Technologies

WWDC Didn’t Excite Me. I Really Need the iPhone 17 to Make a Splash

Commentary: Even Apple’s execs seemed to know it didn’t have much to shout about.

Apple’s WWDC 2025 keynote had a lot of fanfare about its new «Liquid Glass» interface for iOS 26, iPads, Macs and Apple TV, but beyond that there was very little that got me excited. In fact, it felt like one of the most underwhelming Apple events I’ve covered in my 14 years as a CNET journalist. That’s not a good sign. What I can say with confidence is that Apple really needs to make a big splash with the iPhone 17 when it launches in September.

It wasn’t that Apple did anything especially wrong with its announcements. I actually liked most of them. The new Liquid Glass design language is arguably in a similar vein to Windows Vista, but it’s nice to see iOS get a bit of a refresh, as it’s felt a little stale for a while now. But, it’s hardly groundbreaking, nor will it change how we interact with our phones.

Some of the new features the company announced — such as the call screening tool or the screenshot search function that uses Apple’s Visual Intelligence — are nice to see, but they’re basically the same as Android’s call screening tool and Circle to Search, so it’s difficult to get excited. Ditto for the glossy icons now coming to TVOS and the new pointer in iPadOS. Even Apple’s Senior VP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi seemed to know they had nothing much to shout about: «A pointier pointer? Who’d have thought!» he quipped.

Fine, I like the windows in iPadOS. But that’s one of the only things in the whole presentation that piqued my interest. I sat up with anticipation when Apple talked about the new Games app, thumbs already twitching with the excitement about new titles I might be playing thanks to new platforms or new advances in Apple’s Metal graphics engine. But no, it’s just an easier way to view your games and see your friend’s high scores. Big deal.

I’m left feeling a little deflated by the lack of excitement overall, so I’m forced instead to look towards September, when we expect to see the iPhone 17 unveiled. It needs to be a big one. It needs some real razzle dazzle. And not just for me, but for Apple, too.

The iPhone 16 is a great phone, but its biggest new feature was a new button for the camera that still feels a bit…weird. Last year saw the grand unveiling of Apple Intelligence, which so far has been a huge letdown, with Federighi stating that more information on Apple Intelligence’s updates will be shared «in the coming year.» In short, it feels like Apple needs a win.

The iPhone 17 could be that win. Early rumors point to upgraded cameras with advanced video features for creators, along with the potential for a slimmer iPhone Air that would compete with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. Will this be the year we see a foldable iPhone? Almost certainly not, but it’d definitely be something more exciting to hear about during a long keynote.

Maybe I’m being too harsh, and I’m just a bit jaded after 14 years of covering Apple events. Maybe I’m grumpy because its keynote started at 6 p.m. in my UK time zone, effectively pushing back my dinner and making me wait for food. Or maybe Apple did need to put a bit more meat on the plate and prove that its biggest announcements of the year aren’t just style over substance.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for April 20, #1766

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for April 20, No. 1,766.

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 has a couple of rare letters in it. 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 one repeated letter.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

Today’s Wordle answer has two vowels, and then one of those is repeated, so you will see that one twice.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with W.

Wordle hint No. 4: Last letter

Today’s Wordle answer ends with E.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to forming fabric by interlacing long threads, perhaps on a loom.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is WEAVE.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, April 19, No. 1765, was STAND.

Recent Wordle answers

April 15, No. 1761: BEGUN

April 16, No. 1762: CUBIT

April 17, No. 1763: BELLE

April 18, No. 1764: TOADY

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for April 20 #778

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for April 20, No. 778.

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 offers an interesting mix of words, and they all begin with the same two letters. Some of the answers are difficult 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: Gloriously glaring!

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Shimmery.

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:

TEAM, MATE, HATE, GATE, LIST, LISTEN, GLEE, LINT, CHEAT, HEAT

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:

GLOW, GLEAM, GLINT, GLITTER, GLISTEN, GLIMMER

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is CATCHTHELIGHT. To find it, start with the C that’s three letters to the right on the bottom row, and wind up.

Technologies

Turn up the Volume With These EarFun Air Pro 4 Earbuds While They’re Down to Just $63

The EarFun Air Pro 4 earbuds are the perfect choice for budget-conscious shoppers who still want every audio perk available.

Right now we’ve spotted EarFun AirPro 4 earbuds for just $63, which saves you $17 with Amazon Prime. In addition to this discount, shoppers can save an extra 5 or 10% when making other eligible purchases. Though not exactly its lowest price, it’s just $10 previous short of its previous low record price and one best deals on audio gear we can expect right now.

The earbuds are frequently discounted from their $80 list price, but that $63 price is a significant discount. CNET Executive Editor David Carnoy reviewed the Earfun Air Pro 4, noting that its wireless charging, ear-detection sensors and multipoint Bluetooth pairing for using with multiple devices are all very useful perks.

Carnoy does note that voice-calling performance for these earbuds doesn’t come anywhere close to premium earbuds like Apple’s AirPods Pro, but when these earbuds cost a fraction of that, they could be a good value for someone who just wants something easy to use for listening to music and podcasts.

HEADPHONE DEALS OF THE WEEK

Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones (Black):

$248 (save $152)
Beats Studio Pro Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones (Black):

$170 (save $181)
Sony WH-1000XM6 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones:

$398 (save $62)
Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones (Twilight Blue):

$179 (save $170)
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless ANC Over-Ear Headphones (Black):

$200 (save $250)

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

This earbuds offer many of the same features as those found in top brands, all for a fraction of the price. Be sure to lock in this low price, as we doubt it will fall any lower anytime soon.