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Dark web marketplaces are the center of activity for cybercriminals looking to trade hacking tools and services, stolen credentials and personal information. Hackers operating as ‘vendors’ on these sites profit from selling anything from malicious software and phishing kits to compromised passwords and credit card details.  

Unchecked trade as well as technological advancements, such as artificial intelligence (AI), are driving wider use of ransomware and malware-as-a-service (MaaS), democratizing these cyber attack methods for even the most unsophisticated cybercriminal to use. Because of this, the need for organizations to strengthen cybersecurity and protect digital identities has never been greater. Organizations must pay close attention to the tools and tactics cybercriminals trade on the dark web to address vulnerabilities putting them at risk of a cyber attack.  

Understanding what is most valuable for bad actors is also important. Last year, half of UK businesses experienced a cyber attack or data breach. Of them, the most common attack type was phishing (84%), with viruses or other malware accounting for only 17% of attacks.

The primary purpose of phishing is to steal credentials or sensitive information, and if businesses gain a better understanding of what cybercriminals are after, they can learn how cyber defenses should be focused. With the threat of cyber attacks unavoidable, now is the time to refer to the hacker’s playbook to beat them at their own game. 

The impact of entrepreneurial hackers 

In recent years, we have seen the serious damage MaaS attacks can cause. For example, the Snowflake data theft and extortion used infostealer malware as well as purchased credentials in the attack, leaving up to 165 businesses compromised.

The data stolen from such attacks is a valuable commodity on dark web marketplaces, with more highly developed hackers making sensitive information available to anyone using dark web marketplaces. Last year’s attack on NHS provider, Synnovis, is another example of this kind of work as the ransomware gang that carried out the attack (Qilin) published 400GB of private healthcare data online. 

These instances reveal how hackers are becoming more sophisticated in the attacks they carry out but also entrepreneurial in the tools they make available on the dark web. Evolving technologies like AI are also accelerating the democratization of cyber attacks, giving novice and less experienced cybercriminals the opportunities they need to carry out a serious breach.

The ease in which threat actors can gain access to readily available MaaS, including adware, keyloggers, spyware, worms and Trojan horses highlights the need for businesses to reevaluate cyber defenses to combat the ever-growing volume and complexity of attacks.  

How can businesses get ahead? 

As attacks and the technology behind them evolve, so too must cyber defenses.  Businesses must act now to get one step ahead of defending customer and employee digital identities, sensitive data and personal and financial information. To do this successfully, they must stay informed of the strategies hackers are exploiting and understand exactly what data is most valuable for cybercriminals.

AI has supercharged cyber attacks beyond organizations' abilities to keep up with them using existing tools and techniques. The World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook report for 2025 found a 223% increase in deepfake-related tools being traded on the dark web alone. 

Proactive defense measures, such as behavioral analytics and AI-driven threat detection, should be widely implemented to prevent AI-driven cyber attacks from succeeding. Organizations must start using the very technologies cybercriminals use to successfully prevent attacks. 

Importantly, with personally identifiable information (PII), financial information and passwords or login credentials topping the list of the most valuable data cybercriminals sell on the dark web, focusing cybersecurity efforts on protecting this information is critical.

Password-related security is one factor where its importance is often overlooked. Alternative authentication methods, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), token authentication and biometric identification can easily be implemented to defend against attacks carried out by sophisticated hackers and less skillful cybercriminals using MaaS alike. Decentralizing identity is also an under-utilized defense strategy which can make it more difficult for cybercriminals. 

Use the dark web to your advantage

Businesses must rethink their approach to cyber defenses if they are to get ahead. By staying informed of hacking tools and techniques on dark web marketplaces and focusing resources into defenses protecting the most valuable aspects of data, organizations can better secure digital identities.

Protecting significant vulnerabilities, such as passwords, which are knowingly exploited, is of ever-growing importance as hackers continue to go to great lengths to steal what is most valuable on dark web marketplaces – data.

We've featured the best privacy tool and anonymous browser.

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Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Monday, May 19 (game #1211).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1212) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1212) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1212) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1212 - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1212) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• D

• S

• M

• P

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1212) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1212, are…

• DECOY
• SHAKE
• MAPLE
• PURER

Although I completed this round after seven guesses this felt like a tough one as I took so long trying to think of words.

My method when I'm stuck involves putting down the letters I know are correct along with some educated guesses and X’s in spots I’m less sure about – so for DECOY I had D-E-X-O-X. It works for me.

Today I had to do this for every word. The technique also stops me making silly mistakes like almost tapping out PUREE instead of PURER.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1212) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1212, are…

