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The best Netflix movies often get a sequel, but that’s not gone down too well for 2020’s The Old Guard. Its sequel is part of everything coming to Netflix in July 2025, but after arriving on the platform last week, critics and fans alike have given the superhero action film a big thumbs down.

If you’re not familiar with the plot, Charlize Theron plays Andy, who leads a group of immortal mercenaries that are able to heal themselves. In the sequel movie, they face off against a new enemy in the name of protecting humanity, all the while dealing with a long-lost immortal’s return.

Unfortunately, many have highlighted problems with the film, including an undeveloped script and a cheap overall look, which have been cited as reasons not to bother with The Old Guard 2. Still, the sequel has managed to make it into Netflix’s top 10 most-watched movies, and I think there’s an overlooked reason for why it should stay there.

Why I recommend watching The Old Guard 2

Spoilers follow for The Old Guard 2.

Two words: Charlize Theron. More specifically, four words: Charlize Theron’s leading romance. Cut through the noise of reviews and enraged social media posts, and you’ll find a deserved appreciation for the will-they-won’t-they love at the movie’s centre. Andy has an unspoken connection with Quỳnh (Veronica Ngô), an immortal who used to be connected to The Old Guard. We met the pair during the first film, but the sequel brings fans ever-closer to a potential Andy-Quỳnh kiss.

It doesn’t happen, but that’s almost not the point. The Old Guard 2 might not be hitting all the beats of a well-crafted film, but it’s playing this particular storyline to its advantage. By taking the time to develop what’s between them in the background, there will be a more satisfying payoff in the long run – and that means the increased possibility of The Old Guard 3.

Even if that doesn’t happen – Andy and Quỳnh clearly only have eyes for each other even after 500 years alive. Netflix should be praised for exploring a different kind of vulnerability and representation .It’s not an outright LGBTQ+ film, but the new Netflix movie is giving us range in its love, and we can all get something from that.

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• The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could be far slimmer than the iPhone 17 Pro Max
• However, not all sources agree on how thick Samsung's phone will be
• Samsung's upcoming flagship might also have more RAM than its predecessor, among other spec changes

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and the iPhone 17 Pro Max are arguably two of the most highly anticipated upcoming phone releases, but while they’re both sure to excel in most areas, the Galaxy S26 Ultra may have the edge in at least one way.

According to @UniverseIce – a leaker with a good track record – the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will be under 8mm thick, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be 8.76mm thick.

We’ve heard roughly that thickness for the iPhone 17 Pro Max before, with another source saying it will be 8.75mm thick, but this is the first we’re hearing of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra’s thickness.

The designs of iPhone16 Pro max and Galaxy S25 Ultra are the closest at the moment, and their length, width and thickness are basically the same.However, iPhone17 Pro Max and Galaxy S26 Ultra will be the beginning of two completely different designs. The thickness of iPhone 17…July 6, 2025

If this latest leak is correct then the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will be significantly slimmer than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and – as the source points out – this could also be a sign of diverging design philosophies for these two brands, as while the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max are almost identically thick, at 8.2mm and 8.3mm respectively. This change would see Samsung slimming down its flagship, while Apple goes in the opposite direction.

This source also claims that the weight difference between these phones will be even greater, though they don't specify how much each handset will weigh.

However, while the source of this leak has a good track record, we would take it with a pinch of salt, especially as another Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra specs leak suggests the phone will instead be 8.1mm thick.

This comes from leaker @PandaFlashPro (via NotebookCheck), and while they don’t have quite as much of a track record to go on as @UniverseIce, they have correctly leaked Samsung information in the past.

A new chipset and more RAM

This isn’t the only Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra detail @PandaFlashPro leaked, as they also claim it will have a Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chipset, and a similar 6.9-inch screen to the current model, just with different (presumably smaller) bezels.

Additionally, they state that the number and layout of camera lenses will remain the same, just without the large camera rings found on the S25 Ultra, and that there will once again be a 200MP main camera, but that this will be packing a new lens.

There will also apparently once again be a 50MP ultra-wide camera, a 50MP 5x telephoto, and a 3x telephoto lens that may or may not have a new sensor.

In the case of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra the 3x telephoto has a 10MP sensor, but supposedly the company hasn’t decided whether to replace this or not. The front-facing camera though will apparently be improved, with new features like 4K 120fps slow-motion video recording.

@PandaFlashPro also claims that storage will remain unchanged, with 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB configurations set to be offered, and all of these are said to come with 16GB of RAM, while in the case of the Galaxy S25 Ultra they come with 12GB.

Other listed specs include a 20% larger vapor chamber, and the return of a 5,000mAh battery with 45W wired charging. As with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra it’s also said to support Qi2 magnetic wireless charging – but only with the addition of a magnetic case.

But with the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra not likely to land until early next year, we’d take all of this with a pinch of salt, as it’s still very early for leaks and rumors. Before that though, we're expecting the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, both of which will probably land on July 9.

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• Oracle will offer the US government 75% off certain software packages
• It will also offer "substantial" cloud service discounts
• The company has close ties with the government

Oracle is reportedly offering the US federal government a huge 75% discount on license-based software and further "substantial" discounts on cloud services until November.

The news, reported by Wall Street Journal, follows several weeks of discounts by tech giants trying to win big government bids, in response to cost-cutting efforts driving by the Musk-founded Department of Government Efficiency.

However, this marks the first deal to offer a government-wide discount on cloud infrastructure, including data storage, computing and networking, according to the report.

Oracle discounts to the US government

As part of the cost-cutting initiative, the General Services Administration aims to use government-wide purchasing power to negotiate better tech deals, removing siloes and cutting out middlemen to drive the biggest savings.

Salesforce has already offered the US government a staggering 90% discount on Slack, while Google and Adobe also form part of a growing list of tech companies dropping prices.

Besides reducing costs, the US government is also undergoing a pretty big transformation to modernize outdated IT systems.

With the US government already working closely with Oracle, the 75% software discount and further cloud discounts could secure a large chunk of revenue for the Texas-based tech giant. It recently launched a new program to help smaller vendors sell to the Defense Department, and is also a major partner for OpenAI's Project Stargate which aims to expand AI infrastructure across the US.

Oracle CEO Safra Catz explained: "We remain steadfast in our commitment to the US government and are thrilled to work with the GSA to help every department and agency modernize their technology and gain the benefits of Oracle Cloud and AI."

Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum welcomed the discounts, adding that transparency around tech acquisition could tackle "waste, fraud and cost takeout."

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• The EU has published a database of smartphone battery life
• It suggests Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra offers excellent battery longevity
• There are plenty of other interesting revelations found in the data

If you’re looking for the phone with the best battery life overs its lifetime, the European Union (EU) has just made your job a little easier. That’s because it has published a database of battery ratings (via Android Authority) for a huge number of the best smartphones, and there are some fascinating revelations buried within.

Searching through the EU’s new European Product Registry for Energy Labelling database isn’t particularly straightforward – you need a phone’s model identifier number rather than just typing in something like “Google Pixel 9a” – but once you’ve got that, you can get info on battery life, ingress protection, drop resistance, and more.

That makes it a useful way to put phones up against each other and see which has an advantage. For instance, in the eternal battle between Samsung and Apple, we’ve compared the battery ratings of the flagship iPhone 16 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Here, something interesting emerges: the S25 Ultra is rated for twice as many battery charge cycles as the iPhone.

Specifically, the EU reckons the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is rated for 2,000 charge cycles, whereas the iPhone 16 Pro Max sits at 1,000 cycles. That would appear to give Samsung a significant win in the battery department, on paper.

However, it’s not quite as clear cut as that. The S25 Ultra’s “battery endurance per cycle” rating sits at a hair under 45 hours, which the EU says means “how long a smartphone's battery lasts from a full charge to when it needs to be recharged again.”

For the iPhone 16 Pro Max, its battery endurance per cycle is higher at 48 hours. So, the iPhone might last a little longer per charge, but the S25 Ultra is rated for more charge cycles in total.

Comparing the best smartphones

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

What about the charge cycles of other popular phones? We’ve found the database entries for the top devices in our list of the best smartphones and entered them into the chart above for easy comparison.

Looking at the data, it’s clear that the OnePlus 13 offers by far the longest charge per cycle at 61 hours and 36 minutes. The iPhone 16 Pro, meanwhile, is bottom of the pack at 37 hours. But both phones are rated for 1,000 charge cycles.

