Technology

There are some incredible camera phones coming out of China right now, including the Xiaomi 15 Ultra with its 1-inch sensor and Leica lenses and the Vivo X200 Ultra with its innovative add-on lens, but Huawei's latest offering could just top the lot.

Unveiled on June 11, the Pura 80 Ultra seemingly features a triangular triple camera unit, but a second glance reveals one of those lenses does, in fact, host twin telephoto optics that share the same 1/1.28-inch sensor.

One of those periscope lenses is a 3.7x zoom, and the other a monster 9.4x zoom. This space-saving setup, which utilizes a moving prism to switch focal length, is unusual enough – although we've seen it before in the Sony Xperia 1 III from 2021 – but judging from the Pura 80 Ultra's specs it looks like the real deal.

The switchable telephoto lenses offer a particularly versatile reach – the 3.7x zoom is an 83mm f/2.4 prime ideal for portraits, while the 9.4x zoom is a 212mm f/3.6 equivalent – plus they share that 1/1.28-inch sensor, which is larger than most others used for telephoto lenses, and shouldn't sacrifice quality.

My only reservation is that it looks like there's some pixel binning or sensor-cropping going on with the 9.4x zoom, which shoots 12.5MP stills, as opposed to the 50MP stills of the 3.7x zoom. Either way, the quality of the photos I've seen taken with both telephoto lenses look impressive.

(Image credit: Huawei)Could this be the world's best camera phone?

As a photographer, the telephoto lenses look genuinely useful, but I'm just as impressed with main camera. It's a 23mm lens with variable f/1.6-4 aperture, utilizing a larger-still 1-inch sensor for 50MP stills.

What's more, Huawei says that the main camera is capable of capturing 16 stops of dynamic range, which would be a record for any smartphone.

The wider the dynamic range a camera is able to capture, the more perceivable detail you get across highlights and shadows, which should make for more natural-looking images.

Completing the camera array is an ultra-wide 13mm lens with 40MP stills, though Huawei doesn't list the sensor size for this camera. It's a safe bet that it won't match the quality of the main camera.

Unlike the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, which I've been using for months and is a genuine alternative for my premium compact camera, I haven't got my hands on the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra yet, so I can't be sure if it's one of the best camera phones.

(Image credit: Tilta)

Its specs are certainly eye-catching, as is the optional photography edition kit by Tilta (see above). Add-on grips that mimic the camera experience are becoming a thing – Xiaomi and Vivo's aforementioned smartphones have their own versions. However Tilta's looks gloriously over-the-top.

It includes a large grip, case, extra power supply, continuous light, and additional wooden handle. There's more to the case than meets the eye, too – it not only provides extra power, but can keep the phone cool and it allows follow focus functionality, which is a boon for filmmakers. The kit also allows the use of additional lens filters, such as NDs, plus it comes with a portable carbon fiber tripod.

Like previous Huawei phone launches, the Pura 80 Ultra is currently only available in China, and it costs CNY 9,999 (approximately $1,400 / £1,050 / AU$2,150). It's touted for a wider release, though not in the US.

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It's been another busy week in the tech world – although next week, with Amazon Prime Day and Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, promises to be even bigger.

But that's all still a few days away, so what's been happening this week? Well, we investigated a band which could be entirely AI-generated, tested two new Nothing devices, and checked our Anker power banks to see if they needed to be recalled.

To catch up on all this and more, scroll down for our round-up of the seven biggest tech stories of the past seven days.

And once you're up to speed be sure to read our guide to the 7 new movies and TV shows to watch this weekend (July 4).

7. We investigated The Velvet Sundown mystery

(Image credit: The Velvet Sundown)

It was always only a matter of time before AI-generated music had its first big breakthrough, so we weren't at all surprised when The Velvet Sundown crashed the Spotify and Apple Music party this week.

This 'band' have amassed a staggering 860,000+ monthly Spotify listeners, despite (allegedly) not even existing – or do they?

The Velvet Sundown’s profile picture certainly appears to be an AI-generated image and the band’s music, which is a blend of wistful lyrics and mellow psychedelic rock, definitely sounds as if it could have been created by AI.

Deezer even went as far as to flag it as AI-generated, but Spotify and Apply hadn't followed suit at the time of writing – leaving many to wonder why the bigger streaming services weren't doing the same thing.

To add a twist to the story, there appear to be rival spokespersons for the band, each claiming to represent them and each giving quotes to the media. Maybe one day we’ll know the true story behind The Velvet Sundown, but until then, they’ll remain Dust on the wind.

• Read more: Spotify’s latest breakout band The Velvet Sundown appears to be AI-generated

6. Anker recalled several power banks

(Image credit: Anker)

If you own an Anker power bank, it might be wise to check its model number – this week, the Chinese tech giant recalled no less than five models due to a potential fire risk with their lithium-ion batteries. This followed the recall of another model, the PowerCore 1000 (A1263), in early June, with the new warning including models from its MagGo and Zolo ranges.

Some of the recalls only affect units manufactured between certain dates and Anker has only issued a ‘voluntary recall’ notice. But it’s still well worth checking, as you could be due a free replacement or a gift card.

To find out, check out our guide below, which includes links to all of the recall forms and information you need.

• Read more: Anker just recalled 5 more power banks – here’s which ones and how to get a free replacement

5. Xbox hardware was declared ‘dead’

(Image credit: Future)

Former Microsoft Game Studios executive producer Laura Fryer blasted Xbox in a video posted to her YouTube channel, arguing that the brand’s hardware is effectively “dead”. This comes off the back of the reveal of the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X last month, which she suggests is indicative of Microsoft’s reluctance to create its own new hardware going forward.

It's "much easier to slap an Xbox sticker on an existing piece of hardware and call it a day," she said. "From my perspective, it looks like Xbox has no desire or literally can't ship hardware anymore."

Fryer also drew attention to some of the wider issues plaguing the brand, such as a lack of compelling exclusive experiences. The protracted development cycles of upcoming titles such as State of Decay 3 (which was originally announced more than five years ago), Fable, and the since-canceled Perfect Dark remake, she warned, risk leaving consumers without a compelling reason to consider any future Xbox systems.

• Read more: A former Microsoft Game Studios executive producer says Xbox hardware is dead

4. Dyson launched an all-powerful new Airwrap

(Image credit: Dyson)

The Dyson Airwrap is already considered the best multi-styler you can buy, and the next-gen version looks even better.