• WALTZ
• REMIT
• BEADY
• STING

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1211, Monday, 19 May: LINK, HANDY, DITCH, WAIVE
• Quordle #1210, Sunday, 18 May: QUACK, ROACH, PURGE, DOWNY
• Quordle #1209, Saturday, 17 May: STRIP, RANGE, UNITE, GEESE
• Quordle #1208, Friday, 16 May: SHEEP, SNUCK, DRIFT, BREAK
• Quordle #1207, Thursday, 15 May: PAINT, CROUP, PEDAL, FLUKE
• Quordle #1206, Wednesday, 14 May: FAVOR, METER, PICKY, MAKER
• Quordle #1205, Tuesday, 13 May: SCENT, AGAPE, POLAR, YEARN
• Quordle #1204, Monday, 12 May: ROYAL, ARGUE, BUNCH, READY
• Quordle #1203, Sunday, 11 May: QUASH, MUNCH, ALTER, UNDUE
• Quordle #1202, Saturday, 10 May: RELIC, BADGE, CHAMP, SATIN
• Quordle #1201, Friday, 9 May: MINUS, CRIME, NOSEY, SLAIN
• Quordle #1200, Thursday, 8 May: ELUDE, GREET, POPPY, ELITE
• Quordle #1199, Wednesday, 7 May: QUOTH, TRUNK, BESET, NAIVE
• Quordle #1198, Tuesday, 6 May: UNITE, SOGGY, FILET, PORCH
• Quordle #1197, Monday, 5 May: WREAK, COWER, STEAD, QUEUE
• Quordle #1196, Sunday, 4 May: PINCH, SMOKE, SCARY, CANNY
• Quordle #1195, Saturday, 3 May: PLUSH, VERGE, WROTE, CONDO
• Quordle #1194, Friday, 2 May: CAUSE, RISEN, MACAW, SMELT
• Quordle #1193, Thursday, 1 May: IDIOM, EXILE, SPOOF, DRAPE
• Quordle #1192, Wednesday, 30 April: BATON, TORSO, ANNEX, DROWN

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, May 19 (game #442).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #443) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Oh, of course!

NYT Strands today (game #443) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• SLIPPERS
• ZIPPERS
• DIPPERS
• DUETS
• STRESS
• POET

NYT Strands today (game #443) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #443) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 3rd row

Last side: right, 3rd row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #443) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #443, are…

• DESSERT
• SOUP
• SALAD
• CHEESE
• APPETIZERS
• ENTREE
• SPANGRAM: FINE DINING

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Today’s Spangram didn’t eat the board like yesterday's 15-letter long yellow beasty, as we were presented with a half a dozen words connected to the noble pursuit of FINE DINING – yes, of course.

I once went for a meal that consisted of 12 courses, each one introduced by a small description by the waiter as delicacies of foam and shards of fermentation and leaves of local foraging were presented on a variety of alternatives to plates – a slate slab, some glass, a wooden block. All 12 courses could be described as an ENTREE or APPETIZERS.

DESSERT was the first word I found, then SOUP and it immediately triggered thoughts of my favourite song about food – I Can’t Go Back to Savoury Now by John Shuttleworth. It defies description but trust me it’s an earworm you’ll be singing for life should you make the mistake of going too early with your pudding.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, May 19, game #442)

• MACKEREL
• TROUT
• SALMON
• SNAPPER
• HALIBUT
• SPANGRAM: SOMETHINGS FISHY

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, May 19 (game #708).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #709) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• LEDGER
• DAY
• BROWN
• HORSE
• WATER
• HARDY
• LOG
• MURPHY
• BALE
• DREW
• CANOPY
• RECORD
• TROUGH
• REGISTER
• HOLMES
• PITCHFORK

NYT Connections today (game #709) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Written down
• GREEN: Found in the same farm building
• BLUE: Family friendly sleuths
• PURPLE: Add a word you sleep on

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #709) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: ACCOUNT BOOK 
• GREEN: SEEN IN A BARN 
• BLUE: DETECTIVES OF KID-LIT 
• PURPLE: WORDS BEFORE "BED" 

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #709) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #709, are…

• YELLOW: ACCOUNT BOOK LEDGER, LOG, RECORD, REGISTER
• GREEN: SEEN IN A BARN BALE, HORSE, PITCHFORK, TROUGH
• BLUE: DETECTIVES OF KID-LIT BROWN, DREW, HARDY, HOLMES
• PURPLE: WORDS BEFORE "BED" CANOPY, DAY, MURPHY, WATER

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 3 mistakes

After getting ACCOUNT BOOK fairly quickly I fell down a hole.

First, I managed to convince myself that Tom HARDY, Christian BALE, Eddie MURPHY, and Katie HOLMES had all appeared in a film together. They haven't, but Hardy and Bale both starred in The Dark Knight Rises of course.

I wasted another stab in the dark by swapping out Murphy and Holmes for BROWN and DAY without truly knowing why.

Ditching this wild goose chase, I got on the right track with BALE, HORSE and PITCHFORK, but had WATER instead of TROUGH. It was then a case of basic-level deduction to find DETECTIVES OF KID-LIT

I got there in the end. Phew!

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, May 19, game #708)

• YELLOW: FUNDRAISING EVENT BALL, BENEFIT, FUNCTION, GALA
• GREEN: SPACES ON A MONOPOLY BOARD AVENUE, CHANCE, RAILROAD, UTILITY
• BLUE: FEATURES OF A TOOTHED WHALE BLUBBER, FLIPPER, FLUKE, MELON
• PURPLE: HOMOPHONES OF PARTS OF THE FOOT BAWL, HEAL, SOUL, TOW

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

• OnePlus has announced that the OnePlus Pad 3 will launch on June 5, 2025
• A company exec has said the company is "confident" that the device will be the "best Android tablet of 2025"
• We're light on specs at the moment, but we know the tablet has a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset

OnePlus has announced that the OnePlus Pad 3, the latest in the company’s line of Android tablets, will launch on June 5.

The tablet features a redesigned rear panel, and comes equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, the most powerful chipset available for Android devices.

The OnePlus Pad 3 will also come loaded with the company’s Open Canvas multitasking software, which has been updated from the version shipped with the OnePlus Pad 2.

This software allows users to open up to three apps on-screen at any one time, and appears to be a similar offering to Apple’s Stage Manager function, included with iPadOS, albeit with a limit of three apps compared to the iPad’s four.

