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If you’re looking for Sunday’s 7 Little Words guide, it’s right here:

Forbes‘7 Little Words’ Hints, Clues And Answers For Sunday, July 13thBy Erik Kain

Okay, day three of writing 7 Little Words guides and we’ll see if this is something I continue entirely based on whether there’s a readership for it or not. I think it’s a genuinely fun game with just the right amount of challenge. It makes you think about words and how they can have different meanings and the clues are always quite clever. I like that some days there’s a kind of theme, like yesterday’s “follow your nose” theme. Today’s is more about wordplay. Let’s solve it!

If you haven’t played the game yet, you can play 7 Little Words right here.

How To Play 7 Little Words

The game is simple. You have a five-by-five grid of boxes, each containing a group of letters. Above this grid are seven phrases, each giving you a clue to seven words. The number of letters is listed next to each phrase. There is no time limit and no penalty for wrong answers. Solve each one in any order you please.

The example given by the game is “deep fried treats” (6 letters) and the boxes that would create the word are DO + NU + TS for DONUTS. The game is played in UK English, so this could throw a little wrench into things for non-Brits.

Hints and Answers for today’s 7 Little Words

Before we get to the answers, below you’ll find the starting “box” for each word in today’s puzzle. Spoilers ahead!

Today’s words are mostly tricky plays on words. For instance, “football” means one thing to Americans and another to everyone else. Shaken, not stirred makes us think of a martini, but we should think of other meanings for “shaken” and the same applies to “beat” which isn’t always musical in nature.

Here are the first letters of each corresponding word:

1. floating on the breeze – 8 letters – AIR
2. poor quality – 5 letters – CH
3. Washington football team – 10 letters – CO
4. waited, in a way – 6 letters – SER
5. “keeps a beat” – 7 letters – PA
6. shaken, not stirred – 8 letters – UNN
7. elevated chat – 9 letters – DIS

Now here are the full answers.

1. floating on the breeze – 8 letters – AIRBORNE
2. poor quality – 5 letters – CHEAP
3. Washington football team – 10 letters – COMMANDERS
4. waited, in a way – 6 letters – SERVED
5. “keeps a beat” – 7 letters – PATROLS
6. shaken, not stirred – 8 letters – UNNERVED
7. elevated chat – 9 letters – DISCOURSE

One thing I find helpful with this puzzle is to really think about how many letters each word is and what kinds of boxes you’ll need to complete the remaining words, especially when you’ve gotten a couple out of the way. I had the last three words remaining this time and since they were 7, 8 and 9 letters I knew that one had to be three three-letter boxes, so I could just ignore the rest of the 2-letter boxes entirely. This got me DISCOURSE and from here, UNNERVED and PATROLS were much more obvious. I like the way today’s puzzle played with meaning. “waited, in a way” being SERVED is quite clever. A very clever puzzle all around.

The Carl Pei-led startup Nothing has just launched its first “flagship” smartphone: the Phone (3). By pricing the phone at $799, the brand is taking on well-established models like Samsung’s Galaxy S25 and Apple’s iPhone 16. However, does it stand a chance against the competition? Let’s find out.

Price and Availability

Pre-orders for Nothing Phone (3) begin July 4, and the general sale commences on July 15. The base variant, which comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, costs $799.

Samsung released the Galaxy S25 in January 2025. It is currently available at $719.99 for the 128GB and $779.99 for the 256GB variant.

Apple’s iPhone 16 was officially announced in September 2024. It is currently available at $799 for the 128GB and $899 for the 256GB variant.

Nothing Doesn’t Play Safe With Design

Nothing has established its brand on unique aesthetics, and the Phone (3) isn’t very different at all. It isn’t the thinnest or lightest phone on the market, but it is the most unique-looking handset, featuring a transparent back panel that houses the Glyph Matrix display (consisting of 489 LEDs) at the top right corner.

Available in white and black colorways, the Phone (3) has an aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus back, and is rated IP68 for dust and water resistance.