The total number of charge cycles isn't an estimate of how many a phone's battery can take before it dies, but rather the number of complete charges until you start to see degradation in its performance. So the figures above aren't necessarily an estimate of a phone's overall life cycle.

How do we know how reliable all of this is? The information is almost certainly self-reported, which – you would think – could lead to dodgy scenarios and an incentive to fudge the numbers. There might be some reliability, though, as the EU has set out regulations on how battery endurance should be measured. Providing those are being adhered to, we can put a little trust in the numbers, although we can’t be 100% certain.

Besides needing to take these figures with a healthy degree of skepticism, there’s also much more that goes into deciding which phone to buy than just looking at its battery capabilities. You need to consider its chip, cameras, software, durability, and much more. But if you prize battery life over a phone's lifetime above all else, the EU’s database could be a helpful resource indeed.

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• Louis Vuitton Korea confirms cyberattack and data theft
• No financial data was taken
• Luxury fashion brands are being actively targeted these days

Cybercriminals broke into the Korean subsidiary of luxury brand Louis Vuitton and stole sensitive files, the company has confirmed.

"We regret to inform that an unauthorized third party temporarily accessed our system resulting in the leak of some customer information," the company allegedly said in a statement published on its local website.

The company notified government authorities, and moved to secure its infrastructure and data, confirming some information was taken in the breach, but financial files were not among them.

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Scattered Spider's fingerprints

Other details of the attack are scarce - we don’t know when the attack happened, how the miscreants breached the company, or what they were looking to achieve. We also don’t know if they demanded any ransom in exchange for the stolen files, or if an encryptor was deployed.

However, we do see a pattern in cybercriminals targeting major luxury brands. In early June 2025, French luxury brand Cartier warned customers some of their sensitive personal information was stolen in a data breach.

Two weeks prior, in mid-May 2025, Dior experienced the same thing, after finding an unauthorized third party accessing some of the data it holds for Dior Fashion and Accessories customers. Around the same time, Victoria’s Secret, another major fashion brand, filed a new form with the US SEC confirming restoring systems after a breach.

Although unconfirmed in most cases, there were some reports attributing all three of these to Scattered Spider - a loosely tied organization of cybercriminals known for targeting specific industries at any one time. The FBI recently warned about Scattered Spider shifting focus towards US retailers. Although most of these are not US companies, they are major retail brands and as such are likely targets for Scattered Spider.

Via Reuters

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I wear my Bose QuietComfort headphones so often that I'm not sure why I still waste time picking out pretty earrings in the mornings. They’re a little on the expensive side at their full price of $359 / £349, but they pay it back in the form of fantastic ANC and great sound, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a nice price drop this Prime Day.

Last year Amazon US knocked a massive 45% off the list price, taking the Bose QuietComfort headphones down to just $199, which is the cheapest they’ve ever been, so we're hoping they'll go even lower this year. In the UK, they dropped as low as £259 last Prime Day, and we're already seeing them on sale for £249 this year, so again we'll be looking out for even cheaper deals when Prime Day officially gets underway.

True to their name, the QuietComforts are super-comfy to wear, and continue to be a great fit despite my petite size, which has proven a disadvantage with some other headphones. Bose seems to have gotten the ear cup padding just right with the QuietComforts, ensuring that they feel good to wear without overdoing it and compromising the seal, which is something I’ve experienced with cheaper alternatives, where excessive padding has affected the fit, leading to gaps, and a rush of ambient noise when I turned my head.

(Image credit: Future)

I’ve found I get a great seal with the QuietComforts thanks to the snug design, so there’s barely any sound leakage, which enhances the already good ANC performance. These headphones do a great job of cutting out the loud rumblings of trains and buses on journeys, and dampening down ambient sounds in louder environments, so they’ve been a real game-changer for me on commutes.

While the large push-button controls may be a little old-school for some, I’m a big fan of the controls on the QuietComforts. I often find touch controls on audio headwear to be hit and miss (literally), but the push buttons on my Bose mean I can locate the button I need quickly. I also appreciate the slider format of the power switch, as it makes it really easy to turn them on and off on the go.

(Image credit: Future)

In terms of sound, I'm really happy with the balance even without fiddling with the EQ settings, so I’ve had no problems when swapping from podcasts to power ballads. There’s a fantastic level of depth and detail when playing instrumentals like All This Time by From Somewhere Quiet and Adam Dodson, and listening to songs like Smoke by Willyecho is particularly enjoyable, as the QuietComforts are well-versed in delivering deliciously dynamic beats and booming bass without sacrificing vocal clarity.

(Image credit: Future)

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones may have overtaken the standard QuietComforts as one of the best noise-canceling headphones, but having tried out both pairs, I’m actually happy to compromise on the sound quality for these best budget Bose headphones, especially when the ANC performance is pretty similar, and I find the simple button controls on my QuietComforts much easier to use.

I really adore these headphones, and though I may occasionally find myself lusting after prettier alternatives, they just haven’t compared to my trusty Bose. Before you buy, I’d recommend reading through our full Bose QuietComfort headphones review for the full run-down, and holding fire until Prime Day, just in case there’s another big discount on the way.

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(Image credit: Edward Echwalu for NPR)

• Some Pixel owners are reporting Android 16 lock-screen issues
• They say the screen can be laggy and unresponsive
• So far, Google hasn't issued any official advice about the issue

The official Android 16 rollout got underway last month, with the best Pixel phones first in line for the update – but it appears that the software is causing lock-screen issues for a significant number of Pixel owners.

A variety of problems have been reported, as per 9to5Google. These include the lock screen not waking up when tapped, and not responding to a press of the power button, as well as fingerprint ID issues and extreme variations in brightness.

"I've been experiencing a significant and frustrating delay when trying to wake my phone," writes one user on the Pixel Phone Help forums. "I often have to press multiple times before the phone finally reacts. This issue is occurring one to two times daily."

For that particular user, there was a fix: booting into Safe Mode (see here) and then rebooting normally. If you're experiencing something similar then that fix is worth a try – but even with a possible workaround available, it's not something Google will be pleased to see.

Trouble waking up

Android 16 launched in June (Image credit: Google)

"Has anyone else noticed issues where the screen does not wake up when tapping the screen or trying to use lift to wake?" asks another user on Reddit. "Also pressing the power button has a long delay waking up the screen."

That user reports that their issues are with a Pixel 9 Pro XL, and that the problem has been logged with Google. If you are having difficulties with Android 16, the Google Help portal is a good starting point for getting some assistance.

As yet, Google hasn't said anything officially about the issues – perhaps because the bugs being reported are so numerous and so varied. The types of problems being mentioned are the sort that could well be fixed with a future Android 16 software update.

It's tricky to assess how widespread these issues are right now – they're definitely affecting some Pixel users, but not all Pixel users. Even if only a small number of people are hit though, it's disappointing that we're still seeing bugs like this after several months of beta testing.

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• Amazon Prime users are being hit with fake renewal emails designed to steal login details
• Clicking fake “cancel” links could expose your banking info to professional online fraudsters
• Scammers are mimicking Amazon to trick shoppers before the four-day global Prime Day event

With Amazon Prime Day upon us, and set to run in twenty-six countries, the company is urging customers to be wary of a growing wave of cyber scams.

The company has sent out emails informing the over 200 million Prime members it has seen a sharp rise in fraudulent activity, especially impersonation attempts using fake emails, texts, and calls, ahead of the event.

These scams often target unsuspecting users with misleading claims about their Amazon Prime membership or account security, attempting to extract sensitive data or login details.

Phishing scams use fear tactics to defraud unsuspecting victims

Sample of a fake email (Image credit: Avast)How to spot a fake email

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Fake emails often try to trick you into revealing personal details - look out for tell-tale signs such as:

• Starting with generic greetings such as “Dear customer”
• Using urgent or threatening language to pressure for quick action
• Coming from strange or misspelled email addresses
• Suspicious links or unexpected attachments
• Typos or poor formatting throughout
• Asking for passwords or financial information
• Being sent from unknown or unofficial sources

Amazon says Prime members are being targeted by emails which falsely claim their subscriptions are about to renew at a new price.

These emails sometimes contain personal information and may include a "cancel subscription" button that redirects to a fake login page.

"We've recently noticed an increase in customers reporting fake emails about Amazon Prime membership subscriptions," Amazon said in an email to Prime members.

The aim is to trick users into revealing login credentials or banking information.

Amazon warns clicking on links in these fake emails can lead to compromised accounts and stolen payment details.

The company says such activity is not limited to email, as between February and March 2025, Amazon recorded a 71 percent surge in scam phone calls in the UK alone.

Impersonators typically warn users about false order issues or claim urgent action is needed.

“Scammers rely on urgency and fear,” Amazon explained, noting they often pretend accounts will be locked or charged unless immediate steps are taken.

In one notable case from Prime Day 2024, there was an 80 percent spike in impersonation scams in the US, a trend that is already repeating this year.

Although Amazon fights these scammers, and says it shut down over 55,000 phishing websites and 12,000 fake phone numbers in 2024 alone, the volume of new threats remains high.

The company says that 94% of impersonation scams globally arrive via email, text, or phone.

In a March 2025 update, Amazon also revealed social media scams had risen by 33 percent since December 2024, as fraudsters responded to customer complaints using counterfeit profiles.

How to stay safe

To avoid falling for scams, always access Amazon through the official app or by typing the website address directly into your browser.

Check the Message Center in your account for real messages, and enable two-factor authentication to block unauthorized access.

Never reuse passwords across sites, as stolen credentials can be used elsewhere.

Be cautious with messages that demand quick action, and think before clicking any link.

Confirm that items are “Shipped and sold by Amazon” for stronger protection.

If you mistakenly click on any suspicious link, monitor your debit or credit card closely for any unauthorized transactions and report the same to your bank.

The best antivirus helps to detect phishing attempts, while the best malware protection blocks data theft and can help you stay safe in this shopping season.

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• A threat actor claims to have stolen 106GB of sensitive files from Telefónica
• Telefónica says the files were old, stolen from a previous incident
• A sample was shared with the media, with the full batch soon to follow

A cybercriminal is threatening to release more than 100GB of sensitive data stolen from Spanish telecommunications giant Telefónica.

In January 2025, the company suffered a data breach at the hand of the Hellcat ransomware operation. At the time, the group broke into the telco through an internal Jira development and ticketing server.

Among the members of the group is a threat actor with the alias Rey, who said that while Telefónica was addressing one flaw, it created another, giving them 12 hours of uninterrupted data exfiltration. During that time, which Rey claims was in late May 2025, they allegedly stole 106GB of sensitive files, counting more than 380,000 files of internal communications, purchase orders, logs, customer records, and various employee data.

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Old incident, or a new one?

The hacker has released a small 2.6GB sample, and are threatening to release the whole thing unless a payment is made.

But Telefónica is downplaying the incident. Speaking to BleepingComputer, a Telefónica O2 employee said the data is old and that there was no new breach.

To prove the authenticity of the data, Rey shared a sample with BleepingComputer, including a file tree.

“Some of the files included invoices to business clients in multiple countries, including Hungary, Germany, Spain, Chile, and Peru,” the publication said.

“In the files we received there were email addresses for employees in Spain, Germany, Peru, Argentina, and Chile, and invoices for business partners or customers in European countries.”

While the data found in the sample is from 2021 and older, the publication did state that some of the emails it saw belonged to “active employees”.

“Since Telefonica has been denying a recent 106 GB breach containing data from its internal infrastructure, I am releasing 5 GB here as proof. Soon, I will publish the full file tree, and over the next few weeks, if Telefonica does not comply, the entire archive will be released. ;)” - Rey said.

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• Netflix is planning to increase its output of live shows and celebrity interviews
• A potential partnership with Spotify could see more live music broadcasts on the platform
• Star Search is being rebranded as Building the Band, starting July 9

Netflix is looking to continue its success with live streams and reality shows by doubling down on the content it’s already producing in the space – and that’s thanks to a potential partnership with Spotify, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal.

The partnership is set to help Netflix take its unscripted shows to the next level. Unsurprisingly, Netflix already has plans in motion for what we’re likely to see over the coming months and years, and it all comes back to being family-friendly.

Indeed, over the last few years, some of the best Netflix shows to binge have been reality TV. From guilty pleasure shows like Love is Blind to nail-biting spinoffs like Squid Game: The Challenge, the streaming service is slowly but surely building up a solid back catalog of unscripted content. But for the best streaming service on the market, that’s not enough.

More live shows and celebrity interviews

What a Netflix and Spotify team up would mean is more coverage of live music and awards shows. The streaming service has already been live streaming events including WWE and the Screen Actors Guild Awards, so moving into the music industry seems like a sensible move.

However, just how many live streamed shows we’re set to see remains up in the air. While sports and film events have largely gone ahead without a hitch, the streamer has occasionally run into technical difficulties, including the infamous Love is Blind reunion show in 2023. “We don’t want to do live for live’s sake,” executive Jeff Gaspin told The Wall Street Journal. “If we are going to do live, we should have a reason.”

On top of this, Netflix executives have also suggested that an increase in celebrity interviews is likely too. A pilot with The Daily Beast is reportedly being developed, leaning into “buzzy, non-political” events rather than fully-fledged news programming. Again, Netflix has already experimented with this, launching its first-ever celebrity sit-down talk show Everybody's Live with John Mulaney in March 2025.

The next great music competition could soon arrive

What Netflix doesn’t have, however, is its own music competition. The Voice and American Idol rule the TV roost in the US, and it’s a popular area the streaming service can certainly compete in. While untitled contests are currently in development, Netflix’s immediate plan is to reboot Star Search, rebranding it as Building the Band.

Back in the 1980s and 90s, the popular music contest was responsible for launching the careers of stars including Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake. This time around, it’s set to have the same feel as X Factor UK in 2010 (which was, of course, the series that created One Direction). Building the Band will be hosted by Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean, following promising musicians auditioning to be in multiple new bands.

However, there’s a twist: acts won’t see each other until they begin the band rehearsal process, taking a leaf from The Voice’s audition format. Unlike its rivals, Building the Band will be entirely on-demand, though this could be changed if it gets picked up for a second season. Vice president of non-fiction series and sports Brandon Riegg confirmed season 2 would have a live finale, with viewers allowed to vote for their favorites in real time.

Building the Band streams from July 9, though it’s currently the only proposed unscripted content expansion with a set release date. We might be waiting a while to get these new live content while shows, such as Neil Patrick Harris’ trivia game show What’s in the Box, are in development.

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Foundation season 3: key information

- Launching on Apple TV+ in mid-July
- Contains 10 episodes
- Trailers unveiled in May and June
- Key cast members set to return
- Other actors confirmed to have joined the cast
- Plot synopsis revealed
- Draws from Isaac Asimov's 'Foundation and Empire' and 'Second Foundation' books
- Fourth season reportedly in development with a new showrunner

Foundation season 3 is just days away from airing on Apple TV+. The critically-acclaimed space opera returns on July 11, so you don't have long to read up on everything we know about it.

Before you proceed, check out my Foundation season 3 review to see what I thought of its first five episodes. Once you've done that (or bookmarked it for later), you can read on to learn more about Foundation's third season, including more on its confirmed cast, story specifics, trailers, and the sci-fi series' future.

Full spoilers follow for Foundation season 2. Potential spoilers also follow for this season and Isaac Asimov's book series namesake.

Foundation season 3 release date

A post shared by Apple TV (@appletv)

A photo posted by on

Foundation season 3 arrives TV+ on Friday, July 11. It'll debut with a one-episode premiere and new chapters will drop every Friday until the finale on September 12.

Initially, its cast and crew declined to comment on the sci-fi series' season 3 renewal when I asked them about this in July 2023. Thankfully, Foundation season 3 was confirmed to be in the works by Apple later that year.

Development didn't always go as planned, though. Last February, Foundation season 3 faced an agonizing filming delay amid multiple issues, including apparent disputes over its budget. Less than two weeks later, things seemed rosy again, with principal photography starting up again on Foundation's next installment.

However, one week later, rumors quickly spread that showrunner David S. Goyver had stepped back from the Apple TV+ sci-fi series, with fellow executive producer Bill Bost reportedly stepping in to fill the gap. Suffice it to say, the road has been a bumpy one for Foundation's third season.

Foundation season 3 trailer

Foundation season 3's official trailer was released on June 11, and it not only revealed the Apple TV+ show's most dangerous villain yet, but also teased an unexpected alliance between the show's main factions.