Commenting on the announcement, Celina Shi, Chief Marketing Officer, OnePlus Europe said: “We're confident that the OnePlus Pad 3 will be the best Android tablet of 2025!”

That’s an ambitious target, but as our original OnePlus Pad review suggests, the brand is no stranger to producing a 'flagship-killer', and with decent multitasking and competitive pricing the OnePlus Pad 3 could be a real competitor to the baseline iPad and iPad Air.

The tablet also features compatibility with OnePlus phones, with functions including screen sharing and mirroring.

We don’t have a screen size for the new tablet yet, but at a glance the aspect ratio appears to be the same or similar to last year’s OnePlus Pad 2, which featured a 12.1-inch display in a 7:5 aspect ratio.

Of course, we have no frame of reference for the OnePlus Pad 3’s screen size yet, so it could be completely different. OnePlus hasn't released pricing information yet.

The OnePlus Pad 3 is set to launch in one color – Storm Blue, which appears to be a rather sophisticated-looking blue-grey – though all we have to go on so far are images released by OnePlus.

Though the tablet is not yet available for preorder, UK customers can reserve a 'OnePlus Pad 3 Bonus Drop' for £1. This places a reservation on the tablet itself, and also includes a £50 discount coupon for the OnePlus Pad 3 as well as a gift code for a dual-port 80W SuperVOOC charger.

This implies that the tablet may support charging power of 80W or more, as well as supporting SuperVOOC charging technology.

The coupon and discount code are user-specific and only redeemable with the purchase of a OnePlus Pad 3.

Oppo inspiration?

Last year's Oppo Pad 3 Pro took design cues from the OnePlus Pad 2 (Image credit: Future / John McCann)

OnePlus, as a subsidiary of Chinese corporation BBK Electronics, has been known to inherit designs and technologies from Oppo, another BBK company.

We saw this with the OnePlus Open folding phone, which was in effect a rebranded version of the Oppo Find N3.

This arrangement seems to be reversed with OnePlus’ tablets, which generally lend design and hardware elements to Oppo tablets that appear later – the Oppo Pad 3 Pro looks strikingly similar to the OnePlus Pad 2, for example.

It tracks, then, that the OnePlus Pad 3 may give us an idea of what Oppo’s next tablet could look like.

That’s just speculation, though. As mentioned, the OnePlus Pad 3 launches on June 5 – let us know what you're hoping to see from this Android tablet in the comments below.

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• Google Wallet could soon get this big security upgrade on Android and Wear OS to protect your cards
• Android 16 may be adding its own version of iOS StandBy Mode
• The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and tri-fold foldables are rumored to be coming with a titanium upgrade

• Xiaomi has revealed that its upcoming chipset is 3nm
• That should put it in competition with the best smartphone chipsets from Apple and Qualcomm
• This chipset is being fully unveiled on Thursday

Right now, the biggest names in smartphone chipsets are Apple, Qualcomm, and MediaTek, and these are the only three firms that have so far made smartphone chipsets using a 3nm (nanometer) process. But now Xiaomi is about to announce a 3nm chipset of its own this week.

Posting on Weibo (via TechNode), Xiaomi’s CEO has revealed that its XRing 01 chipset will be fully unveiled on Thursday and that – excitingly – it uses a 3nm process.

As a general rule, the smaller the number there, the more powerful the chipset is, and being 3nm should put the XRing 01 in competition with the likes of the A18 Pro powering the iPhone 16 Pro series and the Snapdragon 8 Elite powering the Samsung Galaxy S25 line. In short, this should be an extremely powerful chipset.

Of course, we won’t know exactly how powerful until we’ve put it to the test, but early benchmarks spotted by leaker @UniverseIce suggest it could give the above chipsets a run for their money.

An affordable alternative

(Image credit: Xiaomi)

That could be a big deal, as it might allow Xiaomi to more affordably equip its phones with top-end chipsets – and there’s a chance those savings could be passed on to consumers.

In the unlikely event that the XRing 01 outperforms the Snapdragon 8 Elite then it would also be the most powerful chipset available to Android phones – and if Xiaomi keeps it exclusive to its own handsets then that could give the company a real edge.

Of course, even if it really is as powerful as benchmarks suggest, it may have issues, such as not being overly energy efficient. But either way, Xiaomi being the first mainland Chinese company to hit the 3nm benchmark is still a notable moment for smartphones.

We should have a clearer idea of its real-capabilities on Thursday, when Xiaomi fully details the chipset – and an even clearer idea once we’ve tested it for ourselves.

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• Prime Video has canceled The Bondsman after one season
• At the time of publishing, the streamer has not released a statement saying why
• Deadline reported that the series "failed to generate buzz on social media"

It's always disappointing when shows are canceled after one installment, and I'm gutted that Prime Video has decided not to proceed with The Bondsman.

Recently, I recommended The Bondsman and called it "perfect weekend viewing", so it's disappointing that we won't be seeing more from the Kevin Bacon-led horror series. It's rare to find such a fun, unique horror show, and I really do think there was scope to continue the story.

I'm not alone in really liking this show either, as it has a healthy 83% Rotten Tomatoes rating, making it worthy of a spot on our best Prime Video shows round-up.

Why did Prime Video cancel The Bondsman?

(Image credit: Prime Video )

Whenever we're dealing with a cancellation, this is understandably the first question on people's minds. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a clear answer from one of the best streaming services about this decision.

In a report from Deadline, the site said: "By its second week, The Bondsman had dropped off the Nielsen ranks. It has remained on Prime Video’s platform Top 10 list, currently at No. 5 in the U.S."

