Technology

The still rumored iPhone 17 Pro Max will almost certainly be one of the biggest and best phones of 2025, headlining the iPhone 17 line – which will also probably include the iPhone 17 itself, the iPhone 17 Pro, and a new iPhone 17 Air or iPhone 17 Slim model.

That final phone may steal much of the attention, but it’s the iPhone 17 Pro Max that will probably have the most impressive specs.

And while we’re not expecting it to land until September, leaks and rumors are already emerging – all of which you’ll find below.

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The iPhone 17 Pro Max could have a massive battery.View Deal

Cut to the chase

• What is it? The next top-end iPhone
• When is it out? Probably September 2025
• How much will it cost? Likely upwards of $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,149

Look out for it in September

The iPhone 16 Pro Max (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

• Likely to launch in the first half of September
• Will probably cost at least $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,149

The iPhone 17 Pro Max – along with the rest of the iPhone 17 series – will probably be announced in September of 2025.

One source has specifically pointed to a September launch for the iPhone 17 line, and Apple almost without exception launches its new phones in the first half of September, so we can be quite confident of that much.

Prior to the iPhone 16 series Apple also usually announced the phones on a Tuesday or Wednesday, but with the iPhone 16 it went with a Monday instead, so we can’t be quite as confident of the exact day as in previous years.

Still, the second week of September is the most likely based on past form, meaning likely Monday September 8, Tuesday September 9, or Wednesday September 10. The Thursday or Friday is also possible, but those aren’t days we usually see Apple go for.

Either way, pre-orders for the iPhone 17 Pro Max will most likely start on the Friday of the announcement week, so our best guess for that is Friday, September 12 – though a week earlier on Friday, September 5 is also possible. And the phone will likely ship on the following Friday – meaning probably September 19 but possibly September 12.

We haven’t heard much about the iPhone 17 Pro Max price either, but reportedly Apple is considering raising the price from the iPhone 16 Pro Max. That seems ever more likely given the ongoing threat of tariffs.

For reference, the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,149, so it’s likely that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will cost at least that much.

Can you trust these rumors?

So far there aren't any release date leaks yet, so it's all just educated guesses, but we'd be surprised if this phone wasn't announced in September. We also wouldn't be surprised if it cost more than the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

One button replacing three

The iPhone 16 Pro Max (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

• Could combine the volume and Action buttons into one key
• Might have a new camera design
• Likely to once again have a 6.9-inch screen

So far we’ve heard of several possible design changes, including that the iPhone 17 Pro Max might gain a new button – or perhaps more accurately lose some buttons, as one report suggests it will have a single key that replaces the two volume buttons and the Action button.

Details on this button are light, but if it emerges, we’d imagine it might sport a similar design to the Camera Control key, so you can swipe across it to change the volume, or press it to trigger a custom action.

You can also get some idea of how it might look in an iPhone 14 Pro prototype, which includes a unified volume button (though this only combines two buttons into one, not three). According to various leaks, Apple has been working on versions of this idea for a long time, but it remains to be seen whether this sort of change will actually appear on the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Another big design leak suggests that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will have an aluminum frame rather than titanium, and that the top half of the back will also be aluminum (rather than glass), with the bottom half still being glass. The same source claims that the camera bump will be larger this time too.

We've also seen an image of how this might look, thanks to a leaked iPhone 17 series frame, pictured below, which has a Pixel 9-like camera cut-out.

(Image credit: @Jukanlosreve)

On the other hand though another source has said the iPhone 17 Pro Max will stick with titanium, which seems more likely.

And we've seen another possible new iPhone 17 Pro Max camera design, as you can see in the image of an iPhone 17 Pro below. You can see a similar design in some iPhone 17 Pro Max metal molds and iPhone 17 dummy units that have leaked, and it's a design that the internet isn't impressed by, and that Google has taken to teasing.

(Image credit: Front Page Tech / @asherdipps‬)

That said, more recent leaked dummy units of the iPhone 17 Pro show a version of this design that looks far better and more polished.

However, another source suggests that contrary to the picture above, the iPhone 17 Pro Max won't have a two-tone color scheme. They add though that the camera layout will have major changes, and that not much is changing on the front of the phone. We've since seen how a single-color iPhone 17 Pro might look.

We've also heard that at least some iPhone 17 models might have curvier edges than the iPhone 16 series, which could make them more comfortable to hold.

Also on the design front, one source claims that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be available in one of the three colors pictured below. These, from left to right, are apparently dubbed Dark Green Titanium, Teal Titanium, and Green Titanium. And apparently all three are being considered, but only one would be used if any, with the source speculating that Teal Titanium is the most likely.

