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Apple Music and Spotify are the two biggest names in music streaming. They basically have the same monthly subscription fee, so it can be tricky to know which one best suits your needs. Do you want lossless and spatial audio support? Apple Music is the one. Love podcasts, audiobooks and making playlists? Spotify is your jam.

Part of the choice also comes down to how you listen. If you’re enjoying music at home, then smart speaker support is key, but music discovery and stream quality can be as important (if not more so) for keen music lovers. Let’s dive in.

Read more: Best Music Streaming Service of 2024

Spotify vs. Apple Music

	Spotify	Apple Music
Price	$11 a month ($6 for students)	$10 a month ($6 for students)
Family plan	Yes, up to 6 people ($17)	Yes, up to 6 people ($17)
Free tier	Yes, ad-supported	No, only Beats1 radio
Free trial	3 months	1 month
Stream quality	Depends on platform: 256Kbps AAC (Premium) or 128Kbps AAC (free) on web player; up to 320Kbps (Premium) or 160Kbps (free) on desktop, mobile and tablet.	Lossless audio and Dolby Atmos spatial audio from June 2021, 256Kbps AAC
Music library	Over 100 million songs, 2.6 million podcasts	Over 100 million songs

Apple Music and Spotify cost the same (mostly)

Both Spotify and Apple Music offer a free three-month trial period for their premium services, which normally cost $11 monthly ( 11 for either service in the UK; in Australia Spotify runs AU$14 while Apple Music is AU$13). Each costs $6 for students or $17 for a six-user family plan. You can stream any song from the catalog on demand, plus listen to songs offline.

Spotify is offering three months of its premium version free to new users, while Apple Music is offering one free month for new users.

Alongside Amazon Music and Pandora, Spotify is the only one of the few music services with a free, ad-supported tier, so even if you don’t want to pay for the premium version, you can still listen. The caveat (aside from the interruptions) is that many albums and playlists require you to listen in shuffle mode rather than sequential play, and there’s a limit of six skips per hour.

Apple Music lets free users stream Beats1 Radio, or you can listen to songs from your iTunes library.

Spotify also offers a Premium Duo subscription for two users who live at the same address for $13 ( 13, AU$16). And if you’re a student, you’ll get access to Hulu and Showtime (ad-supported) as part of your Premium subscription.

Winner: Spotify

Does Apple Music or Spotify have better streaming quality?

Spotify uses the Ogg Vorbis format or AAC. On mobile you can choose what bit rate to stream, in set increments up to 320Kbps, which is handy especially if you’re worried about using up too much mobile data. If you listen on Spotify’s web player, it streams in AAC at 128Kbps for free users or 256Kbps for premium.

Apple Music now streams its catalog in lossless quality, plus it offers spatial audio on select songs. Users will need to opt-in to lossless audio by going to Settings, then Music, then Audio Quality on the iPhone. Spotify is expected to debut its long-awaited HiFi subscription for lossless audio sometime in the near future. To find out more about bit rate and audio quality, read this in-depth comparison of sound quality between Apple Music and Spotify.

You can also adjust the equalizer in both to suit your preferences, although you’ll find Apple Music’s EQ outside of the app in the Settings app.

Winner: Apple Music

Spotify has podcasts and audiobooks

Both Spotify and Apple Music claim access to over 100 million albums. Both offer early access to certain albums from time to time and Apple Music sometimes offers exclusives for certain music videos.

If you turn on iCloud Music Library within Apple Music, you can access your personal library of tunes across all your devices (from the PC to the phone). This feature “matches” songs in your library with those in the iTunes catalog, or uploads them if the song isn’t available, so you can listen to your music wherever you’re signed in with your Apple ID. You can store up to 100,000 songs. Note that iTunes Match is also available even without an Apple Music subscription for $25 a year, though it’s only really necessary if you own a non-4K Apple TV.

Spotify also lets you play music stored on your device in the Spotify app, but it only works for local files (so they aren’t backed up in the cloud).

Lastly, Spotify is the only service that offers both podcasts and up to 15 hours of audiobooks within the app. Meanwhile, Apple splits podcasts into a dedicated Podcasts app.

Winner: Spotify

Is Apple Music or Spotify easier to use?

Apple Music features a clean white look on mobile, while Spotify paints it black across its apps. (Activate dark mode on iOS and Apple Music will switch, too.) Both apps are pretty easy to navigate, with the main tabs (Radio, Search, Your library and so on) found at the bottom of the interface.

Both let you look at lyrics on screen if they’re available for particular songs. But only Apple Music lets you search by typing a stream of lyrics to find songs you don’t know the name of, in addition to including a karaoke mode.

Google Maps lets you listen to and control Spotify or Apple Music playback within the navigation interface in iOS and Android. Waze also offers a similar feature for Spotify users.

On top of CarPlay support, Apple Music for Android works with Android Auto, so you can control playback through the infotainment system.

Winner: Draw

Spotify lets you listen in more places, Apple Music is best for Siri

Both Apple Music and Spotify are available on iOS and Android. Both have desktop apps for Windows and Mac, so you aren’t limited to listening on mobile.

You can also listen to music in your browser: Spotify is at open.spotify.com and Apple Music is at music.apple.com.