Deadline also noted that the series "failed to generate buzz on social media", but it is unclear whether or not this is the full reason for the cancellation, as Prime Video has not released a public statement yet.

With the series performing so well and sitting in the top 5 in the US, this decision may be a bad start to people's weeks, especially as The Bondsman ended in a way that suggested the story wasn't over yet.

Prime Video is fairly good at renewing shows, with titles like Fallout receiving a season 3 renewal ahead of its season 2 premiere in December 2025, so their decision to axe The Bondsman did surprise me.

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• A Chinese printer maker was serving malware with software installations for half a year
• The malware included backdoors and crypto stealers
• Almost 10 BTC was stolen

Procolored, a major Chinese printer manufacturer, has been inadvertently infecting its customers with backdoors, infostealers, and cryptocurrency stealers - for six months. This is according to cybersecurity researchers G Data, who were tipped off about the supply chain attack by a YouTube content creator, Cameron Coward.

Apparently, Coward wanted to review one of Procolored’s printers and, after trying to install the accompanying software from a USB stick, was alerted to the presence of the Floxif worm. He reached out to the company who dismissed the warning as a false positive. Unsatisfied with the answer, Coward turned to Reddit, where his thread was picked up by G Data’s researchers.

The team found six of the company’s product lines infected with malware: F8, F13, F13 Pro, V6, V11 Pro, and VF13 Pro. They also determined that the last update of the software was made in October 2024, which means the company was deploying malware for at least half a year before being spotted.

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Tens of unique variants

In total, the researchers found 39 malware detections in 20 uniquely hashed executables. There were RATs, trojans, clipboard stealers, and cryptocurrency stealers. One of the wallets allegedly belonging to the attackers received almost 10 BTC, which means the attackers raked in almost a million dollars with just one piece of malware.

It was also said that some of the command-and-control (C2) infrastructure was inactive since early 2024, while the BTC wallet hasn’t been active since March the same year. This could signal that the threat actors moved to other things, which could mean the threat isn’t as pronounced today.

Procolored is a leader in the digital textile printing industry, according to Cyberinsider. The company’s hardware is used in small-scale manufacturing and creative industries, the publication claims, adding that its presence “sent ripples” through the tech and maker communities.

As of May 8, all software was removed from Procolored’s website, and an investigation was launched. The company told G Data that its systems were most likely compromised as well.

Via BleepingComputer

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• AirPods Pro 3 said to get a 2026 launch, with infrared cameras
• That's later than the expected 2025 launch
• Lighter AirPods Max 2 claimed for 2027

Could the camera-equipped AirPods Pro be coming sooner than predicted? One reliable industry expert says they'll be here in 2026, not 2027 as previously tipped – and that means the AirPods Pro 3 will arrive later than expected, given the seeming recent hint of their existence in Apple's code.

The industry expert in question is Ming-Chi Kuo, who has an enviable track record of accurate Apple predictions. And according to Kuo, the cameras in AirPods will be infrared and they will go into production somewhere in 2026.

As Kuo posted on X, that means AirPods "may not see significant updates until 2026". And if you're waiting for a new model of AirPods Max, you'll have to wait even longer.

What do we know about the next AirPods Pro and AirPods Max?

Just two days ago, the Apple extended rumorverse was getting very excited about the AirPods Pro 3: one X user posted a screenshot of Apple code in "a recent software release from Apple" that apparently had its text changed from the current "AirPods Pro 2nd Generation" to "AirPods Pro 2 or later".

Some reports suggested that that meant the AirPods Pro 3 launch was imminent, possibly at next month's WWDC – thought that was always unlikely. Cooler heads pointed out that it could just mean future-proofing code. And if Kuo's predictions are correct, that appears to be what's happening here.

Kuo also says that a significant redesign of the AirPods Max is coming, most likely in 2027. Details are sketchy right now but Kuo did say that a "lighter version" was planned for mass production in 2027; the current model weighs in at a pretty hefty 386g / 13.6oz compared to 250g / 8.96oz for the newly released Sony WH-1000XM6.

That's not a big deal for sofa-based sounds, but my AirPods Max definitely start to feel heavy when I'm wearing them outside.

It'll have been a hell of a wait by the time this true successor to AirPods Max arrives – the originals launched in December 2020.

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• Apple is working on making other voice assistants available in iOS according to a new report
• The move is expected to be required to conform to European Union regulations
• You can make your iPhone's Action Button load up either ChatGPT or Gemini right now

According to a new report from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, Apple is working on adding the ability to use alternative voice assistants, including AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini, instead of Siri on iPhone for the first time.

The move comes because Apple will need to comply with expected European Union regulations.

Gurman quotes “a person with knowledge of the matter” as a source for his story, but he has a track record of being accurate when it comes to predicting what Apple is going to do next.

According to the same report Apple is still working hard at making Siri, via Apple Intelligence, more conversationally believable, and have even set up offices in Zurich to create an “LLM Siri” in the future that will be more intelligent.

So, it’s certainly not a case of Apple abandoning Siri for other voice assistants, but it looks like it will have to allow third-party voice assistants to replace Siri on the iPhone if it wants to keep selling iPhones in the EU in the future.

Using AI on your iPhone

Of course, that could mean that the ability to use a different voice assistant could be limited to only iPhones sold in the EU, but either way, it opens up the possibility of using Google Assistant, or even ChatGPT or Gemini with your iPhone if you prefer it to Siri.

Siri can already handoff complex requests to ChatGPT, but the implementation is clunky, and certainly not as smooth as it would be if ChatGPT was handling all the voice assistant tasks by default.

