• Spotify's CEO is clarifying comments he made about content creation after drawing backlash.
• Daniel Ek said last week the cost of content creation was "close to zero," and people got upset.
• On Sunday, he said his words were "far too vague" and "clumsy" in his initial post.

Spotify's CEO is doing some damage control after upsetting users with "reductive" comments about content creation.

The saga began last week with a post from Daniel Ek on X, formerly Twitter.

"Today, with the cost of creating content being close to zero, people can share an incredible amount of content," he wrote. "This has sparked my curiosity about the concept of long shelf life versus short shelf life. While much of what we see and hear quickly becomes obsolete, there are timeless ideas or even pieces of music that can remain relevant for decades or even centuries."

His comments about the cost of making content being "close to zero" rubbed many people the wrong way, and they quickly sounded off in his replies — with some criticizing Spotify's royalty payments to artists.

"Good content costs money to make. Especially if you're an artist who gets paid fractions of a cent for their 'content,'" one person wrote.

"Music will still be valued in a hundred years. Spotify won't. It will only be remembered as a bad example of a parasitic tool for extracting value from other peoples music. (or "content" as some grifters like to call it) AI will seal your fate," another person added.

Ek responded to the backlash in a subsequent post on Sunday.

"Obviously seeing the feedback to this one and wanted to respond. It's clear I was far too vague in the post, including with my clumsy definition of content. I understand how it came across as very reductive and that wasn't my intent," he wrote. "Just to clarify – my original point was not to devalue the time, effort, or resources involved in creating meaningful works, whether it's music, literature, or other forms of creative expression."

He also tried to reword his original remarks.

"The significant drop in the cost of creation tools (microphones, laptops, cameras) has led to an unprecedented explosion in the volume of what people are able to produce," he said. "Creation is only part of the equation."

Spotify did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It makes sense that Ek is looking to address the criticism from his original post. Spotify has been trying to position itself as a creator platform in recent years, and angering or alienating content creators — who go through the effort to make the music and podcasts that keep people coming back to Spotify — wouldn't be good for business.

The company in 2022 said it had a "vision to become the world's creator platform." Spotify has been trying to compete with TikTok on short video and discovery and YouTube on video podcasts.

Spotify is also raising prices in the US, announcing on Monday that Premium plans would be increasing in July. An individual plan will now cost $11.99 a month, a student account $5.99, a "Duo" plan $16.99, and family plans $19.99.

• The DOJ says releasing the Biden-Hur audio recordings is too risky.
• The feds are concerned that the recordings could spark a surge in Biden deepfakes.
• Republicans and conservative groups have demanded access to the audio; a transcript is already available.

The Department of Justice really doesn't want Biden to become the subject of another audio deepfake.

Republicans and conservative groups have waged a legal battle to get their hands on the audio recordings of Biden's interview with special counsel Robert Hur, who oversaw the DOJ's investigation into the president's handling of classified documents and ultimately decided not to pursue charges, citing Biden's age and poor memory.

The DOJ clapped back against the groups in a legal filing late last week, arguing that releasing the audio could ignite an AI-powered, deepfake frenzy.

"The passage of time and advancements in audio, artificial intelligence, and 'deep fake' technologies only amplify concerns about malicious manipulation of audio files," the DOJ wrote in its filing. "If the audio recording is released here, it is easy to foresee that it could be improperly altered, and that the altered file could be passed off as an authentic recording and widely distributed."

Among the worries for the DOJ: "A malicious actor could slow down the speed of the recording or insert words that President Biden did not say or delete words that he did say."

Even though there are already recordings of Biden's voice that could be used to create deepfakes, any faked audio may be easier to pass off as the real thing if news spreads that a Biden audio was released, prosecutors argue in the filing.

Though a full transcript of the Biden-Hur interview was released in March, Republicans have been demanding the DOJ release the audio recordings. Conservative organizations Judicial Watch and Heritage Foundation joined in, suing the DOJ in an attempt to get their hands on the audio.

Nearly a dozen other news outlets, including Business Insider, have also sued to get the audio released, Politico reported.

The DOJ has argued that Republicans only want the tapes to serve their own political agenda and that they are escalating the conflict "for conflict's sake." A politics and national security expert previously told Business Insider that Republicans could, for example, use the tapes as "raw material for campaign ads."

Biden is already no stranger to deepfakes of his voice. In January, a political phone call scheme used an AI-generated version of his voice to tell Democratic voters in New Hampshire not to vote in the state's primary election.

Lawyers for the lawsuit's plaintiffs did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI, nor did the DOJ.

• Abortion rights has become a major issue in the 2024 election.
• President Joe Biden has repeatedly promised to enshrine Roe into law.
• Former President Donald Trump says he wants to leave the issue to each state.

The Supreme Court's landmark reversal of Roe v. Wade unleashed a torrent of emotions that upended the 2022 midterms. Two years later, abortion rights remain a major issue in the 2024 election.