The Dyson Airwrap Co-anda 2x is smaller and lighter yet more powerful than its predecessor, so you can style for long periods without needing guns like Arnie. Dyson has also added attachment memory – so the dryer will recognize which attachment is clipped on, then automatically switch to your last-used settings.

Perhaps most intriguing is a new AirSmooth2x tool, designed for creating straight styles. The styler clamps your hair between two plates and blasts it with directed air to smooth it out, like a mini Dyson Airstrait.

• Read more: Dyson's supreme multi-styler just got even better

3. This prompt transformed ChatGPT for us

(Image credit: Shutterstock/Alex Photo Stock)

The way you prompt ChatGPT can completely change the way the AI chatbot responds to you, and there’s no better example than this excellent learning tool we found on Reddit.

Reddit user u/AzAI-W has engineered an incredibly in-depth learning prompt that can help you get info on everything and anything. Think of it as an AI encyclopaedia, filled with an endless amount of knowledge and the ability to ask the right questions to teach you about any topic.

Click here to reveal the full prompt

The prompt: Simply copy and paste the full block of text into ChatGPT, and then respond with the topic you want to know more about.

# *Information Gathering Prompt* --- ## *Prompt Input* - Enter the prompt topic = [......] - **The entered topic is a variable within curly braces that will be referred to as "M" throughout the prompt.** --- ## *Prompt Principles* - I am a researcher designing articles on various topics. - You are **absolutely not** supposed to help me design the article. (Most important point) 1. **Never suggest an article about "M" to me.** 2. **Do not provide any tips for designing an article about "M".** - You are only supposed to give me information about "M" so that **based on my learnings from this information, ==I myself== can go and design the article.** - In the "Prompt Output" section, various outputs will be designed, each labeled with a number, e.g., Output 1, Output 2, etc. - **How the outputs work:** 1. **To start, after submitting this prompt, ask which output I need.** 2. I will type the number of the desired output, e.g., "1" or "2", etc. 3. You will only provide the output with that specific number. 4. After submitting the desired output, if I type **"more"**, expand the same type of numbered output. - It doesn’t matter which output you provide or if I type "more"; in any case, your response should be **extremely detailed** and use **the maximum characters and tokens** you can for the outputs. (Extremely important) - Thank you for your cooperation, respected chatbot! --- ## *Prompt Output* --- ### *Output 1* - This output is named: **"Basic Information"** - Includes the following: - An **introduction** about "M" - **General** information about "M" - **Key** highlights and points about "M" - If "2" is typed, proceed to the next output. - If "more" is typed, expand this type of output. --- ### *Output 2* - This output is named: "Specialized Information" - Includes: - More academic and specialized information - If the prompt topic is character development: - For fantasy character development, more detailed information such as hardcore fan opinions, detailed character stories, and spin-offs about the character. - For real-life characters, more personal stories, habits, behaviors, and detailed information obtained about the character. - How to deliver the output: 1. Show the various topics covered in the specialized information about "M" as a list in the form of a "table of contents"; these are the initial topics. 2. Below it, type: - "Which topic are you interested in?" - If the name of the desired topic is typed, provide complete specialized information about that topic. - "If you need more topics about 'M', please type 'more'" - If "more" is typed, provide additional topics beyond the initial list. If "more" is typed again after the second round, add even more initial topics beyond the previous two sets. - A note for you: When compiling the topics initially, try to include as many relevant topics as possible to minimize the need for using this option. - "If you need access to subtopics of any topic, please type 'topics ... (desired topic)'." - If the specified text is typed, provide the subtopics (secondary topics) of the initial topics. - Even if I type "topics ... (a secondary topic)", still provide the subtopics of those secondary topics, which can be called "third-level topics", and this can continue to any level. - At any stage of the topics (initial, secondary, third-level, etc.), typing "more" will always expand the topics at that same level. - **Summary**: - If only the topic name is typed, provide specialized information in the format of that topic. - If "topics ... (another topic)" is typed, address the subtopics of that topic. - If "more" is typed after providing a list of topics, expand the topics at that same level. - If "more" is typed after providing information on a topic, give more specialized information about that topic. 3. At any stage, if "1" is typed, refer to "Output 1". - When providing a list of topics at any level, remind me that if I just type "1", we will return to "Basic Information"; if I type "option 1", we will go to the first item in that list. --- - ==End==

• Read more: The best ChatGPT learning prompt we've found so far

2. We tried Nothing's first ever headphones

(Image credit: Future)

Nothing launched its first over-ear headphones – the Headphone (1) – and we had some pretty mixed feelings about them. And I’m not even talking about the design, which has proven divisive within the TechRadar office and online.

They’re crammed with features that all work excellently, from strong customizable noise cancellation, to head-tracking for spatial audio, to a really cool Bass Enhancer feature and a great EQ. The app is also really easy to use, and the build quality and physical controls – which include a great rolling button that we absolutely love – are excellent. Battery life is above average too.

However, we stumbled on the sound. They don’t sound bad at all – they’re very well-balanced – but they had some hard limits compared to the competition at the same price, and for $299 / £299, we expected more.

• Read more: I’ve tested the Nothing Headphone (1) for 2 weeks, and they’re incredibly impressive – except where it counts the most

1. We held Nothing’s 'first true flagship'

(Image credit: Nothing)

Nothing’s “first true flagship”, the Nothing Phone 3, was finally unveiled to the world this week, and our initial reaction to the totally bonkers-looking device was one of both surprise and respect.

“It’s an outlandish creation with specs to rival some of the best phones – and I think it could be the most interesting flagship launch of the year,” wrote Phones Editor Axel Metz in his hands-on preview of the Nothing Phone 3.

The headline new feature is Glyph Matrix: a small dot-matrix display that sits in the top-right corner of the Phone 3’s rear panel. A reimagining of the Glyph Interface from previous Nothing phones, it’s capable of displaying person-specific notifications, monochromatic ‘Glyph Toys’ (read: party games), and other helpful functions.

Then there’s the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, the triple-lens 50MP camera setup, and the 5,150mAh silicon-carbon battery, all of which should help the Phone 3 compete against the best Android phones on the market.

It’s available to pre-order now from Nothing directly for $799 / £799 / AU$1,509, with open sales set to begin globally on July 15. We’re currently putting the new device through its paces, so stay tuned for our full review in the coming weeks.

