Technologies

Adaptive Power Could Be the Best Low-Key iOS 26 Feature for Your iPhone’s Battery

This new behind-the-scenes feature could improve battery life without you doing anything different on your iPhone.

If you’ve installed the newest iOS 26 public beta or developer beta, you may be able to get a jump on an upcoming feature that might deliver long-term benefits. Adaptive Power is a setting designed to extend battery power by selectively saving energy in small ways that add up. In fact, I’m looking forward to turning it on and forgetting about it. If you’re (rightly) cautious about installing betas, it’s something to anticipate when iOS 26 comes out in the fall. Let’s look closer at how this tiny preference could extend your iPhone’s battery life.

See also: Adaptive Power in iOS 26 Could Save the iPhone 17 Air From This Major Pitfall

Currently, the iPhone uses as much power as it needs to perform its tasks. You can extend the battery life by doing a number of things, such as decreasing screen brightness and turning off the always-on display. Or, if your battery level is starting to get dire, you can activate Low Power Mode, which reduces background activity like fetching mail and downloading data in addition to those screen adjustments. Low Power Mode also kicks in automatically when the battery level reaches 20%.

If Low Power Mode is the hammer that knocks down power consumption, Adaptive Power is the scalpel that intelligently trims energy savings here and there as needed. Based on Apple’s description that accompanies the control, the savings will be felt mostly in power-hungry situations such as recording videos, editing photos or perhaps even playing games:

«When your battery usage is higher than usual, iPhone can make small performance adjustments to extend your battery life, including slightly lowering the display brightness or allowing some activities to take a little longer. Low Power Mode may turn on at 20%.»

How to turn adaptive power on

Adaptive Power is not on by default and you’ll need to opt-in to use it. In iOS 26, you’ll find the Adaptive Power toggle in Settings > Battery > Power Mode.

Since Adaptive Power appears to be using AI in deciding which settings and processes to adjust, I suspect the feature will be available on iPhone models that support Apple Intelligence, which include the iPhone 15 Pro and later. A Reddit thread about Adaptive Power suggests this is the case, with commenters noting it does not show up in iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro models with the beta installed.

Adaptive Power sounds like an outgrowth of Gaming Mode, introduced in iOS 18, which routes all available processing and graphics power to the frontmost app and pauses other processes in order to deliver the best experience possible — at the notable expense of battery life.

What does this mean for your charging habits?

Although we all want as much battery life as possible all the time, judging by the description it sounds as if Adaptive Power’s optimizations will not always be active, even if you leave the feature on. «When your battery usage is higher than usual» could include a limited number of situations. Still, considering that according to a CNET survey 61% of people upgrade their phones because of battery life, a feature such as Adaptive Power could extend the longevity of their phones just by updating to iOS 26.

I also wonder whether slightly adjusting display brightness could be disruptive. But because the feature is also selectively de-prioritizing processing tasks, it suggests that the outward effects will be minimal.

We’ll know more about how well Adaptive Power works as the iOS 26 beta program nears the expected release date in September or October — battery optimizations are often the last tweaks to be made to operating systems in development just before shipping. If you want to start giving iOS 26 a spin, you can download the first public beta now. Just remember that beta software carries risks, especially these first iterations that have recently been set loose from Apple’s labs.

Technologies

Physical SIM Card vs. eSIM: What Sets Them Apart and Which Should You Choose?

These two ways of connecting your phone to a cellular network are very different. We tell you about each and how you can switch from one to another.

For many years, mobile phones received cellular service through a physical SIM (subscriber identity module) card that connected your handset to your phone carrier. These physical SIM cards made it easy to swap your phone or carrier whenever you’re getting a new device or you’re traveling. Nowadays, however, most modern phones also support eSIMs. As the name indicates, eSIMs are embedded directly into the phone and the carrier information is programmed remotely via software.

Whether you choose a physical SIM or an eSIM depends on several factors, so we’ve outlined a few commonly asked questions below.

Exclusive Offer for New Users: 20% OFF Nomad eSIM Plans!