Of course, you can actually use ChatGPT and Gemini with your iPhone right now via their apps, but a while ago I discovered a nice hack for calling up the voice mode of each AI from a simple press of the Action Button.

While the AI chatbots can’t interact with your phone settings like Siri can it at least gives you a feel for what it would be like if ChatGPT or Gemini was your voice assistant, and it’s an excellent way of opening the AI apps quickly if you want to ask a question and need an answer fast.

Calling up ChatGPT and Gemini

If you’d like to try this right now then simply follow these steps:

In Settings choose the Action Button, and then Shortcut. Scroll down the list of apps you see here and choose either ChatGPT or Gemini, and then choose either ‘Start voice conversation’ or ‘Talk Live with Gemini’, from the options that appear..

(It’s important to do it in the way described above and not access ChatGPT or Gemini via the ‘Open App…’ button, because this won’t give you the voice mode options.)

Now, when you give the Action Button a press and hold, you’ll jump straight into a voice chat with your preferred AI chatbot.

I actually set this up a while ago on my iPhone and I still use it all the time. I find it really hand for when I have a question that needs an answer and I'd rather ask ChatGPT using my voice than start typing with the keyboard.

Remember, if you want to turn off Siri completely, or reduce accidental Siri activations, then in Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri > Talk & Type to Siri you can turn “Hey Siri” off and change the settings for activating it.

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• Lynx founder described Valve Deckard as "quite amazing"
• They didn't share any specific details, but said they share Valve's suppliers
• Other leaks have teased an impressive but pricey Quest 3 rival

While Google makes a fuss about Android XR, Meta continues its Meta Quest 3 supremacy, and Apple apparently leaks its Vision Pro affordability plans to Bono, Valve has been quietly working away in the background on its next headset – and it’s already being described as “quite amazing.”

That’s according to Stan Larroque – the founder of Lynx which created the inventive Lynx R1 headset I demoed back in 2023 – who said on social media that “The design of Valve next HMD is quite amazing!”

He didn't elaborate on what makes Deckard particularly neat, saying that he’d be “pissed” if someone leaked details about Lynx’s next XR device, but he did at least hint at why he knows the Valve device.

In a follow-up post, he said, “The HMD-making world is so small, we all share the same suppliers for some components.”

I would be equally pissed if Lynx nextgen ID got leaked so I won't share more. I'm just excited for good new XR HMDs. The HMD-making world is so small, we all share the same suppliers for some components.May 17, 2025

Valve's VR headset 2.0

While leaks should be taken with a pinch of salt, if Valve is sharing design details with suppliers and sourcing parts for Deckard, this does suggest the device could be nearing (or already in) production, and that an official reveal could be approaching.

This is supported by claims from April that Valve has been receiving VR headset parts and machinery to potentially start producing some kind of headset in the US – likely to dodge some of the ongoing tariffs imposed on imports. Again, a sign that Deckard is almost ready to drop.

When it does, other leaks have given us some details Larroque wasn’t keen to reveal.

For example, a Valve Deckard proof of concept was a standalone design (rather than tethered) and reportedly offered 2K LCD panels for its display setup, and was powered by a SnapDragon 8 Gen 3 – the same chipset as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (via Upload VR).

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Image credit: Future)

This chipset would be newer than the Snapdragon XR 2 Gen 2 in other modern headsets like the Meta Quest 3, though it isn’t a dedicated XR chipset, so it feels likely that a different processor will feature in the final Deckard design (maybe an XR2 Gen 3).

The headset also looks to rely on controllers (codenamed Roy), which closely resemble the Meta Quest 3’s handsets (via UploadVR).

Just expect it to be pricey. One rumored bundle for the new Valve Deckard VR headset will supposedly cost $1,200, which includes some games as well as two controllers.

Hopefully, Valve won’t be keeping us in the dark about Deckard for much longer – perhaps it’s waiting for the Android XR hype surrounding Google I/O to die down before stealing the spotlight – but we’ll have to wait and see.

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• Samsung S95F, S90F and S85F are certified G-Sync Compatible
• Firmware updates will enable certified compatible mode
• 2025 OLEDs only, not Neo QLED TVs

When it comes to the best gaming TVs, the TV we recommend for most gamers is the LG C4. Samsung doesn't make it into our top three, but that may change: Samsung's 2025 OLED TVs are now officially Nvidia G-Sync Compatible.

I'm saying "officially" because the hardware was already inside them; what's new is the official testing and certification by Nvidia. But it's still notable because it brings Samsung's OLEDs much closer to LG's ones in terms of gaming support – although there's still one thing that LG does and Samsung doesn't.

It's important to note that the certification applies to OLED TVs only, not Neo QLED TVs (which is Samsung's term for mini-LED TVs). And for now it's only for Samsung's 2025 models, such as the Samsung S95F and Samsung S90F.

What gaming features do Samsung's OLED TVs have?

For 2025, Samsung's OLED TVs have HDMI 2.1, VRR, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and G-Sync. VRR and FreeSync/G-Sync are important because they match the TV's refresh rate to the GPU's frame rate, and that synchronization reduces stutter and screen tearing.

As FlatpanelsHD reports, Samsung's 2025 OLED TVs support VRR including G-Sync up to 165Hz, but that's only for PC gamers. The PS5 and Xbox Series X only output at up to 120Hz, and don't have G-Sync anyway.

Samsung's 2025 TVs also have cloud gaming apps, although they don't currently take advantage of variable refresh rates.

Despite Samsung getting this key PC gaming certification, there is still one key difference between LG and Samsung TVs for gaming: Dolby Vision Gaming. LG does it at up to 4K 120Hz, and Samsung doesn't do it at all.

This will mainly be used by Xbox gamers, since it's available in the Xbox Series X – if you want to take advantage of it, LG's sets remain the better bet for you among the best OLED TVs.

The officially G-Sync Compatible TVs are the Samsung S95F, S90F and S85F. The flagship S95F will be the first to get the firmware update enabling certified G-Sync Compatible mode, with the other two following shortly afterwards.

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• A security researcher built a program that the OS sees as an antivirus
• Since two AV programs can't run at the same time, Windows Defender turns itself off
• Previous iteration was taken down for copyright infringment

Hackers can now easily turn off your Windows Defender program by registering a fake antivirus on your computer. To do that, they use a new tool called Defendnot, recently released by a security researcher with the alias es3n1n.

As they explained, Defendnot leverages a previously undocumented Windows Security Center (WSC) API, which third-party antivirus programs use to tell the operating system if they're running on the device or not.

Usually, two or more antivirus programs cannot run on a single device at the same time due to various conflicts. As a result, Windows Defender disables itself automatically, when it learns that another antivirus has been installed.

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Spotted by Defender

According to BleepingComputer, this is the researcher’s second attempt at building this type of solution. The original program, which “blew up” and went viral soon after its release, was taken down after a Digital Millennium Copyright Act request. As it turns out, es3n1n used code from a third-party antivirus product to spoof registration with WSC for a program they named no-defender.

This apparently did not sit well with the developers of that third-party solution, which subsequently demanded that es3n1n take the program down.

After the takedown, the researcher built Defendnot with a dummy antivirus DLL from scratch. It also comes with an autorun feature, allowing it to start automatically as soon as the user logs into Windows.

Obviously, the tool was not designed to be used in a malicious way, but it’s safe to assume it will be abused (or threat actors could simply create their own versions). In the past, threat actors were seen deploying various tactics to turn off people’s antivirus programs, such as abusing admin rights, tampering with the registry, blocking updates, installing fake antivirus software, or exploiting various flaws in third-party solutions.

Luckily, Microsoft Defender can now detect and quarantine Defendnot as a 'Win32/Sabsik.FL.!ml;.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Steam could soon appear in the Microsoft Store, a rumor claims
• A leaker says the apps’ compatibility is being tested internally
• It backs up the idea that future Xboxes will be more like PCs than consoles

For years, gamers have suffered from the problem of platform fragmentation: with so many competing digital stores, from Steam to Epic to GOG and more, it’s not uncommon for users to have to maintain a huge slate of launchers and libraries in order to keep track of all their titles.

But things could be about to get better in a small way, according to a recent leak from @eXtas1stv on X. The poster claimed (via a machine translation) that “Xbox has confirmed the internal tests to add Steam to the Microsoft Store.”

In a linked video on YouTube, @eXtas1stv claimed that “Microsoft has just officially added the Steam application within the support software for its devices, appearing under the name of ‘Steam Developer Beta’.”

The leaker added that “This, logically, is currently only available to certain employees and people who collaborate with Microsoft,” although they said it would be added to Microsoft’s Insider programs over time.

They also said, “This integration will allow users to run Steam more smoothly and directly from Windows environments.”

Interestingly, @eXtas1stv believes that future Xbox hardware will be more like a PC than a console, and that “everything is going to be developed around PC environments” – an idea we’ve seen before.

These environments will need Steam integration, @eXtas1stv believes, and Steam will be available in the Microsoft Store in these upcoming devices. The Epic Games Store could also make an appearance in the Microsoft Store, according to @eXtas1stv’s video.

That syncing feeling

(Image credit: Steam)

However, we only really have @eXtas1stv’s word that Steam is being tested in the Microsoft Store, and we haven’t been able to get any direct proof that could confirm the claims made on X and YouTube. So, if Steam really is going to be integrated into the Microsoft Store, how would this work?

One possibility has been floated by Notebookcheck, which is through backend linking. This would basically involve connecting your Steam account to the Microsoft Store, without the two platforms merging in any way. This is currently already used to link Steam with things like the EA app and Sony’s PlayStation platform, and this helps sync achievements and game progress.

If there is any weight to @eXtas1stv’s claims, and Microsoft really is testing this with its Insider program, then we could see some evidence come to light over the coming weeks and months. Stay tuned for updates.

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• The foldable iPhone is again rumored to have an under-display camera
• We're also hearing that it won't have Face ID
• Its screens could also be smaller than previously rumored

While the world learned to live with the iPhone’s notch, and matters improved when Apple switched to a Dynamic Island, ultimately, we’d wager that most people would prefer a smaller cut-out in the screen. Well, with the iPhone Fold – also known as the foldable iPhone – we might finally get that, and in fact, there might be no camera cut-out at all in one of the displays.

This is according to leaker yeux1122, posting on South Korean site Naver (via GSMArena). According to them, Apple’s current foldable iPhone prototype has a punch-hole camera on the cover screen and an under-display camera for the foldable screen.

Being under the display means it shouldn’t cause a visible interruption to the screen, and it’s something we’ve already seen on some phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, but never on an iPhone.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard talk of the foldable iPhone having an under-display camera, but hearing it again increases the likelihood that it will happen, and that could bode well for other iPhones too, as it might mean the days of a massive screen cut-out are numbered.

