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 could be tricky. That purple category requires some real letter gymnastics. Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it 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: Milwaukee player, for example.

Green group hint: Gridiron goof.

Blue group hint: Fire it in there!

Purple group hint: Shake up words for sports.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: An NL Central player.

Green group: Football penalties.

Blue group: Attributes for a pitcher.

Purple group: Sports, with a letter changed.

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 an NL Central player. The four answers are Brewer, Cub, Pirate and Red.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is football penalties. The four answers are clipping, face mask, holding and offside.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is attributes for a pitcher. The four answers are command, control, stamina and velocity.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is sports, with a letter changed. The four answers are boiling, boring, gulf and skimming. 

Boiling=bowling

Boring=boxing

Gulf=golf

Skimming=swimming

Quick tips for Connections: Sports Edition

#1: Don’t grab for the easiest group. For each word, think about other sports categories it might fit in – is this a word that can be used in football, or to describe scoring options?

#2: Second meanings are important. The puzzle loves to use last names and even college names that mean other things, to fool you into thinking they are words, not names.

#3: And the opposite is also true. Words like HURTS might seem like a regular word, but it’s also the last name of at least one pro athlete.

A frozen phone is a common (and frustrating) phenomenon, but there are ways to bring your device back to life. If your iPhone isn’t responding, and you’re not able to power it off and then on again, you can force restart it to hopefully fix the issue. 

Forcing a restart is different from a normal restart. Though that’s the first thing you should try in this situation, it may not be an option with an unresponsive phone. As iPhone designs have changed over the years, so have the buttons and commands, which is why the steps for forcing a restart vary depending on the phone you have. 

So, here’s how to force a restart on any iPhone, from the latest iPhone 16 to older models like the iPhone 6S.

Read more: iPhone 16E vs. iPhone 16: What the $200 Price Gap Means for You

Force a restart on newer iPhones (8 and up)

If you have an iPhone that supports iOS 16 or later (iPhone 8 and up, iPhone SE second or third generation and iPhone 16E), then you’ll want to follow these steps:

1. Quickly press and let go of the volume up button.
2. Quickly press and let go of the volume down button.
3. Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears on the screen. Then let go.

Read more: You Can Turn Off Your iPhone’s Always-On Display. Here’s How

Force a restart on the iPhone 7

The steps for what to do on an iPhone 7 are a little different. Instead:

1. Press and hold the volume down button and sleep/wake button at the same time.
2. Let go of both buttons when the Apple logo appears on screen. 

Force a restart on older iPhones

If you have an older phone, like the iPhone 6 or the first-generation iPhone SE, the steps will look a little different. Here’s what to do:

1. Press and hold the sleep/wake button and home button at the same time.
2. Let go of both once the Apple logo appears on screen.

Also, good to know: How to Use the Action Button on the iPhone 16 Series and iPhone 15 Pro

Force restart FAQ

What’s the difference between force restart and regular restart?

A regular restart is a more straightforward and standard way to turn your iPhone on and off again. You’ll want to try doing this first by holding down one of the volume buttons and the side button, and dragging the power off slider. To turn your iPhone back on, hold down the side button again until the Apple logo appears. (If you have an iPhone 8 or older, just hold down the side or top button, then drag the power off slider.) If your iPhone isn’t responding to that, then you’ll want to force a restart.

Restarting versus resetting an iPhone

Resetting an iPhone is a more drastic measure that will wipe your device. You should do this before selling your iPhone or trading it in. Restarting it will just give it a refresh while keeping all your data.

Why does it differ based on iPhone model?

As Apple has changed the design of its iPhones over the years, it’s also moved around some buttons and commands. We’ve made it easy here by listing all the different ways to force a restart on your phone.

Is there another way to restart an iPhone?

Yes, you can actually set up your iPhone to restart with your voice; here’s how.

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We’re still months away from Apple’s anticipated reveal of the newest iPhone, which we expect will happen in the fall. In the meantime, plenty of rumors are swirling about what the upcoming device, likely called the iPhone 17, could look like, from a redesigned camera module to a slimmer «Air» version of the handset. 

