Mobile 2025

5G: We are in the midpoint of the planned 10-year release cycle for 5G. In 2024 there was operators’ monetization struggles and sluggish 5G network investments. Expect a significant uptick in 5G activity in 2025. There are several reasons why telcos and industry observers are so optimistic. First, less than 10% of operators have launched 5G Standalone (5G SA), meaning that 90% still haven’t tapped into 5G’s more advanced capabilities for driving value and differentiation. Multiple wireless operators have now completed their 5G SA preparations—determining which features to implement from 3GPP Releases 16 and 17, selecting vendors—and have either begun commercial network upgrades or will start soon. Release 18 brings additional 5G-Advanced upgrades aimed at AI and specific vertical industries. The next significant step in 5G after ever increasing download speeds is the introduction of faster uplink connections. In the future, uplink speeds can increase to up to 350 megabits per second (Mbps) with 5G-Advanced. 5G Reduced Capability (RedCAP) start to come to market, enabling much better economics for those connecting IoT implementations. Europe’s 5G coverage lagging amid declining investment.

6G: 6G will not bring major changes for consumers. Consumers have benefited from 5G, but, for example, in the automotive industry, Industry 4.0, and healthcare, its potential has largely gone unfulfilled. Despite this, 6G development is underway – now it is time to define the technology so that it provides real business value. The technology is expected to enable the use of digital twins, for example. A model called Everything as a Service (Compute-aaS, AI-aaS) will emerge, where computing power and AI services move to cloud services. Another key development step is Ambient IoT, which is a more advanced version of IoT technology and could potentially replace RFID systems in the future. Ambient IoT is already part of the 3GPP Rel. 19 planning. Open interfaces such as the Open RAN model, which should be considered in the early stages of 6G development. Mobile network operators want to ensure that “whatever they do for 5G and 5G Advanced is going to be applicable to 6G.

Chips: Qualcomm and MediaTek hold the top places in smartphone processor ranking list. After that come Apple and Samsung. Qualcomm unveils the Snapdragon G3 Gen 3, G2 Gen 2, and G1 Gen 2 for gaming handhelds, saying the G3 Gen 3 offers a CPU 30% faster than the previous generation. Regarding features, the Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 is Qualcomm’s first G-series chip to embrace Lumen, Unreal Engine 5′s fully dynamic global illumination and reflections system.

Android: There will be some changes in Android phones because Google will develop the Android OS fully in private. The future Android OS development will now fully happen behind closed doors, but Google says it’s committed to releasing source code. Amazon will discontinue its app store for Android on August 20 this year. Xaomi is working on a tool to run PC games on Android tablet.

Duopoly: Mobile duopoly by Apple and Google is seen an emerging problem. UK competition probe of mobile browsers finds Apple-Google duopoly is ‘anti-innovation’

Smart phone camera: Realme unveiled a new Ultra concept phone that offers DSLR-level photography in a smartphone. It supports using interchangeable lenses. The device features a customized 1-inch Sony IMX989 image sensor, designed to work with interchangeable lenses. Additionally, the phone includes an ultra-wide Sony IMX890 sensor and a periscope-style Sony IMX989 sensor.

The end of proprietary chargers is near? USB-C is now effectively mandatory in Europe as the new charging era begins. Now all phones and other wireless devices sold in the EU market must have a unified USB-C port. The USB-C connector requirements apply to various device categories, such as mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, headset microphones, handheld video game consoles, portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, and earbuds or their charging cases. If a device supports fast charging, it must support at least USB Power Delivery charging technology. For laptops, the new requirements will apply starting April 28, 2026.

Energy marking: Mobile phones and tablets sold after Midsummer must have an energy label. This is an EU eco-design requirement that will come into effect on 20 June 2025. The aim is to extend the lifespan of mobile phones and tablets, increase their durability and reduce electricity consumption. In addition, the products must be easier to repair and their software must be updated for longer than before.

Smart watches: Generative AI is expected to revitalizes wearable devices and smartwatches drive wrist-worn wearable growth in 2025 even though there are some worrying about Forever Chemicals in Smartwatch Bands. Also Smartglasses and Smart Rings Poised for Growth

Foldable phones: Foldable phones are a glimpse into the future but also not really there yet. Samsung just teased a tri-fold folding phone at Galaxy Unpacked 2025.

President Donald Trump imposed 20% tariffs on China after taking office in January. Under a sweeping new plan aimed at stimulating U.S. manufacturing announced Wednesday, he added another 34% in reciprocal tariffs, bringing the total to 54%. Most of the 200 million iPhones Apple produces each year are made in China, and the iPhones could take the big hit in the price. The high end iPhone can cost soon up to $2300.

The price of Samsung phones can increase because Korea faces steep tariffs as US launches broad trade overhaul: Confusion arises as Trump cites 25% tariff for Korea, while White House document lists 26%.

22 Comments

  1. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Reuters:
    TSMC and Foxconn fell by the Taiex exchange’s daily 10% limit on April 7 as US tariffs roil global supply chains; Taiwan’s 32% tariff is among Asia’s highest

    Taiwan stocks plummet in biggest one-day drop on record after US tariffs
    https://www.reuters.com/markets/asia/taiwan-stock-exchange-unveil-more-market-stabilisation-steps-if-needed-2025-04-07/

    Reply
  2. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Chance Miller / 9to5Mac:
    White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says that President Trump believes the US has the resources and workforce to build iPhones in the US — Trump’s massive 104% tariffs on China are set to go into effect at midnight tonight, a move that will have a major impact on Apple and its supply chain.

    Trump thinks the US has the ‘resources’ needed to make iPhones
    https://9to5mac.com/2025/04/08/trump-thinks-the-us-has-the-resources-needed-to-make-iphones/

    Reply
  3. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Elisabeth Buchwald / CNN:
    The White House says that tariffs on China are set to rise to 104% at 12:01am ET on April 9 after China missed Trump’s deadline to remove its reciprocal tariffs — President Donald Trump is set to impose an astounding 104% in levies across all Chinese imports on Wednesday …
    https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/08/business/trump-china-tariff/

    Reply
  4. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nikkei Asia:
    Sources: to offset tariffs, Apple, Dell, and others pressed suppliers to fly as many premium devices as possible to the US, especially those priced above $3,000 — TAIPEI/PALO ALTO, California — Ever since Donald Trump was elected president back in November, the world’s biggest electronics brands …
    From Apple to Samsung, Trump’s tariffs force supply chains to adapt — fast
    Asian suppliers to HP, Dell and more reckon with a deeper, longer trade war
    https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Tech-Asia/From-Apple-to-Samsung-Trump-s-tariffs-force-supply-chains-to-adapt-fast

    Reply
  5. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Abner Li / 9to5Google:
    Google rolls out Loss of Pulse Detection to the Pixel Watch 3 in the US after getting FDA clearance in February 2025; the feature rolled out in Europe in 2024

    Google starts rolling out Pixel Watch 3 Loss of Pulse Detection in the US
    https://9to5google.com/2025/04/08/pixel-watch-3-loss-of-pulse-detection-us/

    Following the April 2025 OTA update and Scam Detection yesterday, Google is now rolling out Loss of Pulse Detection in the US.

    Originally expected at the end of March, Google is now rolling out Loss of Pulse Detection in the US after being granted Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance. It follows European availability last year.

    To enable, make sure the Personal Safety Wear OS app is up-to-date on your Pixel Watch 3. The latest version we’re seeing on the Play Store is 2025.03.19.x.

    Afterwards, go to the Pixel Watch companion app on your phone (version 3.4+) > Safety & emergency > Loss of Pulse Detection to start the set-up process.

    Google tells us that it’s beginning to roll out today and will be fully available over the coming weeks.

    A cardiac arrest, respiratory or circulatory failure, overdose, or poisoning is considered a loss-of-pulse (“your heart stops beating”) event. When detected, the Pixel Watch 3 will prompt users to confirm they are okay, like Fall and Car Crash Detection.

    If there’s no response (or motion), the wearable will call emergency services and provide your location, as well as details about what’s happening. Loss of Pulse Detection makes use of the Pixel Watch 3’s multipath heart rate monitor, other sensors, and a “multi-check, AI-based algorithm.”

    Reply
  6. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Reuters:
    Call transcript: Luxshare Chair Wang Laichun says the iPhone and AirPods maker is in talks with customers to move production from China, including to the US

    Exclusive: Apple supplier Luxshare weighs manufacturing in U.S. to tackle tariffs
    https://www.reuters.com/technology/apple-supplier-luxshare-weighs-manufacturing-us-tackle-tariffs-2025-04-09/

    Summary

    Chinese firm looks to shift more production outside China
    Considering greater investment in Southeast Asia
    Sees small impact from U.S. tariffs on profits and revenues
    Will have to idle some investment plans in China

    TAIPEI/BEIJING, April 9 (Reuters) – Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab supplier Luxshare (002475.SZ)
    , opens new tab is in talks with customers on ways to respond to U.S. tariffs by shifting more production outside China, including the United States, its chairwoman told analysts in a telephone call on Wednesday.
    The remarks by the Chinese company, which assembles iPhones and makes AirPods, provide a glimpse into deliberations by companies around the world scrambling to tackle President Donald Trump’s tariffs that took effect on Wednesday.

    “If there is a commercial guarantee and we are able to conduct a good evaluation, we do not rule out having some products being localised to meet the needs of the U.S. market,”

    “If there is a commercial guarantee and we are able to conduct a good evaluation, we do not rule out having some products being localised to meet the needs of the U.S. market,”

    Reply
  7. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Bloomberg:
    US ITC data: in 2024, China accounted for 86% of US game console imports, 79% of PC monitor imports, 73% of smartphone imports, and 66% of laptop imports

    Badger Hair and iPhones: Where US-China Decoupling Is Hardest
    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-09/badger-hair-and-iphones-where-us-china-decoupling-is-hardest

    Reply
  8. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Uusi anturi tuo elokuvatason kuvanlaadun huippupuhelimiin
    https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/17395-uusi-anturi-tuo-elokuvatason-kuvanlaadun-huippupuhelimiin

    Piilaaksolainen Omnivision on julkistanut uuden kuva-anturin, joka tuo ennennäkemättömän laajan dynaamisen alueen ja elokuvatason videokuvauksen älypuhelimiin. OV50X-uutuusanturi on suunnattu huippuluokan puhelimiin, jotka tavoittelevat parasta mahdollista kuvanlaatua kaikissa valaistusolosuhteissa.

    50 megapikselin OV50X-kenno perustuu 1 tuuman optiseen formaattiin ja sisältää 1,6 mikrometrin pikselikoon. Yhtiön mukaan kyseessä on markkinoiden korkein dynaaminen alue mobiililaitteissa: jopa 110 desibelin HDR yhdellä valotuksella. Tämän mahdollistaa yhtiön kehittämä TheiaCel-teknologia.

    - Älypuhelimet ovat nykyään tärkein väline valokuvien ja videoiden ottamiseen, ja kuluttajat odottavat yhä enemmän elokuvatasoista laatua. OV50X tuo tämän mahdollisuuden kaikkien ulottuville, kertoo markkinointipäällikkö Takuritsu Li.

    Reply
  9. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Apple aikoo kiertää Trumpin tullimaksut
    https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/17396-apple-aikoo-kiertaeae-trumpin-tullimaksut

    Apple pyrkii välttämään jopa 145 prosentin tullit Kiinasta tuoduista tuotteista siirtämällä iPhone-tuotantoaan Intiaan ja nopeuttamalla logistiikkaansa, kertovat Reuters ja MarketWatch. Yhtiö on Reutersin mukaan lennättänyt viime viikkojen aikana noin 600 tonnia iPhoneja – arviolta 1,5 miljoonaa kappaletta – Intiasta Yhdysvaltoihin. Tarkoituksena on kasvattaa Yhdysvaltain varastoja ennen kuin tullit nostavat laitteiden hintoja dramaattisesti.

    Trumpin hallinto on nostanut Kiinasta tuotavien iPhonejen tullit jopa 145 prosenttiin. Tämä voisi nostaa huippumallin, kuten iPhone 16 Pro Maxin, hinnan lähes 2 300 dollariin nykyisestä 1 599 dollarista, arvioi Rosenblatt Securities. Intiasta tuotavien laitteiden tullit ovat toistaiseksi 26 %, mutta niitä ei tällä hetkellä sovelleta Kiinaan verrattavalla tavalla – ainakaan 90 päivän tauon aikana, jonka Trump juuri julisti.

    IPhone-tuotantoa on tehostettu Intiassa muun muassa Foxconnin tehtaan sunnuntaivuoroilla. Tehdas tuotti viime vuonna noin 20 miljoonaa iPhonea, mukaan lukien uusimmat mallit. Applen tavoitteena on lisätä Intiassa tuotantoaan 20 prosentilla, ja pidemmän aikavälin strategiana on kaksinkertaistaa tuotantomäärä, jotta Yhdysvaltoihin suuntautuva toimitusketju olisi vähemmän riippuvainen Kiinasta.

    MarketWatchin mukaan Apple voi vähentää tullien vaikutusta muokkaamalla tuotevalikoimaansa. Morgan Stanleyn analyytikko Erik Woodring arvioi, että yhtiö voi luopua matalampien tallennustilojen malleista, jotka ovat vähemmän kannattavia, ja keskittää tuotantoa kalliimpiin versioihin – ilman että nimellishintoja tarvitsee nostaa.

    Apple voisi myös pidentää iPhone-mallien rahoitusaikoja Apple Card -asiakkaille, mikä laskisi kuukausierätasoa ja helpottaisi kuluttajien ostohalukkuutta. Tämän lisäksi yhtiö voisi hyötyä korkeamman katteen tuotteiden myynnin lisääntymisestä, mikä tasapainottaisi tullien aiheuttamia kustannuspaineita.

    Trumpin tullipolitiikka on saanut monet teknologiajätit arvioimaan toimitusketjujaan uudelleen. Bank of America arvioi, että Apple valmistaa noin 70 % tuotteistaan Kiinassa, mutta Intian osuus on jo noussut 10 prosenttiin. Intian ohella myös Vietnam ja Meksiko houkuttelevat valmistajia, jotka pyrkivät vähentämään Kiina-riippuvuuttaan.

    Reply
  10. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Kiina määräsi “viimeiset tullit” USA:lle
    USA:n tuontia koskevat tullit nousevat 125 prosenttiin.
    https://www.iltalehti.fi/ulkomaat/a/babaa9da-7081-4e08-b009-29eb5e2a552a

    Kiina korottaa kaikkea Yhdysvalloista tulevaa tuontia koskevat tullit 125 prosenttiin. Asiasta kertoo Kiinan valtiovarainministeriö talousuutistoimisto Bloombergin mukaan.

    Muutos tulee voimaan huomenna perjantaina. Aiempi tuontitulli oli 84 prosenttia.

    Yhdysvaltain presidentti Donald Trump on nostanut kiinalaistuonnin tullit jo 145 prosenttiin. Muita maailman maita koskevat lisätullinsa Trump on pannut tauolle 90 päivän ajaksi.

    China Raises Tariffs on US to 125% and Says It Won’t Go Higher
    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-11/china-raises-tariffs-on-us-goods-to-125-in-retaliation

    Reply
  11. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Andrew Liszewski / The Verge:
    Razer launches Razer PC Remote Play, which streams PC games to mobile devices running Windows 11, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, or Android 14+ at their native resolutions — Razer PC Remote Play streams games to mobile devices at their native resolutions and aspect ratios.

    Razer’s PC-to-mobile streaming platform is now available
    https://www.theverge.com/news/646810/razer-pc-remote-play-ios-android-game-streaming

    Razer PC Remote Play streams games to mobile devices at their native resolutions and aspect ratios.

    Reply
  12. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Here’s how much a ‘Made in the USA’ iPhone would cost
    https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/11/heres-how-much-a-made-in-the-usa-iphone-would-cost.html

    Key Points
    Defending its “reciprocal tariffs,” the White House this week said that President Donald Trump believes the U.S. has the workforce and the resources to build iPhones in the U.S.
    Analysts who follow the company say the idea of an American-made iPhone is impossible at worst and highly expensive at best.
    One analyst estimates that on labor wages alone, a U.S.-made iPhone could cost 25% more than they do now. Another analyst pegged the price of a stars-and-stripes iPhone at $3,500.

    When President Barack Obama asked the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs about making an iPhone in the U.S., Jobs didn’t mince words.

    “Those jobs aren’t coming back,” Jobs said at a dinner with Obama in 2011.

    The president of the U.S. and the CEO of Apple
    have changed, but the ambition of a “Made in the USA” iPhone remains.

    Defending its “reciprocal tariffs,” the White House this week said President Donald Trump believes the U.S. has the workforce and the resources to build iPhones in the U.S. Apple CEO Tim Cook nor anybody else at the tech company have come out to back that claim, but analysts who follow Apple say the idea of an American-made iPhone is impossible at worst and highly expensive at best.

    Reply
  13. Tomi Engdahl says:

    US chipmakers outsourcing manufacturing will escape China’s tariffs
    https://www.reuters.com/technology/us-chipmakers-outsourcing-manufacturing-will-escape-chinas-tariffs-2025-04-11/

    BEIJING, April 11 (Reuters) – U.S. chipmakers which outsource manufacturing will be exempt from China’s retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports, according to a notice by the main Chinese semiconductor association on Friday.
    Given the highly specialized and multi-country nature of chip supply chains, there was uncertainty within the industry about how tariffs would be applied to chip imports.

    For U.S. chip designers such as Qualcomm and AMD that outsource manufacturing to Taiwanese chipmaking giant TSMC, Chinese customs authorities will classify these chips’ place of origin as Taiwan, according to EETop, an information platform and forum for Chinese chipmakers.
    This means China-based companies importing their chips will not be forced to pay China’s retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports, EETop said on its WeChat account.

    Reply
  14. Tomi Engdahl says:

    2025 preview: AI-RAN would be a paradigm shift
    The use of Nvidia GPUs in the radio access network would have massive implications for telcos and their suppliers
    https://www.lightreading.com/ai-machine-learning/2025-preview-ai-ran-would-be-a-paradigm-shift

    Reply
  15. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Voittaako kauppasodan Kiina vai USA? Asiantuntijat yksimielisiä Ylellä
    Kiina on valmistautunut tähän jo vuosia, asiantuntijat sanovat Ylen A-studiossa.
    https://www.iltalehti.fi/ulkomaat/a/46af99ec-37d6-46a9-b232-6b5df1b0e0ef

    Yhdysvallat todennäköisesti häviää, jos kauppasota Kiinan kanssa jatkuu.

    Näin sanovat asiantuntijat Ylen A-studiossa tiistaina.

    – Trump on aliarvioinut Kiinan, kiteyttää kansainvälisen politiikan asiantuntija Risto E. J. Penttilä.

    Kiina on valmistautunut paljon Yhdysvaltoja paremmin, sanoo A-studiossa Danske Bankin tutkimusjohtaja Heidi Schauman. Kiina on määrätietoisesti siirtänyt tuotantoa pois Yhdysvalloista ja vähentänyt riippuvuuttaan amerikkalaisista tuotteista.

    – Kaikki mitä Kiina tekee, on hyvin suunniteltua, ja Yhdysvallat huitoo ja tekee, mikä tuntuu hyvältä tänään.

    Donald Trump lähti kovaan kauppasotaan Kiinan kanssa lyömällä maasta tuotaville tuotteille 145 prosentin tullimaksut. Kiina pamautti vastineeksi 125 prosentin tuontitullit Yhdysvalloille.