No Face ID to be found

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

That said, Face ID apparently won’t be under the display. In fact, according to this source, Face ID won’t be present at all, with the foldable iPhone instead said to have a Touch ID sensor on the side. This, too, is something we’ve heard before.

Beyond that, yeux1122 claims that the screen size on this prototype is slightly smaller than on the previous prototype. They don’t specify what size it is here, but a fairly recent leak pointed to a 7.74-inch foldable display and a 5.49-inch cover screen.

Apparently, though, the resolutions haven’t changed, despite a decrease in size, and yeux1122 adds that the foldable screen’s aspect ratio for this prototype is 14.6:1, while the cover screen’s is 14.1:1.

Of course, even if these details are correct, it’s possible that things will change again in future prototypes, as with Apple not expected to launch the foldable iPhone until late 2026 at the earliest, the company quite possibly hasn’t yet finalized the design.

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• The triple-lens Nubia Z70S Ultra features a 35mm main camera
• The optional Z70 Series Retro Kit effectively transforms the phone into a Leica-like compact camera
• The kit features a grip, physical controls, and lens filters

Camera kits for smartphones are becoming a thing. They're designed to transform your phone into a compact camera-like device that's easier to use for photography – to see what I'm talking about, check out my long-term Xiaomi 15 Ultra review, in which I unpack Xiaomi's Photography Kit.

Now Nubia has created its own take on the concept, with its Z70 Series Retro Kit. The kit is compatible with Nubia's flagship Z70 Ultra and Z70S Ultra phones, and of all the camera kits I've seen for phones I think it looks the part, even if it's cashing in on the Leica aesthetic.

The new Z70S Ultra is already a retro-styled smartphone (see below, without the kit), with a silver-effect top and faux leather finish, available in Classic Black or Antique Brown. The Retro Kit takes things up a notch.

I haven't used the Retro Kit yet, but adding it should transform the phone's handling into something akin to some of the best compact cameras like the Ricoh GR III, with the looks of a D-Lux 8.

The retro-styled Nubia Z70S Ultra phone, without the Retro Kit. (Image credit: Nubia) Looking the part

The Nubia Z70S Ultra features a triple-camera unit, with the main camera being a slightly tighter-than-normal 35mm lens, which is complemented by a 2x telephoto lens and an ultra-wide macro optic.

The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, features a large 6.85-inch AMOLED display, and packs a hefty 6,600mAh battery. Those are solid specs; but it's the phone's looks that set it apart.

As I mentioned, the Z70S Ultra version is already a retro-styled handset, but by adding the optional Retro Kit you get a compact camera-style control layout too.

There's the leather-style case with grip that should make even one-handed holding comfortable for photography, plus a tactile physical shutter that I would expect to give a lovely response for picture taking (see below).

Image 1 of 2

The physical shutter should provide tactile feedback, while the control dial will likely put manual control at your fingertips. (Image credit: Nubia)Image 2 of 2

Lens filters will come in the Retro Kit. (Image credit: Nubia)

Alongside the shutter button is a control dial that looks like it will offer various manual controls at your fingertips – the equivalent dial in the Xiaomi 15 Ultra photography kit can be used for manual exposure compensation.

Finally, it looks like the case accepts lens filters over the camera unit. It's not clear what filters will be available, but further creative control options might be possible depending on what filters you can buy.

The idea with these kits is that they can be added for times when you're taking a lot of pictures and videos, and then removed when you're using the phone for other things.

The Nubia Z70 Series Retro Kit looks like it could be one of the best examples yet – I hope to get my hands on it for a proper test soon.

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• A new report claims we won't see any AI Siri improvements at WWDC 2025
• One source claims Apple's AI strategy "is a crisis" while Bloomberg has seen internal data that shows Apple "remains years behind its competition"
• Apple is working internally on LLM Siri, which could bring the voice assistant up to speed with competitors

If you were excited about seeing Apple's AI-powered Siri at WWDC in June, think again. A new report claims we won't get a glimpse of any Apple Intelligence voice assistant improvements next month.

According to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, Apple's new Siri, which was previously expected to launch at the beginning of 2025, and instead was indefinitely delayed, will not be part of next month's WWDC keynote.

Instead, Apple is expected to focus on new Apple Intelligence features, such as a rumored Battery Intelligence, which will help extend your device's battery life through the power of AI.

It's claimed one senior member of Apple's AI team told Bloomberg, "This is a crisis," while another said Apple's AI strategy has been "sinking for a long time." Bloomberg says it has seen internal data which shows Apple "remains years behind its competition," despite an internal shakeup and a new approach to its Siri strategy.

While we're unlikely to see anything related to Siri, it could be the case of "good things come to those who wait," as this in-depth report from Gurman gives a deeper insight into Apple's new AI strategy and the powerful tool the company is working on.

A new AI model incoming?

According to Bloomberg, "Employees say Apple now has its AI offices in Zurich creating a new software architecture to replace the problematic Siri hybrid—a so-called monolithic model, entirely built on an LLM-based engine, that would eventually make Siri more believably conversational and better at synthesizing information."

That project is codenamed LLM Siri, and would be a major upgrade to the voice assistant compared to not only what we currently have on the best iPhones, but even in comparison to the initial promise Apple showcased at WWDC 2024.

It's claimed Apple is training this LLM with synthetic data that allows the company to train the AI "without feeding actual user information into the models."

At WWDC 2025, we can expect Apple to show improvements to Apple Intelligence, while "sources say the company, despite its hopes for LLM Siri, is also preparing to separate the Apple Intelligence brand from Siri in its marketing."