Use code NOMCNET20 to get 20% off your first eSIM purchases.
***Promo codes cannot be applied to on-sale plans, Day Plans, or plans under $5.***

Get Your eSIM Now

What do physical SIMs and eSIMs do?

A physical SIM card is essentially a tiny card with a chip that connects your phone to your wireless carrier. It contains identifying information like your account info and phone number. Without it, your phone won’t have a number or any way to connect to a carrier and you won’t be able to make or receive calls and text messages.

Some phones allow you to remove the physical SIM card, which allows you to easily swap phones or carriers. This is useful if you want to use your existing number in another phone, or if you want to use your phone with another carrier. Just insert a different SIM card and you can connect to a different cell network. For years, some phones supported having dual SIM cards. You might have your home number on one and your work number on the other.

An eSIM, however, is embedded directly into the phone’s circuitry and cannot be ejected or removed. Instead, all the carrier information is programmed remotely via an app. The biggest advantage of eSIMs is that it allows one phone to have multiple lines even from different carriers. This is especially useful when traveling, as you can add a global eSIM provider without having to purchase and wait in line for a physical SIM when you arrive at your destination. For more on eSIMs, you can check out our explainer here. You can also move your service from one phone to another without needing to dig out a SIM ejector tool but you might need to call your wireless service provider for assistance.

Can I have an eSIM and a physical SIM?

Yes, many phones allow you to have an eSIM and a physical SIM simultaneously, even from different carriers. You can use both simultaneously, or you can designate one as active while the other is on standby. Some people designate one number for work while the other is for personal use.

How do I switch phones with a physical SIM or an eSIM?

To switch phones with a physical SIM, all you have to do is eject it from your existing phone and then insert it into a new one. This typically works regardless of the phone you are switching between, allowing you to move your service from an iPhone to Android phone at will.

With an eSIM, your carrier can either transfer the number over for you or you can do it yourself through your phone’s settings. Your carrier will often send detailed instructions on how to do so. Typically it’s easy to transfer your eSIM when moving to a phone of the same operating system, for instance moving from an iPhone 14 to an iPhone 16 where both are on iOS or from a Samsung Galaxy S21 to an S25 because both use Android. If you are switching between iOS and Android, you’ll likely need to call your provider for assistance.

Converting an existing physical SIM card to an eSIM is fairly easy too, although it sometimes requires more steps. You can check out our guide on how to do so here or you can refer to your carrier for more specific instructions.

Do any phones require eSIM?

Yes, some phones are eSIM-only and therefore require eSIM. iPhone 14 models and newer are eSIM-only in the US, meaning they lack a physical SIM card slot. Most Android phones include a physical SIM slot and support for eSIM.

Do all phones accept eSIM?

Most modern iOS and Android phones accept eSIM, such as the newer iPhones, the Pixel 6 and the Samsung Galaxy S21 and newer. Simpler phones, however, like HMD’s Barbie Phone and the minimalist Light Phone do not. For those phones, you’ll want a physical SIM card.

15 Years of Android: Comparing the Newest Android Phone to the First

+12 More

See all photos

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for July 27, #307

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for July 27, No. 307.

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.

I cleaned up on the purple category for today’s Connections: Sports Edition. Sports buffs who are also film fans should have the same experience. 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: Time-related.

Green group hint: Drive to survive.

Blue group hint: Retired and revered.

Purple group hint: Yo, Adrian.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Interval.

Green group: F1 Grand Prix locations.

Blue group: 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame class.

Purple group: Starts of boxing movies.

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 interval. The four answers are period, spell, stint and stretch.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is F1 Grand Prix locations. The four answers are Abu Dhabi, Baku, Monaco and Monza.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame class. The four answers are Allen, Parker, Sabathia and Suzuki.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is starts of boxing movies. The four answers are Cinderella, Million, Raging and Rocky.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Sunday, July 27

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for July 27.

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.

I set a new personal speed record for the Mini Crossword today. I was also delighted to learn a new word: psithurism. Can’t wait to drop that in casual conversation! Need a little help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. If you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. 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.