Technologies

Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Faces Its Biggest Challenge, and It Isn’t Apple

Premium phones keep appealing to consumers, but with carrier deals declining, that could change.

Consumers have flocked to Samsung’s top phones for their cutting-edge features, and the new Galaxy S23 phones continue that tradition, especially with a 200 megapixel main camera on its top-tier Galaxy S23 Ultra. But they’ve also been popular thanks to generous discounts from Samsung itself and US carriers eager to lure in new customers.

Those deals, however, are about to dry up.

Over the last few years, the wireless carriers have been essentially subsidizing the price tag of premium smartphones to get customers to sign up for lengthy three-year contracts. That’s helped people afford the most expensive phones as sales of cheaper handsets continue to decline.

But Verizon and AT&T both said they’ll be reducing their promotional discounts for phones going forward, representing a shake-up in the phone-carrier dynamic. That could have a big impact on whether US consumers still see top-of-the-line handsets across all brands as a good purchase, with Samsung particularly feeling the pain.

«It’s even more concerning for Samsung, as they are leaning on premium devices growth to navigate through the tough road ahead,» said IDC research director Nabila Popal, pointing to Samsung’s president and head of mobile experience T.M. Roh telling Reuters of the company’s focus on selling high-end phones in developed and up-and-coming markets.

That isn’t to say consumers are getting a bad deal with the new Galaxy S23 phones, which start at $800 for the base model and go up to $1,200 for the S23 Ultra. Samsung was smart to keep its prices level with last year’s models, Popal said, so consumers are paying the same for a better chipset and cameras.

But there’s little doubt that the priciest phones had continued to be appealing to consumers because of carrier-supported trade-in offers and promotions. «If they decrease, it would definitely have a negative impact on the industry,» Popal said.

Samsung isn’t the only company navigating a troubled phone market, though its rival Apple is dealing with entirely different challenges. iPhone sales dropped 8% during the holiday season, partially due to COVID-19 shutdowns and protests in parts of China where Apple’s phones are built, leading to supply shortages of the company’s top-tier iPhone 14 Pro series. People couldn’t get enough iPhones.

For Samsung, the challenge will be continuing to convince people that its phones are worth the high cost without as many carrier discounts softening the blow to consumer wallets. At Samsung Unpacked and the launch of the new S23 series, Roh was optimistic that the challenging economy could be the time for expensive phones to shine.

«When times get hard, then people would be more cautious in the choices that they make,» Roh told CNET Senior Editor Lisa Eadicicco through a translator. «In other words, they would be looking for greater value to be gained.»

Samsung’s newest top-tier phones may be a trial balloon for other phonemakers with launches planned for later in the year, as the macroeconomic conditions and lower subsidies add more uncertainty to the flagship phone market. Regardless, the S23 phones will help keep Samsung competitive until its next set of devices arrive, which are expected to be new versions of its Z-line of foldables, which have traditionally come out in August.

«An expected portfolio expansion of 5G and foldable smartphones throughout 2023 will help Samsung consolidate revenue growth and sustain leadership in a contracting market,» said David McQueen, research director at global technology intelligence firm ABI Research.

Whether those 5G or foldable features are considered good value in an age of shrinking deals remains a big question.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for July 5, #1477

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for July 5, No. 1,477.

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

Today’s Wordle puzzle is a pretty tough one. I grew up on a farm, so I know the word, but I didn’t put it together right away, even though the letters are common ones. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

There is are two vowels in today’s Wordle answer.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with the letter B.

Wordle hint No. 4: Down on the farm

Today’s Wordle answer describes a piece of farm equipment.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer refers to a machine for making paper, hay, or cotton into bales.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is BALER.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, July 4, No. 1476 was CURVE.

Recent Wordle answers

June 30, No. 1472: BLINK

July 1, No. 1473: MOLDY

July 2, No. 1474: INCUR

July 3, No. 1475: POPPY

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for July 5, #489

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for July 5, No. 489.

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.

The theme of today’s NYT Strands puzzle isn’t terribly tough, but at least one of the words is unusual and really, really long to unscramble. 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: Every second counts.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Does anybody really know what time it is?

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:

DIAL, SOLE, MOLE, MOLES, SHAKE, CHEEP, ROLE, HOME, LOCK, MEAT, TAME, TAMES, ROLES, ROON, TRON

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 have 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:

CLOCK, WATCH, SUNDIAL, HOURGLASS, CHRONOMETER

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is TIMEKEEPERS. To find it, look for the T that’s four letters down on the far left, and wind across.

Technologies

Microsoft Is Eliminating Passwords in August: Here’s What You Need to Do to Prepare

Microsoft Authenticator has already stopped autofilling passwords, but the biggest change comes next month.

In June, Microsoft Authenticator stopped letting users create new passwords. In July, it turned off the autofill password function. And in August, the login app will stop supporting passwords entirely, moving to more secure passkeys, such as a PIN, fingerprint or facial recognition.

Attila Tomaschek, CNET’s software senior writer and digital security expert, says that passkeys are a safer alternative to the risky password habits practiced by 49% of US adults, according to a recent survey by CNET.

«Passwords can be cracked, whereas passkeys need both the public and the locally stored private key to authenticate users, which can help mitigate risks like falling victim to phishing and brute-force or credential-stuffing attacks,» Tomaschek said.

Using the same password for several accounts or adding personal hints can be a convenient way to remember your login. But that puts you at a big risk for scammers, identity theft and fraud. Here’s more on Microsoft’s plan for eliminating passwords and how to make the switch to passkeys before August.

When will Microsoft Authenticator stop supporting passwords?

Microsoft Authenticator houses your passwords and lets you sign into all your Microsoft accounts using a PIN, facial recognition like Windows Hello, or other biometric data like a fingerprint. Authenticator can be used in other ways, such as verifying you’re logging in if you forgot your password, or using two-factor authentication as an extra layer of security for your accounts. In June, the company stopped letting users add passwords to Authenticator, but here’s a timeline of other changes you can expect from Microsoft.

July 2025: You won’t be able to use the autofill password function.
August 2025: You’ll no longer be able to use saved passwords.

If you still want to use passwords instead of passkeys, you can store them in Microsoft Edge. However, CNET experts recommend adopting passkeys during this transition. «Passkeys use public key cryptography to authenticate users, rather than relying on users themselves creating their own (often weak or reused) passwords to access their online accounts,» Tomaschek said.

Why are passkeys a better alternative to passwords?

So what exactly is a passkey? It’s a credential created by the Fast Identity Online Alliance that uses biometric data or a PIN to verify your identity and access your account. Think about using your fingerprint or Face ID to log into your account. That’s generally safer than using a password that is easy to guess or susceptible to a phishing attack.

Passkeys aren’t stored on servers like passwords. Instead, they’re stored only on your personal device. More conveniently, this takes the guesswork out of remembering your passwords and the need for a password manager.

How to set up a passkey in Microsoft Authenticator

Microsoft said in a May 1 blog post that it will automatically detect the best passkey to set up and make that your default sign-in option. «If you have a password and ‘one-time code’ set up on your account, we’ll prompt you to sign in with your one-time code instead of your password. After you’re signed in, you’ll be prompted to enroll a passkey. Then the next time you sign in, you’ll be prompted to sign in with your passkey,» according to the blog post.

To set up a new passkey, open your Authenticator app on your phone. Tap on your account and select «Set up a passkey.» You’ll be prompted to log in with your existing credentials. After you’re logged in, you can set up the passkey.