Polling at both the state and national level shows that abortion is likely President Joe Biden's best issue. But alone, it's unlikely to be enough to save him.

Just look at Arizona: Advocates there are hoping to put a measure guaranteeing a right to an abortion until fetal viability, roughly 22 to 25 weeks of pregnancy, before voters this November. A recent CBS News-YouGov poll showed 65% of Arizonans would vote in favor of such a ballot measure. In the same survey, Biden still trailed former President Donald Trump in the state among likely voters 47% to 52%.

There's also confusion about the issue that could dampen Biden's advantage.

Nearly one in five voters (17%) in six key swing states incorrectly said Biden is responsible for the end of nationwide abortion rights, according to New York Times/Siena College polls. The Supreme could only overturn Roe thanks to the three Trump-appointed justices. On multiple occasions, Trump has emphatically bragged that he killed Roe.

Here's a guide on where Biden and Trump stand on the issue.

Where Joe Biden stands on abortion rights

Biden has repeatedly promised that he would restore Roe. It's not a simple endeavor. Biden would need Democrats to hold a trifecta again, which would require him to win reelection, Democrats to keep the Senate, and to retake the House. Political pundits currently favor the GOP to retake the chamber, given that some of the most closely-watched races are taking place in states Trump won in 2020.

Even controlling Congress likely wouldn't be enough. The Senate filibuster requires a de facto 60-vote majority for legislation that would enshrine nationwide abortion rights protection into law. It's difficult to see how Democrats could net nine additional seats they would need for a filibuster-proof majority. Democrats could change or completely end the filibuster, but such efforts have fizzled in the past. Ending the filibuster would also open the door to Republicans' passing a nationwide abortion ban in the future.

Some legal experts have also questioned whether Congress has the power to guarantee abortion access. It's almost certain that anti-abortion rights groups would file legal challenges if Democrats were able to pass such a law.

There are other ways Biden could affect abortion access if he remains in power. The Biden administration has defended access to the abortion drug mifepristone all the way up to the Supreme Court. Under Biden's direction, the Pentagon has a policy of reimbursing servicemembers who travel for an abortion if they cannot obtain the procedure in the area where they are stationed.

A Biden White House would also likely challenge Republican-led states that try to restrict abortion rights further. For example, Biden and the Justice Department have vowed to defend the ability for women to travel between states if they want to obtain an abortion.

Where Donald Trump stands on abortion rights

While there's little doubt Trump has done more to limit access to abortion in the US than any other president, he has recently tried to avoid the topic entirely, saying that the issue should be left up to individual states.

"The states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land," Trump said in a recent video. "In this case, the law of the state."

The former president did not mention the role of state Supreme Courts, an issue that came to a head days after Trump's abortion announcement when the Arizona state Supreme Court found that an 1864 near-total ban on abortions was enforceable. Trump and many Republicans said Arizona went too far amid an uproar after the ruling. (Ultimately, Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, signed a repeal of the territorial-era ban into law.)

Trump has been less clear on what else he believes about the topic. He has repeatedly promised to outline his views on mifepristone but has failed to do so. He hasn't said how he will vote as a Florida resident on a proposed constitutional amendment that would guarantee access to abortion to the fetal viability or "when necessary to protect the patient's health, as determined by the patient's healthcare provider."

Trump's allies want to go even further. Project 2025, an unofficial partnership of right-wing think tanks, has outlined an ambitious series of plans to curtail abortion rights if Trump wins in November. While Trump's campaign has distanced itself from the group, many of the authors of its plans held key positions in his administration. The plan calls for a future GOP president to take action to reverse FDA approval of mifepristone and to restrict "mail-order abortions."

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It's strange to think Apple started with a single iPhone model back in 2007 when the company has eight to pick from in 2024. For some, having so many iPhones available complicates choosing the best iPhone. On the other hand, it also means you can find the one that's right for you.

Whether your decision-making is based on performance, features, display size, or price, our buying guide can help you home-in on the best iPhone. Collectively, our tech reviewers have tested and reviewed iPhones since the first device, so our picks can assure you. Many of our tech reviewers also use iPhones daily as personal devices, and we can confidently comment on their long-term use and identify shortcomings.

After extensive usage and testing, we determined that the iPhone 15 is the best iPhone for most people. It has the fewest compromises for the best value. For those on a budget, we recommend the iPhone 13 for its overall similarities to the iPhone 15 for a lower price.

Our top picks for the best iPhone

Best overall: iPhone 15 – See at Best Buy

Best budget: iPhone 13 – See at Best Buy

Best premium: iPhone 15 Pro – See at Best Buy

Best battery life: iPhone 15 Plus – See at Best Buy

Best small size: iPhone SE (2022) – See at Best Buy

Best overall

The iPhone 15 is the best option for most people. Besides being one of the latest models you can buy, it's a big update over the iPhone 14 in features and performance. It uses the A16 Bionic chipset and Dynamic Island feature introduced in the iPhone 14 Pro.