And you can also stream any audio to a Bluetooth wireless speaker, to an AirPlay speaker from an iOS device, or to a Chromecast speaker from an Android device (you can also cast from iOS if you have Spotify).

When it comes to smart speakers, Apple Music with Siri voice control on Apple’s HomePod and is now compatible with Amazon’s full line of Echo smart speakers via the Alexa App (US only). It’s also available on other Apple and Amazon devices like the Apple Watch, Apple TV and FireTV.

In addition to Amazon Alexa speakers, Spotify is also available on Google smart speakers. And if a device is certified as Spotify Connect compatible, it means you can use the Spotify app as a remote to control playback. Spotify is also available across a wide range of other devices like Xbox and PlayStation.

Winner: Spotify

Music discovery tools excel on Spotify and Apple Music

One of the top reasons to use a streaming service is to discover new music. Both Spotify and Apple Music expose you to new tunes based on what you already like.

Spotify has tailored playlists like Discover Weekly and Release Radar that are automatically populated each week with new songs. Apple Music has similar playlists, including New Music Mix.

When you first sign up for each service, both ask you for your favorite genres and artists to get a baseline reading. Once you start listening more, each gets a clearer picture of your likes and dislikes to help tailor recommendations even further.

Spotify and Apple Music also have radio stations based around your favorite artists, tracks or genres. Apple Music also has a separate station called Beats1 Radio which is curated and hosted by actual DJs, so you can listen to it in real time like you would a traditional radio station.

In our experience, Spotify’s algorithmic recommendations for new music based on our listening habits is the most on-point. It also has an AI DJ. But Apple Music’s human-curated radio station often uncovers new or unreleased tracks that also appeal.

Winner: Spotify for playlists, Apple Music for radio lovers

Social integration

Both services let you follow your favorite artists to keep up to date with their latest releases.

You can also follow friends. On Spotify, you can see what song your pals are listening to in real-time (if they choose to share this detail) on the desktop app.

Spotify Codes are a way to share tracks, albums and playlists among friends. It’s kind of like a custom QR code that you can scan with the camera in Spotify if you’re listening in the same location, or share through messages if you’re apart.

Naturally, you can also follow your friends and see what they’re up to across both platforms. While it’s much easier to set up and find profiles on Apple Music than it is on Spotify, your friends need to appear in your contacts list (or on Facebook) in order to follow them.

Spotify has the real-time Jam feature which lets two or more Premium subscribers control music playback and collaborate on a shared playlist.

Winner: Spotify

Is Apple Music or Spotify right for you?

If you simply want a free service, Spotify is the clear winner. But if you are looking to pay for music service, your decision may be a little more involved.

Apple Music plays well with other Apple devices. If you want voice control on the HomePod, for example, Apple Music is your only option. Spotify, on the other hand, has greater cross-compatibility across lots of different devices, from game consoles to smart speakers.

It takes time to train each of these services to really get to know your taste. For our money, Spotify does a better job in uncovering and tailoring playlists and recommendations to us through its custom playlists and discovery features. But Apple Music gives you the most flexibility in mixing songs from your own library (that might not even be on streaming services) with new tunes you can stream on demand.

Of course, Spotify and Apple Music aren’t your only options for streaming music services. To see how they stack up against competitors like Tidal and Amazon, click here to read our comparison.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a CNET Editors’ Choice award pick, offers hundreds of games you can play on your Xbox Series X or Series S, Xbox One or PC for $17 a month. With a subscription, you get new games every month (like NBA 2K24) and other benefits, like online multiplayer and deals on non-Game Pass titles.

Microsoft added Diablo 4 to Game Pass in March and these are the latest titles you can play on the service.

Lego 2K Drive (cloud and console)

If racing sims like Forza Horizon 5 is too serious for you — or in my case, too difficult — maybe try this brick-tastic game. In this open-world racing game, you can build your dream ride and race against a cast of kooky rivals with names like Clutch Racington. If you drive into a lake, no worries. Your car can turn into a boat because of Lego.

Lil Gator Game

Take a bite out of a cute little quest as a young gator in this adorable game. You play as the titular character as you climb, swim and explore the world around you while making friends with all the other critters and characters you run into along the way.

EA Sports PGA Tour

Not everyone can tee off at historic courses like Augusta National and St. Andrews, but you can with this golf game. You can play against PGA and LPGA pros, like Scottie Scheffler and Lexi Thompson, as you climb the ladder to become a Masters Tournament champion.

Kona (cloud and console)

Kona is returning to Game Pass about three years after it left the service. In this title, you play a private investigator in the 1970s who arrives at a small Canadian village to find it abandoned. You have to explore the village, investigate the supernatural and survive the northern winds. This game will surely send a chill down your spine.

Botany Manor

Calling all plant enthusiasts: If you’ve ever gotten into an argument over whether a snake plant is part of the Sansevieria or Dracaena genus, this game is for you. In this puzzle game, you play as a botanist in the 1890s completing your botanical research book, and you research and grow rare plant specimens from seed in an idyllic English manor. Don’t be afraid to stop and smell the roses while you play.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider Definitive Edition

This is the final chapter in the story of how Lara Croft took up the mantle of Tomb Raider. You take the role of Croft as she travels to South America to uncover an artifact that could save the world. With the Definitive Edition, you get all seven DLC challenge tombs and more ways to tackle each challenge with additional downloadable weapons, outfits and skills.