Missed season 3's first teaser, which arrived in mid-May? Check it out below:

Foundation season 3 confirmed cast

New versions of Brother Dawn, Brother Day, and Brother Dusk will appear in season 3 (Image credit: Apple TV+)

Major spoilers follow for Foundation season 2.

Here's who we'll see in Foundation season 3:

• Jared Harris as Hari Seldon
• Lee Pace as Brother Day
• Lou Llobell as Gaal Dornick
• Laura Birn as Demerzel
• Cassian Bilton as Brother Dawn
• Terrence Mann as Brother Dusk
• Cassian Bilton as Brother Dawn
• Alexander Siddig as Doctor Ebling Mis
• Troy Kotsur as Preem Palver
• Pilou Asbaek as The Mule
• Cherry Jones as Foundation Ambassador Quent
• Synnøve Karlsen as Bayta Mallow
• Cody Fern as Toran Mallow
• Brandon P Bell as Han Pritcher
• Tómas Lemarquis as Magnifico Giganticus
• Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing as Song
• Leo Bill as Mayor Indbur

The first seven actors return from seasons 1 and 2, while the rest are all newcomers for the latest 10-episode installment. That includes this season's villain, aka The Mule, who'll be played by Pilou Asbaek after a season 3 cast shake-up last year. Speaking to me ahead of this season's launch, Asbaek explained why The Mule "needs to be [seen as] a big threat" to both Empire and The Foundation.

Flashback sequences notwithstanding, it's incredibly unlikely that we'll see any other actors return from season 2. Its follow-up is set over 150 years after the series' sophomore outing, so the likes of Ella Rae Smith's Queen Sareth and Kulvinder Ghir's Poly are surely dead by this point.

One major character who definitely won't return is Leah Harvey's Salvor Hardin. She sacrificed herself to save Gaal in 'Creation Myths', aka season 2's final episode. Foundation's universe has the potential to bring people back from the dead – we're looking at you, Hari – but, considering Salvor was cremated, she's officially dead and gone.

Foundation season 3 story synopsis and rumors

Gaal has been in cryosleep for 150-plus years by the time season 3 begins (Image credit: Apple TV+)

Major spoilers follow for Foundation season 2.

Here's Foundation season 3' story synopsis: "Set 152 years after the events of season 2, The Foundation has become increasingly established far beyond its humble beginnings while the Cleonic Dynasty’s Empire has dwindled.

"As both of these galactic powers forge an uneasy alliance, a threat to the entire galaxy appears in the fearsome form of a warlord known as The Mule whose sights are set on ruling the universe by use of physical and military force, as well as mind control. It’s anyone’s guess who'll win, who'll lose, who'll live, and who'll die as Hari, Gaal, the Cleons, and Demerzel play a potentially deadly game of intergalactic chess."

That's just enough to go but, if you want on where this season could go narratively, my Foundation season 2 ending explainer looks at the possible storylines and subplots that could set up this season. If you don't want to click away from this page, though, I'll give you an in-depth, spoiler-filled breakdown from this point on.

In season 2 episode 9, we learned more about Demerzel's backstory and how she's the Empire's shadow ruler (Image credit: Apple TV+)

Let's start with Empire. Season 2's incarnations of its three Emperors – Dawn, Day, and Dusk, all clones of Cleon I – no longer sit on the throne (or thrones, if you will). Day suffocated in space, Dusk was killed by Demerzel, and Dawn fled with Queen Sareth after Demerzel threatened to execute Sareth for her alleged failed assassination attempt on Day in season 2's opening episode.

Demerzel hired the Blind Angels to murder Day because he wanted to marry Sareth and father his own children, which would've ended the Cleonic Dynasty. This plan went against the directives Cleon I gave Demerzel – remember, she's a robot – centuries earlier, which included maintaining his clone-based blood line. Long story short: Demerzel planned to set up Sareth as Day's would-be murderer and execute her to preserve the status quo.

With season 2's Emperors deceased or on the run, Demerzel had to decant new versions of all three clones – something she's never had to do before. With season 3 set over a century later, these new iterations aren't the current incumbents on the throne, though, so she's had to carry out the process once more since.

Meanwhile, in season 2 episode 9, aka 'Long Ago, Not Far Away', the Vault-based version of Hari Seldon – you didn't forget there were two of him, did you? – showed Demerzel how to operate the Prime Radiant. Essentially a data storage device, the Prime Radiant contains all of Hari's psychohistory-based math, which is being used to help guide humanity through its darkest age yet.

The Prime Radiant also exists in a state of supposition, allowing it to exist in two places at once. That means the living Hari (the one working with Gaal) possesses one and, unfortunately for The Foundation, the other is now in Demerzel's hands. Once she can read Hari's math, she'll be able to use it and get a reading on how the galaxy's future is supposed to play out.

Toran and Bayta Mallow reluctantly become embroiled in events throughout season 3 (Image credit: Apple TV+)

Speaking of the Vault, 'Creation Myths' revealed that the mysterious 4D structure survived the destruction of Terminus. Expect it to continue playing a big role in Foundation's overarching plot.

The Foundation's survival isn't the only thing Empire has to contend with.

For starters, Dawn and Sareth's absconsion is a worrying prospect – Sareth is pregnant with Dawn's child, meaning their firstborn has a claim to the Empire's throne. With Foundation season 3 featuring a major time jump, we could see their child's next of kin make a play for the royal seat if this particular narrative is followed up on. After all, in the second half of 'Foundation and Empire', the second novel in Asismov's Foundation book trilogy, the Empire is engulfed by civil war. This plot point could be adapted for a showdown between Dawn and Sareth's bloodline and the Cleonic dynasty.

Elsewhere, Gaal and Hari's successful recruitment of the Mentalics, a race with psychic abilities, means The Foundation is stronger than ever. Add the Mentalics to the Foundation's seven planetary bodies, plus the Empire losing the ability to hyperjump – the genetically engineered Spacers are no longer enslaved by them – and, as this season's story synopsis points out, the playing field is more level than ever before.

Ignis is our home: a world worth saving. We’ll fight for its future. Will you do the same for yours? pic.twitter.com/MFVqs5DJwlJune 5, 2025

Hari, Gaal, and company shouldn't expect to walk all over Empire now, however. The emergence of The Mule – a powerful Mentalic who begins conquering worlds in Asmiov's book series – will surely give rise to the Third Seldon Crisis.

These crises are fixed points in humanity's existence that determine whether The Foundation succeeds or fails. So far, The Foundation has navigated two potential calamities: surviving in the galaxy's outer reaches and bypassing a full-blown war with the Empire.

The Mule, though, will pose the biggest threat – and that's saying something – to The Foundation's existence. To combat him, Gaal and Hari have entered cryosleep on the Mentalics' sanctuary of Ignis. That way, they can reawaken when The Mule shows up and help lead the fight against him. The rest of the Mentalics will hone their abilities and learn about psychohistory in the interim 150-year period so they're ready to battle The Mule and his forces when the time comes.

Is Foundation season 4 in the works?

Jared Harris, who plays Hari Seldon and Doctor Seldon, doesn't know if season 4 is in the works (Image credit: Apple TV+)

Not officially. However, a fourth season is reportedly in the works with a new showrunner in Fear the Walking Dead alumnus Ian Goldberg.

For what it's worth, Llobell and Harris told me they don't know if Foundation season 4 has been secretly greenlit. However, by the time season 3 ends, Foundation will have only covered the first two main novels in Asimov's book series – 'Foundation' and 'Foundation & Empire', plus the first half of the third novel titled 'Second Foundation'. There are two prequel novels and two sequel books that expand on Foundation's unique universe, too, so there's plenty more storytelling ground to cover.

Ahead of the first season's launch, Goyer (per Decider) revealed he had an eight-season outline for the series. It's deviated somewhat from the story told in Asimov's books so, alongside adapting parts from the wider source material, a more complete narrative could be told in the seasons to come.

As long as Foundation continues to draw in a big enough audience to justify its financial outlay, Apple should continue to bankroll its development. If this season struggles to draw to do that, though, the tech titan has shown it isn't afraid to cancel shows before their time. The jury is out on whether Foundation season 3 will be the show's latest or final chapter, then.

For more Apple TV Plus-based coverage, check out our guides on Presumed Innocent season 2, Severance season 3, Ted Lasso season 4, and Slow Horses season 5.

The dollar has just posted its worst first-half of a year since 1973. And now investors wonder — is it a sign that America is losing its financial standing?

