Here is my collection of relevant trend for smart phones in 2019 (links to source on quetes::
Market: It seems that crazy growth times in smart phone markets are over at least for some time. Without Chinese brands, growth in the smart phone markets in 2018 would have been dramatically negative. Smartphone Shipments Expected to Rebound in 2019 article says that shipments of smartphones, the mainstay of the electronics industry, are expected to rebound, returning to low-single-digit growth in 2019, according to market research firm International Data Corp. (IDC). Shipments are expected to grow 2.6% in 2019 after falling by 3% to 1.42 billion units in 2018. It is expected that emerging markets, 5G, and new product form factors will help revive the smartphone market. Effect of the US-China trade-war is hard to define.
Faster mobile: Mobile networks are getting faster in many countries. Mobile networks are killing Wi-Fi for speed around the world. Average data speeds on mobile networks now outpace customer’s Wi-Fi connection, on average, in 33 countries. That’s the The State of Wifi vs Mobile Network Experience as 5G Arrives.
5G: It’s a bit tricky — after all, plenty of publications are going to claim 2019 as “The Year of 5G,” but they’re all jumping the gun. It is true that 5G is coming this year to some locations with some devices,but the number of devices and where you can use them is pretty limited. OnePlus and LG have committed to a handset and Samsung has since committed to two. You have to wait to 2020 for larger scale deployment and good device selection. It seems that Apple Will Wait Until at Least 2020 to Release a 5G iPhone. If you jump to 5G train, you’re going to be paying a hefty premium for a feature you barely use. So far, 5G is a mixed bag of blessings and curses. More on that at my 5G trends posting.
New chipsets: The Snapdragon 855 Brings 5G to Mobile Devices. Mediatek Helio P90 aims just below flagship handsets to China.
Duopoly market: Smart phone market is 2019 is practically duopoly with Android and iOS operating systems. Android is far and away the dominant operating system, with a global market share of about 77 percent (or more). US market is becoming a smartphone duopoly where Apple and Samsung dominate, while others are left behind. US Android market is consolidating, with companies such as Motorola and LG losing ground to Samsung. Other Android makers have marginal single-digit share. On other markets especially Chinese manufacturers are growing and there are many competing manufacturers.
Smart phones first to web: According to Ofcom, the PC has lost its place as the first device and platform for web browsing in UK. Almost half of the web browses the web with a smart phone, which places a requirement on all online services from shops to news sites.
Interchangeable devices: As the cloud becomes more secure and reliable, we’ll increasingly store less and less on the phone itself,at least on those markets with fast, cheap and reliable connections. In theory this could make our devices much more interchangeable.
More accurate positioning: IEEE 802.11mc (better known as Wi-Fi round-trip time, or RTT), which can increase accuracy to 1m while providing vertical (Z-axis) location information that has been long awaiting a solution. Wi-Fi RTT operates according to the Fine Timing Measurement (FTM) protocol within the IEEE 802.11-2016 standard that uses a variety of techniques to pinpoint the location of someone’s smartphone or tablet. Wi-Fi Alliance® calls the capability a “Wi-Fi Certified Location.”
Waterproofing: Waterproof products are a trend in the industry because users want to be able to take their devices with them wherever they go. The iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Huawei’s high-end phones, and other mobile phones tout their water resistance as one of the attributes that consumers want. Such smart phones will need waterproof connectors and preferably only a one connector or less to waterproof. Waterproof USB Type-C connectors are emerging as the go-to solution for today’s consumer products. USB Type-C connectors with IPX8 waterproofing performance are becoming the new standard for a wide range of products because they deliver go-anywhere reliability, fast charging, and fast data transfers.
Phones without connectors: Phones are already doing away with ports (most notably, the headphone jack). In fact, all ports may soon be a thing of the past on some phones.