Performance has increased, which couldn't be said for the iPhone 14 since that model repurposed the same A15 Bionic chipset used in the iPhone 13. In our benchmark tests, the iPhone 15 showed a notable uptick from its predecessor, while the iPhone 14 and 13 yielded similar results. In day-to-day use, you won't notice a huge performance difference right now, but that gap will widen as apps and iOS updates become more advanced over the years. With that said, the A16 is technically an older processor.

Battery life is roughly on par with the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 15 Pro. Your mileage will vary depending on your usage, but you will likely need to charge the iPhone 15 each night. Only the iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro Max lasted longer due to their larger batteries.

One criticism of the iPhone 14 is that because it wasn't a big leap over the iPhone 13, both phones felt similar. While the iPhone 15 retains the same design, the user experience is now akin to the newer Pro models, thanks to the inclusion of Dynamic Island. Located at the top, where the front camera and Face ID sensor are, Dynamic Island is a novel way to interact with notifications, alerts, and app shortcuts. It's a clever way to display information without covering the entire screen.

Since Apple is moving away from the Lightning connector, the iPhone 15 uses USB-C for charging and data transfer; there's also MagSafe and wireless charging. The move standardizes the cables you'd need for electronics, but Lightning-based iPhone owners would need to buy new cables, chargers, and adapters. 

However, unlike the USB-C ports in the iPhone 15 Pro models that support faster USB 3 transfer speeds, the iPhone 15's connector only handles USB 2, comparable to Lightning. Technologically, in this implementation, the iPhone 15's move to USB-C offers no advantage over Lightning. And unless you already own USB-C accessories, it will be more of an inconvenience for those who have been living in a Lightning-only world.

The iPhone 15's main camera also gets upgraded from 12 megapixels to 48 megapixels, similar to the iPhone 15 Pro. Optical zoom reaches farther, at 2x. Users can save photos in 24-megapixel high resolution, which allows for greater quality, particularly in low light. In Portrait mode, you have greater control over subject focus and depth of field, and Apple claims the detailing and coloring are stronger. The iPhone 15 even captures depth information in standard mode, so you can enable Portrait features afterward, like blurring. 

In our opinion, the iPhone camera system has been stellar for several generations, and most users will find it difficult to see the differences when viewing on a small screen. Still, you're getting the second-best iPhone camera system (after the iPhone 15 Pro) available, which will more than satisfy most casual photographers and videographers for some time.

One new feature that didn't get trickled down from the Pro series is the always-on display. However, the screen's resolution and maximum peak brightness did get a boost.

The iPhone 15 marks Apple's most transformative change to its standard model since the iPhone 12. While it isn't revolutionary — we don't think iPhone 14 users need to trade in unless they want a slightly faster processor, Dynamic Island, USB-C, and enhanced camera — there are enough new things to make it a worthwhile upgrade. 

Read our full iPhone 15 review and see our guide to the best iPhone 15 cases to protect the phone. 

Best budget

The iPhone 13 stretches the definition of a "budget" option with its $599 starting price, especially when the iPhone SE (2022) is less expensive at $429. However, the iPhone 13 comes more highly recommended over the iPhone SE because the former offers a better value and experience in the long run. 

The iPhone 13 could also be considered a cheaper version of the latest model, the iPhone 15, while the iPhone SE is the last of a dying breed of older iPhones and targets a niche preference for small phones.

In many ways, the iPhone 13 is similar to the iPhone 15. It has a 6.1-inch OLED display and many of Apple's modern features that aren't available on the iPhone SE, like Face ID, MagSafe wireless charging, mmWave 5G support (the super-fast 5G network), an ultrawide camera, Night Mode for low-light photography, and a better selfie camera. 

While its cameras are not as upgraded as those on the iPhone 15, the iPhone 13 still takes beautiful photos that are hard to complain about. 

The iPhone 13's performance isn't far behind the iPhone 15's, seeing as the former runs on Apple's A15 processor and the latter runs on the A16 processor. The iPhone 13 should still have plenty of life ahead of it despite being a couple of years older than the iPhone 15.

The iPhone SE (2022) also runs on the same A15 processor. Despite its low price, we hesitate to recommend the iPhone SE due to its small screen, antiquated design, short battery life, and lack of modern Apple features. The SE has limited appeal (our pick for the best small iPhone), but you should consider your needs besides price.

The iPhone 14 is a very good phone on its own, but the value isn't there for its $699 starting price. It runs on the same processor as the iPhone 13 and essentially offers an identical experience overall. The only reason you'd buy the iPhone 14 over the iPhone 13 is for Apple's Crash Detection and satellite-based Emergency SOS safety features. 

However, based on Apple's product refresh cycle, the iPhone 14 will supersede the iPhone 13 as the budget option this fall, so you could hold off until around September to snag the more recent model at a lower price.