(Image credit: Daniel Munoz)

Private Internet Access (PIA) is a true veteran of the VPN industry. It's been around, offering solid core VPN features, for well over a decade, and it's a great choice for anyone looking for a service that absolutely nails the basics without breaking the bank. Power users, on the other hand, will enjoy the amount of customization on offer.

Admittedly, PIA doesn't come with the bells and whistles boasted by its competitors, like Surfshark and NordVPN, but it is one of the cheaper VPNs on the market. Invest in a three-year plan, for example, and it'll set you back a measly $2.03 a month.

Keep reading, and I'll dig into PIA's spread of features, speed testing results, and unblocking power. How does it stack up against today's top contenders? Let's find out.

Features

If you compare PIA against other providers, like NordVPN, solely on the basis of the number of features on offer, you might think that PIA falls short. However, we think that it makes up for the lack of quantity with sheer quality - especially the high level of customization.

Its split-tunnel feature lets you differentiate between apps, IPs, and whether VMs are covered by the tunnel, alongside separate options for forcing DNS requests through PIA’s in-house encrypted DNS servers even if you’re not using the VPN tunnel.

PIA gives you access to some automation rules that you can use to force the VPN to activate (or deactivate) when you’re connecting to certain networks, making it just that little bit easier to work PIA into your daily routine.

Plus, it also uses its own encrypted DNS servers, which keep your browser requests hidden from your ISP. This also allows it to offer Mace, which is a built-in ad, tracker, and malware blocker. By blocking requests to known malicious URLs using their DNS server, Mace keeps unwanted content from being sent to your machine. It’s a good idea, but our testing suggests it shouldn’t be your only defense against ads.

There are some pretty strong obfuscation settings on offer from PIA too, giving you the choice between Shadowsocks and a SOCKS 5 proxy. Both will wrap your VPN connection inside a separate TLS tunnel, making it appear to anyone monitoring your data as though you’re just sending normal encrypted browsing traffic. While Shadowsocks is a little outdated compared to the obfuscation ExpressVPN offers, it’s still one of the best solutions if you’re being blocked from creating VPN connections by a network administrator.

Features score: 8/10

Server network

PIA's server network covers 91 countries with 152 locations, including servers in all 50 US states. Although some of these are virtually hosted, this makes it one of the few VPNs available with comprehensive US coverage. Only NordVPN even comes close in terms of North American locations, but with only 17 locations to choose from in the US, it still doesn’t hold a candle to PIA.

Unfortunately, the server network is less impressive on an international scale. PIA lacks coverage across Asia, in particular, lagging behind our other top-rated VPNs. The same can be said for Africa, the Middle East, and Oceania, but this is a rather grim constant across the industry.

If you're looking for a rock-solid choice for America, with plenty of Stateside coverage, PIA is a stellar choice. If you have your eye on more far-flung corners of the globe, however, the provider just doesn't have the same reach as the likes of NordVPN.

Server network score: 7/10

Apps

PIA boasts a range of well-designed apps for pretty much every platform you can imagine. This includes Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux. We're also glad to see that feature parity is consistent across all of PIA's desktop apps in terms of features and UI. This is a nice change from the norm – a lot of VPNs leave their Mac and Linux users underfed, after all.

Overall, the desktop experience is straightforward, but checking under the hood will reveal a selection of handy tools. The quick-connect bar holds several different locations and is split between your favorites and the last VPNs you’ve connected to. It’s pretty handy if you’re swapping back and forth between the same VPN several times.

(Image credit: Future)

There are two different ways to set up the client dashboard. The first is a basic interface that just gives you the connect button, the location selector, and a reminder of what your home IP and VPN IP are. It’s everything the average user needs to see at a glance, but if you’re interested in all of the techy stuff you can hit the dropdown button and you’ll be presented with a wealth of information, including in-depth details on your connection performance, session statistics, and all the choices you’ve made about how your VPN protocol is set up. It’s all very efficient in how it’s presented, wasting minimal space in the app window.

There’s also a VPN snooze timer that lets you turn the connection off for a few minutes. It’s rare that I’m turning off my VPN regularly enough to remember that there’s a feature to turn it off for a few minutes at a time, but it works and it’s convenient.

While the Android app used to look fairly outdated compared to the rest of the PIA line, a recent update brings the Android app in line with its desktop counterparts as well as the iOS version. The update hasn’t just given it a slick new UI, as you’ve also got access to a new dark mode and some advanced configuration options that let you get the most out of the multi-hop, DNS, and automation features you’ll be familiar with from the desktop version.

Apps score: 9/10

Ease of use

PIA is a great choice for VPN newbies and anyone else who wants a sleek experience. However, we do think it's possible to get lost in the weeds if you toggle over to the "detailed" view of the app. This customizability is one of PIA's biggest selling points, though, and power users will relish the chance to tweak the provider down to the last detail.

The simplified app lets users hit the big "Connect" button and, after a moment, enjoy rock-solid VPN protection. This minimalist approach to a VPN gives PIA serious crowd-appeal, and we like that the options in the settings menu are all explained with a handy tooltip, too. Despite its reputation, PIA doesn't require you to have a degree in cybersecurity to make the most of its functionality.

Ease of use score: 8/10

Speed and performanceHow we perform speed tests

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

We have two virtual computers: one in the UK, and one in the US. We test the service's speeds across OpenVPN and WireGuard multiple times per day over multiple speed test sites, giving us an idea of the average speeds. If you have any questions, you can find out more about our VPN testing methodology.

We measure upload and download speeds, as well as latency and jitter. Upload and download are pretty self-explanatory; they’re just the real-world speeds you’ll get from using your bandwidth to connect to the VPN, while Latency is just the time it takes for your traffic to get to the VPN server. Jitter is where it becomes a little more difficult, as it’s how consistent (or inconsistent) your latency is.

Private Internet Access has made significant improvements in speed, with peak download rates now reaching up to 436Mbps, up from 330Mbps in previous tests. That’s great news, even if PIA still ranks surprisingly low among its competition. It’s a different story for the OpenVPN tests, where PIA ranked second thanks to download speeds of 257Mbps. Pretty respectable for OpenVPN, but Surfshark nearly doubles this at 460Mbps in the top spot.

Admittedly, these speeds don't top our performance charts, but they're still more than quick enough to keep up with most activities, including 4K streaming, video conferencing, and online gaming. During our testing, we observed consistent speeds across different times of the day, with average latency but noticeably less jitter than the other services we’ve tested, making it ideal for gaming.

Speed and performance score: 6/10

Unblocking

We regularly put today's top VPNs to the test to see how well, and how reliably, they can access popular streaming platforms and smaller regional services.

Sites like Netflix are constantly trying to prevent VPN access to their networks by blocking IP addresses known to belong to VPNs, so only the best providers can evade these bans by frequently refreshing their IP pools.

With that in mind, we tested PIA with Netflix in a variety of regional choices (UK, US, Canada, Japan, and Australia) to see how it does. It worked, and the same goes for Disney+ and Amazon Prime, as well as regional services such as BBC iPlayer, Channel 4, ITV, 10 Now, and 9Play. No real issues with lag, and no need to change servers, everything just worked, which is a big positive for PIA.

PIA is a solid torrenting VPN. While its speeds aren't totally trailblazing, the important thing to take note of here is that PIA offers port forwarding, setting it apart from the majority of its closest competitors.

Port forwarding allows you allows you to accept incoming connections to your VPN’s IP address, so you can communicate with more peers in a P2P network.

Unblocking score: 10/10

Privacy and security

Private Internet Access has built its reputation on strong privacy and security features, and for the most part, it delivers. Your browsing traffic is secured using well-tested encryption standards such as AES-256 for data protection. It also only uses industry-standard protocols like OpenVPN and WireGuard, which are both well-known as reliable, secure technologies trusted worldwide.

You won’t get all the extra privacy tools that providers like NordVPN and Surfshark provide, but PIA includes all the essential security features a VPN needs. There’s a kill switch on all its apps, which automatically blocks internet traffic if the VPN connection drops, ensuring that your data remains secure at all times. There are no DNS leaks here either. PIA’s own encrypted DNS servers route all of your domain requests, which prevents your DNS queries from being exposed to your ISP or a third party on the network.