Bendable and foldable phones: Samsung’s Galaxy F (for foldable) is the first flexible phone that offers the benefits of a tablet and a smartphone in one device. Small enough to fit in your pocket, it unfolds to work more like a tablet when you need it. There are also other manufacturers that have showed foldable smart phones. The Royole is fascinating, but its execution leaves something to be desired. Of course these designs are going to come at a major premium.
Wireless charging: No Need to Wait for the “Best” Wireless-Charging Solution—Qi Is It article says that there are now more than 360 companies (including Apple) supporting Qi and no other competitors, it’s game over. Qi is the go-to solution for most of the industry.
Security: Android 9 Brings Significant Security Advancements, Google Says. The latest Android iteration brings along a great deal of security improvements, including better encryption and authentication. The Android Keystore provides application developers with a set of cryptographic tools that are designed to secure their users’ data.
Smaller card standards: NM Card (Nano Memory Card) has been launched and used by Huawei. The NM card is 45 percent smaller than MicroSD. The capacity of the NM card, the reading speed and, in fact, the price, are already at the level of MicroSD cards. If you think NanoSIM is the last physical SIM card size, then the NM card has a good seam to get to the standard position. Huawei works with JEDEC to standardize the NM card.
eSIM: The term “eSIM” simply means an embedded SIM card. eSIM is backed by the GSMA. It seems certain that future smartphones will adopt electronic SIM cards – essentially removing the need to have a physical SIM card (and SIM slot). California based Apple has turned to eSIM. Google Pixel 2 and 3 series phones also support eSIM. eSIM needs to be supported by the network or carrier and enabled by them and not all networks supoort eSIM as yet. More carriers to support Pixel 3 eSIM as Google helping build more eSIM Android phones.
Notched displays: There will be more phones with notch in the front to accommodate the front camera and sensors in order to maintain a full-screen profile. Practically everyone has embraced the cutout in an attempt to go edge to edge.
Camera under display: Two smartphone-makers have unveiled handsets featuring a “hole-punch” selfie camera, which is is intended to be less obtrusive than a “notch” – as popularised by Apple and later by many Android smartphone manufacturers.
Sensors under display: Biometric identification in electronics is gaining momentum, and in smartphones, the latest trend is to plant a fingerprint sensor underneath the screen. Qualcomm announces 3D Sonic Sensor, a new under-display fingerprint sensor for smartphones that uses sound waves to map fingerprints.
Touch-free technology: All major phone manufacturers are researching “in-air gesturing technology” that would let you control your phone without actually touching it.
Better cameras: Huawei debuts Honor View 20 with a 48MP rear camera. Smartphone cameras are pretty good across the board these days, so one of the simple solutions has been simply adding more to the equation. For example Nokia 9 Pureview has five camera sensors and LG has patented a camera with up to 16 lenses. In addition to adding more cameras, Companies will also be investing a fair deal in software to help bring better shots to existing components (a little AI and ML can go a long way on image processing).
433 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google is buying Fossil’s smartwatch tech for $40 million
https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/17/google-is-buying-fossils-smartwatch-tech-for-40-million/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The state of the foldable
https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/26/the-state-of-the-foldable/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
Mobile’s next big trend is unfolding in front of our eyes
Big names like Samsung and LG have been pumping countless R&D dollars into the technology in hopes of being first to next step in the evolution of the smart phone form factor.
The concept is nothing new, of course. The flip phone pre-dates the ubiquitous smartphone slab by decades.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smartphones are about to get more interesting, but is it enough to drive growth?
https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/24/smartphones-are-about-to-get-more-interesting-but-is-it-enough-to-drive-growth/?sr_share=facebook&utm_source=tcfbpage
As sales stagnate, will foldable phones and 5G be enough to save the day?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mariella Moon / Engadget:
HMD says it will soon sell its Nokia smartphones through Verizon and Cricket Wireless in US and Rogers in Canada
Nokia returns to the US with help from Verizon and Cricket Wireless
It has also teamed up with Rogers in Canada.
https://www.engadget.com/2019/01/25/nokia-us-verizon-cricket-wireless/
Tomi Engdahl says:
James Vincent / The Verge:
Pictures of what appear to be the two models of Samsung’s Galaxy S10 leak, showing “Infinity-O” display, very thin bezels, USB-C port, and a headphone jack
Samsung’s Galaxy S10 and S10+ leaked yet again in new pictures
https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2019/1/24/18195617/samsung-galaxy-s10-leak-pictures-hole-punch-display
Well, the leaks start coming and they don’t stop coming
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft recommends switching to iPhone or Android as it prepares to kill off Windows phones
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/18/microsoft-ending-windows-10-mobile-says-switch-to-iphone-or-android.html?__source=facebook%7Cwired&utm_brand=wired&utm_campaign=wired&utm_source=facebook&mbid=social_fb&utm_medium=social&utm_social-type=owned
KEY POINTS
Microsoft says anyone who uses Windows 10 Mobile should switch to Android or iPhone.
The company will kill off support for Windows 10 Mobile in December of this year.
Microsoft once hoped to beat the iPhone, Android and BlackBerry.
Tomi Engdahl says:
6 mobile trends IT leaders should watch
https://enterprisersproject.com/article/2019/1/6-mobile-trends-it-leaders-should-watch?sc_cid=7016000000127eyAAA
What mobile issues demand IT leaders’ attention now? Let’s start with measuring mobile app success, bringing in AI, and minding mobile data privacy
It’s hard to believe that smartphones entered the enterprise just about a decade ago – because it’s now hard to imagine doing business without them.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Meir Orbach / CTECH:
Samsung acquires Tel Aviv-based smartphone camera maker Corephotonics, which sued Apple for patent infringement of its dual aperture tech in 2017, for $155M — Calcalist first reported that Samsung was considering the acquisition earlier this month. The companies signed the deal Sunday
Samsung Acquires Israeli Smartphone Camera Developer Corephotonics
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3755151,00.html
Calcalist first reported that Samsung was considering the acquisition earlier this month. The companies signed the deal Sunday
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsungin uusin toistaa 8K-videota
http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/8995-samsungin-uusin-toistaa-8k-videota
Samsung on pian lanseeraamassa seuraavan lippulaivapuhelintaan eli Galaxy S10 -mallia. Korealaisyhtiö on kertonut lisätietoja laitteen tulevasta sovellusprosessorista ja Exynos 9820 -piiri asettaa taas prosessorien riman entistä korkeammalle.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2019/01/26/nokia-kannykat-paasivat-jenkkimyyntiin/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Your smartphone may soon pack 1TB in storage thanks to Samsung’s new memory chip
https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/30/samsung-1tb-storage/?sr_share=facebook&utm_source=tcfbpage
Sometime in the near future, your smartphone could ship with more than one terabyte (1TB) of internal storage and run 10 times faster than a standard memory card.
Samsung is best known for making smartphones, but the company’s memory division — one of its most profitable units — just announced it has begun mass-producing a 1TB flash storage chip for phones.
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/9007-note-9-sai-ensimmaisena-samsungin-uusi-kayttoliittyman
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sam Byford / The Verge:
Samsung reports Q4 revenue of $53.3B, down 10% YoY, operating profit of $9.7B, down 29% YoY, says earnings primarily affected by falling demand for memory chips — Samsung Electronics has turned in an earnings report in line with its guidance, as happens every quarter.
Samsung reports big fall in profit but expects Galaxy S10 to ‘prop up’ performance
https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/30/18204524/samsung-q4-2018-earnings-galaxy-s10
Tomi Engdahl says:
The next generation of wall chargers is getting smaller and better
https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2019/1/30/18203879/gan-chargers-anker-powerport-atom-pd-1-ravpower-45w
Anker’s PowerPort Atom PD 1 and RavPower’s 45W GaN charger are an early preview of the charging tech of the future
The tech world is probably sitting on the edge of a charger revolution, and most of us just haven’t realized it yet. No, I’m not talking about USB-C (sadly); I’m talking about GaN (gallium nitride) chargers, a material that’s started to replace silicon in chargers. I’ve had the chance to try out two of the first GaN chargers — RavPower’s 45W slimline design model and Anker’s PowerPort Atom PD 1 — and it’s not just marketing hype: the new chargers really do make a huge leap forward for shrinking down power bricks in a way that’s really exciting to see.
The 30W Anker just flat out seems too small to drive anything bigger than a phone, and the 45W RavPower option, while a bit larger, also pales in comparison to a similarly specced silicon-based charger.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Stephen Nellis / Reuters:
Apple says revenue from services reached $10.8B, in line with estimates, and that it now has 360M subscribers to both its own and to third-party services
Apple services business grows; CEO Cook says China tensions ease
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-results/apple-sees-u-s-china-tensions-easing-services-business-growing-idUSKCN1PN2WF
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smartphones Eschew Emerging Memories
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1334261
There’s lots of talk about how emerging memories might address growth markets such as automotive and the internet of things (IoT), but in the smartphone space, it’s still all about the DRAM and the flash.
For the consumer who’s buying the latest and greatest smartphone, it’s the 3D NAND that’s the bigger factor in their decision, says Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis. “So far, the NAND size is the key selling point, while only the most technically astute consumers concern themselves with the size of the DRAM,” Handy said.
Because prices are currently collapsing for both of these technologies, he said, we may see a big jump in memory capacity and phone performance this year.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Smartphone Era Is Over | PAINFULLY HONEST TECH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjmOIsQFnms
The Smartphone era has come to an end. Don’t believe me?
Comments:
It’s not the end. The market is just saturated.
Its not the tech that failed….its the greed of the manufacturers. ” Greed” is self defeating. They try to push people to buy new every year and the cycle grows ever faster. Inevitable that once max market speed is reached then it will decline( rapidly). The focus on short term profit above all else is incredibly STUPID
most of us do not use or care about the higher end expensive phones. apple and others starting to do poorly just give an illusion that there is a problem with smartphones as a whole. cheaper devices have now reached performance levels of higher end devices and many people in today’s economy are starting to just deal with lesser devices which does indeed make the large lame companies sell less or start to fail. this does not mean smartphones as a whole have come to an end. in fact, most of this video talks about apple or samsung, which again, gives an illusion.
I think the biggest problem with the flagship companies is they are alienating a huge demographic of the market. They’re assuming all their users want a top notch camera in their pockets.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://ubports.com
Ubuntu Touch: a safer, beautiful, free and open source mobile Operating System
Tomi Engdahl says:
Casey Newton / The Interface:
Apple shutting down Facebook’s internal iOS apps should serve as a reminder of the power Apple holds over the rest of us — At around 2:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Facebook sent me an update about the controversial market research program revealed on Tuesday by TechCrunch.
The Apple-Facebook feud is now a shooting war
https://www.getrevue.co/profile/caseynewton/issues/the-apple-facebook-feud-is-now-a-shooting-war-157707
Some of that, I think, is fair: it seems wrong to call a program advertised publicly on various apps, and known as Facebook Research, a secret spying program.
Apple, which last night took steps to invalidate the root certificates enabling both the market research program and every single app that Facebook uses for internal testing purposes, for tens of thousands of employees around the world.
tensions between Apple and Facebook have been high for some time now. For Apple CEO Tim Cook, Facebook and its fellow ad-supported tech giant, Google, make for convenient punching bags.
Cook wants to promote the idea that iOS devices are more valuable than others because they don’t use an advertising-based business model.
By invalidating Facebook’s enterprise certificate today, Cook flipped one of his lesser switches. And the result inside Facebook today was chaos
And just like that, Facebook’s entire day was wasted. What had been a cold conflict had suddenly escalated into a shooting war.
For those who believe that Facebook should be compelled to obtain and retain less consumer data, today likely felt like a win. In this view, Apple stepped in protected consumers.
But if you’re more interested in competition, today’s news may give you a chill. One giant platform declared another giant platform’s market research program inappropriate, then disappeared it with a Thanos-style finger snap.
Facebook is an enlightened dictatorship, but so is Apple. Tim Cook and his lieutenants dictate the terms of an enormous economy, and can change that economy on a whim. Today Apple may have acted out of consistency with its privacy principles, to the benefit of some consumers.
iPhone has matured as a development platform. Apple is currently the subject of a lawsuit, now before the Supreme Court, alleging that its App Store monopoly results in customers being overcharged. I suspect there is more of this kind of scrutiny ahead.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung develops the first 1TB storage chip for phones
https://www.engadget.com/2019/01/30/samsung-first-1tb-storage-phones/
The massive storage option might debut with Samsung’s upcoming flagships.
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/9023-oneplus-6t-jatkaa-myyntikarjessa
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kyle Wiggers / VentureBeat:
IDC: 375.4M smartphones shipped in Q4 2018, down 4.9% YoY; Apple shipped an estimated 68.4M iPhones, down 11.5% YoY; Samsung was top vendor with 70.4M shipments
IDC: Smartphone shipments declined 4.9% in Q4 2018, Apple regains second from Huawei
https://venturebeat.com/2019/01/30/idc-global-smartphone-shipments-declined-4-9-percent-in-q4-2018/
The smartphone market isn’t looking too hot. In a report published today, research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) said that 375.4 million devices shipped to customers during the fourth quarter of 2018, down 4.9 percent from Q4 2017’s peak — marking the fifth consecutive quarter of decline and closing out the worst year ever for smartphone shipments. Global shipments in 2018 dipped 4.1 percent, with a total of 1.4 billion units shipped for the full year.
Tomi Engdahl says:
App Annie
The State of Mobile 2019
https://www.appannie.com/en/go/state-of-mobile-2019/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paidsocial&utm_campaign=emea-paidsocial-201901-state-of-mobile-visitors-promotion&utm_content=report-&sfdcid=7016F000002NhAS
2018 was the biggest year for mobile yet. In our annual State of Mobile 2019 market report, App Annie explores how mobile has transformed every industry across the globe and become a mainstay of consumers’ daily routines.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smartphones Eschew Emerging Memories
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1334261
There’s lots of talk about how emerging memories might address growth markets such as automotive and the internet of things (IoT), but in the smartphone space, it’s still all about the DRAM and the flash.
For the consumer who’s buying the latest and greatest smartphone, it’s the 3D NAND that’s the bigger factor in their decision, says Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis.
For now, Handy doesn’t see many opportunities for emerging memories to be adopted in smartphones. “The only place to expect for smartphones to adopt emerging memories is as embedded memories within the baseband processor because these processors are moving to process nodes that don’t support NOR flash,” he said.
If that adoption occurs, the memory could be any of the numerous options available, as outlined in a recent Objective Analysis report. “No single technology has a sizable lead at the moment,” Handy said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Erik Schatzker / Bloomberg:
How a US-based manufacturer of an “indestructible” smartphone screen helped FBI in its Huawei sting after the Chinese giant allegedly tried to steal its secrets — The sample looked like an ordinary piece of glass, 4 inches square and transparent on both sides.
Huawei Sting Offers Rare Glimpse of the U.S. Targeting a Chinese Giant
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-02-04/huawei-sting-offers-rare-glimpse-of-u-s-targeting-chinese-giant
Diamond glass could make your phone’s screen nearly unbreakable—and its inventor says the FBI enlisted him after Huawei tried to steal his secrets.