Harold Halibut

This Day 1 release is a narrative game focused on friendship. You play the character Harold as he explores a retro-futuristic world under an alien ocean. Harold’s world is full of weird, wonderful and diverse people and fish, each with a unique story. While exploring Harold’s claymation world, you learn more about its inhabitants as you try to find the meaning of “home.”

Titles leaving Game Pass

While Xbox is adding the above titles to Game Pass Ultimate, it also removed six games from the service. If you have any side quests you want to finish, you have to buy these separately now.

• Amnesia Collection
• Amnesia: Rebirth
• Back 4 Blood
• Phantom Abyss
• Research and Destroy
• Soma

For more on Xbox, here’s what Diablo 4 on Game Pass likely means for the service, other titles available on Game Pass Ultimate now and everything to know about the gaming service.

We are still a couple of months away from Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference where the next major version of the iPhone’s software, likely called iOS 18, will debut. We have a few ideas for features and fixes that Apple should include in its next major update to the iPhone.

For seven months, most of us have lived with iOS 17. There have been high points like the introduction of StandBy Mode, Check-In and iMessage stickers. There have also been low points like the overheating software bug that hit iPhones running iOS 17, which has since been resolved. For months we’ve Journaled, NameDropped and casually sworn in Messages without the fear of being Autocorrected.

Read more: Best iPhone to buy in 2024

What’s next for the iPhone? What will my iPhone be like this fall? Now that the Apple Vision Pro is out will it change things?

I have no idea.

Sure there are rumors about iOS 18 and how it’ll be a big deal, maybe even a bigger deal than the iPhone 16. Like other phone makers, Apple will likely flex its hype muscles and try to impress us with some AI magic.

Forget all that. Instead of having to guess what Apple will do next to our iPhones, I thought I’d assemble some of CNET’s best iOS-ers and iPhone users to tell Apple what we want in iOS 18.
— Patrick Holland

More multitasking for the iPhone Pro Max

The Dynamic Island is a great start, but I wish Apple would find more ways to take advantage of the Pro Max’s large screen in particular. As I’ve written in the past, I’d love to see a version of Apple’s Slide Over feature optimized for its larger-size iPhone.

Slide Over lets you view a second app in a floating panel along the side of the screen. This feels more useful on a smartphone-size screen compared with a split view. If Slide Over were available on the iPhone Pro Max, you’d be able to dedicate most of the screen to a single app, while checking another. I could see this being useful for browsing through my email inbox while keeping an eye out for new Slack messages, for example.

— Lisa Eadicicco

Let the Action button support multiple shortcuts

One of the new features on the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max is the Action button, which replaced the silent/ring slider button found on every prior iPhone model since it debuted in 2007. In its current setup, I can set the Action button to trigger one shortcut at a time. By default, it does exactly the same thing as the mute slider did before it: it can toggle between turning on the ringer and putting your iPhone into silent mode. There are a couple of other options for it, like opening the Camera app and take a photo. You can even have it run a specific shortcut/automation in the Shortcuts app. Perhaps my favorite use is someone who uses their location to change what the Action button does like turn it into an order now trigger for a Starbucks latte.
The Action button works with a single long press, no matter what you choose for the button to do. Currently, you either need to change what the Action button does to get more use out of it or make some elaborate automations in the Shortcuts app.
I feel there is a lot more the Action button could do if Apple would let it support multiple input clicks. I could still have it be a toggle for ringer/silent mode with a single long press, but do something else (like turn on/off the flashlight) with a double-long press. I think this would add so much functionality to the button and as a result, open it up to even more people taking more advantage of it.

— Patrick Holland

More StandBy Mode capabilities, please

StandBy Mode was one of my favorite new features Apple introduced with iOS 17. I use the feature on my work desk daily, and it’s nice having easy access to the weather, time and podcasts. But I want Apple to develop this feature more.

For starters, I’d like Messages and Mail to take advantage of StandBy Mode. Right now, if your iPhone gets a text while it’s in StandBy Mode, you get a notification, and if you tap the notification in time, you see a preview of the message. Otherwise, you have to remove your iPhone from StandBy Mode to read the full message and respond.

It would be great if Apple developed a StandBy Mode widget for Messages that lets you see full messages and respond to them without exiting StandBy Mode. It would also be nice if there was a Mail widget for StandBy Mode that lets you read emails (like newsletters) and shows you new messages. That way you can keep an eye on your inbox and know if you need to respond to an email immediately or if your latest email is just spam.

— Zach McAuliffe

Make Siri more capable

As a working mom, I almost always have a long to-do list, and a smarter Siri would truly help make my life easier. Right now, I turn to Siri for help with basic tasks such as setting an alarm, making a reminder or checking the weather. With rumors of large language model integration in Siri, I find myself envisioning a future in which an iPhone can get more complex tasks done. Things like reminding me to buy blueberries when I’m near a supermarket or locating nearby restaurants in Hong Kong that are both kid-friendly and dog-friendly.

Lucky for me, this doesn’t seem to be far-fetched. Large language models should not only allow Siri to understand more complex and nuanced questions but also enable it to answer those questions more accurately.

