As smartphones become more advanced and more expensive, one change we’ve seen is the bezels becoming ever smaller, and with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max we might see them almost disappear completely.

This is according to Mark Gurman, a journalist and leaker with a great track record, writing in his latest Bloomberg Power On newsletter, in which he claims that these upcoming phones will have a bezel that's just 1.5mm thick. That’s down from roughly 2.2mm on current iPhones, so while we’re only talking about a reduction of around 0.7mm, that still knocks a third off of their total size.

This is apparently thanks to a new display technology, with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max’s screens reportedly being made using low-injection pressure over-molding, also known as LIPO.

It’s a process that Apple has already been using on the last couple of generations of the best Apple Watches, specifically the Apple Watch 7 and Apple Watch 8, in order to allow for a larger display within the same footprint, and according to Gurman this tech will eventually be used for iPads as well.

It’s worth noting that while shrinking the bezels could allow for a slightly larger screen in the same space (as it has done on the Apple Watch), we’re not expecting the screen sizes to change on the iPhone 15 line, so the iPhone 15 Pro will probably be 6.1 inches, just like its predecessor, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max will likely be 6.7 inches.

What this might instead mean then is that the phones could be marginally physically smaller, and they would likely also look slightly more high-end, as they'll have almost no perceptible bezel.

This would be just a stepping stone though, with Gurman claiming that Apple's dream is to deliver a truly all-screen iPhone, with no bezels at all, and no cutouts for the front-facing camera and Face ID (instead they'd be hidden under the screen). It's a dream that's likely shared by most other smartphone manufacturers too.

Beyond the bezels

Gurman didn’t stop with talk of bezels, but the other details in his newsletter were largely things we’ve heard before.

For the Pro models, these details include a titanium frame, more rounded edges, a customizable action button in place of a mute switch, major rear camera upgrades, and a powerful new chipset.

In the case of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, Gurman points to a Dynamic Island being added in place of a notch, “major camera improvements” (which based on other leaks will likely include a new 48MP main sensor), and the inclusion of the A16 Bionic chipset currently found in the iPhone 14 Pro models.

All four phones are said to have a USB-C port, and Gurman also touches on pricing, saying to look out for “at least minor price increases” for all four models outside the US, with at least the Pro models probably getting a price increase in the US too.

As ever, we’ll take all these claims with a pinch of salt, but this is all largely in line with what we’ve heard previously, and it comes from a reputable source. We’ll know for sure soon though, as the batch of contenders for a place in our best iPhone round-up are likely to land in September.

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Blizzard has confirmed that buffs for Diablo 4's Sorcerers and Barbarians are on the way.

In yet another fireside chat with senior members of the Diablo 4 development team - associate game director Joe Piepiora, lead class designer, Adam Jackson, director Joe Shely, and associate director of community management, Adam Fletcher - the group addressed the most pressing issues arising from Patch 1.1.0, and revealed what changes players should expect when Patch 1.1.1. rolls out on August 8.

Front and center were changes to Diablo 4's classes. While the team says no class will go unloved, players maining Sorcerers and Barbarians should expect to see the biggest improvements after big nerfs adversely affected the strength and resilience of those classes.

"We want to kind of improve the effectiveness and fun of the Sorcerer and Barbarian," lead class designer Adam Jackson explained in the presentation. "Our goal is to find a way – and we're working on it right now – for all those different ways of dealing damage to have a lot of parity."

When Patch 1.1.1 is deployed, Sorcerers should find it easier to survive in late-game activities with the removal of some detrimental item effects, and Barbarians will get more Fury to invest in their skills. We can expect positive changes to their Unique items, too.

A new stash tab is also on the way, along with the ability to stack up to 99 Elixir. You'll also find it cheaper to respec, too, as the costs will be coming down around 40 per cent. There'll also be improvements to the range and reliability of the Legendary drops you get after level 35.

Other changes are also on the way, but Blizzard says it needs more time to work on things like the Necromancer minion builds, so expect those changes in further down the line (thanks, PC Gamer).

Diablo 4's Season of the Malignant started on July 20, offering new threats, a self-contained story, and brand-new ways to customize your wanderer. When you encounter an elite monster in Season of the Malignant, there's a chance that a malignant version of that monster will also spawn, complete with scary new powers and weird tentacle things. 

Still not sure if Diablo 4 is worth your time?

"Perhaps Diablo 4’s most adventurous quality is the move towards an open world in the 'modern' sense," we wrote in our Diablo 4 review.

"What could have been a featureless, bland expanse is, instead, a delight. Brimming with intrigue and danger, the open world of Sanctuary fits the Diablo formula like a glove, providing the space in which the game’s macabre aesthetic and bold mechanical design cohere beautifully."

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Highly-anticipated sequel Path of Exile 2 has been delayed.

Whilst the action-RPG had been expected sometime later this year, developer Grinding Gear Games has now confirmed that the game won't even be ready for closed beta testing until June 2024.

Asked by Eurogamer why the project and its original beta test had to be delayed, director Jonathan Rogers said, "It's a lot of things. I, more than anyone, was hoping for a 2023 beta date as well. We honestly were extremely naive to think that we were going to hit the dates that we previously had."

To sweeten the news, the team did confirm that Path of Exile 2 – which started out as an expansion for Path of Exile before breaking away to become a separate, standalone game – will offer closed beta testing from June 7, 2024, and testing will "last months, for sure".

"And in terms of what [the beta testing] will be: it will be the game, the whole game. It's not just going to be 'oh here's the first act' or anything like that - it's going to be the game.

"The beta will be the last chance we have to fix any remaining balance mistakes," he added. "Action-RPG communities are pretty serious business when it comes to balance changes once the game is released - you have to be really careful about that stuff. So we want to have a pretty significant beta to make sure that we're not going to screw any of this stuff up."

As Cat recently summarized for us, reminiscent of Diablo 4, Path of Exile offers a more granular experience than its counterpart from Blizzard Entertainment. 

Though clearly in the realm of dark fantasy, Path of Exile 2 distinguishes itself from Diablo 4's distinctive art style by focusing on eldrich horror plucked right out of H. P. Lovecraft rather than the more biblical motifs of Diablo. 

But if Grinding Gear Games succeeds in meaningfully iterating on the genre's staples, its upcoming title could well earn a place amongst the best RPGs of recent years. 

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The smartphone you hold in your hand is the result of an endless series of choices. It's the answers to questions about design, function, pre-installed applications, new features, and old ones. It's all the stuff that adds up  your experience, the customer experience.

If there's a single person focused on what it's like to use, say, a new Samsung Galaxy Z fold 5 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, it's Patrick Shomet, Samsung's VP and Head of Customer Experience. 

