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Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Some of the clues are tricky today — 8-Across stumped me until I filled in more letters from the Down clues. Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

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Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue:  Traditional meat for shawarma
Answer: LAMB

5A clue: Brainstorm outputs
Answer: IDEAS

7A clue: Cunningly sidestep, as a difficult question
Answer: DODGE

8A clue: Marketing pitch
Answer: SPIEL

9A clue: 12-ounce size at Starbucks
Answer: TALL

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Pot heads?
Answer: LIDS

2D clue: Bring home from a shelter, maybe
Answer: ADOPT

3D clue: ___ darling (one getting favorable news coverage)
Answer: MEDIA

4D clue: Breakfast item with cream cheese
Answer: BAGEL

6D clue: What bears do in a bear market
Answer: SELL

New renders of the rumored Galaxy Z Flip7 FE phone, a cheaper alternative to last year’s Z Flip 6, have hit the internet via notable leaker Evan Blass. The images were shared Monday on smartphone news site Phone Arena.

The FE stands for Founders Edition and is Samsung’s way of offering comparable devices with slightly weakened specs for more affordable prices. Past FE phones include the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE and the Galaxy Tab S10 FE and FE Plus.

The renders show off a device that looks very similar to the Galaxy Z Flip 6, appearing in white and black colorways. Phone Arena reports that the Flip 6 FE will have similar hardware as last year’s Flip 6 but may swap out the Snapdragon chip for a Samsung-made Exynos processor. 

Blass also shared renders of the flagship Galaxy Z Flip 7 which, if accurate, will drop the camera cutaway and feature the screen running edge-to-edge, with cutouts for the cameras, much like the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025.

Foldable phones, once $2,000 devices, have slowly started creeping downwards in price as designs have improved and more players have entered the space. Despite more foldable phones entering the market, it’s still a smaller piece of the overall larger smartphone pie. 

Trendforce predicted last year that 17.8 million foldables would ship in 2024, making up only 1.5% of overall smartphone shipments. Foldable phone shipments actually decreased by 1%, making it the segment’s first-ever Q3 decline, according to Counterpoint Research. That decline was attributed to weak performance from the Samsung’s Z Flip 6, which was a mild improvement over 2023’s model. 

While Samsung is the foldable market global leader at 56% share, the Z Flip and Fold 6 saw shipments fall 21%. With more exciting handsets coming out of China, where Samsung has a smaller presence, consumers might be holding out for either cheaper prices or more exciting designs. Already, rumors claim that Apple might be readying its own foldable device, which may expand the market as well as pull share from Samsung. 

There are other concerns with foldables, apart from the higher price. According to a 2023 Kantar report, 55% of early foldable buyers later switched back to a regular slab phone. Lower battery life and software uncertainty is what drove people away, according to the report. A 2024 YouGov report said 56% of young adults said durability was a major concern when considering a foldable.

Some foldable phones are seeing more affordable prices, notably, the new Motorola Razr 2025, which has a starting price of $700. If the rumored Z Flip 7 FE can match or undercut Motorola, that could entice some consumers.

Samsung is gearing up to debut its next slate of foldable Galaxy Z phones, which likely includes follow-ups to last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6. The company will host an Unpacked event in July, where it’ll show off its latest devices and Galaxy AI updates. 

The event will take place in Brooklyn, New York, and will be live streamed on the Samsung Newsroom, at Samsung.com and on Samsung’s YouTube channel. Unpacked kicks off on Wednesday, July 9, at 7 a.m. PT/10 a.m. ET. 

Samsung has been teasing its upcoming foldables for the last several weeks. In early June, a Samsung Newsroom post pointed to the company bringing «an Ultra-experience» to «a smaller and more portable form factor.» That apparently includes a «powerful camera» and «AI-powered tools.»

The following week, the company said in another blog post that its «newest Galaxy Z series is the thinnest, lightest and most advanced foldable yet.» It appears to be following in the footsteps of the slim and lightweight Galaxy S25 Edge, which was released in May. 

Samsung seems to be especially focused on scaling the capabilities of its foldables’ cameras with the help of AI. It noted in a subsequent blog post, «The camera will only get smarter — helping users capture life’s moments more vividly and make everyday experiences more seamless, personal and impactful.»

An animated invite for July’s Unpacked event begins by showing the slim side profile of a device that then splits into two phones. One of these phones folds like a book, and on-screen text at the end reads «Ultra Unfolds.» 

It’s possible Samsung could unveil the Galaxy Z Flip 7, Z Fold 7 and then the Z Fold Ultra. There are also murmurs of a more affordable Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE phone. Leaker Evan Blass shared renders of the rumored device, which appears similar to the Galaxy Z Flip 6, but the phone could swap out the Snapdragon chip for an Exynos processor. Meanwhile, renders of the flagship foldable Galaxy Z Flip 7 suggest Samsung could nix the physical camera notch and opt for an edge-to-edge cover display. But we’ll have to wait and see what the company has in store.

There have also been rumors about the Galaxy Watch 8 making its debut at Unpacked, though Samsung hasn’t yet been teasing its wearables like it has its foldable phones. 

If you’re eager to get the upcoming Galaxy device, you can reserve it now and earn a $50 Samsung Credit at Samsung.com.