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• Ironheart finally introduces a villain to the MCU that Marvel fans have waited years for
• Its producers admit he might not have appeared in the Disney+ show
• Only one actor was considered for the role

Ironheart has granted Marvel fans' long-held wish to introduce a much-discussed villain to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) – but the wait might have been even longer if its story had gone in another direction.

Ahead of the Disney+ show's debut in late June, I sat down with producers Zoie Nagelhout and Sev Ohanian to chat about the Marvel TV Original. As you can imagine, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to ask them about that grand unveiling in the series' finale.

Full spoilers immediately follow for Ironheart episode 6, aka 'The Past is the Past'. Don't scroll past this point if you haven't seen it yet!

Ironheart finally introduces Mephisto, played by Sacha Baron Cohen, to the MCU (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Yep, Mephisto, whose MCU debut has been a hot topic of discussion since the airing of WandaVision, the first Marvel TV show to be released on Disney+ in January 2021, has finally made his way into Marvel's cinematic juggernaut. Borat and The Trial of the Chicago 7 actor Sacha Baron Cohen is the star behind this demonic entity. For a crash course on this demonstrably evil character, let me point you in the direction of Ironheart ending explained piece.

Now, long-time Marvel comic book readers might wonder why Mephisto makes his long-overdue MCU arrival in Ironheart. After all, Parker Robbins, aka The Hood, who is the Marvel Phase 5 TV show's primary antagonist, acquires his supernatural abilities from Dormammu, the Big Bad of 2016's Doctor Strange, in Marvel literature. Dormammu is even referenced in episodes 4 and 5, ie before Mephisto's grand reveal, which suggests this cosmic entity is pulling The Hood's strings from the shadows.

In Ironheart, though, Mephisto is responsible for gifting these powers to Robbins by way of a dark magic-infused hooded cloak. So, why didn't the show's creative team adapt The Hood's origins story ad verbatim from the comics?

"We knew there needed to be someone behind Parker's powers," Nagelhout told me, "And we did play around with a couple of ideas. As you know, in the comics, Dormammu has pretty heavy ties to Parker.

"But, we ultimately started looking towards what made the most thematic sense," Nagelhout said of Ironheart's antagonist-based bait-and-switch. "Which villain actually offered this show the same sort of payoff that we were building to? For us, it was Mephisto. It was this concept of ambition versus what it would cost you in order to achieve everything you want in life, and Mephisto fit that beautifully."

Comment from r/marvelstudios

As for why Cohen, who was reportedly cast as Mephisto way back in October 2022, was the right individual to tackle such an extremely powerful being, Nagelhout added: "To be honest, Sacha was the only person we really could envision.

"The idea came from Angela Barnes, who directed that episode as well. As soon as we imagined him as the character, we couldn't unsee it. We're very lucky that he agreed to come on board, because he brought a really fun, scary, interesting version of this character to life that I don't know if anyone else could have done."

What did you make of Mephisto's long-awaited MCU debut? And did you enjoy Cohen's portrayal? Let me know in the comments.

All six episodes of Ironheart are out now on Disney+, aka one of the world's best streaming services. For more Ironheart coverage, check out the section below, too.

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• 'It changed our release plan': Ironheart producers explain why it's taken so long to come out on Disney+

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The iPhone 16 line landed a while back now, so unsurprisingly there are numerous iPhone 17 leaks at this point – some of which emerged even before the launch of Apple’s latest phones.

As such – even though we’re not expecting the iPhone 17 and its siblings to launch before September 2025 – we already have some idea of what to expect from these phones. That includes camera upgrades, yet another new button, better screens, and even an entire new model.

Below then, you’ll find full details of all the credible leaks and rumors we’ve heard so far, and we’ll be updating this article whenever we hear anything new.

Latest news

Loads of iPhone 17 Air specs just leaked.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? The next flagship iPhone
• When is it out? Probably September 2025
• How much will it cost? Likely upwards of $799 / £799 / AU$1,399

A predictable release date

The iPhone 16 (Image credit: Future)

• Likely to be announced in the first half of September
• Could start at upwards of $799 / £799 / AU$1,399

There aren’t many iPhone 17 release date rumors yet, but we don’t really need any, as Apple tends to follow a highly predictable pattern.

As such, based on past form we predict that the iPhone 17 will be announced in the first half of September 2025. Typically Apple announces the device on a Tuesday or Wednesday, but the company broke with that pattern for the iPhone 16 and used a Monday, so we aren’t totally confident of the exact day.

That said, Apple more often uses the second week of the month, so it could be announced sometime between Monday, September 8, and Friday, September 12, with September 8, 9, or 10 being most likely based on the weekdays Apple usually goes with.

In any case, the phones will likely then go up for pre-order on the Friday of their announcement week (meaning probably Friday September 12 or failing that September 5 if our guesses are right), and then ship on the following Friday, which would probably be September 19 but could be September 12. While those are all just predictions for now, one source has unsurprisingly pointed to a September launch for the iPhone 17 series.

