Technologies

We Tested Night Mode on the iPhone 14 Pro, Pixel 7 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra

We compared the best flagship models from Apple, Google and Samsung in a nighttime photo shoot field test.

We’ve been really impressed by the cameras on the Pixel 7 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra. The Pixel 7 Pro’s zoom skills even gave the Galaxy S22 Ultra a run for its money, as well as offering some genuine competition to a professional DSLR. But how do these top phones perform when things go dark?

All three phones pack impressive nighttime shooting modes, which let you capture bright and clear shots even in almost total darkness. I’ve done some night mode testing on the phones already as part of the main Pixel 7 Pro review, but I wanted to spend a bit more side-by-side time with all three phones to see which one truly takes the best-looking images at night.

So I charged them up, put on my winter coat and headed out into the cold and dark streets of the Edinburgh suburb of Leith, Scotland. All images were taken in JPEG format, with the main cameras (unless otherwise stated) and using the dedicated night modes on both the Pixel 7 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra. The iPhone 14 Pro‘s mode kicks in automatically, so I simply made sure it was active when taking photos.

This first test above isn’t a great start for the Pixel 7 Pro. Its shot is darker than its rivals, with quite grungy details on the boat itself.

Zooming in to 100% on the same shots above, it’s clear that both the iPhone 14 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra achieved crisper, more balanced images. Between the two, the S22 Ultra did a better job at capturing more natural color tones and its shot wasn’t affected by reflected lights in its lens — something much more noticeable in the iPhone’s shot.

The Pixel 7 Pro did a much better job in the river scene above, with an excellent exposure across the whole image and tons of details visible on buildings in the distance. All three phones captured the scene well, with sharp details and minimal image noise. The iPhone’s image is a bit more contrasty, which I don’t dislike, but it makes the shot look a touch darker as a result.

One thing to note on the Pixel’s shot however is the noticeable lens flare from the streetlight on the left side of the image. While all three phones suffer from flare to an extent, it’s noticeably worse on the Pixel’s image, which is something I’d found on my initial tests for the review. Some shots I took had flares so prominent they ruined the image, and it’s something that you’ll need to keep in mind with bright light sources.

All three phones captured the old pub front above well, with excellent exposures across the board. I’m impressed at how they’ve all captured lots of detail in the shadowy areas of the images, yet managed to balance the bright highlights in the window and on the carvings well.

As with the earlier image of the boat, the iPhone 14 Pro’s shot leans toward a yellow-tinged white balance, which doesn’t look quite as realistic as the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s shot. The Pixel went a little far the other way, with a more magenta-toned image.

Zooming in to 100% on the same images and things switch around. It’s very marginal, but the Pixel 7 Pro achieved a slightly sharper image than its rivals, with the iPhone following close behind and the S22 Ultra bringing up the rear. I have to pixel peep at this point though, and even then the difference is almost negligible. At full screen, all three images are pin-sharp and look great.

The scene above works to summarize the approach the three phones take. The iPhone’s image has a more yellowy white balance which isn’t particularly realistic. The Pixel 7 Pro’s shot is a little darker and more magenta-toned, while the S22 Ultra’s shot seems to strike a better balance between the two with excellent exposure and more even colors.

But what about when we use the zoom lenses on these phones? Well, starting off with the standard cameras, all three phones have managed to capture solid images above.

Both the iPhone and Pixel offer 2x zoom modes (digitally cropping) and there’s not a huge amount to choose between them in the photos above. The digital crop has noticeably reduced the quality on photos from both phones and while the iPhone’s is a touch sharper, the Pixel’s has slightly better dynamic range, with some of the highlights being less blown out.

At 3x optical zoom on the iPhone 14 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra (the Pixel 7 Pro has a 5x zoom, which I’ll come to), the iPhone’s shot above is noticeably better than its 2x digital zoom shot, with improved details and dynamic range. And although its shot looks a little darker than the S22 Ultra’s, it has sharper, more defined details and a more even dynamic range which results in a better image overall.

