Technology

In recent years, Apple’s Pro iPhone models have typically been its best sellers, but while that's still seemingly the case this year, initial demand for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max is reportedly much lower than for their predecessors.

Ming-Chi Kuo – an analyst with a great track record for Apple information – has carried out a supply chain survey to estimate the pre-order numbers of each iPhone 16 model, and has found that the iPhone 16 Pro is down 27% relative to its predecessor, at 9.8 million units pre-ordered, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max is down 16%, with 17.1 million units pre-ordered.

This seemingly came as a surprise to Apple, particularly in the case of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, as the company reportedly produced around 6 million units of the phone ahead of pre-orders, which is 106% more than it produced of the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Still, it’s not all bad news for Apple, because while initial demand for the Pro models is seemingly down, the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are reportedly proving more popular than their predecessors, with pre-orders of the iPhone 16 said to be up by 10%, with 7.3 million units pre-ordered, and the iPhone 16 Plus’s said to be up by 48%, though still with the lowest demand overall, at 2.6 million pre-ordered units.

But according to Kuo, that hasn’t made up for the reduced interest in the Pro models, with the iPhone 16 line as a whole estimated to have sold around 37 million units so far, which is down 12.7% from the iPhone 15 series on its first weekend.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max (Image credit: Apple) Missing a headline feature

So why is this? Kuo highlights the lack of Apple Intelligence at launch as being a major factor. This suite of AI features is one of the key selling points of the iPhone 16 line, but no Apple Intelligence features will be available until October, and even then, we won’t initially get all the features Apple has revealed.

Kuo also suggests that intense competition from Chinese phone brands has impacted pre-order numbers.

Beyond that, we’d guess the standard and Plus models might be proving more popular than their predecessors because they have more in common with the Pro phones. They have the new Camera Control button for example, which Apple could have easily made exclusive to the Pro phones.

They also gained the Action button from last year’s Pro models, and they have a new A18 chipset rather than inheriting the A17 Pro from the iPhone 15 Pro line. All of this could make the Pro models feel less essential, so it’s no real surprise that pre-orders for these are lower than for last year’s models.

Still, Kuo predicts that demand for the iPhone 16 line as a whole could well increase later in the year, once Apple Intelligence does start rolling out, and once we enter the year-end holiday season.

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SmallRig has been featured at Apple's mobile phone launch event for three consecutive years, showcasing their dedication to technological innovation. In 2024, SmallRig introduced the new SmallRig x Brandon Li All-in-One Universal Mobile Video Kit, expanding their photo and video accessories ecosystem. This kit empowers mobile phone creators to explore their creativity with greater freedom and enjoyment. 

If you want to capture truly spectacular smartphone videos, you need a good rig as an addition to your phone – a good rig such as Smallrig's universal mobile video kit, designed in collaboration with renowned filmmaker Brandon Li. This rig delivers pro-level expandability, stability, and control, taking your phone shooting to a whole new level. This kit is essential for filmmakers of all kinds. 

Check out the video to see what you can create with it:

Enhance the Creative Process

Today's smartphones have incredible cameras, but they are not easy to handle like traditional camera rigs. Even the largest flagship phones are difficult to keep still and stable, particularly when adjusting the zoom and focus. SmallRig changes that by providing a two-handed grip for better control and stability, and by placing all necessary controls within reach. This kit also features a variety of interfaces allowing you to attach various accessories to suit any of your needs.

(Image credit: Smallrig) Pro-Level Filming with Any Phone

SmallRig x Brandon Li All-In-One Universal Mobile Video Kit Co-design Edition features both MagSafe magnetic attachment and clamp fixation for greater compatibility,  dual bilateral quick release handles with M.2 SSD enclosure and wireless control, a 67mm magnetic filter adapter with adjustable panel for attaching filters, and a 4-in-1 USB-C Hub for interface expansion. 

The wireless control incorporates key adjustments for both iOS and Android, including focus, zoom, and shutter control. The bilateral quick release handle adapters enable swift attachment to the cage and bi-directional infinite rotation. 

Additionally, there is a power bank holder for extended phone use and an Arca-Swiss quick release adapter for swift mounting on Arca-type tripods.

(Image credit: Smallrig) Comprehensive Interface Configuration

The cage kit includes a detachable 67mm magnetic filter adapter with an adjustable panel, 3 anti-glare magnetic plates, providing light-modifying options for different phone models, and a 67mm VND 2-32 (1-5 Stop).

Moreover, the cage features multiple standard 1/4"-20 threaded holes and cold shoe mounts, supporting the free combination of accessories, allowing for more possibilities for your shooting.

The 4-in-1 USB-C hub offers a high-power PD charging port, a USB-C 3.0 interface, and two USB-C 2.0 interfaces. When used for mobile photography or videography, it enables simultaneous charging, data transfer, and utilization of a USB-C microphone.

(Image credit: Smallrig) All You Need to Shoot Like a Pro

The package includes everything you need to improve your shooting experience: a universal phone cage, 67mm magnetic filter adapter, 67mm VND 2-32 (1-5 Stop), rotatable bilateral side handle with M.2 SSD enclosure and wireless control, rotatable bilateral side handle, 4-in-1 dock station (USB-C PD / USB-C 3.0 / USB-C 2.0), Arca-Swiss quick release adapter, power bank holder, multifunctional data cable, even velcro ties, and photography bag!

SmallRig x Brandon Li All-in-One Mobile Video Kit Co-design Edition 4596 is now available. Click here to learn how to transform any smartphone into the photo and video system you've been dreaming of.

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Sept. 16.

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Here are some hints, and the answers, for the Sept. 16 Strands puzzle, No. 197.

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Here are some hints — and the answers — for Connections No. 463 for Sept. 16.

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… What a stud!

NYT Strands today (game #197) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• LONE
• BORN
• SCAR
• SCAN
• PING
• MEET

NYT Strands today (game #197) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Skin adornments

NYT Strands today (game #197) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: left, 4th row

Last: right, 5th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #197) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #197, are…

• CHEEK
• NOSE
• EARLOBE
• EYEBROW
• SEPTUM
• NAVEL
• TONGUE
• SPANGRAM: PIERCING

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Another day, another easy Strands puzzle. Come on, NYT – give us something tougher! Admittedly, the theme clue of 'What a stud!' left things open, and maybe I'd have struggled a little more if I hadn't uncovered CHEEK by accident when hunting for words. But once I had that it was clear what I needed to do. Completing it was then a simple matter of searching the word grid for parts of the body. Easy.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday 15 September, game #196)

• WHISKEY
• BITTERS
• WATER
• CHERRY
• ORANGE
• SUGAR
• SPANGRAM: OLDFASHIONED

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 nearly 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 #966) - 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 #966) - 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 2.

Quordle today (game #966) - 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 #966) - 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 0.

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

• R

• S

• F

• U

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

Quordle today (game #966) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #966, are…

• ROUGE
• SWAMP
• FUGUE
• UNDUE

You'll have found today's Quordle to be a lot easier if you included a U in an early guess – because there are five of them in this game, including two in FUGUE and UNDUE. In fact, it's a vowel-heavy Quordle in general: 10 of the 20 letters are A, E, O or U (there are no 'I's today), so assuming you did the sensible thing and played all of them early on you'll have been fine.

Or at least you should have been – because the letters aside it's not necessarily easy. FUGUE is an uncommon word, there are a couple of repeated letters on the board and ROUGE could have been ROGUE just as easily. A real mixed bag.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #966) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #966, are…

• PHONY
• SWELL
• BIRCH
• MOIST

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #965, Sunday 15 September: VILLA, SMOKE, BULKY, THRUM
• Quordle #964, Saturday 14 September: ESSAY, GENRE, WIMPY, CHUTE
• Quordle #963, Friday 13 September: LEANT, ORGAN, FILLY, PLAIT
• Quordle #962, Thursday 12 September: ARBOR, STARK, LEAVE, GOOFY
• Quordle #961, Wednesday 11 September: ROUGH, CACTI, SAVOY, ODDER
• Quordle #960, Tuesday 10 September: PLUMB, SEIZE, EARLY, ASSET
• Quordle #959, Monday 9 September: CHIRP, BEADY, THETA, MINUS
• Quordle #958, Sunday 8 September: TEASE, AGATE, PRIDE, PLATE
• Quordle #957, Saturday 7 September: LASSO, TILDE, BUNCH, PRONG
• Quordle #956, Friday 6 September: FARCE, WOOLY, LOCAL, NIGHT
• Quordle #955, Thursday 5 September: SNIDE, EGRET, AMONG, SHINY
• Quordle #954, Wednesday 4 September: POINT, WITTY, GAFFE, ABUSE
• Quordle #953, Tuesday 3 September: ATOLL, ANGER, OCEAN, SWEEP
• Quordle #952, Monday 2 September: HABIT, LODGE, PLAIN, DRIFT
• Quordle #951, Sunday 1 September: RABBI, CRAWL, GUPPY, BRAND
• Quordle #950, Saturday 31 August: AWOKE, TIBIA, ITCHY, SNACK
• Quordle #949, Friday 30 August: ARISE, OLDER, ISSUE, ERUPT
• Quordle #948, Thursday 29 August: DECAY, DRUID, AVOID, KNEED
• Quordle #947, Wednesday 28 August: VIOLA, GONER, CAVIL, SHARE
• Quordle #946, Tuesday 27 August: ABYSS, DAILY, AGONY, MUSKY

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 #463) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• CACTUS
• BOTTLE
• MUSHROOM
• CHEESE
• SUPREME
• GRADUATE
• HEDGEHOG
• PINEAPPLE
• CORN
• SALARY
• PAP
• PRINCIPAL
• CHIEF
• MACE
• PREMIER
• MUSH

NYT Connections today (game #463) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• Yellow: Most important
• Green: Has pointy bits
• Blue: Will have you crying your eyes out
• Purple: They all have a top to them?

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 #463) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: FOREMOST
• GREEN: SPIKY THINGS
• BLUE: OVERLY SENTIMENTAL WORK
• PURPLE: THINGS THAT ARE CAPPED

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

NYT Connections today (game #463) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #463, are…

• YELLOW: FOREMOST CHIEF, PREMIER, PRINCIPAL, SUPREME
• GREEN: SPIKY THINGS CACTUS, HEDGEHOG, MACE, PINEAPPLE
• BLUE: OVERLY SENTIMENTAL WORK CHEESE, CORN, MUSH, PAP
• PURPLE: THINGS THAT ARE CAPPED BOTTLE, GRADUATE, MUSHROOM, SALARY

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I'm a big fan of two of today's Connections groups. I love green, SPIKY THINGS, partly because HEDGEHOGs are just great, right? But also because I like the idea of a hedgehog being in a group with a MACE, a CACTUS and a PINEAPPLE. It amuses me for some reason.

Meanwhile, purple – which I didn't solve except by default – is a clever one, challenging players to work out that these are all THINGS THAT ARE CAPPED. I'm glad that I didn't need to work that one out myself.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, 15 September, game #462)

• YELLOW: RESIDE DWELL, INHABIT, LIVE, STAY
• GREEN: DECREASE DECLINE, DROP, DWINDLE, EBB
• BLUE: DOOFUS CLOWN, DWEEB, SAP, TURKEY
• PURPLE: MEMBER OF A SEPTET DWARF, SEA, SIN, WONDER

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.

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With Meta Connect 2024 just around the corner – September 25-26 – I’m sharing the five announcements I most want to see at the event, as well as explaining why I think they are (or aren’t in one entry’s case) likely to happen.

Meta Connect is an annual Meta event focused on its Reality Labs division, where it reveals exciting new hardware coming our way soon and teases future hardware and software we’ll see in the coming years.

This year’s event will likely continue the trend of focusing on XR tech – a catchall for virtual, mixed, and augmented reality technologies – as well as the omnipresent AI, which in Meta’s case is inventively called Meta AI. So this list reflects those expectations, starting with an announcement that has practically already been made.

Meta Quest 3S revealed

Meta Reality Labs - Project Ventura/PantherMeta Quest 3S - Final Design pic.twitter.com/6Tc9ig2hJoAugust 11, 2024

This is less of a ‘what I want to see’ and more of a ‘what we definitely will see unless Meta is playing a big joke on us.’ That’s because the Meta Quest 3S has not only been teased by external leakers sharing details about the project, but Meta itself has leaked its existence through apps and accidentally shown it off in unrelated Threads videos from its CTO.

Based on everything we know, the Quest 3S will boast the Quest 3’s Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset, but a bulkier body and lower-spec displays so it can target a lower price tag – hopefully, somewhere around the Meta Quest 2’s $299 / £299 / AU$479.

This would be an ideal headset for anyone who doesn’t want to be left behind by VR software now that Meta Quest 3 exclusives like Batman: Arkham Shadow are on the way, but isn't ready to spend ($499.99 / £479.99 / AU$799.99) on a VR headset.

Obviously, we’ll have to wait and see exactly what Meta announces during Connect, but I expect the Quest 3S could be the best and biggest reveal we get in terms of making current-gen VR accessible again.

Non-Meta VR headsets finally shown off

(Image credit: Microsoft)

The Quest 3S might not be the only Horizon OS VR headset we see this September. Back in April, Meta announced that its operating system – Horizon OS – will be coming to other headsets from Asus, Lenovo and Xbox, and I think it’s time we finally see one of those headsets in action.

Horizon OS is the best standalone VR operating system I’ve tried. It’s clean, intuitive, feature-rich, and home to the best standalone VR and MR software catalog, thanks, in part, to some great exclusives. I was excited to see that other headset manufacturers would be able to access this OS and all its benefits, as it would allow their hardware to shine without being let down by comparatively lackluster software.

Since the announcement, however, we’ve not heard a thing. Now, hardware does take time to develop, but at Meta Connect 2024, I’d love to see a sizzle reel showcasing these third-party headsets – or even just one of them.

One factor helping my prediction is Google’s XR platform. With Google’s XR efforts – which it developed alongside Samsung – set to be announced sometime this year a reminder from Meta that Horizon OS is open to third parties makes sense so Horizon OS doesn’t get forgotten in the noise.

Meta AR glasses teaser

(Image credit: Meta)

Meta, and the industry at large, has steadily shifted focus from VR headsets to MR headsets to AR glasses. The products being teased for the coming decade are a new breed of sleek XR wearable focused on augmented reality.

We know Meta is working on something blending AR and AI, Mark Zuckerberg has suggested as much, but we've yet to get a proper look at what these glasses might look like – ignoring the stylish non-AR smart glasses Meta has developed in partnership with Ray-Ban.

A launch this year or even next year seems unlikely. I expect we’d get a sneak peek at a prototype AR glasses model at most. Nevertheless, I’d love to finally get a good look at what Meta has been working on in AR, even at this in-development stage.

Given that Meta does like to use Connect to showcase exciting projects that are still several years (or longer) from launch, I think an AR glasses segment is more than possible for Meta Connect 2024.

Meta AI’s wider rollout and upgrades

(Image credit: Meta)

Enough about hardware, let’s talk software.

It’s been the buzzword of 2024 and I’m certain that Meta AI will have plenty of time devoted to it, however, I particularly want to see two announcements.

The first is a wider rollout. Officially, Meta AI on the Ray-Ban smart glasses and the Meta Quest 3 is only available in the US and Canada. Some users (including me) have been able to access it regardless – in my case, I have Meta AI on my smart glasses – but I want to see people outside of North America able to reliably use Meta AI. It’s a really neat assistant, especially on the Ray-Bans, and it’s a shame this major feature is region-locked right now – even if it’s not yet perfect.

The second would be to see Meta AI achieve better parity with the Apple Intelligence and Google Gemini upgrades we’ve seen at recent events, and perhaps some unique features. This could include integration with a wider selection of apps so it can pull context from more places, better speech recognition so you can talk to Meta AI more naturally, AI image editing and generation tools so you can edit snaps taken on your Ray-Ban smart glasses on the fly, or a service that lets you conjure up virtual objects you describe while using your Quest headset in a mixed reality sandbox.

A mini Quest Gaming Showcase

For my fifth and final entry, I’m picking something that seems the most unlikely because Meta Connect usually doesn’t dive too deeply into gaming: a mini Quest Gaming Showcase highlighting some new and exciting VR titles.

This year we didn’t get a proper Quest Gaming Showcase, so I’d love to see some Quest titles get a chance to shine on a big Meta stage at Connect 2024 – especially mixed reality experiences and software that doesn’t have the recognisability of major gaming franchises (like Batman: Arkham Shadow) to help draw in crowds.

Saying that, one particularly exciting announcement would be the revival of GTA: San Andreas VR following it being labeled as “on hold indefinitely” by a Meta spokesperson back in August. That announcement’s about as likely as hearing about Silksong during a Meta presentation (or any 2024 presentation for that matter, it seems) so I certainly won’t be holding my breath.

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