Best premium

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are the only current options in the Pro series, so for advanced users, the decision boils down to size preference and camera features (more on that later). Both share the same high-end components, so everyday performance is mostly on par with the exception of battery life. The Pro Max can accommodate a larger battery, which results in an almost 10% advantage over the standard Pro model.

The phones carry over features introduced in the iPhone 14 Pro, like Dynamic Island, always-on display, Crash Detection, and satellite-based Emergency SOS. But the iPhone 15 Pro has several new features that may make iPhone 14 Pro users — particularly those with demanding workflows, like videographers — ponder upgrading.

The iPhone 15 Pro launches the new A17 Pro chipset with a six-core GPU that delivers better graphics performance over the Bionic's four- and five-core GPUs, according to Apple. This enhancement means games, animations, and other effects should look even smoother. Most users will have difficulty noticing the difference — benchmark tests reveal a slight improvement over the A16 Bionic's numbers — but we're likely to see it down the road when more apps take advantage of the chipset.

Like the regular iPhone 15, Apple standardized the connector from Lightning to USB-C. What's unique to the Pro models is that the USB-C port supports faster data transfers (USB 3). For advanced users, this is a game changer: it allows for faster file transfers between the iPhone 15 Pro and a Mac or hard drive, as well as connecting to peripherals like 4K displays. 

Unfortunately, Apple doesn't include a cable that supports fast transfers or a charger — just a basic USB-C variant for charging — so upgraders may need to add one. Existing iPhone Pro users will likely already have USB-C accessories they can repurpose, particularly those who own newer iPads, Macs, and PCs.

Another new feature is the Action Button above the volume buttons on the phone's left side. It's used for switching between ring and silent modes, but it can be customized to quickly access commonly used functions like the flashlight, camera, shortcuts, and more. It's handy, but our gripe is that it can only be used for one function at a time, and you'd need to dive into the settings menu to remap the button. 

Apple upgraded the iPhone 15 Pro's body material from stainless steel to titanium. When bonded with aluminum using a novel manufacturing process, Apple says the titanium frame is super-strong and allows for thinner borders and contoured edges. It also gives it a unique metallic finish. While looks are subjective, the iPhone 15 Pro is beautiful, but we aren't sold that it looks any more attractive than the iPhone 14 Pro, as both use a matte glass back. 

The titanium body is also lighter than stainless steel. The iPhone 15 Pro is 0.67 ounces lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro, and Apple says it's more comfortable to hold. For us, it was difficult to spot the contrasts.

The camera system, perhaps the phone's most sophisticated feature, got upgraded. The main camera is still 48 megapixels, but there's now a 24-megapixel mode that creates high-resolution photos with improved lighting and details. Like the iPhone 15, the Pro lineup gets improved Portrait mode, but there's a third, telephoto lens that's not available in the standard model. On the iPhone 15 Pro Max, that telephoto lens now has a longer 5x zoom versus 3x in the iPhone 15 Pro. There are lots of features designed for advanced photographers and videographers, but they could be overkill for the casual user.

Both the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max come in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options, but the iPhone 15 Pro also has a 128GB entry-level model for those who want a sub-$1K Pro model.

The iPhone 15 Pro is not only the fastest iPhone you can buy right now, but it's loaded with features that appeal to advanced users or those who simply want the best and newest. The Pro Max version increases the screen size and battery life. That said, the iPhone Pro is not for every user. Most people will find the Pro an overkill and be satisfied with the standard iPhone 15 models, not to mention the cost savings. 

See our guides to the best iPhone 15 Pro cases or best iPhone 15 Pro Max cases to protect either phone. 

Best battery life

The iPhone 15 Plus is identical to the iPhone 15 (our overall recommendation) in terms of performance and features. The two big exceptions are the size (6.7-inch display) and larger battery, which Apple claims is enough for 26 hours of video playback versus 20 hours in the smaller iPhone 15.

If you want longer battery life, don't mind (or prefer) a bigger screen, and need to stay on budget (Apple's other 6.7-inch option is the pricier iPhone 15 Pro Max), the iPhone 15 Plus is a winner.

Our tests yielded approximately 66% battery life remaining after we played a 4K YouTube video for two hours, streamed music to a Bluetooth speaker for an hour, and ran several benchmark tests that taxed the chipset's processors. That's 14% more than the iPhone 15. Your mileage will vary, but in terms of real-world performance, you could get more than a day's worth of use before recharging.

While the large screen is great for viewing, the device's overall size may not be for everyone.

See our guide to the best iPhone 15 Plus cases to protect the phone. 

Best small size

Now that Apple has gotten rid of its Mini series of iPhones, your best (and only) bet for a small iPhone in Apple's current lineup is the third-generation iPhone SE, released in 2022.

With its 4.7-inch display, the iPhone SE is the smallest iPhone you can buy. While it lacks the modern features of other iPhones, it appeals to buyers who want a smaller device and older but familiar tech, like Touch ID. Just be aware that the phone has an outdated user experience.