PIA is committed to a strict no-logs policy. This has been independently verified by Deloitte in two separate audits, the most recent of which was conducted in April 2024. According to the audit, PIA’s systems are not configured to log user activity, and there is no way to trace online actions back to specific individuals. However, the full report of this audit is only available to PIA customers. While it’s good to see that PIA has undergone independent verification, making these reports publicly accessible, as ExpressVPN does, would bolster trust even further.

Despite providing very strong protection, our testing picked up some areas where PIA could improve. We tried running Mace through a gauntlet of phishing URLs to see which ones it’d block. So, with 100 brand new malicious URLs from anti-phishing experts OpenPhish, PIA managed to block… two of them. We think this is because Mace is pulling from a blocklist of known suspicious links, and most of the URLs we’re testing are fresh threat intelligence. Still, it’s notably weak, far below what we’d expect from a top-tier VPN.

Privacy and security score: 8/10

Track record

Private Internet Access has a strong track record of maintaining user privacy and delivering reliable service over the years. The only black mark against it is the acquisition by Kape Technologies in 2019, which caused some serious concern. Before their pivot to providing VPN brands, Kape’s primary output was browser add-ons which injected adverts and monetized their browsing data. Although consumer trust in PIA plummeted after this revelation, it's done a lot of work to win back that trust with regular no-logs audits that demonstrate it's not following in Kape’s footsteps.

In fact, PIA has dealt with several court cases where it was legally obliged to turn over user information. It responded by asserting it had nothing to turn over, which is pretty impressive. PIA has also demonstrated a commitment to transparency by regularly releasing Transparency Reports, which detail the number of legal requests the company receives and how it handles them.

Track record score: 7/10

Customer support

PIA's customer support has room for improvement. As you might expect, there's a 24/7 live chat channel and email ticketing system, but we found responses could be sluggish across both of these avenues. Naturally, that's not ideal if you have a more pressing problem.

On the other hand, if you prefer doing your own troubleshooting, you'll be glad to learn that PIA has its very own customer forum and knowledgebase. The forums are active and packed with experienced users who are (typically) happy to help squash any issues, and the knowledgebase is well organized and easy to navigate.

The one quibble we have with the knowledgebase, however, is that a lot of the support articles are outdated. The basic information remains solid, but we'd like to see these pages receive an update that adds extra depth and detail.

Customer support score: 7/10

Pricing and plans

Private Internet Access is one of the most budget-friendly VPNs on the market today. In terms of pure value for money, however, it lags behind NordVPN and Surfshark by a heel.

The monthly plan starts at $11.95, which is just a little bit over what you’d expect to pay for a top-tier VPN. Once you start getting into the long-term plans, however, the price drops through the floor. The annual plan only costs $3.33 a month, which is already cheaper than most plans offered by other top VPNs. It gets even better though, as the three-year plan costs as little as $2.03 per month, which also includes three additional months free.

The service includes all core features in its base price, without any hidden costs or paywalled features. The only extra you’d be expected to pay for is the dedicated IP option, which costs another $5 a month. This is understandable, as providing dedicated IPs is inherently expensive for a VPN provider because of the worldwide shortage of IPv4 addresses. Surfshark’s dedicated IPs are a little less costly at $3.75 a month, but if you opt in for a two-year plan PIA’s dedicated IPs drop down to $2.50 making it one of the cheapest around.

PIA also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, giving you ample time to test the service risk-free.

Pricing and plans score: 9/10

Should you use PIA?

PIA is an excellent VPN for the cost. It might not be as fast as Surfshark, offer as many features as NordVPN, or give you as many locations to connect to as ExpressVPN, but if you need a VPN that absolutely nails all of the core things you need to do and don’t want to spend too much, PIA is perfect. It’s also a VPN you can absolutely trust when it comes to privacy and security, and it’s one of the few providers out there that offers a Linux client that’s just as good as the Windows or MacOS client.

Out of everything that PIA could do better, speeds are at the top of the list. That’s not to say it’s a laggy VPN. It’s still lightyears ahead of most VPNs you could pick, but it’s just outclassed by alternatives like Proton VPN or Surfshark. It’s also starting to lag behind in innovation compared to the likes of NordVPN.

Total score: 79/100

3. Private Internet Access – from $2.03 per month
Packed with features and advanced tools
Private Internet Access (PIA) is a battle-tested provider with its very own built-in ad-blocker—and one that'll handle trackers and malware, too. PIA is jam-packed with customizable features that advanced users will love and unlimited simultaneous connections. So, you can cover all of your gadgets with one plan, and enjoy a 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

PIA alternatives

Not sure if PIA is the right fit for you? Here are our top alternatives you can currently pick up, all of which you can test with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

1. NordVPN – from $2.99 per month
The best VPN overall
NordVPN sits at the top of our rankings with a virtually unbeatable spread of features and some of the quickest, most reliable speeds we've ever tested. All of its apps, across platforms, are sleek and clutter-free, and you can even add built-in ad and tracker blocking to your plan. Plus, NordVPN is one of our favorite VPNs for streaming, thanks to its ability to access platforms from all corners of the globe. Interested? See how NordVPN compares to Surfshark with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

2. Surfshark – from $1.99 per month
The best cheap VPN (and also the fastest)
Surfshark is a budget-friendly option that doesn't pull punches when it comes to speed, security, or simplicity. It always aces our testing, especially when it comes to unblocking streaming content from all over the world, and its blistering performance means that you won't be slowed to a crawl when checking out HD movies or going about your day-to-day social media scrolling. Plus, with unlimited simultaneous connections to play with, you can protect all of the gadgets in your home with just one plan. Take Surfshark for a test drive today with a 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

3. ExpressVPN – from $5.32 per month
The best VPN for beginners
ExpressVPN might not rule at the top of our overall rankings anymore, but it's still our top recommendation to anyone on the hunt for a beginner VPN. Its apps are nice and easy to set up and use, regardless of your skill level, and it's jam-packed with security-boosting tools designed to keep snoopers at bay. While ExpressVPN is on the pricey side, you can sweeten the pot with a nifty 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

Frequently asked questionsDoes PIA log user activity?

No, Private Internet Access has a strict no-logs policy, which has been independently verified by Deloitte through multiple audits. This means that PIA does not track or store any data related to your online activities while using the VPN.

Can PIA unblock Netflix and other streaming services?

PIA is more than capable of accessing in-demand streaming platforms – Netflix included. During our testing, we found that PIA had no trouble unblocking content libraries in the US, UK, and Japan. Plus, it works like a charm with other sites, like Prime Video, Disney+, and BBC iPlayer.

Is PIA suitable for torrenting?

Yes, PIA is a stand-out choice for torrenting and P2P activity. All of its servers support P2P traffic and there aren't any bandwidth caps to worry about. Plus, PIA is one of only a handful of reliable services to offer port forwarding.

ExpressVPN is one of the biggest players in the game, and regularly ranks among the best VPN services. It's well known for offering impressive speeds, fantastic unblocking capabilities, and a global server network – but did you know it's also one of the most secure VPNs around?

However, with that impressive security comes a hefty price tag. Monthly costs start at $6.67 if you opt for the one-year plan, and go up to $12.95 if you want a single month of protection.

While its security is unmatched, it's still lagging behind NordVPN and Surfshark when it comes to overall offering. So keep reading to see how Express stacks up in terms of speeds, unblocking capabilities, features, ease of use, and overall value for money.

Features

This isn’t a VPN that comes as part of a suite with other security programs. ExpressVPN is primarily a virtual private network that’s built to do the core VPN work very well, but there are a few extra features tucked away designed to make your life easier too.

Bundled with the VPN, you'll find Express Keys, which is a password manager available for iOS, Android, and Chrome. This uses the same zero-trust encryption that the rest of ExpressVPN’s architecture uses, ensuring you’re the only one with access to your key vault. It’s not quite as customizable as some of the best password managers, but otherwise, Express Keys is a perfectly functional way to share passwords between your devices.

(Image credit: Future)

If you go through the app settings, you'll find an impressive ad blocker – the best among the big-name providers in our tests. You'll also find parental controls if you're looking to install the VPN on your child's devices and stop them from accessing anything they're too young for.

There's even a built-in tracker and malware blocker that operates at a DNS level to prevent viruses and fake websites before they have the chance to strike. It's worth noting that our test showed this feature was having some serious issues with fake websites, but we're working with ExpressVPN to dig deeper and ensure the issue is resolved as soon as possible.