Zooming right in to 150%, it’s clear that the iPhone’s dynamic range is better (look at the bright clock face in the upper left of the scene) and the details are much sharper.

The Pixel 7 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra can take their zooms further though, with 5x and 10x optical zooms being offered, respectively. The S22’s image above is obviously a lot more zoomed in, yet it maintains details and exposure. The Pixel’s looks solid too, with good colors and clarity. Given the big difference in zoom levels, there’s little point in deciding which one is better here.

Which phone takes the best night mode photos?

Overall I’m impressed at how well all three phones have done in these tests. Despite the dark conditions, I got images that are bright, colorful and packed with details, which is amazing to see given that I just took the shots hand-held, without a tripod — which I would need if I were taking the same shot on my professional camera. There’s not a huge gulf between any of them and any photographer would be pleased with the results they’re able to get in night time conditions.

That said, I’d have to give the overall win to the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. Its shots were consistently bright and clear, and crucially produced more natural color tones than the iPhone 14 Pro or Pixel 7 Pro managed to achieve. The iPhone sometimes produced slightly sharper images, but that’s only noticeable when you zoom right into a pixel-level view, which most of us are unlikely to do. For pure, straight-out-of-camera images that are ready to upload to Instagram, the S22 Ultra slightly edges out its rivals.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, Oct. 30

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 30.

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.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? I admit, 1-Across stumped me until I filled the other answers in. 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: Words on either side of «___ what ___»
Answer: ITIS

5A clue: Breathes like a dog
Answer: PANTS

7A clue: Podcast’s medium
Answer: AUDIO

8A clue: Test with one’s nose
Answer: SNIFF

9A clue: President after Teddy Roosevelt
Answer: TAFT

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Hoppy beers, for short
Answer: IPAS

2D clue: Talk trash to
Answer: TAUNT

3D clue: The «I» of 1-Down
Answer: INDIA

4D clue: How you might feel after a long car ride
Answer: STIFF

6D clue: Pillowy
Answer: SOFT

Technologies

Should You Upgrade to the iPhone 17? Specs, Price and Features vs. Older Models

Apple’s base iPhone 17 appears to be a sleeper hit, but does it offer enough to upgrade from an earlier model? See how it fares against recent iPhones.

While the bright orange iPhone 17 Pro gets all the attention, Apple’s iPhone 17 has quietly turned out to be this year’s early roaring success, with preorders beating out the iPhone 16. If your current serviceable but aging iPhone is starting to feel rusty, maybe this is the year to replace it with a new iPhone 17.

But is the iPhone 17 worth it, or is it better to look for an older iPhone? The new model starts at $829, but here’s the kicker: Apple finally did away with the measly 128GB base storage. The new entry-level model now starts at a much more reasonable 256GB, which is a long-overdue bump that might just make the upgrade a no-brainer.

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Several noteworthy updates to the iPhone 17 make it feel like a tempting choice, even over the pricier iPhone 17 Pro models. At long last, Apple has extended a 1-120Hz display across its entire lineup, so you can have smoother scrolling and an always-on display without spending upwards of $1,100 on a Pro model. An anti-reflective coating and higher 3,000-nit peak brightness make the screen slightly easier to see outdoors. And camera upgrades help to level up photos and selfies.

Here’s how the iPhone 17 compares to older iPhones, ranging from last year’s iPhone 16 to 2020’s iPhone 12.

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16

Appearance-wise, the iPhone 17 has a lot in common with the iPhone 16. But beneath the surface, there are some key differences.

The display goes from a meager 60Hz on the iPhone 16 to 120Hz on the iPhone 17 (at long last). That means the iPhone 17 finally supports an always-on display, so you can glance at the time and your notifications without waking the screen and enjoy smoother scrolling. A new anti-reflective coating helps reduce glare, especially in the bright outdoor conditions.