• Read more: Nothing's 'first true flagship' is a veritable box of tricks

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for July 5, No. 285.

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for July 5.

• Chuwi's compact Windows PC with powerful specs and low price enters European market
• Ryzen 7 processor and Radeon graphics bring creative performance to tiny desktop
• Supports four 4K monitors with upgradeable RAM and storage in sub-$400 package

Chuwi has introduced a new compact Windows PC that blends high-end hardware with a surprisingly affordable price.

First launched in China in February 2025 and now available in Europe, the AuBox Mini is powered by AMD’s Ryzen 7 8745HS processor, built on a 4nm Zen 4 architecture, packing 8 cores and 16 threads into a chassis smaller than most books.

Although the AuBox Mini is priced as a budget machine, it's specced to compete with higher-end alternatives, including the Apple Mac Mini.

It even has a SD 4.0 card slot

The Ryzen 7 8745HS processor offers boost speeds up to 4.9GHz. It’s paired with a Radeon 780M integrated GPU, which runs on AMD’s RDNA 3 design and supports hardware ray tracing.

The integrated graphics solution includes 12 compute units and a 2,600MHz core clock, giving it enough muscle for creative tasks, media editing, demanding multitasking, and even a little light gaming.

The AuBox includes 16GB of DDR5 memory and a 512GB PCIe SSD, both of which are upgradeable. It supports up to 64GB of RAM and 2TB of SSD storage, with two M.2 PCIe slots.

The mini PC features 12 ports in total, including USB 3.2 Gen 2, USB 2.0, and dual 2.5GbE LAN. It can run up to four 4K monitors simultaneously thanks to a mix of USB4, full-featured USB-C, HDMI 2.1, and DisplayPort 1.4 outputs.

Three of these can deliver 4K at 144Hz, while the HDMI port drives 4K at 120Hz. This level of display support is rare in this price class.

Wireless connectivity comes in the form of Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.1, and it ships with Windows 11 Pro pre-installed, providing full support for virtualization and enterprise features.

One feature we really like is the included VESA mount, which means the AuBox can be easily installed behind a monitor, saving space and reducing clutter.

Chuwi AuBox Mini is priced at $440, down from its MSRP of $549 (or €372.69 rather than €465.02), but if you use the code ANDROIDPCTVAUBOXA the price comes down to just $378.40/€320.51, which makes it an absolute steal.

Via AndroidPCtv

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Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for July 5, No. 489.

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Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for July 5, #755.

Samsung's third Unpacked showcase of the year is set for July 9, which will mark its summer showcase (at least for people in the Northern Hemisphere) and the likely debut of next-generation foldable phones.

At this event, we expect to see the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 make their official debut, along with a Galaxy Watch 8 and likely its ‘Classic’ stablemate, and perhaps a Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.

We also expect new Galaxy AI features and capabilities to be shown off, and maybe some surprises in the form of future product teases.

We'll be covering the Galaxy Unpacked show live so stay tuned for more information. Do check out our guide on how to watch Samsung Galaxy Unpacked on July 9.

And read on for more about Unpacked as a whole.

Here's what happened at the last Samsung Galaxy Unpacked

Samsung's last Unpacked took place in May and saw the full reveal of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. it was more of a mini-Unpacked with only one product to show off, but the Edge got our attention; check out our full Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review for more details and our verdict.

For deeper context, Samsung's first Galaxy Unpacked event was held on January 22. And what a showcase it was. We got to see the new Samsung Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, all of which are rather minor upgrades over their predecessors but come packed with new Galaxy AI features.

For a recap of all that was announced and discussed, check out our article on Samsung Galaxy Unpacked – 9 things we saw and learned, including the Galaxy S25 Ultra and Edge.

What is Samsung Galaxy Unpacked?

Galaxy Unpacked is the name given to the big Samsung product showcase. Normally these revolve around new Galaxy S-series phones and Galaxy Fold and Flip series foldable phones.

But Galaxy Unpacked events are also used to debut new Galaxy smartwatches and wireless earbuds, as well as laptops and tablets. There are also nods given to Samsung’s SmartThings smart home platform and its interoperability with the new Galaxy devices.

In general, you can expect two Galaxy Unpacked events a year; one at the start, ranging between January and February, and the other in around July or August.

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Marshall makes some very fun Bluetooth speakers and headphones, and three favorites have dropped to very low prices in Amazon's early Prime Day deals.

The deals are on the cute and compact Willen II Bluetooth speaker, down from $129.99 to $99.99 – saving 23%; the very loud Acton III Bluetooth speaker, down 33% from $299.99 to $199.99; and on the retro-styled Marshall Major IV on-ear headphones, down 32% from $99.46 to $67.99.

• See all of today's best Amazon deals

The speakers are joint record-low prices – they have been briefly discounted to these prices before, but never lower that we're aware of. And getting 32% off the official of the Major IV headphones is a pretty major discount too.

Early Prime Day deal: Marshall headphones and speakers

With over 80 hours of wireless playback, wireless charging and fast charging too, these Marshall headphones are ideal for traveling as well as home listening. There are custom-tuned dynamic drivers inside for a typically bold Marshall sound, and in a nice touch there's an extra 3.5mm socket so you can share your music with a pal or partner.View Deal

When it comes to music on the move, the Willen II is a very, ahem, willen partner. It's a 10W portable powerhouse that's surprisingly vocal for its small size, and with IP67 dust and water resistance and 17 hours of play time it's a solid option for shower soundtracks and for summer festivals alike.View Deal

This deal is currently available for both the black and the cream models, and whichever color you go for, you're getting some seriously loud speaker action: with 60W of output power, a wide soundstage and effortless pairing, the Acton III brings the noise in a very entertaining package. This is a really good price for an impressively powerful speaker.View Deal

Why these Marshall speaker and headphone deals are worth having

We like Marshall's speakers and headphones a lot, but they do tend to be priced quite highly compared to the competition – so to see a speaker like the Acton III drop from $299 to $199 is very welcome, and definitely adds an extra star to our ratings.

Whether you go for the speakers or the headphones you're getting that bold Marshall sound, and its equally bold styling, which harks back to the firm's iconic amplifiers that have been on stages since rock music was invented.

Of the two speakers, I think the Acton III is the pick of the bunch: it's a seriously loud portable speaker, doubly so when paired with a second, and it delivers a surprisingly wide soundstage despite its fairly compact dimensions.

But if you want something fun to take on day trips or traveling, the Willen II is a better bet: it's very small and very light, but delivers an impressive sound for its size.

Amazon's early Prime Day sale - quick links

• Amazon Prime membership: free 30-day trial
• Amazon Devices: 50% off TVs, Echo & Fire Sticks
• Apple: AirPods + iPads from $99
• Back to school: deals from $5.99
• Beauty: 80% off toothbrushes & skincare
• Headphones: $120 off Bose, Apple & Sony
• Health: electric toothbrushes from $24.99
• Kitchen: 54% off Ninja, Nespresso & Keurig
• Laptops: record-low prices from $175
• Tablets: iPads and Samsung from $54.99
• Toys: 40% off Lego, scooters & Toniebox
• TVs: cheap TVs from $59.99
• Vacuums: Shark, Bissell & Dyson from $49.99

Back sleepers need pillows that balance support and comfort -- not always easy to find. We did the work for you, and these are the best I’ve found.

• MicroSD card survey tested 200 models to uncover fakes, performance gaps, and endurance failures
• Fake flash was common in cheap high-capacity cards, discarding data past true limits
• Name-brand cards generally outperformed off-brand models in speed, reliability, and total write endurance

One man has taken the task of testing microSD cards to a level most users would never entertain.

Over the course of a year, tech enthusiast Matt Cole bought and tested 200 different models, ranging from 8GB to 1TB, with a particular focus on identifying fakes, testing performance, and measuring durability.

Fifty-one of those cards failed during testing.

Writing over 100TB of data per day

Cole is the creator of The Great microSD Card Survey, a deep, evolving benchmark report (and a serious labor of love), that began in July 2023.

He built a testing rig with eight machines and nearly 70 card readers running continuously, writing over 100TB of data per day.

To date, the setup has written more than 18 petabytes of data to the cards under test conditions. Impressively, his entire effort is self-funded, although he does have an Amazon wishlist should anyone wish to buy him further cards to test.

Cole’s goal was to understand how these tiny storage devices differ across brand, price, and origin.

One of his main goals is to identify “fake flash,” where a card tells the host device it has more storage than it really does.

A 1TB card might really only store 8GB. Once that real limit is reached, new data is silently lost. He also highlights “skimpy flash,” where a card is technically real, but provides less usable space than advertised, a common issue even among name-brand cards.

His survey doesn’t stop at capacity. Cole also tested whether cards live up to their advertised speed class ratings, such as U1, U3, or V30.

He ran sequential and random I/O tests, then tracked endurance through repeated write and read cycles.

Some cards survived over 20,000 cycles, while others failed before reaching 500. Temperature monitoring was also part of the process, though it’s still unclear how much heat affects long-term performance.

Among the best microSD cards were the Kingston Canvas Go! Plus 64GB, PNY PRO Elite Prime 64GB, SanDisk Extreme 64GB, Delkin Devices HYPERSPEED 128GB, and Samsung EVO Plus 64GB.

These models performed well across multiple metrics and came close to advertised specs.

Cole’s blog includes charts and summaries to help buyers quickly find reliable options and it’s frankly a stunning piece of work. He’s not done yet either. Testing continues unabated, with more cards in queue, hopefully including some of the largest capacity models.

(Image credit: Matt Cole)More from TechRadar Pro

• We've rounded up the best microSD cards around
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• First 2TB MicroSD card is now on sale and no, it is not expensive at all

Last week, a sad-eyed young man in an Apple Genius t-shirt said the six words no Apple aficionado wants to hear. "Your AirPods Pro 2," he said, "are borked".

He probably didn't use the word "borked", but that's what he meant: the right earbud was completely gone, and the left was on its way out too; my buds were out of warranty and I didn't have AppleCare on them either so I'd have had to replace both buds at full price. So you'd think I'd be rushing to Walmart or Amazon to take advantage of their $199 AirPods Pro 2 deals.

But I'm not, and I don't think you should either.

• See all of today's best Amazon deals

Why I'm keeping my AirPods Pro 2 powder dry

I'm hanging on for a few more days because while $50 off a pair of AirPods Pro 2 is a nice discount, it's not an amazing discount – and we've seen amazing AirPods Pro 2 discounts before.

Last summer, Amazon dropped the price of AirPods Pro 2 down to a very low $169. And last Black Friday it went lower still: AirPods Pro 2 were down to just $153.99 – and those were the USB-C ones, not the older Lightning ones.

Are you willing to hang on until next week in the hope that Amazon Prime Day will offer a bigger discount than $50 off the official price? I am.

The $153.99 price of Black Friday was an outlier, but they'd fallen to $159 on multiple occasions before that, and within in the last year their price has dropped below $175 on 10 occasions.

UK AirPods Pro 2 deals haven't been so spectacular, sadly: the AirPods Pro 2 dropped from the usual £229 to £179 just once, in December 2024, and they've only dipped below the £190 mark a handful of times. But today they're back up at £229, so I'd expect them to drop back down a bit next week, and for other places to match or exceed Amazon's discounting.

I'm not completely headphone-free, so while I do need to replace my AirPods Pro 2 pretty soon (I use them a lot for work, and for checking music mixes) I think the smart move is to wait for Prime Day next week to see how low they're going to go.

If they don't drop below the $199 mark then I haven't lost anything, but if they go much lower then buying a new pair is going to be a lot less painful.

Prime Day starts next week on Tuesday 8 July.

Amazon's early Prime Day sale - quick links

• Amazon Prime membership: free 30-day trial
• Amazon Devices: 50% off TVs, Echo & Fire Sticks
• Apple: AirPods + iPads from $99
• Back to school: deals from $5.99
• Beauty: 80% off toothbrushes & skincare
• Headphones: $120 off Bose, Apple & Sony
• Health: electric toothbrushes from $24.99
• Kitchen: 54% off Ninja, Nespresso & Keurig
• Laptops: record-low prices from $175
• Tablets: iPads and Samsung from $54.99
• Toys: 40% off Lego, scooters & Toniebox
• TVs: cheap TVs from $59.99
• Vacuums: Shark, Bissell & Dyson from $49.99

• ExpressVPN has been hit by a class action lawsuit over alleged "illegal" auto-renewal fees
• A Californian customer accused ExpressVPN of automatically charging him a monthly fee without his consent
• Most popular VPN providers employ a similar auto-renewal system – a practice lawyers allege to go against California's consumer law

A customer in the US has sued VPN provider ExpressVPN over allegedly "illegal" auto-renewal fees.

Plaintiff Timothy Millar filed a class action lawsuit against ExpressVPN in California's Court on June 13, 2025, accusing the company of automatically charging him a monthly fee without his consent. Millar seeks to represent himself and all other California consumers who have been charged illegal auto-renewal fees at least once.

Despite a few exceptions, almost all the best VPNs on the market have a similar auto-renewal system in place to handle user subscriptions. Another provider, NordVPN, is facing a similar legal case in the US, as a law firm has already brought lawsuits on behalf of four plaintiffs so far.

What the lawsuit against ExpressVPN is about

As claimed by the lawsuit, Millar bought one month of the virtual private network (VPN) software in September 2022, thinking he was making a one-time purchase.

Yet, after his monthly plan expired, "Unbeknownst to him and without his consent, ExpressVPN enrolled him in an automatically renewing monthly plan," reads the suit, alleging that "that charge was illegal and should be refunded."

According to Miller's lawyers, such behavior is in clear contrast with the provider's obligations under California's Automatic Renewal Law (ARL). The law, in fact, requires companies adopting auto-renewal payment systems to provide "clear and conspicuous" disclosures about the auto-renewal plan and obtain "affirmative consent" to enroll consumers. Something that – the lawsuit claims – ExpressVPN failed to do "in nearly every way."

Furthermore, ExpressVPN is accused of violating the False Advertising Law by disseminating misleading advertisements about the automatically renewing nature of its plans.

Miller is now demanding a jury trial and monetary damages for himself and the proposed class.

TechRadar approached ExpressVPN for comments, and a company spokesperson shared this written statement: "We are aware of the filing in relation to a subscription from several years ago and intend to defend it. Unfortunately, we cannot comment on the specific allegations made in this complaint.

"ExpressVPN has always prioritized transparency and giving users clear information about pricing, billing, and auto-renewal – this information is clear and highly visible at each step of the checkout process.

"As a cybersecurity company, providing uninterrupted protection is important to our customers. This subscription model ensures that customers get the protection they need, without fail, on their devices. Customers can switch auto-renew off anytime via their account dashboards or by contacting support.

"We remain focused on delivering value to our users; ensuring they retain control over their digital privacy."

Time to ditch auto-renewal VPN plans?

(Image credit: Getty Images)

As mentioned earlier, NordVPN is also facing a lawsuit over alleged "illegal and deceptive" auto-renewal practices.

The Wittels McInturff Palikovic law firm has already presented legal complaints on behalf of four former NordVPN customers since April 2024 – and urges all NordVPN users who were charged for a subscription they did not want to come forward.

The same law firm has previously opened investigations into auto-enrollment practices against ExpressVPN, too, alongside Proton VPN and Private Internet Access (PIA). Yet, lawyers filed no lawsuit against these providers.

While it is still early to know if these ongoing class actions will change how VPN providers handle user subscriptions once and for all, there are a few exceptions on the market already that you can opt for instead of getting locked into an auto-renewal plan. Mullvad VPN, which axed all recurring subscriptions in 2022 in the name of users' privacy, is one of them.

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• First-look images of Android's upcoming Live Updates function revealed
• Similar feel to iOS Live Activities
• Live Updates is currently only functional in the latest Android 16 QPR1 beta, but should widely rolled out next quarter

Google unveiled its upcoming Live Updates feature at this year’s Google I/O event back in May, and though the Android 16 roll out has begun, it won’t be widely available for another few months.

In the meantime, Google has released new insights to its version of iOS’ Live Activities, including what kind of apps the feature will support.

Android 16’s Live Updates is similar to Live Activities in iOS, which displays timely information and ‘progress-style’ notifications on your lock screen that are updated frequently, meaning you won’t have to open apps to view their status. At the moment, Live Updates is only functional in the latest Android 16 QPR1 beta, but it’s expected to land with the wider Android 16 roll out later in the year.

Since it was first previewed at Google I/O, the functionality and appearance of the feature itself has remained ambiguous, but a recent post on the Android Developers page gives further details on what we can expect from Live Updates – including a first look at the feature in action.

(Image credit: 9to5Google)

In Android’s post, Live Updates will be used ‘for activities that are ongoing, user-initiated and time sensitive’. Similarly to Live Activities in iOS, Android 16’s Live Updates will support phone calls, food and rideshare tracking, and ‘active navigation’ for apps that show live trip progress such as Google Maps.

Google even goes into detail about how developers should show Live Updates when it comes to time sensitive notifications, using the following explanation:

‘A Live Update is often appropriate for activities that transition between Live Updates and normal notifications. For example, showing a boarding pass notification is appropriate many hours before a user's flight, but the notification should become a Live Update only when the user has a pressing need, such as when they have arrived at the airport or venue or once boarding has begun. In contrast, a Live Update isn't appropriate for tracking a package as the user doesn't need to constantly monitor this’.

Android has its boundaries

While Google has given us the long-awaited visual insight to Live Updates, the company has also been clear with app developers that the feature should not be abused.

In its post, Google has been quite explicit with this, stating ‘Don't use Live Updates to offer accelerated access to app functionality’. Ads, promotions, chat messages, alerts, upcoming calendar events, and quick access to app features have been deemed as ‘inappropriate uses’.

Now the only key detail that’s missing is an official roll out date for Live Updates. As mentioned above, Live Updates is only available with the latest Android 16 QPR1 beta but Android Authority’s findings hint that apps will start leaning into this function next quarter when the update is expected to go live.

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• Spider-Man: Brand New Day will reportedly start filming in August
• Tom Holland's next outing as the famous webslinger will initially be shot in Scotland
• The Marvel Phase 6 movie is currently due to be released in July 2026

The production wheels on Spider-Man: Brand New Day are finally ready to turn after reports emerged it'll start filming in August.

Cameras will begin rolling on Tom Holland's next big-screen outing as the famous Marvel superhero next month, according to two Scottish outlets. The Glasgow Times and Herald Scotland have indicated principal photography will get underway on August 2, with Glasgow acting as a cost-saving stand-in for New York City.

Both newspapers have reported that numerous roads will be inaccessible to vehicles (except for emergency services) and the public from July 28 until August 13. Production designers and set dressers will move in to alter the appearance of certain streets to give them an American feel before the Marvel Phase 6 movie's first scenes are filmed between August 3 and 8.

There's no word on which actors will be present on set to start shooting Spider-Man 4, but I'm hoping that some of my biggest questions about the forthcoming flick will be answered once filming begins.

What questions do I want answering when filming on Spider-Man 4 starts?

Spider-Man: Brand New Day's initial days of filming might reveal some surprising details about it (Image credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel Entertainment)

The main query I have is who's actually been cast in Spider-Man's latest adventure.

So far, Holland is the only actor confirmed to appear. He'll reprise his role as Peter Parker and his superhuman alter-ego, but the rest of the movie's cast remains a mystery.

Well, on the official confirmation front, anyway. There have been plenty of rumors, plus unofficial actor confirmations via the trades, about who'll show up in one of 2026's most anticipated new movies.

For example, Zendaya and Jacob Batalon have been linked with roles in Brand New Day. The pair last appeared in a Marvel film in 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home, but they also played MJ and Ned Leeds in Holland's two other solo movies. Considering how the aforementioned flick ended, it's unlikely they'll have substantial roles this time around.

Elsewhere, Stranger Things star Sadie Sink is reportedly set to co-star alongside Holland in Spider-Man 4. There's no word on who she might portray, but Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fans have their theories.

There are numerous other new and established MCU characters who could show up. Brand New Day may bring John Bernthal's Frank Castle/The Punisher to the silver screen for the first time. Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner/The Hulk has also been tapped to appear in Spider-Man 4 if online gossip columns are to be believed. There's speculation that three big Spider-Man villains could pop up in Brand New Day, too.

Away from its potential castings, I also want to know if it'll be another multiversal film or not. I'd prefer Brand New Day to be more of a street-level story for the wallcrawler, but considering No Way Home made over $1 billion globally thanks to its multiversal Spider-Man team-up, I wouldn't be surprised if some parallel universe shenanigans have been woven into its plot.

I don't expect Spider-Man 4's first few days of filming to confirm or deny any or all of these rumors. Nevertheless, whether some of them are officially addressed by Marvel and/or Sony, or we discover more details by way of any leaks that emerge from its set, I'm hoping we learn something new about its cast and plot ahead of Spider-Man 4's July 31, 2026 launch date.

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• Wix and Alibaba are fusing services
• Wix users get to easily tap into Alibaba’s B2B marketplace
• Alibaba users get to build great-looking storefronts easily

Alibaba and Wix have announced a new partnership, which will see customers of both platforms benefit from the other's features and services.

In a press release shared with TechRadar Pro, the two companies said the collaboration will fuse Alibaba’s wholesale ecosystem with Wix’s website builder and ecommerce infrastructure.

Under the deal, Wix merchants will get access to Alibaba’s B2B marketplace by simply downloading the Alibaba Seller App through the Wix Marketplace. Among other things, this will allow them to become Global Gold Suppliers, connecting directly with millions of verified global buyers.

At the same time, Alibaba’s sellers get to build branded B2B and D2C storefronts using Wix’s AI-powered solutions. Through the partnership, they will be able to use Wix’s ecommerce automation solutions, as well as built-in marketing, simplifying brand identity development and reaching a global audience - easily.

Win-win

The partnership centers around three key initiatives - seller App Integration for easy onboarding and cross-platform product syncing, curated sourcing from Alibaba.com's wholesale marketplace, tailored for Wix merchants, and access to Wix's AI suite for Alibaba.com sellers to quickly build and scale their digital storefronts.

Executives from both companies framed the move as a win for small businesses navigating the complexities of global trade.

“Our partnership with Wix simplifies the complexities of international trade,” said Kuo Zhang, President of Alibaba.com, “offering small businesses streamlined solutions for sourcing, selling, and expanding their global reach.”

For Nir Zohar, President of Wix, the move “opens powerful new opportunities for our users to tap into international wholesale markets, while also giving Alibaba.com merchants the ability to create stronger, more direct connections with their customers.”

The rollout will be phased, the two companies said in the press release, with a number of features and enhancements already planned for the future. Among them are AI-powered product discovery, automated onboarding processes, and intelligent product-matching tools.

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The Witcher 4 has now been officially revealed, with an announcement trailer confirming that the game will focus on Ciri as the main protagonist. This latest look does give us an idea as to the overall darker vibe of this new game, though it doesn't contain any hints on a possible release window.

Ever since developer CD Projekt Red announced The Witcher 4 and referred to the game with its codename of 'Polaris', fans have been studying the teaser image shared alongside the upcoming game's announcement. It depicts a Lynx medallion, and could point to a new Witcher school that'll feature in what is set to be the first in a new trilogy.

While we wait for further news on The Witcher 4, here's everything that's been revealed about the game so far. As more details are shared by the developer, you'll find this page updated - we're as excited as you are so can't wait to get more details.

The Witcher 4: cut to the chase

• What is it? The next mainline game in The Witcher series
• When can I play it? TBC
• What can I play it on? TBC
• Who is making it? CD Projekt Red

The Witcher 4 - what we know so far

(Image credit: CD Projekt RED)

There are few details available about The Witcher 4. The announcement official blog post only confirms it's in development and that it's being built in Unreal Engine 5. We do now have a trailer, which confirms Ciri as the protagonist. Even so, aside from an admittedly gorgeous cinematic sequence, the trailer holds few concrete details related to the story.

Unfortunately, you're probably not playing The Witcher 4 until 2027 at the earliest, according to CD Projekt's latest financial update. Hopefully it'll be well worth the wait.

Over the years, CD Projekt Red has said plenty about what a future Witcher game would involve:

"The first three 'Witchers' were by definition a trilogy, so we simply could not name the next game 'The Witcher 4'," Kiciński said in an interview. "This does not mean, of course, that we will leave the world of The Witcher."

It would appear that the team has since had a change of heart in this regard, with the game having been officially revealed as The Witcher 4. It's possible that this could be a placeholder name, but seeing as we're following an older Ciri, it does seem to follow The Witcher 3.

At the end of The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine, monster hunter Geralt was alive and well. Well, he was alive, at least. But his story arc had ended, the Wild Hunt was over. That doesn't mean he won't return in this new Witcher game, though we do now know that he won't be the main character.

The developer said as much back in 2013: "We are not killing the world and walking away from it, but we will definitely want to make this game the finale in a big way," executive producer John Mamais told Polygon. "We might even include Geralt in later games potentially. We just need to talk about it and figure out what we're going to do next."

In 2015, speaking to IGN, Senior Writer Jakub Szamałek confirmed that the studio felt that The Witcher 3 was a natural endpoint for Geralt: "[he] has had such an amazing adventure, and his saga is already so long and complex that this seemed like a good point to think about an appropriate finale for the story.”

The confirmation that the medallion shown in the game's announcement picture is a lynx certainly suggests that the game will take things in a new direction. Potentially, that introduces an entirely new Witcher school.

The author of the Witcher books, Andrzej Sapkowski, signed a new deal with the company to "further solidify their relationship". So. the studio is free to pull from any one of his short stories or novels. (If you want to get caught up, here's how to read The Witcher books in order.)

The Witcher 4 trailer

The Witcher 4 was fully revealed during The Game Awards 2024. The cinematic trailer, which can be viewed above, shows a young girl being prepared for sacrifice to a monster. Ciri intervenes, following the young girl and facing off against the creature. It's clear that Ciri is early on in her Witcher journey, but manages to best the monster in combat, making use of some new abilities.

So far, we've only had one trailer for The Witcher 4. Keep an eye on the official The Witcher YouTube channel for new trailers, or find them in this section once they are released.

The Witcher 4 engine

(Image credit: Unreal Engine)

This is a relatively massive factor that's confirmed for The Witcher 4, and one we're certainly excited about. Back in the Spring of 2023, the development team confirmed that The Witcher 4 would be built on Unreal Engine 5 - instead of the studio's own engine, REDengine.

The latter was used on The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 so has its merits, but, in brief, moving to Unreal Engine 5 means the studio has more access to wider features, solutions, and tools that can make environments more detailed, more realistic, and have a great sense of overall visual fidelity than ever before.

As a note, this does mark the beginning of a partnership with Epic but does not mean the game will be an Epic Game Store exclusive. This partnership lead to a technical demo reveal for The Witcher 4, showing off an early technical build of the game running on a base PS5 at 60fps (June 3, 2025). You can check out the video below:

The Witcher 4 FAQ

(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)Who will be the main character in The Witcher 4?

Ciri will be the main character in The Witcher 4. This was confirmed following the official reveal trailer that aired at the end of The Game Awards 2024.

Will The Witcher 4 be on PS5?

CD Projekt RED is yet to confirm The Witcher 4 platforms. Given that there's no release window, it's possible that we could be waiting until next-gen for it to launch. The Witcher 3 originally launched for PS4, Xbox One and PC, so we're expecting The Witcher 4 to be multi-platform as well, at least until the developers reveal otherwise.

Will Geralt be in The Witcher 4?

While The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and its two expansions rounded off Geralt's trilogy incredibly well, there has been a constant desire from fans to know whether Geralt will be in The Witcher 4.

Thanks to recent comments from Geralt's voice actor, it does seem that the character will feature in The Witcher 4, but won't be the protagonist. Spotted by VGC, Geralt's voice actor, Doug Cockle, spoke as a guest on a YouTube channel known as Fall Damage. During the spot, he revealed some rather interesting tidbits about the upcoming game.

"What we know is that Geralt will be part of the game, we just don't know how much," Cockle said during the interview. "The game won't focus on Geralt - it's not about him this time. We don't know who it's about, I'm excited to find out, I wanna know!"

Of course, we now know that The Witcher 4 will focus on Ciri, though hopefully we'll see Geralt in some form or another.

Has Ciri been recast for The Witcher 4?

Eagle-eared fans were quick to notice that Ciri sounds very different in the recent The Witcher 4 cinematic trailer, which debuted at The Game Awards 2024 last week. This led many to speculate online that the character has been recast.Now we know that this is definitely the case as, in a new statement given to gaming blog The Gamer, developer CD Projekt Red confirmed that Irish actor “Ciara Berkeley was cast as Ciri for The Witcher 4 Cinematic Reveal Trailer.”

The Witcher 4 news

(Image credit: CD Projekt RED)

Geralt voice actor says CD Projekt Red's decision to make Ciri the star of The Witcher 4 is 'really exciting'
Doug Cockle, the voice behind Geralt in the first three The Witcher games, has shared his enthusiasm for the switch to Ciri, saying there are "all kinds of reasons" that make the choice exciting, mainly for how her role in the books is portrayed.

The Witcher 4 officially announced at The Game Awards 2024
In a surprise turn of events, CD Projekt Red has unveiled the first official look at The Witcher 4 at The Game Awards 2024, and yes, Ciri is the playable protagonist.

CD Projekt Red announces The Witcher 4 has now entered "full-scale production"
CD Projekt Red has provided an update on the development of The Witcher 4, stating that the upcoming game is now in "full production".

The Witcher 4 will have a focus on freedom
Sebastien Kalemba, game director at CDPR, was speaking at the very end of 2023 about creating new takes on RPG gameplay and features for The Witcher 4. The intent is to push the boundaries of RPG games and there's a desire to "tell something more intense, with also more intense gameplay."

A huge chunk of CD Projekt Red's workforce is now working on The Witcher 4
At the end of November 2023, CDPR revealed via an earnings report that the production team working on The Witcher 4 had grown to around 330 people actively working on the game. This number is set to grow to over 400 by mid-2024 as production gathers real steam. As first reported at the time of this news, 330 represents just under half of CDPR's development staff.

CDPR is already running internal demos of The Witcher 4 on consoles
Learning its lesson from Cyberpunk 2077, the devs at CDPR are already going to great lengths to test their next project - and do so from the early stages. As reported by our sister site GamesRadar+, in an interview with Inven Global, CD Projeckt Red engineering director Colin Walder has confirmed that, learning from Cyberpunk 2077's disastrous launch on consoles in 2020, "For our next project, Polaris, we're already running our demos and internal reviews on the console from the very beginning." This means that The Witcher 4 is already being tested on consoles to ensure that when the day comes, it'll have a better chance at sticking its landing.

The Witcher 4 has its Game Director
Sebastian Kalemba, the former Lead Animator on The Witcher 3, has been announced as the Game Director for The Witcher 4. They announced this on Twitter, stating that they aim to 'raise the bar.'