(Image credit: Majin Bu)

However, it seems Apple may have moved away from these shades, as this source has more recently said that Sky Blue is the most likely option, with Titanium Blue and Titanium Purple also in contention.

Interestingly, the iPhone 17 Pro Max might be thicker than its predecessor, coming in at 163.04 x 77.59 x 8.75mm according to one leak, which also shows how a dummy unit compares to the far thinner iPhone 17 Air.

We’ve also heard that Apple could hide the Face ID components under the screen in the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which might allow for a smaller Dynamic Island, and Apple now even has a patent for a technology that could enable this.

That said, a smaller Dynamic Island could instead be achieved through using a new ‘metalens’ technology for the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s proximity sensor, which is a claim we've heard more than once. Then again, another source claims the Dynamic Island won't be shrunk after all.

The source of the metalens claim also says that unsurprisingly the iPhone 17 Pro Max will have a titanium frame, just like the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

The same source also says to once again expect a 6.9-inch screen, and we’ve elsewhere heard that the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s display might use a type of glass that’s less reflective and more resistant to scratches. On the other hand, a more recent leak suggests the iPhone 17 Pro Max won't get this display upgrade after all.

Additionally, the iPhone 17 Pro Max's screen might use a new technology that makes it more power efficient and durable.

Can you trust these rumors?

So far only one source has mentioned a new button, so we'd take this with a pinch of salt, especially as the Action button is a recent addition, so it would be strange to remove it already.

We're also slightly skeptical of the phone switching from titanium to aluminum, as that could be seen as a downgrade.

Changes to the camera design are possible, but this would be a big switch for Apple so we'll reserve judgment until more leaks emerge.

A smaller Dynamic Island is possible too, and has leaked multiple times, but it's more likely to be achieved through a new proximity sensor design than under-display Face ID.

A new telephoto camera

The iPhone 16 Pro Max (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

• Could have a new 48MP telephoto camera
• The front-facing camera might be boosted to 24MP
• The main sensor might be downgraded

We’ve heard quite consistent tips about the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s cameras, with the most exciting claim being that the telephoto will have a new 48MP sensor, up from 12MP on the current model. We’ve heard this claim of a 48MP telephoto camera for the iPhone 17 Pro Max from multiple sources, including reputable leaker Mark Gurman, so this is very likely accurate.

However, this snapper may offer just 3.5x optical zoom rather than the 5x optical zoom of its predecessor, according to one source, though with 5x and 7x 'lossless' zoom possible through cropping.

This might also be the only rear camera that’s getting a significant upgrade – meaning 48MP main and ultra-wide cameras could make a return.

The front-facing camera might also be improved though, with one of the same sources saying the iPhone 17 Pro Max will have a 24MP selfie camera, up from 12MP currently.

We've also heard that the iPhone 17 Pro Max might be able to record video in up to 8K quality, up from 4K on the current model.

And in more surprising news, one source has claimed that the iPhone 17 Pro Max could have a mechanical aperture, allowing you to adjust the aperture, changing the depth of field in the process.

It might not all be upgrades though, as we've elsewhere heard that the main sensor on the iPhone 17 Pro Max could be smaller than on the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Finally, we've heard that Apple might be testing a 200MP sensor, though there's no indication that this would be included on the iPhone 16 Pro Max. More likely it would arrive on a later model.

Can you trust these rumors? 

Numerous sources have mentioned a 48MP telephoto camera, so that much is very likely. The 24MP selfie camera hasn't been leaked as much, so we'd take that with a pinch of salt, but the claim comes from a credible source.

As for a mechanical aperture, we're skeptical of this, as it sounds like a major yet niche upgrade, but it's always possible. We're also not currently convinced that Apple would reduce the main sensor size.

A powerful chipset and loads of RAM

The iPhone 16 Pro Max (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

• A powerful A19 Pro chipset
• 12GB of RAM

The iPhone 17 Pro Max will almost certainly have an A19 Pro chipset – after all, the current model has an A18 Pro. Multiple sources have mentioned an A19 Pro chipset, and they’ve also said that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will have 12GB of RAM, up from 8GB in the current model.

That could be a major boon to its AI capabilities, and we've heard this 12GB claim numerous times. Though there’s some debate over whether both iPhone 17 Pro models will get 12GB of RAM or whether this RAM upgrade will just be for the Pro Max.