Powering the iPhone SE is Apple's A15 Bionic processor — the same one that's used in the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 — which is still powerful and fast enough to run any app or game in the App Store. It also supports some of the most popular features on the iPhone, like iMessage and FaceTime, and is compatible with Apple's ecosystem of devices, like the Apple Watch and AirPods. 

Our main gripes with the iPhone SE are its short battery life compared to larger iPhones and that it's a little spartan in terms of features and design. It has a single camera lens, no MagSafe technology (although it supports wireless charging), and a dated design with huge borders below and above the display to accommodate the front camera, earpiece speaker, and home button for Touch ID. And the entry model only offers 64GB of storage, which goes fast if you shoot many photos and videos.

If you want a more substantial and up-to-date iPhone experience with two cameras and modern features like Face ID and MagSafe, check with your carrier to see if the iPhone 13 Mini is still available, or buy one refurbished through Apple.

Avoid these iPhones

We don't recommend buying the iPhone 11 or any older model. You might find them refurbished for less than the iPhone 13, but you won't be getting your money's worth, whatever the price, as they won't last very long in terms of performance or iOS updates for new features and security patches. 

If you're looking to spend under the iPhone 13's $599 starting price for a modern-looking iPhone, a refurbished iPhone 12 for around $300 or less can still be worthwhile, but expect a shorter lifespan in iOS upgrades and support from Apple.

Which is the best iPhone?

The best iPhone for most people is the iPhone 15. Starting at $799, it offers most of Apple's latest smartphone technologies at an unrivaled value. Those who crave longer battery life or a larger screen (or both) should look at the iPhone 15 Plus. The iPhone 15 Pro models are the very best iPhones you can buy, but their premium features and build quality cost significantly more.

Specs	iPhone 15	iPhone 13	iPhone 15 Pro	iPhone 15 Pro Max	iPhone 15 Plus	iPhone SE (3rd Gen)
Starting price	$799	$599	$999	$1,199	$899	$429
Processor	A16 Bionic	A15 Bionic	A17 Pro	A17 Pro	A16 Bionic	A15 Bionic
Release date	September 2023	September 2021	September 2023	September 2023	September 2023	March 2022
Screen size	6.1 inches	6.1 inches	6.1 inches	6.7 inches	6.7 inches	4.7 inches
Rear cameras	48MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP 2x zoom (main camera crop)	12MP main, 12MP ultrawide	48MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP 2x zoom (main camera crop), 12MP 3x zoom	48MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP 2x zoom (main camera crop), 12MP 5x zoom	48MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP 2x zoom (main camera crop)	12MP main
Storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB	256GB, 512GB, 1TB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	64GB, 128GB, 256GB

How we test iPhones

To test iPhones, we use them as if they were our main daily drivers for at least a week, if not longer. That way, we can get an overall sense of their performance, camera quality, battery life, and new features and compare them to our experience with other models within the same generation and previous iPhone generations. 

We expect the latest iPhones to run quickly, smoothly, and flawlessly. To test performance, we run popular and widely used apps and look for any sign of stuttering or slower-than-expected loading times. We also run the Geekbench 6 benchmark to give us an idea of performance improvements over the previous generation.

To test camera quality, we take photos of the same scenes and subjects with each lens and compare them to the same images taken with different phones. For greater consistency, we've started taking photos of our typical scenes at the same time and place with all the latest, generationally current phones available in the US. 

We also take several, often hundreds, personal photos with iPhones, like those of friends and family, which we aren't comfortable posting in our review for the sake of privacy. However, these photos weigh heavily in our assessments, as they reveal positives and negatives that testing scenes don't, like the ability to capture a clear image of moving subjects and the everyday experience of using the cameras. 

For battery life, we put each iPhone through a stress test that simulates a blend of typical casual and intensive daily usage that includes two hours of video streaming at a set brightness, one hour of music streaming while connected to Bluetooth speakers, five runs of the Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark test, and two runs of the 3D Mark Wild Life Stress Test. We then note the remaining battery percentage.

FAQs

Which iPhone has the best camera?

Currently, the best iPhone camera systems are those in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, followed by the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus.

In addition to the latest camera hardware and software technologies, the Pro models use three lenses: main, ultrawide, and telephoto. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus make do with main and ultrawide lenses, but the main lens doubles for telephoto. While the Pro models have advanced features for shooting photos and videos, the standard iPhone 15 camera system can capture great image quality that should satisfy most users, especially for social media.

Even older iPhone models like the iPhone 13 have great cameras. The "worst" camera may be the iPhone SE, which has a single-lens system, but even that model captures great-looking photos under good lighting conditions.

When is the best time to buy a new iPhone?

There is no objective "best time" to buy an iPhone. However, it can be argued that it's better to buy a new iPhone sooner rather than later after a new iPhone launch, which typically happens in September. 