Shomet, who sat down with me at Samsung Unpacked in South Korea, focuses on product design and feature experiences as well as the choice of features, apps, and partnerships that help make them.

"We pride ourselves on saying, 'I want the best music.' So we need to work with Daniel Ek at Spotify," said Shomet.

Working closely with design and product teams. Shomet helps define products and manage key partnerships like the one with Google. Even though Samsung's Galaxy line of smartphones competes with Google's Pixel line, the two companies have thousands of employees working together.

Plus, as two very large companies, it's fairly easy to keep apart the parts that shouldn't be talking. 

"We happily compete," smiled Shomet, "We call it co-competition."

Competition vs. Rationalization

Patrick Shomet works closely with design to realize customer desires. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

But that competition has sometimes led to confusion. Many Android partners, like Samsung, produce duplicate core apps for, say, Messaging, Web Browsing, Photos, and Email. How does allowing those things to continue  the relationship and "co-competition"?

"10-to-15 years ago, Android was the core OS for a lot of OEMs, and it's fair to say many OEMs were seeking to reproduce every app to differentiate," Shomet told me. "That phase is gone," he said, "Differentiation is not being different, differentiation is being better."

1There is an abundance of great ideas but "much more than the customer can understand or marketing can market," he said.

Samsung now focuses, said Shomet, on assets where they have something customers want. "In the future, we will see more rationalization." He pointed to examples like Chrome now being the default browser on US devices, and the integration of RCS in messaging, a charge Shomet personally led.

That said, there will still be cases where Samsung and Google both have something. All Samsung Galaxy phones currently ship with both Google Assistant and Bixby. Shomet said that if you have more Samsung devices, you'll get more out of Bixby and if you have more Google smart devices, the Assistant might be your choice. In other words, there's reason for them to coexist on your Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Serial killer

Shomet knows when to say, "no." (Image credit: Future)

Shomet's job involves identifying the right features or partners to bring in, but also what to leave out.

"I have a funny job here," said Shomet. "Sometimes I'm called the 'serial killer'. My core innovation is mostly killing," laughed Shomet. However, it's an important role. There is an abundance of great ideas but "much more than the customer can understand or marketing can market," he said.

Shomet focuses on what's meaningful to people, which is easy if you follow what they've been doing.

Many of the choices Samsung makes or Shomet guides it to make are based on anonymized customer telemetry, which is gathered through Samsung account holder usage data. 

They know, for instance, that Samsung users use Samsung Notes on their Galaxy phones, so Samsung invests in that. Similarly, Samsung account holders are big Samsung Smart Thing users, so there's an investment in that.

When not to change

I wondered though how Samsung and Shomet's interpretation of user needs synced with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and its dearth of changes as compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 4. I offered Shomet my theory, that the foldable market is so small that, for most people, the category is entirely new. Why race ahead of customer needs you don't yet even understand?

"You're spot on," said Shomet, adding, "Most people, you are right, will be new users so they look at this thing in its own right."

Shomet also defended the lack of feature updates, explaining that what Samsugn did do was based on customer requests.

"The feedback from existing Fold users is that there are no issues, an amazing device, we love it, 'please guys keep doing it.' Second, “Can you make it thinner and lighter?” which we did. Third, 'Can you improve speed?' which we did with CPU."

There were also requests around productivity and software, which have seen some usability updates.

"We need to change what needs to be changed," he said.

Following an innovation path

Shomet, though, wanted to make it clear that the product teams are not simply picking and choosing new directions with each product iteration. The arc of vertical Samsung product development is long and, it seems, crystal clear.

There is for each Samsung product category a mid-to-long-term identity and direction, said Shomet, who outlined the key identities for each of Samsung's current core categories:

• Galaxy Buds: perfect fit and intelligent audio
• Galaxy Watch: fashion, health, and sleep
• Galaxy Z Fold Fold: productivity and big-screen viewing
• Galaxy Z Flip: fashion and personalization

"We invest in a very clear product direction, so it's not 'sleep this year' and something else next. We do not change identity every year, which makes it easier for people to say, 'In which direction should I innovate?'" explained Shomet.

Sometimes, the innovation is not quite ready or comes slowly. Shomet held up the new Galaxy Z Flip 5 and said "For five years, I wanted this."

However, what Shomet envisioned wasn't a foldable device, it was an ultra-compact, square, single-screen phone. Shomet acknowledges that they didn't do it because it didn't work as a product.

"Three years later we have that concept of the compact device. When the technology is ready, it becomes meaningful," said Shomet who held up the Flip 5 again and smiled, " I feel vindicated, I told you we need a compact device."

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Patent applications often give us an interesting window into what a company is plotting, and a new Apple MacBook one just came to light: it shows off a computing device that can have different elements (like a keyboard) connected to it magnetically.

The patent (via Gizmodo) describes the device, which "can be reconfigurable to include one or more electrical devices in various configurations" – and displays and keyboards are specifically mentioned and shown in the accompanying diagrams.

It puts us in mind of the Framework DIY laptop in terms of modular laptops, though Apple's plans look substantially different. The patent was first applied for a couple of years ago, though it was only approved earlier this week.

As always with patents, this isn't a guarantee that a modular MacBook is ever going to appear – it just shows that Apple's engineers are thinking about ways in which they could innovate with the design and functionality of its laptops.

One potential use for the new system (Image credit: USPTO / Apple)

Vinyl vibrations

As AppleInsider points out, Microsoft applied for a similar set of patents ahead of launching the Surface series of products. It's possible that Apple is thinking of blurring the line between laptops and tablets even further.

While there are no 2-in-1 MacBooks right now, the steady evolution of iPadOS has meant it's now more like a desktop operating system than ever. We might soon see something like the Surface Pro 9 from Apple.

Interestingly, one of the diagrams included with the patent shows a record turntable in front of a display, as one of the possible attachments. Music producers or DJs could use the setup, complete with a touchscreen display, Apple suggests.

Whether or not Apple is going to bring out an LP player of its own remains to be seen, but it shows off the versatility of the system being proposed. For now, watch this space: any device like this is probably still several years away.

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When it comes to video calls and meetings, having top audio quality is key - after all, what's the point in a meeting if you can't hear what the other participants are saying?

The explosion in popularity for the technology has led to a wide number of manufacturers looking to provide the right kind of kit - whether that's basic and easy to use hardware, or something a bit more premium.

If you are in the second camp, and prefer a high-end approach, the news that audio icons Bang & Olufsen have released a business headset optimized for the top video conferencing tools is a game-changer.

I was lucky enough to try out the Bang & Olufsen Beocom Portal model designed for Microsoft Teams - so how did it stand up to the test?

Testing testing

First off, as you would expect from a B&O product, the Beocom Portal looks beautiful. Smartly packaged, the headset feels light but solid when first put on, with a range of adjustment options to get that comfortable fit - although our experience did feel a little tight at times.

The headset connected to our work laptop using a USB dongle, (with the option of a standalone app for mobile devices) but set-up was incredibly straightforward, and we were underway quickly.

Given B&O's heritage, we initially tried out the Beocom Portal with some of our favorite tunes to work too - as we had been told by the company that the aim for this headset was for users to go straight from a business call or meeting to listening to music. The audio experience was fantastic, with clear, crisp treble and deep warming bass.

(Image credit: Future)

Then it was time to fire up the real USP. Pressing a specially-labelled button on the left earpiece puts the Beocom Portal into Microsoft Teams mode. This optimizes the sound quality to make sure your audio is clear and crisp, with the built-in microphone helping block out any annoying background noise. 

Our tests found that this was definitely the case, with the Beocom Portal providing an excellent companion to Microsoft Teams calls. Audio from other participants came in loud and clear, and we were able to focus on the call even with background noises such as construction work, washing machine cycles, and even a rather vocal dog wondering what the postman was delivering today.

However, we did run into some serious issues when using the Beocom Portal for other video conferencing platforms. Attempting a Google Meet or Zoom call often resulted in unexpected audio drop-outs, as participants claimed to be unable to hear us properly, meaning that on several occasions we had to ditch the Beocom Portal for our trusty Logitech arm mic and headset.

We do realize that this version of the Beocom Portal we worked with is optimized for Microsoft Teams, but as many of us do have to juggle multiple communications platforms on a daily basis at work, the issues were troubling - especially as the headset costs around £349.

Overall though, if you're looking for a top-quality audio experience that lets you jump seamlessly from Microsoft Teams call back to listening to your radio or music hits, the Beocom Portal is a must-have.

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We're expecting the Google Pixel Watch 2 to appear in the not-too-distant future, and the leak of new watch faces for the wearable would seem to suggest that the device is indeed about to be unveiled.

These watch faces come courtesy of Android Authority, and there are four in total. They're all going to be exclusive to the second-gen watch apparently, and they all offer plenty of options in terms of the way they can be customized.

The four watch faces are Accessible, Analog Bold, Arc, and Bold Digital, and we've embedded a quick look at them below. If the rumors are true, we'll be seeing these watch faces and the attached smartwatch in October at the Pixel 8 unveiling.

While it's disappointing that these faces won't make it to the original Pixel Watch launched last year, it's also worth bearing in mind that Google has pushed several new features to the wearable in recent months.

More watch faces to look forward to (Image credit: Android Authority / Google)

Those watch faces in full

First up in the leaked watch faces we have Accessible: it's very plain and simple, and easy to read, and you can have a variety of complications alongside the time (including the current watch battery level and the date.

Then there's Analog Bold, which has a chunky hour hand, chunky numbering, and a variety of color options to pick from. The face can be customized in a variety of ways, showing the date and alarms if necessary.

The Arc watch face is a more complex one, with six variants in total. These variants change the number of complications you get and where they're positioned, and control the display of different elements like the date.

Lastly in the leaked watch faces we have Bold Digital, which is based on one of the lock screen clocks recently added to Pixel phones running Android 13. Again you've got a few options to choose from in terms of colors and complications.

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Final Fantasy 14's next expansion will be Dawntrail, and it's coming next year.

Revealed at this weekend's Final Fantasy 14 Fan Festival in Las Vegas, producer and director Naoki Yoshida confirmed that the fifth expansion is set to launch in summer 2024 (or Q3 2024, if you're in the Southern hemisphere and your summer is usually in January) and bring "an abundance of fresh content", including a boosted level cap from 90 to 100, new jobs, new areas, tribes, and dungeons.

You can see the action for yourself in the all-new teaser below:

Players can also expect to see "new core battle content" such as FATEs, Hunts, Treasure Hunts, and sidequests, as well as the stunning New World, Tural, with its capital Tuliyollal, the mountainous Urqopacha and the forest of Yak T'el.

But there's more, too. Dawntrial also introduces the "game's first graphical update for both character and world visuals", including "improvement to screen-wide aesthetic appeal, higher resolution textures and shadows, and improved material qualities". 

But the best news was saved until last. 

In a surprise appearance, Xbox boss Phil Spencer joined Yoshida onstage to confirm that the fan-favorite MMO is finally coming to Xbox Series X/S in Spring/Q2 2024, just in time to get the new expansion. Xbox players can expect an open beta before then, although there's no concrete date for that just yet.

"What I really appreciate about you and your team is that you put the player in the centre of everything you do," Spencer said to Yoshida during the presentation.

Did you hear the news that a 69-year-old Final Fantasy 14 streamer just received an in-game visit from the series' creator?

Pokochii Bigmum was tackling the final fight in Pandaemonium Anabaseios, the latest and last raid in the current expansion, Endwalker. The 69-year-old was attempting the Savage difficulty of the raid, an extremely tough challenge that requires extreme precision and team coordination to complete.

A few hours into the stream, Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi stopped by to offer words of encouragement, much to the elation of Pokochii and those watching their stream. And in case you're wondering that it may be a case of mistaken identity (or catfishing), Sakaguchi took to Twitter to confirm it was indeed him who popped by. 

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Classic Korean real-time strategy game, Kingdom Under Fire, has allegedly been "hijacked by a crypto-scam company".

As spotted by Twitterer Tegiminis, Steam player Arsene Lupin – who's on a crusader to "write a review for every game in [their] Steam library" – posted a review on the game's Steam page, reporting that the "future is here, and it sucks" and claiming that whilst Kingdom Under Fire "was" a "RTS/RPG hybrid that launched in 2001", its current iteration runs "Locus Game Chain" in the background when you're trying to play, "demanding 80-100% of your CPU".

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the developer, Bloom Technology, was quick to respond and posted a wall of text explaining there had been "a misunderstanding" and that the developer has replaced the 22-year-old's RTS' P2P networking system - previously known as wargate.net - with its own, Locus Chain.

kingdom under fire, a korean rts on steam that originally released in 2001, has apparently been hijacked by a crypto scam company that says the blockchain acts as the master server lol pic.twitter.com/G1YNkeGyt1July 28, 2023

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"This technology will be a stepping stone and an excellent example of how online game developers, who sometimes go out of business because of high server maintenance costs, can save up tons of money and focus on building the games," the developer said. "Old online games can be revived at no significant costs, while modern online games can significantly reduce their service maintenance costs as well.

"As far as we know, Kingdom Under Fire is the first successful attempt to apply and operate a blockchain node as part of the game, so I understand that this is as misleading as it is unprecedented. Kingdom Under Fire was launched free through Early Access because of the need to test the environment in real-time. You can see the progress we have achieved so far and the track record in the Updates section on Steam to gauge how we actually make use of this new tech."

Interestingly, the game currently sits on an aggregate Steam user score of "Very Positive" – albeit from just 150-odd reviews – although another unhappy player surmises their issue with the game a little more concisely than Arsene Lupin, simply saying this in their review: "Blockchain go home".

Bloom Technology says: "Kingdom Under Fire: War of Heroes utilizes Locus Game Chain to provide online multiplayer capability without the need of an online game server. The game does not support cryptocurrencies or NFTs, and has complied with all Steam's guidelines and regulations." 

There is seemingly no mention of blockchain in the game's About section or its system requirements. 

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Hackers have reportedly infected one of the most popular Call of Duty online games with potentially dangerous self-replicating malware.

A report by TechCrunch found Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 had been targeted by a worm that was able to spread automatically in online lobbies.

The game, which was released in 2009 but still counts a passionate fanbase, has been taken offline while publisher Activision carries out a full investigation.

Call of Duty malware

“Multiplayer for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009) on Steam was brought offline while we investigate reports of an issue,” a tweet from the official Call of Duty Updates accounts noted.

The issue was first flagged in June 2023 by a user writing on the game's Steam forum. In a thread, the poster noted that hackers, “attack using hacked lobbies,” with initial analysis finding the malware present in the VirusTotal online threat repository.

Further analysis posted in the Steam thread identified the malware as a worm, able to exploit security vulnerabilities in application code, meaning it can get around typical safeguards surrounding code injection. Once it has infected a game lobby, the malware is then able to run localized code, infecting the machines of any user accessing the session.

The issue only appears to affect PC versions of the game, but recent announcements boosting backwards compatibility may have made it a more popular target for hackers and scammers alike.

Players or anyone else who has accessed the game since June 2023 are recommended to run an antivirus or other security protection scan immediately.

Activision was famously the victim of a major cyberattack in December 2022 that saw nearly 20,000 records of employee details, including full names, email addresses, phone numbers and office addresses stolen and published online.

The data, which the hackers claim was stolen from Activision's instance of the content delivery network (CDN) Azure, was offered online for free to all users of a popular hacking forum.

• Keep your business protected with the best firewall tools around

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Intel’s upcoming processor ranges are all on track for launch – or even ahead of their planned schedule – the chip giant has assured us.

That’s according to what we were told in Intel’s earnings call for its Q2 2023 results, as Wccftech spotted.

Intel’s CEO Pat Gelsinger let us know: “I am pleased to report that all our programs are on or ahead of schedule. We remain on track for 5 nodes in 5 years and to regain transistor performance and power performance leadership by 2025.”

Intel’s next-gen chips, Meteor Lake (and we’ll also have Raptor Lake Refresh on the desktop) are on track for a second half of 2023 launch.

Gelsinger also said that Arrow Lake, the processors that’ll follow after those next-gen products, are entering the first stages of production (“running its first stepping in the fab,” so the initial samples are being made as we type).

Arrow Lake is on track for a 2024 launch, then, but exactly when the range of CPUs will turn up next year is pretty crucial (we’ll discuss why in a moment).

The other part of Intel’s processor plans for this year and next, Lunar Lake, is also mentioned as being on track for 2024. These will be power-efficient chips targeted at laptops, and from what we can gather on the grapevine, will be equivalent to something like Ice Lake (as discussed in a recent video from YouTube leaker Moore’s Law is Dead).

---

Analysis: Arrow Lake timing is key for Intel

It’s good for Intel that Arrow Lake is on track, because Team Blue really can’t afford slippage with this one – certainly not in the desktop arena. Previous chatter on the grapevine floated the idea that Intel may have been running into delays with these 15th-gen chips, but apparently this isn’t the case.

Why is Arrow Lake so important on desktop? Mainly because Raptor Lake Refresh this year (in October, most likely) is a pretty modest uplift – it’s a simple refresh, after all, notching clock speeds up a bit mainly (the 14700K may also get some extra efficiency cores).

And AMD’s Ryzen 8000 (Zen 5) processors are rumored to be possibly ready in Q3 of 2024, maybe even as soon as around the middle of the year. So, if Arrow Lake doesn’t come out until very late next year, that’ll leave Raptor Lake Refresh looking pretty shaky against Zen 5 desktop CPUs that speculation contends will be a pretty big leap forward.

True, Arrow Lake is also looking like a major leap for Intel – an even bigger jump than Ryzen 7000 to 8000, if the rumor mill is right – so both these ranges could do very well in our best processors ranking. However, if Ryzen 8000 comes out much earlier than Intel’s 15th-gen, then Team Blue could be looking at the erosion of some of the hard-won gains it’s made on desktop turf since Alder Lake (and hybrid technology) debuted.

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With shutter speed and ISO dials, a faux leather finish and a metal-effect top plate, the Nikon Z fc wowed us in 2021 with its retro charm. The Z fc, one of the best beginner mirrorless cameras, represented a compelling Fujifilm X-T30 II alternative, and remains competitively priced.

But I, like many Nikon fans, was left asking: will there be a more high-end, full-frame version of the 'casual' Z fc, one that truly pays homage to the Nikon FM2 – the 30-year-old 35mm film camera that the Z fc directly took its design cues from, a camera with legendary ruggedness.

If Nikon Rumors is accurate, we’ll see such a camera in 2023, and I couldn’t be more excited for what is likely to be one of this year's best mirrorless cameras. It will do what’s so important now – make for a delightful shooting experience, especially for enthusiast photographers. 

We spoke exclusively with Nikon back in 2021 about how it designed the Nikon Z fc, and why it thinks the future is retro, and the Zf could well realize Nikon's vision for cameras that the Z fc designer Shu Suzuki (of Nikon's Design Center) described as "designed with a focus on joy of ownership". Let’s take a look at what we can expect from the upcoming Nikon Zf. 

Nikon Zf: Cut to the chase

The top plate of the Nikon Z fc camera (Image credit: Future)

• What is it? A full-frame Nikon Z camera with the same retro design concept as the crop-sensor Nikon Z fc. 
• When is it out? Likely the final quarter of 2023 
• How much will it cost? Unknown, but we predict similar to the Nikon Z7 II, which had a list price of $3,000 / £3,000 / AU$5,500 at launch in 2020. 

Nikon Zf: What's in a name?

The 'f' in the Zfc stands for 'fusion', as in of the old and new, while the 'c' means casual. Nikon’s ‘f’ nomenclature was actually first seen a full 10 years ago in 2013, in the Nikon Df DSLR camera, which was a full-frame, weather-sealed, photography-only, design delight. 

Based on those two cameras, we can expect the rumored full-frame mirrorless version of this classic design, with a rugged build quality, to be called the Nikon Zf.

Nikon Zf: which full-frame sensor?