We've also heard that Apple could add a vapor chamber to the iPhone 17 Pro Max, helping it stay cool and perform better. A second source has also now said to expect a vapor chamber in the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

As for the battery, reportedly the iPhone 17 Pro Max could have a thinner and lighter motherboard than the current model, which in turn might leave space for a larger battery. More recently we've heard that the phone may indeed have a larger battery, with a leak suggesting the iPhone 17 Pro Max will have a 5,000mAh battery, and we've also heard that it could offer reverse wireless charging.

For software, we're almost certain the iPhone 17 Pro Max will run iOS 26, and this software has now been announced, so we know it includes an overhauled design, streamlined app layouts, new Apple Intelligence features, and a new Apple Games app, among other things. In short, it's a major update.

Can you trust these rumors? 

The iPhone 17 Pro Max will almost certainly have an A19 Pro chipset based on past form, and we'd say an increase to 12GB of RAM is very believable too, since it could help with AI.

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Slow Horses season 5: key information

- Will arrive on September 24
- Teaser trailer revealed after season 4 finale
- Main cast set to return
- Plot to follow Mick Herron’s ‘London Rules’ novel
- Already renewed for season 6 and 7
- Potential Slough House spin-off in the works

Slow Horses season 5 will arrive on Apple TV+ on September 24. In true Slow Horses fashion though, the gritty spy thriller hasn't made us wait too long between seasons.

And it appears there's plenty more action-packed scenes, gripping drama, and incredible acting on the way as Jackson Lamb and his Slough House team make their return.

Adapted from the books by Mick Herron, there's a lot more plot to unravel and a lot more seasons to do it over with the renewal of season 6 and 7 already locked in. For now, here’s everything we know about Slow Horses season 5 so far including release date, trailer, plot, confirmed cast and more.

Potential spoilers follow for Slow Horses seasons 1 to 4.

Slow Horses season 5 release date

A post shared by Apple TV (@appletv)

A photo posted by on

Apple TV+ has confirmed a release date for Slow Horses season 5 – and it's September 24. Not only that, but the first two episodes will be premiering at the same time with the season consisting of six episodes.

No doubt this news will come as a huge relief for fans of one of the best Apple TV+ shows after Apple TV+ renewed Slow Horses for a fifth season back in January 2024. But, the wait is almost over.

Slow Horses season 5 trailer: is there one?

The teaser trailer for Slow Horses season 5 isn't available on YouTube (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

In what appears to be establishing itself as a Slow Horses tradition, there was a season 5 teaser trailer shared at the end of the season 4 finale.

In less than a minute, someone tries to kill Roddy, a terrorist plot threatens London, and once again, the police turn to Lamb to help them predict the next move.

Plus, an unknown killing, although if Slow Horses’ history is anything to go by, it could be anyone – no cast member is safe. We’ll get into more about what the teaser trailer alludes to when it comes to plot below, and we'll update here as soon as we have a full trailer to share.

Slow Horses season 5 confirmed cast

Nick Mohammed will guest star in Slow Horses season 5 (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

Full spoilers follow for Slow Horses season 4.

Thanks to an announcement by Apple TV+ combined with the teaser and first look images, here’s the confirmed cast for Slow Horses season 5:

• Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb
• Jack Lowden as River Cartwright
• Kristin Scott Thomas as Diana Taverner
• Saskia Reeves as Catherine Standish
• Christopher Chung as Roddy Ho
• Aimee-Ffion Edwards as Shirley Dander
• Rosalind Eleazar as Louisa Guy
• Ruth Bradley as Emma Flyte
• James Callis as Claude Whelan
• Tom Brooke as J.K. Coe
• Hugo Weaving as Frank Harkness
• Joanna Scanlan as Moira Tergorian
• Jonathan Pryce as David Cartwright
• Nick Mohammed as TBC
• Hiba Bennani as TBC

Though Hugo Weaving's character, Frank Harkness, was not seen in the trailer, Digital Spy confirmed his return back in November 2024, while also suggesting Joanna Scanlan (Moira Tregorian) is expected to reprise her role, too. Though, no official word yet.

With no sign of Naomi Wirthner (Molly Doran) or Samuel West (Peter Judd) in the season 4 finale teaser and the Apple TV+ announcement, it's not clear whether they'll be returning for season 5.

Slow Horses season 5 potential plot synopsis and rumors

Slow Horses season 5 will be adapted from 'London Rules' (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

Major spoilers follow for Slow Horses seasons 1 through 4.

Slow Horses season 5 is confirmed to be an adaptation of Mick Herron’s ‘London Rules’ novel, the sequel to ‘Spook Street’ which acted as the basis for season 4.

