Whether you’re a fan of Warframe’s brand of sci-fi RPG ninja looting or you’re locked in on Elden Ring Nightreign’s hard-core dark fantasy raids, developer Digital Extremes’ next game might be right up your alley.

Soulframe is an upcoming dark fantasy MMO experience where players, controlling powerful characters known as Envoys, burn the evil out of the land of Midrath. Whereas Warframe is a sci-fi adventure, Soulframe explores human connections with nature through a world of living fables.

The game’s combat centers on third-person hack-and-slash action, as well as magic and ranged weaponry. The classic Digital Extremes attention to detail was put into the arsenal of weapons, which will grow and expand alongside the game.

During the weekend of July 19, as TennoCon 2025 roars to life, all prospective Soulframe players will be allowed into a brief test of the game as the alpha opens up. Here’s how to try it out.

Read more: Warframe Isleweaver’s Spider-Man-Like Frame Is a Masterpiece of Design

What is Soulframe Preludes?

Soulframe is the biggest game developed by Digital Extremes since the release of Warframe in 2013. Despite the similar naming conventions, Soulframe isn’t a prequel to Warframe. The two games take place in entirely separate worlds and spin out unrelated narratives. This is a brand-new game with different gameplay mechanics that’s perfect for players looking to jump into something different.

Soulframe Preludes is the closed alpha version of the game, meaning a lot could change between now and the actual release. The latest update, Soulframe Preludes 10, went live May 27.

The current iteration of the game lets players battle corrupted foes like the Will-o-wings and Mendicant King, wield fearsome weapons and sidearms and even ally with factions to befriend their very own (fearsome) wolf pup.

Soulframe Preludes is a way for development to continue while gathering community suggestions from previewing players, and getting a key to the closed alpha qualifies you to join a special Discord server (and will unlock for you the Alca’s Eye item in-game upon the full release, as appreciation for your feedback).

How to get into the Soulframe Preludes alpha during TennoCon 2025  

Soulframe Preludes is currently available only to PC gamers because this is a limited alpha launch intended for community-centric testing and development.

Anyone who creates a Soulframe account will be able to access Soulframe Preludes 10 for the duration of TennoCon 2025. Here’s a step-by-step guide to start your Soulframe journey:

• Go to Soulframe’s online home page.

• Click the «join us» button.

• Fill out an email address, password and envoy name (this will become your Soulframe in-game name, so choose wisely).

• Accept the privacy policy and participation agreement.

• Click «join us» and check your email for a verification link.

• Optionally, you can navigate to your account’s personal information and link a Twitch account to earn Soulframe Twitch drops for the game’s full release.

• Download the Soulframe Preludes build from the website’s home page.

Can I play Soulframe Preludes after TennoCon?

You’ll be able to play Soulframe Preludes after the TennoCon open alpha test is closed, but you’ll once more need to sit tight for an access key to do so. You need a Soulframe account spun up to be eligible for Soulframe Preludes access.

The good news is that following the same steps to enter Soulframe Preludes during TennoCon 2025 puts you in the pool to be sent a key to access the game after the alpha closes again. It’s likely there will be additional open play tests in the future, but Digital Extremes hasn’t indicated when those might be — so if you want to play soon, keep an eye on your email.

Once you’ve verified your email address, there’s nothing else you can do but wait for a Soulframe Preludes key. These are released in weekly waves and include keys for friends as well, so if you’re lucky enough to have co-op buddies, they might be able to usher you into the alpha more quickly.

The new iPhone is likely just a couple of months away from release, and rumors about an iPhone 17 Pro have been ramping up.

Although whispers about an ultrathin iPhone 17 Air have hogged a lot of the attention, the Pro models tend to include more upgraded features. In addition to a surprising new color, rumors tout an A19 Pro chip and a 48-megapixel telephoto lens. And rumors also have it that the Pro could get the much-coveted scratch-resistant antireflective display (more on all that later).

And though timelines and details have remained squishy, US President Donald Trump’s tariffs still loom large amid the anticipation of the rumored iPhone 17. Each day brings more uncertainty about how much tariffs could raise the price of an iPhone, including a 25% tariff that Trump targeted at Apple after it announced US iPhone manufacturing would move to India — not the US — to avoid Chinese tariffs. 

Apple hasn’t announced anything or confirmed any rumors, and we likely won’t find out for sure until the next iPhone officially comes out. Until then, we’re tracking all the biggest leaks and rumors about the iPhone 17 Pro and sharing what we’ve heard so far. 

Read more: 5 iPhone 17 Pro Max Rumors Are Making Me Rethink My Next Upgrade

iPhone 17 Pro’s rumored camera bump redesign and 48MP telephoto lens

The iPhone 17 Pro’s camera has been the subject of multiple rumored changes, most notably that Apple could add a horizontal camera bar that spreads across the width of the phone. The front-facing «selfie camera» could also be getting an upgrade.

In January, Bu posted a leaked image on X suggesting that the phone could feature a pill-shaped camera bar that looks a lot like the camera bar on Google’s Pixel 9 phone.

That raised the question of whether the iPhone 17 Pro would align the three camera lenses in a single row or leave them stacked in a pyramid design, as it did with the iPhone 16 Pro.

In February, Bu posted CAD renders of what could be the iPhone 17 lineup, and Front Page Tech also shared iPhone 17 Pro renders in this video on YouTube (Apple filed a lawsuit against YouTuber Jon Prosser, featured in this video, over leaks about the iOS26): 

Both showed horizontal camera bars for the iPhone 17 Pro models that keep the stacked lens layout. 

Pu wrote in March that the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will feature a 48-megapixel telephoto rear camera, up from 12 megapixels on the iPhone 16 Pro models. That would mean all three cameras on the iPhone 17 Pro models — wide-angle, ultrawide and telephoto — would be 48 megapixels.

And as for your selfies, analyst Jeff Pu reports that the front-facing camera will be upgraded from 12 megapixels on the iPhone 16 to 24 megapixels on all iPhone 17 models.

Front Page Tech reported in April that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max may also add a built-in video feature that allows you to record with the front and rear cameras simultaneously. The feature would let you overlay a shot of your face over an outward-facing video.

Read more: iPhone 17 Cameras Might Get Improved Video Skills. As a Creator, I’m Excited

Pro displays could get antireflective upgrade

On July 16, MacRumors cited a «reliable source» in reporting that the Pro and Pro Max could get a scratch-resistant antireflective display, reversing itself on previous reports that Apple had to scrap plans due to scaling issues. If the latest rumor proves true, the upgrade from Apple’s Ceramic Shield display could prove an enticing feature for the Pro and Pro Max. 

CNET Managing Editor Patrick Holland, who’s been reviewing phones for CNET since 2016, called the antireflective display one of the best attributes of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. 

Apple Insider reported in May that the iPhone 17 could get a larger display than the iPhone 16. DSCC founder and Counterpoint Research VP Ross Young posted on X that the base iPhone 17 will be 6.3 inches, an upgrade from the iPhone 16’s 6.1-inch display. In theory, that means the iPhone 17 would have the same screen size as the iPhone 17 Pro.

The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are rumored to continue with a 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display, respectively, similar to the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Rumored design changes for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max

The latest rumors about the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max design include colorful developments and a new frame composition.

Orange among the Pro color lineup

Rumors of a new color for the iPhone started in April, when Twitter user and leaker Majin Bu (not the Dragon Ball Z character) posted that the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max could get a sky blue option. 

But on July 14, Bu posted that Apple is ditching sky blue for the Pro Models, with only the rumored iPhone Air claiming the hue. Then on July 17, Bu posted on X a photo of Pro mockups in four colors: 

• black
• silver
• dark blue
• orange 

Digital blogger Weibo later said that one of the colors is «related to the liquid glass design of iOS 26,» saying it would be white but with different visual effects depending on which light it was in. 

For reference, the iPhone 16 and Plus made a splash last year when they debuted pink, teal and ultramarine color options, alongside the standard white and black. The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max introduced a new color, desert titanium — a restrained shade of peach — alongside the classic natural titanium, white titanium and black titanium options. 

The Pro models have traditionally featured more muted colors, so the prospect of an orange or glass-inspired color could offer an exciting new look for the Pro.

Apple logo moving lower

The Apple logo on the back of the phone may be moving lower on the Pro models, as shown in a Bu post on X of an iPhone 17 mockup:

The change in location is reportedly coming to make room for the larger camera bump design.  

Improved audio quality

On June 2, wccftech, said the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max would get longer earpieces, citing a post on X from @duanrui1205. In theory, that could signal improved audio clarity. At the Worldwide Developers Conference later in June, Apple said audio quality will improve with software updates in AirPods with H2 chipsets. CNET got to learn firsthand how Apple tests, calibrates and tunes the audio (and video) on an iPhone. Additional improvements in audio quality could potentially elevate an already impressive feature.

More RAM for iPhone 17 lineup

Apple Intelligence and AI are likely to play more prominent roles with the iPhone 17. To support the new features, all the iPhone 17 models will step up to 12GB of RAM, tipster Digital Chat Station reported in April. Kuo has also suggested this could happen, according to Digital Trends. 

Considering that the iPhone 16 lineup had 8GB of RAM across all models, this could be a big upgrade for the iPhone 17. 

Aluminum frames for all, except Air

There’s been plenty of discussion about whether the iPhone 17 Pro will ditch its titanium alloy frame for an aluminum one. In February, MacRumors said Pu predicted that the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will have all aluminum frames or potentially part glass, part aluminum for better durability. The iPhone 17 Air would stick with Apple’s current titanium frame — or possibly a mix of titanium and aluminum.

Dynamic Island size in question

Pu predicted in May that all iPhone 17 models will use a new metalens technology for the proximity sensor, which could result in a smaller Face ID sensor and Dynamic Island, according to a report by 9to5Mac. However, Pu’s report contradicts Kuo, who said that the iPhone 17’s Dynamic Island would remain «largely unchanged» compared to the iPhone 16.

Dimensions

According to a report by 9to5Mac in May, the iPhone 17 Pro line may be thicker, 8.725mm, compared with the iPhone 16 Pro, which clocks in at 8.25mm thick. That larger size could potentially make room for more battery.  

In a post on X on July 11, Majin Bu showed a video of a case for a thicker iPhone 17 Pro model, with the design likely based on the iPhone 17 Pro’s rumored dimensions: 

New A19 Pro chip could improve performance

There’s been some back and forth about the chip for the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup, but rumors have consistently given the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max the A19 Pro chip. 

More recently, MacRumors reported that a Weibo account known as Fixed Focus Digital said the iPhone 17 Air will also come with an A19 Pro chip, like the Pro models. But the Air would have a 5-core GPU, according to the rumor, whereas the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max would get a 6-core GPU. An upgraded GPU could improve graphics and video rendering.

Battery life could get a big boost 

What good is a new phone if it doesn’t last all day, right? The iPhone 17 Pro Max will get the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, the Weibo leaker known as Instant Digital said in a post on X, as reported by MacRumors. However, the site noted Instant Digital’s spotty record with Apple rumors. If the Pro’s dimensions are identical to the Pro Max’s, as they’re rumored to be, it stands to reason that the Pro could get the bigger battery, too.

And Majin Bu posted on July 3 that the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will feature a vapor chamber cooling system, which could help prevent the bigger battery from overheating.

iPhone 17 Pro release date expected in September

In the past several years, Apple has consistently announced its new phones on the first Tuesday of September after Labor Day. However, the first Tuesday is the day after Labor Day in 2025, so that could push the date for the iPhone event to Wednesday, Sept. 3 or Tuesday, Sept. 9. That would mean a release date of Sept. 12 or 19.

This likely will be the case with the full iPhone 17 lineup, with the exception of the iPhone 17E, which could arrive in early 2026, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and a report from The Information.

The iPhone 17 lineup may be the last to follow this fall-release model. Starting with the iPhone 18, Apple will reportedly split its phone releases so that lower-cost iPhones launch in the first half of the year and the higher-end Pro models become available later in the year. But that isn’t expected to happen until 2026 so you can likely still expect the iPhone 17 Pro to become available this fall.

Preorders for a new iPhone typically begin the Friday after the announcement, with the phone shipping a week later. Based on the expected announcement on Sept. 3 or 9, the preorder date could be either Sept. 5 or 12.

Tariffs could raise the price, but there are other factors

Trump has raised, lowered and paused tariffs a dizzying number of times since February, all of which could affect the cost of the iPhone 17 Pro. 

Apple, which says it could move much of US iPhone production from China to India, has escaped many of the tariff hikes thanks to a reciprocal tariff exemption list that includes many phones, laptops and other electronics that Apple produces. 

However, all the reprieves appear to be temporary so reciprocal tariffs could still affect prices by the time the iPhone 17 is released. 

Trump threatened Apple with a 25% tariff on all iPhones made outside the country in a social media post on May 23. Later that day, he said that all smartphones — not just iPhones — would be hit with the 25% tariff by the end of June if they don’t move operations to the US.

Regardless of how tariffs play out, Apple plans to raise iPhone prices later this year, The Wall Street Journal reported. Apple apparently plans to ascribe the price increase to better features and design costs so it can avoid pointing the finger at tariffs and incurring the wrath of Trump (like Amazon temporarily did). 

Holland points out that the iPhone is overdue for a price bump. He noted that Apple has never increased the price for an iPhone Pro ($999) since the iPhone X was first introduced in 2017. 

So yes, you should expect to pay more for the iPhone 17, regardless of tariffs.

Read more: Thinking About Buying a New iPhone? Here’s Why You Should Wait

Are new iPhone rumors and leaks to be trusted?

Here’s the part where I come in and say: Everything’s a rumor until Apple officially releases the next iPhone. Rumors and speculation leading up to the iPhone’s release are often based on insider knowledge or leaked information from teams working on the iPhone’s designs, but those designs are works in progress — not necessarily the final product.