    Trumpin tullipolitiikka pisti maailmanmarkkinat polvilleen, mutta Kiina ei näytä horjuvan.

    Hallinto on valmistellut kansalaisia taisteluun Yhdysvaltojen kanssa jo yli vuosikymmenen

    Kiinalaisille on jo vuosia kerrottu tarinaa siitä, että Yhdysvallat yrittää painaa Kiinaa alas ja jopa kaataa maan talousjärjestelmän. Nyt Trump tekee tämän todeksi, arvioi Mattlin.

    – Kiinan johtajana on tällä hetkellä kohtuullisen helppo kertoa kansalle, että nyt täytyy vetää remmiä tiukemmalle, tulee kovat ajat ja me puolustamme tässä meidän maatamme. Yhdysvalloissa nähdäkseni ei ole valmisteltu samalla tavalla, ei ole tullut tätä verta, hikeä, kyyneliä -narratiivia ollenkaan.

    Asiantuntijoiden mukaan Kiina on päässyt niskan päälle, koska Yhdysvallat on paljon riippuvaisempi kiinalaisista tuotteista. Esimerkiksi kriittisten mineraalien ja teknologiateollisuuden tuotanto riippuu Kiinasta.

    Etulyöntiasemastaan käsin Kiina pystyy aiheuttamaan paljon vahinkoa Yhdysvalloille, Mattlin sanoo Ylellä.

    Yhdysvalloilla olisi vielä mahdollisuus voittoon, sillä Kiinalla on omia suuria ongelmia, Risto E. J. Penttilä sanoo A-studiossa.

    Kiinan talouskasvu on yskinyt, väestö ikääntyy ja tullit iskevät valtiolle elintärkeään vientiin.

    Valkoisessa talossa on Penttilän mukaan kaksi vastakkaista ryhmää: toinen haluaa rakentaa uuden maailmanlaajuisen kauppajärjestelmän, toinen palauttaa tuotannon Yhdysvaltoihin ja kyykyttää Kiinaa.

    – Nyt oikeastaan riippuen siitä, kumpi näistä kahdesta koulukunnasta voittaa, niin joko Amerikalla on pelikortteja taikka sitten ei ole.

    Kiina olisi tutisemassa, jos Trump lähtisi yllättäen tekemään diilejä Euroopan, Kanadan ja Meksikon kanssa, Penttilä sanoo Ylellä. Yhdysvallat on kuitenkin jättänyt käyttämättä tärkeimmän valttikorttinsa, eli ystävät ja liittolaiset.

    Valkoisessa talossa on tehty suuri arviointivirhe, Penttilä sanoo.

    Reply
  16. Tomi Engdahl says:

    The ‘made-in-China’ tariff quagmire for Cisco, Ericsson and Nokia
    Products used in networks might be assembled outside China, but the industry remains heavily reliant on it for all sorts of humdrum components and raw materials.
    https://www.lightreading.com/5g/the-made-in-china-tariff-quagmire-for-cisco-ericsson-and-nokia

    Reply
  17. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Trump exempts phones, computers and other electronics from his tariffs on Chinese goods
    The move is seen as a win for big U.S. tech companies, whose founders have donated millions to Trump’s campaign and inauguration
    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/trump-tariffs-phones-computers-china-b2732165.html#Echobox=1744468972

    Reply
  18. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Telecom East: The decline in telco capex
    Hosts Robert Clark and Ross O’Brien look at China’s parallel digital universe and Jio’s global O-RAN ambitions, and they speak with Dell’Oro’s Stefan Pongratz about the massive drop-off in the RAN market.
    https://www.lightreading.com/ai-machine-learning/telecom-east-the-decline-in-telco-capex

    Reply
  19. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nokia’s 5G network in a backpack
    Nokia’s Banshee Radio provides a 4G LTE or 5G ‘network in a box’ for military applications. Working with the military means Nokia can diversify beyond service provider customers in the RAN market.
    https://www.lightreading.com/5g/nokia-s-5g-network-in-a-backpack

    Reply

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