Month: October 2024

Numerous claimed leaks have revealed possible specs and features of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra could be the best Android phone of 2025, and you probably won’t have to wait until late in the year for it, with this handset likely to land in January or February.

As the launch is now fast approaching, we’ve unsurprisingly heard plenty about the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra through apparent leaks and rumors, so we have a good idea of what to expect. This includes a bigger screen, a powerful new chipset, an upgraded ultra-wide camera, and possibly even a new name.

Below, you’ll find all the credible claims we’ve heard about this phone so far, and we’ll be regularly updating this article, so check back soon to stay in the loop.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra latest rumors and leaks

Cut to the chase

What is it? The next top-end Samsung phone

When is it out? Possibly January 22

How much will it cost? Likely upwards of $1,299.99 / £1,249 / AU$2,199

A very high price

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Could launch on January 22
Could cost more than the S24 Ultra

Surprisingly, we haven’t heard many release date rumors yet, but one source claims the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will be announced on January 23. A day later, another source said the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra would instead land on January 22. Given time differences in where those sources are based these two leaks don’t conflict, but the more likely date for those in the US and the UK is January 22.

That timing would make sense, as Samsung usually launches new Galaxy S models in either January or February, so we’re expecting the same next year, meaning there’s probably not long to wait.

News about the potential Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra price is less promising though, as numerous sources have said the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset that we’re expecting it to use will cost more than its predecessor.

One source claimed the Snapdragon 8 Elite would cost around $40 more, with another saying the Snapdragon 8 Elite will be roughly 20% more expensive, and even Qualcomm itself (which makes the chipset) has said the Snapdragon 8 Elite will be pricey.

In which case, there’s every chance Samsung will pass that cost increase on to buyers, which means we might be looking at a starting price higher than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s $1,299.99 / £1,249 / AU$2,199.

Can you trust these rumors?

A January 22 launch is certainly possible, especially as we’ve essentially heard that date from two different sources.

We predict the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will probably cost more than the S24 Ultra, given that its chipset is almost certainly more expensive, but we doubt it will be a drastic price increase.

A possible name change

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Could instead be called the Samsung Galaxy S25 Note

In one surprising claim, we’ve heard that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra might instead launch as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Note.

There’s some logic to this, since the Ultra line in its current form is quite similar to Samsung’s discontinued Galaxy Note line anyway, but it’s something that so far only one source has mentioned.

Can you trust these rumors? 

We’re very skeptical of this claim, as while there could be some logic to a name change, it’s only something we’ve heard from one source.

A bigger screen

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Image credit: Future)

Could have a larger 6.9-inch display
Likely to have more rounded corners than the S24 Ultra

Rumors suggest the main design change coming the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra could simply be more rounded corners.

You can see this change in leaked Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra renders below. We’ve seen Galaxy S25 Ultra renders from multiple sources, and they all show more rounded corners, and an otherwise similar design to last year.

You can also see this design in claimed leaked images of a Galaxy S25 Ultra case, and a leaked photo seemingly showing dummy units of all three Samsung Galaxy S25 models. We’ve also now seen leaked images of cases for every Galaxy S25 model.

We’ve even now seen a leaked hands-on video seemingly showing the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, complete with the same design.

And the source of that video also shared photos seemingly showing the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, complete with small, uniform bezels, and a view of the bottom edge with its S Pen slot.

(Image credit: Android Authority / youtube.com/@MBernardK)

Beyond that, we’ve heard from tipster @Jukanlosreve that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will have a 6.86-inch screen, but that disappointingly it will use the same M13 panel technology as the Galaxy S24 Ultra, meaning it might not be as efficient or have as long a lifespan as the M14 used by the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Serial phones tipster @UniverseIce has likewise said that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will have a 6.86-inch screen. This would likely be marketed as 6.9 inches, and would be marginally larger than the 6.8-inch Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

They added that the display will be 73mm wide, making it a little bit wider than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s, but that thanks to smaller bezels and a slimmer frame the overall handset width of the Galaxy S25 Ultra would be slightly slimmer at 77.6mm.

The same source has said the full dimensions of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will be 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2mm. Another source has pointed to similar Galaxy S25 Ultra dimensions of 162.82 x 77.65 x 8.25mm.

For reference, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is 162.3 x 79 x 8.6mm, so that would make the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra a tiny bit taller, but narrower and thinner. We’ve also heard that the Galaxy S25 Ultra might be lighter at 219g, rather than the 232g of its predecessor.

