Technology

Some important mortgage rates moved down. Here's what to know if you're in the market for a home loan.

The two probes have left the solar system and are still collecting data from the interstellar environment—but their atomic hearts are growing weaker and weaker.

Missed out on Black Friday? Deals are still going strong—some are even better. These are the best Cyber Monday deals we've found.

Brands have been at the mercy of the algorithm when it comes to where their ads appear online, but they’re about to get more control.

The still-rumored Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has a very good shot at being the best phone of 2025. It’s not even out yet but we’re already confident in saying that, as Samsung’s ‘Ultra’ models are almost always up there with the top handsets of their release year.

But it’s not just past form that we have to go on, as thanks to leaks and rumors we also have a good idea of many of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra’s likely specs, and they certainly suggest a phone that could be tough to beat.

Below, we’ve detailed the key specs we’re expecting. These are mostly sourced from credible leaks, but we’ve also used educated guesses where the leaks are less clear.

Samsung Galaxy 25 Ultra rumored specs

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Image credit: Future)

As you can see in the chart above, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra could be absolutely packed full of high-end tech, but let’s go through exactly what we expect and why.

First up, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra’s screen, which according to leaks will probably come in at 6.86 inches. However, Samsung doesn’t usually get that specific about screen sizes outside of small print, so it will most likely be sold as a 6.9-inch screen.

Either way, that would make it a little bigger than the already massive 6.8-inch display on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. In fact, that would put it among the larger smartphone screens you’ll find (at least outside of foldable phones), and would see it match the iPhone 16 Pro Max for size, which is perhaps why Samsung is supposedly making it bigger this year.

Other details of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra’s screen haven’t leaked yet, but we can take a good guess at some things. For example, it will probably have a resolution of at least 1440 x 3120, since that’s the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s resolution. If anything though there’s a chance the resolution could be higher on this model, especially as the display is reportedly larger.

We’re also very confident that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will have a 120Hz refresh rate, since again, that’s what its predecessor has, and since it’s very rare for non-gaming phones to go above that.

Next up, the chipset, and this could be one of the most exciting upgrades on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, because numerous leaks suggest the Galaxy S25 Ultra will have a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite is Qualcomm’s top smartphone chipset, and based on benchmarks it could be even more powerful than the A18 Pro that Apple uses in the likes of the iPhone 16 Pro Max. In fact, the Snapdragon 8 Elite is set to deliver true laptop power in a phone.

Of course, the chipset is just one part of the power equation – smartphones also rely on RAM, and on that front the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is rumored to have 16GB. That would be another upgrade on the current model, as the S24 Ultra comes with 12GB. If the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra does have 16GB of RAM then it will have more than the vast majority of phones, and that amount should be a major boon to AI performance.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Now let’s talk about the cameras, and as with so many other things on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, these could be upgraded from the previous model too. Or at least one of them could be, with several leaks suggesting the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will have a 50MP ultra-wide camera.

That would mean a lot more megapixels than the 12MP sensor currently used. But from what we’re hearing the other cameras probably won’t get new hardware, meaning the likely return of a 200MP primary sensor, a 50MP periscope camera with 5x optical zoom, a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP front-facing camera for selfies.

Now we’re moving into territory where no upgrades are expected at all, as rumors suggest the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will have a 5,000mAh battery, just like the S24 Ultra. We’re also hearing that the Galaxy S25 Ultra could stick with 45W charging.

Finally there’s storage, and this is the one main spec that we haven’t heard anything at all about yet, but that in itself is a sign that the S25 Ultra might have the same amount of storage as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, meaning 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB configurations.

In all then, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra could be a significant upgrade on its predecessor, with a more powerful chipset, more RAM, a larger screen, and a new ultra-wide camera. But if you’re hoping for upgrades to the other cameras or the battery then you might be out of luck.

You might also like

• Samsung Galaxy S25 price rumors: how much is the S25 line likely to cost?
• Samsung Galaxy S25 release date predictions: when are these phones likely to launch?
• Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra – 5 of the biggest expected upgrades

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Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Dec. 2.

Here are some hints — and the answers — for Connections No. 540 for Monday, Dec. 2.

Here are some hints and the answer for Wordle No. 1,262 for Monday, Dec. 2.

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Perfect for the Nintendo fan in your life -- kids and adults alike.

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need clues.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Wordle hints and answers, Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #540) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• TRUMPET
• CROQUET
• CROCODILE
• PAPER
• ALLIGATOR
• HAIR
• WHAC-A-MOLE
• HERALD
• POLO PLAYER
• BROADCAST
• LAUREL
• XYLOPHONE
• CARPENTRY
• VIDEO
• SWOOSH
• DECLARE

NYT Connections today (game #540) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• Yellow: Tell everyone
• Green: Tent-pitching is another
• Blue: It's close to your chest
• Purple: Blank [thing that holds other things together]

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #540) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: ANNOUNCE
• GREEN: THINGS INVOLVING MALLETS
• BLUE: ICON EMBROIDERED ON A POLO SHIRT
• PURPLE: ___ CLIP

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #540) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #540, are…

• YELLOW: ANNOUNCE BROADCAST, DECLARE, HERALD, TRUMPET
• GREEN: THINGS INVOLVING MALLETS CARPENTRY, CROQUET, WHAC-A-MOLE, XYLOPHONE
• BLUE: ICON EMBROIDERED ON A POLO SHIRT CROCODILE, LAUREL, POLO PLAYER, SWOOSH
• PURPLE: ___ CLIP ALLIGATOR, HAIR, PAPER, VIDEO

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 2 mistakes

I got a bit caught up on a couple of groups today, but once I'd entangled them this wasn't so bad.

