5, making the evening of Nov. 4 and the morning of Nov. 5 the best times to view the moon.

Since moon phases shift slowly, the moon will appear almost full for nearly a week. If you are unable to view the full moon on its best night due to weather or other reasons, you can still see a mostly full moon at any point from Nov. 3 to Nov. 8.

For all of those days, the moon will be measurably brighter in the night sky compared to any other full moon in 2025. The reason for this is because of the moon’s elliptical orbit. Since it’s not a perfect circle, the moon’s 27.3-day journey around the Earth brings it closer to us on some days, a phenomenon known as perigee. If there is a full moon during this time, it’s branded as a «perigean full moon,» which you may know better as a supermoon.

Not all supermoons are equal, and November’s will be a little more special than others. According to The Farmer’s Almanac, the beaver moon will be a scant 221,817 miles away from Earth, making it the closest full moon of the year. That means it’ll be the biggest and brightest of the year.

In practice, the differences are fairly minor and likely won’t be visible to the naked eye when compared side by side to other supermoons. A supermoon is only about 7% larger than a regular full moon. According to NASA, the biggest difference is when comparing a supermoon to a micromoon, where a supermoon will be about 14% larger and 30% brighter. So, if you notice that your backyard patio is lit up more than usual, it’s because of the supermoon.

Also due to the moon’s orbit, November will also bring a micro new moon, which means the moon will be as far away from the Earth as it can get — a phenomenon known as apogee. November’s new moon occurs on Nov. 20, but you won’t be able to see it.

Technologies

Stay Informed About Your Flights This Holiday Season With Your iPhone’s Tracker

Your iPhone is hiding a flight tracker. Here’s how it works.

Thanksgiving is only a few short weeks away and if you plan on flying during the holiday season, keeping up-to-date on changes to your flights is crucial. Airports can be hectic during any holiday, but with the government shutdown continuing, flights are liable to change or be cancelled more often.

Luckily, it’s never been easier to get up-to-date information about your flight. For starters, your airline probably has an app, and if not, you can check its website. If you’re in a hurry, you can Google the flight number. Or you can just use your iPhone’s built-in flight tracker that’s sneakily tucked away.

That’s right: Your iPhone has a flight tracker that you may have never known about. It’s there for when it’s needed. Below, we’ll show you have to access it in not one, but two places, so you never have to go hunting for your flight info elsewhere again.

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For more on the iPhone, check out everything Apple announced at WWDC 2025.

How to track your flight via iMessage

Before we start, there are a few prerequisites you must meet:

Make sure iMessage is enabled (it doesn’t work with SMS/MMS).
You’ll need your flight number somewhere in your text messages, whether you’ve sent that information to someone (even yourself) or it’s been sent to you.
The flight number must be sent in this format: [Airline] [Flight number], for example, American Airlines 9707.

Launch the native Messages app on your iPhone and open the text message thread that contains your flight information. You’ll know the flight tracker feature works when the text with the flight information appears underlined, which means it’s actionable and you can tap on it.

If your flight is still several months away or it’s already passed, you might see a message that says, «Flight information unavailable.» You might also see another flight that’s not yours because airlines recycle flight numbers.

You can check your flight status from Spotlight Search, too

If getting your flight information from Messages wasn’t easy enough, you can also grab the details right from your iPhone’s home screen by swiping down and adding your flight number into Spotlight Search. Even better, this works with Spotlight Search on your Mac computer, too.

How to access the hidden flight tracker

Although the airline name/flight number format highlighted above is the best way to go, there are other texting options that will lead you to the same result. So let’s say we stick with American Airlines 9707, other options that may bring up the flight tracker include:

AmericanAirlines9707 (no spaces)
AmericanAirlines 9707 (only one space)
AA9707 (airline name is abbreviated and no space)
AA 9707 (abbreviated and space)

I would suggest you keep the airline name spelled out completely and add a space between the two pieces of information — like in the previous section — because for some airlines, these alternative options may not work.

Real-time flight tracking

Once everything is set, tap on the flight information in your text messages. If the feature works correctly, you should see the following two options appear in a quick-action menu:

Preview Flight: View the flight’s details. Tap this to view more information about the flight.
Copy Flight Code: Copy the flight code to your clipboard (in case you want to send your flight details to someone else via text or email).

If you select Preview Flight, at the top of the window, you’ll see the best part of this feature: a real-time flight tracker map. A line will connect the two destinations, and a tiny airplane will move between them, indicating where the flight is at that exact moment.

Underneath the map, you’ll see important flight information: