Mobile Trends 2018

Here is my collection of relevant trend for smart phones in 2018:

It seems that crazy growth times in smart phone markets are over at least for some time. The eight-year-long smartphone bubble in China has abruptly come to an end, in yet another warning sign that the global synchronized growth narrative is merely an illusion. China’s smartphone market suffered its first ever annual decline, with shipments down 4 percent from 2016 to 459 million phones in 2017. Canalys blames the weakness on a terrible y/y performance in the industry during the Q4 2017 period, with shipments crashing by over 14 percent to around 113 million phones. Anshul Gupta, a research director at Gartner, said in a statement that customers are choosing higher quality models and keeping them longer, lengthening the replacement cycle for smartphones. 1.9 billion mobile phones were sold in 2017.

Smartphone unit volumes are likely to return to low single-digit percentage growth in 2018 after unit sales declined in the fourth quarter for the first time ever, according to market research firm IDC. Gartner Says Worldwide Device Shipments Will Increase 2.1 Percent in 2018. Overall market is predicted to reach a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.8 percent over period from 2017 to 2022. Taiwan-based IC design houses expect orders from China’s smartphone industry to pick up in the second quarter of 2018, with customer orders likely to register double-digit sequential growth. The processor market is now growing thanks to cell phonescellular processors account for 28 percent of all processor sales.

Apple is the biggest money maker. Apple took over half of all mobile phone revenue in the end of 2017. During October-December, Apple took over 51 percent of the total net sales of its mobile phone through its iPhone. During the quarter, Apple made more sales on its phones than all other manufacturers in total (total net sales of mobile phone manufacturers were $ 120.2 billion and Apple got$ 61.4 billion). Samsung sold for $ 18.9 billion. Huawei sold three million units for $ 8.4 billion. Apple took also the lead from Samsung in smartphone shipments volume: Apple iPhone volumes reached 77.3 million units compared with 74.1 million for Samsung during the last quarter of 2017, according to the Feb. 1 IDC report.

Wireless charging has finally hit the mainstream. At the moment Qi seems to be the winning technology as it is mostly widely adopted and even Apple selected to use it. According to IHS, in 2017 year, 500 million devices with wireless charging were sold (40 percent higher than in the previous year). Mobile phones were the largest single product group. Next year, a billion devices with wireless charging will be introduced, estimates IHS.

New camera features are coming. More lenses to smart phones are coming. A few phones now have four camera lenses, with two on the back and two on the front, but an upcoming Nokia handset could go one better with five. HMD Global isn’t the only company working on the photography-focused smartphone. The Chinese company Huawei is planning to launch its P-20 flagship phone, featuring five cameras in total. Samsung’s upcoming Exynos 7 processor model 9610 is capable of recording slow motion video at 480 frames per second.

Smartphone users seem to be spending less time but more money each time they visit a website. Each time Americans visit retail websites on their phones, they’re spending less time but more money. According to Adobe Analytics the time smartphone users spend on websites per visit has decreased by 10% since 2015 but the amount of money spent per visit has increased by 27%.

People have their phones with them all the time and watch their phones very often. According to Huawei’s Smartphone Relationships survey, 49 percent of respondents think they view their phone several times in one hour. More than half (58%) of the respondents carry the phone with them over 13 hours a day. Most phones are still used to send messages (86%), even though photography (85%) and social media usage (81%) attracted almost the same. 27% of respondents actively use the phone for 3-4 hours a day. 61 percent of users read emails or browse social media first when they are awakened in the morning.

Android and iOS have taken practically almost all of the smart phone OS market. Android 7 is the most common operating system version, as it spins 18.4 percent of all devices on the market. Android 6 is close to the same figures, accounting for 17.6 percent. Of all smartphones, 17.5 percent already run iOS 11. Windows Phone devices accounted for 0.87 percent and is decreasing, so Windows phone is dead. Microsoft has practically ended Windows Phone platform.

Android P brings new features like indoor positioning, privacy features, multi-camera support and easier to support the cutout in the display. Android P developer preview is now available for testing.

There is no more Android Wear. Android Wear has been rebranded as Wear OS to reflect the fact that it works with both Android and iOS smartphone.

Android Go is stripped down version of Android for low-end devices. Android Go phones, which are mostly low-end devices for ~$100 with 1GB RAM or less, were announced at MWC.

Security chip technologies designed for computers are pushing to smart phones. Purism is working on a Librem5 smartphone that can be run on virtually any Linux operating system and all data on the phone will be protected with a Trusted Platofrm Module (TPM).

AI is coming to smart phones with applications like taking decisions, recognizing text, speech and images, or translating foreign languages. Mobile AI Race Unfolds at MWCThe performance of smartphone application processors is constantly increasing, especially in image processing and artificial intelligence. While Apple and Samsung, both armed with home-grown apps processors, have a lock on the premium smartphone market, MediaTek, seeking to rebound in smartphones, is rolling out at the Mobile World Congress its Helio P60 chipset. Samsung develops its own neural network processor (invested last year in China’s DeePhi Technologies). Samsung has not told whether the new Exonys circuit is integrated with a separate neural network processor like Huawei’s Kirin or Apple processors. LG’s opening in AI is the V30S model that is based on the V30 platform. The device is part of LG’s new artificial intelligence ThinQ brand. Telecom operators are looking to artificial intelligence as a potential money-spinner to combat stagnating mobile service revenues. Tirias Research believes that by 2025, 95 percent of all new devices or platforms will leverage artificial intelligence in the cloud or with some form of native machine learning.

5G is coming faster than anyone expected. 5G phones are getting more and more popular in a couple of years. Market research company Gartner predicts that 5G networks will become more common in smart phones in the early 2020s. 5G is coming to newest phones with advanced chip technology. Qualcomm said it will continue to work with longtime foundry supplier Samsung Electronics on Snapdragon 5G chipsets using Samsung’s 7nm Low Power Plus (LPP) process technology with extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. The X24 modem is the first volume-to-output circuit that is manufactured using a 7 nanometer process. Intel, TSMC and Globalfoundries are targeting EUV production sometime in 2019. Gartner says that by 2021, 9 Percent of Smartphones Sold Will Support 5G.

Cisco projects that by 2020, the average smartphone will generate 4.4GB of network traffic every month (up from less than 1GB per month in 2015). And by 2021, smartphone traffic will exceed PC traffic.

Wireless Technology is becoming The Existential Necessity of Life. Technologies like LTE, 5G, and Wi-Fi are continuing to improve. The wireless technologies we all use daily are cellular LTE and Wi-Fi. LTE is gradually morphing into 5G and Wi-Fi continues to get better. Long Term Evolution is our current 4G worldwide cellular standard. The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is still working on 5G, but concurrently companies are testing 5G New Radio (NR) equipment. Wi-Fi, LTE, and 5G all have one thing in common. Their increases in data rate and user capacity have come primarily from advanced antenna techniques.

Current and future smartphones that combine spectrum from several frequency bands can function without a typical antenna, thanks to a tiny “booster” device that can radiate RF signals from the smartphone itself. Microstrip patch antennas became well received in wireless communications systems due to their low cost of fabrication and effectiveness in those systems. A number of approaches have been developed to overcome the limits of traditional antenna designs.

Electromagnetic Radiation Is Decreasing in New Generations of Smartphones. While there’s no evidence that phone-produced RF radiation is carcinogenic, new phones are emitting less of it.

Traditional SIM will be replaced in the near future. It is expected that the traditional SIM card format becomes unnecessary, as in the coming years, all devices will be manufactured with eSIM capability. ESIM allows many things for both the consumer and the operator. For example the same subscriber contract, it is possible to tie up several devices. Also according to the operators, the current network roaming will disappear within the next 3-5 years.

NFC specifications are updates and usage is increasing. Apple’s iOS 11 announcement last spring opening the iPhone 7 and following models to use NFC technology beyond Apple Pay had significant impact across many markets. The 2017 Technical Specification Release from the NFC Forum is made up of 21 new or updated near field communication (NFC) technical specifications. The new specifications are a big step toward ensuring interoperability between NFC solutions in the market with various existing infrastructures, unifying new and existing specs to ensure interoperability and functionality across all solutions using NFC technology (ISO/IEC 14443 or ISO/IEC 18092 specifications).

Smart Glasses are still not ready to wear. Talks give skeptical takes on AR, 5G. Ans we have this this confusion of Smart Glasses vs. Augmented Reality Goggles vs. Virtual Reality Headsets.

Finger sensor integrated to display tries to push to market. Japan Display Inc. (JDI) unveiled a transparent glass-based capacitive fingerprint sensor. Although its TFT-based fingerprint sensors have certain advantages over silicon-based solutions, JDI might be arriving too late with too little. But it could be too little too late as manufacturers are eyeing to other solutions.

Now that Samsung’s Galaxy S9 is already on the market and Huawei’s P20 announcement is looming large, imaging experts have declared 3D sensing the new battleground for the mobile industry. It is left to be seen whether either Samsung or Huawei will be able to catch up with Apple’s iPhone X. The bar set by Apple’s TrueDepth camera is very high.  According to Digitimes, the TrueDepth module module costs $ 30-50, which makes the component too expensive for a few hundred dollars in Chinese-speaking phones. TrueDepth-like solutions have very few component suppliers, so prices are not yet coming down. The TrueDepth module is based on five subsystems or modules: infrared camera, proximity sensor, infrared light, RGB camera and point the projector.

Large-scale use of biometric authentication is primarily tied to smartphones. The wide-range of sensors built into these handheld and ubiquitous devices make them an ideal tool for face and iris recognition (camera), voice (microphone), and touch (fingerprint)Banks are increasingly using voice and face recognition via smartphones for mobile banking purposes. Biometric authentication has several distinct advantages over passwords, including advantages and disadvantages that they are difficult to change. But Are Biometrics as a Form of Authentication Over-hyped and Unreliable?  “Whether a particular biometric method is useful or not depends on the sensor quality and ease of duplicating a particular biometric,”

Smart phone display size seems to be growing. Now, it looks like the size of the iPhone screen will grow clearly this year. As manufacturers shrink bezels and the front-facing sensors leave a notch on your display, Android P will make it easier to support the cutout in the display.

New display technologies are pushing to replace LCD. The AMOLED display is rapidly expanding on smartphones and in particular a flexible version. Last year, flexible displays in the AMOLED market grew to nearly 55 per cent. The X-model is Apple’s first AMOLED display phone. Samsung, LG Display, BOE and Kunshan Optoelectronics began supplying their own flexible screens for smartphones. In near future is it not just LCD and OLED. Sources detail Apple’s initiative to develop tech to mass-produce MicroLED displays, an OLED successor, still at least two years from shipping in its devices.

Nokia brand has returned to smart phone market. Nokia CEO Suri was surprised at Nokia’s return to success: “I would not have thought it a year ago”. HMD has sold last year 70 million phones. Nokia’s basic phone deliveries last year had some 60 million and around 10 million smartphones. Nokia is now receiving money from HMD Global’s Nokia phone sales in royalties.

Smart phone sensors are used more and more for medical diagnostics applications. Most smartphones include an accelerometer and many other sensors. As almost all of us have a smartphone almost all the time, it gives many opportunities for health monitoring. For example a novel method allows screening of stroke-causing cardiac atrial fibrillation using a standard smartphone was developed by the University of Turku.

Smart phones contains a lot of information that is protected in many ways. Authorities want to take a look at this data sometimes. Getting the data from protected phones has became a business of it’s own. Israeli Cellebrite sells the service to get data from secured smartphone for $ 5,000.  GrayShift is selling for $15,000 a device that opens all iPhones.

Traditional 3.5 mm audio jack seems to be disappearing from smart phones. Overwhelming impression from CES 2018 was that headphone companies have, without exception, bid a silent goodbye to the 3.5mm audio plug. Many manufacturers are leaving 3.5 mm audio jacks out of their high end phones while mainly offering wireless audio and USB-C and Lightning as the alternatives.  The ACI headphone jack plugged into a traditional 3,5 mm audio connector with data features challenges USB-C. The Austrian ams company has now developed a new interface standard for 3.5 mm audio socket, offering full compatibility backwards to the current 3.5-mm sockets. The new Accessory Communication Interface (ACI) uses the microphone MIC signal line to provide additional features and turn it into a bidirectional digital connection. Sony’s working hard on promoting a new 4.4mm Pentaconn connector as the next wired standard for dedicated audio lovers. But maybe the battle with 3.5 mm audio jack is already lost to USB-C? Let’s see. The future of headphones seems to be messy. Buying headphones in 2018 is going to be a fragmented mess.

Mobile Malware Attacks Surged in 2017. Machine learning is used to fight against harmful Android Apps. According to Google’s Android Security 2017 Year in Review report 60.3 percent of Potentially Harmful Apps (PHAs) were detected via machine learning. The detection is done by a service called Google Play Protect, which is enabled on over 2 billion devices (running Android 4.3 and up) to constantly scan Android apps for malicious activity. Play Protect reviews 50B+ apps every day.

We will start experiencing the fundamental flaw of too many listening devices. A “first world problem,” at least for the moment is that all kinds of devices capable of acting as a voice-powered digital assistant expands, and as they’re sold over an expanding footprint of the overall international market, it’ll increasingly become an “all-world problem.” For example when you say “Ok Google,” all several widgets can wake up and respond to what you say next.

Sources:

https://www.androidcentral.com/android-p

https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/18/16903516/headphones-wireless-analog-jack-future-ces-2018

http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7477&via=n&datum=2018-01-30_15:32:36

https://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3849063

http://marketing.berktek.us/acton/fs/blocks/showLandingPage/a/2338/p/p-0045/t/page/fm/0/r/l-01db:15f8/s/l-01db?aoRefEmail=s-0141-1801&sid=TV2:JTHpE7KvL

https://www.tivi.fi/Kaikki_uutiset/5g-puhelimet-yleistyvat-vauhdilla-parin-vuoden-paasta-alkuun-niita-nakee-vain-harvoille-6699145

http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/7544-huawei-puhelintaa-katsotaan-useita-kertoja-tunnissa

http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7568&via=n&datum=2018-02-15_15:01:17

https://www.is.fi/digitoday/mobiili/art-2000005600539.html?ref=rss

https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/7/17088394/android-p-developer-preview-notifications-kotlin-microphone

http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7560&via=n&datum=2018-02-14_15:22:43

https://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1332970

http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/7509-prosessorimarkkina-kasvaa-nyt-kannykoiden-ansiosta

https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332930

http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7544&via=n&datum=2018-02-12_14:23:45

http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20180222PD208.html

http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7570&via=n&datum=2018-02-16_15:00:38

http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/7616-lg-hyppasi-tekoalyjunaan

http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/7618-rajeev-suri-5g-tulee-nopeammin-kuin-kukaan-odotti

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-telecoms-mobileworld-samsung/samsung-launches-galaxy-s9-with-focus-on-social-media-idUSKCN1G90RB

https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1333009

http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7752&via=n&datum=2018-03-23_14:10:57

https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1333002

http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7579&via=n&datum=2018-02-19_14:48:02

https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1333021

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/02/new-android-go-phones-show-how-much-you-can-get-for-100/

https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332996

https://www.recode.net/2018/2/28/17058560/smartphone-users-spending-money-website-visits-adobe

http://www.securityweek.com/can-biometrics-solve-authentication-problem

http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/mobile-tabs/nokia-hmd-global-smartphone-with-penta-lens-camera-to-launch-this-year-report-5033469/

https://www.is.fi/digitoday/mobiili/art-2000005535369.html

http://www.techradar.com/news/next-nokia-flagship-could-have-five-camera-lenses

http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7429&via=n&datum=2018-01-19_15:53:09

http://www.mwrf.com/systems/wireless-technology-existential-necessity-life?NL=MWRF-001&Issue=MWRF-001_20180123_MWRF-001_472&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=15036&utm_medium=email&elq2=783f31ec516d4c7d8bd0cd1f46359e43

http://www.mwrf.com/components/tiny-microstrip-antenna-covers-wlan-lte-and-wimax?NL=MWRF-001&Issue=MWRF-001_20180123_MWRF-001_472&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=15036&utm_medium=email&elq2=783f31ec516d4c7d8bd0cd1f46359e43

https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/news/electromagnetic-radiation-is-decreasing-in-new-generations-of-smartphones/

https://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/brians-brain/4460269/The-fundamental-flaw-of-too-many-listening-devices

http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7449&via=n&datum=2018-01-24_15:29:17

https://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1332898

https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332890

http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7653&via=n&datum=2018-03-05_15:39:52

http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7683&via=n&datum=2018-03-09_14:55:36

https://www.eeweb.com/profile/max-maxfield/articles/smart-glasses-vs-augmented-reality-goggles-vs-virtual-reality-headsets

https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332879

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-01-28/did-smartphone-bubble-china-just-pop

http://investmentwatchblog.com/did-the-chinese-smartphone-bubble-just-pop/

http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/7467-iphonen-naytto-kasvaa

https://www.securityweek.com/mobile-malware-attacks-surged-2017-kaspersky

http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/7686-taman-takia-iphonen-face-id-ei-tule-androidiin

https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/15/17124448/google-wear-os-announced-android-wear-rebranding-smartwatch

https://venturebeat.com/2018/03/15/google-60-3-of-potentially-harmful-android-apps-in-2017-were-detected-via-machine-learning/

http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/7714-vanha-audioplugi-haastaa-usb-c-n-digitalisoituna

http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7719&via=n&datum=2018-03-16_14:56:07&mottagare=31202

https://www.mikrobitti.fi/2018/03/turkulaiskeksinto-korvaa-alypuhelimella-kalliit-laaketieteelliset-laitteet-diagnoosissa-96-tarkkuus/

https://mobiili.fi/2018/03/19/hs-nokian-toimitusjohtaja-suri-yllattyi-nokia-puhelinten-paluun-menestyksesta-en-olisi-vuosi-sitten-uskonut/?utm_source=highfi&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=generic

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-19/apple-is-said-to-develop-displays-to-replace-samsung-screens

https://www.tivi.fi/Kaikki_uutiset/seitseman-vuoden-tyo-tuottamassa-jattipotin-turkulaiskeksinto-korvaa-kalliit-laaketieteelliset-laitteet-tavallisella-alypuhelimella-6707089

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https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1333098

 

531 Comments

  1. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Wall Street Journal:
    Sources: DOJ has sent subpoenas to the top 4 US mobile carriers and GSMA association over alleged collusion to impede eSIM features for easier carrier switching

    Justice Department Probes U.S. Wireless Carriers’ Work on SIM Card Alternative
    https://www.wsj.com/articles/justice-department-probes-u-s-wireless-carriers-work-on-sim-card-alternative-1524261509

    AT&T, Verizon at center of probe into whether major carriers are making it harder for subscribers to switch providers

    The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether U.S. wireless carriers and an industry trade group teamed up to make it harder for cellphone subscribers to switch providers, according to people familiar with the investigation.

    Reply
  2. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Wall Street Journal:
    Sources: Apple’s efforts to lessen its reliance on Samsung as the sole OLED display supplier for iPhones in peril due to manufacturing problems at LG Display — Manufacturing problems at South Korea’s LG Display could force Apple to rely solely on its competitor for high-end and costly smartphone screens

    Apple Can’t Cut Its Dependence on Rival Samsung’s Screens
    https://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-struggles-with-effort-to-diversify-screen-suppliers-1524216606

    Manufacturing problems at South Korea’s LG Display could force Apple to rely solely on its competitor for high-end and costly smartphone screens

    Apple Inc.’s efforts to line up a second supplier for its high-end smartphone screens—and reduce its dependence on Samsung Electronics Co.—have hit a hurdle, according to people familiar with the matter.

    Reply
  3. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Tony Fadell is worried about smartphone addiction
    https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/16/tony-fadell-is-worried-about-smartphone-addiction/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook

    This weekend, former Apple engineer and consumer gadget legend Tony Fadell penned an op-ed for Wired. In it, he argued that smartphone manufacturers need to do a better job of educating users about how often they use their mobile phones, and the resulting dangers that overuse might bring about.

    Plenty of studies have shown that too much screen time and internet/smartphone addiction can be damaging to our health, both physically and psychologically. And while there are other players involved in our growing dependence on our phones (yes, I’m talking to you, Facebook), the folks who actually build those screens have ample opportunity to make users more aware of their usage.

    http://www.wired.co.uk/article/tony-fadell-apple-iphone-addiction-control-design

    Reply
  4. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Ron Amadeo / Ars Technica:
    Android Go review: sub-$100 smartphones with Oreo lower the bar for cheap phones, but they don’t have Google Photos, and Google Play only has 35 optimized apps — We dig through Google’s stripped-down OS and several “Go” apps. — Here in the US and other developed countries …

    Android Go review—Google’s scattershot attempt at a low-end Android OS
    We dig through Google’s stripped-down OS and several “Go” apps.
    https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/04/android-go-review-googles-scattershot-attempt-at-a-low-end-android-os/

    Reply
  5. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Intel is giving up on its smart glasses
    So long, Vaunt
    https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/18/17255354/intel-vaunt-shut-down

    Intel has confirmed that it plans to shut down the New Devices Group (NDG) and cease development on the Vaunt smart glasses project we revealed earlier this year. The story was first reported this evening by The Information, which also notes that the closure will probably result in “some layoffs” from the team that was reportedly around 200 people.

    Reply
  6. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Meizu’s new phones don’t have notches
    https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/4/23/17269786/meizu-15-plus-series-specs-features-price

    Chinese company Meizu has unveiled its new range of smartphones, the 15 series, and it seems to be taking a stand against current trends in phone design. You won’t find notches or even tall screens here — just large, intact rectangles. It’s actually kind of refreshing.

    Reply
  7. Tomi Engdahl says:

    TSMC trims full-year revenue estimate on weaker smartphone demand
    https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-tsmc-results/tsmc-trims-full-year-revenue-estimate-on-weaker-smartphone-demand-idUKKBN1HQ1MM

    Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (2330.TW), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, revised its full-year revenue target to the low end of its earlier forecast due to softer demand for smartphones and uncertainty in cryptocurrency mining market.

    Reply
  8. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Ryan Whitwam / Android Police:
    Google is changing its pistol emoji into a squirt gun in Android P, following Apple, Twitter, and Samsung

    Google is turning its pistol emoji into a squirt gun
    https://www.androidpolice.com/2018/04/24/google-turning-pistol-emoji-squirt-gun/

    A few years ago, Apple was the first big emoji designer to stop rendering the “pistol” emoji as a real gun. It went from a revolver to a green squirt gun, and other companies have just started coming around. Twitter and Samsung already made the change, and now it’s Google’s turn. Say goodbye to the revolver and hello to the super soaker.

    Google has updated its Noto Color Emoji repository on GitHub with the new emoji. That indicates that Android P will feature the redesigned pistol emoji. It’s orange with a large yellow water reservoir on the top. So, it’s a super soaker, which is even more toy-like than the other squirt gun alternatives we’ve seen.

    Reply
  9. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Anshika Jain / Counterpoint Research:
    Counterpoint: In Q1 2018, India’s feature phone market doubled, smartphone market remained flat YoY; Xiaomi led smartphone market, Jio led feature phone market — Xiaomi continued to lead the Indian smartphone market for the second successive quarter and Jio continued to lead the featurephone market …

    India Feature Phone Market doubled while the Smartphone Market remained flat YoY in Q1 2018
    https://www.counterpointresearch.com/india-feature-phone-market-doubled-smartphone-market-remained-flat-yoy-q1-2018/

    Reply
  10. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Scott Moritz / Bloomberg:
    Verizon added ~359,000 subs last quarter who use watches, wearables, and other devices, helping offset the loss of ~24,000 phone and ~75,000 tablet customers

    Watches, Not Phones, Fuel Verizon’s Subscriber Growth
    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-24/verizon-subscriber-uptick-tops-estimates-easing-growth-concerns

    Reply
  11. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Apple reportedly requires price cuts for OLED panels
    https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20180424PD203.html

    Apple is reportedly negotiating with Samsung Display for a reduction of the price of OLED panels as the iPhone X vendor is seeking to lower the production cost in order to ramp up sales of OLED-based models, according to industry sources.

    The request for price reductions comes as no surprise to the industry as the OLED panel accounts for about one-third of the total production cost of an iPhone X and has been pinpointed as a key factor contributing to the lackluster sales of Apple’s first OLED model, said the sources.

    Apple is requiring the Korea display vendor to lower the unit price of its OLED panels to US$100, down from the US$110 in 2017, the sources indicated.

    Apple is likely to purchase up to 100 million OLED panels from Samsung Display in 2018, with 25 million to be used by the current iPhone X and the remaining 75 million for the next-generation OLED models to be launched in 2018

    Apple bought about 50 million OLED panels from Samsung Display in 2017

    Reply
  12. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Shara Tibken / CNET:
    Samsung reports $14.4B profit in Q1 driven by memory chips demand, up 58% YoY, but warns of profit decline in Q2 due to “stagnant sales” of its flagship phones

    Samsung makes a lot of money from chips, but phones may struggle
    https://www.cnet.com/news/samsung-q1-2018-earnings-revenue-soar-on-memory-chip-demand-but-mobile-will-struggle/

    Despite reporting record profits, Samsung says it’s seeing the effects of a “sluggish” smartphone market. Which could mean more promotions for the Galaxy S9.

    Reply
  13. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Qualcomm chip sales indicate some smartphone strength
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-qualcomm-results/qualcomm-profit-tops-estimates-on-higher-modem-chip-sales-idUSKBN1HW2ST

    (Reuters) – U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm Inc’s (QCOM.O) quarterly profit and revenue topped Wall Street forecasts, suggesting that a slowdown in the global smartphone business might be less severe than feared after a string of weak forecasts from suppliers.

    Reply
  14. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Sing It From the Mountains, the iPhone Supercycle Is Dead
    Austria’s AMS is suffering from its Apple exposure, but all is not lost.
    https://www.bloomberg.com/gadfly/articles/2018-04-24/the-iphone-supercycle-is-dead

    Whisper it in the cafes of Silicon Valley, mutter it in the teashops of Shenzhen, yell it from the Austrian mountain top. The supercycle is dead.

    I’m calling it. Before Apple Inc. unveiled the iPhone X in September, some investors expected the company’s new flagship product to drive a multi-year growth cycle, much as the iPhone 6 did three years previously.

    On Monday, Austrian chipmaker AMS AG became the latest to warn that its business was being affected by “a more difficult short-term demand environment in the smartphone market.” In other words, people aren’t buying as many iPhone Xs as hoped. Baader Bank analyst Guenther Hollfelder estimates that the AMS numbers indicate between 20 million and 25 million fewer iPhone X sales than expected.

    Ultimately, the lack of stellar unit sales might not matter to the Cupertino giant. Apple has managed to offset those disappointing numbers with higher prices, and is accelerating its push into services – a business that includes the App Store, iCloud and Apple Music and is generally more profitable than the iPhone.

    Reply
  15. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Why some Android phones slow down as they age
    April 26, 2018 / by Stan Dmitriev
    https://www.tuxera.com/blog/why-is-my-android-phone-slowing-down/

    Storage fragmentation in Android plays a major role in the ageing performance of the phone

    Ever thought why your Android phone slows down with time? You are not alone. Many Android users complain about their Android phones “lagging” as their device ages. So what’s the cause of this performance degradation? Well, there is not just one thing to blame, but recent findings say that storage fragmentation may be one of the root causes for an Android phone to slow down.

    Reply
  16. Tomi Engdahl says:

    The number of mobile subscribers no longer grows in Europe

    In Europe, people have access to about one billion SIM cards. GlobalData’s forecast shows that this number is no longer growing. SIM cards will be introduced all the time, but mostly to the growing M2M traffic.

    Last year, the number of SIM cards grew by 15.8 million in Europe. In fact, the number of mobile connections (M2M) grew by 21.7 million, so the number of SIM cards on a person was slightly reduced.

    According to GlobalData, the number of SIM card holders dropped, especially in Central and Southern Europe, where dual SIM usage fell sharply. The number of subscriptions decreased by 7.5 million in Central and Southern Europe. In Western Europe, however, subscribers buy 1.5 million new SIM cards.

    Mobile data is still growing at a high rate. According to GlobalData, the mobile user spent Western European data on an average of 2.2 gigabytes a month. In Central and Southern Europe, the number grew more than triple, or 3.1 gigabyte per month.

    Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/7932-kannykkatilaajien-maara-ei-enaa-kasva-euroopassa

    Reply
  17. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Younger consumers adopt voice technology faster, but use voice assistants less, report claims
    https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/30/younger-consumers-adopt-voice-technology-faster-but-use-voice-assistants-less/?utm_source=tcfbpage&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&sr_share=facebook

    Here’s an odd juxtaposition for you. According to a new report on voice assistants released today by PwC, younger users are adopting voice technology at a faster rate than their older counterparts, but are somehow using their voice assistants less often. The report found that users 18 through 24 had fewer “heavy” users of voice technology, compared with those 25 to 49, and 50 or older.

    That is, younger users prefer to use voice technology in private instead of in public. They said that using voice assistants in public “just looks weird.” And because younger users likely spend more time outside the home, they end up using voice assistants less.

    Reply
  18. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Joe Maring / Android Central:
    Samsung announces 128GB/256GB models for Galaxy S9/S9+ to be available from Samsung.com in US, preorders starting May 1, after the flagships launched with 64GB — Both variants will be sold exclusively through Samsung.com. — The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ are great smartphones …

    Galaxy S9/S9+ with 128GB and 256GB of storage available for pre-order May 1
    Both variants will be sold exclusively through Samsung.com.
    https://www.androidcentral.com/galaxy-s9s9-128gb-and-256gb-storage-available-pre-order-may-1

    Reply
  19. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Apple Shrugs Off iPhone Sales Fears
    https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1333245

    After weeks of trepidation in the electronics supply chain over fears of a precipitous decline in sales of the high-end iPhone X, Apple reported its best ever fiscal second quarter sales and announced plans to invest another $100 billion in share buybacks.

    Apple shrugged off recent warnings of softness in smartphone market demand to report selling 51.75 million iPhone sales in the fiscal second quarter, which closed March 31. Sales of iPhone units came in slightly below analysts’ expectations of about 53 million, but were up 3 percent on a units basis compared with the same period of 2017.

    More importantly, Apple’s iPhone sales generated $38 billion in revenue for the quarter, an increase of 14 percent compared to the year-ago quarter. The higher iPhone average selling price was generated by the iPhone X — released last November at a retail price of $999 — which remains Apple’s top-selling iPhone has been in the most popular iPhone in every week it’s been available.

    Reply
  20. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nokia’s unsuccessful foray into digital health hardware and services is finally coming to an end

    Nokia to sell its health division to Eric Carreel, co-founder of Withings, after talks with Nest and more
    https://techcrunch.com/2018/05/02/nokia-to-sell-its-health-division-to-eric-carreel-the-co-founder-of-withings-after-talks-with-nest-and-others/?utm_source=tcfbpage&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&sr_share=facebook

    Withings formed the core of the division after Nokia acquired the French startup in 2016 for €170 million.

    “Nokia announced a review of strategic options for the Digital Health business in February 2018. The planned sale is part of Nokia’s honed focus on becoming a business-to-business and licensing company,” the announcement said.

    Reply
  21. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Broadcom says weak wireless chip demand to hurt revenue forecast
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-broadcom-forecast/broadcom-says-weak-wireless-chip-demand-to-hurt-revenue-forecast-idUSKBN1I118V

    Chipmaker Broadcom, which counts Apple Inc among its customers, on Monday cut the top end of its previously issued second-quarter revenue forecast, citing weak demand for its wireless chips.

    Reply
  22. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Apple surprises with solid iPhone sales, announces $100 billion buyback
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-results/apples-100-billion-stock-buyback-overshadows-iphone-idUSKBN1I24D1

    Apple Inc on Tuesday reported resilient iPhone sales in the face of waning global demand and promised $100 billion in additional stock buybacks, reassuring investors that its decade-old smartphone invention had life in it yet.

    Reply
  23. Tomi Engdahl says:

    China smartphone vendors gearing up for Taiwan market
    https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20180430PD205.html

    China-based smartphone vendors including Oppo, Huawei and Xiaomi Technology are gearing up their promotion campaigns in Taiwan aiming to further ramp up their local market shares, according to market sources.

    Oppo will launch its latest flagship models, the R15 and R15 Pro, in Taiwan on May 7 carrying price tags of NT$15,990 (US$540) and NT$18,990, respectively, according to market sources.

    Reply
  24. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Laboratory on-a-phone detects viruses, bacterial infections
    https://www.zdnet.com/article/laboratory-on-a-phone-detects-viruses-bacterial-infections/

    The smartphone-sized equipment could improve healthcare in rural and poverty-stricken areas.

    Researchers have developed a portable laboratory on-a-phone which could provide improved healthcare for rural, remote, and developing areas.

    According to Washington State University scientists, the miniature laboratory has close to the same success as traditional lab testing.

    In tests with 771 patient samples of 12 common viral and bacterial infectious diseases, the lab equipment only returned false positives on average one percent of the time.

    In total, the smartphone lab was 97 to 99.9 percent accurate.

    The smartphone laboratory is low-cost, too, and was built using components worth roughly $50 — although commercial manufacturing could further bring down the cost.

    Researchers develop smart phone for quicker infection testing
    https://news.wsu.edu/2018/04/24/smart-phone-detects-infections/

    Smartphone vs. lab tests

    The WSU researchers found that their portable smartphone reader worked nearly as well as standard lab testing in detecting 12 common viral and bacterial infectious diseases, such as mumps, measles, herpes, and Lyme Disease. The researchers tested the device, which is about the size of a hand, with 771 patient samples at Hospital of University of Pennsylvania and found that it provided false positives only about one percent of the time (was 97. to 99.9 percent accurate).

    The smartphone reader, which includes a portable device, takes a photo of 96 sample wells at once and uses a computer program to carefully analyze color to determine positive or negative results.

    “This smartphone reader has the potential to improve access and speed up healthcare delivery,” said Li. “If we find out about infections, we can treat them more quickly, which makes a difference especially in low-resource, remote areas.

    Reply
  25. Tomi Engdahl says:

    That New Memory Smell: Tech Can Tell if Your Flash is New or Recycled
    https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/semiconductors/memory/that-new-memory-smell-tech-can-tell-you-if-your-flash-is-new-or-recycled

    Flash is designed to last a decade or more of use. A lot of the gadgets that rely on it are not. Shady recyclers have spotted opportunity in that mismatch, stripping out used chips and selling them as new. But engineers at the University of Alabama have come up with a straightforward electronic examination that can tell if a flash chip is new or recycled, even if that chip has only seen 5 percent or less of its life. And the technique is so straightforward that a smartphone app could run it on its own memory.

    “Most of the time, recycled memory is thrown into the market when it is functional,”

    Reply
  26. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Consumer spend on apps to reach $106.4 billion this year, $156.5 billion by 2022
    https://techcrunch.com/2018/05/02/consumer-spend-on-apps-to-reach-106-4-billion-this-year-156-5-billion-by-2022/?utm_source=tcfbpage&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&sr_share=facebook

    Consumer spending in global app stores will total $106.4 billion by the end of the year and $156.5 billion by 2022, according to a new report from App Annie out this morning.

    Reply
  27. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Linda Sui / Strategy Analytics:
    Analysis: 345M smartphones shipped in Q1 2018, down 2.4% YoY; iPhone X was world’s best-selling smartphone with 16M units shipped this quarter — According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics Smartphone Model Tracker (SMT) service, global smartphone shipments reached 345 million units in Q1 2018.

    Apple iPhone X Becomes World’s Best-Selling Smartphone Model in Q1 2018
    https://www.strategyanalytics.com/strategy-analytics/blogs/devices/smartphone-model-tracker/smartphone-model-tracker/2018/05/03/apple-iphone-x-becomes-world's-best-selling-smartphone-model-in-q1-2018#.WuzXJ5e-mUk

    According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics Smartphone Model Tracker (SMT) service, global smartphone shipments reached 345 million units in Q1 2018. Despite fears of expensive pricing, Apple iPhone X was the world’s best-selling smartphone model, shipping an impressive 16 million units during the quarter. Xiaomi Redmi 5A and Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus were the world’s top-selling Android smartphone models.

    Global total smartphone shipments reached 345.4 million units in Q1 2018. The top-six most popular models together accounted for 1 in 7 of all smartphones shipped worldwide during the quarter.

    Reply
  28. Tomi Engdahl says:

    U.S. Military Bans Huawei, ZTE Phones
    https://www.securityweek.com/us-military-bans-huawei-zte-phones

    Personnel on US military bases can no longer buy phones and other gear manufactured by Chinese firms Huawei and ZTE, after the Pentagon said the devices pose an “unacceptable” security risk.

    Reply
  29. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Things are looking bleak as ZTE ceases main business operations
    https://techcrunch.com/2018/05/09/things-are-looking-bleak-as-zte-ceases-main-business-operations/?utm_source=tcfbpage&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=FaceBook&sr_share=facebook

    AdChoices

    Things are looking bleak as ZTE ceases main business operations
    Brian Heater
    @bheater / 10 hours ago

    ZTE Axon Mini
    ZTE wasn’t kidding around when it suggested that a U.S. Department of Commerce order would “severely impact” its survival. It’s hard to image a successful path around the seven-year ban on the sale of U.S. products to the company imposed after it reportedly failed to sufficiently reprimand staff for flouting Iranian sanctions.

    Earlier today, in fact, the Chinese smartphone/telecom manufacturer announced that it had ceased its main business operations as it attempts to figure out the best way forward.

    “As a result of the Denial Order, the major operating activities of the company have ceased,”

    Reply
  30. Tomi Engdahl says:

    China’s ZTE says main business operations cease due to U.S. ban
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-zte-ban/chinas-zte-corp-says-main-business-operations-have-ceased-due-to-u-s-ban-idUSKBN1IA1XF

    Marick said ZTE has not given guidance on whether its phones can continue receiving software updates from Android, and discussions between the companies have been about ensuring ZTE can supply parts and service to honor phone warranties.

    A ZTE employee told Reuters that staff had been reporting to work as normal but “with not much to do”. The employee, who declined to be named, said business trips had been halted.

    Reply
  31. Tomi Engdahl says:

    How to Revive an Old Laptop by Adding a Dock to Run It from Your Smartphone
    https://blog.hackster.io/how-to-revive-an-old-laptop-by-adding-a-dock-to-run-it-from-your-smartphone-e19f3ea1d7d6

    For most people, the only thing to do with an outdated or broken laptop is throw it away or donate it. Consequently, there is a practically unending supply of old laptops out there that you can get for little or no money. Fortunately, as Cmcinhk shows in this great tutorial, you can bring them back to life using your smartphone.

    just about everyone has a surprisingly powerful smartphone that they carry with them at all times. With a bit of electronics know-how and elbow grease, you can take advantage of that fact to make an old laptop useful again. Cmcinhk’s method was tested with an Android phone

    The first step is to completely gut the laptop of everything except the LCD. Then you can get the LCD working again by ordering an LCD controller, and connecting it to your phone through a USB-to-HDMI Displaylink adapter.

    After that, it’s just a matter of using apps to setup your phone so it acts like a desktop. Depending on how far you want to go with that, you may need to root your phone.

    Reply
  32. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Apple Sued Your Combustible Phone Took Down an Airplane!!!
    http://www.tmz.com/2018/05/11/apple-sued-egyptair-flight-804-crash-phone-fire/

    The crash of EgyptAir flight 804 into the Mediterranean Sea that killed 66 people was caused by a hot Apple product … according to a new suit.

    The families of several of the victims of the May 19, 2016 crash claim the tragedy was due to the co-pilot’s iPhone 6S or iPad mini overheating in the cockpit and catching fire.

    According to the docs … an investigation revealed the device ignited and led to a bigger fire in the cockpit, which ultimately took the plane down.

    It should be noted, however — some industry experts have questioned this phone theory …

    Reply
  33. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Apple Watch may have saved yet another person’s life
    https://www.cultofmac.com/547479/apple-watch-saves-another-life/

    The Apple Watch is credited with potentially saving its wearer’s life after 76-year-old man Gaston D’Aquino was recently told to go to hospital after being informed of an unusually high heart rate.

    Despite feeling fine, D’Aquino discovered that two of his three coronary arteries were blocked, while the remaining one was only functioning at 10 percent of its usual capacity.

    Gaston D’Aquino was at church in Hong Kong when he received the alert, informing him of a sudden spike in his heart rate. “I had read about these cases before, so I knew it was something that was serious,” he said. “It was a strong signal, not ambiguous. It said I had an elevated heart rate.”

    When he arrived in the hospital, D’Aquino informed the physician that his Apple Watch had told him to go in. “I told the doctor I don’t know why I’m here, but my watch tells me I have an elevated heart rate,” he told an interviewer. “He says, ‘Are you feeling anything?’ I said no, I feel fine, I’m feeling all right, nothing’s wrong.”

    However, when he was subjected to a battery of tests, the extent of his problems were revealed. He has since been treated for them.

    How a smartwatch literally saved this man’s life and why he wants more people to wear one
    http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/2145681/how-apple-watch-literally-saved-mans-life-and-why-he-wants

    An alert from his smartwatch prompted 76-year-old Hongkonger Gaston D’Aquino to go to hospital, even though he was feeling fine. It turned out his coronary arteries were almost completely blocked. Now he has a new lease on life and wants to share his story

    Reply
  34. Tomi Engdahl says:

    iOS 11.4 leaves USB port USBricked when inactive

    Apple has added a new security measure to the next version of iOS that will make it harder to get around the unlock screen of a handset, particularly one that hasn’t been used for some time.

    Elcomsoft explains that under iOS 11.4 (now in beta) the lightning/USB port on the iPhone will become partially locked down during long idle periods.

    Specifically, when the iPhone hasn’t been unlocked in seven days, the port will go into-power only mode and will not make any data transmissions until it is unlocked again via key code. This means people who seize a phone (via legal or other means) will not be able to use the USB connection to get around locks unless they do so immediately.

