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 phones – cellular 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 MWC. The 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://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
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.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
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://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
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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
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https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1333098
531 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Jacob Kastrenakes / The Verge:
In response to a July ruling by the EU, Google will start charging European Android device makers a licensing fee for the Play Store and other Google apps
Google will start charging European Android device makers a fee for its apps
Android will still be “free and open source”
https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/16/17984074/google-eu-android-licensing-bundle-chrome-search
Google is changing the way it licenses its suite of Android apps in Europe, leading the company to charge a licensing fee for the Play Store and other Google apps for the first time.
The changes come in response to a July ruling by the European Commission, which fined the company $5 billion for antitrust violations and ordered it to stop “illegally tying” Chrome and search apps to Android.
So that’s what Google is doing. If phone and tablet manufacturers want, they’ll now be able to license the Play Store, Google’s mobile apps, and Chrome and search separately, rather than being required to accept them all as a bundle. Companies will now be able to license and install Google’s apps onto forked versions of Android, too.
Google hasn’t historically charged for its Android apps and services, because of the revenue it gets from Chrome and search. But splitting them up changes the equation, so companies may now find themselves paying for things — like the Play Store — that we generally consider to be core parts of Android, but are in reality Google services.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2018/10/17/kannykkakameroissa-kova-teknologiakisa/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Huawei Mate 20 series: China’s best phone, but a pricey proposition
A tale of Four Mates
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/10/16/huawei_mate_20_hands_on/
With its vast, formidable production machine roaring behind it, Huawei is giving itself two entries in the annual flagship race this year – the prize some other OEMs struggle to hit annually.
Not content with hyping its spring P-series, Huawei has turned its autumn line into a highly desirable consumer flagship contender too. Four models were introduced today: the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro, a giant Note-sized 7.2-inch Mate 20 X, and a Porsche-branded variant. We haven’t confirmed whether the latter two will reach the UK, but the former two are very much mainstream.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sure, Europe. Here’s our Android suite without Search, Chrome apps. Now pay the Google tax
Ad giant to charge for key applications amid license shakeup and antitrust fine
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/10/17/google_android_licencing_eu/
In an effort to placate Europe’s regulators furious at its anticompetitive tactics, Google has overhauled its Android licensing practices for the continent.
And it involves paying the ad giant money.
In short, Google’s Search App and Chrome browser are being unbundled from the rest of the the Chocolate Factory’s suite of Android mobile applications within the European Economic Area. That means devices can be sold in the region with Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, Google Play, and so on, but no Google Search app and Chrome. Instead, manufacturers can include just their own search engines and web browsers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
LG and Lenovo reportedly working on secret tablet with a 13-inch foldable display
https://www.androidauthority.com/lg-lenovo-foldable-tablet-914627/
LG Display is reportedly working on a 13-inch foldable display for use in a Lenovo tablet.
The company is thought to be aiming to supply the panel to Lenovo in the second half of next year.
While we have heard plenty about foldable phones, this is the first we have heard about a foldable tablet.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft’s GitHub: ‘Kotlin for Android now fastest-growing programming language’
https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsofts-github-kotlin-for-android-now-fastest-growing-programming-language/
The number of developers hosting projects built with Google-backed Kotlin is surging.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Palm is back: Tiny new device aims to let you leave your big smartphone at home
https://www.zdnet.com/article/palm-is-back-tiny-new-device-aims-to-let-you-leave-your-big-smartphone-at-home/
The new 3.3-inch touchscreen Palm is designed to be a less distracting companion for your phone.
Palm is now back, thanks to San Francisco designers Howard Nuk and Dennis Miloseski, who teamed up with TCL and Verizon Wireless for the Palm revival.
The new Palm is a tiny device that’s not a phone, but rather acts as a companion smartphone that’s designed to encourage users to leave larger and more distracting smartphones at home.
The Palm features a 3.3-inch touch display in a frame that’s about the size of a credit card. It’s sold exclusively by Verizon in the US for $349.
Verizon adds $10 a month to an existing mobile bill to tap the device’s LTE cellular radio so it can sync calls, notifications, and texts with the main smartphone.
Palm’s makers say the device will last a full day in Life Mode, which silences all incoming calls and notifications when the screen is off. It’s also IP68-rated water- and dust-resistant.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smartphone-Powered Device Paves Way for Wearable Ultrasound
https://www.designnews.com/materials-assembly/smartphone-powered-device-paves-way-wearable-ultrasound/167824253359509?ADTRK=UBM&elq_mid=6072&elq_cid=876648
A portable, smartphone-powered ultrasound tool could be the difference between life and death by making doctors’ diagnoses easier and faster.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sam Byford / The Verge:
A deep look at the emergent Chinese phone market, where the hardware is now on par or better than flagships popular in the West but the software lags behind — 2018 will go down as the year when it became impossible to ignore the increasing advancements of Chinese smartphone hardware …
How China rips off the iPhone and reinvents Android
https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/17/17988564/chinese-phone-software-android-iphone-copy-ui
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Pixel 3 Improves Data Protection with Security Chip
https://www.securityweek.com/google-pixel-3-improves-data-protection-security-chip
Google has packed the recently launched Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL devices with Titan M, a hardened security microcontroller that can better protect information at hardware level.
Designed and manufactured by Google, Titan M is a second-generation, low-power security module meant to help with the Android Verified Boot, storing secrets, providing backing for the Android Strongbox Keymaster module, and enforcing factory-reset policies.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung practically confirmed the Galaxy S10 will pack the same chip tech as the iPhone XS
https://wildfyre.net/index.php/samsung-practically-confirmed-the-galaxy-s10-will-pack-the-same-chip-tech-as-the-iphone-xs/amp/
Samsung on Thursday announced that it has started production of EUV 7nm LPP chips, which is a very complex way to tell the world that 7nm chips will be ready in time for the Galaxy S10 launch next year. If 7nm sound familiar, that’s because smartphone makers including Huawei and Apple have already launched such devices. Huawei was the first to unveil the 7nm Kirin 980 that powers the Mate 20 Pro, but Apple’s 7nm A12 Bionic chip in the iPhone XS and XR models shipped to consumers first.
So what does EUV 7nm LPP means, or 7LPP means? It’s short for “7-nanometer (nm) LPP (Low Power Plus) with extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Verge:
Documents show Android manufacturers in EU may have to pay Google $2.50-$40/device as a fee, depending on country and pixel density, following antitrust ruling — Confidential documents show strong incentives for keeping bundle intact — Android manufacturers will have to pay Google …
Google app suite costs as much as $40 per phone under new EU Android deal
https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/19/17999366/google-eu-android-licensing-terms
Confidential documents show strong incentives for keeping bundle intact
Tomi Engdahl says:
Shannon Liao / The Verge:
After EU antitrust ruling, Android’s future in Europe looks like its present in China, with fragmented alternatives and numerous hubs for apps and services
Want to understand the future of Android in Europe? Look at China
https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/17/17984976/android-europe-future-china-play-store-european-commission-antitrust
By the end of the month, Google will charge a licensing fee in Europe for the Play Store and apps like YouTube and Gmail in order to comply with the European Commission’s antitrust ruling. Device makers will soon have to decide whether using Google services is worth the fees, while Android as an operating system will remain free to use. With these new conditions, the future of Android in Europe could dramatically transform, becoming a pared-down version that retains the OS but offers fragmented alternatives to what were once cornerstone Google services.
By the end of the month, Google will charge a licensing fee in Europe for the Play Store and apps like YouTube and Gmail in order to comply with the European Commission’s antitrust ruling. Device makers will soon have to decide whether using Google services is worth the fees, while Android as an operating system will remain free to use. With these new conditions, the future of Android in Europe could dramatically transform, becoming a pared-down version that retains the OS but offers fragmented alternatives to what were once cornerstone Google services.
