Technologies

I Ditched My Android for an iPhone, and I’m Not Sorry

Commentary: I now get the Apple hype.

For a decade, I defended my choice to own an Android to countless haters. But at long last, I’ve traded in my beloved Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus for an iPhone 14 Pro. And so far, I have no regrets. (Especially now that I’m no longer teased for having green texts — more on that later.)

It may sound like I’m being overly dramatic, but that trip to the Verizon store signaled a big shift for me. I’ve always prided myself on not buying into the Apple hype. Despite years of pestering from friends to switch to an iPhone, I pushed back, maintaining that I liked being different from the masses. Everyone around me has an iPhone. It felt good to defy the norm. And so for years, I stuck with my Samsung Galaxy devices, which I still believe are incredible phones.

But after conversations with friends and family about what I could get from the iPhone that I could never get with my Android, I started to reconsider my stance. Yes, I loved my Galaxy S10 Plus and everything it offered: a top-notch camera, a customizable interface and Object Eraser, which removes any unwanted people or objects from your pictures (Pixel phones have a similar feature). But at the end of the day, there was one big thing my Android could never offer: a seamless way to communicate with all my friends on the iPhone.

I’ve been told countless times that I ruin group chats by turning all the texts «green.» This is because Apple refuses to make iMessage compatible with Android phones, so when you message someone who isn’t on iOS, you’ll see green text bubbles instead of the standard blue ones. Because this felt like a superficial complaint — and is 100% Apple’s fault — I brushed it aside.

Until I realized I was missing out on other, more significant benefits of owning an iPhone.

Unless you use a third-party app like WhatsApp, there’s no easy way to send high-resolution photos and videos directly between an Android phone and an iPhone. I was OK with just using WhatsApp… until I began to envy my friends who were instantaneously AirDropping pictures and videos after our hangouts. WhatsApp also diminishes the quality of videos, and Google Drive takes a lot longer to upload videos to.

It also was frustrating that apps like TikTok diminished my camera quality on Android. Comparing TikTok videos taken on an iPhone — even an older version like the iPhone X — with those taken on my Galaxy S10 Plus is like night and day. On my Galaxy, TikTok distorted the colors and blurred everything in the most unflattering and unrealistic way. On the iPhone, videos are crisp and clear and appear just as they should. For someone who uses TikTok as much as I do, this was important.

These reasons, along with the fact that I already use a MacBook and would therefore benefit from the Apple ecosystem, led me to start changing my mind about owning an iPhone. Throw in features like the new always-on display on the iPhone 14 Pro models — something I absolutely loved on my Galaxy devices — and fun new elements like Dynamic Island, and suddenly I was sold on the idea of switching over.

Yes, I had to fight off feelings of being a sellout. But I realized that ultimately, it’s just a phone. And no matter what you do, people will have unsolicited opinions about what device you’re using. My Galaxy worked well for me for many years. Now I was ready for something new. And so far, I have no regrets.

Check out the video above for more of my thoughts on switching from an Android phone to an iPhone.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 24, #897

Today’s Connections puzzle is kind of tough. Here are hints, answers and help for Nov. 24, #897.

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 is kind of tough. The purple category once again wants you to find hidden words inside other words. If you need help sorting the words into groups, 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: Like an air fryer.

Green group hint: In your vehicle.

Blue group hint: Take out your laptops, dump out your water.

Purple group hint: Like a rainbow.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Small kitchen appliances.

Green group: Features of a car’s center console.

Blue group: Seen while going through airport security.

Purple group: Ending in colors.

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

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is small kitchen appliances. The four answers are blender, microwave, rice cooker and toaster.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is features of a car’s center console. The four answers are air conditioner, cup holder, radio and shifter.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is seen while going through airport security. The four answers are bin, carry-on, metal detector and X-ray.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ending in colors. The four answers are infrared, marigold, stingray and ultraviolet.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Toughest Connections puzzles

We’ve made a note of some of the toughest Connections puzzles so far. Maybe they’ll help you see patterns in future puzzles.

#5: Included «things you can set,» such as mood, record, table and volleyball.

#4: Included «one in a dozen,» such as egg, juror, month and rose.

#3: Included «streets on screen,» such as Elm, Fear, Jump and Sesame.

#2: Included «power ___» such as nap, plant, Ranger and trip.

#1: Included «things that can run,» such as candidate, faucet, mascara and nose.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Nov. 24, #427

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Nov. 24, No. 427.

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.

Music lovers, today’s Connections: Sports Edition has a fun green category for you. You’ll recognize some familiar phrases in the grid, I think. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle 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 appear in the NYT Games app, but it does 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: Not long pants.

Green group hint: Sing out.

Blue group hint: Gridiron guys who share a name.

Purple group hint: Like a law.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Types of shorts.

Green group: Popular arena/stadium songs.

Blue group: Football Drews.

Purple group: ____ rule.

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 types of shorts. The four answers are basketball, bike, compression and gym.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is popular arena/stadium songs. The four answers are Eye of the Tiger, Jump Around, Sandstorm and Thunderstruck.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is football Drews. The four answers are Bledsoe, Brees, Lock and Pearson.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ rule. The four answers are infield fly, mercy, tuck and unwritten.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Monday, Nov. 24

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Nov. 24.

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? Two down might be my favorite clue, and answer, this puzzle has ever offered. Read on for all of the answers. 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.