The iPhone 17 has a larger 6.3-inch display, versus the iPhone 16’s 6.1-inch screen, thanks to slimmer bezels. That can make viewing content slightly more immersive, though it won’t be a hugely noticeable difference. And a new Ceramic Shield 2 cover on the iPhone 17 offers three times better scratch resistance, according to Apple, so you can worry a little less about etching into your phone’s screen (but maybe still get a screen protector to be safe).

The iPhone 16 and 17 have a 48-megapixel wide-angle camera, but the iPhone 17 bumps the ultrawide camera from 12 megapixels to 48 megapixels. The front-facing camera also gets upgraded from 12 megapixels (on the iPhone 16) to 18 megapixels on the iPhone 17. Both phones have a Camera Control button for quickly launching the camera and snapping photos.

A new Center Stage feature can automatically adjust selfie photos from portrait orientation to landscape to ensure everyone is in the shot, so you don’t have to manually rotate your phone to its side anymore. Dual Capture lets you simultaneously record on your front and back cameras. These upgrades are specifically catered to the latest iPhone lineup, so that they won’t be coming to older models like the iPhone 16, even with an iOS 26 update.

Battery life is a little longer on the iPhone 17. Apple says the iPhone 17 supports up to 8 hours more of video playback than the iPhone 16. This change aligns with improvements CNET noticed in our battery tests. In a 3-hour streaming test, for example, the iPhone 17’s battery dropped from 100% to 89%, while the iPhone 16 hit 86%. It’s an incremental update, but even a little more battery life is a welcome change. The iPhone 17 also supports up to 40-watt charging, which is a boost over the 25 watts you get with the iPhone 16, helping you top off your battery a little faster.

The bottom line: While the updates to the iPhone 17 help it stand out as an all-around solid device, the changes over last year’s iPhone 16 are incremental enough that there’s not much reason to upgrade — unless you’re really excited about that smoother display and faster charging. But for most people, subtle differences mean you should probably just hold onto your iPhone 16.

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 15

The iPhone 15 has a lot in common with the iPhone 16, including a 48-megapixel wide-angle camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 6.1-inch display. The 6.3-inch display on the iPhone 17 has slimmer bezels to expand that real estate a bit, and the 48-megapixel ultrawide camera can lead to slightly sharper shots.

The baseline iPhone 15 doesn’t have an Action button that you can customize to launch various apps and functions, and instead has the more traditional ring/silent switch. The iPhone 17 has an Action button and a Camera Control button.

Both phones have a Dynamic Island cutout at the top of the display for showing alerts and Live Activities, such as the time your DoorDash order is arriving, flight updates and what song is currently playing.

With each generation, Apple touts longer battery life, so you can expect to get a couple more hours of video playback with the iPhone 17 than you would with the 15.

Perhaps the most significant difference between the iPhone 15 and 17 is that the iPhone 15 doesn’t have Apple Intelligence; those AI features only arrived on that year’s Pro models. If you upgrade to the iPhone 17, you’ll have access to writing and image editing tools, as well as newer features like Live Translation for calls and messages.

The bottom line: Like the iPhone 16, there aren’t many drastic differences between the iPhone 15 and 17, though upgrading will notably grant you access to Apple Intelligence. But the other hardware and software-related updates are relatively minimal, so you’re probably good keeping your iPhone 15 for at least another year.

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 14

The iPhone 14 was the last Apple phone with a Lightning port and that’s one of most significant differences between it and the iPhone 17, which has a USB-C port. Upgrading to the iPhone 17 means you won’t have to rely on an outdated and limited-use charging cable anymore, and can instead use one that works with most of your other devices.

The baseline iPhone 14 also doesn’t have a Dynamic Island cutout in the display, as that feature launched with just the Pro models that year. Upgrading to the iPhone 17 will let you quickly tap into activities like your rideshare trip or flight information.