The Galaxy S25, on the other hand, is among the thinnest (7.2 mm) and lightest (162 grams) compact flagships on the market. With a punch-hole screen at the front (featuring minimal bezels), the phone boasts an aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both the front and rear, and an IP68 rating.

Beating every other handset in the segment, the Galaxy S25 is available in seven different colors: Navy, Mint, Icy Blue, Silver Shadow, Blueblack, Coralred, and Pinkgold.

The iPhone 16 is even smaller (but thicker and heavier) than the Galaxy S25. It features the Dynamic Island (pill-shaped cutout on the screen), a textured-aluminum frame, an IP68 rating (immersible up to 6m for 30 minutes), and a color-infused glass back with a matte finish.

The iPhone 16 is available in Black, White, Pink, Teal, and Ultramarine colors.

Nothing Phone (3) Has the Biggest Screen

Between the three phones, the Phone (3) features the biggest 6.67-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 2,800 x 1,260 pixels (460 ppi), and an outdoor brightness of 1,600 nits (and a local peak brightness of 4,500 nits).

However, since it uses an LTPS panel, the refresh rate only cycles between 30Hz and 120Hz (it appears that Nothing has cut some corners here). Nonetheless, the screen also implements 2,160Hz PWM dimming for a flicker-free experience.

Samsung’s latest flagship, the Galaxy S25, sports a smaller 6.2-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED panel with a resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 pixels and a peak brightness of 2,600 nits.

Since the phone has an LTPO panel, it can dynamically switch the refresh rate between 1Hz and 120Hz (in the Adaptive mode). It also features better screen protection: Gorilla Glass Victus 2 vs. Gorilla Glass 7i on the Phone (3).

Coming to the iPhone 16, it has an even smaller 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen with a resolution of 2,556 x 1,179 pixels (460 ppi). The screen can shine as bright as 2,000 nits in the high-brightness mode, but its refresh rate is locked at 60Hz (which disappoints me to my core).

Protecting the iPhone 16’s screen is a layer of Ceramic Shield Glass (the newer version released in 2024). While the Phone (3) and the Galaxy S25 support HDR10+, iPhone 16 supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision.

Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 vs. Snapdragon 8 Elite vs. Apple A18

I would like to begin this section by stating that the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 (4nm) on the Phone (3) is not a top-tier flagship processor, as Qualcomm designed it for upper-midrange smartphones (the ones that we often refer to as “flagship killers”).

The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 features a 3.21GHz prime core, the Adreno 825 GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and the Hexagon NPU. Nothing pairs the chipset with up to 16GB LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB UFS 4.0 storage.

While the memory and storage specifications mirror true flagships, the processor remains an exception.

On the Galaxy S25, you get the Snapdragon 8 Elite (for Galaxy) chip based on TSMC’s 3nm fabrication technology. With two 4.32GHz prime cores, the processor also has the Adreno 830 GPU (performs better than the Adreno 825) and Qualcomm’s Hexagon NPU for on-device AI processing.

Besides, Samsung equips its latest flagship with 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage.

Unlike the other two phones with an octa-core CPU, the iPhone 16 has a hexa-core A18 (3nm) chip with two 4.05GHz performance cores, a capable GPU that can handle AAA video gaming, and a 16-core Neural Engine that assists with the Apple Intelligence tools.

You get 8GB LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB of NVMe storage on the iPhone 16.

Nothing OS vs. One UI vs. iOS

Out of the box, the Phone (3) runs on Nothing OS 3.5, a custom skin based on Google’s Android 15 operating system. It offers a clean, minimal user interface with several customization options for fonts, icons, themes (including the popular monochrome look), and includes the new Essential Search (reminds me of Spotlight Search).

With the Nothing Phone (3), you’ll get five years of operating system updates and seven years of security updates. The company has also promised to launch Nothing OS 4.0 (based on Android 16) later this year.

The Galaxy S25 runs on One UI 7 (based on Android 15) and features extensive customization options, more vibrant icons, and integrates Google’s Material You adaptive theme. While Nothing OS incorporates subtle AI-based features, One UI 7.0 takes a more comprehensive approach with Agentic AI that can multi-step tasks (that involve accessing different apps).