— Sareena Dayaram

Detect language in Messages and translate, por favor

Bilingual households may share my issue of Siri needing to do a better job of automatically detecting which language is being spoken. Right now the iPhone will spit out gibberish, turning Spanish dictation into English, or English into Spanish, if you forget to switch your keyboard.

If a voicemail message is left in Spanish, the system can’t recognize that it’s not English and tries to give an English preview that looks like nonsense. Maybe these rumored AI smarts can help Siri know what language is being spoken.

My Español no es bueno, so it would be helpful if my iPhone offered an English translation of text or voice messages sent to me in Spanish. The Duolingo bird would be mad at me for not needing to practice my Spanish lessons anymore, but Duo is always mad at me anyway.

— Bridget Carey

Check-in for group chats

One of my favorite iOS 17 features is Check In, which lets you share with a friend or family member that you’re heading to a specific location (like maybe coming home from a late dinner). Your friend or family member gets a ping letting them know you’re on the move and when you should be home. They get notified once you make it to your destination or if you make an unexpected stop along the way. If something happens to you and you don’t get home, your friend receives a message that also includes data like your last location and battery level on your iPhone.
I’d like iOS 18 to let me send a Check-In to a group of people, not just a single person. Right now, being able to start a Check In with just one person is good, but there are many times I want to share a Check In with more family members or a group of friends all at the same time.

— Patrick Holland

Schedule texts in Messages

Being able to schedule texts in Messages would be a huge plus. Texting friends and family in different time zones is always a game of math because I don’t want to text them when they are still sleeping. Yeah, I might be texting them at 8 a.m. ET, but they are still asleep since it’s 5 a.m. PT for them. I also used to work the third shift, and there were times when I’d want to text a friend and ask them a question or just to talk, but who wants to be awoken to a text message at 5 a.m.? Very few people, as I came to find out.

Scheduling texts to send in Messages would help alleviate these issues. Other messaging apps already let you schedule messages to send later, including Android, so it’s time for Apple to get up to speed with others. Some people might say that there’s a Shortcut you can enable on your iPhone to send messages at a later time, but I’d argue that if you have to use a workaround to get something to work, it’s not actually working. Apple should take a cue from Android and let people schedule messages to send at a later time. People who live in different time zones than their friends and family or work weird shifts will thank you.

— Zach McAuliffe

Add a pro camera app

It’s time for Apple to revisit the iPhone’s Camera app. For years, it was the gold standard of simplicity, offering a “see what you get” preview for photos, videos and effects with minimal, easy-to-navigate controls and modes. As Apple has added more functionality, especially for ProRaw photos, ProRes video recording and spatial videos, the Camera app has started to feel cramped. It tries to remain a one-size-fits-all app at the expense of higher-end features like manual camera controls.

I’d like Apple to make a separate pro camera app, along the lines of how it created a standalone app for classical music. Apple Music Classical tackles the special challenge of categorizing, searching for, and discovering classical music, something the default Apple Music app isn’t geared toward. Similarly, the pro camera app could be a place for creative types to access camera controls, settings and features beyond those in the basic camera app. Sony has been quite successful with this sort of approach in its Xperia 1 and 5 series phones, and Samsung has a separate Expert Raw app to complement its main one.

Now it’s Apple’s turn.

— Patrick Holland

Today’s Wordle answer is a word you likely know but perhaps don’t use often. Some of its letters are pretty common, while others are rarer and might be tough to guess.

Every day, we’ll post hints and then the answer for the current day’s Wordle, just in case you need it.

Today’s Wordle hints

Warning: If you keep reading, you’ll see the Wordle answer for Tuesday April 16, puzzle #1032. That could be a devastating spoiler for some players. But if you just need the answer — maybe you’re on your last guess and just don’t want to see an 800-game streak go poof — keep reading.

Wordle hint No. 1: Vowel

There’s only one vowel in today’s answer.

Wordle hint No. 2: Center stage

The lone vowel sits right in the middle of today’s answer.

Wordle hint No. 3: Pete and repeat

There are no repeated letters in today’s answer.

Wordle hint No. 4: First letter

The answer begins with the letter S.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

If you play golf, you might use this word. It’s also used frequently by butchers and in prison movies.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Here comes the spoiler: Today’s Wordle answer is SHANK. It’s a term golfers use when they hit the ball with the extreme heel of the club (football players can shank a kick, too). It’s also used in prison movies to mean a homemade knife, or as a verb meaning to stab someone with that knife. Butchers use it for a certain cut of meat.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, #1031, was EQUIP.

Past Wordle answers

April 11, No. 1027 LOUSE

April 12, No. 1028 WHINY

April 13, No. 1029 STEEL

April 14, No. 1030 BLIMP

Everyday Wordle tips

I’ve written a lot about Wordle — from covering its 1,000th word to my list of the best starter words to a helpful two-step strategy to controversial word changes. I’ve even rounded up what I learned playing the hit online word puzzle for a full year. So if you’re rethinking your need for the actual answer, you might try tips from one of those stories.

Still need a starter word? One person told me they just look around and choose a five-letter object that they’ve spotted to use as their starter word — such as COUCH or CHAIR. I tend to stick to starter words that have the most popular letters used in English words. I like TRAIN as a starter, though I have a friend who uses TRAIL. I’ve read that people use the financial term ROATE, but I like to use words I actually know.