Polaris, and a brand new trilogy
In early October 2022, CD Projekt RED announced a bunch of new titles via Twitter, including a new The Witcher trilogy. Polaris (what we've been calling The Witcher 4) will kick off the new saga, which will then play out over 6 years from the first release. This is obviously a huge undertaking, so we'll have to wait and see whether it pays off.

The Witcher 4 teaser image sparks many theories
When The Witcher 4 was first announced it used the image we have as our header here - that of a partially snow-covered Witcher medallion - and it sparked much debate about which school it was, and whether that gave anything away. As reported by our brethren at GamesRadar+ at the time, the medallion was initially thought to be of the School of the Cat - which would imply a connection to Ciri as she came into possession of one after seizing it from Leo Bonhart. However, this was then debunked on Twitter when community director Marcin Momot reacted positively to a fan asking whether it was actually the medallion from the School of the Lynx.

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• A huge leak has revealed Apple’s Mac plans for the next 18 months
• It contains data on close to 20 upcoming Mac desktops and MacBooks
• There are a few intriguing surprises nestled inside the leak

Apple is known for keeping its upcoming products a closely-guarded secret, but that doesn’t stop information leaking out from its fortress-like walls. That’s just happened again, and this time a mother lode of Mac data has seemingly emerged from inside the company’s labs.

This leak comes from AppleInsider, and the news outlet says it sourced it from “our own data and information shared with us.” It includes records on close to 20 of the best Macs that Apple is set to release over the next year or so, giving us a rare sneak peek at the company’s future plans.

AppleInsider’s sources shared product codenames and other related information, which AppleInsider has used to piece together what might be on the menu. In some cases, this takes the form of simple common sense: Apple is planning to upgrade all of its MacBooks to the M5 chip series, for example.

There are a few interesting tidbits, though, such as AppleInsider’s contention that an M5 iMac might be in the works, alongside a new Mac Pro with either an M3 Ultra or M5 Ultra chip. Both the iMac and the Mac Pro have gone years without a significant upgrade.

We can also glean an intriguing detail about Apple’s M6 MacBook Pro, which is likely to launch in late 2026. Rumors have claimed that this could come with an extensive hardware overhaul (including an OLED display), but the device’s alleged identifier numbers – K114 and K116 – imply that the laptop might retain its current size options.

If the 14 and 16 in K114 and K116 correspond to screen measurements, that suggests that the M6 MacBook Pro could be keeping its current 14-inch and 16-inch options.

Nearly 20 new Macs in the works

(Image credit: Mark Kauzlarich/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Almost all of the report’s device codenames could be matched with existing devices based on past releases.

For instance, the Mac mini with M4 Pro chip used the J773s model number, so the new J873s codename in AppleInsider’s data likely corresponds to an M5 Pro variant. Yet there was one mysterious device that could not be identified, and AppleInsider speculates that it could be the much-rumored MacBook powered by Apple’s A18 chip. Time will tell on that one.

Besides the expected models we’ve discussed above, AppleInsider’s report omitted model identifiers for a few Macs you’d expect to see. While the outlet discussed the Mac mini with M5 Pro chip, for example, it says it was not informed about the entry-level M5 Mac mini – although it added that this device is surely a given if the M5 Pro model is also in development.

There’s a lot of data to sift through in AppleInsider’s report, so we’ve put it into a table below for simple viewing. We’ve included predicted release dates alongside the Mac models, although these are only estimates and could change over time. The table only includes devices with identifier numbers provided by AppleInsider, so variants like the M5 Mac mini are not present.

Mac model

Predicted release date

Mac mini (M5 Pro)

2025

iMac (M5)

2025

14-inch MacBook Pro (M5 Pro)

Fall 2025

14-inch MacBook Pro (M5 Max)

Fall 2025

16-inch MacBook Pro (M5 Pro)

Fall 2025

16-inch MacBook Pro (M5 Max)

Fall 2025

Mac Pro (first variant, likely with Ultra chip)

Late 2025

Mac Pro (second variant, likely with Ultra chip)

Late 2025

Mac Studio (Max chip)

2026

Mac Studio (Ultra chip)

2026

13-inch MacBook Air (M5)

Early 2026

15-inch MacBook Air (M5)

Early 2026

14-inch MacBook Pro (M6 Pro)

Late 2026

14-inch MacBook Pro (M6 Max)

Late 2026

16-inch MacBook Pro (M6 Pro)

Late 2026

16-inch MacBook Pro (M6 Max)

Late 2026

MacBook (A18 Pro)

?

As this is all merely rumored information, we’ll have to wait to see how accurate it proves to be. Much of it lines up with previous reports, though, so it might not be entirely wide of the mark – which makes it a handy resource if you're thinking of upgrading your Mac in the near future.

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• Apps would hide on a device as soon as they're installed, to avoid removal
• They would serve unwanted, out-of-context ads to victims
• The apps were removed from the Play Store

A major ad fraud campaign comprising hundreds of Android applications has been discovered and dismantled, security researchers HUMAN have said.

The IconAds campaign worked by displaying ads without proper context, or user consent - and to make matters worse, once the apps were installed on an Android device, they would hide their icons from the users, making it more difficult to find and uninstall.

In total, the campaign counted 352 Android apps, and during peak activity, it had 1.2 billion bid requests a day, the researchers said.

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Smuggling through

We don’t know on how many devices the apps were installed, but we do know that they managed to sneak past Google’s defenses and into the Google Play Store, and the majority of traffic came from Brazil, Mexico, and the United States.

This has now been remedied, and these apps removed. However, it’s safe to assume that new ones will emerge soon: "Many IconAds-associated apps have short shelf lives before being removed from the Play Store," HUMAN researchers said.

"With the several evolutions of this threat, researchers expect continued adaptation, with new apps published and new obfuscation techniques added."

The campaign has been active since at least 2019, when the first apps were uploaded to the app repository.

Google’s mobile app store is generally considered safe. However, its defenses are not impenetrable, and every now and then, malicious apps get through, at least for a short while.

For that reason, users should never blindly trust apps, even when coming from such a reputable source. Instead, they should always mind the download count and user reviews. Newly released apps with fewer downloads have a higher chance of being malicious, and many cybercriminals spoof user reviews, so it is important to carefully read them. Nowadays, most of them are generated by AI and sound superficial and bland, and user accounts have generic names, often similar to one another.

Via The Hacker News

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