Technologies

Max Streaming Service: 6 of Your Top Questions Answered

We don’t know it all, but here are the basics on when, what and how much.

Warner Bros. Discovery revealed on Wednesday that Max is the name of its rebranded streaming service, which will house merged content from HBO Max and Discovery Plus. Along with the new name comes a new tagline: The One to Watch.

The company is touting a larger library and a better user interface, but you may have some basic questions about how all these changes will affect your existing account. And newcomers may be curious about what’s up with Max and what the service has to offer. Here are answers to some of your questions.

When will Max roll out in my country?

US customers will have access to Max on May 23. Users in Latin America will see the rollout in fall 2023, with certain Europe and Asia markets receiving Max access in early to mid 2024.

Once the service launches, it will automatically upgrade with the new Max logo, interface and features. According to Warner Bros. Discovery, existing subscribers will see their profiles, billing information and watch lists seamlessly transfer to the updated version and they’ll only have to open the app to use the platform. However, the company said some users will be prompted to download the new version of the streaming app.

New Max customers can either sign up for HBO Max now, or wait to subscribe to the new service on May 23 to start streaming instantly.

Subscribe to HBO Max

See at HBO Max

How much will Max cost?

The price will remain the same as current HBO Max subscriptions, but there’s one new premium plan that will cost more than the standard two options. Max Ad-Lite will cost $10 per month and come with HD and two streams, while ad-free Max is priced at $16 monthly for HD, two streams and 30 downloads.

When the new service arrives in May, there will also be a $20-per-month Ultimate Plan, which offers four concurrent streams, 4K HDR with Dolby Atmos sound and 100 downloads. This is a change, as HBO Max currently offers three streams for both plans with the ability to watch some titles in 4K Ultra HD. Yes, you’ll have to pay more for 4K, but some existing HBO Max features will still be available for up to six months after Max’s launch.

Note that Discovery Plus will continue to be a standalone streaming option. It’s currently priced at $5 a month for the ad-supported plan and $7 per month without ads.

What TV shows and movies will be on Max?

Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming offering will bring together content from HBO Max and Discovery Plus. Max will have HBO originals, Warner Bros. movies, Max originals, DC Comics and Harry Potter alongside programming from brands including Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC and ID. The entire HBO Max library will be found on Max.

At its Wednesday press conference, Warner Bros. Discovery highlighted a range of new titles that’ll be hitting the freshly rebranded streaming service. In addition to DC drama The Penguin, subscribers will have access to spinoffs of familiar franchises like The Conjuring, The Big Bang Theory, Game of Thrones and Harry Potter. New shows coming to the streamer range from a limited series starring Kate Winslet to a Barbie-themed home renovation competition series, and from a thriller based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel to a dating series from the producers of 90 Day Fiance.

WBD’s head of content, Kathleen Finch, and Max’s content boss, Casey Bloys, emphasized that family and children’s content will also take center stage on the new service, with an aim at audiences of all ages. Viewers will get more animation and entertainment releases from popular brands like Cartoon Network, Hanna-Barbera, Boomerang, Looney Toons and DC. This includes a new animated version of Peter & the Wolf from U2’s Bono.

Subscribers can also expect films to find Max as their streaming home after their theatrical runs. Shazam! Fury of the Gods will arrive on launch day, and Blue Beetle, Dune 2, Barbie, and The Flash are among the other movie titles you’ll find on the platform. The Flash will hit Max in the fall.

illustration of a boy facing a wolf — A new take on Peter & the Wolf is coming to Max, courtesy of Bono.

Max, Warner Bros. Discovery

Is there a way to opt out of Discovery or HBO Max content?

No. But you can choose to have a standalone Discovery Plus subscription instead of subscribing to Max. While there won’t be a separate version for HBO Max and HBO-branded content, Warner Bros. Discovery says the updated app will have an interface that’s more tailored to a user’s personal tastes. It’ll also feature genre hubs and a new content navigation menu at the top of the screen to make it easier to find what you want.