What is Wordle?

If you read this far, you know how to play. You have six chances to guess a five-letter word, and the game gives you feedback as to whether the letters you’ve guessed are in the puzzle, and if they are in the same spot where you guessed them to be. The Times bought the game from creator Josh Wardle for seven figures in 2022. Wardle famously created the game for his partner, and let them narrow down the 12,000 five-letter words in the English language to just 2,500, creating the database of answers. It was convenient of him to have a name that plays off “word” too.

A Times spokesperson told me it lists the very first Wordle as appearing on June 19, 2021, and the paper celebrated the game’s 1,000th word on March 15. Spoiler: That 1,000th word was ERUPT. As in, Dad will ERUPT if the Wordle is so tough he loses his streak.

There are other fun games in the Times Games stable. My latest addiction is Connections, which I think is trickier than Wordle. This is the game where you look at a grid of 16 words and try to put them into four groups of related words. Sometimes the relationships between the words are pretty out there — like the time when it was four words that all began with rock bands, such as RUSHMORE and JOURNEYMAN. (Connections got a little sassy on April Fool’s Day with an all-emoji puzzle. Some gamers did NOT find that funny.)

Spelling Bee is a popular Times game too. And there’s a new game that’s still in beta, Strands, which I’m trying to master.

It took only about a decade, but Apple finally relaxed the App Store rules regarding retro game console emulators. Comically, the first Apple-approved emulator to launch under the relaxed rules, called iGBA, was banned by Apple just days after its launch due to copyright infringement.

The emulator, iGBA, was a knockoff of GBA4iOS, an open-source Game Boy Advance emulator for iOS that the developer created over 10 years ago. Since it was the only emulator available on the App Store during its short reign, it quickly rose to the top of the App Store charts following the news that emulators were back in town.

Representatives for Apple didn’t immediately respond for a request for comment.

GBA4iOS creator Riley Testut spotted the copy and wrote about the experience on Threads.

“So apparently Apple approved a knock-off of GBA4iOS — the predecessor to Delta I made in high school — in the App Store,” Testut wrote. “I did not give anyone permission to do this, yet it’s now sitting at the top of the charts (despite being filled with ads + tracking).”

Testut didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Testut would go on to say he was frustrated not with the developer but with Apple for allowing an obvious clone when his own Delta emulator, the successor to GBA4iOS, had been in TestFlight, Apple’s beta testing platform for iOS apps, for over a year. It also wasn’t difficult for developers to tell it was a phony. Mastodon user and iOS developer Jesús A. Álvarez showed that the code was virtually identical to GBA4iOS but with the licenses removed and advertising added, which is a violation of the GNU General Public License.

Apple confirmed that it removed iGBA from the App Store on Sunday for violating two Apple rules regarding spam (section 4.3) and intellectual property (section 5.2).

Changing time for app stores

The drama comes amid Testut’s efforts to release AltStore, a third-party iOS app store for users in the EU. His Game Boy Advance emulator, Delta, is set to be the store’s flagship app.

“I’ve been working with Apple to release AltStore as an alternative app marketplace for over a month now, and I’m disappointed to see that they’ve approved a knockoff of AltStore’s flagship app Delta in that time,” Testut told The Verge. “However, we’re still planning to launch Delta ASAP, and we’ll have more to share on that very soon.”

The developer of iGBA, La Spina, also told The Verge that it “did not think the app would have so much repercussion” and apologized to Testut.

The Apple App Store is undergoing a lot of changes lately. The EU’s Digital Markets Act is forcing Apple to allow third-party app stores, which is causing Apple to work overtime to ensure the platform remains secure. In addition, a US Department of Justice lawsuit is accusing Apple of stifling competition and violating antitrust laws in the name of security. In the lawsuit, the Justice Department alleges that Apple’s control over its platform prevents companies from doing things like launching competitor smartwatches or digital wallets on Apple’s platform.

The NBA Playoffs tip off Tuesday with the start of the play-in tournament. The top six teams in each conference have qualified for the actual playoffs, and teams seven through 10 must get through the play-in tourney to secure one of the final two playoff spots in each conference.

In the Western Conference, the play-in teams are the New Orleans Pelicans, Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks will battle it out in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.

The Western Conference play-in games will be shown on TNT, and the Eastern Conference games will be on ESPN. Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream the start of the NBA Playoffs.

What are the play-in tournament matchups?

In the West, the No. 7 Pelicans host the No. 8 Lakers, a game that will feature 23-year-old Zion Williamson going up against 39-year-old LeBron James. Next up is the No. 9 Kings playing host to the No. 10 Warriors. Steph Curry and the Warriors will need to win two games on the road to earn the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference playoffs.

In the East, the No. 7 76ers host the No. 8 Heat in a game that will feature reigning league MVP Joel Embiid, who just returned from injury near the end of the regular season, going up against Miami center Bam Adebayo and former playoff hero Jimmy Butler. In the game between the No. 9 Bulls and No. 10 Hawks, the focus will be less on big men and more on guards and wings such as DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine of the Bulls and the Hawks’ Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.

What is the play-in tournament schedule?