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/9038-kannykka-on-paljon-tietokonetta-turvallisempi
Tomi Engdahl says:
iOS 12.2 beta includes new Animojis and fake 5G logo
https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/05/ios-12-2-beta-includes-new-animojis-and-fake-5g-logo/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
Apple has released a new beta version of iOS 12.2 yesterday. While the final version isn’t available just yet, here’s what you should expect: new Animojis and a fake 5G logo if you’re an AT&T customer.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why the Headphone Jack is Going EXTINCT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFzHOWK_MZA
Why is the headphone jack, a long-time fixture on smartphones, disappearing?
Comments:
Removing the headphone jack was a terrible idea. Any defence of it should be shunned.
headphone jack > water resistance
All the BS reasons given out by companies are simply to eek out some more money from you.. S8/S9/Note all have headphone jacks and are both thin and water resistant..
Apple is reducing features and raising prices. Sounds like a recipe for failure.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smartphone Shipments Poised to Fall for 3rd Straight Year
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1334285
After declining for the second straight year in 2018, smartphone sales appear to be poised to fall again this year amid a global trade war and macroeconomic uncertainty.
The smartphone has been a main driver of the semiconductor industry for the past several years, ever since PC shipments began to decline in 2012. But that may be a thing of the past. With challenging market conditions persisting, analysts say shipments may well decline again this year.
“Globally, the smartphone market is a mess right now,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smartphone Shipments Poised to Fall for 3rd Straight Year
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1334285
After declining for the second straight year in 2018, smartphone sales appear to be poised to fall again this year amid a global trade war and macroeconomic uncertainty.
The smartphone has been a main driver of the semiconductor industry for the past several years, ever since PC shipments began to decline in 2012. But that may be a thing of the past. With challenging market conditions persisting, analysts say shipments may well decline again this year.
“Globally, the smartphone market is a mess right now,” said Ryan Reith, vice president of IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers program, in a press statement.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mobile World Congress 2019
At MWC 2019, 25-28 February
https://www.infineon.com/cms/en/product/promopages/mobile-world-congress/?ic=0010070
Tomi Engdahl says:
Stephen Nellis / Reuters:
Sources: Apple has moved its modem engineering unit to its in-house hardware technology group led by Johny Srouji, Apple’s SVP of hardware technologies
Apple puts modem engineering unit into chip design group
https://www.reuters.com/article/apple-semiconductors/apple-puts-modem-engineering-unit-into-chip-design-group-idUSL1N20000M
Apple Inc has moved its modem chip engineering effort into its in-house hardware technology group from its supply chain unit, two people familiar with the move told Reuters, a sign the tech company is looking to develop a key component of its iPhones after years of buying it from outside suppliers.
Modems are an indispensable part of phones and other mobile devices, connecting them to wireless data networks. Apple once used Qualcomm Inc chips exclusively but began phasing in Intel Corp chips in 2016 and dropped Qualcomm from iPhones released last year.
Tomi Engdahl says:
LG’s next flagship is getting a 3D front-facing camera
https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/07/lgs-next-flagship-is-getting-a-3d-front-facing-camera/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
the handset once again finds LG focusing its efforts on imaging, with a time-of-flight sensor built-in to the front-facing camera array
Here’s LG on what that means:
While other 3D technologies utilize complex algorithms to calculate an object’s distance from the camera lens, the ToF image sensor chip delivers more accurate measurements by capturing infrared light as it is reflected off the subject. As a result, ToF is faster and more effective in ambient light, reducing the workload on the application processor thereby also reducing power consumption.
the camera will be more capable of advanced face recognition than what most Android handsets currently offer
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google makes it easier for cheap phones and smart devices to encrypt your data
https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/07/google-makes-it-easier-for-cheap-phones-and-smart-devices-to-encrypt-your-data/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
Encryption is an important part of the whole securing-your-data package, but it’s easy to underestimate the amount of complexity it adds to any service or device. One part of that is the amount of processing encryption takes — an amount that could be impractical on small or low-end devices. Google wants to change that with a highly efficient new method called Adiantum.