If you’re concerned about how durable Samsung’s foldable phones are, I’m here to tell you not to worry. And that’s especially true when it comes to the new Galaxy Z Flip 7, which holds its own among today’s best smartphones.

After less than six hours with the Galaxy Z Flip 7, I accidentally performed my own informal drop test. At a catered affair in Brooklyn, I walked outside to get a view of the waterfront, and when I pulled the Z Flip 7 out of my pocket, I fumbled it. I watched helplessly as Samsung’s newest foldable phone fell to the ground. The noise it made when it clacked against the concrete caused everyone around to look at me with a knowing, sympathetic expression that said, «Aw, that’s a shame. Your phone is toast.»

Have you ever dropped your phone? There’s that Schrödinger’s cat-like moment before you pick it up when you’re anxious to see if the phone survived.

Fortunately, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 was fine. The 4.1-inch cover screen didn’t have any cracks or scuffs. The 6.9-inch inner display was unharmed because the phone was shut. The only tell that it kissed the ground was a tiny scuff on the bottom of the phone near the microphones. Samsung’s claim that its new «Armour Flex Hinge» is built to withstand impact is indeed true.

In the early days of foldable phones, one of the biggest unknowns was their durability. It’s amazing that about six years later, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 can handle being dropped on concrete like it had landed on a velvet pillow. Now, I still wouldn’t take the Flip 7 (or any foldable phone) to the beach, as it can only withstand particles that are 1mm or larger. So going to a confetti factory would be fine, but a salt factory is a definite no-no.

The Galaxy Z Flip 7’s thin design

The star of Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event was the Galaxy Z Fold 7. At 8.9mm thick when closed, the Fold 7 is ridiculously thin. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 looks like it also went on Ozempic, but it’s 13.7mm thick when closed. That’s slim, but not Fold 7 slim. Why couldn’t the Flip 7 be super slim like the Fold 7? I just keep imagining a Galaxy Z Flip 8 with the same thinness as the Fold 7.

For some perspective, here’s how the Flip 7 compares to its clamshell kinfolk:

The Galaxy Z Flip 7’s big cover screen

The original Galaxy Z Flip had a tiny, 1.1-inch pill-shaped cover display. It was perfect for showing the time but pretty much useless for anything else. The defining feature on the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is its 4.1-inch cover display. The screen looks incredible. I was checking my notifications on the screen under direct sunlight and was able to read everything. One of the hang-ups I had reviewing the Galaxy Z Flip 6 was switching from the inner screen to the cover display outdoors. There would be times on sunny days where I could barely make out what was on the cover display, despite having no issues with the main screen.

Samsung has increased the maximum brightness of the Flip 7’s cover screen to 2,600 nits, which is the same as the inner display. Both screens now top out at 120Hz, too, which should make for a much more consistent experience by having system animations, gameplay and scrolling through a social feed look super smooth.

The 6.9-inch inner screen is big, but it doesn’t feel unwieldy when I use it. The Flip 6 had a 6.7-inch display, but that extra 0.2 inches on the Flip 7’s screen makes it feel much bigger, which my middle-aged eyes are grateful for.

In terms of functionality, the cover screen’s natural state is widgets. And some, like Spotify’s widget, are all I need in lieu of using full apps. But I want apps on the home screen, so I need to enable this functionality in the Labs section of Settings and download the MultiStar app. It takes a couple of minutes to set up, but I do wish the interface supported apps by default.

The Galaxy Z Flip 7’s cameras

The Flip 7 has three cameras: a 50-megapixel wide-angle, a 12-megapixel ultrawide and a 10-megapixel selfie camera (in the main 6.9-inch screen). The cameras are the same as those on the Flip 6 and Flip 7 FE. But the phones run on different processors, so differences or improvements in photos and videos (if any) will come from Samsung’s processing and machine learning.

Here are some of my favorite photos from the Galaxy Z Flip 7 so far:

Galaxy Z Flip 7 final thoughts for now

Samsung gave its foldable line a major overhaul. And while the Galaxy Z Fold 7 feels like an entirely different phone from previous Folds, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 seems like a nice refinement. I will say that I’ve had only two days with the phone. And as enamored as I am with the larger cover screen, I’m excited to see how the battery life measures up.

Samsung gave the Flip 7 a 4,300-mAh battery (compared with the Galaxy Z Flip 6’s 4,000-mAh battery), but I wonder if the increased capacity will be offset by the power needed for its Exynos 2500 chip and those larger, brighter displays.

I have a lot more testing to do. But as I work my way toward a full review, I’ll try not to drop the Flip 7 anymore.

Correction, Jul. 12: The Galaxy Z Flip 7 runs on Samsung’s Exynos 2500 chip.