All eight play-in teams will be in action on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tuesday, April 16

• No. 7 Pelicans vs. No. 8 Lakers, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
• No. 9 Kings vs. No. 10 Warriors, 10 p.m. on TNT

Wednesday, April 17

• No. 7 76ers vs. No. 8 Heat, 7 p.m. on ESPN
• No. 9 Bulls vs. No. 10 Hawks, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN

The winner of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 game in each conference earns that conference’s seventh seed. The loser will then play the winner of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 game on Friday for the eighth playoff spot in each conference.

What does the NBA playoff bracket look like?

The Boston Celtics earned the top spot in the East, and the Oklahoma City Thunder edged the defending champion Denver Nuggets for the top seed in the West. Here’s what the matchups look like for the 2024 NBA Playoffs that begin Saturday:

Saturday, April 20

• No. 2 New York Knicks vs. East No. 7
• No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Orlando Magic
• No. 2 Denver Nuggets vs. West No. 7
• No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. No. 6 Phoenix Suns

Sunday, April 21

• No. 1 Boston Celtics vs. East No. 8
• No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 6 Indiana Pacers
• No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. West No. 8
• No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 5 Dallas Mavericks

How to watch the NBA play-in tournament

You can watch the play-in games on TNT and ESPN with a cable subscription or a live TV streaming service. Four of the five major services (all but Fubo) offer both channels. You can also watch the TNT broadcast of the Western Conference play-in games with Max.

The rest of the playoffs will be shown on ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV.

All of the live TV streaming services above offer free trials, allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live TV streaming services guide.

Samsung is once again at the top of the global smartphone market. The South Korean electronics maker surpassed Apple to become the number one smartphone company in terms of worldwide shipments, according to the International Data Corporation, coming after Apple previously claimed the top spot.

Samsung accounted for 20.8% of the global market in the first quarter of 2024, while Apple claimed 17.3%, the report says. Apple and Samsung have been vying for mobile dominance since the smartphone’s early days, and each of the two companies typically ships more devices than their competitors. But the IDC’s new findings are particularly noteworthy because Apple previously stole the number one position from Samsung last year, marking the first time the Galaxy phone maker wasn’t at the top of the market since 2010, according to the IDC.

Read more: The Best Galaxy AI Features to Try On Your Samsung Phone

Samsung and Apple are likely to stay at the top, the IDC report notes, but it also points to the expansion of brands that aren’t well-known in the US such as Xiaomi, Huawei, Transsion, Oppo, OnePlus and Vivo. Some of these companies have already released compelling new phones in 2024, such as Xiaomi’s 14 Ultra, which my colleague Andrew Lanxon called the “best camera phone” he’s ever used.

As these other brands gain traction, Samsung and Apple may be pushed to “expand” and “diversify,” Ryan Reith, group vice president with the IDC’s Worldwide Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers, said in a press release. It’s unclear exactly what that means, but both companies are expected to make major phone-related announcements in the coming months.

Samsung, for example, typically announces new foldable phones and wearables in the late summer. However, leaks such as this report from blog SamMobile suggest the company could announce its new batch of foldables as early as July, similar to last year.

The Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold have become well-established within Samsung’s smartphone lineup. But rumors also suggest Samsung may be working on new versions of the Z Fold. The company is reportedly developing a high-end version that may be called the Galaxy Z Fold Ultra, according to the blog Galaxy Club, and a cheaper model, according to reports from Korean news outlets The Elec and ETNews. The company’s display division has also been flaunting new flexible phone concepts at the CES tech conference in Las Vegas over the past couple of years, raising questions about what’s next.

Apple is expected to announce its new iPhones in September as it usually does. Reports from Bloomberg and MacRumors suggest the phones will be a modest upgrade over the iPhone 15, with one of the biggest expected changes being the arrival of a dedicated video recording button.

But Apple is expected to introduce significant new software features for the iPhone that are powered by AI, according to Bloomberg. That could be an important part of its effort to keep the iPhone exciting and appealing as Android rivals continue to release new foldable phones. It would also help the iPhone remain competitive with Android after Samsung and Google have released their own AI-fueled features and services on their popular Galaxy and Pixel lines.

Editors’ note: CNET used an AI engine to help create several dozen stories, which are labeled accordingly. The note you’re reading is attached to articles that deal substantively with the topic of AI but are created entirely by our expert editors and writers. For more, see our AI policy.

Regardless of why you want to learn a new language, teaching yourself can be a challenge, especially when your schedule is packed. But there are great apps out there that can guide you through learning a new language on your schedule, at your own pace, right from your phone. One of our favorite language-learning app options, Babbel, offers an online school type of experience that caters to all types of learners.

Usually lifelong access to Babbel’s 14 language courses would run you $599, but right now you can snag a lifetime subscription to Babbel for just $150Act quick, this deal ends on April 17.

Babbel’s extensive language software includes Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, Swedish, Indonesian, Portuguese and more. The lessons are short and to the point, allowing you to practice in 10- to 15-minute intervals that can fit into any schedule. Real-life topics include travel, family, business, food and others. A variety of skill levels are available, ranging from beginner to advanced, so the program can grow with you as you improve.

