Technologies

This ‘Game of Thrones’ Limited Edition Phone Is the Coolest Collector’s Item I’ve Seen in 2025

Commentary: Realme collaborated with Warner Bros. Discovery to launch the limited-edition phone. It’s artistic, innovative and exciting all at once.

Game of Thrones was a cultural phenomenon in its prime, and it still seems to generate plenty of interest. That’s why, six years after the show ended, Chinese phone-maker Realme has collaborated with Warner Bros. Discovery to give us a phone that appears to have come straight out of Westeros. Instead of just adding a theme to the UI or a couple of design changes, the two companies have transformed a midrange smartphone into a unique collector’s piece.

An unboxing experience like no other

Unlike modern smartphones, the Realme 15 Pro Game of Thrones Limited Edition screams premium (and royal) from its packaging. It’s filled with Easter eggs from the show. You get a walnut wood-textured gift box with metallic edges, which features eye-catching design elements like the sigils of all nine houses of Westeros and a GOT metal nameplate.

I was already amazed with the packaging, but wasn’t ready for what was to come.

Opening the box reveals a stunning 3D Iron Throne, designed to hold the phone. Once you look past that over-the-top craftsmanship, you’re led to an inlaid map of Westeros with introductions to Houses Stark and Targaryen. It evokes the grandeur and drama that GOT fans would expect.

Lifting the right side of this flatly laid box reveals the phone, while the left side houses customized accessories and more Easter eggs, including a UV-treated letter whose text is only visible when exposed to sunlight. And that’s not even the best part.

My favorite is the customized SIM-ejector tool, which is inspired by Tyrion Lannister and styled to look like the King’s Hand pin. Other phone accessories include a case, an 80-watt charger and a USB-A to USB-C cable. Plus, there are a few stickers and four postcards with portraits of Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow, Arya Stark and Tyrion Lannister.

This is the perfect mix of artistry and innovation

The Realme 15 Pro Game of Thrones Limited Edition features some striking visual elements. It has Westeros house sigils engraved under the glass housing of the now-extended camera module, with dragon claws digging into the two bottom corners.

Each camera lens sports a gold accent ring with different engravings. The main lens is engraved with House Stark’s iconic «Winter is Coming,» while the chroma sensor ring below features House Lannister’s «Hear Me Roar.» Moving toward the bottom of the camera module, you’ll find another elegant «Fire and Blood» engraving.

Too much text can sometimes lessen the charm of a design, but not on this phone. The black-and-gold themed camera island has so many details and, surprisingly, none of them grabs attention from the other.

The Realme 15 Pro Game of Thrones Limited Edition also features a 3D-engraved House Targaryen sigil on its lower back. Its gold accent offers a stunning contrast to the rest of the back’s black color, and is only accentuated by the matte finish on the gold side frame. Every time I pick this phone up, I pause and look at it for a bit. You can admire this design all day long.

As if that wasn’t enough, Realme made a color-changing back panel. Its black leather transforms into a vivid red color when exposed to temperatures of 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher. As it cools, the panel returns to its original black. It’s super cool to see the color-changing effect in action. The phone is IP68 and IP69 rated, so you don’t need to worry about water getting through.

This immersive experience continues as you switch on and set up the phone. Realme’s GOT-themed design language extends to its UI, including a Targaryen house sigil on the fingerprint unlock, two unique camera filters (Northland and Kingdom), custom icons and Light and Fire-themed live wallpapers.

As for the specifications, it’s identical to the regular Realme 15 Pro. So, you get a 6.8-inch AMOLED screen with support for a 144Hz refresh rate. It’s easily legible outdoors.

The new Realme phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chipset, paired with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. It packs a 7,000 mAh battery with support for 80-watt fast charging, which is rated to charge the phone from 20% to 100% within an hour.

Despite the big battery and screen size, this special edition Realme phone weighs under 200 grams. It might not seem like a huge deal on paper, but it’s one of the most comfortable-to-use big phones, in my experience. It’s also slimmer than many mainstream flagship phones. For context, it measures 7.84mm, which is less than the iPhone 17 (7.95mm) and Google Pixel 10 (8.6mm). Doing this with a hint of luxury makes it an excellent value proposition.

The Realme 15 Pro Game of Thrones Limited Edition is a spectacular mix of artistry, innovation, drama and grandeur. It sports the right amount of extravagance and practicality to be a collector’s item as well as a day-to-day phone.

Realme is only making 5,000 units of this special-edition device, and it’s now available to purchase in India, though it’s currently out of stock. The Realme 15 Pro Game of Thrones Limited Edition doesn’t get a huge price bump over the regular model. It remains attainable at 44,999 rupees (approximately $510), which is a great price when you account for all the unique extras.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Dec. 31 #668

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Dec. 31, No. 668.

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 could be a challenge. 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: One good turn deserves another.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: A merry-go-round does this.

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:

CIRCLER, LORD, TOUT, TOUR, ROUND, WHAT, RIOT

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:

CIRCLE, SPIN, ORBIT, WHIRL, PIROUETTE, ROTATE

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is ROUNDANDROUND. To find it, start with the R that’s three rows in from the far left, down three letters and wind around.

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Dec. 31

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Dec. 31.

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.

It’s New Year’s Eve, and today’s Mini Crossword offers a couple of fun clues looking back at the past year. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

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.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Many a participant in the 2025 «6-7» trend
Answer: KID

4A clue: Like 2025, to the French?
Answer: FINI

5A clue: The last one was minted in 2025
Answer: PENNY

6A clue: The O’s in XOXO
Answer: HUGS

7A clue: «Real» ones became required in 2025
Answer: IDS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: No ___ (2025 protest)
Answer: KINGS

2D clue: Travelers’ lodgings
Answer: INNS

3D clue: Home project inits.
Answer: DIY

4D clue: Drake and Kendrick Lamar had a high-profile one
Answer: FEUD

5D clue: The 2025 Super Bowl champion Eagles, on scoreboards
Answer: PHI

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Dec. 31, #464

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Dec. 31, No. 464.

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.

It’s New Year’s Eve, and two of today’s Connections: Sports Edition categories look back on the past year in sports. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle 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 appear in the NYT Games app, but it does 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: Lights, camera, sports!

Green group hint: Best in their sport.

Blue group hint: College sports sites.

Purple group hint: Team names are hidden.