Different stores also present apps in a different order, with their own ways of prioritizing which apps to highlight or show in search results.
Chinese users often choose app stores by picking whatever is the most convenient, meaning that often times, they will use whatever comes preinstalled on their phones. China’s major smartphone makers — Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi — all include their own app stores on their devices.
At the same time, because there are so many app stores, developers in China have to apply to each app store if they want their product included.
Since applying for an app to be included in an app store can be time-consuming, some developers narrow their options to the stores that offer better perks.
In China, app stores also take a larger cut of developer profits compared to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. While a standard 30 percent of in-app purchases typically goes to the app store, China’s mobile carrier also takes another 30 percent, unless users pay through WeChat Pay or Alipay. In Europe, the landscape is likely to be better regulated to keep fees to more reasonable amounts.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2018/10/22/suomalaisosaamista-huawein-uusimpaan-gt-alykelloon/
Tomi Engdahl says:
iPhone XS and XS Max Teardowns: Better Machine Learning, New Battery Shapes, and Beer-Proofing
https://www.designnews.com/electronics-test/iphone-xs-and-xs-max-teardowns-better-machine-learning-new-battery-shapes-and-beer-proofing/145950196959647?ADTRK=UBM&elq_mid=6101&elq_cid=876648
Teardowns of the iPhone XS and XS Max reveal the engineering and design behind Apple’s latest machine learning chip, an innovative new battery shape, and arguably the phones’ most important feature – beer resistance.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sneaky subscriptions are plaguing the App Store
https://techcrunch.com/2018/10/15/sneaky-subscriptions-are-plaguing-the-app-store/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
Subscriptions have turned into a booming business for app developers, accounting for $10.6 billion in consumer spend on the App Store in 2017, and poised to grow to $75.7 billion by 2022. But alongside this healthy growth, a number of scammers are now taking advantage of subscriptions in order to trick users into signing up for expensive and recurring plans. They do this by intentionally confusing users with their app’s design and flow, by making promises of “free trials” that convert after only a matter of days, and other misleading tactics.
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/8589-linux-turvapuhelin-myohastyy-vahan
Purism Librem 5 will be a little bit late, delivery will start January 2019
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nilay Patel / The Verge:
iPhone XR review: competitive price for Apple’s latest processor and cameras with a great battery life, but comes in only one size and the display is not great — Big screen, small compromise — Video by Phil Esposito & Becca Farsace — Here’s a question: how much do you care about the display on a phone?
https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/23/18011306/apple-iphone-xr-review-camera-screen-battery-price
With the iPhone XR, Apple broadens its ‘best’
For millions waiting on an upgrade, the XR might be the right phone at the right time.
https://www.engadget.com/2018/10/22/iphone-xr-phil-schiller-interview/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Verge:
Android: a visual history of Google’s OS on its 10th anniversary
Android: a 10-year visual history
https://www.theverge.com/2011/12/7/2585779/android-10th-anniversary-google-history-pie-oreo-nougat-cupcake
Tomi Engdahl says:
Shannon Liao / The Verge:
HTC starts taking preorders for its blockchain phone Exodus 1 for 0.15 BTC or 4.78 ETH, or ~$960, only takes payments in cryptocurrency, expects to ship in Dec — You have to buy it in bitcoin or Ether — HTC just announced actual specs for its much-hyped blockchain phone, the Exodus 1, and is letting people sign up for preorders.
HTC’s blockchain phone is ready for preorder
You have to buy it in bitcoin or Ether
https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/10/23/18011280/htc-blockchain-phone-preorder-exodus-1-specs-price
HTC just announced actual specs for its much-hyped blockchain phone, the Exodus 1, and is letting people sign up for preorders. The phone contains a wallet that’s kept in a secure area “protected from the Android OS,” according to a press release, which can be used to hold the keys to your cryptocurrency and tokens like CryptoKitties.
The phone was first announced back in May as one of the company’s more intriguing projects. Back then, HTC’s chief decentralized officer Phil Chen said each Exodus phone would act as a node to facilitate bitcoin trading among users. He also stated that the phone would allow you to “own your own identity.” But none of that is happening now.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Andrei Frumusanu / AnandTech:
Qualcomm announces Snapdragon 675, an 11nm mid-range ARM Cortex A76-based SOC with support for triple camera setups, promises better gaming performance — Today we’re seeing a very interesting announcement from Qualcomm: The new Snapdragon 675 chipset is a direct successor …
Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon 675 – 11nm Mid-Range Cortex A76-Based
by Andrei Frumusanu on October 22, 2018 9:00 PM EST
https://www.anandtech.com/show/13479/qualcomm-announces-snapdragon-675
Today we’re seeing a very interesting announcement from Qualcomm: The new Snapdragon 675 chipset is a direct successor to the current generation Snapdragon 670 which was only announced back in August. The Snapdragon 675 iterates on the current design, bringing some important upgrades.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why the iPhone XS MAX camera is actually Amazing for video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Nfvl3NLsDc
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wearable trends: a personal perspective
https://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/brians-brain/4461228/Wearable-trends–a-personal-perspective?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=link&utm_medium=EDNConsumerElectronics-20181024
Tomi Engdahl says:
OnePlus 6T pian julki, lupailee jo 5G-mallia
http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/8609-oneplus-6t-pian-julki-lupailee-jo-5g-mallia
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/8602-htc-n-lohkoketjupuhelin-maksaa-premiumlaitteen-verran
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/8601-huawei-hylkasi-androidin-alykellossaan-mukana-suomalaisosaamista
Android Wear OS:n korvattu Huawein omalla LightOS:llä.
Huawei Watch GT -älykellossa on kuusi ominaisuutta, jotka on toteutettu yhdessä Firstbeatin kanssa. V
Tomi Engdahl says:
Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 Platform Extends Battery Life to 12 Hours
https://www.eeweb.com/profile/eeweb/news/qualcomm-snapdragon-wear-3100-platform-extends-battery-life-to-12-hours
Qualcomm Technologies Inc.’s next-generation smartwatch development platform, built on a new ultra-low-power system architecture, extends the battery life range from four to 12 hours compared to the previous-generation platform. The new architecture of the Snapdragon Wear 3100 Platform combines high-performance quad-core A7 processors, an integrated DSP, and a new ultra-low-power co-processor.
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/8593-samsung-patentoi-koko-ruudun-kosketusnayton
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2018/10/23/taysin-ohjelmoitava-kannykkaliittyma/
Tomi Engdahl says:
OnePlus commits to releasing a 5G phone in 2019
https://techcrunch.com/2018/10/24/oneplus-commits-to-releasing-a-5g-phone-in-2019/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
cofounder Carl Pei recently promised to deliver a 5G handset in 2019. Unlike other features, however, you can’t really accuse 5G of being a flash in the pan here.
Sure, lots of companies have been talking around the technology, and Motorola kind of, sort of delivered something in the form of the Z3, which will offer the cellular technology in the future via Mod. But OnePlus promising to deliver a full-on 5G sporting handset puts the company ahead of the curve here.
OnePlus will release one of the first 5G smartphones
https://www.engadget.com/2018/10/22/oneplus-will-release-a-5g-smartphone-next-year/
It’ll be one of the first, if not the first, with a 5G phone next year.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Italian consumer watchdog hands down €15M in fines to Apple and Samsung for slowing devices
https://techcrunch.com/2018/10/24/italian-consumer-watchdog-hands-down-e15m-in-fines-to-apple-and-samsung-for-slowing-devices/?sr_share=facebook&utm_source=tcfbpage
total of $15 million for the companies’ practice of forcing updates on consumers that may slow or break their devices. The amount may be a drop in the bucket, but it’s a signal that governments won’t always let this type of behavior fly.