    Source: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/05/12/security_roundup/

    Reply
  35. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Hugh Langley / Wareable:
    Qualcomm exec says the company is building a chipset “designed from the ground up for a no-compromises smartwatch experience” to be announced this fall

    Qualcomm’s new smartwatch chips launch soon – what do they mean for Wear OS?
    A much-needed shot in the wrist
    https://www.wareable.com/android-wear/qualcomm-next-gen-snapdragon-smartwatch-wear-os-2018

    Reply
  36. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Here’s One Way to Keep Wearables on Wrists: Subscriptions
    https://www.wired.com/story/whoop-wearable-subscription/

    The wearable tech market may have grown last year, thanks in no small part to the success of the Apple Watch, but you wouldn’t think that was the case if you’ve been reading anything other than analyst reports. Fitbit’s device sales have been declining, Nokia is dumping its digital health business, and Wear OS (formerly Android Wear) hasn’t appeared on a new piece of hardware in over a year. Wearable makers, right now, are leaning heavily on specialized devices—stuff beyond your basic step-counters—while they try to convince people to wear a Smart Thing on their bodies for longer than a few months.

    That’s what Boston-based Whoop has been doing since it first launched: targeting elite athletes and Fortune 500 CEOs (both are part of its marketing) with its sensor-filled, nylon activity tracker and analytics platform. Whoop’s been charging professional and collegiate sports teams anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000 per player for access to the company’s in-depth stats tracking, and the company boasts NFL and NBA teams as clients. Regular people who want to try the band and analyze their performance can do so for a $500 fee. Now, Whoops is turning that model on its head.

    Starting today, Whoop is rolling out a subscription service for access to its platform, as well as access to its band.
    pay a $30 monthly subscription fee.

    newcomers will have to pay monthly dues with a six-month commitment up front.

    A subscription-only model for a wearable and its software platform is also a way of pushing people to actually wear the wearable for an extended period of time. Data has shown that a significant number of people ditch activity-trackers within six months, although a lot of the “junk drawer” evidence is anecdotal. But Ahmed insists Whoop has high levels of sustained engagement, with over 50 percent of users remaining daily active users after a whopping 18 months of wearing the band.

    Reply
  37. Tomi Engdahl says:

    5G phones are coming this year

    Operators tighten their investments in new network technology and many want to bring their users 5G connections this year. According to Qualcomm, the first 5G phones may come on the market already in the latter half of this year.

    Manufacturers Huawei has already promised to launch a 5G router during the summer. Rumors have also been heard about the 5G phone.

    According to Qualcomm, 5G phones are being manufactured by several manufacturers. Depending on network features, the devices can reach 2 or even 4 gigabits per second.

    Source:http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7989&via=n&datum=2018-05-14_15:07:46&mottagare=31202

    Reply
  38. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Huawei’s new artificial intelligence chip boosts performance

    Huawei’s Mate 10 Pro was the first smartphone to use a dedicated artificial intelligence (NPU) processor. It was integrated into the Kirin 970 chipset. Now the Taiwanese sources say that the successor to the chipset Kirin 980 is ready and will accelerate later this year with the launch of the Mate 20 device.

    According to the information, the Kirin 980 chipset is manufactured in a TSMC 7 nanometer process. This is the same process that is used in Apple’s A12 processor.

    Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7990&via=n&datum=2018-05-14_15:07:46&mottagare=30929

    Reply
  39. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Apple will soon grow bigger than Finland

    News agency Reuters has presented figures that are confusing. Apple’s turnover has exceeded $ 200 billion and the figure is approaching Finland’s gross domestic product. For example, Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is half smaller than Apple.

    Apple’s share price was quoted at $ 188. At this valuation, the company’s market value is $ 944 billion. As the share reaches $ 195, Apple’s market value will break the trillion, or $ 1000 billion.

    However, Reuters recalls that Apple is not the fastest growing company. Amazon is growing significantly faster and its market value is already $ 780 billion.

    Source:http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/7992-apple-kasvaa-pian-suuremmaksi-kuin-suomi

    Reply
  40. Tomi Engdahl says:

    And THIS is how you do it, Apple: Huawei shames Cupertino with under-glass sensor
    Plus an optional stinkin’ Notch
    https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/05/15/notch_free_honor10_has_underglass_sensor/

    Huawei previously used its Primark brand, Honor, to bring high-priced tech to a much more affordable package. But this time it’s using Honor to introduce a feature the industry insisted it wasn’t ready for: an under-glass fingerprint sensor.

    The new Honor 10 – which like the P20s has an optional, removable Notch – also includes an “ultrasonic under-glass fingerprint sensor”, the first in a mass-market phone.

    Huawei doesn’t say if it developed the Ultrasonic sensor itself, or used a Synaptics part.

    Reply
  41. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Ian Cutress / AnandTech:
    Huawei launches Honor 10 with 5.84″ 19:9 LCD 2280×1080 display, Kirin 970 and dedicated NPU, and 24MP + 16MP dual-camera, available in Europe from €399

    Honor 10 Launch and Hands On: Kirin 970, More AI, More Notch
    by Ian Cutress on May 15, 2018 10:30 AM EST
    https://www.anandtech.com/show/12751/honor-10-launch-and-hands-on-kirin-970-more-ai-more-notch

    In a world filled with rectangular blocks with displays, it takes a large effort to differentiate. The new Honor 10, launched today at an event in London, follows the trend of premium smartphones in 2018: more display, and added a notch. Under the hood is the latest HiSilicon Kirin 970 chipset, as seen in the Huawei Mate 10 and P20, with the added AI functional blocks to accelerate certain apps built on machine learning algorithms. The Honor line is always seen as a more cost effective way to yet most of the latest features from the Huawei main brand, and this year is no different.

    Reply
  42. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Siempo’s new app will break your smartphone addiction
    https://techcrunch.com/2018/05/19/siempos-new-app-will-break-your-smartphone-addiction/?utm_source=tcfbpage&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=FaceBook&sr_share=facebook

    A new app called Siempo wants to un-addict you from your smartphone and its numerous attention-stealing apps. To do so, Siempo replaces an Android device’s homescreen, while also taking advantage of a number of design principles to push distractions further away, and give you more control over your notifications.

    Reply
  43. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Hong Kong children expose their identities, thoughts and flesh to millions of strangers on popular iPhone app Tik Tok, Post finds
    http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2146840/hong-kong-children-expose-their-identities-thoughts-and

    Parents and social workers express alarm as hundreds of underage youngsters upload information identifying themselves on social media platform used by millions around the world

    Reply

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