Your weekly look at the world of smartphones and mobile technology, this is the Phone Buzz on Friday 10th September 2021.

Apple Headlines

• Apple has announced the expected event for mid-September. Titled ‘ California Streaming’, it is set to take place on Tuesday 14th September. The usual Kremlinology is taking place on the short promotional clip, with the font on the date,, the floating Apple icon, the push through to a presumably virtual world, and the simple fact that it is a regular Apple event all getting discussed (Cult of Mac).
• Pretty much everyone is ready for Apple to announce four iPhones; in fact a bigger surprise would be if Tim Cook left the stage without revealing the new iOS smartphones. In any case, the latest confirmation comes in the regulatory filings for the MagSafe charger with the FCC (Forbes).
• With less than a week to go, the final details of the iPhone 13 family are clicking into place, including the SKU details of the four handset flavors thanks to a leak from an online retailer. Curiously though, the longed for 1TB iPhone 13 Pro Max is not present; the assumption being that the worldwide chip shortage may have made this too much of a stretch on Apple’s inventory (91mobiles).
• The other major launch many are waiting for is the MacBookPro. This is expected to be a separate event, leaving the iPhone room to shine, with late October/early November looking likely for the retail release according to the latest details from the supply chain, specifically around the deliveries of the new miniLED screen (Econotimes).
• A new warning this week to be very careful of any lightning cables you are loaned. From the research by ‘MG’ comes an updated lightning to USB-C cable that will act as a keylogger, sending your Mac’s keypresses over Wifi to a nearby hacker (Vice).
• Noted Apple tipster Max Weinbach has brough us details of the AirPods 3 – which should be launched next week alongside the iPhone 13 family. We can expect to see a number of changes to the case, including wireless charging as standard, and a larger battery for extended listening (TechRadar).
• Apple has been making a number of changes to its App Store policies, with the most recent addressing concerns raised in an anti-trust case in Japan. Morgan Stanley has been looking at the impact of the changes and they are not expected to have any serious impact (via PED30).

Android Headlines

• With no Galaxy Note launch this year, Samsung is using the Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 to carry the flagship banner into the winter. While the Galaxy S21 Fan Edition will also be released, the next big step will be the Galaxy S22. Expected in very early 2022, the team at SamMobile have put together everything we currently know about the family, including the all important camera (SamMobile).
• While we wait for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, Google’s Pixel 5a 5G has been catching attention – even though it is currently only available in the US and Japan. The obvious comparison is with the Pixel 4a 5G, so what’s the difference? (9to5Google).
• When will the Pixel 6 family be launched? Google has given us the incredibly specific ‘this fall’ in a teaser video published this week, but that video also highlights what will be one of the key selling points… the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro will come with Google’s own design of System on Chip, the Tensor Mobile, and leverage the AI engine that will be hard-coded into the silicon (Android Police).
• RedMagic continues to expand its range of gaming-focused smartphones with the release of the Redmagic 6S Pro Ghost. Pitched as a more exclusive and stylish handset, it features a transparent casing to expose the various cooling features in the handset, including the active cooling fan; alongside the top of the line SnapDragon 888+ and 720 hz touch sampling (GSM Arena).
• Xiaomi has extended the duration of upgrades and security updates it offers on its premium handset. The Chinese manufacturer has promised three years of Android updates with a further year of security updates for a total of four years. this brings it into line with offerings from Google and Samsung in terms of duration. With the Mi11t and Mi 11t Pro expected to launch soon, the increase is welcome and should offer consumers more peace of mind (GizChina).
• There’s a growing battle for the high-end of smartphone ‘system on chip’ assemblies. Qualcomm is arguably the best known brand, but MediaTek is build up cachet with manufactures. News of the upcoming Dimensity 2000 series moving to a 4nm node will be noted. Presumably the presumptively named SnapDragon 895 will follow a similar path(Gizmochina).
• Ethical smartphone company Fairphone has discontinued it’s 2019 smartphone, the ritual Fairphone 3. In fitting with the company ethos of sustainability and repairability (and including a screwdriver in the box instead of a USB charger), replacement parts are still on sale for users, and it continues to receive software support. Now you could buy the new modules and upgrade it to the Fairphone3+ (which is still on sale), but you might want to wait, give a Fairphone 4 5G has been certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance, presumably for a launch later this year. (PCMag).
• As the world waits for the latest James Bond film ‘No Time To Die’ to finally make it to the screen, one of the subtle questions is how HMD Global’s Nokia handsets will be portrayed. If the film had made it’s original date it would have debuted a new Nokia flagship, more than likely the Nokia 8.3 5G. That original date was April 2020. Now, eighteen months later, which phone will be on show? (NokiaMob).

And Finally…

• Eagle eyed Nintendo watchers have been looking at the new UI for Nintendo’s Switch gaming console, and wondering how it could be improved… there are a lot of opinions but one that is picking up acclaim in the community is Porcorousseauu’s UI concept, which looks rather familiar (Nintendo Life).

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.