The next obvious question is what sensor the Nikon Zf will have. Nikon has three current full-frame sensors: the 24MP one in the Nikon Z6 II, a higher-resolution 45.7MP in the Nikon Z7 II, and a 'stacked' 45.7MP sensor in the Nikon Z8 and Nikon Z9. 

The latter stacked sensor delivers some serious firepower, offering next-level continuous shooting and video performance, with negligible rolling shutter. It’s what enabled Nikon to do away with the mechanical shutter in the Z9 altogether.

Great as that stacked sensor would be in a rumored Zf, it's a super-expensive component, and feels a bit overkill for a retro snapper that's primarily drawing the attention of photographers. If I was to hazard a guess, the 45.7MP sensor from the Z7 II will make its way into the Zf, and I predict that Nikon might recycle a lot of Z7 II's tech into the new shell of the Zf.

Creating a Z7 II in a new shell will allow Nikon to set the price of the Zf that little bit lower than the $4,000 / £4,000 / AU$7,500 Nikon Z8. But just how much lower can we realistically hope for?

(Image credit: Future)

Nikon Zf: price and release date

According to the rumors, the Zf is the only remaining Nikon mirrorless camera in the 2023 pipeline. As for pricing, we think the Zf will be pitched at the level of the Nikon Z7 II, which was launched in 2020 with a list price of $3,000 / £3,000 / AU$5,500 body only – that’s a full 25% less than the Nikon Z8. I don’t think Nikon can reasonably go much higher than the Nikon Z7 II, but I don’t think it’ll be a lot less. 

If indeed we’re talking Z7 II-like pricing, then throwing in the retro Z 28mm f/2.8 SE full-frame lens that was launched alongside the Z fc would be the cherry on the cake. I’d also love to see more retro Nikon Z lenses that take design cues from the Zf, or of course Nikon’s legacy 35mm lenses. 

It’ll feel a somewhat hollow exercise if you have to pair the Nikon Zf with the all-black, industrial-looking Z lenses. Of course, we can use an adaptor to pair Nikon lenses from the past, but you won’t get the Z-mount lens benefit for image quality and autofocus performance; we’ll need more retro Z glass. 

Nikon Zf: design delight

Design will be where the Nikon Zf shines. I think lovers of traditional cameras for photography need a Fujifilm alternative – and not just the Leica offerings that are unattainable for most people – and the Nikon Zf could be that very camera.

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It will be an altogether different shooting experience to an awkward smartphone camera. The Zf will have those tactile exposure dials – shutter speed, ISO, exposure compensation – plus a top LCD. Yet it could fuse that retro goodness with a modern flip-out screen that gives you the best of both worlds: easy viewing from any angle, or folded away completely to allow you to pretend it’s a screen-less camera like in the good old days.

The Zf will be beefier than the Nikon Zfc – both physically larger, and tougher, with a proper weather-sealed build quality that's hopefully even more rugged than the Df. Except, being a mirrorless camera, the Zf won’t be as large as the Nikon Df, which is a DSLR with chunkier pentaprism optical viewfinder and greater flange depth (the distance between image sensor and lens mount) that requires the camera to be physically deeper.

Most of all, the Zf will look damn good, and will tap into your creativity in a way that a smartphone and even a modern run-of-the-mill mirrorless can’t. It should be a camera that's a joy to use, and I can’t wait until to get my hands on one.

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With the dust beginning to settle from the huge Samsung Unpacked 2023 event, we can turn our attention towards what Samsung might have planned next: and a smart ring seems to be in the company's near future.

As per a report from South Korean outlet The Elec (via SamMobile), mass production on a Samsung Galaxy Ring could begin as early as August, with a decision imminent on the schedule for getting the wearable manufactured and out to consumers.

A full launch is slated for some point during 2024 though, rather than 2023. The nature of the device means that it'll need to clear several regulatory hurdles before it can go on sale and start tracking various vital statistics.

An early 2024 launch would put the Galaxy Ring on a similar schedule to the Samsung Galaxy S24 – and it would therefore make sense to launch both gadgets at the same time, perhaps in January or February if Samsung follows its 2023 routine.

The story so far

Rumors around a Samsung Galaxy Ring have been swirling since at least last year, when a Samsung patent emerged pointing towards some kind of smart ring from the company: one that would measure everything from steps to heart rate.

After the patent came the trademark filing earlier this year, mentioning the Galaxy Ring by name and describing it as a smart device "for measuring health indicators and/or sleep in the form of ring" (forgive the translation from Korean).

Then the speculation went up another notch earlier this month, with news of Galaxy Ring prototypes that have apparently been tested. As we reported at the time, the prototypes were at an advanced stage and were being judged on their stability.

All of these signs point in the same direction and suggest that the Samsung Galaxy Ring is going to be here sooner rather than later. Right now the third-generation Oura is perhaps the most well-known smart ring, and it gives you an idea of what the Galaxy Ring might do.

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These days, the tech world spins like an out-of-control fairground carousel, which makes it tricky to keep up with the latest news. Fear not – whether you've been away on holiday or too busy trashing the final episode of Secret Invasions, we've rounded up all of the week's biggest tech stories here.

In our weekly ICYMI (or 'in case you missed it') roundup, we'll be boiling down all of most notable, exciting or controversial tech stories of the past seven days, so you can plug yourself in for a quick firmware update. 

And because we're tech teases, we'll be running through them all in reverse order of importance. So grab your coffee, cocktail or meal replacement shake, and settle somewhere comfortable as we take you through the biggest tech announcements from the past week...

7. ChatGPT comes to Android

(Image credit: OpenAI)

The world's most famous AI chatbot has finally landed on Android phones... well, in a few select countries including the US, for now. Still, OpenAI has promised that ChatGPT will roll out in other countries over the "next week", so keep your eye on the Play Store if you haven't seen it yet.

What exactly can you do with ChatGPT? It's particularly good at summarizing complex topics, helping you with coding problems, and brainstorming ideas. And now you can do all of that on the bus or train to work – while, of course, bearing in mind the chatbot's tendency to hallucinate and occasionally go to the dark side.

• Read more: ChatGPT lands on Android in the United States – here's how to use it

6. DJI's new dual-camera Air 3 touches down

(Image credit: DJI)

DJI continues to own the skies when it comes to drones – and its new mid-range Air 3, which landed this week, is another polished addition to its fine fleet. This drone's best feature is its dual camera setup, which gives you the equivalent of 24mm and 70mm focal lengths.

That makes the Air 3 ideal for grabbing shots or video of distant subjects, without having fly too close and risk it getting taken down by angry geese. With excellent wind resistance and a generous 46-minute flight time, it's a fine step up from the already excellent DJI Mini 3 Pro.

• Read our in-depth DJI Air 3 review

5. Twitter becomes X-rated

(Image credit: Shutterstock ID 2336591191)

Another week, another Twitter meltdown. Except this one was so big that the social network is no longer called Twitter, but X. Yes, it's the kind of name teens would brainstorm at school to make their project sound moody and mysterious, but Elon Musk isn't backing down – Twitter, and its blue bird, are no more.

What has prompted this act of tech vandalism? Elon Musk has explained that it's more than just a rebrand – in the "months to come", X will apparently get new features including "the ability to conduct your entire financial world". In that context, the Twitter name apparently no longer makes sense. 

Still, a delicious footnote to the whole affair came in the form of police stopping workers from hacking down the Twitter sign outside its HQ, after they were warned of a "a possible unpermitted street closure." The script writers really nailed that one.

4. The iPhone 15 Pro rumors blow hot and cold

(Image credit: Apple)

As we head alarmingly quickly towards the iPhone 15 series' expected announcement in September, the rumors are starting to swirl like an early tornado formation – and this week they delivered good and bad news. You want the bad news first, right? The iPhone 15 Pro series could well get a price hike.

On the plus side, the iPhone 15 Pro's rumored new Action button (which could take the place of the mute switch) sounds like an increasingly useful new addition. According to rumors, it'll have up to nine configurable functions, including as a shortcut to your Shortcuts. 

The iPhone 15 will apparently be getting a new camera, too, though not quite the one we were expecting. Don't worry, there's lots of time for some more positive rumors to emerge about Apple's next iPhone sequel.

• Read more: The iPhone 15 Pro’s Action Button might be capable of nine different things

3. Rumored Nikon Zf gets camera nerds excited

(Image credit: Future)

There's only one thing that photography nerds enjoy more than a new mirrorless camera – and that's one that looks like a classic film camera. This is why new rumors of a possible new Nikon Zf caused such a stir this week. 

Like the earlier Nikon Zfc, it's expected to be based on the legendary Nikon FM2 – a 35mm film camera – in a similar way to the full-frame Nikon Df DSLR. Unlike the Zfc, the Zf could also be a full-frame camera, which would surely make it the darling of keen amateur snappers everywhere. Hold onto your camera straps, this could get exciting.

• Read more: The rumored Nikon Zf will have the retro charm to blow Fujifilm out the water

2. Sony's exciting earbuds are (mostly) sonic stars 

(Image credit: Sony)

If you've been thinking about buying some noise-cancelling earbuds this year, you've probably seen rumors about the Sony WF-1000XM5s (otherwise known as the 'most hotly-anticipated earbuds of the year'). Well, this week they finally launched – and we were very impressed, if not quite as much as we'd hoped.

They're comfortable and sound great, but we found that connectivity drop-outs, average ANC (active noise cancelling) performance, and a slightly busy app were enough to dock it a star in our final ranking. But don't get us wrong – the WF-1000XM5s are still some of the  best noise-cancelling earbuds on the market.

• Read our in-depth Sony WF-1000XM5 review 

1. Samsung unpacks its new foldables and gadgets

(Image credit: Samsung)

Yes, AI chatbots are fun for a while, but there's nothing quite like a good, old fashioned gadget launch to remind you of the innocent days of 2013. And Samsung duly delivered one this week, bringing its giant suitcase to Seoul for its second Unpacked event of the year – where it revealed seven exciting new products.

Okay, three of those were its pricey Galaxy Tab S9 tablets, but we did also finally see the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5. Both of those prove that foldables have matured incredibly quickly towards the 'slightly boring iterative update' phase already, but no-one else (bar Google) is making better folding phones right now.

With the tech giant also revealing the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and 6 Classic, it was certainly a satisfyingly tech-packed way to end July 2023.

• Read more: Samsung Unpacked 2023: everything that was announced

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A new phishing campaign is targeting Twitter Blue subscribers amid the social media platform’s messy transition to X, and the consequences could be catastrophic.

Twitter owner Elon Musk and new CEO Linda Yaccarino hope that the platform will soon become X, but the transition has been anything but smooth, with rebranding at the HQ going, well, not to plan. Furthermore, the discrepancy between the website and mobile apps is giving some users a complete headache.

Hoping to capitalize on this confusion, one threat actor is offering Twitter Blue subscribers to transfer their membership to X, but all this does is give the cybercriminal access to a user’s entire Twitter account.

Twitter Blue/X phishing emails

To an unsuspecting target, the email looks to come from a legitimate source, with the display name showing ‘sales@x.com.’ The email passes SPF authentication checks despite actually coming from mailing list platform Sendinblue (now known as Brevo). 

Read more

> These are the best malware removal tools around

> Watch out - that unexpected Microsoft alert could well be a phishing attack

> Google Docs phishing scams are on the rise - here's what you need to know

A screenshot of the email posted by Twitter user @fluffypony claims that a victim’s “existing subscription is nearing its expiration and requires migration,” with a link directing users to a completely legitimate API authorization page. The fact that it’s legitimate means that, upon approval, the threat actor then has access to a user’s Twitter account.

Along with a few view-only capabilities, the API allows the threat actor to amend follwers, update profile and account settings, post and delete Tweets, engage with other Tweets, and more.

Fortunately, revoking API access is fairly easy on Twitter, by navigating to Settings > Security and account access > Apps and sessions > Connected apps.

Checking these settings is generally a good idea whether you have been targeted by this phishing attack or not, purely in the interest of good Internet hygiene. For those not quick enough to disable the dodgy service, it’s unclear what the result could be. In the worst-case scenario, they could be locked out of their account with any manner of activity going on, in which case they may want to consider using identity theft protection software.

• Check out our roundup of the best firewalls

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We’ve long expected the iPhone 15 to include two big upgrades over the iPhone 14, specifically a Dynamic Island and the same 48MP main camera as on the iPhone 14 Pro. However, while the former still looks set to happen, the latter might not.

That's according to reputable leaker Digital Chat Station, who, on Chinese site Weibo (via Phone Arena), has claimed that while the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will apparently retain the 48MP camera of their predecessors, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will get a different 48MP camera.

Different how? Digital Chat Station says it'll be a 48MP camera with a 1/1.5-inch sensor, which is smaller than the 1/1.28-inch sensor used by the 48MP camera on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

When it comes to sensors, bigger is better

That smaller sensor size means it won’t be able to capture as much light, and therefore probably won’t perform as well in low-light conditions. Beyond that, a larger sensor size can benefit depth of field and dynamic range, and can improve the overall image quality – though in the latter case the size of the sensor is just one of several factors at play.

So if Digital Chat Station is right, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus may have less-capable main cameras than the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

We’d take this with a pinch of salt, but this leak doesn’t necessarily conflict with earlier rumors, which tended to simply say that the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus would have a 48MP camera, and didn’t get into the specific sensor sizes.

If this claim is correct it’s certainly disappointing, but it’s not all bad news. A 48MP iPhone 15 camera will still likely be a slight upgrade on the 12MP snapper found on the iPhone 14, even if it doesn’t match the cameras of the Pro models. This would also make for a larger sensor than the 1/1.7-inch one used by the iPhone 14.

So this could still be one of the more useful improvements that the iPhone 15 offers over its predecessor – just not quite as useful as we’d hoped, leaving it less likely to rank among the very best camera phones.

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Several Pokémon cards believed to be featured in this year's upcoming McDonald's collaboration have been spotted online before their official August unveiling. 

Pokémon is one of the best trading card games, and it doesn't look like you'll have to wait long to get your hands on more exclusive cards. According to the photos online spotted by VGC, the set in question is once again Match Battle which includes four cards in a booster pack alongside a paper coin. There are a total of 15 cards to collect, which means at least a couple of meals to secure them all. 

One of the sets that have appeared online includes established characters such as Pikachu, Cetoddle, Sandaconda, and Cyclizar, so many generations from the long-running collectable card game appear. The last time these sets were seen was in 2022 in McDonald's promotions throughout regions such as the US and the UK, with some of the cards included becoming increasingly rare as time has gone on. 

According to leading Pokémon news site, PokeGuardian, the promotion is live in Germany and Austria, which is regions where the pictures are from, with Australia and the UK to follow. It's currently unknown when these sets will come to the US. 

According to this source, this the full list the cards you'll find in the promotion: 

• Sprigatito
• Quaxly
• Fuecoco
• Cetitan
• Cetoddle
• Pikachu
• Kilowattrel
• Pawmi
• Flittle
• Sandaconda
• Blissey
• Klawf
• Tandemaus
• Cyclizar

If the rules are anything like last year, then the booster packs will be strictly limited to one per customer. As there's only around 15 in total, that sounds like it's for the best. Entire sets have been spotted on eBay with significant mark-ups to the price tags, but it remains to be seen whether this year's set will share the same fate. 

According to GG Recon, the cards themselves appear to be a notable step down from the usual quality associated with the brand. However, as far as included recognisable extras included in fast food go, things could be worse. 

For more from one of Nintendo's biggest franchises, we're also rounding up all the best Pokémon games as well as the best Nintendo Switch games to play with one of the best controllers for Nintendo Switch. 

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A large number of workers do not feel trusted in the workplace, causing a significant knock-on effect that damages productivity, new research has found.

Findings from online collaboration giant Slack have shown that feeling trusted whilst at work has a major impact on employee productivity, but more than a quarter don't feel they are given that respect.

This is despite trust between managers and workers appearing to boost both experience and performance in the workplace, highlighting a greater need for understanding at companies around the world.

Trust and productivity

The findings come from Slack's survey of over 10,000 desk workers from across the globe, and found more than 1 in 4 employees stating they believed “my employer doesn’t trust me." The attitude was spread across different markets and industries, as well as all ages and job levels, showing it is not a new issue.

“Companies across geographies and industries have been for years experiencing an erosion of trust,” said Christina Janzer, Head of Research and Analytics at Slack. 

“The data shows this widespread problem unlocks opportunities for businesses to focus on trust to achieve both cultural and worker productivity benefits.” 

The study showed that those employees who say they feel trusted are significantly more likely to also say they put in more effort at work, as well as being much more likely to say they’re willing to go above and beyond than those that don’t feel trusted.

The issue also appears to affect inter-team relationships, as Slack found managers who don’t feel trusted by their employers are twice as likely to express doubts about the work ethic of their direct reports - and employees who don't feel trusted are also more than twice as likely to look for a new job.

Slack suggests greater transparency could be a key tool to fixing these issues, as nearly a third (32%) of respondents said they lack information about workplace changes. Having the right technology in place can also be vital, with workers who lack the latest technology or hardware to do their job effectively unsurprisingly feeling left out or underappreciated.

“This research reveals a new path for leaders: to build trust in the workplace, focus on showing your employees that you trust them," said Janzer. "Feeling trusted breeds hard work, which leads to more trust. This is a virtuous cycle all leaders can take advantage of to boost employee performance and wellbeing."

• Check out the best project management software around right now

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As much as we love the warmer, brighter days of summer, sunshine also has a tendency to show up how dusty the floors are – so if like us you’re thinking your existing vacuum isn’t dealing with dust as well as you’d like, you’re going to love Currys’ summer floorcare deals.

With up to £50 cashback when you trade in your existing cleaner, the option to buy now pay later and a huge selection of incredibly powerful, efficient and quiet cleaners to choose from, there’s never been a better time to give your dust-busting a boost.

Say goodbye to tangle trauma with this superb Shark

Shark’s Anti-Hair Wrap tech is a real boon for anybody who has long hair or shares their home with someone or something who does. You can say goodbye to removing tangled hair from your vacuum cleaner’s brush: the Anti-Hair Wrap system actively separates and removes long, short and pet hair to keep your bristle brush roll tangle-free. This particular vacuum is an excellent option for pet owners thanks to its large capacity, powerful but quiet motor and included pet tool, and right now it’s a whopping £100 off.

(Image credit: Shark)

Clean under anything with this flexible friend

The BOSCH Unlimited 7 cordless vacuum cleaner isn’t just a powerful cleaner. It’s an incredibly flexible one too. It looks more like a robot’s arm than a traditional vacuum, and that’s because it’s been designed specifically to clean the places that other vacuums struggle to reach: under furniture, in hard-to-reach corners and anywhere else a traditional cleaner can’t access.

The BOSCH’s twin battery system delivers 80 hours of cleaning power, which makes it ideal for even the biggest homes, and its batteries are swappable with a huge range of other BOSCH products to save you money and reduce your environmental footprint too.

At just 2.9kg the BOSCH makes light work of even the biggest cleaning tasks. It comes with a huge selection of accessories and there’s also a docking station for handy storage while charging. Click here to find out more about the BOSCH Unlimited 7 and its cutting-edge cleaning.

(Image credit: Bosch)

Send dust and dirt packing with a jet-powered Samsung sweeper

Samsung’s Jet vacuum cleaners are a brilliant combination of clever design and cutting-edge tech, and the Jet 90 Pro Max takes floor care to a whole new level. It filters out up to 99.99% of micro dust particles, dust and allergens so you and your family can breathe more easily, and its spinning sweeper attachment will leave your hard floors super shiny.

There are lots of good ideas here, including a telescopic pole to help you get a perfectly comfortable cleaning position, an easy-clean bin and airflow-boosting cyclonic filters to deliver serious power without also being seriously loud, and the included Z Station makes it easy to place and charge your Jet 90 Pro Max anywhere you want to keep it. With an hour’s cleaning power it’s ideal for homes of any size. Click here to find out more about the Jet 90 Pro Max.