And we have an idea of the possible Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra colors, with one Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra colors leak pointing to Black, Blue, Green, and Titanium shades. That said, another Galaxy S25 Ultra colors leak instead hinted it will come in Titanium Black, Titanium Blue, Titanium Gray, and Titanium Silver shades, so there’s some disagreement.

Another S25 Ultra colors leak, from the same source as the one directly above, has added that there might also be Titanium Jade Green, Titanium Pink Gold, and Titanium Blue/Black shades as Samsung store exclusives.

And we’ve seen what some of the colors might look like, thanks to leaked images of Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra SIM card trays in black, blue, silver, and gold.

Can you trust these rumors?

We’ve now seen numerous leaked images and even a video of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, so we’re quite confident of the design. As for a screen size increase, that’s believable too as it would bring the phone in line with the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

A new ultra-wide camera

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Image credit: Future)

Could have a new 50MP ultra-wide camera
The other cameras are likely to be the same as on the S24 Ultra

We’ve not heard much about the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra’s cameras yet, but the most recent and credible leak on that front suggests the Galaxy S25 Ultra will have a new 50MP ultra-wide camera, up from 12MP on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

However, they add that the other sensors will have the same megapixel counts as their predecessors, meaning a 200MP main camera, a 50MP periscope camera (likely with 5x optical zoom), and a 10MP telephoto camera (likely with 3x optical zoom).

Way back in February we did hear a different selection of camera specs from leaker @BennettBuhner. They claimed that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will have a 50MP ultra-wide camera, a 50MP 10x zoom camera, a 50MP 3x-5x variable zoom telephoto camera, and a new main camera that will stay at 200MP but have a larger 1-inch sensor. However, not only is this an early leak but they don’t have a very good track record.

Can you trust these rumors? 

We’ve heard surprisingly little about the cameras, so it’s hard to say for sure what might feature, but a new 50MP ultra-wide sounds believable. The older camera claims mentioned here seem less likely.

A powerful Snapdragon chipset and more RAM

A Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra running Call of Duty Mobile (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Likely to use a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset
Could have 16GB of RAM
Might once again have a 5,000mAh battery

There has been some debate over which chipset certain Samsung Galaxy S25 models will use, but the consensus seems to increasingly be that every model will use the Snapdragon 8 Elite – and even when there was a debate, most sources suggested that the Ultra at least would use the Snapdragon 8 Elite.

Numerous sources have now spoken of the Snapdragon 8 Elite being used in the Galaxy S25 line, while talk of the other potential options – namely the Exynos 2500 and the MediaTek Dimensity 2400 – has mostly died down, with the former apparently encountering major manufacturing difficulties, and the latter perhaps just being used in the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE.

That said, we can’t completely rule them out yet, especially as one recent benchmark still lists the Exynos 2500, albeit in the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus, not the Ultra.

All of these are top-end chipsets in any case, but the Snapdragon 8 Elite sounds particularly impressive, and should provide a major improvement to both the phone’s AI capabilities and its gaming skills.

Indeed, an early benchmark for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra using this chipset suggests it could be even more powerful than the A18 Pro powering the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and we’ve since seen a second Galaxy S25 Ultra benchmark which has even higher scores.

Along with a powerful new chipset, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra might also have 16GB of RAM, which is up from 12GB in the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and that should also help with AI. So the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra specs could seriously impress.

On the software front, it’s likely that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will get seamless updates.

As for the battery, one leak points to a 5,000mAh one in the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which would mean no change from the current model’s capacity. We’ve since heard similar from another source, which said the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s battery would be rated at 4,855mAh and marketed as 5,000mAh.

It might charge at the same speeds as the S24 Ultra too, with an FCC (Federal Communications Commission) certification pointing to 45W wired charging.

Can you trust these rumors? 

We’d be very surprised if the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra didn’t use the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. Claims of more RAM and the same battery size this year are believable too, though as we’ve only heard these things from one source we’d take them with a pinch of salt.

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While the battle against VPNs in Russia intensified, the Kremlin has already spent about $145 million on government VPNs this year. Here’s all you need to know.

Almost 200 VPN services – 197 to be precise – are now blocked in Russia. An official of the country’s infamous censor body, Roskomnadzor, proudly announced the total on Thursday, October 24, 2024, as reported by Russian news agency Interfax.

Ironically, though, authorities want to keep using this popular security software. As Russia’s independent news outlet Novaya Gazeta reported, the Kremlin has spent over 14 billion rubles (about $145 million) this year to purchase VPN connections for government use.

A VPN, short for virtual private network, is a security tool that encrypts users’ internet connections and masks their real IP address location. The second of these features is particularly useful to Russians who wish to use VPNs to bypass stringent internet restrictions – exactly what the authorities are seeking to prevent.

In fact, Sergey Khutortsev, the Roskomnadzor official, said specifically that the authorities have only banned VPN services “used as a means of bypassing blocking”.

The fight against VPN in Russia

Roskomnadzor’s fight against these apps is nothing new but the scale of Russia’s VPN blocking efforts is definitely intensifying.

The first mass VPN blocking campaign took place in 2021, with the likes of ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and IPvanish all falling foul of Russia’s reach at that time. Things took another step on after the war in Ukraine began in 2022.

2024 has been a big year for the Kremlin’s crusade against VPNs in Russia. Since March, a new law has criminalized the spread of information about ways to circumvent internet restrictions – VPNs included.

About 60 VPN apps silently disappeared from the Apple App Store in Russia between early July and September, bringing the total to 98 unavailable applications in the Big Tech giant’s official store.

In September 2024, authorities also announced plans to invest over half a billion US dollars to beef up its censorship system against VPN usage.

The Kremlin disconnected several regions from the global internet to test its sovereign net on December 7. Most VPNs weren’t working during the shutdown, which lasted 24 hours.

If you’re living in, or planning to visit, Russia anytime soon, it would be a good idea to take a look at our best free VPN guide. Download a selection of free VPNs and then you’ll be able to hop from one to another if any blocks arise. Tools like Tor Browser and FreeBrowser (Android only) can also help you bypass restrictions and they are completely free to use as well.

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I tried Apple Intelligence’s Visual intelligence on the iPhone 16 Pro Max and here’s how you can too.

I have been waiting to try Visual Intelligence since Apple first unveiled the iPhone 16 in September. After all, there’s a new button (Camera Control) on my iPhone, and I haven’t been using it for photography.

Camera Control hasn’t clicked with me after a few months with the iPhone 16 Pro Max. I take a decent amount of photos with my iPhone, but any time I try to use the dedicated button, it feels cumbersome and confusing – so much so that I’ve resorted back to my trusty touchscreen and Lock Screen shortcut.

Enter iOS 18.2 which is now installed on my iPhone 16 Pro Max, and so far, I’m a big fan at the prospect of what Visual Intelligence can become.

What is Visual Intelligence? I hear you ask. Well, it’s an Apple Intelligence feature exclusive to the iPhone 16 lineup and takes full advantage of Camera Control. You launch it by long-pressing Camera Control and then snap a photo of whatever you’re looking at. From there, you can ask ChatGPT for information, search Google, or highlight any text in the photo. Think of Visual Intelligence as Apple’s version of Google Lens with its own hardware button to access on the fly.

My first impressions of Visual Intelligence

(Image credit: Apple)

You can launch Visual Intelligence from anywhere, even the Lock Screen, which makes it incredibly useful whenever you want to do a quick search. My first test was taking a picture of my Game Boy Camera on my desk. As mentioned above, visual Intelligence gives you a few options, so I first used Google Search to find the product. Then, I asked ChatGPT for information, and it was able to tell me all about the Game Boy Camera’s history. From there, you can ask follow-up questions, so I asked, “When did the Game Boy Camera launch in Europe?” ChatGPT obliged with the correct answer.

While it’s still technically in beta, despite the official iOS 18.2 launch, Visual Intelligence worked a treat with a recognizable product like the Game Boy Camera – I’m not sure how often I’d use it to search for an item, but considering it’s just a simple long press away, it might become my go-to way of searching the web for things.

Another great use for Visual Intelligence is when you’re out and about and want to see information about a shop, cafe, bar, or restaurant. I tested it with a local coffee shop, and while it didn’t work like Apple showed off in its demo, I think that’s more down to the early beta version I’m testing than the feature itself.

In that demo, Apple showed that Visual Intelligence could determine a dog breed. I tried this with my French Bulldog, and while I could search Google for similar dogs, it couldn’t give me a straight-up answer.

That kind of sums up Visual Intelligence in its current form. It has huge potential: I love the way it gives Camera Control a genuine purpose, and when it works, it’s fantastic. But it’s still cooking in the oven, and sometimes it fails to pick up on what I’m asking for (for example, the text summary option sometimes appears, and other times it doesn’t).

One thing is for sure, however: Visual Intelligence makes total sense to me now, and I finally understand why Apple added Camera Control to the new iPhones. It’s the kind of Apple Intelligence feature that I can see people turning to when they need a quick answer, as long as it works smoothly, and the ChatGPT and Google integration make it multi-faceted.

I love testing new iOS features, and iOS 18.2 might just be the most exciting update we’ve seen in years. After using the software for a month or so and with access to Genmoji and Image Playground, I can confidently say that iOS 18.2 feels like the iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence we’ve been waiting for.

Visual Intelligence has a lot to offer, and I’m incredibly excited to see where Apple takes this Apple Intelligence feature over the next year. Exclusive to the best iPhones, this could be the reason to buy an iPhone 16 – who would’ve thought it could be Camera Control?

How to use Visual Intelligence

1. Hold down on Camera Control

To launch Visual Intelligence, simply hold down on Camera Control on the right side of your iPhone 16

Take a photo

With Visual Intelligence now on your screen, point your camera and take a photo of whatever you want to ask about.

(Image credit: Future / Apple)

Ask or Search

Now choose whether to “Ask” ChatGPT or “Search” Google for information on the image.

Get answers

Now you’ll see Visual Intelligence work its magic and give you a detailed answer on whatever you took a photo of. In this example, ChatGPT explains that the image is a logo of soccer club FC Union Berlin.

From there, you can ask follow up questions by simply typing in the ChatGPT box.

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The iPhone 17 Pro Max is sure to be a beast, and leaks are already painting a picture of it.

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

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

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

Cut to the chase

What is it? The next top-end iPhone

When is it out? Probably September 2025

How much will it cost? Likely upwards of $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,149

Look out for it in September

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

Likely to launch in the first half of September

Will probably cost at least $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,149

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

While there’s no news yet on that front, Apple almost without exception launches its new phones in the first half of September, so we can be quite confident of that much.

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

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

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

We haven’t heard anything about the iPhone 17 Pro Max price either and that’s a bit harder to predict, since we don’t know whether Apple will raise the price from the iPhone 16 Pro Max or not. For reference, the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,149, so it’s likely that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will cost at least that much.

Can you trust these rumors?

So far there aren’t any price or release date leaks yet, so it’s all just educated guesses, but we’d be surprised if this phone wasn’t announced in September.

One button replacing three

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

Could combine the volume and Action buttons into one key
Might have an aluminum frame rather than titanium
Likely to once again have a 6.9-inch screen

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

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

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

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

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

(Image credit: @Jukanlosreve)

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

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

(Image credit: Majin Bu)

We’ve also heard that Apple could hide the Face ID components under the screen in the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which might allow for a smaller Dynamic Island, though a smaller Dynamic Island could instead be achieved through using a new ‘metalens’ technology for the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s proximity sensor.

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

The same source also says to once again expect a 6.9-inch screen, and we’ve elsewhere heard that the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s display might use a type of glass that’s less reflective and more resistant to scratches.

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

Can you trust these rumors?

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

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

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

A new telephoto camera

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

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

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

However, this snapper will probably still offer 5x optical zoom, and it might be the only rear camera that’s getting a significant upgrade – meaning 48MP main and ultra-wide cameras could make a return.

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

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

Can you trust these rumors? 

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

As for a mechanical aperture, we’re skeptical of this, as it sounds like a major yet niche upgrade, but it’s always possible.

A powerful chipset and loads of RAM

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

A powerful A19 Pro chipset
12GB of RAM

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

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

We haven’t heard anything about the battery yet, but reportedly the iPhone 17 Pro Max could have a thinner and lighter motherboard than the current model, which in turn might leave space for a larger battery.

Can you trust these rumors? 

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

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Here’s everything we know about Peacemaker season 2, the DCU Chapter One series that’s set to arrive sometime in 2025.

Peacemaker season 2 sees the return of an antihero who famously claimed to “cherish peace with all my heart. I don’t care how many men, women and children I need to kill to get it”. The return of John Cena’s fan-favorite DC character has certainly raised eyebrows because, well, the second season of The Suicide Squad movie’s spin-off series isn’t set in the now-defunct DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Instead, it’s part of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s rebooted DC Cinematic Universe (DCU).

Confused? So are we. Nonetheless, we’ve done our best to explain how Peacemaker‘s sophomore season will fit into – not to mention impact – the DCU Chapter One line-up. You’ll also learn more about its August 2025 release window, confirmed cast, likely story details, and more in this guide, too. So, stick on the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’, grab your own Eagly (that’s Peacemaker’s bald eagle, for anyone not paying attention), and evoke your inner patriot as we break down everything worth knowing about Peacemaker season 2. Full spoilers follow for season 1, too!

Peacemaker season 2 release window

Peacemaker season 2 doesn’t have an official release date yet but, as Gunn confirmed on Instagram (see above), filming was underway in April and, as of October, half of season 2 has been shot. Since then, the CEO of content at HBO and Max Casey Bloys told journalists in early November that the series would return in August 2025, according to IGN.

That means the hit series – which debuted on Max (US), Sky/Now TV (UK), and Binge (Australia) – will be released one month after Gunn’s Superman movie, which flies into theaters next July. The film’s events will precede what happens in this show’s sophomore outing. Gunn confirmed as much (again, via Threads), writing: “Peacemaker season 2 will take place after the events in Superman“, and that events in Superman impact Peacemaker.

Peacemaker season 2 trailer: is there one?

Looking at your phone or computer screen for that season 2 trailer drop like… (Image credit: HBO Max)

No. With the show’s release date still (probably) over a year away, it’s too early for a Peacemaker season 2 trailer. We’ll update this section once a teaser is released.

Peacemaker season 2 cast: confirmed and rumored

Who’s returning for Peacemaker season 2? (Image credit: Katie Yu/Max)

Full spoilers follow for Peacemaker season 1.

With the notable exception of Chukwudi Iwuji’s Clemson Murn/Ik Nobe Llok, who dies in season 1 episode 7, most of the show’s key characters will be back in action for Peacemaker season 2:

John Cena as Christopher Smith/Peacemaker
Danielle Brooks as Leota Adebayo
Freddie Stroma as Adrian Chase/Vigilante
Jennifer Holland as Emilia Harcourt
Steve Agee as John Economos
Nhut Le as Judomaster
Robert Patrick as Auggie Smith/White Dragon
Viola Davis as Amanda Waller
Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr
Tim Meadows as Langston Fleury
Sol Rodriguez as Sasha Bordeaux
David Denman as TBC

The headline newcomer is Frank Grillo (best known for playing Brock ‘Crossbones’ Rumlow in the Captain America movies) as military man Rick Flag Sr. We’ll get our first glimpse of Flag Sr. in action in Creature Commandos, which will be the first DCU project to arrive when it launches this December. Given the murkiness of how events in The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker season 1 will fit into the wider DCU, we think Grillo’s casting as Flag Sr. will make it harder to follow Gunn’s cinematic universe.

But we digress. Other new additions include Star Trek: Picard’s Sol Rodriguez as established DC comic-book character Sasha Bordeaux, Mean Girls’ Tim Meadows as government agent Langston Fleury, and The Office’s David Denman in a yet-to-be-confirmed role. It’s also all but confirmed that Peacemaker’s white supremacist dad Auggie will be back from the dead – in a manner of speaking, but more on this later – after Robert Patrick told PopVerse that he recently filmed a “big scene” for season 2.

As for other potential newcomers, Gunn (via Instagram, see below) teased the appearance of a new mystery character in season 2. Get your guessing hat on now.

Elsewhere, there are rumors (per Cinemablend) that For All Mankind’s Joel Kinnaman could return as Rick Flag Jr. However, Task Force X’s leader was killed by Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad so, like Patrick’s Auggie, it’s unclear how he’ll return. The safest way to bring back the pair would be in flashback sequences but, hey, nobody’s ever truly dead in the world of comic books and, by proxy, their big- and small-screen adaptations.

Peacemaker season 2 story speculation

Peacemaker season 2 will pick up after its predecessor’s final episode (Image credit: Katie Yu/Max)

Full spoilers follow for Peacemaker season 1. Potential spoilers are also discussed for season 2.

Shocking no-one, a Peacemaker season 2 plot brief hasn’t been revealed yet. That hasn’t stopped Gunn from teasing what’s to come in the show’s next installment, nor us from theorizing where things could go next after the first season’s finale

“It essentially picks up where season 1 left off,” Gunn replied to a Threads user’s question about its plot, although he added that there’ll be “a couple of minor differences”. That’s to be expected, especially – as we keep saying – in light of the fact that seasons 1 and 2 exist in completely different comic book universes.

Anyway, by the end of the first season, Christopher Smith and his “11th Street Kids” associates had defeated the world-ending threat of the alien Butterflies, but not without cost. Group leader Clemson Murn (and Ik Nobe Llok, the Butterfly revolutionary inside him) was dead and ARGUS (Advanced Research Group Uniting Superhumans) agents Emilia Harcourt and John Economos, plus Peacemaker sidekick Vigilante, were all badly injured. All three were well on the road to recovery by the time the final credits rolled – indeed, Economos had even gone back to work at the Belle Reve Penitentiary, former residence of Peacemaker and the rest of the Suicide Squad.

Auggie is back in season 2, but not as we know it (Image credit: Katie Yu/Max)

Having previously taken an extremely violent – some might say murderous – approach to maintaining peace and order, Smith finally found himself on the road to redemption, too. Expect that path to continue in season 2 of one of the best Max shows, albeit one with plenty of roadblocks in the way.

One such hurdle is likely to be his late father, Auggie (aka White Dragon). Indeed, if season 1’s final shot is anything to go by – a vision of Smith Sr. appeared to Peacemaker outside their trailer – he’s set to exert some influence from beyond the grave. If this turns out to be the case, Robert Patrick is clearly excited by the prospect, with the Terminator 2 star telling old the Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum podcast: “To be honest with you, I think this could be the funniest f***ing stuff ever. In my own mind I’m trying to think of the scenarios James [Gunn] is going to come up with, and there’s a lot he could do. It’s unlimited, because I’m a f***ing ghost, dude!”

Rick Flag Sr. is also unlikely to see eye-to-eye with Peacemaker, seeing as the latter killed his son in The Suicide Squad to stop him from whistleblowing on Amanda Waller’s nefarious dealings. Speaking of Waller, the morally dubious government mastermind behind Task Force X, she’s unlikely to be too far from the action – though you can rest assured she’ll leave it to others to get their hands dirty. You know, unless things go south at some point.

It remains to be seen which side newcomer Sasha Bordeaux will be on, too – the cyborg operative has worked for ARGUS in the comics, but started her DC career as bodyguard to a certain Bruce Wayne. Could Peacemaker season 2 set up some key story details for The Brave and the Bold, aka the DCU’s first Batman flick? If anyone’s going to drop some telling references about the direction of the DCU, it’ll be Gunn. Speaking of where DCU Chapter One, also titled Gods and Monsters, will go after Peacemaker‘s next chapter…

How does Peacemaker season 2 fit into the wider DCU?

Peacemaker season 2 will dance its way onto a streaming platform near you next year (Image credit: Max)

Knowing how to watch DC movies in order, not to mention adding in its TV shows from various cinematic universes, is always a challenge – and things are about to get even trickier. 

Peacemaker made his live-action debut in The Suicide Squad, a quasi-sequel to Suicide Squad (2016), which was part of the deceased DCEU’s continuity. Peacemaker season 1 followed on directly from The Suicide Squad. Since season 1 aired in early 2022, however, there have been big changes at DC. Gunn and Safran were appointed joint CEOs of a new-look DC Studios later that year and got to work trying to rebuild the comic titan’s reputation (from a cinematic standpoint, anyhow) after years of box office bombs and projects people were less than enthused about. 

Where Peacemaker is concerned, the long and short of it is it’ll straddle the DCEU and DCU which, as we keep saying, may make things confusing to follow. What aspects from season 1 and the wider DCEU have Gunn and Safran retained for Peacemaker? Will you need to watch season 1 to understand season 2? And why didn’t they just reboot Peacemaker – albeit keeping Cena in the title role – to give themselves (and us!) a clean slate to work from as the DCU gets underway?

We won’t have answers to those queries until the show returns. But, responding to a Threads user asking if season 2 is going to be totally different than season 1, Gunn responded: “You’ll have to wait and see how that works out!”. Subsequently asked why he didn’t just make this follow-up season a new show, Gunn replied: “Because it’s my favorite thing to do, it’s the biggest original Max show ever, and I have a way in. It won’t be confusing”. We’ll see, James, we’ll see.

As for Peacemaker season 2’s potential impact on future DCU projects, another character making the jump between DC continuities is Amanda Waller. In fact, a Waller-focused show was part of the rebooted DCU slate Gunn first announced in January 2023, with the show set to arrive after Peacemaker season 2. Taking to Threads, Gunn reconfirmed Christal Henry (Watchmen) and Jeremy Carver (Doom Patrol) are Waller‘s showrunners, too.

Little else is known about the effect Peacemaker‘s next adventure will have on other DCU Chapter One movies and shows. As we said, based on Sasha Bordeaux’s inclusion, it may connect to The Brave and the Bold. Flag Sr.’s appearance might suggest that a second season of Creature Commandos could be born out of whatever happens once this show ends, too, especially if Flag Sr. ends up leading a new version of the team, or a new installment of the Suicide Squad/Task Force X. In short: we’ll have to wait and see how Peacemaker season 2 will influence Gods and Monsters’ slate of projects.

For more Max-based coverage, read our guides on House of the Dragon season 3, Euphoria season 3, and The Last of Us season 2.

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It looks like the M4 Macbook Air is finally coming and Apple is the one who leaked its release.

Apple’s M4 MacBook Air refresh has been leaked, and it was thanks to Apple itself. As reported on, the recent macOS Sequoia 15.2 update apparently comes with references to the “‌MacBook Air‌ (13-inch, M4, 2025)” and the “‌MacBook Air‌ (15-inch, M4, 2025).”

The update is seemingly being made available for Mac16,12 and Mac16,13 devices, which currently don’t exist but are currently considered to be the two upcoming MacBook Airs.

This leak is rather unsurprising since there have been plenty of rumors surrounding the refresh. And, going by Apple’s own product release schedule, the refresh was bound to happen either late this year or in 2025.

The last MacBook Airs to launch, the MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) and MacBook Air 15-inch (M3), shipped in March 2024. And since Apple has shipped multiple MacBook Air models in a single year (the last time was in 2020), a refresh this soon was never out of the question – especially with the Apple M4 chip already out in the wild since June of this year in the iPad Pro.

We’ll keep an ear to the ground for the latest news and rumors, and bring them all in one place to keep you up to date on the latest developments.

MacBook Air M4: Cut to the chase

(Image credit: Future)

What is it? Apple’s M4 MacBook Air refresh

How much does it cost? Unknown at this time, as it hasn’t been officially announced

When can I get it? According to the latest leak, it seems like sometime in 2025

MacBook Air M4: Latest news

Whoops! Apple seemingly just leaked its M4 MacBook Airs thanks to the macOS 15.2 update
Keen for the MacBook Air M4? Good news – it might turn up earlier than we thought in 2025
Some of Apple’s M4 Macs are already shipping ahead of rumored October launch
Apple’s big Mac M4 reveal could happen in October, ahead of rumored on-sale date of November

Apple’s M4 Macs spotted in testing
M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac are reportedly on track for 2024 launch

MacBook Air M4: Release date rumors

(Image credit: Future)

The latest leak, seemingly supplied by Apple itself, revealed that the most likely release window for the M4 MacBook Air refresh is in 2025.

This matches with the predictions from Ross Young, a display industry analyst and regular Apple news-breaker, who stated that panel shipments for the MacBook Air M4 would kick off in October 2024. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also said that the timing of screen shipments lines up with the launch timeframe he’s heard – and that Apple now plans to debut the MacBook Air M4 refreshes of its 13-inch and 15-inch models in Q1 of 2025, most likely in March at the latest.

Another rumor from Gurman also confirmed the 2024-2025 release window for an M4 MacBook Air refresh, making early 2025 seem likely.

MacBook Air M4: Specs

(Image credit: Apple)

There haven’t been any definitive leaks concerning the possible MacBook Air M4 specs, except for the fact that they would be outfitted with an M4 chip.

If we go by previous Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) models, those specs will most likely feature up to 24GB of unified memory, up to 2TB of storage, as well as the 10-core CPU, integrated 10-core GPU, and 38 TOPS neural engine for AI workloads that we saw in the iPad Pro 13-inch (2024).

Beyond that, there isn’t much else we can say, other than stay tuned.

MacBook Air M4: What to expect

With Apple’s week of Mac revelations almost upon us, there’s a great opportunity for the company to announce a refresh of the MacBook Air equipped with the M4 chip.

However, as noted, it seems a launch in early 2025 is much more likely on balance. Whatever the case, a refresh is certainly expected – it’s just a matter of exactly when the MacBook Air M4 arrives.

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