Technologies

Now Is a Very Bad Time to Buy Samsung’s Galaxy S22

The Galaxy S23 is likely just days away, meaning the previous model could get a price reduction.

You might want to hold off until next week before buying a Galaxy S22.

Samsung’s Galaxy S23 lineup is expected to launch on Feb. 1, meaning the Galaxy S22 you’re thinking about purchasing could feel outdated in just a matter of days. Even if you just want to score a discount and don’t necessarily care about having the latest phone, there are good reasons to wait.

The biggest one, of course, is that the Galaxy S23 family will likely have Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, which should bring perks like better graphics and power efficiency. Purportedly leaked images published by the blog WinFuture also indicate that a slightly different design might be in store.

The most significant update, however, is expected to arrive on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which is rumored to get a 200-megapixel camera, according to often-correct leaker Ice Universe. Samsung’s new 200-megapixel image sensor should provide both high resolution and solid performance in challenging conditions, as my colleague Stephen Shankland reported. However, we won’t know whether that chip will be in the Galaxy S23 Ultra until Samsung announces the phone.

Those changes might not sound like much, especially when it comes to the regular Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus. But it’s still a good idea to wait if you can.

You’ll get more longevity out of the Galaxy S23 compared with an older phone like the Galaxy S22 for two simple reasons. One is that the processor is newer, so performance will remain speedy for a longer period of time. But the more important point is that it will likely get an extra year of software and security updates.

Samsung committed to offering four generations of Android updates and five years of security updates for the Galaxy S22 last year, and it will probably do the same for the Galaxy S23. The Galaxy S22 is already one year into that upgrade cycle.

You might be tempted to buy the Galaxy S22 anyway, since there are plenty of deals available through Samsung and other retailers. I’d encourage you to consider that similar discounts on the Galaxy S23 lineup may surface once the devices launch. Last year, for example, AT&T shaved $800 off the Galaxy S22 even when trading in an older, broken phone. Samsung also offered some bargains last year to promote the Galaxy S22 family at launch. Those who preordered the device before Feb. 24 were eligible to upgrade to the next storage tier and gain Samsung credit that could be applied toward the Galaxy Watch 4 or Samsung Freestyle projector.

There’s also a chance that we may see some Galaxy S22 discounts after the Galaxy S23 launches. Samsung released the Galaxy S21 FE in 2022 as a slightly cheaper alternative to the Galaxy S22, targeting the audience that would typically opt to save a few bucks by going for the prior year’s model. Since Samsung didn’t release a Galaxy S22 FE, perhaps it’ll keep a version of the Galaxy S22 around at a lower price.

Regardless, it’s a good idea to wait if you’re in a position to do so. Learning about what the Galaxy S23 has to offer and seeing which discounts are available will help you make a more informed decision. And of course, CNET will have plenty of advice on whether the Galaxy S23 is worth the upgrade once it launches.

Technologies

This Transformable Electric Truck Could Become the Cheapest EV in the US

Merging retro touches with a high-tech electric platform, the Slate Truck offers a customizable, budget-friendly alternative to traditional EVs.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for April 27, #686

Hints and answers for Connections for April 27, #686.

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 Connections puzzle might make you hungry — especially if you spot the four words in the blue category. 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 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: Do the math.

Green group hint: Tresses.

Blue group hint: Munchies.

Purple group hint: Think Stockholm.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Calculator buttons.

Green group: Amounts of hair.

Blue group: Salty snack unit.

Purple group: Swedish ____.

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 calculator buttons. The four answers are equals, minus, percent and times.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is amounts of hair. The four answers are lock, shock, thatch and tuft.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is salty snack unit. The four answers are Combo, Goldfish, Ruffle and Taki.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is Swedish ____. The four answers are Chef, Fish, massage and meatball.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for April 27, #420

Here are hints — and answers — for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 420 for April 27.

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

Sleep used to be so simple, but now it can be complex, as we try to add in extra things to help us get that good night’s rest. Today’s NYT Strands puzzle highlights sleep assistance, and a few of the words are tricky. If you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Sleep tight

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Zzzzz…

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints, but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

BEDS, MINE, TAKE, TAKES, TAKER, STAKE, LATS, EARL, PLUG, PLUGS, ROUT, MIKE, DATE

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you’ve got all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers: