I was planning to write some article on the mobile trends on this year based on news-feed from MWC 2020 mobile event, but MWC canceled because of Coronavirus COVID-19. And so some other events.
Here are some trends:
It seems that smart phones seem to have as much excitement when a new model is released. Usually there is no new feature that renders the latest model an absolute must-have. Apart from potential prestige, there’s usually very little difference to the user whether the phone cost $300 or $1200.
People still remember the failed promise of foldable phones and 5G. For those 2019 had been a year of failed promises.
Along with foldable displays, the fifth generation of networking technology was touted as being the next big thing in the mobile business. It seems that year 2020 will be a real test for 5G if it will really take on or fails to full-fill the big expectations. This year will be the real test for 5G devices as the 5G device mass market has not yet really started. Read more on that on my 5G trends 2020 post.
The smartphones market was valued at USD 714.96 billion in 2019. It was expected to reach USD 1351.8 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 11.2%. But it seems that this year does not meet those expectations, as IDC expects Smartphone market to drop 2.3% in 2020 due to coronavirus. COVID-19 outbreak is expected to result into 10.6 percent drop in the first half of 2020 and China’s smartphone market will drop by nearly 40 percent year over year in the first quarter. The SMEs in the phone industry, especially retail channel partners, will see the biggest effect.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/11270-apple-yllatti-niin-hyvassa-kuin-pahassa
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google introduces song matching via humming, whistling or singing
https://techcrunch.com/2020/10/15/google-introduces-song-matching-via-humming-whistling-or-singing/?tpcc=ECFB2020
Tomi Engdahl says:
Huawei Fallout—Game-Changing New China Threat Strikes At Apple And Samsung
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2020/10/18/huawei-fallout-game-changing-new-china-threat-strikes-at-apple-and-samsung/
Absent a U.S. backtrack, a huge Huawei-shaped hole will open up in next year’s global smartphone sector, a sales game-changer for the industry. A blacklist-induced shortage of chipsets looks set to send Huawei sales plummeting when current stockpiles run down. While this appears to be a stunning opportunity for Apple and Samsung, that’s under threat. China inc. is confident that Huawei’s recipe for success can be replicated and is moving quickly to do so.
First out of the blocks to rinse and repeat Huawei’s “premium smartphones for less” strategy has been the much smaller Xiaomi, which beat Huawei in Europe for the first time in the second quarter this year, its revenues soared 65% as Huawei shrunk. Xiaomi moved into third place, behind Samsung and Apple. More notably, Xiaomi saw exports of premium devices (€300 plus) up more than 99% year-on-year.
Xiaomi has positioned itself as Huawei’s likely Chinese export successor, but that’s about to change. China’s Oppo is only just behind Xiaomi for overall global sales, but much larger in China itself. Counterpoint highlights Oppo as the other Chinese brand to watch. “Geopolitical policies and political affairs among nations are affecting the smartphone market in many ways—we see players like Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi and Oppo benefiting the most.” Oppo is part of BBK, which also has Vivo in its stable, and is a serious competitor to Apple and Samsung globally.
Tomi Engdahl says:
BBC:
UK to make it illegal to use a mobile phone while driving from next year, closing a loophole that let drivers use a phone to take a photo or play a game
Drivers to be banned from picking up mobile phones
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54578607
It will become illegal for anyone to pick up and use their mobile phone while driving, under new legislation to be enacted next year.
The change will end a loophole that can allow drivers to escape punishment for using a hand-held phone to take a photo or play a game.
Mobiles will still be able to be used to pay for a drive-through takeaway.
And drivers will still be able to use devices hands-free under the plans, the Department for Transport said.
At present, making phone calls and sending text messages are banned while driving.
Roads minister Baroness Vere said hand-held phone use behind the wheel was “distracting and dangerous” and that “for too long risky drivers have been able to escape punishment”.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2020/10/19/kannykkaakkujen-langaton-lataus-nopeutuu/
Uusin merkkipaalu on kiinalaisen kännykkämerkki Xiaomin 80 watin tekniikka, jonka luvataan lataavan tyhjän 4000 mAh:n akun kymmeneen prosenttiin yhdessä minuutissa, 50 prosenttiin 8 minuutissa ja kokonaan 19 minuutissa.
Xiaomin uusi langaton 80 watin Mi-lataustekniikka on yrityksen uusin askel eteenpäin viime vuonna julkistamasta 30 watin langattomasta latauksesta. Uusi tekniikka tarjoaa Xiaomin mukaan merkittävästi enemmän, kuin muut valmistajat kykenevät vielä langattomasti tarjoamaan.
80 watin latauksen käyttöönotto on merkittävää paitsi langattomalle lataukselle, myös latausteknologialle ylipäätään. Xiaomi on tunnistanut pitkän akkukeston ja nopean latausajan merkityksen älypuhelinten tulevallle kehitykselle.
Xiaomi esitteli aiemmin tänä vuonna myös uuden Mi 10 Ultra -puhelimen, jonka yhteydessä yritys toi ensimmäisenä 120 watin langallisen ja myös 50 watin langattoman laturin.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smartphone shipments rebound to an all-time high in India
https://techcrunch.com/2020/10/22/smartphone-shipments-rebound-to-hit-an-all-time-high-in-india/?tpcc=ECFB2020
Smartphone shipments reached an all-time high in India in the quarter that ended in September this year as the world’s second largest handset market remained fully open during the period after initial lockdowns due to the coronavirus, according to a new report.
About 50 million smartphones shipped in India in Q3 2020, a new quarterly record for the country where about 17.3 million smartphone units shipped in Q2 (during two-thirds of the period much of the country was under lockdown) and 33.5 million units shipped in Q1 this year, research firm Canalys said on Thursday.
Xiaomi, which assumed the No.1 smartphone spot in India in late 2018, continues to maintain its dominance in the country. It commanded 26.1% of the smartphone market in India, exceeding Samsung’s 20.4%, Vivo’s 17.6%, and Realme’s 17.4%, the marketing research firm said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/11301-micron-nostaa-selvasti-kannykkamuistin-nopeutta
Data tulee älypuhelimeen selvästi aiempaa nopeammin 5G-verkosta, joten laitteen kyky käsitellä sitä joutuu kovalle koetukselle. Micron Technologyn mukaan LPDDR4-pohjaiset muistimoduulit ovat suorituskykynsä äärirajoilla, ja uusi uMCP5-moduuli korjaa ongelmat.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Älypuhelimen äly perustuu pitkälti antureihin
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/11304-alypuhelimen-aly-perustuu-pitkalti-antureihin
Premium-luokan älypuhelimissa on nykyään toistakymmentä erilaista anturia, joihin laitteiden äly pitkälti perustuu. Hyvä esimerkki on Samsungin uusi Note 20 Ultra, johon STMicroelectronics on päässyt toimittamaan useita antureita.
Älypuhelimen kamera osaa nykyään tuottaa hyvin luonnollisia bokeh-efektejä eli kuvassa tausta on sumennettu. Sumentaminen tapahtuu kuvaprosessorilla, mutta se tarvitsee tuekseen mahdollisimman tarkan tiedon siitä, kuinka kaukana laitteesta eri objektit kuvassa ovat.
Note 20 Ultrassa kohteiden etäisyyksiä mittaa – samalla ensimmäistä kertaa älypuhelimessa – ST:n lentoaikaa mittaava FlightSense-perheen ToF-anturi, joka osaa skannata eri alueita ja useita kohteita samanaikaisesti. Mittaus perustuu 940 nanometrin laserpulsseihin ja kohteiden etäisyys lasketaan 60 kertaa sekunnissa aina kolmeen metriin asti.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Katie Deighton / Wall Street Journal:
A look at Google’s Next Billion Users team, tasked with building products and apps for people who have yet to use the internet, often in developing markets
Google Rethinks App Design for Internet Novices
The company’s Go apps aim to teach new internet users the web’s visual language
https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-rethinks-app-design-for-internet-novices-11603274401?mod=djemalertNEWS
“We talk about building products for people in Mumbai, not Mountain View,” Google’s director of product management Josh Woodward said. Pictured, migrant workers in Mumbai during India’s coronavirus lockdown in May.
