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Samsung Galaxy S22 introduces 'Nightography' for better photos in the dark
Samsung Galaxy S22 introduces 'Nightography' for better photos in the dark
Samsung boosted the camera hardware and photo software in all of the Galaxy S22 phones, it announced Wednesday, but don't think it saved the best frills only for the top-of-the-line Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. The most important night photography improvements also extend down to the S22 and its larger sibling, the S22 Plus (here's how the three phones in the Galaxy S22 lineup compare).
On all the phones, the upgrades promise sharper photos for both daytime and nighttime shooting. The Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus have better main cameras that have grown from 12 megapixels to 50 megapixels, and the image sensor, which is 23% larger than those on last year's Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus, lets in more light.
Samsung also added Night Portrait mode to the both front and rear cameras. Finally, you can take your stylish depth selfies even when it's dark, or snap a dramatic photo of your dog while out on midnight walks.
Samsung's 'Nightography' software advances
Behind the scenes, Samsung has made its night mode smarter, and it coined an appropriately gimmicky name for its advancements. "Nightography," as it's called, automatically chooses the ideal frame rate to capture as much light and detail as possible, meaning it's a more advanced version of what phone camera night modes already do.
The Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus also use adaptive pixel tech to augment the high-megapixel images with tetra-binning, which combines four pixels into one for sharper images in lower-light situations.
The top-of-the-line Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra does have some advantages over its more affordable siblings. Its 108-megapixel main camera can take sharper photos, it has nona-binning to combine nine pixels instead of four to capture more light, and soon after launch it'll get the Expert RAW mode for professional image control.
The 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera remains unchanged from last year's phone. A curious downgrade is that the telephoto lens resolution is now 10 megapixels (the S21 had a 64-megapixel telephoto lens). While I don't expect to use zoom photography much at night anyway, I'll have to test the new phones to see if this changes how images come out.
Read more:Where to buy Galaxy S22: Preorder deals for Samsung's newest phones
We Really Need to Stop Using These 8 Health Buzzwords
We Really Need to Stop Using These 8 Health Buzzwords
Superfood. Detox. All-natural. These are some of the health buzzwords you come across on social media or while chatting with friends. They might seem like a harmless quirk of our vernacular, but the truth is they can be misleading and even harmful.
Many of these terms are marketing tactics with no science to back up their claims. Research has proven how easily people believe they're eating healthier because they follow buzzwords on food packaging ("fat-free" and "all-natural," for example). The terminology makes you think you're eating something that's better or safer for you without any actual evidence.
Those ultra-common health buzzwords are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many others that are frequently used or misused. Keep reading to learn which ones you should drop for good.
Read more:10 Popular Fitness Myths Debunked
Clean eating
The term "clean eating" is often used in reference to a diet that has minimally processed foods and instead focuses on foods closest to their natural state. It sounds harmless, because aren't we constantly being told to eat more fruits and vegetables?
The problem with this term is that it places foods in "good" and "bad" categories (after all, the opposite of clean is dirty) and indicates that there is a right and wrong way to eat. It also disregards those who don't have access to fresh fruits and vegetables because of where they live and their income level.
Not to mention the vague term is completely made up since there isn't an actual scientific definition for clean eating. It can also lead to an obsession with healthy eating and put vulnerable populations (such as young adults) at risk for disordered eating. So let's reserve the term clean eating to refer to foods that have been thoroughly washed and cleaned before consumption.
Getty Images
Superfoods
Growing up in a Latinx household, I was exposed to traditional foods that I didn't think much of until I was older. I later learned that some foods I was eating, such as quinoa and chia seeds, were suddenly being labeled "superfoods." Superfood is another term that has no real scientific basis, but is used to describe foods that are thought to have powerful healing properties, like preventing disease or aging.
You may have seen this term splashed across magazine covers, health segments on TV or in your social media timelines. While these foods may provide some health benefits linked to their nutritional content, there isn't enough research to back the claim that a single food can perform miracles like curing someone's illness.
Calling something the next "superfood" has become a popular marketing gimmick in a wellness industry that knows how to target people to make a quick buck. A better option is to make sure your diet includes a wide array of nutritional foods instead of focusing on the latest fad ingredient.
Detox and cleanse
People usually turn to detoxes and cleanses for a quick weight loss fix under the guise of flushing so-called "toxins" out of the body. These can come in the form of detox teas, meal replacement shakes, green juice fasting and other methods that require you to eliminate large food groups and consume very few calories. They may not use the word "diet," but that's exactly what they are, and not a healthy or effective one either.
There is no scientific evidence to prove that cleanses and detoxes work. Instead they're an unsustainable (and even dangerous) method to lose weight or "reset" your body. Isabel Vasquez, a licensed dietitian and nutritionist at Nutritiously Yours and Your Latina Nutritionist, says that most of these cleanses may make you feel good initially, but the feeling is short-lived. "These are not sustainable and when we consume excess amounts of certain vitamins, we just excrete them in our urine," she explains.
Instead of going on an extreme cleanse or diet, Vasquez suggests hydrating adequately and adding fruits and vegetables into your diet for digestion and your overall health.
Your body also doesn't need a detox, because your kidneys, liver and other organs help with cleansing on a regular basis. But if you think your organs aren't doing their cleansing duties correctly, it's best to see a doctor who can run tests and give you a proper diagnosis.
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Processed foods
Processed foods are products that have been changed (e.g. washed, cut, milled, frozen) or infused with additives to preserve freshness and improve taste. These foods can include a range of items you'd find in your local supermarket, such as cereal, canned beans, milk, fresh fruits and vegetables, olive oil and your favorite cookies.
The issue with the term "processed foods" is that it's generally used as an umbrella term implying everything you eat that's processed is bad for you. Most people, when they think of processed foods, think about fast foods that are higher in calories, fat, sugar and additives.
While it's true that these foods are processed and should be consumed mindfully, some foods need to be processed to preserve their freshness, boost their nutritional value and make them easily accessible. Some processed foods, like frozen fruit or oatmeal, are perfectly safe and healthy to eat in abundance. Being processed isn't inherently bad or good. Therefore you can ease your fears about processed foods and instead enjoy them all in a well-balanced diet.
Cheat day or cheat meal
The terms "cheat day" or "cheat meal" basically mean you're planning on breaking your diet by eating a highly caloric meal or meals that you normally wouldn't have. They sound like harmless terms, but they can ultimately affect your relationship with food. Gabriela Barreto, a registered sports dietitian, says, "This can set people up for a binge-restricted cycle where they restrict certain foods to only be eaten at a certain time and in a large amount."
Even more concerning is if an individual already has a history of food addiction since it can exacerbate those issues for them. Barreto adds, "This kind of restriction we know doesn't work and by setting unhealthy relationships with foods we are more likely to weight cycle when we can no longer uphold those restrictions."
Instead she recommends eating a balanced diet that includes foods that you enjoy as well as foods that promote health without restriction, learning to listen to your body's needs intuitively, and working on your relationship with food.
Peter Dazeley/Getty Images
'Good' and 'bad' foods
Putting foods into categories such as "good" or "bad" further contributes to diet culture and causes people to tie the way they eat to their self worth. These terms are also interchangeably used to describe an individual's eating behavior as being bad or good based on what they ate. "Assigning moral value to food only creates more guilt and shame around certain food choices," says Miriam Fried, a NYC-based personal trainer and founder of MF Strong. She elaborates, "Guilt leads to restriction and restriction often leads to unhealthy behaviors around eating and a negative relationship with food."
Although foods are made up of different caloric content, nutritional and flavor profiles, the body uses it all for energy. Some foods do have more nutritional value than others, but it doesn't mean you have to restrict yourself to just those foods. "Can we acknowledge that a piece of broccoli might have more nutrients than a cookie without making the cookie "bad"? Food isn't good or bad, it simply is," Fried points out. The more you understand that all of these foods can fit into your diet, the easier it will be to stop labeling them as good or bad.
All-natural
When the term "all-natural" is used, it suggests that the food you're eating has been minimally processed and is therefore safer. The truth is this word doesn't determine if a food is safer for us to eat (as we saw above, processing can be a good thing). In fact, the US Food and Drug Administration doesn't even regulate this term.
To date, the organization hasn't established a formal definition for all-natural or natural, though the basic understanding is that it means that nothing artificial or synthetic has been added to a food that normally would not be expected to be in that food, such as dye. The other issue with this term is that it doesn't account for the complex food production and manufacturing process. Importantly, "natural" doesn't equal "organic," which is a term regulated by the US Department of Agriculture. Foods with the USDA organic label must meet strict requirements surrounding the use of antibiotics, hormones, fertilizers and pesticides during the production process; natural foods do not.
According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, natural products aren't automatically better or safer for you. In some cases, such as in medicine, it might cause greater risk or side effects to take a natural, unregulated product than a federally regulated medication. Therefore, take this buzzword with a grain of salt or get rid of it altogether.
Luis Alvarez/Getty Images
Chemical-free
"Chemical-free" is a buzzword that's commonly tied to the saying, "If you can't pronounce it, don't eat it." When the average person uses it regarding food (or other items), they're saying that all chemicals are synonymous with being toxic and unsafe. This is easily debunked because a basic science lesson will teach you that everything that exists around you, including the foods you eat are made up of chemicals.
That doesn't negate the fact that there are toxic chemicals that should be avoided, or that you might want to steer clear from out of caution, a food sensitivity or just personal preference. If you are concerned about ingesting pesticides, for example, you can stick to certified organic produce., But it's impossible to completely avoid chemicals in any food. Blueberries, for example, are made up of chemicals known as anthocyanins, chlorogenic acid, pterostilbene and flavonids.
Without context, these chemicals look like something the average person should fear. The truth is marketing plays a big role in fear-mongering when it comes to our food and it's helpful to have reputable resources at our fingertips to debunk these myths.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
When I first heard of a new social media app called BeReal, I knew I had to try it.
The app bills itself as the "anti-Instagram." It takes the basic concept of the 'gram -- an endless-scroll feed of your friends' slice-of-life photos -- and revamps it into something more gamified and (a little) less phony. Lately it's become wildly popular.
Here's how it works: Every day, at a random and unpredictable time, the BeReal app sends you and everyone else on the app a push notification: It's "Time to BeReal." You then have two minutes to take a photo simultaneously using both your front and back camera and post to the feed. If you don't post, you can't look at your friends' posts either. If you post late (or retake the shot several times to get the right angle), the app will rat on you to your friends. When the next day's notification comes in, everyone's previous photos disappear.
The gamification comes from BeReal's once-a-day posting restraint; the authenticity comes from the fact that you don't get to pick where or when you post, and you can't use a filter to smooth your skin or correct the color of your avocado toast or whatever.
It actually sounded a lot like Wordle to me: A two-minute break from your day to complete a fun little task on your phone before returning to the grind or the doomscroll or, most likely, one of your other social media apps. And crucially, like Wordle, BeReal can only be "done" once a day.
What it's like to use BeReal
A sampling of my BeReal posts.
Karisa Langlo/CNET
I started recruitment by putting feelers out in a couple of my existing group chats. I had a hunch the app would be more of a fun group activity than a true social feed, for the same reason I sometimes still exchange Wordle (or Worldle, Heardle, or Antiwordle) results over text but can't understand why anyone is still tweeting them.
Not being a member of Gen Z myself, I knew it would be difficult to convince enough friends to join me. My invites had about a 50% success rate. One friend couldn't get past the usual AI-training paranoia around novelty photo-sharing apps. Another friend: "This feels like a trap." My own spouse left me on read.
The friends who did take the bait began posting gamely, often photos of their laptops or cats or protein powder. More often than not, my own BeReal front camera photos were unflattering ones of my weary, grumpy face while my back camera captured my son smearing ketchup around his highchair tray. Once, I posted the same view from my balcony that a dinner guest Instagrammed (and filtered the heck out of). Hers definitely looked better.
You can't technically win BeReal like you can Wordle, but I soon came to understand the particular satisfaction of achieving the trifecta: capturing an interesting tableau, taking a flattering selfie and posting it all on time. There's an element of luck, too, if you happen to be somewhere cool when it's time to be real and not on your couch or, as one of my friends feared, on the toilet.
"Hoping that I get the notification during my exciting moments and not when I'm pooping," he texted me one day. The daily anticipation around when it would arrive, he added, is "like a Jack in the box."
BeReal notifies you every day at a random time, with only two minutes to post a photo.
Sarah Tew/CNET
I "lost" BeReal several times: when the notification arrived after I'd gone to bed, was presenting during a camera-on Zoom meeting or was driving on the highway. But I totally won on the day the two-minute window coincided with the "greatest two minutes in sports," and I got a snap of my Kentucky Derby fascinator and Rich Strike crossing the finish line on TV.
Read more: After Today's Wordle, Try These 21 Other Puzzle Games
How real is BeReal, really?
Of my BeReal friends, 100% have plans to delete the app after this article publishes. They all took issue not with the app's spurious claims to authenticity but with its demands on their time.
"Getting the alert, especially during the workday or at night when I wouldn't normally be taking photos or posting anything, was a little stressful," one friend said.
"This app kind of highlights that ideally I want control over social media and not the other way around," another friend told me.
"I felt a little guilty if I didn't post every day," a third admitted.
If Wordle tried to dictate what time we all solved the puzzle every day, would the masses have turned on it by now? (Look what happened to HQ Trivia.)
But I'm personally more interested in the "Real" than the "Be."
The vibe on BeReal is actually more nostalgic than authentic. More early-Instagram than anti-Instagram. My favorite part of BeReal was the permission – nay, obligation – to post goofy selfies and capitulate to the adolescent egocentrism that still lurks beneath my now over-orchestrated grid. People don't give a crap what I ate for lunch, but I want them to know, dammit! One of my first Insta posts was just a photo of some Finger Hands finger puppets I found at a joke shop and thought were funny, and I miss posting stuff like that.
There doesn't seem to be an appetite on Instagram anymore for the detritus of daily life. Instead of Instagramming the places we visit, we now just visit Instagrammable places. Whereas Instagram has been taken over by influencers and "creators" posting Reels and memes, BeReal takes a different tack, as stated in its app store listing: "If you want to become an influencer you can stay on TikTok and Instagram."
Then again, "casual posting" and photo dumps are enjoying some popularity as the pendulum swings in favor of a rawer aesthetic. And many of the memes clogging my Insta feed are of the behind-the-scenes, "Instagram vs. Reality" persuasion. Plus, maybe the ephemerality and informality of Stories already kind of satiates that desire for the "real."
When you think of it that way, BeReal is more of a gimmick than a harbinger of social media change. And that's a shame, because even if no one on this side of 30 agrees with me, I kinda love it! Like Snapchat or TikTok, maybe it'll eventually be subsumed or reproduced within Instagram itself as an optional feature.
Or like Wordle, maybe it's nothing more than a digital curiosity that we'll one day describe as "fun while it lasted."
When you think of streaming TV shows and movies, there's a good chance that Netflix is comes to mind first. Though competition from rivals like HBO Max and Disney Plus is fierce, it's still the best choice for streaming entertainment, period.
Netflix includes a wide variety of familiar network shows and more original series, films, documentaries and specials than any of its myriad competitors. Despite challenges with retaining subscribers and a price bump, the world's first major streaming service remains our favorite choice thanks to its huge library of constantly refreshed content and its easy accessibility across different devices. In 2021, Netflix won 44 Emmys, making history and racking up more than the next two media companies combined. If you're looking for something new to watch, Netflix should be your top choice.
Like
Strong recommendation engine
Easy to use across different devices
Offline downloads available
Extensive list of movies and shows
Massive selection of original programs
No commercials
Don't Like
Cost for premium plans is on the higher end
Can't watch shows as they air on other networks
Depending on the plan you choose, Netflix costs between $10 and $20 per month, which is at the higher end for a streaming service, as you can see in the chart below. Its recent price increase shook up the streaming world and moved Netflix closer to HBO Max in terms of cost. However, the pricier package lets you watch up to four screens at once, and create different user profiles, so in theory, you could split it among friends to lower the price. Thanks to its sheer variety and number of new things to watch, Netflix also gives you the most bang for your buck.
Streaming Services Compared
Netflix
Peacock
HBO Max
Disney Plus
Apple TV Plus
Amazon Prime Video
Hulu
Monthly price
Starts at $9.99
Basic free with ads, ad-free for $5
$9.99 for basic with ads, $14.99 for ad-free
$7.99
$4.99
$8.99 (or included with $140/year Prime membership)
Basic $6.99 with ads, ad-free Premium for $12.99, Live TV for $70
The Office, 30 Rock, Bel-Air, early access to Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
Game of Thrones, Dune, Euphoria, DC titles
The Mandalorian, Loki, Encanto, Obi-Wan Kenobi
Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, CODA, Severance
Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Boys, Reacher, The Wheel of Time
Handmaid's Tale, Pen15, The Great, Bob's Burgers
Mobile downloads
Yes
Yes (Premium Plus plan)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
4K HDR available
Yes (on Premium plan)
No
Yes (limited titles)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Number of streams:
1 (2 for Standard, 4 on Premium)
3
3
4
6
2
2 (Unlimited with Live TV $9.99 add-on)
How Netflix started vs. how it's going
Between 2012-2013, Netflix premiered its first original TV shows, including Lilyhammer, House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black. Today, it has a catalog of more than 1,500 original TV shows and movies, including global hits like Stranger Things, Emmy winners such as Bridgerton, The Queen's Gambit and The Crown, as well as Oscar-nominated movies such as The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick… Boom! and The Trial of the Chicago 7.
Though the company's been known for its commercial-free streaming experience since its inception, there are plans to introduce an ad-supported tier before 2022 ends. Additionally, Netflix aims to crackdown on password sharing by charging a fee for extra users on an account. The program is still in the pilot phase, but the days of crowdfunding your Netflix subscription may soon be over.
As of 2022, Netflix has more than 220 million paid subscribers across 190 countries, after seeing a major spike in users during the pandemic. A dent in its subscriber base caused numbers to drop by 200,000, but there are still reasons to keep the service, with the main draw being its content.
What shows and movies does Netflix have?
Netflix may have had the first-to-market advantage in the world of streaming services, but it's kept its momentum with its increasing number of original shows and movies -- many of which have won critical acclaim and major awards and nominations.
Compared to other streaming platforms, you can't beat Netflix's slate of original TV shows that are now considered among the best of the modern era of television, including those mentioned above plus many more, such as Squid Game, Ozark, Never Have I Ever, Money Heist and Cobra Kai.
Read more: Netflix: The 49 Absolute Best TV Shows to Watch
Outside of TV shows, Netflix's original programs include a wide range of comedies, dramas, foreign films and shows, documentary series, anime, stand-up comedy specials and reality dating and competition shows. Not all of them are runaway hits, but many of them are, and there's enough to explore interesting shows that may not have found a home on traditional network TV. And at a time when going to the movies is more fraught than it once was, Netflix offers a place to find new films: In 2022 alone, Netflix is set to release over 100 new movies, at least one per week. The selection spans across genres and geography, and includes K-dramas, animated features, and fantasy book adaptations.
Stranger Things is one of Netflix's powerhouse originals.
Netflix
Netflix typically adds shows a full season at a time, though not while a show is airing on network TV -- so if you don't have cable or another platform like Hulu, you'll have to wait to watch for a few months to watch seasons in full.
One complaint: Netflix content sometimes can come and go without warning. The only way to tell if something is leaving the service in the next 30 days is if you happen to tap on the details page for the given show or movie -- or search online for everything coming and going in a given month.
Another potential content issue to flag: In recent years Netflix has lost some of its most popular content (such as The Office, which moved to NBC's Peacock, Daredevil, which moved to Disney Plus and Friends, which moved to HBO Max) as other networks created their own streaming services. While it started as an online video store that was trying to offer every movie and TV series online, it may be slowly becoming more akin to the old HBO -- mostly featuring its own original programming, complemented with some things it licenses from other companies.
What's it like to use Netflix?
I first subscribed to Netflix back in the first streaming days of 2007, so using the platform feels like second nature at this point. Even if you're new to it, it's pretty user-friendly: Open the app and tap on your profile (if you have one set up), and you'll see a homepage. You'll see Popular on Netflix, Continue Watching, Trending Now, Top Picks for you and a number of (sometimes oddly specific) other categories based on shows you've watched before. Mine include Critically-acclaimed Witty TV Comedies and Suburban-dysfunction TV Comedies, for example.
Netflix's design encourages scrolling -- there are so many different categories to look through, and then shows and movies within those categories to continue scrolling into. You can create a watch list to help you cut down on this, but the vast, colorful library makes it easy to spend more time looking through options than actually watching a show, so be careful.
The Netflix app operates similarly across various devices. My home page on the web browser is nearly identical to that on my Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV Stick, both in content and layout. It's more condensed on the smaller iPhone and Android phone screens, but still follows the same format, and has a clear "Downloads" tab to find content to save to watch offline on your device.
Rows and rows of content on Netflix can keep you busy.
James Martin/CNET
One difference between devices is voice commands: You might find it more or less difficult to fire up a Netflix show from your device's home screen depending on which voice-capable device you're using.
For example, when you say, "Watch Stranger Things" on the Apple TV and the iOS app on iPhone, it will first have you click which specific show (Stranger Things or Beyond Stranger Things), and then will take you to an Apple TV page for the show, and there it will give you the option to open Netflix and start episode 1. On Amazon Fire TV Stick, you can say, "Watch Stranger Things," and it will open Netflix automatically if you're logged into the app. On the Roku 4K stick, if you say, "Watch Stranger Things," it will take you right to the first episode in the app. Those are more hardware-side concerns, but interesting to note.
Once you're in the Netflix app, though, voice commands work the same across devices: Go to the Search tab, hold the microphone button to dictate, and say the name of the show you're looking for.
When you select a show or movie to watch, you have the option to fast-forward, rewind, add subtitles and change your audio settings. If you have a Premium account and a big enough 4K TV, watching in Ultra HD makes for a very cinematic experience. The show or movie you choose will also show up in your "Continue watching" section at the top of your homepage for easier access.
How much does Netflix cost?
Netflix offers three pricing plans: Basic, Standard and Premium. Here is how the costs and features break down:
Netflix plans
Basic
Standard
Premium
Monthly price
$10
$15.50
$20
Number of screens you can watch on at the same time
1
2
4
Number of phones or tablets you can have downloads on
1
2
4
HD available
No
Yes
Yes
Ultra HD available
No
No
Yes
All plans include the ability to watch on any device, and the full, unlimited collection of movies and TV shows. All allow cancellation at any time. Netflix also offers a one-month free trial.
Netflix's Basic plan costs more than Prime Video ($9 per month), more than Hulu's ad-based plan ($7 per month) but less than its more comparable no-ads plan ($13 per month). If you're on a shared Netflix account with family, chances are it's a Premium one ($20 per month) -- if you're actually splitting it between four people, that's only $5 per month each, and a strong value for all of the original content available, including some in 4K Ultra HD. Plus: No commercials on any plan.
What features do you get on Netflix?
Outside of general streaming, if you have the Standard or Premium plan, you can create different profiles for different users, and find your own list of personalized recommendations.
Netflix's recommendation game is strong, from "Because you watched" carousels that have been improved by the new "two thumbs up" feature, to the option to remove content from your home page, to its "Play Something" shuffle feature for when you're unsure what to stream.
The platform also has a particularly appealing kid's section, with a solid catalog of content including CoComelon, Pokemon: Master Journeys and Trolls: The Beat Goes On! and a much more kid-friendly user interface – including the mystery box feature added earlier this year.
If you subscribe to the Premium plan, you can watch certain shows and movies in 4K Ultra HD on 4K TVs. You'll need a steady internet connection speed of at least 25 megabits per second, and streaming quality set to Auto or High.
Netflix has more 4K content than just about any other streaming service, and a lot of its 4K shows and movies are also available in HDR. High dynamic range provides an even bigger improvement in image quality than 4K according to CNET's tests, with better contrast and color, and the difference is especially apparent on large, higher-end televisions. Netflix supports the two major HDR formats, generic HDR (aka HDR-10) as well as Dolby Vision. If you have a device that handles Dolby Vision, Netflix will play content (if available) in that format by default.
You can search for a selection of 4K TV shows and movies on the service with the Premium plan.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Data usage varies by format, ranging from about 1GB per hour for the standard-definition video to up to 7GB per hour for the highest-quality 4K streams. Downloading and streaming take up a similar amount of data, according to Netflix. If you want to avoid having Netflix eat up all of your data, you can take certain steps laid out on Netflix's website to adjust your data usage settings.
All subscribers can download TV shows and movies on the Netflix app on mobile devices for offline viewing, though certain titles aren't available to download.
Read more: 9 Handy Netflix Tricks That Can Help Make Streaming Better
Should you get it?
Netflix remains my favorite streaming platform of the increasingly large bunch. It has a huge selection of movies and TV shows old and new, tons of high-quality original programs, and an easy-to-navigate interface.
Even though it no longer offers a free trial, it's worth trying Netflix for a month if you want something new to watch.
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iPad Mini review: An excellent 2021 upgrade, but still a niche tablet
iPad Mini review: An excellent 2021 upgrade, but still a niche tablet
What's the most improved product in Apple's lineup this year? It might be the sixth-gen iPad Mini. The company's smallest tablet got the makeover I thought it needed years ago: Now it has the iPad Air's better display, a USB-C port instead of Lightning, a much better processor and better cameras too. You can also magnetically snap an Apple Pencil right onto the side now. Pretty great, huh?
iPad 9th gen vs. iPad Mini 9th gen
iPad 9th gen 2021
iPad Mini 2021
Screen size
10.2 inches
8.3 inches
CPU
A13 Bionic
A15
Starting storage
64GB
64GB
Rear camera
8MP Wide camera
12MP Wide camera
Connector
Lightening
USB-C
Broadband option
4G LTE
5G
Apple Pencil support
1st gen
2nd gen
Weight
1.07 pounds
0.65 pound
Starting price
$329
$499
The only problem is, the iPad Mini isn't a must-have gadget. Far from it; as much as the iPad is usually a secondary device for many people, the iPad Mini is often a second iPad. Which makes this a luxury for most. But the 8.3-inch screen, A15 Bionic processor (same as the iPhone 13) and excellent overall performance could make it a first choice for some, and the $499 (£479, AU$49) starting price, while high, isn't as absurdly high as other Apple products.
iPad Minis aren't as necessary with large phones nearby. And the Mini can't do the one thing larger iPads do very well: connect with keyboard cases easily to become sort-of laptops.
But if you think you'll want an iPad that can be an e-reader and gaming device and casual TV screen and sketch pad and notebook and smart home screen, with some email and social media stuff thrown in, this is a pretty lovely choice. If you're OK with its higher-than-basic-iPad but lower-than-iPad-Pro price, that is.
The Mini has grown on me the more I've used it. And really, all of its features seem upgraded, making for a lovely, speedy little tablet. But I won't be doing any serious writing on it. And with iPhones, more affordable iPads and flashy but still-evolving foldable devices all doing what this Mini does (and possibly better), you have to consider this Mini an overdue revamp that's unnecessary for most. Some will absolutely love it, though.
I'm going to stop trying to type on this Mini, and go back to my laptop to continue this review.
iPad Mini, iPad Air, iPad Pro 12.9-inch: a progression of sizes.
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It's really small... and growing on me
As I take the iPad Mini out of its box, I think to myself, Oh, this really is small. I'm not sure I like that. After using a larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro recently, this iPad feels extremely tiny. Too tiny. I get used to it, though.
The size of this iPad lines up much more with the folding-phone-phablet-Kindle-Switch landscape. It's more of a relaxed handheld. It feels fine held in one hand, and it's easy to carry around in a pinch. It's got a smaller footprint than the 2019 iPad Mini, in fact, but it's also a bit thicker. The Mini comes in new colors now, but they're very very subtle. Mine is purple, but the matte aluminum finish looks more like a slight variation of gray.
And while that small size could be appealing to some people as a bigger-than-a-phone-smaller-than-most-iPads thing, it also makes using it as a laptop replacement really hard.
The iPad Mini next to the iPhone 12 Pro. The iPad Mini is definitely bigger than that.
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You can pair a keyboard with Bluetooth, but there's no dedicated keyboard case (maybe Logitech or others will make one). And the usable screen space gets even smaller when you use the onscreen keyboard to type.
You'll also need a brand-new cover, since no older Mini ones fit. The Mini uses magnets on the back so that a wraparound folio cover snaps right on, but like the iPad Pro and iPad Air cases, that won't provide any drop protection.
But yes, this is bigger than an iPhone. It's still significantly bigger than an iPhone 12 Pro (more than twice the size), and I have to admit, I'm carrying it around for reading and games a lot more than I was expecting. But these days, I'm still mostly carrying it around the house.
I stood it up (using the sold-separately smart cover) on my back porch table while putting together a Weber charcoal grill, and called up the instruction manual. It was better than using a phone, but I also thought… hmm, a regular-size iPad would be easier to read.
In the last few days, I've started taking it everywhere. I took it to the doctor's office even though I have a phone. Why? I like the extra screen. I guess it's why people like big folding phones, too.
The iPad Mini's squared-off corners and USB-C port, next to the ninth-gen iPad's older Lightning port.
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USB-C and a new design, at last
The design of this iPad is completely revamped, much like the iPad Air last year. The flat edges, the sharper screen, the better stereo speakers, a USB-C port, a side magnetic charge strip where second-gen Pencils can snap onto and a side Touch ID home button… this is the total makeover I wanted in the 2019 iPad Mini. I love the look, and it makes me want to use the iPad, even if I'm not interested in using a Mini. It woos me. It all looks great.
But it's not perfect. The repositioned volume buttons on the top edge of the iPad feel weird, though maybe they make more sense when watching videos in landscape mode. And the bezels, while smaller, are still very noticeable to me. They become even more noticeable when using certain apps (see below).
The iPad Mini 2019 (left) versus iPad Mini 2021: Videos look bigger with less bezel.
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A new aspect ratio means larger videos, but some apps don't benefit
Playing a few games from Apple Arcade, comparing side by side with the 2019 iPad Mini, I think: Wait, does this new iPad display look smaller?
The 8.3-inch, 2,266x1,488-pixel display is a longer display than the 2019 iPad Mini's. It also has slightly rounded corners like the rest of the iPad Pro and Air line. Apple says in the fine print that "actual viewable area is less" than the diagonal measurement. Also, apps that haven't been updated for this new screen size will be pillar boxed with subtle black bars, making the bezels seem bigger and the display seem effectively the same (or even slightly smaller) than the 2019 Mini's. Since this is a prerelease of the Mini, Apple Arcade games currently have black bars, for instance. Safari and Notes and other core apps don't. Some apps will autoadjust, and others will need developers to adapt them (as for previous iPads with different screen sizes).
Documents and things like comics don't always end up looking bigger (iPad Mini 2021 on the left, iPad Mini 2019 on the right).
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PDFs, graphic books and digital magazines, which often have 4:3 document layouts, also don't take advantage of the larger screen area. It's just a reminder that the "bigger screen" isn't really what it seems to be here.
But it helps for videos, which play in a wider aspect ratio already. There's a bit less letterboxing, and videos fills a larger area of the screen.
A15 performance: Very good
The A15 processor in the Mini is like the one in the new iPhones. Think of it as a hybrid of older iPad Pros and more recent iPhones. The single-core Geekbench 5 benchmark score average I got was 1,598, which is similar to the iPhone 12 models' scores last year. But the multicore score is 4,548, which is close to what Apple's pre-M1 iPad Pros could handle with the more graphics-boosted A12Z chip. Like pretty much every current-gen Apple device, the 2021 iPad Mini is fast enough that you won't have to worry about taxing the system, at least with currently available apps.
Two apps at once can feel small sometimes, but it's almost like two phone screens glued together, too.
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Multitasking: Mostly works
Holding the Mini sideways with two apps open, it first feels cramped. Then I realize this is close to the two-app split view that the Microsoft Surface Duo has, or that folding phones like the Fold can do. It's kind of like two phone screens side by side, except you can't fold the Mini.
I wanted to hate how small the Mini is, but I'm starting to find multitasking on an 8-inch screen kind of addictive. It's exactly what the iPhone can't do. iPadOS 15 makes swapping apps in and out of multitasking mode a bit easier, but the tiny triple-dot icon on the top of the screen is also easy to accidentally press in some apps, since it's near a lot of top menu bars and icons.
The iPad Mini camera with flash (middle) compared with the iPad 9th gen (left) and the lidar/dual-camera iPad Pro (right).
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Rear camera with flash, and digital-zoom wide-angle front camera
The Mini's cameras are good: not recent iPhone-level, but more than good enough. A rear flash and 4K video recording will make it good enough for documentation or on-the-spot videos and photos, though it doesn't have multiple rear cameras, and doesn't have lidar scanning like the iPad Pro models do. The front camera has a wider-angle mode that taps into Apple's digital-zooming Center Stage tech, which debuted on the iPad Pro in the spring. It's helpful for face-following while on video chats using FaceTime, Zoom and other supported apps, and is a feature that all Apple devices should add.
So many devices, and the Mini feels a bit like so many of them.
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Game console? E-reader? Sketchpad? Sure. But… pricey
The size of this Mini sets it up as a gaming tablet, or a Kindle alternative, or a very nice superportable sketchpad. This is what Apple is clearly leaning into with the Mini. There's also a business audience for a revamped and faster mini tablet for point-of-sale or field work.
But add up what this will cost: $499 only gets you 64GB of storage and a USB charger in the box. Buy a case, which you'll absolutely need ($60) and that nice Pencil ($130), and upgrade the storage to 256GB ($150) and you're at $840. Not cheap!
The Microsoft Surface Duo (left) and the new iPad Mini (right). A future glimpse, perhaps, at where the iPad's size could go next...
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Could this be a phone? Not really
It's tempting. The new Mini has 5G (but read the fine print on that one). It's small. It's sort of lower-priced than iPhones. But there are clear downsides. It's not water-resistant or drop-resistant like an iPhone. It's large, like really large -- you'd need a big jacket pocket or a bag. It doesn't have GPS. There's no actual phone call app. And I don't know why it took me so long to realize, but iPads have no haptics, which is weird. No buzzing for silent notifications, and no subtle feedback in games and in apps.
It really makes me think about using a 5G-enabled iPad Mini as a phone replacement. Apple has a clear gap in its product lineup. The Mini feels like the sort of device that folding phone makers are aiming toward. The Mini is the best option Apple has in that space. But a future iteration could end up being the candidate for a folding display, like the Microsoft Surface Duo or the Samsung Galaxy Fold 3 (which, by the way, both cost a lot more than an iPad Mini).
About that 5G: The Mini's flavor of 5G doesn't support the limited-availability but sometimes very fast millimeter-wave frequency like the iPhone 12 and 13 and the spring iPad Pro do. If you don't know what I'm talking about, 5G signals come in several types, and mmWave (where available) is like a very fast local hotspot. This means, effectively, that this Mini's 5G won't reach superhigh speeds. In suburban Montclair, New Jersey, my Verizon 5G test SIM speeds ranged from 270Mbps to 170Mbps, which is basically similar to LTE. The $150 cellular modem add-on plus monthly fee isn't worth it to me (but maybe your business will foot the bill?)
Using it while putting together a charcoal grill. Second grill, second iPad.
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It's nice, but niche
I just bought a charcoal grill, a Weber. I already have a gas grill. Why did I do this? I wanted an affordable one that could do charcoal, too. Sometimes people buy second grills. It's a luxury, and a niche. People buy second things. Or specialized things. The Mini is a great total revision, but I wouldn't say it's a must-have… and it's far too expensive (and limited) for kids. (Or my kids, anyway.) For your family, maybe, it might be worth the upgrade if you're in love with the design and don't mind the mini size. But it's the best iPad Mini, if you ever craved one and have the cash to spend. It's a lovely little luxury.