The speech-recognition technology will give you immediate feedback on pronunciation, so you don’t just learn to read and write but how to listen and speak, as well. You’ll also get personalized review sessions to reinforce what you’ve learned. The program works across desktop and mobile devices. Although the internet is required most of the time, there is also an offline mode available where you can access courses, lessons and reviews without Wi-Fi, so long as you download them beforehand. Babbel also syncs your progress across your devices so that you can jump in from wherever is most convenient.

Becoming fluent in a new language is a great way to stay engaged in learning, and the transferable skills you gain can open a lot of doors for leisure, work and beyond. Note that while you can access this program on as many devices as you want, this subscription offer is available only for new users.

Babbel is a great value when compared with other online courses, especially with this current discount. So whether you’re a lifelong learner or just want to pick up some basics for your globetrotting adventures, this is a solid deal.

Read more: 11 Items to Add to Your Travel Checklist for a Smooth Trip

The next flagship Google phone, the Pixel 9, could come with more connectivity capabilities including sending messages through satellites, if a new rumor is proved true.

The Google Pixel 9 will use the next generation of its in-house Tensor chipsets, the Tensor G4, which will have a Samsung Exynos 5400 modem, a source told Android Authority. While this isn’t too surprising to hear Google may stick with an Exynos modem (last year’s Pixel 8 and its preceding Pixel 7 use an Exynos 5300 modem), the rumor suggests this means the Pixel 9 will be able to connect through satellites.

To date, only Apple’s iPhones have widely been able to communicate through satellites, which use the proprietary Emergency SOS system to send text messages relayed through Apple-manned operators to summon emergency services. Others have tried to launch similar offerings — for instance, chipmaker Qualcomm unveiled Snapdragon Satellite at CES 2023 as a proprietary solution that manufacturers could opt to install in their phones, though none did and the offering quietly shuttered at the end of last year.

Read more: Satellite Messaging: The 2023 Phones Trend That Wasn’t (Yet)

Instead, Apple’s Emergency SOS aside, the trend of satellite connectivity seems like it will follow a slower and more open pathway. Qualcomm debuted its Snapdragon X80 modem at MWC 2024, which supports the general NB-NTN (non-terrestrial network) standard of satellite connectivity within the 3GPP Release 17 set of communication standards (along with some future standards coming in the unfinalized Release 18). In short, this should open up device manufacturers using the modem to many more satellite solutions.

Samsung unveiled the Exynos 5400 ahead of MWC 2024, focusing on 5G advancements without officially clarifying its satellite capabilities. The Exynos 5400 will support the same Release 17 NTN standards, according to Android Authority’s source, though they didn’t offer any additional specs or other information to suggest how Samsung’s newest modem may improve the Pixel 9’s conventional wireless connectivity. Pixel owners have complained about erratic connectivity in recent Pixel phones, as Android Police noted, and attributed it to the Exynos modems, which Google switched to using in the Pixel 6 to pair with its Tensor chipsets rather than the Qualcomm modems it had used in its prior handsets.

Android Authority’s source did suggest that the Exynos 5400 would be paired with other devices slated to use the Tensor G4 beyond the Pixel 9 — including the next generation of Pixel Fold devices as well as a 5G tablet, codenamed “clementine,” which Google is purportedly in the early stages of developing. Presumably, these devices will be able to connect through satellites as well.

Samsung hasn’t elaborated on any satellite connectivity capabilities of the Exynos 5400, though satellite network company Skylo did certify the modem for use with its satellites shortly after MWC 2024. The year before, Samsung announced that it had simulated satellite communications using its Exynos 5300 modem and planned to incorporate two-way texting as well as exchanging images and video over satellite into future modems.

Neither Samsung nor Google responded to a request for comment by time of publication.

While last year may not have been the year of satellite-to-phone connectivity that I originally anticipated at the outset of 2023, the potential of using satellites to boost connectivity in remote areas outside the range of mobile networks remains promising. For now, Apple retains its advantage and Emergency SOS is another feather in the iPhone’s cap, but it’s still only usable in an emergency and only carries text. Future connectivity solutions, like the as-yet unrealized satellite solutions proposed by Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T, seek to let users send multimedia messages and make voice and video calls beyond mobile networks.

The iPhone 15 series has been around for several months now, while the rumored iPhone 16 will only arrive in the fall. If you’re currently considering an upgrade to Apple’s latest iPhone lineup, it’s surely worth knowing how each of the four models stack up. Apple’s iPhone 15 lineup includes a base iPhone 15 and a larger iPhone 15 Plus, which offer comparable specs to one another. The series also includes the higher-end iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the later boasts a few differences that make the Pro Max stand out more than it has previously. Apple unveiled all four at its Wonderlust event in September, alongside the Watch Series 9 and the Watch Ultra 2.

For starters, the Dynamic Island, the shape-shifting cutout introduced in iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, is now standard across the entire iPhone 15 series. The entire lineup has also now switched to USB-C for charging. But that’s where the similarities end, more or less, with each iPhone model standing out via its design, camera and other features.

For instance, colors vary across the entry-level and Pro lineups. The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus come in brighter color options like pink, yellow, green and blue along with a darker black. However with the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max now coming in a titanium chassis, those phones come in darker shades that Apple is labeling natural titanium, blue titanium, white titanium and black titanium.