To get a strong look at the possible plot for season 5 then, here’s the book’s official synopsis: “Regent's Park's First Desk, Claude Whelan, is learning this the hard way.

"Tasked with protecting a beleaguered prime minister, he's facing attack from all directions himself: from the showboating MP who orchestrated the Brexit vote, and now has his sights set on Number Ten; from the showboat's wife, a tabloid columnist, who's crucifying Whelan in print; and especially from his own deputy, Lady Di Taverner, who's alert for Claude's every stumble. Meanwhile, the country's being rocked by an apparently random string of terror attacks, and someone's trying to kill Roddy Ho."

Over at Slough House, the crew are struggling with personal problems: repressed grief, various addictions, retail paralysis, and the nagging suspicion that their newest colleague is a psychopath.

But collectively, they're about to rediscover their greatest strength - that of making a bad situation much, much worse. It's a good job Jackson Lamb knows the rules. Because those things aren't going to break themselves.”

The team at Slough House get another chance at redemption (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

From the season 5 trailer, we know that much of the show will stay true to the book. We also catch a glimpse of most of the main cast to confirm their return to Slough House, and there's an awkward kiss between River and Louisa that we're keen to unpack.

And in the official Apple TV+ announcement, there's even more insight into what will be unfolding this time round: "In season five of Slow Horses, everyone is suspicious when resident tech nerd Roddy Ho has a glamorous new girlfriend.

"When a series of increasingly bizarre events occur across the city, it falls to the Slow Horses to work out how everything is connected. After all, Lamb knows that in the world of espionage, the London Rules – cover your back – always apply".

Following suit with the previous seasons, Slow Horses always runs for six episodes with the plot spanning the events of two or three days. It appears with season 5, they’ll be sticking to this tried-and-tested method, as Smith spoke to Collider: “You feel if you stretch it beyond that — I mean, you can invent — I worry it would feel like padding, and it would take you away from what is great about the books. So, six, I think, is the magic number.”

Roddy finds himself with a glamorous new girlfriend (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

In season 4, River met his biological father, Jack (Hugo Weaving), which only looked to strengthen his relationship with Lamb. But what about more from Frank? Well, the man himself spoke to Forbes, further confirming a reappearance: "You probably know that Frank is in one of the other books, and so the assumption is at the end of this season, and certainly to anyone who had read the books, is that Frank will be coming back.”

He adds: "Frank gets to play his Get Out of Jail Free card, which he has had all along because he knows that MI5 and David Cartwright tried to set him up. He knows he's got that, so he can say that fabulous line, 'I'll get the next train.' He can be that sort of a character because he actually is a survivor and excellently slippery."

Though, in an exclusive chat with Radio Times, showrunner Will Smith said there's one part of the book that won't feature: "In season 5, the challenge we had with that was Mick does a brilliant thing at the beginning where there's an attack, and he writes it, and you think you're somewhere in the Middle East, and then you reveal it’s Derbyshire, and that is brilliant. We cannot do that in the show."

But with confirmation of 'London Rules' and teaser trailer as a starting point, it's fair to say the core plot is etched out. But, for those who haven't read the books, and with the unique additions of the cast & crew, Slow Horses will undoubtedly bring twists and turns that you won't see coming.

Will Slow Horses get more seasons on Apple TV+?

Who's that calling? It's Slow Horses seasons 6 and 7 (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

Slow Horses has already been renewed for season 6 and 7, so yes there’s most definitely more to come.

As reported by Deadline, season 6 will be based on Mick Herron’s ‘Joe Country’ and ‘Slough House’ which are the sixth and seventh books in the series. Revealing: “In season 6, the spies head out on the run as Diana Taverner embroils them all in a fatally high-stakes game of retaliation and revenge.”

And it appears Gary Oldman has already finished filming his parts in season 6. During an interview with Deadline in February, when asked about the next, next season, he said: "I wrapped about two weeks ago." Though he said some of the other cast were still working.

While season 6 will take its plot from two novels, that leaves only one behind in the series. Well, that is until September, when Herron's ninth book 'Clown Town' is released.

And, according to Deadline, season 7 will "begin shooting in the UK in late September or early October".

In conversation with Gary Oldman, he added: "That is truly the wonderful gift that keeps on giving. I just adore the hell out of it, and the people. It is just such a wonderful thing really to be part of".