We might even see a fresh blue color option for the Pro models, and there are rumors about increased RAM on at least some of the upcoming iPhones. Reports also suggest Apple will overhaul the look and feel of its software with the launch of its next version of iOS. 

Perhaps the biggest news is that iPhones could get pricier, thanks to tariffs. President Donald Trump has said Apple will have to pay a 25% tariff on iPhones made outside the US. This would almost certainly lead to a price hike for consumers. We’ll have to wait and see how Apple responds, and if shoppers really do end up shouldering that extra cost.

Here’s what analysts and leakers predict about the iPhone 17 lineup. 

A slimmer iPhone 17 ‘Air’ 

One of the hottest rumors surrounds a possible iPhone «Air,» a thinner version of Apple’s flagship device that would replace the iPhone Plus option. 

The Air could feature a 6.6-inch screen, making it slightly smaller than the iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 Pro Max but still bigger than the baseline model, according to analysts Jeff Pu and Ming-Chi Kuo. A Bloomberg report from March supports those rumors, and notes that the iPhone Air could measure 5.5mm thick. The report also suggests the phone will cost around $900, putting it on par with the iPhone 16 Plus and maintaining its place in the iPhone hierarchy. But it’s not clear if tariffs will affect that price.

See also: Thinking About Buying a New iPhone? Here’s Why You Should Wait

For Apple to slim down a device, it would need to make hardware trade-offs, and that might include the phone’s camera. According to both Kuo and Bloomberg, it’s possible this version of the iPhone 17 would have only one main camera, doing without the ultrawide and 5x telephoto lenses that have been staples of Apple’s premium iPhones for years. This would place the slim iPhone in the same camp as the $600 iPhone 16E when it comes to cameras, as that phone has only one rear lens. The good news, though, is that the selfie camera on the iPhone Air could get a boost; more on that later. 

One key challenge will be maintaining a high battery capacity, since a slimmer build typically means less space for the battery and thus a potential compromise on battery life — as is the case with the skinny Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. A May report from AppleInsider suggests the thinner iPhone could use a silicon-anode battery to help extend battery life.

Along with tackling battery shortcomings, Bloomberg suggests Apple will pack the iPhone 17 Air with superslim bezels, a Camera Control button and the Dynamic Island.

In May, Pu noted the iPhone 17 Air will feature an A19 chip, while the baseline model would have the same A18 chip used in the iPhone 16. The Air could also include the Apple-developed 5G modem, called the C1 chip, which debuted on the iPhone 16E.

A higher refresh rate across the board

Rumor has it that all models of the iPhone 17 will feature a 120Hz display, bumping the non-Pro models up from their current 60Hz refresh rate. That could be a welcome change, as the discrepancy between the Pro and non-Pro refresh rate is surprising; when Apple debuted the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus with a 60Hz display, there was a bit of an outcry from folks who expected more in 2024. This rumored update could remedy that — and possibly bring the always-on display to the baseline model. 

What we likely won’t see is a new anti-reflective display that Apple was reportedly working on, according to MacRumors. A source reportedly told the publication that Apple scrapped plans for a more scratch-resistant display coating that could have appeared on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. This would have made them the first iPhones with an anti-reflective screen, giving them a feature that CNET’s Patrick Holland deemed one of the best attributes of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. According to MacRumors, «Apple ran into problems scaling up the display coating process, and it is currently no longer a planned feature for the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models.»

Camera upgrades 

It’s not an iPhone release without a camera upgrade, and there have been plenty of rumors about what the camera module could look like on Apple’s upcoming phones. In January, a leaked image from Majin Bu on X suggested the phone could feature a pill-shaped camera bar, essentially resembling what you’d find on Google’s Pixel 9 phone. In February, Bu followed up with CAD renders of what’s said to be the iPhone 17 lineup, featuring horizontal camera bars, as well as larger rectangular bars on the iPhone 17 Pro models. 

Front Page Tech also shared iPhone 17 Pro renders in a video in February, depicting a larger camera bar that maintains the lens’ stacked layout. A separate video on the iPhone 17 Air shows a smaller camera bar, with one lens on the left. 

