Technologies

iPhone 15 Design Rumors: How Apple’s New Phones May Change

The iPhone 15 lineup could differ from the iPhone 14 in a few big ways.

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro may get a small but important makeover, if the rumors turn out to be true. Apple’s next iPhones, which will likely debut at the company’s Sept. 12 event, are expected to include a handful of design changes that could impact everything from the charging port to the display.

But overall, we’re largely expecting a more fine-tuned version of the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro’s design. Reports suggest there could be changes to materials, colors, buttons and the display, but the iPhone 15 likely won’t be as dramatic of a shift as Apple has made in years past. In 2020, for example, Apple updated the iPhone 12’s overall shape with flat edges, making it feel significantly different from the iPhone 11. And then, of course, there was the debut of the iPhone X in 2017, which was the first model to include a nearly borderless screen and Face ID.

Based on rumors, reports, leaks and Apple’s previous iPhone launches, here’s what we’re expecting the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus to look like.

iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus: The Dynamic Island and USB-C

Assuming Apple keeps the same lineup as last year, we can expect two versions of the standard iPhone: the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. The smaller version would have a 6.1-inch screen like the iPhone 14, while the Plus model would have a 6.7-inch display like the iPhone 14 Plus.

While the screen sizes are expected to remain the same, Apple might make a major upgrade to the display. Both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus may inherit the Dynamic Island from the Pro models, according to a tweet from analyst Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, and a Bloomberg report. The Dynamic Island, which Apple introduced on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, replaces the notch on those phones. It’s like a miniature secondary screen that can show tidbits of information such as timers, sports scores and your Uber’s ETA.

Another aesthetic change rumored to be coming to the iPhone 15 is a USB-C port to replace the Lightning connector. Apple executives said when speaking at the Wall Street Journal Tech Live conference last year that the company plans to comply with European rules mandating USB-C charging on new phones. However, it’s unclear whether Apple would make the switch to USB-C this year or next, and whether it would do so globally or just where the EU’s rules would take effect.

As for color options, the regular iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are expected to come in black, pink, yellow, blue and green. That’s according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who is known for his credible Apple product predictions. That sounds similar to the current iPhone 14 lineup, which is available in yellow, purple, blue, red, starlight (white) and midnight (black).

iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max: An Action button and thinner bezels

In typical Apple fashion, more dramatic changes are likely to be reserved for its high-end line of Pro models. One of the most significant design updates possibly coming to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max is an Action button to replace the mute switch, according to Bloomberg and MacRumors. This would be similar to the Apple Watch Ultra’s button of the same name, and it may allow you to trigger certain features like activating the flashlight, translate app or camera.

The iPhone 15 Pro is also expected to get a new titanium casing, according to the same Bloomberg piece, which could make it feel more premium but also potentially raise its price. The report has a few other nuggets about what to expect from the iPhone 15 Pro’s design, including a display with thinner bezels and an internal layout that’s easier to repair like the iPhone 14’s.

To reduce the iPhone 15 Pro’s borders, Apple may use a technology called low-injection pressure over-molding, the report says.

A shift to slimmer borders framing the screen would mark the latest sign that Apple intends to build on the vision it introduced with the iPhone X in 2017. «This phone really sets us up well for the next 10 years,» Dan Riccio, an Apple veteran who previously served as the company’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, told me in a piece for Time referring to the iPhone X back then.

Otherwise, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are expected to come in the same 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screen sizes just like the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. Like the standard iPhone 15, it’s expected to have USB-C charging instead of Lightning. Color options could include gray, white, black and blue, according to the analyst Kuo, compared to the iPhone 14 Pro’s black, silver, gold and purple choices.

We’ll have to wait until Apple announces its next iPhones to know for sure. But if the reports turn out to be true, it sounds like the iPhone 15 series could be a bigger leap forward than last year’s iPhone 14.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 23 #599

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Oct. 23, No. 599.

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.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle might be Halloween-themed, as the answers are all rather dangerous. Some of them are a bit tough to unscramble, so 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: Please don’t eat me!

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Remember Mr. Yuk?

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:

POND, NOON, NODE, BALE, SOCK, LOVE, LOCK, MOCK, LEER, REEL, GLOVE, DAIS, LEAN, LEAD, REEL

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:

AZALEA, HEMLOCK, FOXGLOVE, OLEANDER, BELLADONNA

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is POISONOUS. To find it, look for the P that is the first letter on the far left of the top row, and wind down and across.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Oct. 23, #395

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Oct. 23, No. 395.

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.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition has one of those crazy purple categories, where you wonder if anyone saw the connection, or if people just put that grouping together because only those four words were left. If you’re struggling 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 show up in the NYT Games app but appears 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: Fan noise.

Green group hint: Strategies for hoops.

Blue group hint: Minor league.

Purple group hint: Look for a connection to hoops.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Sounds from the crowd.

Green group: Basketball offenses.

Blue group: Triple-A baseball teams.

Purple group: Ends with a basketball stat.

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 sounds from the crowd. The four answers are boo, cheer, clap and whistle.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is basketball offenses. The four answers are motion, pick and roll, Princeton and triangle.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is triple-A baseball teams. The four answers are Aces, Jumbo Shrimp, Sounds and Storm Chasers.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ends with a basketball stat. The four answers are afoul, bassist, counterpoint and sunblock.

Technologies

Amazon’s Delivery Drivers Will Soon Wear AI Smart Glasses to Work

The goal is to streamline the delivery process while keeping drivers safe.

Amazon announced on Wednesday that it is developing new AI-powered smart glasses to simplify the delivery experience for its drivers. CNET smart glasses expert Scott Stein mentioned this wearable rollout last month, and now the plan is in its final testing stages.

The goal is to simplify package delivery by reducing the need for drivers to look at their phones, the label on the package they’re delivering and their surroundings to find the correct address.

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A heads-up display will activate as soon as the driver parks, pointing out potential hazards and tasks that must be completed. From there, drivers can locate and scan packages, follow turn-by-turn directions and snap a photograph to prove delivery completion without needing to take out their phone.

The company is testing the glasses in select North American markets.

Watch: See our Instagram post with a video showing the glasses

A representative for Amazon didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

To fight battery drain, the glasses pair with a controller attached to the employee’s delivery vest, allowing them to replace depleted batteries and access operational controls. The glasses will support an employee’s eyeglass prescription. An emergency button will be within reach to ensure the driver’s safety.

Amazon is already planning future versions of the glasses, which will feature «real-time defect detection,» notifying the driver if a package was delivered to the incorrect address. They plan to add features to the glasses to detect if pets are in the yard and adjust to low light.