Additionally, Apple eliminated the toggle switch on the Pro models in favor of what it calls the “Action button.” Essentially, it’s a multifunction button that lets you program it for a wide range of tasks, like taking a photo or launching a timer.

That USB-C port arrives to the iPhone 15 line after a European Union mandate, and will allow the iPhone to make use of the same charging cables that power Android phones, recent iPads and other electronics. While all four models use USB-C charging as a standard, the speed of data transfer varies between base and Pro models. Only the Pro models support USB 3, which offers faster 10Gbps speeds. But if you want to take advantage of those faster speeds, you’ll need to buy your own USB 3 cable since Apple ships all phones with just a USB 2 cable.

As for the cameras, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus have two cameras on the back, while the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max get three. You get a 48-megapixel wide lens, which has telephoto capabilities, and a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens with either regular model. The Pro models feature a 12-megapixel telephoto lens complete with 3x optical zoom. You can also shoot at multiple focal lengths with the Pro models: 24mm, 28mm and 35mm.

Further to that, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has its own exclusive camera perk via the upgrade to a new telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom, the most that has ever been included on an iPhone.

Both iPhone 15 Pro phones can shoot spatial video, which is essentially a 3D video that can be viewed on Apple’s forthcoming Vision Pro headset.

And like the iPhone 14 line, the iPhone 15 line includes different processors depending on the model. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will run on the A16 Bionic chip, which debuted last year on the iPhone 14 Pro. Meanwhile the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max phones will ship with the new A17 Pro chip, which Apple says will make the higher-end iPhone better suited for graphics and gaming.

To check out more differences between the different iPhone 15 models, check out our specs chart below.

iPhone 15 series compared

	iPhone 15	iPhone 15 Plus	iPhone 15 Pro	iPhone 15 Pro Max
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate, brightness	6.1-inch OLED; 2,556×1,179 pixels	6.7-inch OLED; 2,796×1,290 pixels	6.1-inch OLED; 2,556×1,179 pixels; 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate	6.7-inch OLED; 2,796×1,290 pixels; 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate
Pixel density	460 ppi	460 ppi	460 ppi	460 ppi
Dimensions (inches)	2.82 x 5.81 x 0.31 in.	3.06 x 6.33 x 0.31 in.	2.78 x 5.77 x 0.32 in.	3.02 x 6.29 x 0.32 in.
Dimensions (millimeters)	71.6 x 147.6 x 7.8 mm	77.8 x 160.9 x 7.8 mm	70.6 x 146.6 x 8.25 mm	76.7 x 159.9 x 8.25 mm
Weight (grams, ounces)	171 g (6.02 oz.)	201 g (7.09 oz.)	187 g (6.6 oz.)	221 g (7.81 oz.)
Mobile software	iOS 17	iOS 17	iOS 17	iOS 17
Camera	48-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)	48-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)	48-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 12-megapixel telephoto (3x optical)	48-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 12-megapixel telephoto (5x optical)
Front-facing camera	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel
Video capture	4K	4K	4K	4K
Processor	A16 Bionic	A16 Bionic	A17 Pro	A17 Pro
RAM/storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB	256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Expandable storage	None	None	None	None
Battery	Undisclosed; Apple claims up to 20 hours of video playback (16 hours streamed)	Undisclosed; Apple claims up to 26 hours of video playback (20 hours streamed)	Undisclosed; Apple claims up to 23 hours of video playback (20 hours streamed)	Undisclosed; Apple claims up to 29 hours of video playback (25 hours streamed)
Fingerprint sensor	None (Face ID)	None (Face ID)	None (Face ID)	None (Face ID)
Connector	USB-C (USB 2.0)	USB-C (USB 2.0)	USB-C (USB 3.0)	USB-C (USB 3.0)
Headphone jack	None	None	None	None
Special features	5G (mmw/Sub6), IP68 rating, MagSafe, Dynamic Island	5G (mmw/Sub6), IP68 rating, MagSafe, Dynamic Island	5G (mmw/Sub6), Action Button, Always-On display, IP68 rating, MagSafe, Dynamic Island, 3x optical zoom	5G (mmw/Sub6), Action Button, Always-On display, IP68 rating, MagSafe, Dynamic Island, 5x optical zoom (120mm equivalent)
US price off-contract	$799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB)	$899 (128GB), $999 (256GB), $1,199 (512GB)	$999 (128GB, $1,099 (256GB), $1,299 (512GB), $1,499 (1TB)	$1,199 (256GB), $1,399 (512GB), $1,599 (1TB)
UK price	799 (128GB), 899 (256GB), 1,099 (512GB)	899 (128GB), 999 (256GB), 1,199 (512GB)	999 (128GB), 1,099 (256GB), 1,299 (512GB), 1,499 (1TB)	1,199 (256GB), 1,399 (512GB), 1,599 (1TB)
Australia price	AU$1,499 (128GB), AU$1,699 (256GB), AU$2,049 (512GB)	AU$1,649 (128GB), AU$1,849 (256GB), AU$2,199 (512GB)	AU$1,849 (128GB), AU$2,049 (256GB), AU$2,399 (512GB), AU$2,749 (1TB)	AU$2,199 (256GB), AU$2,549 (512GB), AU$2,899 (1TB)