The iPhone 14 has a 12-megapixel wide and ultrawide-angle camera on the back, while the iPhone 17 bumps that to 48 megapixels across the board. The iPhone 17 also increases the front-facing camera’s resolution from 12 megapixels to 18 megapixels, while adding a new Center Stage selfie feature to automatically adjust between portrait and landscape images without you having to rotate your phone.

But the two phones also some key similarities, like having eSIM and satellite connectivity on board.

The bottom line: The iPhone 14 has the most noticeable differences with the iPhone 17. Upgrading could offer some fresh features like an Action button and, at last, a USB-C port, as well as Dynamic Island and an upgraded camera. But if you want to save some money and keep your current phone, you won’t be missing out on anything too drastic.

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 13

The iPhone 13 has a similar A15 Bionic chip as the iPhone 14, and shares the same dual 12-megapixel camera system. But unlike the iPhone 14, the iPhone 13 doesn’t have crash detection or satellite connectivity, or camera features like Action mode for more stable videos.

At this point, your iPhone 13 may be showing its age. Upgrading to the iPhone 17 will give you access to newer features like Apple Intelligence, Dynamic Island, USB-C charging and the Camera Control and Action buttons. You might also notice faster speeds by switching to the iPhone 17, now that it’s been a few years since the iPhone 13 came out.

The bottom line: It may be time to upgrade to the iPhone 17 if you have an iPhone 13. It’s possible your phone is starting to show its age, and switching to Apple’s latest baseline will get you a longer-lasting battery, an upgraded camera, AI features and a handful of new hardware and software capabilities.

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 12

Like the next couple of iPhones after it, the iPhone 12 has a dual 12-megapixel camera system, as well as a 6.1-inch display. Upgrading to the iPhone 17 will get you a slightly more immersive 6.3-inch display with thinner bezels, along with a 48-megapixel dual camera system.

The iPhone 12 lacks features like crash detection, satellite connectivity, Dynamic Island and USB-C charging. It also doesn’t support the Apple Intelligence suite of AI features for writing, photo editing, language translation and more.

It’s possible your iPhone 12 has become sluggish and your battery isn’t holding up like it used to. Taking age out of the equation, at launch, the iPhone 12 boasted up to 17 hours of video playback, while Apple says the iPhone 17 supports up to 30 hours. So there’s likely to be a noticeable difference between how long each phone can hold up.

The bottom line: Swapping your iPhone 12 for the iPhone 17 could be a smart move. There have been noticeable changes over the last several years, from the addition of the Action and Camera Control buttons to the introduction of Apple Intelligence. The swap to USB-C and expanded battery capacity can also make the newest iPhone more tempting; you won’t have to cling to your now-outdated Lightning cable. And you’ll likely notice faster speeds and higher performance across the board when switching from a 5-year-old device to the latest generation.