Google, clearly interested in keeping cheap phones competitive, is tackling this problem by creating a special encryption method just for low-power phones. They call it Adiantum, and it will be optionally part of Android distributions going forward.
The technical details are all here, but the gist is this. Instead of using AES it relies on a cipher called ChaCha. This cipher method is highly optimized for basic binary operations, which any processor can execute quickly
Introducing Adiantum: Encryption for the Next Billion Users
https://security.googleblog.com/2019/02/introducing-adiantum-encryption-for.html?m=1
Tomi Engdahl says:
LipPass Authenticates Users Based On the Way They Move Their Mouths
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/consumer-electronics/gadgets/this-new-approach-for-user-identification-allows-phones-to-read-your-lips
Just like in a classic spy movie, someone could potentially bypass the fingerprint or voiceprint security measures on your phone by using fingerprint film or a recording of your voice. But fear not—your deepest, darkest secrets could someday be less vulnerable to hackers, thanks to a novel user verification technique for phones that relies not on a biological factor, but a behavioral one.
The new platform, LipPass, deciphers the subtle yet distinct differences in how a user’s mouth moves when they speak with 90.2 percent accuracy, and detects spoofers with 93.1 percent accuracy.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Meet the Bots That Review and Write Snippets of Facebook’s Code
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/computing/software/meet-the-bots-that-review-and-write-snippets-of-facebooks-code
To make its developers’ jobs more rewarding, Facebook is now using two automated tools called Sapienz and SapFix to find and repair low-level bugs in its mobile apps. Sapienz runs the apps through many tests to figure out which actions will cause it to crash. Then, SapFix recommends a fix to developers, who review it and decide whether to accept the fix, come up with their own, or ignore the problem.
Tomi Engdahl says:
What to expect from Mobile World Congress 2019
Foldables and 5G all the way down
https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/09/what-to-expect-from-mobile-world-congress-2019/?sr_share=facebook&utm_source=tcfbpage
said it before, and I’ll say it again: 2019 just might be the year that smartphones get fun again. After years of similar form factors and slight upgrades, the mobile industry’s back is against the wall.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Palko Karasz / New York Times:
The UK’s top doctors warn families about social media and screen use, advising screen-free meal times and more, joining a growing chorus advising caution — LONDON — With even Silicon Valley worrying about the effect of technology exposure on young people, Britain’s top doctors …
U.K. Doctors Call for Caution in Children’s Use of Screens and Social Media
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/07/world/europe/uk-doctors-screen-time.html
With even Silicon Valley worrying about the effect of technology exposure on young people, Britain’s top doctors on Thursday issued advice to families about social media and screen use. Their prescriptions: Leave phones outside the bedroom. Screen-free meals are a good idea. When in doubt, don’t upload. And get more exercise.
“Technology can be a wonderful thing,” Britain’s chief medical officers, who hold advisory positions similar to that of the surgeon general in America, wrote in a document published on Thursday. “But too much time sitting down or using mobile devices can get in the way of important, healthy activities,” they said.
Tech News says:
Upcoming Smartphones Trends 2019: What’s Coming Next?
The present year, 2019 has been a year stacked with indented Phones. With respect to PDA progression, development geeks need something moreover enrapturing. In a perfect world, Smartphone examples would be considerably more than the indented phone.
https://www.thinkingtech.in/mobile-phones/smartphone-trends/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Glide helps you build mobile apps from a spreadsheet without coding
https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/12/glide-helps-you-build-mobile-apps-from-a-spreadsheet-without-coding/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
“We saw how desperate some of the world’s largest companies were to have a mobile strategy, and also how painful and expensive it is to develop mobile apps. And we haven’t seen significant progress on that 10 years after the smartphone debuted,” Siegel told TechCrunch.
The founders began with research, looking at almost 100 no-code tools, and were not really satisfied with any of them. They chose the venerable spreadsheet, a business tool many people use to track information, as the source for their mobile app builder, starting with Google Sheets.