Alphabet Inc.’s Google in March unveiled a photography app for smartphones that appeared underwhelmingly basic. But the simplicity was by design.
The selling points of Camera Go, like a portrait mode focusing feature that is standard on many smartphones and a photo storage space display that appeared on the earliest web-connected devices, weren’t designed to win over tech junkies. In fact, the app is only available on some basic Nokia and Wiko devices.
It was developed by a team at Google called Next Billion Users, a growing unit charged with building products for people, often in developing markets, whose first encounter with the internet has yet to come.
The team applies design principles intended to help users who aren’t familiar with the typical iconography and language of the web, and builds products primarily for the smartphones this group is likely to be using, as opposed to computers.
About 46% of the global population didn’t use the internet in 2019, according to a report by the United Nations’ International Telecommunication Union.
A lack of experience can impede the uptake and effective use of the internet, the UN report said, noting that in 40 out of 84 countries for which data are available, less than half the population possesses basic computer skills such as copying a file or sending an email with an attachment.
That dynamic is often overlooked by companies that aim to get more people online, said Josh Woodward, director of product management at Google.
Around 300 people work with him on the company’s Next Billion Users team, called NBU for short, and the company is hiring more across its offices around the world
“There’s a very different set of people coming online from the first three billion people that already had a desktop or laptop, so we had to rethink at Google how we build products,” Mr. Woodward said. “We talk about building products for people in Mumbai, not Mountain View.”
Products designed for developing markets tend to be built with data constraints in mind. Twitter Lite, for example, is a slimmed-down version of the main app created for users who live in areas where internet speeds are slow. Facebook Lite, a similar data-light version of the main social platform, was introduced in 2015.
Camera Go is part of a suite of Google apps for new internet users.
Others products include Gallery Go, which lets users search and edit their photos, and Assistant Go, which lets people ask Google questions by voice or text.
While the products are designed to use less data than their classic counterparts, the interface and user experience also have been redesigned for people who aren’t already fluent in typical app layouts, their icons and the gestures needed to operate them.
“Onboarding means trying to set up a user for success in your product when they open it for the first time,” Ms. Chan said. “It tells you about the functions—what you can and can’t do, maybe where to tap—but then it’s all over.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Jay Peters / The Verge:
Google announces a Fi subscription program where users can buy a Pixel 4a for $9/month for two years, costing a total of $216 instead of the $349 upfront price
Google will sell you a $349 Pixel 4A for $216 over two years
That means you’ll pay a total of $216 for the phone over a 24-month subscription
https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/22/21529397/google-fi-phone-subscription-plan-pixel-4a?scrolla=5eb6d68b7fedc32c19ef33b4
You can now buy the Pixel 4A from Google for just $9 per month over 24 months as part of the new Google Fi phone subscription program. That monthly cost means you’d pay just just $216 for the phone, a substantial savings over its $349 upfront price. After you’ve made all 24 payments, you own the phone.
You can also elect to add in a $6 per month device protection plan, meaning your monthly subscription cost is $15. That protection plan covers up to two incidents of accidental damage and one loss or theft claim in a year. (Loss and theft replacement isn’t available to New York state residents, however.) At $15 per month over 24 months, you’d pay $360 for the Pixel 4A over the course of the subscription, which is only $11 more than the phone’s typical $349 upfront cost.