Furthermore, Smith adds that there’s interest from his perspective in a spin-off, “I do think, though, there’s a great book he wrote, the last book that came out, which is in the Slough House universe, and Slow Horses do come into it, which is called The Secret Hours. That could be a movie or a more limited number just because of the nature of that story.”

For more Apple TV+ coverage, read our guides on Ted Lasso season 4, Foundation season 3, Presumed Innocent season 2, and Silo season 3.

• Dying Light developer Techland has seemingly canceled two titles
• It's uncertain which games are affected
• The studio has confirmed that no jobs have been cut

Dying Light developer Techland has reportedly canceled two upcoming projects.

The Polish studio, which is a subsidiary of Chinese technology giant Tencent, posted record losses of $37.3 million / £27.4 million in 2024 according to Polish business site Puls Biznesu. This followed losses of $25 million / £18.3 million in 2023.

The losses are attributed to the "decisions to discontinue further work on two projects" though it is currently unclear exactly what this means. We do know that Techland was working on an open-world fantasy action RPG with some former The Witcher 3 developers, leading to speculation that the project may have been canned.

In a statement provided to GamesRadar regarding the news a Techland representative said that "game development is never a straight line, and sometimes fresh approaches are necessary to make great games."

Interestingly, the reported cancelations seem to have not led to any layoffs. "What's important here is that none of the reported changes have resulted in staff reductions," the statement continued. "Developers were moved to other projects and are working on a number of games in our pipeline."

Right now the studio is gearing up for the launch of Dying Light: The Beast. The next entry in the zombie-slaying series, The Beast sees the return of original Dying Light protagonist Kyle Crane as a super-powered mutant.

It's set to release on August 22 for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox One.

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• The iPhone 17 Pro Max could have a 5,000mAh battery
• That would make it over 300mAh higher capacity than the iPhone 16 Pro Max's
• This could be one of the main spec upgrades on this phone

We’ve heard quite a lot about the iPhone 17 Pro Max at this point, but surprisingly one of the biggest potential upgrades has only just leaked.

According to leaker Setsuna Digital (via GSMArena), the iPhone 17 Pro Max could have a 5,000mAh battery, and while that’s a common capacity for Android phones, it’s far higher than we’ve so far seen from an iPhone.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max has the biggest battery Apple has so far put in a phone, but it’s still only 4,685mAh. So if this leak is correct, the iPhone 17 Pro Max will have an extra 315mAh to play with.

Boosting the battery to 5,000mAh would finally make Apple’s battery specs more comparable with Android phones, and would likely mean the actual life of the iPhone 17 Pro Max is far greater than most Android handsets, as iPhones tend to be very power-efficient.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)A bigger boost than usual

So that’s all good news, though we’d take this with a pinch of salt, as while the source of this tip has a solid track record we haven’t heard this from anyone else yet, and that would be a slightly bigger battery jump than we tend to see from Apple.

But if the iPhone 17 Pro Max really does have a 5,000mAh battery then that could make for one of the most exciting upgrades on a phone that so far doesn’t sound like it will be a vast improvement on the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Going by current leaks, the main change could be to the design – though the chipset and some of the cameras will probably also be improved. So a boost in battery life could help this phone feel like more of an upgrade than it might otherwise.

And while this leak only talks about the iPhone 17 Pro Max, if it really is getting a big battery boost then there’s a fair chance the other iPhone 17 models will too. We should find out in September, as that’s probably when Apple will unveil these new handsets.

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Commentary: This Emmy-winning thriller was a game-changer and one of the best thrillers to ever hit television. Now, for the first time ever in the United States, it is available to stream in full on Netflix.

• Pilou Asbaek has outlined what fans can expect from his villain in Foundation season 3
• The Mule is an incredibly powerful antagonist who threatens Empire and The Foundation
• The series newcomer has also revealed why it's so fun to play villainous characters

Foundation season 3 will introduce the show's most terrifying villain yet in The Mule – and actor Pilou Asbaek has teased what viewers can expect from his take on the fan-favorite antagonist.

Speaking to TechRadar ahead of Foundation's return on July 11, Asbaek revealed that his version of the character will be something of a departure from how he's depicted in Isaac Asimov's original book series.

In Asimov's best-selling novels, The Mule is a weedy individual who proves looks can be deceiving. Indeed, The Mule is one of the most powerful Mentalics – humans who possess incredibly potent psychic abilities – to ever live in Asimov's fictional universe. Due to his weak appearance, he's constantly underestimated by his foes, which allows him to conquer vast swathes of the galaxy before The Imperium or The Foundation can muster a response to the growing threat he poses.