Tomi Engdahl says:
US iPhone users spent, on average, $79 on apps last year, up 36% from 2017
https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/11/us-iphone-users-spent-79-last-year-up-36-from-2017/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple fails to block porn & gambling “Enterprise” apps
https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/12/apple-porn-gambling-apps/
Facebook and Google were far from the only developers openly abusing Apple’s Enterprise Certificate program meant for companies offering employee-only apps. A TechCrunch investigation uncovered a dozen hardcore pornography apps and a dozen real-money gambling apps that escaped Apple’s oversight. The developers passed Apple’s weak Enterprise Certificate screening process or piggybacked on a legitimate approval, allowing them to sidestep the App Store and Cupertino’s traditional safeguards designed to keep iOS family friendly. Without proper oversight, they were able to operate these vice apps that blatantly flaunt Apple’s content policies.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sub-brands are the new weapon in China’s smartphone war
https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/12/chinese-smartphone-subbrands/?sr_share=facebook&utm_source=tcfbpage
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android Developers Blog:
Google says rejected app submissions to Google Play rose in 2018 by 55%+ YoY, as tighter policies and more extensive automated protections rolled out — Posted by Andrew Ahn, Product Manager, Google Play — Google Play is committed to providing a secure and safe platform for billions …
How we fought bad apps and malicious developers in 2018
https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2019/02/how-we-fought-bad-apps-and-malicious.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Adapting Mobile To A Post-Moore’s Law Era
https://semiengineering.com/adapting-mobile-to-a-post-moores-law-era/
New techniques, architectures and approaches are making up for a reduction in scaling benefits.
The slowdown in Moore’s Law is having a big impact on chips designed for the mobile market, where battery-powered devices need to still improve performance with lower power.
This hasn’t slowed down performance or power improvements, but it has forced chipmakers and systems companies to approach designs differently. And while feature shrinks will continue for the foreseeable future, they are being augmented with different architectures, materials and radically different approaches to computing.
“One effect of the technology improvements that have come with every iteration of manufacturing capabilities is power consumption of semiconductor devices,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Internet, Divided Between the U.S. and China, Has Become a Battleground
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-internet-divided-between-the-u-s-and-china-has-become-a-battleground-11549688420
The global internet is splitting in two.
One side, championed in China, is a digital landscape where mobile payments have replaced cash. Smartphones are the devices that matter, and users can shop, chat, bank and surf the web with one app.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Threatpost Poll: Over Half of Firms Asked Struggle with Mobile Security
https://threatpost.com/threatpost-poll-over-half-of-firms-asked-struggle-with-mobile-security/141829/
A Threatpost poll found that 52 percent don’t feel prepared to prevent a mobile security incident from happening. The results reflect a challenging mobile security landscape.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Threatpost Poll: Is It Impossible to Secure Mobile Devices?
https://threatpost.com/threatpost-poll-is-it-impossible-to-secure-mobile-devices/141694/
From spyware to leaky apps, mobile devices are facing a heightened level of threats. Are we prepared to secure them?
Between applications and operating systems, a slew of mobile threats continue to pop up – and when it comes to security, it’s getting harder and harder for enterprises to keep up.
Just in the past week, Apple patched a massive flaw in its FaceTime allowing a bad actor to eavesdrop on victims; while a malicious app that aimed to steal cryptocurrency from users was removed from Google’s official Android App Store.
Are enterprise companies prepared to take on this onslaught of security threats as the workforce becomes increasingly dependent on mobile devices?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple iPhone sales in China fell by a fifth in fourth quarter: IDC
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-china/apple-iphone-sales-in-china-fell-by-a-fifth-in-fourth-quarter-idc-idUSKCN1Q01QO
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple supply chain: TSMC to remain sole iPhone chip supplier
https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20190130PD218.html%20