But if you were hoping you could sign up for this subscription, not get a protection plan, and then pay off the device in full to save more than $100 on a Pixel 4A, that’s not an option — you lose the discount on the phone if you pre-pay your remaining balance ahead of time, according to Google’s terms for the subscription.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Joseph Cox / VICE:
How Phantom Secure, which started as a privacy-focused phone company in Canada, became a network for the Sinaloa Cartel before being shut down by the FBI — Vince Ramos wanted Phantom Secure to be the Uber of privacy-focused, luxury-branded phones—flood the market with devices, and sort out the law later.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7m4pj/the-network-vincent-ramos-phantom-secure
Tomi Engdahl says:
Daniel Cooper / Engadget:
Hands-on with Huawei’s new Mate 40 Pro: incredible cameras and powerful processors, but the app selection is atrocious and makes the handset hard to recommend — You know the score by now. Huawei currently makes Android phones that can’t run Android apps, or at least the ones that I, and most people, want to use.
https://www.engadget.com/huawei-mate-40-123031700.html
Jon Porter / The Verge:
Huawei debuts €1,199 Mate 40 Pro and €1,399 Pro Plus, with 5nm Kirin 9000 chip, 6.76″ display, 50 MP main camera, 50W wireless charging, available Nov. 13 in UK
Huawei’s Mate 40 Pro announced with speedy 50W wireless charging
Plus a new flagship Kirin 9000 processor
https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/22/21528249/huawei-mate-40-pro-plus-release-date-news-features-price-specs-cameras?scrolla=5eb6d68b7fedc32c19ef33b4
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung and Huawei are rushing foldable phones to market, while researchers continue to search for a technology that is foldable, durable, and reliable.
From Foldable Phones to Stretchy Screens
https://spectrum.ieee.org/consumer-electronics/portable-devices/from-foldable-phones-to-stretchy-screens
Tomi Engdahl says:
‘Apple, Google and a Deal That Controls the Internet’
from the Hey-Siri dept.
https://m.slashdot.org/story/377452
The New York Times’ looks at “a deal that controls the internet” — Apple’s agreement to feature Google as the preselected search engine for iPhones, saying America’s Justice Department views it “as a prime example of what prosecutors say are Google’s illegal tactics to protect its monopoly and choke off competition…”
The scrutiny of the pact, which was first inked 15 years ago and has rarely been discussed by either company, has highlighted the special relationship between Silicon Valley’s two most valuable companies — an unlikely union of rivals that regulators say is unfairly preventing smaller companies from flourishing.
Nearly half of Google’s search traffic now comes from Apple devices, according to the Justice Department, and the prospect of losing the Apple deal has been described as a “code red” scenario inside the company. When iPhone users search on Google, they see the search ads that drive Google’s business. They can also find their way to other Google products, like YouTube. A former Google executive, who asked not to be identified because he was not permitted to talk about the deal, said the prospect of losing Apple’s traffic was “terrifying” to the company.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/11314-samsung-galaxy-z-fold-2-5g-upea-laite-korvaa-tabletin-ja-osin-lapparin
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/11312-huawein-uusimmassa-on-markkinoiden-paras-kamera
Tomi Engdahl says:
Magnetic-Field Navigation as an “Alternative” GPS?
Using measurements of anomalies in the Earth’s magnetic field and machine learning to extract data from raw signals, then matching them to accurate magnetic-anomaly maps, it may possible to navigate aircraft with reasonable accuracy independent of GPS.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/industrial-automation/article/21145842/electronic-design-magneticfield-navigation-as-an-alternative-gps?utm_source=EG+ED+Analog+%26+Power+Source&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS201021099&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.ident%5Bpull%5D=omeda%7C7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/11326-3d-skannaus-on-pian-vakiona-kannykassa
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2020/10/27/kannykoiden-naytot-puhtaaksi-uv-c-tekniikalla/
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to connect your Android device to a TV: MHL, Miracast & more
https://www.mobilefun.co.uk/blog/how-to-connect-your-android-device-to-a-tv-mhl-miracast-more/
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to get the old Gmail, Calendar, Google Drive icons back on Android, iPhone, and Chrome
https://9to5google.com/2020/11/04/replace-google-gmail-calendar-icons/
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Alternative App Store For Non-Jailbroken iPhones Gaining Traction
https://www.yourdigitalmind.com/news/new-alternative-app-store-for-non-jailbroken-iphones-gaining-traction/
AltStore is an iOS application that will allow a user to ‘sideload’ additional apps ( .ipa files ) onto your iOS device using just an Apple ID.
