Technologies

Samsung Unpacked Recap: Everything Announced, From Galaxy S23 to Galaxy Book 3 Ultra

Here’s everything you might’ve missed from Samsung’s February Unpacked event.

This story is part of Samsung Event, CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice around Samsung’s most popular products.

Samsung’s semiannual Unpacked event was held in San Francisco on Wednesday, and a collection of new phones and laptops made their debut. Samsung launched the refresh of its flagship Galaxy S line of phones — the Galaxy S23, S23 Plus and S23 Ultra. The company also unveiled its upgraded Galaxy Book Pro laptops, the Book 3 Pro and Book 3 Pro 360, along with a new high-end sibling for the family, the Book 3 Ultra.

Along with the new products, Samsung, Google and Qualcomm announced a partnership to develop a mixed-reality platform. It was heavy on words but light on details, however.

You can also check out our archived live blog from the event if you feel more like reading a play-by-play.

Galaxy phones

All the new phones have been upgraded to the latest generation Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip «for Galaxy» — a custom version of the processor that the companies have theoretically optimized for faster performance, better graphics with ray tracing and faster AI processing.

The chip enables more enhancements to the phones’ computational photography capabilities, such as improved low-light performance and more intelligent processing for selfies. That front camera has been normalized across the product line as well, a resolution increase from the S22 and S22 Plus’ 10 megapixels but a drop from the S22 Ultra’s 40 megapixels. Improved speed also allows for 120 frames-per-second recording of 1080p for slow motion, up from 60fps, which should produce better results.

Samsung has also introduced syncing between Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Samsung PCs with this generation.

Galaxy S23 Ultra

Since the design remains relatively unchanged, the biggest (literally) update to the top-of-the-line S23 Ultra is the new 200-megapixel camera using the Isocell HP2 sensor — roughly double the resolution of its predecessor, the Galaxy S22 Ultra. It can also pixel-bin in four- or 16-pixel blocks for smaller images with better tonal quality or other, lower resolutions for easier-to-handle file sizes.

The new sensor is also responsible for improvements. Most notably, it has larger wells in the pixels to be able to absorb more light, which can make photos and video better across the board.

Other camera improvements include better optical image stabilization, and video gains wider-angle shooting and 8K at 30fps (up from 24fps). Samsung’s own camera software integrates better with the native camera app as well.

New colors abound: Now it’s available in black, cream, green and lavender. Samsung also says it has increased the use of ocean-bound plastics and preconsumer waste, too.

Pricing for the phone begins at $1,200 ( 1,249, AU$1,949). It’s shipping Feb. 17; preorders have already begun.

Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus

The outsides of the base model and larger step-up model are largely unchanged.

Both phones get a 200-mAh boost for the battery, upping to 3,900 mAh for the S23 and 4,700 mAh for the S23 Plus. The Plus has a higher entry storage capacity, now 256GB.

The Galaxy S23 starts at $800 ( 849, AU$1,349), while the S23 Plus begins at $1,000 ( 1,049, AU$1,649). You can preorder them now, and they’re slated to ship on Feb. 17.

Galaxy Book 3 Ultra

Without discrete graphics or a high-end processor, Samsung’s Pro models of its laptops didn’t really feel «pro.» So now there’s the new Galaxy Book 3 Ultra, with either an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 or 4070 GPU and up to a 13th-gen Core i9 CPU to at least add the option to Samsung’s offerings.

Other features include a 16:10, 2,880×1,800-pixel OLED display that supports 120Hz refresh rate; a 1080p webcam; a quad-speaker audio system; and more ports than the Galaxy Book 2 Pro, with a USB-A port and HDMI 2.0 output joining its two Thunderbolt USB-C ports, microSD card slot and headphone jack. It’s a bit on the heftier side for its family at 16.5 mm thick and 4 pounds (1.8kg).

The Core i7 and RTX 4050 configuration starts at $2,400; the Core i9/RTX 4070 model is going for $3,000. UK and Australian prices weren’t immediately available.

Galaxy Book 3 Pro and Pro 360

The 16-inch, 16:10 screens and upgraded camera, audio and port configurations also come to the clamshell and two-in-one down-line models. The Galaxy Book 3 Pro is 4mm thinner and about 8 ounces lighter than the Ultra. It also comes in a 14-inch model that weighs 2.6 pounds (1.2 kilograms).

The 16-inch Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 two-in-one comes with one of Samsung’s excellent S Pens, and it’s also the only model to come with optional 5G wireless.

The Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra and Pro and Pro 360 laptops are available to preorder now through Samsung’s site and the Pro models are expected to start shipping on Feb. 17.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for March 26, #549

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle No. 549 for Thursday, March 26.

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.

How good are you at unscrambling letters to make a new word out of an old one? Today’s Connections: Sports Edition requires you to do just that — for the purple category, naturally. 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: Touch ’em all!

Green group hint: It’s outta here!

Blue group hint: Working one’s way up to the majors.

Purple group hint: Unscramble these words.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Slang for home run.