The perfect place to find your new favourite

In addition to its excellent customer service, knowledgeable staff and competitive pricing, there are plenty more reasons to buy your next vacuum from Currys. You can take advantage of 12 months’ buy now pay later on all of the vacuums we’ve mentioned here, and there’s also a generous £50 cashback* when you trade in your old tech too: just use the code FLOORCARETRADEIN50. And for extra peace of mind, there’s an extra-long five year warranty on many of these cleaners too.

Whether you’re looking for a cordless cleaner with super stamina or a bagless vac that won’t get tangled, Currys has the perfect cleaner for you. Click here to find your new favourite.

* Get a guaranteed £50 off selected top-rated vacuums when you trade-in any old tech online or at a Currys store. 18+ GB. Currys stores only. Bring in any electrical kitchen appliance or floorcare tech product powered by a battery or mains supply via a plug, working or non-working, into a Currys store between 12.07.23 - 15.08.23 to receive £50 off your next purchase of selected Floorcare at Currys. Discount is eligible in store on the same day you bring in your old product for recycling, or online with code FLOORCARETRADEIN50. 1 discount per customer only.

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Tech workers are among the most likely to quit according to a new survey of around 1,800  professionals and senior managers from across the UK by software company Ivanti. 

According to the study, IT professionals are 1.4 times more likely to ‘quiet quit’ than workers in other professions. This is the act of easing off work to the point of sometimes doing the bare minimum while exploring other career opportunities.

This comes as large-scale tech layoffs continue, though to nowhere near the scale that they were at the beginning of 2023. The latest layoffs.fyi figures indicate that more than 222,000 tech workers have lost their jobs this year.

Layoffs could soon be met with walkouts

It’s unclear why exactly so many IT workers are likely to leave their jobs. For some, it could be the fear of living in a position where they could be affected by the next round of layoffs where they instead prefer to look for a role with more security.

Read more

> These are the best video conferencing software tools

> Many bosses still want humans involved in tech, not just AI

> Lots of laid-off tech workers are starting their own businesses

Others are struggling to meet growing demands in a shrinking workforce. The Ivanti study found that almost three-quarters (73%) of IT and computer security workers had noted increased workloads, with a large number of them experiencing burnout.

Another indicator is the four in five (84%) who said that they would like to continue working remotely at least part of the time. Many companies in recent months have spoken out about working from home, doubling back on what they had initially promised during the pandemic.

So far this year, Google Cloud workers have complained about their desk-sharing policy that mandates office working two days per week, alternating with a colleague, and Amazon workers have protested against the company’s renewed return-to-office mandate.

• Here are the best online collaboration tools and best productivity apps

Via The Register

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It's official: Secret Invasion's finale is the worst-rated Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) TV episode of all-time.

Per review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Secret Invasion episode 6's horrendous 13% rating means it's far and away the lowest rated MCU episode ever.

Admittedly, that's only based on eight reviews from critics. And, even though the Marvel Phase 5 project is far from our favorite Marvel TV show – read our Secret Invasion review for more on why that's the case – it's not been a total disaster. Per Rotten Tomatoes, Secret Invasion was deemed good enough by general audiences to earn a 62% overall rating. Sure, that makes it the worst-rated MCU TV series of all-time, but that's nothing compared to the non-MCU show Inhumans (well, mostly non-MCU – it was referenced in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness) which originally aired on US network ABC and earned a terrible overall audience score of 43%.

Even so, Secret Invasion's finale episode now holds the record for the worst-rated episode in MCU history. In fact, none of the Disney Plus series' six entries secured a rating higher than 52% – review scores that cement it as the least enjoyable MCU TV show ever.

To make matters worse, before Secret Invasion began airing on June 21, the least well-received MCU episode was She-Hulk: Attorney at Law's sixth entry. However, even that episode earned a favorable 70% critical score. Given She-Hulk proved to be a divisive TV series among many MCU fans, the fact that every one of Secret Invasion's installments failed to earn a positive rating should make it (and Marvel Studios as a whole) hang its head in shame.

Full spoilers follow for Secret Invasion on Disney Plus.

A massive, inescapable blot on the MCU's copybook

Oh, Nick, you were hard done by with Secret Invasion... (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney Plus)

Now, I know what you're thinking: Rotten Tomatoes' userbase – from critics and viewers' standpoints – doesn't full reflect the views of the entire MCU fanbase. There are millions of audience members worldwide who don't use that site, or perhaps even know it exists. Then there are Marvel fanatics whose opinions may be in stark contrast to those you read online. Hey, it's no secret that the internet is a sticky web of negativity at the best of times, especially if you dip your toes into the world of social media.

That all said, Secret Invasion's finale and the series as an overall package deserve the criticism that's come their way. From using artificial intelligence to create the show's opening title sequence – a highly controversial decision, given what Hollywood's actors and writers are currently striking about – to its jarring and baffling plot, Secret Invasion isn't a good TV show, Marvel-developed or otherwise.

And that's a crying shame. Samuel L Jackson deserved a better project than this to explore Nick Fury's complex, multifaceted persona. Other talented cast members who more than held their own despite the series' shoddy writing, such as Ben Mendelsohn and Olivia Colman, also warranted better scripts and character arcs than what they received. Considering Secret Invasion was positioned as a riveting, political paranoia-fuelled thriller in the mould of the stunning Captain America: The Winter Soldier, too, it didn't live up to the hype. It also made me look foolish for calling Secret Invasion "the reassuring win that Marvel needs right now" when its official trailer debuted in April.

So far in 2023, Marvel is one for three when it comes to releasing acclaimed productions. Secret Invasion and Ant-Man 3 have been trounced by critics and fans, leaving Guardians 3 as the only good MCU property to arrive this year. With Loki season 2, The Marvels, and Echo set to arrive before 2023 ends, Marvel still has a chance to turn its fortunes around and show fans that it's steering its flagship franchise back on track.

And, frankly, Marvel needs another big win. MCU Phase 4 proved divisive among its fanbase, and so far Phase 5 hasn't done much to alleviate concerns that the world's most profitable franchise is losing its way. Thanks to Secret Invasion's abject performance among critics (and some fans), though, the only way is up for Marvel. I just hope the studio's forthcoming line-up of films and TV show have enough about them to put Secret Invasion's devastatingly poor reception behind it.

For more MCU coverage, find out how to watch the Marvel movies in order. Additionally, see which Marvel TV series made it onto our best Disney Plus shows list, read our ranking of every Marvel movie so far, or get the lowdown on what Secret Invasion's ending means for the MCU's future.

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