Apple and Samsung fined for deliberately slowing down phones
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/oct/24/apple-samsung-fined-for-slowing-down-phones?CMP=fb_gu
Italian investigation found software updates ‘significantly reduced performance’, hastening new purchases
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google mandates two years of security updates for popular phones in new Android contract
https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/24/18019356/android-security-update-mandate-google-contract
Every month, a security team at Google releases a new set of patches for Android — and every month, carriers and manufacturers struggle to get them installed on actual phones. It’s a complex, long-standing problem, but confidential contracts obtained by The Verge show many manufacturers now have explicit obligations about keeping their phones updated written into their contract with Google.
A contract obtained by The Verge requires Android device makers to regularly install updates for any popular phone or tablet for at least two years. Google’s contract with Android partners stipulates that they must provide “at least four security updates” within one year of the phone’s launch. Security updates are mandated within the second year as well, though without a specified minimum number of releases.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Verge:
Leaked Google contract stipulates that Android device makers provide at least two years of security updates for phones and tablets that have 100K+ activations — Every month, a security team at Google releases a new set of patches for Android — and every month, carriers and manufacturers struggle …
Google mandates two years of security updates for popular phones in new Android contract
https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/24/18019356/android-security-update-mandate-google-contract
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/8612-alypuhelin-on-kaappaajille-helppoa-riistaa
Tomi Engdahl says:
Steven Aquino / MacStories:
Shortcuts in iOS 12 help make iOS devices more accessible for disabled users by reducing common points of friction, like excessive tapping and swiping
Why Shortcuts Matter for Accessibility
https://www.macstories.net/stories/why-shortcuts-matter-for-accessibility/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Angelo Amante / Reuters:
Italian anti-trust watchdog fines Apple and Samsung €5M for phone performance throttling and Apple an additional €5M over lack of info on battery replacement
Italian watchdog fines Apple, Samsung over software updates
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-samsung-italy-antitrust/italian-watchdog-fines-apple-samsung-over-software-updates-idUSKCN1MY1CN
Italy’s anti-trust watchdog said on Wednesday it was fining Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS) 5 million euros ($5.7 million) each following complaints they used software updates to slow down their mobile phones.
Apple was hit with an additional 5 million euro fine for failing to give clients clear information about how to maintain or eventually replace handset batteries.
The anti-trust body said in a statement that some Apple and Samsung firmware updates “had caused serious dysfunctions and reduced performance significantly, thereby accelerating the process of replacing them”.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2018/10/24/mobiilimaksaminen-vasta-lyomassa-lapi-turvallisuus-mietityttaa/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Pine64 is Working on a Linux Smartphone Running KDE Plasma
https://itsfoss.com/pinebook-kde-smartphone/
It’s a confirmed news that Pine64 is considering a budget Linux smartphone running KDE Plasma.
Pine64 is a hardware vendor famous for its Linux-based Single Board Computers like Pine A64. These ARM boards are inexpensive and cost only $15-$20.
Pine64 also has an $89 Linux laptop called Pinebook. This laptop actually runs the Pine A64 underneath it.
people from Pine64 have expressed their interest in creating inexpensive Linux-based tablets and smartphones that run KDE Plasma.
The first PinePhone developer kit will be given to selected developers for free on November 1. This is a combo kit of PINE A64 baseboard + SOPine module + 7″ Touch Screen Display + Camera + Wifi/BT + Playbox enclosure + Lithium-Ion battery case + LTE cat 4 USB dongle.
This combo kits will allow developers to jump starts PinePhone development.
Tomi Engdahl says:
SIM Cards That Force Your Mobile Data Through Tor Are Coming
https://gizmodo.com/sim-cards-that-force-your-mobile-data-through-tor-are-c-1829932193
It’s increasingly difficult to expect privacy when you’re browsing online, so a non-profit in the UK is working to build the power of Tor’s anonymity network right into the heart of your smartphone.