Apple iPhone 17 vs. Older iPhones

	Apple iPhone 17	Apple iPhone 16	Apple iPhone 15	Apple iPhone 14	Apple iPhone 13	Apple iPhone 12
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate	6.3-inch OLED; 2,622 x 1,206 pixel resolution; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate	6.1-inch OLED; 2,556 x 1,179 pixel resolution; 60Hz refresh rate	6.1-inch OLED; 2,556×1,179 pixels	6.1-inch OLED; 2,532×1,170 pixels	6.1-inch OLED; 2,532×1,170 pixels	6.1-inch OLED; 2,532×1,170 pixels
Pixel density	460ppi	460 ppi	460 ppi	460 ppi	460 ppi	460ppi
Dimensions (inches)	5.89 x 2.81 x 0.31 in	5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches	2.82 x 5.81 x 0.31 in	5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 in	5.78 x 2.82 x 0.3 in	5.78 x 2.82 x 0.29 in
Dimensions (millimeters)	149.6 x 71.5 x 7.95 mm	147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8mm	71.6 x 147.6 x 7.8 mm	147 x 72 x 7.8 mm	147 x 72 x 7.65 mm	146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm
Weight (grams, ounces)	177 g (6.24 oz)	170 g (6 oz.)	171g (6.02 oz)	172 g (6.07 oz)	6.14 oz; 174g	5.78oz; 164g
Mobile software	iOS 26	iOS 18	iOS 17	iOS 16	iOS 15	iOS 14
Camera	48-megapixel (wide) 48-megapixel (ultrawide)	48-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)	48-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)	12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)	12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)	12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide)
Front-facing camera	18-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel
Video capture	4K	4K	4K	4K at 60 fps	HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps	4K
Processor	Apple A19	Apple A18	A16 Bionic	Apple A15 Bionic	Apple A15 Bionic	Apple Bionic 14
RAM + storage	RAM N/A + 256GB, 512GB	RAM N/A + 128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	RAM NA; 128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	64GB, 128GB, 256GB
Expandable storage	None	None (Face ID)	None	None	Undisclosed	Undisclosed
Battery	Up to 30 hours video playback; up to 27 hours video playback (streamed)	Up to 22 hours video playback; up to 18 hours video playback (streamed). 20W wired charging. MagSafe wireless charging up to 25W with 30W adapter or higher; Qi2 up to 15W	Undisclosed; Apple claims up to 20 hours of video playback (16 hours streamed)	Undisclosed; Apple claims 20 hours of video playback	No	No
Fingerprint sensor	None (Face ID)	None (Face ID)	None (Face ID)	None (Face ID)	Undisclosed; Apple lists 19 hours of video playback	Undisclosed; Apple lists 15 hours of video playback
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C (USB 2.0)	Lightning	No (Face ID)	No (FaceID)
Headphone jack	None	None	None	None	Lightning	Lightning
Special features	Apple N1 wireless networking chip (Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 MIMO), Bluetooth 6, Thread. Action button. Camera Control button. Dynamic Island. Apple Intelligence. Visual Intelligence. Dual eSIM. 1 to 3,000 nits brightness display range. IP68 resistance. Colors: black, white, mist blue, sage, lavender. Fast charge up to 50% in 20 minutes using 40W adapter or higher via charging cable. Fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using 30W adapter or higher via MagSafe Charger.	Apple Intelligence, Action button, Camera Control button, Dynamic Island, 1 to 2,000 nits display brightness range, IP68 resistance. Colors: black, white, pink, teal, ultramarine.	Dynamic Island; 5G (mmw/Sub6); MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; eSIM; satellite connectivity	5G (mmw/Sub6); MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; eSIM; satellite connectivity	No	No
US price starts at	$829 (256GB)	$799 (128GB)	$799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB)	$799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB)	5G enabled; MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM)	5G enabled; MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM)

Technologies

China Cracks Down: Fake Experts Banned From Social Media

China is going all-in with strict social media policies surrounding educational topics.

Misinformation is tough to decipher in this day and age of social media. Over in China, the internet regulator has announced that it is further enforcing laws prohibiting social-media influencers from sharing advice on finance, medicine, law and education on social media unless they have the professional credentials to back up their content.

China’s social media platforms, such as Bilibili, Doyin (China’s TikTok) and Weibo, must follow the new regulations set down by the Cyberspace Administration of China on Saturday.

Creators will have to share studies to support their information and reveal whether they used AI to generate any of their content.

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CAC is also banning advertising for supplements and medical services, and similar posts that pose as educational content to sell a product. Prior to this regulation, China declared a two-month campaign to eliminate pessimistic, hostile or violent content.

China has been criticized for its attempt to control online content and public opinion. But it wouldn’t be the first country to enforce laws surrounding social media policies.

Spain implemented its own influencer law in 2024, which required influencers on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok earning over 300,000 euro to be transparent about partnerships with brands and sponsorships. Influencers must also adhere to copyright laws and restrictions on targeting of minors with content related to tobacco, alcohol and medications.

A study conducted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization found that only 36.9% of influencers verify that the content that they share is true before posting.

That’s especially troubling since a 2025 Pew Research Center report found that one in five young American adults receives their news through TikTok.

A representative for UNESCO didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.