Case in point: the green group, which I figured could be either things you hit with a hammer / need a hammer for, with CROQUET, WHAC-A-MOLE, POLO PLAYER, XYLOPHONE and CARPENTRY all qualifying.

I had too many, though, so after some internal debate decided that you don't use a hammer to hit a polo player (unless you are a very bad person), so if it was 'Things which involve you hitting something with a hammer', you might have XYLOPHONE and WHAC-A-MOLE and CARPENTRY and CROQUET. I went with that in the end and it was right. Well, mostly, – the actual answer was THINGS INVOLVING MALLETS. But close enough.

Similarly, with blue I had in mind something to do with logos, but put ALLIGATOR in place of CROCODILE so lost a couple of guesses there. Clearing up yellow first helped, because it removed more answers, and left me with ICON EMBROIDERED ON A POLO SHIRT, with CROCODILE, LAUREL, POLO PLAYER and SWOOSH – but no alligator.

That featured instead in purple, which I actually would have got even if I hadn't solved it by default; the fairly straightforward ___ CLIP was the solution here.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, 1 December, game #539)

• YELLOW: SANCTUARY HAVEN, PORT, RETREAT, SHELTER
• GREEN FOOTBALL GEAR CLEATS, HELMET, JERSEY, PADS
• BLUE: CANDY NAMES CHARMS, KINDER, WONKA, YORK
• PURPLE: “FREE ___” BIRD, FALLIN’, SOLO, WILLY

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #274) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Beatlemania!

NYT Strands today (game #274) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• SCAB
• VANE
• MANE
• VOTER
• RATE
• GRATE

NYT Strands today (game #274) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Fab tunes

NYT Strands today (game #274) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: left, 4th row

Last: right, 7th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #274) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #274, are…

• TAXMAN
• HELP
• YESTERDAY
• BLACKBIRD
• REVOLUTION
• SPANGRAM: SONGTITLES

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

This is unlikely to cause too many people trouble, given how well known The Beatles' back catalogue is, and given that the theme clue wasn't remotely cryptic. I spotted TAXMAN early, then solved the others in short order, no drama.

So instead, I'll give you my verdict on the five songs here:

TAXMAN: One of their best mid-period tunes with a superb bassline, but come on, lads – you can afford to pay a bit of extra tax.

HELP: Almost impossible to hear it and not smile – or sing along.

YESTERDAY: You all know the story about the scrambled eggs, right? Good, well I won't repeat it here.

BLACKBIRD: Is it a song about a bird, or the civil rights movement? Lovely tune either way.

REVOLUTION: The single is far, far better than the album versions, Revolution 1 and Revolution 9. Fact.

And there you have it: The Beatles! Yeah yeah yeah!

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, 1 December, game #273)

• RECEIVER
• SWITCH
• DIAL
• CRADLE
• HANDSET
• RINGER
• SPANGRAM: ROTARYPHONE

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1043) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1043) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1043) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1043) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1043) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• T

• H

• S

• S

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1043) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1043, are…

• TROPE
• HOVER
• SAUNA
• SHAPE

No major issues here, beyond the repeated A in SAUNA. HOVER is a word that has caught me out in the past – or rather, it's caught me out when the answer has instead been HOMER, but that wasn't the case today. All pretty straightforward fare, for once. And I say this as someone operating on roughly 5hrs sleep a night for the past week due to Black Friday and Cyber Monday fun in my day job. Don't be like me – Quordle is not usually kind to the sleep-deprived! But today, fortunately, it was not too bad.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Daily Sequence today (game #1043) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1043, are…

• BINGO
• NUDGE
• EPOCH
• DROWN

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1042, Sunday 1 December: NAIVE, CIRCA, STEAD, MICRO
• Quordle #1041, Saturday 30 November: MAMMA, SNUCK, CRYPT, TAROT
• Quordle #1040, Friday 29 November: JOIST, DROOL, DUSKY, GLIDE
• Quordle #1039, Thursday 28 November: GRADE, WORRY, NOISE, DAISY
• Quordle #1038, Wednesday 27 November: HEART, ROGUE, INEPT, UTILE
• Quordle #1037, Tuesday 26 November: PRIED, FAINT, HURRY, WOOER
• Quordle #1036, Monday 25 November: NUDGE, SNOOP, SHACK, DRYLY
• Quordle #1035, Sunday 24 November: CLOTH, CLAMP, PETTY, CHEST
• Quordle #1034, Saturday 23 November: AVOID, PLANT, FILET, TWIRL
• Quordle #1033, Friday 22 November: CUTIE, ALOOF, ETUDE, SILLY
• Quordle #1032, Thursday 21 November: RABBI, EAGER, COUGH, BRASH
• Quordle #1031, Wednesday 20 November: MINTY, TOPAZ, BRUSH, LAPEL
• Quordle #1030, Tuesday 19 November: NINJA, PENCE, PAINT, FOIST
• Quordle #1029, Monday 18 November: ASCOT, BRINK, WEIRD, HOMER
• Quordle #1028, Sunday 17 November: STATE, BRAWN, SWORE, URBAN
• Quordle #1027, Saturday 16 November: NOTCH, BENCH, BUSED, FOUND
• Quordle #1026, Friday 15 November: PURER, TRUSS, TORCH, FORUM
• Quordle #1025, Thursday 14 November: EXALT, TASTE, CRONY, CLOUT
• Quordle #1024, Wednesday 13 November: YEARN, ELBOW, SURGE, PINEY
• Quordle #1023, Tuesday 12 November: CHORD, ATTIC, OLIVE, EIGHT

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