Your weekly look at the world of smartphones and mobile technology, this is the Phone Buzz on Friday 25th June 2021.

This Week’s Top Story

• Windows 11. And there’s so much already written about it’s tough to suggest where to start, at least as a single bullet point. It’s going to impact a lot of places for years. The main line from Microsoft is that Windows 11 has a lot of UI changes to make working with your own information easier, no matter the source. There are of course a lot of code changes under the hood; notably the ability for Android apps to run under Windows 11, the ability to use your own payment mechanism in the Microsoft Store without offering Microsoft a cut, and the higher minimum specifications that include the TPM 2.0 Trusted Platform Module.

Apple Headlines

• This week saw a new warning for iPhone users to be wary of certain Wi-Fi hotpots. Carl Schou has discovered that it is possible to crash an iPhone and lock-out the handsets Wi-Fi ability (more on the SSID Format String Bug here). The issue can be cleared by resetting network settings, but that requires a bit of lateral thinking that not everyone will jump to (BleepingComputer).
• More details on Apple’s iPhone 13 family continued to leak this week, and with all of the leaks it’s possible to amalgamate the information and get a pretty good idea what the new iOS-powered smartphones will look like (Let’s Go Digital).
• Meanwhile, although Apple is expected to launch an iPhone 13 Mini this year (alongside the regular, Pro, and Pro Plus handsets), it’s probably going to be less prevalent than the iPhone 12 Mini. Stocks are still available, but Apple has reportedly drawn a halt to production (Forbes).
• A new iPhone 13 Mini would have a big fight on its hands if Apple updates the iPhone SE… which it is reportedly planning to do in early 2022. This would be the cheapest 5G enabled iPhone, and coming two years after the last SE update it will be released in time for the ’two year mobile contract’ consumer looking for an update (MacRumors).
• The wait for new Apple Silicon powered Macs continues. After the no-show at WWDC 2021, everyone is looking forward to October and November this year. The checklist includes the higher-end MacBook Pro machines, a redesigned Mac Pro, and a new Mac Mini, all running the uprated M1X chip (9to5Mac).
• The latest round of developer betas of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, TvOS, and watchOS, have all been released this week, and naturally the slow reveal of new features continues (Lifehacker),
• Apple continues to bolster its arguments against side loading apps to the iPhone and the damage it believes it would do to the ecosystem. As seen previously, the core argument assumes the smartphone market is a homogenous one, with iOS and Android providing enough competition to the other to negate any monopolistic practices. The flip side of this is that iOS and Android are separate ecosystems with captive audiences. Ben Thompson takes a closer look at the report, the arguments, and the impact of any change (Stratechery).

Android Headlines

• Ahead of the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 3, an FCC listing has noted support for Samsung’s S Pen, as well as the more pedestrian 5G, Wi-Fi 6, and Ultrawideband (SamMobile). Naturally Evan Blass has the latest leaks and details (Twitter).
• With UWB on board, the Z Fold 3 will support the AR features of the Galaxy SmartTag+, which I reviewed over the weekend (Forbes).
• Manufacturers are continuing to face up to the semiconductor shortage across the industry and the impact on potential volumes of manufacturing. There is talk that Samsung will limit the Galaxy S21 Fan Edition to US and Europe because of this (FNN via Reddit).
• Following on from the news that Google would be tightening the privacy of the Chrome browser by blocking third-party cookies, the Mountain View company has announced a delay to the implementation to allow ad-dependant publishers time to adapt (CNet).
• Meanwhile, Shruti Shekar argues that Apple’s moves into the “electronic ID on your smartphone’ (think of a passport or Driving Licence in your device’s Wallet) will push Google towards a similar offering as part of the core Android experience, instead of third-party Android apps becoming the default (Android Authority).
• Hot on the heels of the Nord CE 5G release in the UK and Europe, OnePlus has launched the Nord N200 5G in the US market. They are different handsets – broadly speaking the Nord CE is a trimmed down version of the titular Nord, while the Nord 200 is the N100 bumped up the portfolio. Rochard Priday takes a look at the differences (Tom’s Guide).
• The Pixel range will not be Google’s only phone line in 2021, as it launches the Jio Platforms titular handset, the JioPhone Next, into the Indian market. The handset is an “ultra-affordable” 4G based smartphone with an optimised version of Android, targeting the $100 price point (TechCrunch).
• Worth pointing out the quiet launch of Samsung’s Galaxy Chromebook Go this week, an affordable laptop running ChromeOS. Pricing is not yet confirmed but expected to be around the $400 mark.
• Last month I review Nubia’s new gaming handset, the RedMagic 6, noting that the 6 Pro was also available. There’s a third option, the RedMagic 6R, and the team over at GSM Arena have reviewed the smaller and more subtle RedMagic 6R ‘Racing’ handset (GSM Arena).

And Finally…

• And finally, Apple’s “not a podcast we push on you like a U2 Album” series, Time To Walk, starts its second season this week. Available to Apple Fitness+ subscribers, the series lets you listen to an invited guest taking their own walk, presumably while you go for a walk as well. The new run opens up with Gina Rodriguez (Apple Press).

Ewan Spence

Ewan is the editor at Phone Buzz News. For over 30 years he has been covering the worlds of media and technology, from the early days of the first smartphone through to their essential role in today's society.