As for the price, most of the leaks there so far are for a new model possibly dubbed the iPhone 17 Slim or iPhone 17 Air (more on which below), but a report suggests this slimmer iPhone 17 model could have a starting price of $1,299 (about £1,000 / AU$1,950).

We would however take that with a pinch of salt, as that would be a higher price than the current top iPhone, and some other leaks suggest this would be positioned more in the middle of the pack.

Indeed, more recently we've heard that the iPhone 17 Air could cost less than the iPhone 17 Pro, with the latest leak pointing to a starting price of $899 for the iPhone 17 Air, which would see it match the iPhone 16 Plus. That's a claim we've now heard multiple times. Whatever it costs though, it's predicted that the iPhone 17 Air might not be a massive hit.

In any case, we can look at previous pricing for possible starting prices of the other models. The iPhone 16 then starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399, the iPhone 16 Plus starts at $899 / £899 / AU$1,599, the iPhone 16 Pro starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,799, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,149, so successors to these models are likely to cost at least this much.

However, the one iPhone 17 pricing leak we have heard suggests they might cost more, and with President Trump threatening 25% tariffs on Apple, there's a growing chance the prices could increase.

Can you trust these rumors?

The claim that the iPhone 17 Air could have the same price as the iPhone 16 Plus is believable, though with potential tariffs it's hard to be sure. In any case, the release date for all these phones will very likely be in September.

A new model

We might not get a successor to the iPhone 16 Plus (Image credit: Future)

• An iPhone 17 Air rather than a Plus model
• Also expect an iPhone 17, an iPhone 17 Pro, and an iPhone 17 Pro Max

You won’t be surprised to hear that we’re expecting an iPhone 17, an iPhone 17 Pro, and an iPhone 17 Pro Max, but what about the iPhone 17 Plus? Well, while that’s a possibility, several leaks have suggested that there might be a slimmer and more expensive iPhone 17 Air or iPhone 17 Slim instead.

However, a reputable analyst predicts that the iPhone 17 Air won't be any more popular than the company's Plus and mini models.

There’s also an outside chance that we’ll see an iPhone 17 Ultra, either instead of or as well as the iPhone 17 Pro Max. This would be an ultra-premium model that would sit at the top of the line. But that’s seeming less likely, as it’s not something that’s been leaked much recently, though claims of an Ultra model still occasionally emerge.

Claims of an iPhone 17 Air though have arrived with more frequency, and from a number of reputable sources, so there’s every chance we could see a super-slim iPhone in 2025.

In fact, the latest leaks point to the iPhone 17 Air measuring even thinner than the competition, namely the recently-announced Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, at a possible thickness of just 5.44mm. That's even thinner than an unfolded Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.

What's more, the iPhone 17 Air is tipped to get Apple's new C1 modem, revealed with the iPhone 16e, unlike the base model iPhone 17.

Can you trust these rumors?

Numerous reputable sources have pointed to an iPhone 17 Air or iPhone 17 Slim, so we'd think this is likely to make an appearance, though what it will actually be called is less clear, and we wouldn't count on seeing an iPhone 17 Ultra.

A new button

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

• A 120Hz screen for all four models
• A new button in place of the Action and volume buttons
• A new display technology for the Pro models

One of the more intriguing iPhone 17 design leaks we've heard is that the iPhone 17 Pro and possibly other models could have another new button – this time a single button that would replace the Action button and both volume keys.

Details of this possible button are limited, but it’s easy to imagine it could work like the Camera Control key, allowing you to swipe to change the volume, and press it to launch an app or feature of your choice. Perhaps it would even accept both light and strong presses to launch different things.

Apple has actually experimented with unified solid-state volume buttons in the past, including on an iPhone 14 Pro prototype, so it's possible the idea is being resurrected for the iPhone 17 series.

And in a less likely leak, we’ve heard that Apple could equip some or all iPhone 17 models with under-display Face ID.

One other source has leaked three possible iPhone 17 Pro colors, namely Dark Green Titanium, Teal Titanium, and Green Titanium. Apparently only one of these will be used if any, and of these it's the Teal Titanium they suspect is most likely to be used. That's the middle shade in the leaked image below. That said, we suspect all three of these are brighter than Apple would opt for.

(Image credit: Majin Bu)

Indeed, they can't seem to make up their mind as to which new color or colors we might see, as they've more recently claimed Sky Blue is the most likely new iPhone 17 Pro shade, and also previously pointed to Titanium Blue or Titanium Purple shades.

The same source has since said that the standard iPhone 17 could come in a purple or green shade.

In another leak, we've heard that all four iPhone 17 models could have an aluminum frame, which would be a change for the Pro models, as the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max use more premium titanium.

So that seems an odd shift, and the report adds that in the case of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max the top half of the back will also be aluminum, with the bottom half sticking as glass, and the camera bump being larger than on current models.

However, another leak has since refuted this, saying the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will stick with titanium frames.

Since then, we've heard that the iPhone 17 series could use the frame pictured below, which could make for a Pixel 9-like design, and somewhat lines up with the leak above mentioning an aluminum top half and a larger camera bump.