What originally started as an all-in one emulator for iOS- the author of AltStore is opening the door the contributors who will help adding support and distribution capabilities through the AltStore/AltServer combo.
How Does It Work?
AltStore resigns applications with your own personal developer certificate, then sends them to a desktop application, AltServer, which will then install the resigned application back to your device using iTunes WiFi sync.
AltStore contains a persistence module which will refresh the apps in the background when connected to the same WiFi as AltServer.
What Does AltStore Do?
Basically AltStore will allow you to install applications on an iOS device, that is not jail broken, that otherwise would not be able to install the application due to licensing and other issues associated with the app.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Huawei reportedly set to sell Honor budget phone division for $15B
https://techcrunch.com/2020/11/10/huawei-reportedly-set-to-sell-honor-budget-phone-division-for-15b/?tpcc=ECFB2020
Following weeks of rumors surrounding a potential sale, Huawei has reportedly struck a deal to divest itself of its Honor brand. A new report out today from Reuters notes that the embattled hardware maker will sell the budget unit to a consortium of buyers that includes the government of the city of Shenzhen and Digital China, a phone distributor.
The report, which cites “people familiar with the matter,” puts the price tag for the Honor unit at $15.2 billion.
Tomi Engdahl says:
New lawsuit: Why do Android phones mysteriously exchange 260MB a month with Google via cellular data when they’re not even in use?
Ad giant sued after mobile allowances eaten by hidden transfers
https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/14/google_android_data_allowance/
Google on Thursday was sued for allegedly stealing Android users’ cellular data allowances though unapproved, undisclosed transmissions to the web giant’s servers.
The lawsuit, Taylor et al v. Google [PDF], was filed in a US federal district court in San Jose on behalf of four plaintiffs based in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin in the hope the case will be certified by a judge as a class action.
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Slim Display Takes Us A Step Closer To Holograms For Smartphones
https://www.iflscience.com/technology/new-slim-display-takes-us-a-step-closer-to-holograms-for-smartphones/
This might not be the case for long. Researchers report in Nature Communications the development of a new display that allows holograms to be viewed with a slimmer setup, and it might eventually be updated into a portable device. Study author Jungkwuen An and colleagues note the images continue to appear 3D from a range of angles that’s 30 times wider than regular screens.
The display is less than 1 centimeter thick and was combined with a single-chip custom processor. It uses a special backlight and light-tilting mechanism to provide the crucial illumination to the images. The team demonstrated this by producing a 4K video of a swimming turtle amidst real objects such as aquatic plants.
Tomi Engdahl says:
3D scanning with smart phone
https://www.facebook.com/supercarblondie/videos/822582651871967/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Gartner: Q3 smartphone sales down 5.7% to 366M, stemming Covid-19 declines earlier this year
https://techcrunch.com/2020/11/23/gartner-q3-smartphone-sales-down-5-7-to-366m-stemming-covid-19-declines-earlier-this-year/?tpcc=ECFB2020
As we head into the all-important holiday sales period, new numbers from Gartner point to some recovery for the smartphone market as vendors roll out a raft of new 5G handsets. Q3 smartphone figures published today showed that smartphone unit sales declined 5.7% globally over the same period last year to 366 million units. Yes, it’s a drop, but it is still a clear improvement on the first half of this year, when sales slumped by 20% in each quarter, due largely to the effects of Covid-19 on spending and consumer confidence overall.
Tomi Engdahl says:
PinePhone – KDE Community Edition on yksityisyyttä arvostavan Linux-puhelin Plasma Mobile -ympäristöllä
20.11.202007:05
PinePhone tarjoaa pian älypuhelimen suositulla Plasma Mobile -ympäristöllä.
https://www.mikrobitti.fi/uutiset/pinephone-kde-community-edition-on-yksityisyytta-arvostavan-linux-puhelin-plasma-mobile-ymparistolla/c41618eb-a623-4ae8-a189-627247b28aa4
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://e.foundation/
Tomi Engdahl says:
WHY YOUR BRAND-NEW SMARTPHONE WILL SCRATCH JUST AS EASILY AS YOUR OLD ONE
For years, Gorilla Glass’ scratch resistance on smartphones has plateaued
https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/10/19/17514174/gorilla-glass-scratch-resistance-google-pixel-3-samsung-galaxy-s9-note
EveryEvery year, your favorite smartphone gets better specs that boost its processing speed, data security, and picture quality. But one remaining constant is scratch resistance, which does not seem to have improved year over year.
Most smartphones are covered with Gorilla Glass, a glass made by Corning that’s been specifically engineered to protect against drops and other damage. But devices with that glass are still prone to scratches if you place them in the same pocket as your keys and coins. Even if you don’t, it doesn’t take long for a phone to collect all kinds of scratches just from daily use.
The reason why has to do with both market demand and glass’ natural qualities. Since glass can’t truly be both extremely drop resistant and scratch resistant, Corning and other glass makers are forced to choose which of those two qualities to prioritize. For Corning, drop resistance takes precedence.
Corning’s decision to focus on harder, crack-resistant glass dates back the story of Gorilla Glass’ origin. Steve Jobs asked Corning’s CEO to make a glass cover that would protect the iPhone from scratches and cracks. Prior to the iPhone, touchscreen smartphones used soft plastic on top of their displays, which was suitable for a stylus, but terrible for finger touch interactions.
As the Samsungs, Apples, Huaweis, and Googles of the world ask for thinner and lighter glass, Corning in turn has to make that thin glass stronger to keep up its drop resistance. Corning’s VP of Gorilla Glass, John Bayne, made note of the conflict to Digital Trends last December, “The number one pain point for consumers is still broken devices, so we have prioritized drop with recent generations of Gorilla Glass.”
Smartphones that use Gorilla Glass 5 — the generation of glass introduced in 2016 and found on Samsung’s Galaxy devices, the LG G7 ThinQ, and the OnePlus 6, to name a few — have benefited from the glass’s greater resistance to taking damage from falls, as compared to its predecessors. And Corning claims the latest and greatest Gorilla Glass 6, which should start showing up on phones this fall, can survive 15 drops from a one meter height.
The main way that glass makers strengthen glass is through tempering, which can either be an intense heating process or a chemical treatment
Tempering gives up added hardness in favor of flexibility. More tempering “makes the whole screen more tolerant to overall bending, as in dropping the phone,”
According to Corning’s own tests, Gorilla Glass’ scratch resistance hasn’t improved since 2014.
“For scratch, there are so many ways to test it … and different tests create different levels of damage,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple is now building the chip it needs to ditch Qualcomm like it ditched Intel
Would an Apple modem be better, or just less reliance on Qualcomm?
https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/10/22168779/apple-leak-cellular-modem-johny-srouji-town-hall
Tomi Engdahl says:
Not even 5G could rescue smartphone sales in 2020
Here’s to next year
https://techcrunch.com/2020/12/24/not-even-5g-could-rescue-smartphone-sales-in-2020/?tpcc=ECTW2020
This was going to be the year of 5G. It was going to be the year the next-generation wireless technology helped reverse some troubling macro trends for the industry — or at the very least helped stem the bleeding some.
But the best laid plans, and all that. With about a week left in the year, I think it’s pretty safe to say that 2020 didn’t wind up the way the vast majority of us had hoped. It’s a list that certainly includes the lion’s share of smartphone makers. Look no further than a recent report published by Gartner to answer the question of just how bad 2020 was for smartphone sales.