Personally, I'm still optimistic Apple will turn its recent AI shortcomings around. If that means waiting longer for LLM Siri and functionality that allows me to truly harness the power of AI on my iPhone, then I'm willing to wait. Apple, don't let me down.

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• Nintendo Switch 2 will only support VRR using its built-in display
• This was confirmed in a recent statement from Nintendo
• It follows confusion about VRR support in docked mode

Nintendo has confirmed that the Nintendo Switch 2 will only feature variable refresh rate (VRR) support on its built-in display.

This comes after the company quietly removed mentions of VRR support in docked mode from its US and Canada support websites. It was subsequently removed from the equivalent European support websites.

"The system also supports HDR, VRR, and frame rates up to 120 fps on compatible TVs," the website previously stated. This was updated to read: "The system also supports HDR, VRR, and frame rates up to 120 fps on compatible TVs."

We already know that VRR is supported on the console's built-in screen, but this change left some potential purchasers wondering whether the system would in fact support VRR when it's in the dock.

Nintendo has finally clarified the situation in a statement provided to NintendoLife. "Nintendo Switch 2 supports VRR in handheld mode only," the statement begins. "The incorrect information was initially published on the Nintendo Switch 2 website, and we apologise for the error."

This could be bad news if you've already got your hands on one of the best gaming TVs or monitors, many of which offer VRR support. The technology dynamically adjusts the screen's refresh rate to match the frame rate of your games, reducing tearing and giving an overall impression of smoothness.

It's supported by both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S and has become a popular option for gamers with supported displays. In a title like Assassin's Creed Shadows, for example, we've found that enabling VRR leads to a much more pleasant experience.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is set to launch on June 5, 2025. Both UK pre-orders and US pre-orders are live now.

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• Business Systems House was breached in September
• It is a business partner of ADP, which serviced Broadcom at one point
• Now, sensitive Broadcom files seem to have emerged on the dark web

Customers of the global semiconductor giant Broadcom have had their sensitive data leaked on the dark web after a two-step supply chain attack. Apparently, a company called Business Systems House (BSH), a human capital management (HCM) services provider from the Middle East, suffered a ransomware attack in September 2024, in which a group known as El Dorado (later rebranded as BlackLock), stole its files.

This firm is a business partner of payroll company ADP which, in turn, worked with Broadcom. In fact, the chip giant was in the process of switching payroll providers when the incident happened, meaning it almost dodged that bullet.

However, in December 2024, the two firms discovered the stolen data on the internet. “Because the data taken by the criminal actor was in an unstructured format, definitively determining which employees were impacted and, for each employee, which data fields were disclosed, was a lengthy process for BSH/ADP, and this information was not made available to Broadcom until May 12, 2025,” it was explained.

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El Dorado or BlackLock

According to The Register, who first broke the story, the attackers made away with the following data:

• National ID numbers
• National health insurance ID numbers
• Health insurance policy/ID numbers
• Financial account numbers
• Dates of birth
• Salary details
• Employment termination date
• Personal email addresses
• Personal phone numbers
• Home addresses

Broadcom urged everyone to turn on MFA and any other security settings that their financial institutions provide. Furthermore, it warned users to monitor their financial records.

You’ll be forgiven for not knowing who El Dorado is. It is a relatively new ransomware operation, emerging in March 2024, and already rebranded to BlackLock. The files stolen from Broadcom were posted on the BlackLock leak site, as well. Allegedly, the group consists of Russian-speaking individuals.

Broadcom serves a diverse range of customers across various industries, including technology, finance, healthcare, and telecommunications. Some of the biggest names include Apple, Samsung, Cisco, British Airways, and many others. ADP, The Register claims, is no worse, but so far, no one reported losing data.

Via The Register

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• The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE could have the same rear cameras as its predecessor
• Reportedly only the selfie camera is getting an upgrade
• Previous leaks suggest the chipset won't be much better either

It almost seems like Samsung might have a cap on how many interesting phones it can launch in a year, because having added a new and intriguing model to the mix in the form of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, we’re now hearing that the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE might be a lot less desirable.

According to GalaxyClub (via GSMArena), the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE will have almost identical cameras to its predecessor, with the phone said to once again have a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide, and an 8MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom.

The only camera that will apparently be improved is the front-facing one, with this said to be 12MP – up from 10MP on the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE.

So it sounds like the cameras will barely be an upgrade at all, and while a 50MP main sensor isn’t bad, an 8MP telephoto has no business being on an upper mid-range phone in 2025. Though as the article notes, the Galaxy S25 FE will at least have the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge beat there, as that latter phone has no telephoto camera at all.

The chipset could disappoint too

The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE (Image credit: Future)

This isn’t the only disappointing rumored aspect of the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE though, as earlier reports point to it having either exactly the same Exynos 2400e chipset as the S24 FE, or more likely a slightly upgraded Exynos 2400 (without the ‘e’).

Either way, that would be a step down from what you’ll find in the rest of the Samsung Galaxy S25 series, and even with the latter it wouldn’t be much of an upgrade on last year’s phone.

So it seems like there might not be much reason to buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE if you already have a Galaxy S24 FE, and even if you’re coming from something much lower end, it could be hard to justify this over the standard Samsung Galaxy S25 unless this new FE is substantially cheaper.

Whether it will be remains to be seen, but we’ll hopefully find out soon, as references to Samsung Galaxy S25 FE firmware have been spotted, suggesting that it might launch before too long. That said, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE didn’t land until September of last year, so if the S25 FE follows a similar pattern it could still be quite a few months away.

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