If September is nearing when you're considering a new iPhone, you may be better off waiting until September to see what the new model has in store. Also, older iPhone models that Apple keeps selling after a new release tend to get an additional $100 price cut.

If you need a new iPhone because your current one is broken or not working, the best time to buy a new iPhone is now.

Where is the best place to buy an iPhone?

Carriers tend to have the highest trade-in values for your old phone. We've seen trade-in deals where you can get the latest iPhone model for free by trading in an older iPhone. We've also seen carriers trade significantly older iPhones for the same value as a year-old iPhone around when a new iPhone is released.

Do iPhones need cases?

We generally recommend that iPhone owners use cases. A naked iPhone undoubtedly looks and feels the best, but all it takes is one drop from a decent height onto a hard floor to crack the phone's back or front glass. 

Some people accept the risk, and some buy AppleCare Plus for this very reason, which offers unlimited repairs for accidental damage with a $29 fee per incident for back or front glass damage on top of the cost of AppleCare Plus.

However, a case is the best and most cost-effective way to ensure your iPhone's hardware stays in working order. If you're leaning toward our top pick, the iPhone 15, see our guide to the best iPhone 15 cases to protect the phone and extend its longevity. 

• Home prices are dropping thanks to high mortgage rates weighing on demand. 
• The 30-year fixed mortgage rate edged up last week, hovering above 7%. 
• Real estate experts expect affordability to slowly improve as inventory rises and borrowing costs ease. 

Home prices are falling at the fastest pace in over a year, thanks to demand plunging amid stubbornly high mortgage rates, according to Redfin.

Across the US, 6.4% of sellers issued a price cut in the month leading up to May 26, the real estate listing site said in a recent report. That's the highest percentage of sellers that have slashed prices since November 2022, when the 30-year fixed mortgage rate spiked past 7% for the first time in more than 20 years.

Price cuts have been steep enough to lower the average US home price, which recently notched a fresh record. The median price for a home fell $3,000 last week to $416,623, according to Redfin data. That's the first decline recorded so far in 2024, though home prices are still up around 4% year-over-year, it noted.

"Together, those metrics suggest sale-price growth could soften in the coming months as persistently high mortgage rates turn off homebuyers," the report said. 

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate has ticked higher, spiking past 7% in the last week of May, according to according to Freddie Mac data.

High borrowing costs have been a major deterrent to prospective home buyers, many of whom are choosing to wait out the market until rates fall. 

"The market is slower than usual," Christine Chang, a California-based Redfin agent said in a statement. "People who are buying right now are typically doing so because they're having a baby or looking for a more family friendly home."

That pullback has helped ease the imbalance of supply and demand, given that the shortage of inventory pushed home prices higher for most of the past year. Redfin data shows that pending home sales are now down 3% year-over-year, while new listings are up 7.8%.

Real estate experts are generally expecting the housing market to become more affordable in the coming years, as more inventory makes its way to the market and borrowing costs ease. Home prices have probably peaked, according to Charles Schwab strategists, who are anticipating a "stabilization" in sales and price growth ahead.

• Paramount and Skydance have agreed to terms on a merger, according to multiple reports.
• The deal is valued at $8 billion, according to CNBC, but has yet to be signed by Shari Redstone.
• The deal would mark a Hollywood coup for David Ellison.

After weeks of negotiations, a Paramount and Skydance merger is happening, according to reports in CNBC and Deadline.

The deal has yet to be signed by Shari Redstone, who owns a controlling stake in Paramount, but will be formally unveiled in days, according to CNBC.

Skydance — the media company owned by David Ellison, son of Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison — is being backed in its bid for Paramount by investment firms RedBird Capital Partners and KKR.

The deal would elevate Ellison to a major Hollywood player.

A Paramount spokesperson declined to comment. Skydance did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Paramount has fielded other offers — including one from Apollo Global Management and Sony Pictures. But Redstone preferred the Skydance deal, CNBC reports, because it would keep Paramount together rather than Apollo's plans to break apart the media conglomerate.

CNBC reports the Skydance deal is valued at $8 billion. Redstone will receive $2 billion for National Amusements — a holding company that owns the majority of Paramount's voting shares. Skydance will also buy roughly 50% of Paramount class B shares, and allocate $1.5 billion toward Paramount's balance sheet, CNBC reports.

The deal will not require a shareholder vote, according to CNBC, though the company's annual stockholder meeting is scheduled for tomorrow.

In April, Paramount announced a leadership shakeup at the top, with CEO Bob Bakish stepping down to be replaced by a trio of senior execs known as the "Office of the CEO."

• The F-method helps recruiters identify key info by structuring résumés for how they read them. 
• This approach can help job seekers because recruiters might spend only seconds looking at a résumé.
• Highlighting key skills and accomplishments up top can help hiring managers and scanning software.

Sometimes, an F can be a good thing.

Take the so-called F-method. It's a way of organizing your résumé so that a recruiter can read the most important parts across the top — like the upper portion of the letter F.