These abilities are in addition to the existing Galaxy AI features. All the phones in the Galaxy S25 lineup are set to get seven years of Android and security updates. The next big update — One UI 8 — is already available in beta on the handset.

SoC

Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy

Display

6.2″, 2340 x 1080, Dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz

RAM

12GB

Storage

128GB, 256GB

Battery

4000mAh

Ports

USB-C

The Samsung Galaxy S25 is a powerful and compact smartphone with a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display and a 120Hz refresh rate. It is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, 12GB of RAM, and a 4,000mAh battery with 25W Super Fast Charging.

The iPhone 16 currently runs on iOS 18.5, which is Apple’s most customizable iPhone operating system to date. It lets me place icons anywhere on the home screen, rearrange or resize app icons (and their colors), and features a revamped Control Center, a new Photos app (which received mixed reactions, and the ability to change default apps.

While iOS 18.2 introduced Apple Intelligence tools like Genmoji, Image Playground, Image Wand, ChatGPT Integration in Writing Tools, Siri, and Visual Intelligence, I’m excited for the iOS 26 stable update, which will roll out with the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models.

Regarding software update policy, Apple doesn’t commit to a specific number, but iPhones typically receive the latest iOS updates for around five years after launch.

Phone (3) and Galaxy S25 Provide Triple Cameras

Nothing’s latest handset features a triple camera setup consisting of a 50MP (f/1.7, OIS) primary sensor, a 50MP (f/2.7, OIS) secondary sensor with a 3x optical zoom lens, and a 50MP (f/2.2, 114°) ultrawide sensor. The front camera is also a 50MP (f/2.2) sensor.

Some camera-related features include 4K Ultra XDR recording (up to 60 fps), a 6x in-sensor and 60x hybrid zoom, a dedicated Action Mode for super-stabilized footage, and a macro mode for capturing close-up shots of smaller subjects. Moreover, the Phone (3)’s camera specifications look promising.

The Galaxy S25 also provides three rear-facing cameras. There’s a 50MP (f/1.8, OIS) primary sensor, a 10MP (f/2.4, OIS) secondary sensor with a 3x telephoto lens, and a 12MP (f/2.2, 120°) ultrawide sensor. The front camera, however, is a 12MP (f/2.2) sensor with phase-detection autofocus.

Thanks to the sheer processing power of the Snapdragon 8 Elite, the Galaxy S25 can capture 8K video (up to 30 fps), record in 10-bit HDR, and Galaxy Log. The telephoto sensor doubles as a macro shooter (with a focusing distance of 12.5 cm). Additional features include 30x hybrid zoom, ExpertRAW, Audio Eraser, and Generative Edit.

I Upgraded From an iPhone 13 to an iPhone 16: Here’s What I Noticed

What’s it like living with the iPhone 16?

Talking about my iPhone 16’s cameras, it has a very basic dual-rear camera setup with a 48MP (f/1.6, sensor-shift OIS) primary sensor, a 12MP (f/2.2, 120°) ultrawide sensor, and a 12MP (f/1.9) selfie camera with dual-pixel autofocus. It can’t record 8K videos like the Galaxy S25, but it certainly captures sharp 4K Dolby Vision footage (60 fps) with excellent stabilization.

Other features include 4K Cinematic Mode, Spatial Video, Wind Noise Reduction, and Audio Mix. You can also toy around with the latest-generation Photographic Styles, which give you more control over the tones and hues in a picture, and use the Camera Control button to capture a moment quickly.

Nothing Phone (3) Should Provide More Usage Time

The Phone (3) features the biggest and fastest-charging battery of all the phones in this comparison: a 5,150 mAh silicon-carbon battery that supports 65W wired charging and 15W wireless charging (though it doesn’t support the Qi2 protocol). You also get 7.5W reverse wired and 5W reverse wireless charging.

Due to its smaller form factor, the Galaxy S25 packs a 4,000 mAh battery, supporting 25W wired, 15W wireless (Qi2-Ready), and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. According to Samsung’s official product page, the handset offers up to 29 hours of video playback.