According to the company’s global streaming boss, J.B. Perrette, Max will «have differentiated and high-performing personalized experiences including elements such as ‘Because You Watched’ recommendations, and immersive hero images tailored for each user.» He indicated that the app’s recommendation engine will eventually learn to surface content that matches your viewing habits.

Should I cancel my current HBO Max or Discovery Plus subscription if I have both?

There’s no need to cancel your subscriptions right now unless you’re no longer enjoying them. All existing HBO Max subscribers will transition to Max when the app relaunches in May. Max will include Discovery Plus content, but Discovery Plus will also remain a separate, lower-priced streaming option that has content only from Discovery networks. If you like Max’s fully merged lineup, then you may want to wait and drop Discovery Plus in May.

What if I get HBO or HBO Max through cable?

If you currently receive HBO Max or HBO through a mobile carrier or your cable/satellite TV provider, you’ll have access to the updated Max app. You won’t have to cancel and resubscribe. Upon launch, it’ll be available through AT&T, Hulu, Cox, Xfinity, Verizon, DirecTV, Prime Video channels and other services. You can view the list on the Max website. Max will be accessible on most devices, including TVs, gaming consoles and mobile phones.

If you’re new to Max or Discovery Plus, you can sign up now or wait until May 23.

To learn more about WBD’s streaming services, read up on its strategy for live sports and which channels are on Discovery Plus.

Technologies

Nintendo’s Pokemon Legends: Z-A Is a Hit. Just Ask My Kid

Pokemon Legends: Z-A has sucked my family in, and I can’t get my Switch controller back from my son.

I’d love to tell you all about Pokemon Legends: Z-A, arriving this week, and what it’s been like to play on the Nintendo Switch 2. I can mostly do that — but for most of the past five days, it hasn’t really been me playing. What started as co-playing together quickly turned into my kid taking over completely as he got hooked. And honestly, I’d say that’s a good sign.

Nintendo makes a lot of Pokemon games, too many for me to keep track of. But Legends Z-A is the first that’s Switch 2-optimized, although you can play on original Switches, too. I can’t tell you what that’s like, though — my early review access limited me to playing Pokemon Legends: Z-A on the Switch 2 only at home. I was doubtful about how much a city-based game would truly feel like a must-have experience, but so far it’s already become one of my favorite Pokemon games ever.

I’ll let my son tell you. He’s gotten deep into the trading card game and has played most of the recent Pokemon titles over the past year, and he says this is his favorite so far. When I asked him why, he said it’s because the game completely rethinks how battles work. The quick, real-time system feels more immediate and far less sluggish than in past Pokemon games. Plus, he’s loving the story… and honestly, so am I.

A city full of surprises

My son loves the «peculiar» storyline, the fast-paced battles (which he now wants in every Pokemon game) and the constant sense of surprise while exploring Lumiose City.

All of Pokemon Legends: Z-A (at least from what I’ve seen in my 10-plus hours so far) takes place entirely within Lumiose City — a Paris-like metropolis where the CEO of a company called Quasartico Inc. is planning to rebuild everything into a new world where Pokemon and humans can better coexist. The setup reminded me of the Detective Pikachu movie during my demo a few weeks ago, and it turns out my instincts were right.

Pokemon roam in wild zones within the city, occasionally spilling into urban areas, while mysterious rogue «Mega Evolution» Pokemon have begun appearing and threatening the city’s calm. There’s clearly a deeper mystery at play, and while I’m still uncovering it, I won’t spoil anything here.

The game seems to mostly involve a journey to level up in rank from Z to A by battling various Pokemon trainers, but that’s not the whole story. There’s a group of friends you hang out with at a local hotel, along with research missions you have to carry out. Side quests are everywhere. The city, though it can feel a bit sparse at times, stretches all the way up to its rooftops, where all sorts of hidden spots are waiting to be discovered. It feels like a living maze, and one I’m still navigating.

And the city’s always changing, too. Wild zones keep multiplying, and from day to night the city’s dynamics shift. Battles take place at night, with trainers gathering in new pop-up spots each time. It’s not as lively as I’d hoped — this isn’t Grand Theft Pokemon — but the cozy, vibrant world still makes me daydream about what a real-life Universal Pokemon theme park could someday look like.