The Mule retains his telepathic superpowers in Apple's live-action adaptation. But, as Foundation season 3's official trailer revealed, he's a far more physically imposing character than in the books.

The Mule is the most dangerous antagonist we've seen in Foundation so far (Image credit: Apple TV+)

"He needs to be a big, immediate threat to Empire and The Foundation," Asbaek told me of the decision to make The Mule taller and more muscular in the Apple TV+ space opera. "So, he's physically different. He's a pretty big, wide guy who's also more roguish, brutish, and impolite than he's described in Asimov's brilliant books."

The Mule's altered build is less of a surprise when you think back to last season. As I covered in my Foundation season 2 ending explained piece, The Mule makes a brief cameo before the finale's end credits sequence rolls. The unhinged villain, who was played in that scene by Mikael Persbrandt before he was replaced by Asbaek as part of a season 3 cast shake-up, was similarly tall in stature. So, there's some continuity between Persbrandt and Asbaek's iterations of the character from a physical perspective.

Nevertheless, Asbaek is well aware that some long-time fans of Asimov's literary works might take exception to how The Mule is depicted in one of the best Apple TV+ shows. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he's already prepared himself for any potential backlash.

"I've done a few adaptations – Ghost in the Shell and Game of Thrones (GoT), for example – so I've been down that path," he mused. "I know that some people will like it [my take on The Mule] and some won't, but it's my job to make the best possible version in collaboration with the creative team.

"I didn't know Mikael had done it, but I knew of the show and what I wanted to bring to the character," he added. "It's the same thing as someone doing an adaptation of a Shakespearean play. We've seen a million different versions of Hamlet, so this is just my interpretation of The Mule."

As for how The Mule differs from GoT's Euron Greyjoy, the unlikeable and power-hungry character that Asbaek played in one of the best HBO Max shows, or any other villain he's played, Asbaek said: "He's probably the most human one I've ever played. He's got the biggest storyline I've had with playing a villain, but he's also the most chaotic, tortured soul of of them all. I'm not going to spoil it, but I can say you'll get a sense of why [that's the case].

"At the end of the day, he's just a little boy who wants to be loved," Asbaek continued. "I was very inspired by French novel 'The Little Prince'. That's also the reason why he [The Mule] wears a red coat, because I wanted to look like the Little Prince, who comes to our world because he wants to know what it is to be human and have emotions. That's the only thing that The Mule doesn't have. He's one of a kind and, throughout this season, you'll find out what happens when he doesn't get what he wants."

Are you excited to see Asbaek as The Mule? Let me know in the comments. And, before the sci-fi epic's next installment arrives, read my Foundation season 3 review to see if it's better than its predecessors.

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• Hunters International struck many private and public entities, including Tata and Telecom Namibia
• The group says it is disbanding "in light of recent events"
• It even released decryption keys for their victims

A major ransomware operation has announced a complete shutdown and the public release of decryption keys - however, some are skeptical that this is the last we’ve seen of this particular group.

The operators, known as Hunters International, published a short announcement on their dark web site, notifying their followers, affiliates, and the wider cybercriminal community, that they will no longer operate.

“After careful consideration and in light of recent developments, we have decided to close the Hunters International project,” the announcement reads. “This decision was not made lightly, and we recognize the impact it has on the organizations we have interacted with.”

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Callback phishing

While the group mentions “recent developments”, it doesn’t elaborate, so we don’t know if this means they were seized by law enforcement, or they simply extorted enough money to call it quits.

TechCrunch, on the other hand, believes there could be a third option - a smoke-and-mirrors effort to throw the police off. Discussing the matter with threat intelligence analyst from Recorded Future, Allan Liska, TechCrunch learned the group might be rebranding to World Leaks.

“I think this is more of a ‘cutting of ties’ with the old infrastructure,” Liska told the publication. This wouldn’t be the first group that rebranded to try and hide their tracks.

After the Colonial Pipeline attack, DarkSide, rebranded into BlackMatter, and later Alphv/BlackCat, and REvil (Sodinokibi) was preceded by GandCrab.

As for releasing decryption keys, while commendable, it doesn’t mean much for the attackers, Liska argues. These are mostly older victims who had no intention of paying anyway, so for the group - nothing was lost.

“As far as releasing decryption keys, at this point they aren’t likely to make any money from any Hunters’ victims who are still out there, so they probably see it as a gesture that doesn’t really cost them anything,” Liska concluded.