Brass Horn Communications is experimenting with all sorts of ways to improve Tor’s usability for UK residents. The Tor browser bundle for PCs can help shield your IP address from snoopers and data-collection giants.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple Just Killed The ‘GrayKey’ iPhone Passcode Hack
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2018/10/24/apple-just-killed-the-graykey-iphone-passcode-hack/#70bfd5d75318
Apple has managed to prevent the hottest iPhone hacking company in the world from doing its thing.
Uncloaked by Forbes in March, Atlanta-based Grayshift promised governments its GrayKey tech could crack the passcodes of the latest iOS models, right up to the iPhone X. From then on, Apple continued to invest in security in earnest, continually putting up barriers for Grayshift to jump over. Grayshift continued to grow, however, securing contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Secret Service.
Now, though, Apple has put up what may be an insurmountable wall. Multiple sources familiar with the GrayKey tech tell Forbes the device can no longer break the passcodes of any iPhone running iOS 12 or above.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2018/10/26/kammenlaite-sai-tiukemman-mil-luokituksen-ja-bluetooth-5-tuen/
Tomi Engdahl says:
EMMC Data Recovery From A Bricked Phone
https://hackaday.com/2018/10/26/emmc-data-recovery-from-a-bricked-phone/
https://dangerouspayload.com/2018/10/24/emmc-data-recovery-from-damaged-smartphone/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Decoding the Google Titan, Titan, and Titan M – that last one is the Pixel 3′s security chip
Chocolate Factory opens lid, just a little, on secure boot and crypto phone coprocessor
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/10/18/google_hardens_pixel3/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Vatican releases its own ‘Pokémon Go’ app that lets you chase Jesus and it’s just as unbelievable as it sounds
https://www.businessinsider.com/vaticans-pokemon-go-game-lets-you-chase-jesus-2018-10?utm_content=buffer6b337&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer&r=US&IR=T&IR=T
The Vatican has released a game called “Follow JC Go” based on the augmented reality game “Pokémon Go.”
Rather than chasing Pikachu and Squirtle, the Vatican version involves collecting saints and other Biblical figures.
Once players “catch ‘em all,” their spiritual squad becomes an “evangelization team” that follows Jesus together.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Building Smartphone Antennas That Play Nice Together
https://spectrum.ieee.org/telecom/wireless/building-smartphone-antennas-that-play-nice-together
The problem has bedeviled designers for decades: How do you squeeze more and more antennas into smaller and smaller mobile devices?
It’s tempting to think that the answer is simply to use smaller antennas or to pack them closer together, but there are fundamental constraints on antenna size and placement.
Two antennas are bad enough. But these days, a typical smart device can have many more. Their ranks usually include one or two antennas for Wi-Fi, one for Bluetooth, one for GPS, and two or four for 4G LTE cellular communications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
These $1,000 smart glasses tell you the weather, read text messages and connect to Alexa
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/23/norths-focals-smart-glasses-first-look.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Foldscope: A Paper Microscope You Can Attach to Your Smartphone
https://spectrum.ieee.org/geek-life/tools-toys/foldscope-a-paper-microscope-you-can-attach-to-your-smartphone
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kyle Wiggers / VentureBeat:
Why Android Nearby, iBeacons, and Eddystone failed to gain traction: low consumer awareness, spammy local notifications, complicated on-site rollouts, more
Why Android Nearby, iBeacons, and Eddystone failed to gain traction
https://venturebeat.com/2018/10/27/why-android-nearby-ibeacons-and-eddystone-failed-to-gain-traction/
Apple, Google, and other tech titans once trumpeted beacons — tiny transmitters that interact with smartphones, wearables, and other nearby gadgets — as the future of retail. The consensus roughly five years ago was that radios in restaurants, retailers, and sports stadiums would drive contextually relevant, highly personalized promotions to patrons within range of their wireless signals.
It didn’t quite work out that way.
Google this week did away with Nearby Notifications, following on the heels of its decision to gut support for Eddystone from Android and Chrome in October 2017. In the years since Eddystone and Apple iBeacon were introduced, beacon adoption among brick and mortar chains has slowed to a trickle. Now only a handful of brands — Target, Starbucks, and Walmart, to name a few — continue to invest in beacons.
This bearishness comes down to platform issues, mostly, with security vulnerabilities and poor reception thrown in for good measure. Technological shortcomings aren’t to blame, as you’ll see in our brief history of beacon platforms. The truth is, it’s a bit more complicated.
Competing standards
iBeacon
Eddystone and Google beacon platform
BLE beacon hardware
BLE beacons are pretty energy-efficient, as you might expect — some can last for up to two years on a single cell battery. They operate on the 2.4 GHz – 2.4835 GHz spectrum range; can reach up to 450 meters; and they’re cheap, ranging in cost from $5 to $50.
BLE beacons of all flavors can pinpoint a device’s location. How? Transfer power — the strength of the wireless signal measured at one meter from the target phone, smartwatch, or tablet — decreases as distance increases, and because the strength of the signal at exactly one meter from the device is calibrated and hardcoded into the beacon, BLE beacons can compare the two values to calculate a rough distance.
Android Nearby
Alongside Eddystone, Google released the Nearby API for Android and iOS, which uses a combination of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and inaudible, ultrasonic sound to establish proximity.
More beacons, more problems
Beacons appeared to be off to a promising start five years ago. And roughly 4 million beacons were active at the beginning of this year, up from 500,000 in 2015 — a nearly 900 percent increase in three years.
Sports stadiums were early adopters.
Retailers and restaurants rushed in with the same zeal.
There were signs of success early on. In the 2014-2015 season
But by 2015, only 3 percent of retailers in the U.S. had implemented beacon technology, and only 16 percent had plans to implement beacons.
So what happened?
App dependence was (and is) a major hurdle. It’s tough to convince customers to download a service they’ve never used, even with the promise of discounts — especially considering up to 70 percent haven’t heard of beacons.
Power and range limitations pose an additional challenge. Only about 40 percent of users in North America report using Bluetooth (though it’s worth noting that on most newer devices, Bluetooth interacts passively with BLE beacons), and Bluetooth signals are more easily obstructed by physical objects than Wi-Fi. Though they last for years in some cases, beacons’ batteries also have a finite lifespan. Deployment takes a lot of planning and testing.
Beacons tend to be spammy, too. Google cited “a significant increase in locally irrelevant … notifications” as the reason it decided to discontinue Nearby Notifications
And then there’s the matter of privacy. Few in-store apps are explicitly clear about what sort of location and behavioral information they’re collecting, which can include metrics like visits, unique visitors, new visitors, popular paths, repeat visits, retention, and more. The same goes for APIs like Google’s Nearby, which came under fire from privacy advocates concerned about how the audio component of the beacons is recorded and stored.
None of that’s to suggest beacons are entirely dead. Big-name retailers like Walmart, Rite Aid, and Target continue to trial BLE beacon-powered in-store shopping experiences; Google’s providing beacons to retailers in the U.S. and U.K.; and overall annual beacon shipments are expected to hit 565 million units by 2021.
But they’re certainly not poised to revolutionize the way we shop, dine, and cheer on our favorite sports teams — at least, not anytime soon.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bluetooth-kuulokkeet eivät koskaan pärjää johdollisille
http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/8633-bluetooth-kuulokkeet-eivat-koskaan-parjaa-johdollisille
Tuoreen tutkimuksen mukaan Bluetooth-kaiuttimet eivät kuitenkaan koskaan pärjää laadussa johdollisille. Kaikissa Bluetooth-audiokoodekeissa on puutteita.
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/8632-huawei-ei-paljasta-lippulaivansa-saloja