In April, Bloomberg reported the «iPhone 17 Pro will look a lot more like the 16 Pro than anticipated,» adding, «From the front, the 17 Pro will appear quite similar to the 16 Pro. It’s the back camera that will look meaningfully different.» The latest rumors suggest the iPhone 17 Pro’s three-lens camera arrangement will be maintained, but will sit on a new panel that stretches across the phone’s width.

Later in April, Bu again posted an image of the purported iPhone 17 lineup, showing those wider camera bars with the stacked lenses still configured to the left. 

Not until next year, for the 20th anniversary of the iPhone, will Apple be «preparing a major shake-up» for the phone’s design, Bloomberg says. That includes a (long-rumored) foldable version and a «bold new Pro model that makes more extensive use of glass.»

Another camera-related rumor is that the selfie camera on all iPhone 17 models, including the Air, will be upgraded to 24 megapixels, according to Pu. That’s a decent bump from the current 12-megapixel front-facing camera on the iPhone 16 lineup, though it’s important to remember that more megapixels don’t automatically mean better photos. Still, given how much people increasingly rely on their front cameras to snap selfies and record videos for TikTok and Instagram, this will surely be a welcome advancement.

A sky blue iPhone 17 Pro

It’s not clear what colors will be included in the iPhone 17’s lineup. But in April, Bu said the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max could include a sky blue option. In an article, Bu wrote that «sources close to the supply chain confirm that several iPhone 17 Pro prototypes have been made in various colors, with Sky Blue currently the frontrunner.» 

Bu describes the sky blue color as being «even more stunning than the much-loved Sierra Blue of the iPhone 13 Pro, with a brightness and refinement that make it irresistible.» (My colleague Jeff Carlson isn’t so thrilled about this rumor.)

iOS 26 (not 19) could bring a fresh look

Regarding what’s on the inside, Apple is reportedly looking to revamp its mobile operating system — starting with how it’s named. The follow-up to iOS 18 will be called iOS 26, according to Bloomberg, based on the last two digits of the upcoming year. iPadOS, MacOS, WatchOS, TVOS and VisionOS will all reportedly follow this same model, creating more uniformity across the operating systems.  

The appearance of iOS 26 and Apple’s other operating systems will also reportedly get a refresh. According to Bloomberg, this «includes updating the style of icons, menus, apps, windows and system buttons.» Sources reportedly told the publication that Apple is «working to simplify the way users navigate and control their devices,» and that the design borrows from the Vision Pro’s operating system. For instance, VisionOS features more circular app icons and translucent navigation panels. It’s possible that what you’ll see on your future iPhone could more closely mirror this aesthetic.

The software overhaul would also bring consistency across Apple’s devices. Bloomberg notes this would be the biggest software shakeup since macOS Big Sur’s release in 2020 and iOS 7’s release in 2013.

Other possible features

Rumors on what frames the iPhone 17 lineup will feature have gone back and forth. In February, Pu suggested the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all have aluminum frames. He noted that the iPhone 17 Air could be the outlier with a titanium frame. 

There have also been contradictory reports on whether the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 17 lineup will look any different. In May, Pu said all iPhone 17 models will use a new metalens technology for the proximity sensor, which could allow Apple to reduce the size of the Face ID sensor and the Dynamic Island, according to 9to5Mac. Kuo, on the other hand, said in January that the Dynamic Island would remain «largely unchanged» in the iPhone 17 lineup compared to the iPhone 16. We’ll have to see what ends up being true. 

In February, Kuo noted Apple will swap out Broadcom’s Wi-Fi chips for in-house chips across the iPhone 17 lineup, stating this would «enhance connectivity across Apple devices.» It’s not yet clear what exactly this would mean, but it would be interesting if Apple’s C1 chip were also accompanied by its own Wi-Fi chip.

In April, tipster Digital Chat Station noted that given the use of Apple Intelligence and AI on a «large scale,» the iPhone 17 lineup will come with 12GB of RAM, instead of the current 8GB. Kuo noted the iPhone 17 Air and Pro models would sport that increased 12GB of RAM, but that Apple was still deciding whether to equip the baseline model with 8GB or 12GB of RAM. In May, Pu noted the baseline would remain at 8GB. 

We’ll continue to update this piece as more rumors surface, so be sure to follow along. 

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