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• Samsung has accidentally revealed storage and RAM amounts for the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy Z Flip 7, and Z Flip 7 FE
• The Galaxy Z Fold 7 will seemingly come with more RAM than its predecessor in the top configuration
• A leak has also shown off some Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 cases, some of which have magnets

Despite Samsung’s best efforts to stop them, phone leaks are inevitable, but usually, it’s leakers intentionally sharing details rather than the manufacturer accidentally doing so.

In the case of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, though, we’ve now encountered two accidental leaks from Samsung itself.

The first was the sharing of some colors on Samsung’s Irish website, and now leaker Roland Quandt has spotted a terms and conditions document on a Turkish Samsung site, which mentions RAM amounts and storage capacities for these upcoming phones.

The document states that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 comes with 12GB of RAM paired with either 256GB or 512GB of storage, and that there's also a 16GB version with 1TB of storage. Those storage capacities are the same as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, but in all cases, that phone comes with 12GB of RAM, so at the top end, you should be able to get more with the Z Fold 7.

The Flip 7 and the Flip 7 FE

Next up, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 is listed as having 12GB of RAM and a choice of either 256GB or 512GB of storage. Those are the same specs as the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.

There are also Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE specs listed here, with the phone said to have 8GB of RAM and come in a choice of 128GB or 256GB of storage.

Since this all comes directly from a Samsung site, these details are almost certainly accurate, but we still can’t be 100% certain until Samsung announces the specs on July 9 – and it’s possible, too, that some regions will have different configurations to others.

Magnetic charging could require a case

A Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 case with magnets built in (Image credit: Android Headlines)

In any case, we’ve also now seen leaked case renders for the Galaxy Z Flip 7 (shared by Android Headlines) and Galaxy Z Fold 7 (shared by NieuweMobiel).

These don’t reveal much about the phones that we haven’t already seen or heard, but it’s worth noting that some of the cases include magnets, which means that these phones will probably both have the same magnetic charging support as the Samsung Galaxy S25 series.

Specifically, you’ll probably be able to magnetically attach chargers and other accessories, much like with Apple’s MagSafe system, except the magnets won’t be built into the phones themselves, so you’ll need to equip them with a magnetic case first. If so, that would be disappointing but not surprising.

Samsung is expected to unveil all of these phones at the next Galaxy Unpacked on July 9, so we should find out exactly what they have to offer very soon.

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• Okta warns GenAI tool v0.dev is being exploited to build phishing sites
• The malicious sites are being hosted on Vercel infrastructure to appear more legitimate
• AI tools are also commonly citing false URLs, putting unsuspecting users at risk of attacks

New Okta research has revealed how threat actors are using Vercel's v0.dev to build realistic phishing sites which mimic legitimate sign-in pages, with researchers successful reproducing the alleged technique to prove its feasibility.

v0.dev allows users to create web interfaces from simple, natural language prompts, which researchers say is concerning because the technology has now been proven to lower the technical barrier for phishing attacks and other types of cybercrime.

Although Vercel and Okta have worked together to restrict access to known sites, many argue there's very little that can be done to prevent such attacks now AI tools have become so widespread.

GenAI is now creating phishing sites

Okta found the fake phishing sites to be impersonating company logos and other assets to reduce detection by unsuspecting victims, with the sites hosted on Vercel's infrastructure to appear more legitimate. Microsoft 365 and fake crypto sites were among the most popular.

The open source availability of v0.dev clones and guides on GitHub has also broadened access to these capabilities for less experienced developers and attackers.

Okta is recommending that all users set up multi-factor authentication on supported accounts, binding authenticators to original domains via tools like Okta FastPass to ensure that fake sites don't get access to your credentials.

"Organizations can no longer rely on teaching users how to identify suspicious phishing sites based on imperfect imitation of legitimate services," Okta's researchers noted.

Companies should also update their cybersecurity training programs to address risks from AI-generated phishing attacks and social engineering.

The news comes soon after another report revealed around one-third of GenAI chatbot responses containing login URLs were false, with attackers registering false domains that are cited by tools like ChatGPT to establish their own phishing campaigns.

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• AI isn't too good at generating URLs – many don't exist, and some could be phishing sites
• Attackers are now optimizing sites for LLMs rather than for Google
• Developers are even inadvertently using dodgy URLs

New research has revealed AI often gives incorrect URLs, which could be putting users at risk of attacks including phishing attempts and malware.

A report from Netcraft claims one in three (34%) login links provided by LLMs, including GPT-4.1, were not owned by the brands they were asked about, with 29% pointing to unregistered, inactive or parked domains and 5% pointing to unrelated but legitimate domains, leaving just 66% linking to the correct brand-associated domain.