If there's anything you don't want going through the VPN's encrypted tunnel, you'll love the split tunneling feature that lets you pick what does and doesn't get the VPN treatment. I love using it for Android Auto because it saves me from plugging my phone in every time I get in the car.

If that's not enough, there are even dedicated IP addresses on offer, and ExpressVPN is the first and only VPN service to offer a truly anonymous IP allocation system for dedicated IPs. It leverages Amazon's Nitro Enclaves to enable provably anonymous delivery without compromising you if you refund the IP address or VPN altogether.

Features score: 7/10

Server network

With over 148 locations to choose from in 106 countries, ExpressVPN has one of the most comprehensive networks in the industry. It’s particularly strong in Europe, with 57 locations, but also does pretty well in Asia and North America. It also has the most VPN locations in Oceania of any provider on our top five VPN list.

Image 1 of 2

Plenty of servers dotted around Europe make it great for travelers. (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

There's not as much of a server spread around Asia. (Image credit: Future)

There are all the popular locations in the US and Europe, but also some less common spots like Laos, Macau, and Mongolia – which aren’t typically supported by competitors. While it lacks servers in Russia, this is a growing trend among top VPN providers due to privacy concerns and global legislation.

One area of real weakness for ExpressVPN is coverage of the Middle East. At only 4 locations, ExpressVPN is performing below the average quality VPN provider. Everywhere else, though, ExpressVPN is pretty strong.

Server network score: 9/10

Apps

ExpressVPN's fleet of apps is available on every platform. This includes Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, and smart devices like Amazon Fire TV, routers, and game consoles.

The Windows and Mac apps are virtually identical. So, if you often switch between the two platforms, you won't notice a huge difference in the ExpressVPN environment.

In March 2025, ExpressVPN delivered a huge update to its Linux app, which, most strikingly, finally replaced the command line interface with a full Graphical User Interface (GUI). Although the new Linux app is still in beta testing, it's a huge step up that brings the Linux experience in line with ExpressVPN's other offerings visually and allows Linux users to navigate through the VPN's tools and servers with more ease.

Considering that Proton VPN and Private Internet Access already have fully-fledged Linux GUIs, however, it's fair to say that ExpressVPN is behind the trend here.

We're also glad to see that the new Linux upgrade includes core VPN features, including a kill switch and split tunneling functionality.

ExpressVPN has brilliant apps that are easy to use (Image credit: Future / Express)

On desktop, it’s pretty easy to get started. There’s a small quirk of the install process where you’ll have to enter login credentials you get from the ExpressVPN dashboard instead of your email, but once you’ve found and entered them everything else is business as usual. One-click connect from the home screen enables your VPN, and that’s it.

Switching over to its mobile apps, the interface is just as intuitive and uncluttered, perfect if you need to dive into the app quickly while you’re on the move. The mobile apps also include a “shortcuts” feature that allows you to create quick access to specific apps after connecting to the VPN, further streamlining your use.

ExpressVPN is also available on both its in-house AirCove router and certain Netgear, Linksys, and Asus routers. You will have to flash your router firmware to upgrade to Aircove, which isn’t a difficult task but could potentially brick your router if it goes wrong. I was pleasantly surprised at how much control AirCove gives you over your ExpressVPN connection. The real standout here is Device Groups, which lets you manage completely different VPN settings for groups of devices connected to your router.

Apps score: 8/10

Ease of use

It feels like ExpressVPN’s apps have been built to be particularly user-friendly. The app UI itself is pretty self-explanatory: Click connect to get the nearest server, or choose the location dropdown for more choices. It’s a perfect VPN if you’ve never used one before, whereas some providers like Proton VPN can overwhelm you with options. Because of this, Express finds itself at the top of our best VPN for beginners guide.

Of course, for the more advanced VPN user there are also your VPN protocols and split-tunneling hidden behind a separate menu should you need them. Express has even gone a step further in recent months, letting you further customize your cipher between AES256 and ChaCha20, and setting up NAT heartbeats. I'd only recommend toying with these settings if you know what you're doing – otherwise, you'll increase your battery consumption needlessly.

Ease of use score: 10/10

Speed and performance

In our testing, ExpressVPN proved itself to be able to provide an impressively fast service, with low latencies throughout. While it still may not be the fastest VPN, the quality of the network meant we rarely saw buffering as a result of the VPN when testing with streaming services, but we'll talk more about this later.

How we perform speed tests

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

We have both a UK and US virtual machine with 1GB bandwidth connections each. We use them to test various times during the day and take an average of the speeds we get. You can find out more in our VPN testing methodology.

Testing ExpressVPN's Lightway protocol on our closest server delivered download speeds of 898 Mbps, which is particularly impressive since it was using TCP, the traditionally slower protocol when compared to UDP. This result means ExpressVPN can retain its high performance across a wider number of networks, given TCP's increased compatibility.

Despite this, ExpressVPN continues to be slower in testing than Surfshark and NordVPN, even if the margin-by-which is much reduced since our last round of testing. Connecting to the US from the UK also halved the speeds achieved to 396 Mbps, which is on the lower end of our results, while the likes of Surfshark managed to consistently perform at 950+ Mbps through all hours of the day even when connected over long distances.

OpenVPN results were significantly slower, reaching a high of 160 Mbps throughout testing. Every other of our top five VPN providers posted a better OpenVPN download speed. While 160 Mbps is still certainly enough bandwidth to stream 4K content with ease, it’s also a massive reduction of what we should be able to download.

Take a look at some of our speed test results, mapping download and upload speeds as well as latency, so you can see how much data you can send and how quickly it shoots through the network. Lightway, WireGuard, and NordLynx are all of the same caliber in terms of speed, so we put those together, while OpenVPN is an old protocol that's still used for extreme security.

Speed and performance score: 8/10

Unblocking sites and content

ExpressVPN has set consistently high expectations in unblocking geo-restricted content and it continues to perform here, albeit with a few inconveniences. We test all our VPNs by attempting to access some of the biggest streaming sites, such as Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, iPlayer, 10Play, and a whole bunch more. This includes regional variants so we end up checking Netflix in the UK, Canada, Japan, and Australia as well as the US. ExpressVPN allowed me to stream in each case, but for both the Japanese and Australian variants I had to swap servers to get access.

We also check some more regional sites, such as BBC iPlayer, ITV, Channel 4, 9Now, and 10 Play. Most sites performed fine the first time, but once again I had to shop around to be able to access 10 Play. On the plus side, all of ExpressVPN’s servers are optimized for streaming, so as soon as you find one that works you’ll be in for the best experience possible. If you're ever stuck, just ask ExpressVPN's customer support, they're always quick to give you a server that's sure to work.

Because of this, it's a great VPN for unblocking your favorite content, but it's not quite at the top of our list for the best streaming VPN.

Although the MediaStreamer DNS service ExpressVPN offers isn’t a VPN and doesn’t offer the same privacy benefits, it’s a great way to access content from devices you can’t install a VPN on, such as older smart TVs.

They’re all enabled for P2P too, making ExpressVPN an okay choice for torrenting. The only issue is that ExpressVPN’s servers don’t allow for port forwarding, making it so you won’t be able to accept incoming requests in a P2P service. Essentially, you’ll be getting slower torrenting speeds on ExpressVPN because you can’t connect to some peers in the swarm.

Content, streaming, and torrenting score: 9/10

Privacy and security

ExpressVPN is one of the most well-tested VPNs out there. Even paranoid privacy purists like myself will be impressed by Express’ extensive audit history, which includes several separate audits of its no-logs policy and overall security. Most recently, in May 2024, the results of ExpressVPN’s 18th audit reaffirmed that its TrustedServer technology ensures no data is retained, as all servers run on volatile RAM, meaning every reboot wipes any stored information.

What is TrustedServer technology?

TrustedServer technology is ExpressVPN's approach to ensuring your data remains completely safe. By using RAM-only servers which are reinstalled weekly, there is little damage an attacker could do thanks to the regularity of updates and data wipes being performed. However, if you ever got inside an Express server, you'd net yourself a tidy $1 million bug bounty.

While you’ve got access to both OpenVPN and IKEv2, ExpressVPN also uses its proprietary Lightway protocol, which is built from the ground up as a mobile-first solution with speeds far beyond what OpenVPN can provide. It’s open-source and rigorously audited, so you won’t have to compromise on security to use it. Personally, I think it's a super-safe and speedy replacement for OpenVPN nowadays, and Express is going above and beyond to make it the protocol of the future – partnering with the amazing WolfSSL to give it maximum security.