The iPhone 16 features an even smaller 3,561 mAh battery that supports around 30W wired charging, 25W MagSafe charging (with 30W adapter or higher), and Qi2 wireless charging up to 15W. According to Apple, the iPhone 16 provides up to 22 hours of video playback.

Brand

Nothing

SoC

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4

Display

6.67-inch, 1260×2800 (1.5K) AMOLED

RAM

12/16GB

Storage

256/512GB

Battery

5,150 mAh

The Nothing Phone (3) is an ambitious step forward for the brand—its first true “flagship” smartphone, packed with bold design decisions and capable hardware. It sports the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip, 12/16GB RAM, 256GB/512GB storage, a sharp 1.5K AMOLED display, an upgraded triple 50MP camera array, and the new Glyph Matrix, which replaces the original Glyph Interface with more functionality and flair. Design-wise, it’s divisive. The periscope lens awkwardly placed on the rear may irk some, but others will appreciate it as a quirky Nothing hallmark. Performance is smooth and responsive, battery life is solid, and the 65W charging is fast—if you have the right charger.

Galaxy S25 and iPhone 16 Provide Satellite Connectivity

The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip on the Phone (3) features the X75 5G modem, which only supports sub-6GHz 5G networks. It’s worth mentioning that the device is compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile, with “limited 5G support” on Verizon’s network. Other than that, the smartphone supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth v6.0, dual-band GPS, NFC, and a USB Type-C 2.0 port.

Thanks to the Snapdragon X80 5G modem, the Galaxy S25 supports both sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G networks. Besides, the S25 features Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth v5.4, GPS, NFC, and a USB Type-C 3.2 port (faster data transfer and support for DisplayPort 1.2). Unlike the Phone (3), Samsung’s latest smartphone can send/receive messages via satellite (courtesy of Snapdragon Satellite).

Apple’s iPhone 16 features the Snapdragon X71 5G modem, which also supports both sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G networks. The iPhone also features a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip for improved spatial awareness and satellite connectivity for Emergency SOS. Other connectivity options include Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth v5.3, GPS, NFC, and a USB Type-C 2.0 port.

Which Phone Is Right for You?

The Nothing Phone (3)’s biggest selling point is its unique design. If you like the device’s appearance and don’t mind the next-to-flagship chipset, the Phone (3) is a solid contender. While a 50MP triple camera setup, Nothing OS, and the 5,150 mAh battery are among its strengths, the LTPS panel, lack of mmWave connectivity, and limited 5G on Verizon could be concerning for some buyers.

If you’re not into quirky designs and prefer something more minimal, you can opt for a Galaxy S25 or an iPhone 16 based on your user interface preferences and the type of ecosystem you already own. Both phones offer improved performance and connectivity compared to the Phone (3).

I’ve also compiled a detailed comparison between the Galaxy S25 and the iPhone 16.

The hallway sequence required particular beats of action, and stunt coordinator Tom Struthers worked closely with the actors to determine what would be possible and also safe. “A couple of key rigs we used to achieve effects in camera were very specifically inspired by 2001 [AC June ’68] and the way in which Stanley Kubrick portrayed the lack of gravity,” says Nolan. “I was interested in taking those ideas, techniques and philosophies and applying them to an action scenario. I challenged Tom Struthers, Chris Corbould, and Wally and his team to put all the energy of an action scene into a setup that we could shoot with these extraordinary rigs. I think the result is an interesting hybrid; it’s surreal and quirky, but it’s got a pounding action rhythm.”

“Safety was a huge concern, and it was very painful for the actors because they had to bounce off the walls,” says Pfister. “They had to learn to jump at just the right moment. We had a crewmember with a hand poised over the kill switch at all times.”