(Image credit: @Jukanlosreve)

We've seen a similar design in iPhone 17 series dummy units, and yet another source has also similarly claimed that the iPhone 17 Pro (and probably the other models) will have the design shown below.

(Image credit: Front Page Tech / @asherdipps‬)

This source has also shared the possible design of the iPhone 17 Air, as you can see below.

It has a very slim build but a quite large camera block considering there's just one lens on the back. So we'd take it with a pinch of salt, though it does line up with another iPhone 17 Air design leak.

The same source has also claimed that the standard iPhone 17 will have the same camera design as the iPhone 16, so that model might not get this new camera bar.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Front Page Tech / ‪@Zellzoi‬)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Front Page Tech / ‪@Zellzoi‬)

Other leakers have since backed up these claims, with multiple sets of iPhone 17 dummy units being leaked, showing similar designs, which we've seen numerous times now, and it's a design that people don't seem keen on so far. In fact, Google has even made fun of it.

However, more recent iPhone 17 Pro dummy unit photos show a far more refined version of this design, and one that should be easier to like.

Some smaller design changes could be planned too, with one source suggesting that some or all iPhone 17 models will have curvier sides than their predecessors.

We’ve also elsewhere heard that the iPhone 17 Pro Max could have a narrower Dynamic Island than the current model, and that conflicting with one of the leaks above it will have a titanium frame, while the other models will apparently have a “more complex” aluminum shell, which may be a reference the the half metal, half glass rear leaked above. Multiple sources have now pointed to a smaller Dynamic Island, though one source says the Dynamic Island will stay the same.

Another source has similarly said that the front of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will look similar to the iPhone 16 Pro, meaning that the Dynamic Island probably won't be smaller. And they added that while the rear cameras will be redesigned, there won't be a two-tone color scheme. We've since seen how this single-color iPhone 17 Pro design might look.

One of these sources also claimed that the iPhone 17 will have a 6.1-inch screen, the iPhone 17 Air a 6.6-inch one, the iPhone 17 Pro will have a 6.3-inch display, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will have a 6.9-inch one. So that’s the same sizes as the iPhone 16 line, albeit the rumored new Air model could have a slightly smaller screen than the Plus model it might replace.

That said, a case maker has suggested the iPhone 17 could instead have a 6.3-inch screen like the Pro model.

There’s also some disagreement on the iPhone 17 Air’s screen size, with leaker Ross Young claiming it will be slightly smaller at 6.55 inches, while @UniverseIce says to expect a 6.65-inch screen, and another source points to a 6.7-inch 2796 x 1290 one.

Also on the subject of the iPhone 17 Air, one report suggests it won't be as slim as Apple hoped, with the company originally aiming for around a 6mm thickness but apparently failing to achieve that, as it needs more space for the battery.

That said, we've elsewhere heard that the iPhone 17 Air will be just 5.44mm thick, while another leak similarly says the iPhone 17 Air will in fact be 5mm to 6mm thick, but that thanks to this it won't have space for a SIM card slot (so it will be eSIM only). More recently, an iPhone 17 Air leaks has split the difference and pointed to a 5.5mm thickness.

This report adds that the iPhone 17 Air will also only have one earpiece speaker, rather than two as is the case on other iPhones, and that it will have a “large, centered camera bump” housing just one lens.

This lack of a SIM card slot and only one speaker claim is something we've now heard multiple times.

We've also now seen an image showing how slim the iPhone 17 Air might be in comparison to the iPhone 17 Pro, and it certainly looks very thin there.

Another leak shows an iPhone 17 Air dummy unit (which is apparently 5.65mm thick) next to an iPhone 17 Pro Max dummy unit (which is 163.04 x 77.59 x 8.75mm) and an iPhone 17 one (which is 149.62 x 71.46 x 7.96mm). And again, the Air looks exceptionally slim.

You can see this slim design again in photos showing an iPhone 17 Air dummy unit next to an iPhone 16 Plus, though it's notable how far the Air's camera sticks out.

We've also heard that all four iPhone 17 models could have a 120Hz refresh rate and an always-on display. In fact, several sources have echoed this, saying that the base iPhone 17 will join its Pro siblings in having a 120Hz refresh rate and and always-on screen. We've heard this as recently as March 2025, with reputable leaker Mark Gurman saying as much.

So this wouldn’t be an upgrade for the Pro models, but it would be for the standard iPhone 17, and for the iPhone 17 Air if we get such a phone. That said, in June 2025 we heard that while the base iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Air would have 120Hz refresh rates, these wouldn't be ProMotion screens, meaning they wouldn't have a variable refresh rate and probably wouldn't support always-on display.

Speaking of all the iPhone 17 models, a rumor has them all tipped to use Samsung's M14 OLED display, which features on the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max.

However, the Pro models could still get a screen upgrade, with one source claiming that their displays will use a new technology that "improves battery efficiency, maximizes display durability, and enhances overall performance compared to existing display technologies.”