ExpressVPN uses AES-256 encryption, alongside a hybrid 4096-bit RSA and quantum secure 1000-dimension ML-KEM key exchange and Perfect Forward Secrecy. Even if your data was captured by a third party, ExpressVPN uses encryption so strong that it’d take thousands of years to decode with today’s computing power. Perfect Forward Secrecy guarantees that your encryption keys are rotated regularly, so even if a key is compromised, it won’t affect past or future sessions.

The built-in kill switch is a key security feature, immediately severing your internet connection if the VPN drops to prevent your real IP address from being exposed. ExpressVPN also offers DNS leak protection, ensuring your DNS queries are routed securely through their servers, further protecting your browsing data. Express' team was the first to identify and categorize a type 2 DNS leak, and now protects against needless DNS requests that won't resolve. Just in case anyone's keeping track.

Perhaps my favorite security feature is Shuffle IP, which allocates a random IP address for every site you visit, meaning you don't have a correlation between your online activity, so it's even harder to track your online activities, where a poorly-configured rotating IP would create a pattern of waves, making you stand more. It's a little detail, but one that's indicative of the sheer attention to detail that goes on behind the scenes.

With all that said, I would like to see ExpressVPN improve its malware and phishing protection. This is where it falls behind competitors like Surfshark and NordVPN. To test out ExpressVPN’s anti-phishing protection, we tried to open 294 brand-new malicious URLs from anti-phishing experts OpenPhish.

(Image credit: Future)

Unfortunately, it didn’t work at all for us. We’re currently investigating why our block rate is so low alongside ExpressVPN, but for now, I have to say that ExpressVPN completely failed to block any phishing or malware sites. It’s a pity, especially considering its ad-blocking score sits at the highest of any of our providers at a 90% success rate.

Still, if you want a VPN that is as secure as can be, ExpressVPN is the one I'd stake my life on. The level of ingenuity that goes into securing the VPN itself is unmatched anywhere else in the industry. However, until it improves its supporting antivirus features, you may want one of the best antivirus apps to help boost your protection.

Security score: 10/10

Track record

ExpressVPN has had its fair share of controversies, but none of them are particularly pressing to discuss at the moment. The biggest issue is that ExpressVPN was purchased in 2019 by a VPN brand, Kape Technologies, which has a bit of a reputation problem. Kape previously traded under the name "Crossrider", and gained notoriety for selling potentially unwanted apps that many deemed malware. It's not fair to hold this against Express, especially since Kape has kept a fairly clean record since its rebrand.

Thankfully, ExpressVPN has always been very diligent in scheduling multiple third-party audits to demonstrate and prove its no-logs policy is legitimate. At last count, it's commissioned 18 separate audits of its apps, architecture, and privacy policy. The most recent of these is a privacy audit from KPMG, showing that TrustedServer does what it says on the tin.

(Image credit: ExpressVPN)

Audits are a regular part of ExpressVPN's operations and a testament to its commitment to protecting users. A thoroughly audited no-logs privacy policy is a fantastic indicator of a VPN you can trust.

On June 13, 2025, ExpressVPN was hit with a class action lawsuit accusing the provider of allegedly "illegal" auto-renewal fees. The crux of the case boils down to transparency and clarity - the lawsuit claims that ExpressVPN failed to gather "affirmative consent" from consumers before enrolling them in auto-renewal payment systems. It's too early to tell how the suit will resolve (and it's the same for NordVPN's class action issue), it could spark a wider discussion about auto-renewing plans and, ultimately, a switch to something more granular.

Track record score: 9/10

Customer support

ExpressVPN charges a premium but, we're glad to say, it's justified when it comes to the customer service experience. 24/7 live chat is always available if you run into any roadblocks or have a burning question, and we received responses within ten minutes or so.

When we pivoted to email and reached out to ExpressVPN, the replies landed in our inbox after 12 hours, though you might get a quicker response.

All in all, we were impressed by the friendly, knowledgeable ExpressVPN staff, and their willingness to troubleshoot some of our more technical queries. At no point did we feel brushed off or simply redirected to a bare-bones FAQ page. Ideally, in the future, ExpressVPN will invest in a direct phone line, too, but the live chat is responsive enough to act as a decent replacement.

If you prefer to do your own problem-solving, you'll be glad to learn that ExpressVPN's library of support content is excellent. It boasts an extensive library of guides and tutorials covering everything from installation to protocol and port selection. If we had to pick out a flaw, we'd like to see more content focused on Aircove, but it's not a deal breaker.

Customer support score: 9/10

ExpressVPN cost and pricing plans

Let's address the elephant in the room - ExpressVPN boasts some of the steepest prices in the industry. A single-month subscription comes in at $12.95, and while that's a fairly hefty price to pay, it's still cheaper than Surfshark's basic monthly plan ($15.45).

As with any VPN service, you'll save money by signing up for a longer period and paying up-front, but Express is still the most expensive of our top five. The annual plan only brings the cost of the VPN down to $6.67 per month – which is around double the cheapest subscription rate of NordVPN or Surfshark. It’s still great value for money, but Nord performs better than ExpressVPN for notably less.

There isn’t a free plan for ExpressVPN, but a 30-day money-back guarantee means you'll never risk a penny – so long as you refund your subscription within the period.

Pricing score: 7/10

Should you use ExpressVPN?

If you need a VPN that doesn't pull punches when it comes to safeguarding your online security, or if you need a service that's nice and simple to set up and use, you won't find better than ExpressVPN. The price may deter some potential users, but the overall attention to detail and quality of features more than make up for it.

Overall score: 86/100

Try ExpressVPN – from $6.67 per month
The best VPN for beginners and the most secure
ExpressVPN is an easy-to-use service that takes all the hassle out of protecting your digital privacy. If you need a VPN you can stake your online life on, this is the one we recommend. Although ExpressVPN is undeniably pricey compared to the likes of NordVPN and Surfshark, a 30-day money-back guarantee gives you plenty of time to try before buying.View Deal

ExpressVPN alternatives

Wondering if ExpressVPN is the right choice? Here are our three top alternatives to consider:

1. NordVPN – from $3.09 per month
The best VPN overall
NordVPN is our #1 pick overall and awesome value for money. In addition to a stacked roster of tools and reliably quick speeds, NordVPN works like a charm across all platforms and with all major streaming services. It's a complete package (and much cheaper than ExpressVPN). See how NordVPN stacks up against ExpressVPN with a handy 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

2. Surfshark – from $1.99 per month
The best cheap VPN (and also the fastest)
Surfshark's prices might be rock-bottom, but that doesn't mean the overall quality of the service is, too. It's one of the best providers on the market today and the best budget-friendly option in our opinion. In addition to a full-blown privacy suite, Surfshark boasts unbeaten speed testing results, making it a stellar streaming and gaming VPN, too. Interested? See how Surfshark can level up your digital privacy with a 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

3. Proton VPN – from $3.59 per month
A great pick for small businesses
Proton VPN is another superb alternative for anyone who puts their online security first. It's a committed advocate of digital rights and, to prove that it walks the walk, comes packed with tools designed to keep your identifiable data out of the hands of snoopers and oppressive regimes. So, if you really want to fly under the radar, it's well worth checking out Proton VPN's 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

ExpressVPN FAQsIs ExpressVPN good for streaming?

ExpressVPN is one of our go-to recommendations for streaming. It's able to access sites like Netflix, Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer with no issues. Plus, ExpressVPN lives up to its name with speeds that can handle HD and 4K streaming – so you're not left watching your content buffer endlessly.

ExpressVPN's MediaStreamer feature allows users to access streaming content on devices that don't support VPNs natively – like smart TVs and gaming consoles. During our testing, we found that MediaStreamer effortlessly unblocked every streaming service we threw at it.

Does ExpressVPN keep logs?

No, ExpressVPN does not keep logs. It adheres to a strict no-logs policy and undergoes regular audits by third-party auditing firms. ExpressVPN doesn't store any identifying information about how you use the service while connected to one of its VPN servers.

Can I use ExpressVPN on multiple devices?

Yes. ExpressVPN gives users eight simultaneous connections per subscription – which means you can use the VPN concurrently across eight separate devices. ExpressVPN is also compatible with all major platforms, including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Smart TVs, and even routers.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

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