Gartner point to some recovery underway for the smartphone market as vendors roll out a raft of new 5G handsets. Q3 smartphone figures from the analysts published today showed that smartphone unit sales were 366 million units, a decline of 5.7% globally
Tomi Engdahl says:
Come June 1, 2021, all of your new photos will count against your free Google storage
https://techcrunch.com/2020/11/11/google-cuts-back-on-its-free-storage-get-ready-to-pay-up/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung’s upcycling program is designed to give new life to old tech
https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/11/samsungs-upcycling-program-is-designed-to-give-new-life-to-old-tech/?tpcc=ECFB2021
During this morning’s CES kickoff press conference, Samsung outlined its new Galaxy Upcycling at Home program. For now, we got some pretty broad strokes about the program — and we’ll likely get more information at this Friday’s Galaxy Unpacked event. Here’s what the company had to say: “The new program reimagines the lifecycle of an older Galaxy phone and offers consumers options on how they might be able to repurpose their device to create a variety of convenient IoT tools.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://9to5mac.com/2021/01/11/user-successfully-runs-ubuntu-on-a-jailbroken-iphone-7/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Researchers Turn Arduino-Powered LED Lighting and a Simple Smartphone Into a 3D Imaging System
Using the high-speed video mode of the smartphone camera, the system allows for accurate 3D reconstruction without synchronization.
https://www.hackster.io/news/researchers-turn-arduino-powered-led-lighting-and-a-simple-smartphone-into-a-3d-imaging-system-5430b633fe80
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Linux-based PinePhone is the most interesting smartphone I’ve tried in years
https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/08/13/the-linux-based-pinephone-is-the-most-interesting-smartphone-ive-tried-in-years/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nikkei Asia:
After Huawei spinoff, Honor confirms partnerships with key chip suppliers such as AMD, Intel, Qualcomm, and MediaTek, launches new smartphone and notebooks — Smartphone maker unveils first handset since splitting from China tech titan — TAIPEI — Honor, the former budget smartphone arm …
Honor secures access to chip supplies after Huawei spinoff
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Huawei-crackdown/Honor-secures-access-to-chip-supplies-after-Huawei-spinoff
Smartphone maker unveils first handset since splitting from China tech titan
Tomi Engdahl says:
China smartphone market declines 11% in 2020, says Canalys
https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20210129PR201.html
The smartphone market in China finished 2020 with 84 million units shipped in the fourth quarter, declining 4% on year, according to Canalys. For full-year 2020, the China market declined 11% to arrive at just over 330 million units, as market recovery was stalled by the rapid deterioration of Huawei’s performance as a result of US sanctions.
Huawei (including Honor) managed to ship 18.8 million units in the fourth quarter of 2020, and its market share declined to 22% from 41% in the prior quarter, said Canalys.
Oppo rose rapidly into second place shipping 17.2 million smartphones in the fourth quarter, up 23% on year, Canalys indicated. Vivo also showed strong year-on-year growth at 20%, and came in third at 15.7 million units.
Apple reported its best performance in China in recent years, shipping more than 15.3 million units in the fourth quarter of 2020, with market share reaching 18% compared with 15% a year earlier, Canalys said. Xiaomi completed the top five shipping 12.2 million units, growing 52% on year.
“It is possibly Huawei’s toughest time as it is restrained to even serve its home market,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
3D Fingerprint Sensors Get Under Your Skin
New sensor uses ultrasound pulses to map out blood vessels within the fingertip, as well as fingerprints
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/sensors/imagers/3d-fingerprint-sensor-id-subcutaneous
Tomi Engdahl says:
Break Away From Android and iOS: 7 Free Open-Source Mobile OSes to Try
Liberate yourself from the control of Google and Apple with a free, open-source, and privacy-respecting mobile OS. Prepare to face unexpected problems and give up some modern smartphone conveniences along the way, though.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/break-away-from-android-ios-7-free-open-source-mobile-oses-to-try
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.designnews.com/electronics/mobile-phone-becomes-science-lab
Tomi Engdahl says:
AR-sisältöä kännykkään ilman sovellusta
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/11821-ar-sisaltoa-kannykkaan-ilman-sovellusta
Suomalainen AR-sisältöjä yritysten käyttöön kehittävä FlyAR on yrittänyt ratkaista yhtä lisätyn todellisuuden isoa hidastetta: nimittäin sitä, että sisällöt yleensä vaativat erillisen sovelluksen asentamisen. Yhtiön kehittämä demo toimii webAR-pohjaisesti suoraan selaimessa.