Another elaborate set is a hotel bar where gravity suddenly shifts and the weather outside undergoes a sudden, dramatic change. Corbould and his crew built the entire set to tilt 30 degrees. The set windows looked out on greenscreens that would be replaced with vistas in post. To effect the lighting change, Pfister’s crew wired all fixtures to a dimmer board. The scene’s initial lighting required a sunset feel, so Molebeams were gelled with 2Vi CTS. 32 July 2010 As that light dimmed, 60’-long softboxes filled with Maxi-Brutes and covered with Grid Cloth were brought up to create overcast light. “That’s one scene where the camerawork and lighting become surreal, but it’s all part of the storyline,” says Pfister. “It’s still a naturalistic approach in that every source is motivated. What’s very unusual is the way it changes. Combined with the set tilting, it creates a very unsettling sensation.”

Laying out the setting’s elevator shaft horizontally was Nolan’s idea, and Pfister notes that doing so “allowed us to give the scene scope that could not have been achieved any other way. In your average Hollywood movie, that would be a visual-effects-heavy scene, but in keeping with our policy of doing as much in-camera as possible, we got it for real, and it was wonderfully successful.”

After wrapping up in England, the production spent a week in Paris and then two weeks in Morocco. The shoot then brought the filmmakers to Los Angeles, where they spent three weeks shooting an action sequence downtown in the rain. The biggest challenge there, according to Pfister, was blocking the sun with Condors and huge flags. “Ray Garcia did a phenomenal job blocking light in resourceful ways and helping to make the rain look credible,” says the cinematographer. “When I was fretting about harsh sunlight that occasionally sneaked into a shot, Chris, who is always happy to speed things along, would remind me, ‘Well, it is a dream.’”

One segment of the downtown shoot called for a full-sized train to hurtle down a city street without actual rails. To achieve this, production designer Guy Dyas built a mock locomotive onto the chassis of an 18- wheeler. “It was fantastically detailed,” says Pfister. “We shot that, along with many of our downtown L.A. action sequences, in 65 mm using an Ultimate Arm.” As the train approached, Pfister, working handheld, tried a number of things to make the frame shake, and in the end he simply shook the camera. “The simple solution is often the right one,” he observes with a laugh.

For high-speed work, the filmmakers were constantly reaching for the highest possible frame rates. Many such scenes were filmed in daylight, but several were done in artificial light. In one scene, shot on the third floor of a hotel in downtown L.A., Cobb’s dream is interrupted when he falls backward into a bathtub full of water. To heighten the effect, and to communicate Cobb’s passage from a dream state to consciousness, Nolan asked for a speed ramp. The goal was 1,000 fps, necessitating the faster Photo-Sonics camera and a 7-stop light loss. “We knew we needed a lot of punch to shoot at 1,000 frames with that camera,” says Geryak. “The lenses it requires only go to a stop of4.5.1 believe I was getting the equivalent of f/90 on the edge-light, measuring the light at 24 fps. We achieved that by setting two Condors outside the windows that each held two Arrimax 18K Pars with spot reflectors; they were less than 15 feet from Leo. We also had two 12K Pars banging into the ceiling for ‘a bit of fill’ — the stand-in actually started steaming!” Pfister notes, “The shot looks great. You can see individual beads of water, which gives the scene an otherworldly feeling.”

Another complicated shot involved rotating a van on its horizontal axis 360 degrees. The target frame rate was 1,000 fps, leading Geryak to construct what Nolan jokingly dubbed the “tunnel of expense.” Geryak explains, “We essentially built a tunnel out of truss. We had six rows of five 18K Fresnels lined up around the van, aiming straight in. The van spun within that tunnel. The result was basically a wraparound blanket of daylight. We didn’t have any lights on the ground, so as the van spins, the intermittent darkness communicates that they are spinning and flipping over.”

Onstage at Warner Bros., a portion of a Japanese fortress interior was built and destroyed for the production; this footage was melded with exteriors shot at Abalone Cove in Palos Verdes, Calif. For another sequence, the interior of a wintry mountain redoubt was built onstage at Universal Studios. In the scene, pieces of the floor fall away as the fortress crumbles. To achieve the effect practically, the production built the main level of the set higher than normal, so chunks of the floor could collapse and fall away on cue. The set was surrounded by large greenscreens, which were later replaced by snowy Rocky Mountain vistas.