The next most essential info goes farther down with keywords or points sticking out like the arm on an F.

The idea behind the framework is to help someone looking over your résumé get to the good stuff right away. That's because recruiters might spend only seconds scanning your work history and other accomplishments, and you need to make sure you really stand out, really quickly.

"The skills section on my résumé is in that 'F.' It's in that direct line of sight," Lee Woodrow, owner and principal consultant at Bigger Fish Executive Branding, told Business Insider.

Highlighting the top information right away is all the more important in an environment where it's getting harder to get desk jobs — and where the ease of applying means recruiters are often overrun with applications.

'Buzzword bingo'

Woodrow, who's been writing résumés for others for many years, said the top of a CV built around the F-method should include essential information about the value you bring: details like who you are professionally, what area your expertise is in, and which industries you've worked in.

"It's an elevator pitch," he said. That information belongs at the top near your name, he said, so that it gets seen. "That entices the reader to read on."

It's also important, Woodrow said, to have the right words and phrases up high where a busy recruiter can see them.

"It's like buzzword bingo," he said.

This is often important when recruiters are trying to fill technical roles. They might not have a lot of background in the particulars of a job, so they might be on the hunt for phrases or words that a hiring manager has flagged.

Setting your résumé up with the F-method can mean a break from traditional formats, such as listing your work experience in reverse chronological order, which may surprise some.

But Woodrow said floating the most important ideas to the top makes sense if, for example, your most relevant experience for a job isn't tied to your latest role. Or, in other cases, he said, a job posting might call for someone with a master's degree or a Ph.D.

"Why would you put it lower down on page two or three? You'd want it on page one somewhere — highlighting it in that area which is in the 'F,'" Woodrow said.

In any case, he said, it's important to keep the most relevant information on the first page of a résumé.

Have a few goals in mind

Woodrow said one goal for your résumé should be ensuring it can be easily read by the applicant-tracking software companies often use to sift through job applications. Another aim should be having clear section titles so the document is a breeze for a recruiter to navigate. Highlight things like relevant job experience for a role you're going for, he said.

Last, Woodrow said, a résumé needs to influence a decision-maker by giving proof of your accomplishments. He recommends including three brief examples on the first page about how you solved a problem. To do this, describe a situation, give context, and use metrics from the business, if possible, to demonstrate how you improved a situation.

It's an abbreviated version of the STAR technique, sometimes used in interviewing, and involves describing a situation or task, actions, and results.

Kyle Samuels, founder and CEO of the executive search firm Creative Talent Endeavors, told BI that using the F-method to lay out a résumé can make sense for technical roles where a recruiter needs to know you have a certain amount of experience with, say, a particular programming language or modeling.

But in other cases, where a job might be more senior, artificial intelligence tools that do a first pass on a stack of résumés might make the F idea somewhat moot because AI bots can scoop up huge volumes of information.

"It kind of feels like a poor man's AI," Samuels said, referring to the F-method.

He said that with a role like a VP of marketing, you might have several candidates who would be a great fit.

"We're not expecting to see the exact same formatting or skills or experience, and so we really pore through the résumé," Samuels said.

That's why, especially when recruiting for more senior roles, there's little substitute for reading a résumé thoroughly, he said.

"I study it like the Torah," Samuels said.

• Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su is launching a nationwide tour to promote good jobs.
• The tour aims to highlight the importance of good jobs in pivotal swing states.
• The initiative addresses job quality through equitable hiring, better pay, benefits, and job security.

Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su is hitting the road — and wants good jobs to follow.

Su is bringing the Department of Labor's "Good Jobs Principles" — a national framework for better working conditions and positions — across the country. And she's hitting several states that may prove pivotal in the 2024 election, with her first stop scheduled in Phoenix. Other stops include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Michigan.

"A good job is one that not only pays family-sustaining wages and benefits, but also one in which workers have a voice, where every worker goes home healthy and safe every day, and where families can get — in the President's words, 'some breathing room,'" Su told BI. "Throughout this summer nationwide tour, I will be highlighting the work that the Department of Labor has done with community partners on the ground to help ensure that every job is a good one, and that every worker feels the commitment that this Administration has made to fight for them."

The tour comes as the Biden Administration faces a continued mismatch between economic reality and perceptions. While the labor market is booming, and wages are still going up, many Americans have felt continually dreary about their economic outlooks over the past few years — what some have termed the vibecession.

But the labor market has emerged as one bright spot and bolstered Americans' perception of the economy in the latest reading of the Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index.

"The Biden Administration has made improving job quality for this country's workers a priority—and we're seeing those efforts pay off," Su said.

As part of the tour kickoff, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego will also announce the city's commitment to the Good Jobs Principles. When city officials sign on to the initiative, they commit to the framework as they seek federal funding for different types of projects.