Alarmingly, simple prompts like 'tell me the login website for [brand]' led to unsafe results, meaning that no adversarial input was needed.

Be careful about the links AI generates for you

Netcraft notes this shortcoming could ultimately lead to widespread phishing risks, with users easily misled to phishing sites just by asking a chatbot a legitimate question.

Attackers aware of the vulnerability could go ahead and register unclaimed domains suggested by AI to use them for attacks, and one real-world case has already demonstrated Perplexity AI recommending a fake Wells Fargo site.

According to the report, smaller brands are more vulnerable because they're underrepresented in LLM training data, therefore increasing the likelihood of hallucinated URLs.

Attackers have also been observed optimizing their sites for LLMs, rather than traditional SEO for the likes of Google. An estimated 17,000 GitBook phishing pages targeting crypto users have already been created this way, with attackers mimicking technical support pages, documentation and login pages.

Even more worrying is that Netcraft observed developers using AI-generated URLs in code: "We found at least five victims who copied this malicious code into their own public projects—some of which show signs of being built using AI coding tools, including Cursor," the team wrote.

As such, users are being urged to verify any AI-generated content involving web addresses before clicking on links. It's the same sort of advice we're given for any type of attack, with cybercriminals using a variety of attack vectors, including fake ads, to get people to click on their malicious links.

One of the most effective ways of verifying the authenticity of a site is to type the URL directly into the search bar, rather than trusting links that could be dangerous.

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• Surfshark research found 10 countries imposed internet blackouts in the first half of 2025
• A total of 24 internet restrictions were recorded in the first half of 2025, with India being the worst perpetrator
• Increased internet censorship has seen demand for circumventing tools like VPNs soared

Government-imposed internet restrictions have risen in the first half of 2025, compared to the same period last year. New research from Surfshark identified 10 countries imposed 24 internet restrictions to date this year, up from 20 restrictions across nine countries that occurred in the same period in 2024.

Specifically, statistics from Surfshark indicate that internet users in India faced more restrictions than any other country between January and June 2025. Authorities in India have used Section 5 (2) of the Telegraph Act, 1885, to cut internet access in the event of a public emergency. Five shutdowns occurred in India in the first half of 2025 amid country-wide protests.

Surfshark, one of the best VPN providers on the market right now, has been charting internet shutdowns since 2015. Disruptions range from full internet blackouts to censorship of specific social media platforms like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) to VoIP services such as Telegram and WhatsApp.

Protests and political turmoil are common causes of restrictions

(Image credit: Surfshark)

"Over the years, governments have used internet shutdowns to control and silence journalists, activists, and the public," said Justas Pukys, VPN Product Manager at Surfshark.

Statistics show that local network connection disruptions, which affect a city or region, are more common than national shutdowns. To date, Surfshark has recorded 558 local disruptions worldwide compared to 124 nationwide shutdowns, with protests and political turmoil being the most common causes, followed by elections.

At the time of writing, 24 of 196 countries and territories analyzed by Surfshark are blocking social media platforms and VoIP services with Telegram being the most commonly blocked.

In January 2025, Telegram was blocked in Venezuela for five days, with authorities even looking to block popular VPN providers as citizens attempted to bypass the disruption. More recently in May 2025, Vietnam blocked access to Telegram with authorities claiming the platform had failed to cooperate with them to halt crimes.

During the first half of 2025, two countries imposed restrictions for the first time since Surfshark’s internet shutdown tracking began. Albania issued a one-year ban on short-form video platform TikTok, citing child safety concerns. Authorities in Panama announced a state of emergency due to civil unrest in Bocas del Toro, resulting in a regional internet shutdown.

Rising censorship mirrors growing VPN usage

Surfshark observes that Iran has had three internet restrictions to date this year.

It’s no coincidence then that VPN usage in the country spiked more than 700% in June 2025 as citizens looked to access the internet as normal. This is despite concerted efforts from Iran’s government to block and even outlaw VPNs altogether.

(Image credit: Google Trends)

"Internet blackouts can be dangerous, especially during critical events such as elections, protests, or other political turmoil. Losing internet access makes it harder to stay in touch with family members, access critical news outlets, and share urgent information with the world about unfolding events," said Pukys.

A virtual private network (VPN) takes your device’s internet traffic and routes it through a secure, encrypted tunnel. It also hides your real IP address, allowing you to spoof your location. This means that you can not only sidestep internet restrictions, but prevent snoopers from seeing what you’re doing on the internet.

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