The Pokemon shine

I keep reminding myself to take extra time to discover and level up my Pokemon. At least that’s what my son’s telling me to do. He loves how many Pokemon can become Mega Evolved in this game, and how much fun the battle moves are to pull off. I’m happy he’s happy. I thought I’d get lost in the RPG aspects of the game, but I think the real-time Pokemon battles put me in a looser state of mind, more able to explore and not feel locked down into systems and rulesets. Swapping Pokemon battle moves and reassigning them to buttons is easy, too.

The stronger focus on trainer battles — and the sheer variety of Pokemon capable of mega evolving — gives the game more of that classic, Pokemon-centered energy than Pokemon Legends: Arceus ever did. I found myself more excited to see how different Pokemon looked and behaved than to uncover new realms to explore. After all, for all of Lumiose City’s secrets, you’re spending a lot more time roaming one massive location than in any other Pokemon game I can remember. Thankfully, the visual upgrades on the Switch 2 make those Pokemon look fantastic in battle.

I do want to spend more time in Lumiose City, though, and can’t help but wonder if this is a glimpse of how all Pokemon games will keep evolving. It’s hard to say, since Legends games like Z-A and Arceus have been more experimental than the rest of the series. But, like Arceus, Z-A is now one of my favorite Pokemon games on Switch. And on Switch 2, it plays smoother and feels better than any Pokemon game ever has before.

Technologies

iPhone 17 Preorders Spike and Overall Phone Sales Aren’t Slowing Down Despite Tariffs

Global smartphone shipments saw a notable increase in the third quarter of 2025. Plus, preorders for Apple’s new iPhone 17 beat out the iPhone 16.

Despite tariffs and market uncertainty, global smartphone shipments increased 2.6% in the third quarter of 2025, compared to the same time last year, according to the International Data Corporation. Additionally, preorders for the iPhone 17, which launched last month, outpaced last year’s iPhone 16.

These increased sales include premium phones like the latest iPhones and Samsung foldables, suggesting yet again that pricier phones still sell in periods of economic strain. It’s a remarkable achievement, says IDC senior research director Nabila Popal, citing shrewd financing options as the reason people keep buying these high-end phones, which cost anywhere from $800 to nearly $2,000.

«[Phone makers] have mastered the art of innovation not only in hardware and software to entice upgrades but also in removing purchase friction. They have flawlessly combined cutting-edge devices with innovative financing models and aggressive trade-in programs that make the upgrading decision a ‘no-brainer’ for consumers,» Popal said in an IDC press release.

Apple sold 58.6 million iPhones this quarter, an increase of 2.9% over the same period in 2024, with more preorders for the iPhone 17 series than its predecessor. But Samsung wasn’t far behind, with its Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 selling better than all of the company’s prior foldables. The company still reigns atop the phone market with 61.4 million phones sold, representing 19% of the market in the third quarter of this year — an increase of 6.3% from the same period last year. Meanwhile, Apple lands slightly behind Samsung with 18.2% market share this quarter.

The other phone makers trailing Apple and Samsung are, in order: Xiaomi, with 13.5% of the market; Transsion, with 9%; and Vivo with 8.9%. The remaining companies in the phones industry, from Chinese stalwarts like Oppo and Honor to Motorola and Google, make up the remaining 31.4% of the market for the quarter. All told, 322.7 million phones were sold, up from 314.6 million in the third quarter of 2024, according to IDC.

IDC’s findings for the third quarter continue the small but steady growth of phone sales over the year, including a modest 1% increase in the preceding three months — which includes the April deadline when President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs. In the second quarter, IDC cited midrange devices like Samsung’s Galaxy A36 and other phones that started incorporating AI. But even persistent tariffs haven’t slowed down people’s appetites for pricier phones in the third quarter.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, Oct. 14

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 14.

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.

Today’s Mini Crossword has an odd vertical shape, with an extra Across clue, and only four Down clues. The clues are not terribly difficult, but one or two could be tricky. Read on if you need 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.