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Sometimes, it takes a moment to notice the subtler elements of a phone’s software design – but that’s not always for the best reasons.Take One UI 7, for example. Samsung’s latest mobile operating system update marked a major visual refresh, bringing new icons, fonts, and color schemes to the software’s visual elements.However, as one member of the TechRadar team discovered, there’s one aspect of Samsung’s latest Android wrapper that makes less sense than ever before.To cut to the chase, Samsung’s new battery icon is confusingly vague and hard to recognize. TechRadar’s Homes Editor Ruth Hamilton tells me that when she updated her Galaxy A54 to One UI 7, she couldn’t even tell what the battery icon was.That battery symbol certainly looks pretty round (Image credit: Ruth Hamilton / Future )“I left the UI update to run overnight, and the following morning I couldn't for the life of me work out what the icon in the top right of my phone screen was,” said Ruth.“At that point, it was half dark, half light, with a 45 in the middle. I was baffled. Did I have 45 messages? Surely not."Ruth added: “Amidst the general mild disorientation that follows any UI tweak for something you're using regularly, I just didn't twig. In the absence of the usual visual cues – a percentage symbol, or a suggestion of a terminal – I couldn't work out what I was looking at.”As this image from a deleted Reddit account shows, the battery icon is especially hard to understand without the percentage in the middle. (Image credit: Reddit)As the above details, Samsung’s new battery icon is basically just a big oval that can, optionally, have a number representing battery percentage planted in the middle. It’s more circular than rectangular and a far cry from the clear battery-shaped icon used in One UI 6.Even as someone who tests and reviews the best smartphones for a living, I have to admit that I only really recognize the icon as a battery meter thanks to its placement at the top-right corner of the screen.Apple got it right The icons throughout Liquid Glass reflect the real world (Image credit: Apple)As it happens, I had just finished writing a piece about Apple’s new Liquid Glass design and return to skeuomorphism (that's digital design based on real-world things) when Ruth got in touch.If you ask me, Samsung’s misstep with the One UI 7 battery icon shows that Apple made the right call by choosing to ramp up the realism with iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26.Tech moves forward in a way that can detach things from their original inspiration – take the pause icon, for example, which was inspired by the caesura, punctuation used in poetry to mark a moment of rest. I think you'd struggle to find someone on the street who could tell you that without looking it up (as I did).But this has to be done in a way that doesn’t alienate parts of the user base. Apple sticking with the pictographic battery icon for Liquid Glass is a safe bet, but some of the best Android phones push things gently with more abstract rectangles that still feel familiar enough.As others here at TechRadar have pointed out, Liquid Glass has its own issues with legibility, but at least everything is pretty recognizable (when you can actually see it). And, overall, I’m a big fan of the charming, colorful presentation of One UI 7 whenever I pick up one of the best Samsung phones.With all that said, the battery icon stands as a reminder that UI design needs to cater to the everyday user as much as the smartphone specialist. Do you find Samsung’s new battery icon confusing? Let us know in the comments below.You might also likePixel 6a phones keep catching fire, so Google is going to put limits on their batteriesI get annoying spam calls all the time, so I can’t wait for the Call Screening feature in iOS 26Apple’s new Liquid Glass UI design unveiled at WWDC 2025 is nothing new – I can see right through it

Looking for a different day?A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, June 14 (game #1237).Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.Quordle today (game #1238) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too). Quordle today (game #1238) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 0.Quordle today (game #1238) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.Quordle today (game #1238) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:Quordle today (game #1238) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?• S• S• B• CRight, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.Quordle today (game #1238) - the answers(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)The answers to today's Quordle, game #1238, are…SHOCKSTEINBROILCOVENThe first word I got today – COVEN – was straight out of the Quordle databank rather than deduction. Although it hasn’t featured since February it feels like it pops up a fair amount. STEIN, meanwhile, was my best guess, as I didn’t really take any time to calculate if there were any alternatives. A nice way to end the week.