It's the DOL's latest attempt at promoting the idea of "good jobs," and making them more widespread. Part of Su's guiding edicts is to fill the economy with jobs that provide workers security, stability, good pay, and benefits. The Good Jobs Principles framework outlines eight hallmarks of what makes a job good quality; that includes hiring and recruitment from underrepresented backgrounds and doing away with unnecessary educational or credential requirements — a major barrier for many workers. It also includes better pay, benefits, job security, and access.

"It's not just good enough that we have created these jobs when a lot of people can't get to them. So it's embedding equity in the way that we're creating these jobs, " Teresa Acuna, the senior policy advisor and deputy director of the Good Jobs Initiative, said. That could mean everything from training to a transportation voucher to childcare.

"It means taking the more comprehensive look of some of the obstacles that workers have as to why we have a lot of over-representation of people in certain types of jobs versus others," she said.

The tour stops are cities and communities that have already been actively working with the Good Jobs Initiative, as workers receive training and get to work.

"We're not parachuting in," Acuna said. "These are places we have relationships and we're probably going to be revisiting a few times in the next couple of months, but the tour is a snapshot in time of what a lot of this work has been happening already. And that's pretty exciting to us."

Are good jobs a key issue for you in this upcoming election? Contact this reporter at jkaplan@businessinsider.com.

• Russia knows Putin's Crimea bridge is "doomed," a Ukrainian official told The Economist.
• Dmitry Pletenchuk said Russia is using a new railway because it knows the bridge is in trouble.
• Ukraine has long threatened to destroy the bridge and could use US-supplied long-range ATACMS.

Russia knows its Crimea bridge is doomed, which is forcing it to rely on a new railway for its military, according to a Ukrainian official.

Dmitry Pletenchuk, a spokesman for Ukraine's southern military command, made the statement to The Economist on Sunday.

It came after the US supplied long-range ATACMS to Ukraine, putting higher-value targets, including Crimea's Kerch Bridge, in Ukraine's crosshairs.

The new Army Tactical Missile Systems have a range of 300 kilometers.

Russia stopped using the Kerch Bridge, which links Russia to occupied Crimea via rail and road, to transport military hardware sometime between February and mid-April, experts from the open-source intelligence organization Molfar said last month, based on satellite imagery.

Instead, Russia has upgraded a railway route that stretches from the Russian city of Rostov, along the Azov Sea, passing through the occupied Ukrainian cities of Mariupol and Berdiansk, and ending in Crimea, per The Economist.

"The railway along the land corridor is recognition on the part of the Russian occupiers that the Crimean Bridge is doomed," Pletenchuk told the outlet.

"They are looking for a way to hedge their bets because they are aware that sooner or later, they will have a problem," he added.

Long-range ATACMS could be a game changer in Ukraine's quest to retake Crimea, The Economist reported.

Russia illegally annexed the peninsula in 2014.

Ukrainian forces used a long-range ATACMS to devastating effect in an attack that took out more than 100 Russian soldiers in Luhansk last month, according to OSINT and military analysts, showcasing their range and power.

And they have the potential to make Crimea "militarily worthless" to Russia, Philip Karber, a military analyst with expertise on Ukraine, told Radio Free Europe in April.

Ukraine has long threatened to make the Crimea bridge inoperable.

Last October, the UK's Ministry of Defence said that the bridge would be a "significant security burden" for Russia going forward. And Oleksii Neizhpapa, the commander of Ukraine's navy, has pledged to destroy it by the end of this year.

• Trump was found guilty of 34 felony charges by a New York jury on Thursday.
• Now, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene wants to cut off all federal funding to the state as punishment.
• It's not going to happen — but don't be shocked if other Republicans get on board with the idea.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene now wants to cut off all federal funding to the country's second-largest state.

The Georgia Republican said she will push House Speaker Mike Johnson to "defund" the state of New York after former President Donald Trump was convicted of 34 felony charges related to "hush money" payments he made to Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.

She made the remarks during an interview with Steve Bannon on the right-wing TV channel Real America's Voice on Saturday.

"I think the American people have turned a corner after they watched that conviction come down in New York, to the point where it's like, you know what? Screw New York," said Greene. "New York doesn't deserve a damn penny. We shouldn't fund them one single dime."

Home to 19.6 million people, the state benefited from $383 billion in federal spending in fiscal year 2022, according to a report from the state comptroller.

It's safe to say that Greene's push won't become reality. The Georgia congresswoman has little formal power in the House, as her recent push to oust Johnson made clear.

Plus, her GOP colleagues from New York — many of whom are relying on the federal funding they've secured to make their cases for reelection — aren't going to stand for it.

There's also an obvious contradiction to Greene's push: Georgia, her home state, is home to one of the four criminal cases against Trump.

The congresswoman has touted the federal funding she's brought back to her district in the past — despite voting against the bill that provided it — and it's difficult to imagine her pushing for all federal funds to be cut off to Georgia.

But Greene's radical brand of politics is still influential among certain corners of the right, and other hard-right Republicans could embrace similar positions amid anger over the Trump conviction.