“In order to have enough green outside and still give the feel of daylight coming through the windows, the lights and the greenscreen needed to be positioned a considerable distance back, which, of course, meant that the greenscreens had to be bigger,” says Geryak. “We knew the actual location, near Calgary, would have soft ambient light, and that the sun would be behind the mountain, so we built about a dozen 20-foot-long soft boxes that we could raise and lower. They could be configured to follow the path of the windows, which had an irregular triangular shape.” The crew hung space lights just outside and above the windows to create the feel of natural skylight that could stream in more strongly when the floor fell away.

The exteriors for this sequence were filmed in Kaninaskis Country, in the mountains west of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. Two versions of the mountain fortress were built, one full-sized and the other a miniature that was eventually blown up. Extraordinary ski footage was shot by ski-unit director of photography Chris Patterson, whose work “simply blew us away,” says Pfister.

Because Nolan intended to intercut a lot of material in the edit, he asked Pfister to give each location and dream level a distinctive feel. “We wanted to have the color palette change quite a bit when we go from one location to another,” says Pfister. “Calgary has a sterile, cool look; the hallways have warm hues; and the van scenes are neutral. You immediately know where you are, even if we cut to a tighter shot or to something that is slightly out of context. It’s a choice that helps tell the story.”

“This film relies heavily on cross-cutting,” notes Nolan. “Editorially, you are very liberated if the different locations each have a distinct look, but Wally and I were loath to do any artificial processing to the image. Instead, we wanted to find the natural hues of each location. In the script, I tried to place the different strands of action in locations that would naturally be different in terms of their design and feel. We asked everyone to observe that, including the design and sound departments, and Wally carried that very elegantly into the photography.”

“I consider myself a naturalist in terms of lighting,” says Pfister. “I don’t often light in a stylized way. In certain situations, due to creative choices or natural beauty, things do end up looking stylized, but that happens naturally. It’s fun that Chris and I are able to make big studio films using this approach.

“I’m always fighting to keep things from becoming overly complicated,” continues the cinematographer. “I never want things to look over lit — or lit, for that matter. The trick is to work quickly and simply while getting results that don’t look as though they were rushed. I think it goes back to my training as a news and documentary cameraman. In those situations, you learn to find the beauty in natural light. You start with the simplest terms: which direction to look, the time of day, single or multiple sources. You take note of what works in real life, and you form an opinion according to your taste. I take that with me not only to practical locations but also to the stage, even though we have the advantage of being able to design the stage situations.”

Pfister maintains that operating the camera is integral to his approach. “In good photography, I can’t distinguish between good lighting and good composition; they work in conjunction. When it comes to handheld work, I always want to operate myself because I can change my mind and react at any given moment. Chris and I have a general formula for covering action — from behind, from the front, and then bridging things together with different sizes. Operating allows me to adapt within this formula as the material, the drama, the lighting and the environment change.”

Inception‘s post phase involved multiple facilities. According to post supervisor David Hall, the two Phantom HD shots that made it into the final cut were sent to Double Negative in London and finished as visual-effects shots. The 65mm negative was scanned at 6K at DKP 70mm Inc. under the watchful eye of company president David Keighley. Those 6K files were then turned over to Technicolor in Hollywood, where a team extracted from the 6K data to generate 4K 35 mm filmouts that could be combined with the native 35mm footage. Pfister did all of the color timing photochemically at Technicolor, working with longtime collaborator David Orr. In addition to 35mm and digital-cinema presentations, Inception will be released on 70mm Imax in select markets, and DKP 70mm Inc. scanned the 35mm color-timed interpositives to create those prints.

“The photochemical process is quite simple and works well for us,” notes Pfister. “I put a lot of care into the color balance and exposure during filming, and that limits the manipulation required in post. If we want a scene to have more contrast, we accomplish that with lighting, wardrobe and set design. We were able to time this entire film in just three check prints. That’s about half the time of the average digital intermediate.”