Lisätty todellisuus alkoi vuonna 2020 siirtyä erillisistä sovelluksista mobiiliselaimiin. Kehityssuunta on hyvä, sillä juuri kukaan ei nauti sovellusten lataamisesta. Selainpohjaisen AR:n toimintavarmuutta kuitenkin hidasti erot mobiiliselaimissa ja niiden webAR-tuessa. Nyt suurin osa moderneista mobiiliselaimista tukee webAR-sisältöä luotettavasti.
FlyAR:n demo toimii niin, että QR-koodi toimii linkkinä AR-toteutukseen, joka avautuu mobiililaitteen oletusselaimeen. Ideaalisti käyttäjä skannaa QR-koodin laitteensa kameralla (iOS-laitteiden ja useiden Android-laitteiden kamerasovellukset lukevat QR-koodeja), siirtyy selaimeen, antaa selaimen pyytämät luvat, sisältö latautuu nopeasti pilvestä ja ilmestyy kohdekuvan päälle.
https://flyar.fi/fi/toitamme/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.eetimes.com/qualcomm-asks-can-you-hear-me-better-now/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/11845-qualcomm-lupaa-androidiin-selvasti-iphonea-paremman-aanenlaadun
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2021/03/05/uudella-da-muuntimella-parannusta-kannykka-aaneen/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Billions of accessories in the bin, and having to buy more dongles, that’s what it means for us.
No more Lightning port: What will that mean for us?
https://www.zdnet.com/article/no-more-lightning-what-will-that-mean-for-us/?ftag=COS-05-10aaa0h&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook
Billions of accessories in the bin, and having to buy more dongles, that’s what it means for us.
It seems increasingly likely that Apple is getting ready to phase out the Lightning port. Whether the iPhone 13 will rip off the Band-Aid in one go, or whether we’re in for a protracted death (a prominent Apple watcher has recently softened on a previous claim it would happen this year), the writing is on the wall, and all signs point to the charging port’s days being numbered.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Oppo takes China’s smartphone sales crown as former leader’s sales dive Huawei down
Without Honor, or 5G silicon, there can be no victory
https://www.theregister.com/2021/03/08/oppo_top_chinese_smartphone_brand/
Oppo has become China’s top smartphone brand for the first time, according to analyst house Counterpoint.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Half of the people with 4G coverage stay offline due to pricey Internet
https://cybernews.com/news/half-of-the-people-with-4g-coverage-stay-offline-due-to-pricey-internet/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=rm&utm_content=offline&fbclid=IwAR0JJ2If0EsDU_nGQVwbqJ4dk3BfHvI9-AdUL_DKZfrndq5l_ZDRa2K0HJM
While 4G networks cover areas with about 85% of the world’s population, nearly half were still offline in 2020.
An analysis by The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) shows that high costs for internet access remain one of the main barriers to use information and communication technology (ICT) services worldwide. The prices of mobile and fixed broadband are going down but still remain too high for people, especially in emerging countries, to stay online.
Tomi Engdahl says:
OnePlus recruits Hasselblad for 3-year smartphone imaging deal
https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/07/oneplus-recruits-hasselblad-for-three-year-smartphone-imaging-deal/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Good News! De-Googled /e/OS Smartphones is Now Shipping to the US and Canada
/e/ smartphones can now be shipped to the US and Canada. They’ve also added some new devices that support /e/OS.
https://news.itsfoss.com/e-smartphone-us-shipping/