Green group: MLB home run leaders in 2025.

Blue group: Minor league baseball leagues.

Purple group: Anagrams of MLB teams.

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 slang for home run. The four answers are dinger, homer, jack and round-tripper.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is MLB home run leaders in 2025. The four answers are Judge, Ohtani, Raleigh and Schwarber.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is minor league baseball leagues. The four answers are Carolina, International, Pacific Coast and Texas.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is anagrams of MLB teams. The four answers are Bucs (Cubs), parties (Pirates), spread (Padres) and stem (Mets).

Toughest Connections: Sports Edition categories

The Connections: Sports Edition puzzle can be tough, but it really depends on which sports you know the most about. My husband aces anything having to do with Formula 1, my best friend is a hockey buff, and I can answer any question about Minnesota teams.

That said, it’s hard to pick the toughest Connections categories, but here are some I found exceptionally mind-blowing.

#1: Serie A Clubs. Answers: Atalanta, Juventus, Lazio, Roma.

#2: WNBA MVPs. Answers: Catchings, Delle Donne, Fowles and Stewart.

#3: Premier League team nicknames. Answers: Bees, Cherries, Foxes and Hammers.

#4: Homophones of NBA player names. Answers: Barns, Connect, Heart and Hero.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for March 26 #753

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for March 26, No. 753.

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 should appeal to musicians of all kinds. 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: I blew it!

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: I’m in the band.

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:

NORM, CARL, MODE, MODES, LUTE, COME, COME, BEND, NITE, TINE, HARM

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:

OBOE, FLUTE, CLARINET, RECORDER, HARMONICA

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is WINDINSTRUMENT. To find it, start with the W that is at the bottom of the far-left vertical row, and wind up and across.

Toughest Strands puzzles

Here are some of the Strands topics I’ve found to be the toughest.

#1: Dated slang. Maybe you didn’t even use this lingo when it was cool. Toughest word: PHAT.

#2: Thar she blows! I guess marine biologists might ace this one. Toughest word: BALEEN or RIGHT.

#3: Off the hook. Again, it helps to know a lot about sea creatures. Sorry, Charlie. Toughest word: BIGEYE or SKIPJACK.

Technologies

Ring Finally Goes Wire-Free for Its Latest 4K Video Doorbells

The launch of battery-powered versions of the company’s powerful AI doorbells has been highly anticipated.

Security company Ring on Wednesday announced a significant expansion of its video doorbell line, notably battery-powered versions of both its 4K and 2K models, priced from $80.

Both Amazon’s Ring and Google Nest debuted high-resolution video doorbells with new AI features in the fall of 2025. But they were wired only, and in my tests, I kept thinking, «I sure wish there were battery models available.»

Wireless video doorbells are far better for most front doors than models that require connecting to your existing doorbell wiring, which is often poorly positioned for a security camera. Mine, for example, is located on a wall beside my door that’s useless for any kind of video views, no matter how you angle a lens.

«Enhancing image quality in battery-powered doorbells means customers can enjoy reliable performance with the flexibility to install devices in a way that suits their space, whether renting or living in homes without existing wiring,» a Ring spokesperson said.

At first, I wondered whether the higher 4K resolutions and more advanced AI features would use too much power to support batteries. If so, Ring is the first to fix that issue with this suite of doorbells, including these models available for preorder right now:

Ring Battery Doorbell Pro — $250: This model offers up to 4K resolution and 10x zoom, and Ring says it features a redesigned internal architecture to support battery power.
Ring Battery Doorbell Plus (2nd-gen) — $180: This model includes a quick-release battery pack along with 2K video.
Ring Battery Doorbell (2nd-gen) — $100: This video doorbell includes 2K video, a 6x zoom and what Ring calls a «streamlined, rechargeable design,» which means you take the entire video doorbell to charge it, not just the battery — a design I greatly prefer, since Ring’s battery packs can get fiddly.

There’s also a new version of a Ring wired doorbell with 2K resolution, starting at $80. It wouldn’t be Ring without a plethora of doorbell devices to confuse newcomers, which is why I have a guide specifically for Ring video doorbells that will need some updating once I finish testing these new models.

Resolution plus an intelligence upgrade

Ring’s ordinary subscriptions of the Ring Protect plan give you cloud video storage and intelligent alerts for people, packages and vehicles, which are important but not really advanced AI. But spring for the $20-per-month Ring AI Pro cam, and this new generation of cameras opens up other capabilities.

Ring’s AI features include AI video descriptions, so if you get an alert, you can also get a summary of what the doorbell saw, including people and activities. A similar feature lets you search your video history with specific terms, such as «bike,» «truck» and so on. You also get the beta version of Ring’s Familiar Faces feature, which can ID logged faces of people who approach.

If these AI features make you uneasy and you’d rather protect your privacy, the best option is to avoid a subscription altogether or choose a lower-tier plan that gives you cloud storage without AI.

I also have a guide on how to turn off Ring’s detection and data-sharing features that might make you nervous, so you can keep what you like while ditching what you don’t.