Finally, we’ve heard that the iPhone 17 line’s screens might use a type of glass that’s tougher to scratch and cuts down on reflections, but a more recent leak suggests this display upgrade has been scrapped.

Can you trust these rumors?

Apple bringing 120Hz screens to all four models is long overdue, so we certainly hope that's true, and it has been tipped enough that for now we'd say it's likely.

The talk of a new button is something we're less sure about, just because only one source has mentioned it so far, and they have a mixed track record.

We're also unsure about claims that all four models will have an aluminum frame, as that would seem like a downgrade for the Pro units. And the rumored changes to the camera design also seem questionable, but enough sources have mentioned this that it's certainly possible.

More megapixels

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

• A new 48MP telephoto camera for the Pro models
• New 24MP selfie cameras for all models

The iPhone 17 line could include several significant camera upgrades, including a new 24MP front-facing camera for every iPhone 17 model, up from 12MP on the current phones. It’s a claim this source (Jeff Pu) has made multiple times, most recently in March of 2025.

The same source also points to a 48MP telephoto camera for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, up from 12MP currently. We’ve also heard analyst Ming-Chi Kuo say similar, though they weren’t sure whether both Pro models would get this, or if only the iPhone 17 Pro Max would get a 48MP telephoto camera.

And leaker @UniverseIce has also said that the Pro models will have a trio of 48MP cameras, meaning an upgrade for the telephoto but not – at least in terms of megapixels – for the main or ultra-wide cameras. Mark Gurman (who has a great track record for Apple information) has also made this 48MP telephoto camera claim.

We've heard mention of a trio of 48MP cameras from another source too, but they also claim that oddly the main camera on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will have a smaller sensor than on the 16 Pro series, which sounds like a downgrade.

And one source has claimed that as well as a new 48MP sensor, the the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will offer 3.5x optical zoom, rather than the 5x of the current models. However, they would reportedly still offer lossless zoom at 5x and 7x by cropping the image.

We've also heard that the iPhone 17 Pro models could offer 8K video recording.

Elsewhere, another leak says the standard iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air won't have a 5x telephoto camera. This isn't really surprising but it is disappointing. In fact, the iPhone 17 Air might just have one rear camera, with another source claiming the iPhone 17 Air will have a 48MP main camera and a 12MP front-facing one. Multiple sources have now pointed to the iPhone 17 Air having just a single 48MP camera on the back.

Intriguingly, we’ve heard that Apple might be planning a camera with a mechanical aperture for at least one phone in the iPhone 17 series. This would allow you to adjust the size of the aperture, and therefore the depth of field.

And finally, Apple is reportedly testing a 200MP camera, though if this is ever used we'd expect it won't be until a later iPhone model.

Can you trust these rumors?

The front-facing and telephoto cameras seem obvious upgrade choices in the iPhone 17 line, as their megapixel counts are noticeably lower than some of the other cameras. So there's a good chance those leaks will prove accurate.

A boost in power

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

• A powerful new A19 Pro chipset
• Up to 12GB of RAM

One leak suggests that – unsurprisingly – the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will have a new A19 Pro chipset, and that the other models will have either an A18 or A19 chipset. The same source also says to expect 12GB of RAM in the Pro models, up from 8GB currently, but that the standard iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Slim will only have 8GB. They've now made this claim multiple times, so they seem confident of it.

Another source has echoed this, saying to expect an A19 Pro chipset and 12GB of RAM in the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. This chipset will reportedly be built on a new 3-nanometer manufacturing process, which could mean a big jump in performance.

Elsewhere we've heard that the iPhone 17 Air could have 12GB of RAM too, along with an A19 – but not A19 Pro – chipset.

That said, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that only the iPhone 17 Pro Max will get 12GB of RAM, with the others stuck at 8GB, and that the Pro Max will also have an upgraded cooling system, and exclusively have “enhanced on-device AI capabilities.”

Kuo also claims that the iPhone 17 line could use a lighter and thinner motherboard, which would leave room for other components or a larger battery. And speaking of the battery, the iPhone 17 Air might have a high-density cell, giving it comparable life to current iPhones. We've also heard that the iPhone 17 Air might support MagSafe, and that it might support a battery case accessory, which could make up for any stamina shortfalls.

There’s also an outside chance that some or all iPhone 17 models could include under-display Touch ID, giving you a fingerprint sensor as well as Face ID, but we doubt that.

We've also heard that Apple might equip the iPhone 17 series with a vapor chamber to help keep these phones cool, though there's disagreement on whether all four models or just the iPhone 17 Pro series would get a vapor chamber.

Finally on the hardware front, the iPhone 17 Air might use Apple's in-house 5G modem, but this reportedly doesn't perform as well as the Qualcomm modems the company currently uses – and we've heard that the base model iPhone 17 could even miss out on Apple's C1 modem.

As for software, we expect these phones to run iOS 26 out of the box, and while this software isn't finished yet, it has been announced. So we know it includes a new 'Liquid Glass' appearance, and overhauls to many apps, such as the Phone and Camera apps. It also features improvements to Apple Intelligence, a new Apple Games app, and more.

Can you trust these rumors?

New chipsets are sure to make an appearance, and we'd expect at least some models would get boosted to 12GB of RAM, especially as this could help with AI.

We'd be quite surprised though if Touch ID makes a return, even in under-display form.

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• HPE pushes Morpheus as VMware virtualization costs rise under Broadcom
• Socket-based pricing offers cost predictability for high-core system deployments
• Morpheus aims to compete but VMware remains deeply rooted in enterprise

Hewlett Packard Enterprise has looked to address growing rumblings from its customers about rising VMware licensing fees following Broadcom’s acquisition of the virtualization company in 2023.

HPE is actively responding to these concerns, especially from those seeing major increases in virtualization costs, by pushing its Morpheus platform at its recent HPE Discover 2025 event.

HPE acquired Morpheus in 2024 and has since worked to develop it into a viable option for companies looking to reduce or end their reliance on VMware.

A choice of editions

Morpheus is being integrated into HPE’s broader Private Cloud offerings, with two editions available to suit different needs.

The VM Essentials edition is geared toward smaller environments and supports management of local KVM clusters and VMware clusters through vCenter.

This edition has a much lower entry cost, priced around $600 per socket, and unlike Broadcom’s per-core licensing, which some say penalizes scale, HPE’s per-socket model remains fixed regardless of hardware configuration.

This could appeal to those with high-core-count systems and help organizations better keep on top of their infrastructure costs.

For more advanced deployments, there’s Morpheus Enterprise. This includes profiling and cost calculator tools to help compare cloud and on-prem options. This version is priced at about $2,500 per socket.

HPE’s goal appears to be giving customers a clearer path away from VMware, starting small and scaling up.

Whether that’s enough to make a dent in VMware’s deep entrenchment across enterprise environments remains to be seen, but HPE is clearly making the case.

ServeTheHome's Patrick Kennedy writes, “We know many folks are struggling with virtualization licensing costs. It seems like HPE sees the need. It was actually neat to see that HPE is aggressively trying to move customers off of VMware and the Morpheus booth was certainly busy today. For folks who are still looking for solutions, this might be one to look into especially if you are a HPE shop.”

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Likeable brand Nothing has unveiled a set of striking over-ear headphones and if, like me, you're ready to fully embrace cans that aren't trying hard to look like the Sony WH-1000XM4 (and, by association, like every other set of headphones on the market), you'll probably be fully on board with these.

Might it appear as if I've got two cassette tapes lashed around my head – two, ahem, head cleaners, if you're old enough to get the gag? Quite possibly. Do I mind? Not one jot thank you very much; know me, know that I have a lot of love for the resurgence of the humble cassette format.

Anyway, I've worn them for a week now and sadly, owing to various time constraints, I wasn't able to compile TechRadar's full Nothing Headphone (1) review. However, I do share my colleague Matt Bolton's verdict and of course, that doesn't mean I have no further thoughts… the first being that the design here is a rare delight for the money.

Since the product has been under embargo until very recently, I've not been able to wear the Headphone (1) in public. But believe me, I cannot wait to do that. The transparent accents on the ear cups catch reflections and the light quite beautifully and there's a quirky, otherworldy-but-the-90s aesthetic to them. They remind me of Björk's 1997 All is Full of Love video – why wouldn't I want that?

(Image credit: Future)Nothing ventured, Nothing gained

So they look delightfully oddball, and you love to see it. They're also comfortable – for me, anyway, and I do wear glasses at work these days (see "old enough", above).

Furthermore, the Nothing X companion app is a joy. It's clean, it's stylish, it's easy to follow and it puts things like noise cancellation and head-tracked streaming-service agnostic spatial audio up front and center, exactly where you want those perks. Honestly, I love the app.

So where does it start to go wrong? My one minor gripe with the design is to do with the volume roller on the right ear cup. Don't get me wrong, I adore it; why has no other brand implemented anything even close, except for the Fairphone Fairbuds XL and Marshall Monitor III ANC, although both were different in that they were bijou joystick-style dials, rather than a roller?

No, my issue is the piped-in sound you hear when you use it. I know it's supposed to mimic a rotary watch bezel, but it's such a sweet, treble-centric whirr and so close to my delicate ear that it sets my teeth on edge (and there's no way to turn it off). In fact, even the power on buttons are a little sweet for my liking.

(Image credit: Future)Much ado about Nothing?

You're probably thinking: come on, this issue feels small-fry and you've already said you love the design, what's the big problem? And you'd be right: I think the bare bones here are truly exciting. Nothing goes its own way and I'm all for it. I've championed the Nothing Ear (a), the firm's triumphant third stab at earbuds, for over a year now.

The thing is, there's one key area where the Heaphone (1) don't quite pass muster at the level. Sonically, I pitted them against my trusty Cambridge Audio Melomania P100, and the circumaural soundstage of the P100 betters the Nothing option – something you hear straight away.

Nothing has gone to great lengths to tell us about the "custom 40 mm dynamic driver, built with high-linearity suspension and an 8.9 mm PU surround that moves air more freely than conventional PET materials" alongside a "nickel-plated diaphragm, including rim and dome".

Then, enter hi-fi giant KEF, which provided the rigorous tuning and testing of the headphones. And I think perhaps therein lies the rub. Nobody is challenging KEF's formidable audio chops, but maybe (just maybe) a modicum of function has had to be lost in the name of a finessed form?

KEF is a master of its trade, and clearly the intention here is serious, integrated, neutral and layered hi-fi sound. And this is very much on the way to being achieved – in fact, in acoustic mixes and with spatial audio deployed, I found admirable separation and insight. Sonically, they are not bad.

It's just that I've reviewed every set of Nothing earbuds to date, and I know the sound Carl Pei's company and its collaborative effort is capable of achieving, given a fresh iteration. The result here is a set of headphones that while relatively detailed, come off a little dynamically lean.

(Image credit: Future)If at first you don't succeed… 

Perhaps if the Headphone (1) release hadn't been so rigidly tied to the simultaneous unveiling of the Nothing Phone (3)? Perhaps if Nothing's design language hadn't been of such paramount importance, there may have been leeway to eke a little more out of the svelte drivers nestled in their much-adorned ear cups? I'm speculating – I am.

But I'm also urging Nothing and KEF to work more on this partnership, because this product as an inaugural effort is beautiful to me, and the sound is well on its way.

I listened to D'Angelo's Brown Sugar (I decided to give my Apple Music Replay All Time playlist a spin; a trip back to 2016 I'm not sure I needed) and while the vocals do dart out from shadowy corners in the mix, it's an all-together more immersive, dynamically agile listen when played through the cheaper Cambridge Audio rival.

Again, I want to urge Nothing to keep working on these. I truly admire the release of the Nothing Headphone (1) when most smartphone-centric firms are sticking to cheaper earbuds propositions alongside handsets. Case in point: Samsung, a heavy-hitter that hasn't launched a set of actual headphones in nearly 10 years, following mixed reviews for the 2014 Level Over and 2016 Level On.

In 2025, Nothing's got something here that could blow everything else away, and while the sound is not perfect yet, the design and feature-set is too good to shelve. Very few manufacturers ace a set of headphones at the very first time of asking, and to say that I eagerly await for the release of the Headphone (2) is an understatement.

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• The developer is doing away with branching choices
• This is in an effort to create a starting point for the series' future

Developer Techland will be stepping away from player-driven narrative choices for the upcoming Dying Light: The Beast. But it seems like there's going to be a very good reason for that, at least in relation to the game's returning protagonist - Kyle Crane.

In an interview with GamesRadar, Dying Light franchise director Tymon Smektała explained: "We wanted this to be a canon entry into the series. We're looking back at what happened to Kyle Crane in the first game, and we want to tell the next chapter of the story."

"One thing that Dying Light: The Beast does is hint at the future of the series," he adds. "We really wanted to make sure that at the end of the game, Kyle Crane is where we want him to be, so that's why we decided to back down from the narrative choices of Dying Light 2."

Furthermore, it's likely that Techland is looking to shape the future of the Dying Light franchise with what happens at the conclusion of The Beast.

While he didn't drop any juicy story hints, Smektała told TechRadar Gaming: "We definitely have, I would say, some Marvel [style] post-credit scenes that hint at some things that are going to happen in the future."

Smektała also provided further context on the decision to move away from branching narrative choices, adding: "If we would have given the players agency in terms of how they want to shape the story, then it will be harder for us to have Kyle where we want him to be at the end of the game.

"So this is a very canonical Kyle story that answers everything that happens to him before and after the events of Dying Light."

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• There will be a free Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade for Shadow Labyrinth
• The game will run at 4K 60fps on the Nintendo Switch 2
• It's available to pre-order now

Upcoming strange Pac-Man game Shadow Labyrinth will run at 4K 60 frames per second (fps) on Nintendo Switch 2 in docked mode thanks to a free Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Upgrade Pack.

This was revealed as part of the most recent trailer for the game, which gave us a decent look at the Nintendo Switch 2 version in action. It also presented some side-by-side footage showing the Nintendo Switch version too, which seems to be running at a noticeably lower frame rate and resolution.

Both the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 versions of the game are up for pre-order via the eShop, where they both cost $29.99 / £24.99. The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Upgrade Pack is also available to pre-order and is completely free.

Shadow Labyrinth was first revealed at The Game Awards 2024, with a subsequent appearance in the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct. A darker take on Pac-Man, the game is a 2D metroidvania adventure in which the protagonist Swordsman No. 8 explores a sinister maze accompanied by the familiar yellow Puck.

It features plenty of combat and traversal, but also a few elements directly inspired by the classic arcade Pac-Man gameplay. It's set to launch on July 18 this year and is coming to PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S in addition to Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.

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• You can now edit texts sent from Android to iOS
• The change is part of the updated RCS standard
• Texts sent from iOS to Android can’t yet be edited, though

Sending text messages between an iPhone and an Android device has long been a pretty poor experience, with features like typing indicators and read receipts missing for years. That’s shifted in recent years thanks to the use of Rich Communication Services (RCS), and it’s bringing another benefit to your cross-platform chats.

In this case, that’s the ability to edit texts sent from an Android phone to an iPhone (via Android Authority). This feature appears to be rolling out gradually to Android users, so it’s not available to everyone just yet. But if it’s working for you, all you’ve got to do is long press on a sent message, then tap the pencil icon, make your adjustments and save your message.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t work the other way around – that is, texts sent from an iPhone to an Android device cannot be edited. Presumably, Apple will need to update its Messages app to add support for this functionality.

You’ve been able to edit texts sent between iPhones for years, and messages going from one Android device to another have been editable when using RCS for about twelve months. But although editable messages are now part of RCS, companies like Apple and Google need to support the feature – which is why it’s not available in iOS right now.

Slowly adding support

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Apple has been reluctant to support RCS for a long time, partly because it previously offered much weaker encryption than Apple’s iMessage platform, which is end-to-end encrypted. However, the change that introduced editable texts to RCS has now also brought forth end-to-end encryption, which might help to smooth things over with Apple.

The rollout of editable messages also hasn’t been entirely pain-free. While edited messages appear as normal on Android (with a small “Edited” timestamp underneath them), they behave differently in iOS. There, iPhone users see a second message preceded by an asterisk, doubling up the number of texts on their screen.

Both Apple and Google gave their support to cross-platform RCS messages earlier this year, so we’re hoping that these bugs and oddities will be ironed out in due course. For now, though, the situation when texting across phone platforms has been improved, even if only in one small way.

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• The iPhone 17 Air will apparently be just 5.5mm thick
• That's even slimmer than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
• However, it now looks very likely to only have one rear camera

The iPhone 17 Air is a rumored phone that – no matter what else might be good or bad about it – will in large part be judged on how slim it is. After all, being slim appears to be its entire USP. And on that front, it could be a success.

In a new YouTube video, FrontPageTech (via NotebookCheck) has claimed that the iPhone 17 Air will be just 5.5mm thick, which would make it even slimmer than the 5.8mm thick Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. While that’s only a 0.3mm difference, this could still be a big win for Apple, since the S25 Edge would be this rumored phone’s main competitor, and is also sold on being slim.

Of course, we’d take this thickness claim with a pinch of salt, especially as FrontPageTech has a mixed track record. But lately they’ve been right more often than they’ve been wrong, and this leak is broadly in line with previous iPhone 17 Air leaks – though one puts it at a slightly slimmer 5.44mm and another at a marginally thicker 5.65mm. In all cases though, leaks suggest it will have Samsung’s rival phone beat on that front.

Compromised cameras and a Plus-level price

However, the iPhone 17 Air probably won’t have the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge beat in every other way, as this latest leak – among many others – suggests the iPhone 17 Air will have just a single 48MP camera. That’s in contrast to a dual-lens camera on the S25 Edge, consisting of both a 200MP main sensor and a 12MP ultra-wide camera. So it seems Apple is probably prioritizing thinness over photography.

Other specs have also been leaked here, and again largely echo what we’ve heard before. This includes an A19 – but not A19 Pro – chipset, 12GB of RAM, and a 6.6-inch screen with a 120Hz refresh rate.

The video also highlights the battery, saying that Apple will use one with a silicon anode, in order to achieve a higher density than would otherwise be possible, and that this – coupled with an efficient modem and chipset – could mean the iPhone 17 Air will last almost as long as the base iPhone 17, despite the limited space for a battery.

Finally, the video touches on price, stating that the iPhone 17 Air will cost roughly the same amount as the iPhone 16 Plus – a phone that starts at $899 / £899 / AU$1,599. This too is in line with multiple previous leaks.

We should find out whether this is all correct or not in September, as that's when the iPhone 17 Air is expected to launch – alongside the rest of the iPhone 17 series.

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Even with today’s vast arsenal of cybersecurity tools and AI-enhanced threat detection, attackers continue to succeed – not because the technology is failing, but because the human link in the defensive chain remains exposed. Cybercriminals almost always take the path of least resistance to execute a breach, which often means targeting people rather than a system.

According to McKinsey, a staggering 91% of cyberattacks have less to do with technology, and more to do with manipulating and taking advantage of human behavior. In other words, despite technologies like AI advancing at break-neck speed, cybercriminals are still more likely to hack people than machines.

From a cybercriminal’s perspective, this makes sense. It’s the path of least resistance. Why spend resources hacking your way through a high-tech, AI-secured front door when there’s an open window around the back? This isn’t news to CISOs – according to a 2024 IBM survey, almost three-quarters (74%) now identify human vulnerability as their top security risk. They’re aware of the open window, and now they’re trying to secure it.

Easier said than done

That’s easier said than done, however. Whether it’s a well-timed phishing email, a spoofed call, a deepfake video, or a barrage of authentic-seeming push notifications designed to wear down a user’s judgment, attackers are adapting faster than defenses can compensate.

The reality is that while security vendors race to outpace attackers with smarter algorithms and tighter controls, the tactics that most reliably lead to breaches are psychological, not technical. Threat actors are exploiting trust, fatigue, social norms, and behavioral shortcuts – tactics far more subtle and effective than brute-force code.

It’s not a lack of technology leaving organizations vulnerable to these techniques, it’s a lack of alignment between those tools and the way people actually think and operate. In fast-paced, high-pressure environments, employees don’t have the bandwidth to second-guess every request or scrutinize every prompt.

They rely on instincts, familiarity, and patterns they’ve learned to trust. But those very instincts are what attackers hijack, turning help desk tickets into access exploits, or mimicked CFOs into multi-million-dollar heists. As generative AI accelerates the realism and reach of these tactics, organizations face a critical question: not just how to keep the bad actors out, but how to better equip their people within. Because when breaches hinge on human decisions, cybersecurity isn’t just a technology issue – it’s a human one.

Trust, bias, and the psychology of security breaches

Human behavior is a vulnerability, but it’s also a predictable pattern. Our brains are wired for efficiency, not scrutiny, which makes us remarkably easy to manipulate under the right conditions. Attackers know this and design their exploits accordingly. They play on urgency to override caution, impersonate authority figures to disarm skepticism, and drip-feed small requests to trigger consistency bias. These tactics are ruthlessly calculated, and they work not because people are careless, but because they’re human.

In early 2024, a finance worker at a Hong Kong firm was tricked into transferring $25 million after attending a video call with what appeared to be the company’s CFO and other colleagues – each one a convincing AI-generated deepfake. The attackers used publicly available footage to clone faces and voices, creating a seamless illusion that exploited trust and familiarity with devastating effect.

The eye-opening part is that these deepfake tools are now readily available. Modern social engineering doesn’t rely on obvious red flags. The emails aren’t riddled with typos, and the impersonations don’t sound robotic. Thanks to generative AI, deepfake technology, and access to vast training data, attackers can now create incredibly convincing personas that mirror the tone, behavior, and language of trusted colleagues. In this environment, even the most well-trained employee can fall victim without fault.

Heuristics – mental shortcuts – are frequently exploited by attackers who know what to look for. “Authority bias” leads people to follow instructions from perceived leaders, like a spoofed email from a CEO. The “scarcity principle” ramps up pressure by creating false urgency, making employees feel they must act immediately.

And “reciprocity bias” plays on basic social instincts – once someone has received a seemingly benign gesture, they’re more likely to respond positively to a follow-up request, even if it’s malicious. What so often looks like a lapse in judgment is often just an expected outcome of cognitive overload and the common, everyday use of heuristics.

Where policy meets psychology

Traditional identity and access management (IAM) strategies tend to assume that users will behave predictably and rationally – that they’ll scrutinize every prompt, question every anomaly, and follow policy to the letter. But the reality inside most organizations is far messier. People work quickly, switch contexts constantly, and are bombarded with notifications, tasks, and requests.

If security controls feel too rigid or burdensome, users will find workarounds. If prompts are too frequent, they’ll be ignored. This is how good policy gets undermined – not out of negligence, but because the design of the system clashes with the psychology of its users. Good security mechanisms shouldn’t add friction; they should seamlessly guide users towards better choices.

Applying principles like Zero Trust, least privilege, and just-in-time access can dramatically reduce exposure, but only if they’re implemented in ways that account for cognitive load and context. Automation can help here: granting and revoking access based on dynamic risk signals, time of day, or role changes without requiring users to constantly make judgment calls.

Done right, identity management becomes an invisible safety net, quietly adapting in the background, rather than demanding constant interaction. Humans shouldn’t be removed from the loop, but they should be freed from the burden to catching what the system should already detect.

Building a security culture

Technology may enforce access policies, but culture determines whether people follow them. Building a secure organization has to be about more than simply enforcing compliance. That starts with security training that goes beyond phishing drills and password hygiene to address how people actually think and react under pressure. Employees need to recognize their own cognitive biases, understand how they’re being targeted, and feel empowered – not penalized – for slowing down and asking questions.

Equally important is removing unnecessary friction. When access controls are intuitive, context-aware, and minimally disruptive, users are more likely to engage with them properly. Role-based and attribute-based access models, combined with just-in-time permissions, help reduce overprovisioning without creating frustrating bottlenecks in the form of pop-ups and interruptions. In other words, modern IAM systems need to support and empower employees rather than make them constantly jump through hoops to get from one app or window to another.

The human firewall isn’t going anywhere

The biggest takeaway here is that cybersecurity isn’t just a test of systems, AI-driven or not – it’s a test of people. The human firewall is arguably an organization’s biggest weakness, but with the right tools and policies in place, it can become its greatest strength. Our goal should not be to eliminate human error or change the innate nature of humans, but to design identity systems that make secure behavior the default – easy, intuitive, and frictionless.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

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