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.Daily Sequence today (game #1238) - the answers(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1238, are…DRAINCIRCATEPEESPIEDQuordle answers: The past 20Quordle #1237, Saturday, 14 June: STICK, FERRY, THESE, IONICQuordle #1236, Friday, 13 June: REPEL, LARGE, SNIDE, CARRYQuordle #1235, Thursday, 12 June: SCANT, BATCH, UNDER, PARSEQuordle #1234, Wednesday, 11 June: CRAVE, ROOST, ANGLE, FLOODQuordle #1233, Tuesday, 10 June: DECRY, CHEEK, FILET, EASELQuordle #1232, Monday, 9 June: DERBY, LEMON, WRITE, HOVELQuordle #1231, Sunday, 8 June: REBAR, ALERT, PAYEE, FLUMEQuordle #1230, Saturday, 7 June: FLUNK, ESTER, SPITE, CHEAPQuordle #1229, Friday, 6 June: ELUDE, KHAKI, VISTA, SMOKYQuordle #1228, Thursday, 5 June: CHIDE, RABBI, GUSTY, LANCEQuordle #1227, Wednesday, 4 June: BANAL, STOUT, SEDAN, HIPPOQuordle #1226, Tuesday, 3 June: FUGUE, SYRUP, FLACK, WORSTQuordle #1225, Monday, 2 June: THINK, BELLE, CRONE, BOULEQuordle #1224, Sunday, 1 June: POINT, MERIT, WHOOP, APHIDQuordle #1223, Saturday, 31 May: CRUMB, ELFIN, DRIER, QUITEQuordle #1222, Friday, 30 May: RAJAH, CAUSE, BLACK, ETUDEQuordle #1221, Thursday, 29 May: CRIER, DRAPE, STRUT, NEIGHQuordle #1220, Wednesday, 28 May: HELLO, BEADY, VIGIL, PURERQuordle #1219, Tuesday, 27 May: TWEET, RANGE, POPPY, RADARQuordle #1218, Monday, 26 May: BLEAT, HOWDY, ASIDE, SCOOP

Looking for a different day?A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, June 14 (game #734).Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.NYT Connections today (game #735) - today's words(Image credit: New York Times)Today's NYT Connections words are…FATHERLANGUAGESODABLASTSMOKINGMUDACTIONBURSTCRUDPOPULARFUDGEBREWROCKET FUELNUDITYJAVACURSESNYT Connections today (game #735) - hint #1 - group hintsWhat are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?YELLOW: Cafe cultureGREEN: Low level angerBLUE: PG ratedPURPLE: Different meanings for a word that rhymes with “stop”Need more clues?We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…NYT Connections today (game #735) - hint #2 - group answersWhat are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?YELLOW: SLANG FOR COFFEE GREEN: "AW, HECK!" BLUE: CONSIDERATIONS FOR MOVIE RATINGS PURPLE: WHAT "POP" MIGHT MEAN Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.NYT Connections today (game #735) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Connections, game #735, are…YELLOW: SLANG FOR COFFEE BREW, JAVA, MUD, ROCKET FUELGREEN: "AW, HECK!" BLAST, CRUD, CURSES, FUDGEBLUE: CONSIDERATIONS FOR MOVIE RATINGS ACTION, LANGUAGE, NUDITY, SMOKINGPURPLE: WHAT "POP" MIGHT MEAN BURST, FATHER, POPULAR, SODAMy rating: HardMy score: FailI used up three lives trying to pin down SLANG FOR COFFEE today. I knew that BREW, JAVA, and ROCKET FUEL had coffee in common, but had no clue on the fourth and had never heard of anyone calling it MUD.I’ve since learned it’s a very basic method of brewing coffee that means everything has to settle before you drink it. For a while I thought that MUD and FUDGE could form a group as they are both words that feature in famous deserts.Four words eliminated, WHAT “POP” MIGHT MEAN came together after a shuffle put FATHER, POPULAR and SODA beside each other and I guessed what we were looking for. From here, though, my good fortune deserted me and I failed to collect “AW, HECK!”, thinking instead that we were looking for something to do with emojis. How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, June 14, game #734)YELLOW: GODDESS DIVA, ICON, LEGEND, QUEENGREEN: ELEMENTS OF A CLASSIC "MOM" TATTOO ARROW, HEART, MOM, RIBBONBLUE: DOGS OF THE SCREEN ASTRO, BLUE, HOOCH, TOTOPURPLE: __ TERRIER BORDER, BOSTON, BULL, RATWhat is NYT Connections?NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Looking for a different day?A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, June 14 (game #468).Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.NYT Strands today (game #469) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Here's to him!NYT Strands today (game #469) - hint #2 - clue wordsPlay any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.SCOREPEACHTHEREHAILPROLECROPNYT Strands today (game #469) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?• Spangram has 10 lettersNYT Strands today (game #469) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?First side: left, 5th rowLast side: right, 5th rowRight, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.NYT Strands today (game #469) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Strands, game #469, are…CHALUPACRAWDADPOPCORNPAPARAZZIPOPSICLESPANGRAM: FATHERS DAYMy rating: ModerateMy score: 1 hintAs obvious as it seems in hindsight it took me two words before I realised that today’s theme was a homage to the world’s fathers, with a selection of words featuring either pa, papa, dad or pop.I spent a while wondering what Mexican food (CHALUPA) has got to do with shellfish (CRAWDAD) before I got it.Although there is a sentiment that FATHER’S DAY is merely a holiday to generate some summertime cash for the greeting card industry, I say any day that allows you to appreciate family is a good thing.I do, however, think that some companies go too far trying to climb on board that dad train – chocolate and whisky is one thing, but a department store I was in last week had a sign beside a desktop printer that said “Give your father what he really wants this Father’s Day”. I think I can speak on behalf of most fathers when I say that what we really want is not a printer.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, June 14, game #468)CROSSMOONTRIANGLESTARSTRIPECROWNSHIELDSPANGRAM: FLAG SYMBOLWhat is NYT Strands?Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.