Your weekly look at the world of smartphones and mobile technology, this is the Phone Buzz on Friday 5th March 2021.

This Week’s Top Story

• Samsung may be looking to expand its processor game in the Android world. Reports this week point to three new Exynos processors to be launched this year, with the model numbers 8xx 12xx and 22xx. Given the 8xx chip was also leaked this week as a mid-range processor, we could be looking at mid-, high-, and premium- processors here (SamMobile).

Apple Headlines

• A raft of iPhone 13 details this week, presumably from the supply chains getting ready to step up production – after all you can’t suddenly magic up ten million components as Tim Cook steps out on stage in September! Let’s start with the discussions over storage; it feels a racing certainly that Apple will offer 1 TB of storage as an option across the range – previously this was limited to the Pro iPhone models (MacRumors). Given the emphasis placed on camera technology, more storage for the no doubt larger images (photo and video) will be demanded by power users.
• Also reaching the full iPhone 13 line-up will be a LiDAR sensor. Previously on the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max, the sensor offers better focusing and depth perception to improve the images (9to5Mac).
• Causing the most excitement in Apple circles is the news of the display. Noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests the iPhone 13 family will support a faster refreshing screen of 120Hz. No doubt Android circles will point out just how long this tech has been available on their smartphones (SlashGear).
• The final details this week cover the ports on the new iOS smartphones. For all the talk of going portless, or joining the iPad Pro with a USB-C connector, theiPhone 13 looks to be sticking with lightning (Apple Insider).
• Also of note is a potential for the 2022 iPhones to finally switch over to a ‘punch hole’ design (but what about the other sensors?) from The Verge; and a potential iPhone SE mk 3, also in 2022 (MacRumors).
• Apple’s online services have been in the news this week as well. First up is one of Apple’s own moves; you can now transfer your iCloud photos to Google Photos from inside Apple’s cloud. It’s not immediate, as Apple will perform checks to ensure ownership of the various services. It’s nice to have data portability from Apple’s system, although I feel that this should be something universal across every online platform (MacRumors).
• Meanwhile the App Store’s use of a single payment system – Apple’s – is coming under more pressure. In the UK the Competition and Markets Authority has opened an investigation (Bloomberg. But it’s the legislation progressing through Arizona that could be the first significant disruption. An amendment to HB2005 would stop app store operators from mandating a preferred payment service to Arizona based developers. It has cleared the House of Representatives, and is heading to the the Senate and then the State Governor (The Verge).
• Apple has opened all of its Apple Stores in the US, the first time since the shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. But don’t expect to just walk in anywhere, many of the stores are running ‘appointment only’ systems (CNBC).
• The latest beta of iOS has been released. The third version of 14.5 with the previously discussed option to let Siri use alternative music players, and a ’surely this is the sign that AirTags are coming’ tab for ‘Items’ showing up in the FindMy app (9to5Mac).
• Apple started the Apple Silicon adventure with the lower end MacBook laptops and a revitalised mac Mini. Other models are sure to show up in the next 18 months, but YouTuber Luke Mian has taken the circuity and carefully hacked together an M1 powered 2011 iMac (Apple Insider).

Android Headlines

• Meanwhile Samsung’s Galaxy S21 Ultra has been dealt a bit of a blow, with the popular DXOMark website rating the camera as slightly below that of last year’s Galaxy S20 Ultra, with the telephoto lens looking like the culprits (DXO Mark via GSM Arena).
• There’s a lot going on in the latest version of Android 12, and while there’s no official change log you can play a huge game of spot the difference with the beta version (Android Police).
• In the meantime, Android 11 is delivering the updates to the current user base, but which manufacturer offers the fastest updates to the OS? (Android Authority).
• OnePlus has suggest that ’Something new is on the horizon’ thanks to the message appearing on its website. For many, that means the launch of the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro is imminent (Android Police). Later in the year, OnePlus is expected to launch the presumptively named OnePlus Nord 2; and the potential use of MediaTek over Qualcomm – which would be a first for the company – has raised eyebrows (Pocket Lint).
• Realme have launched what, as of time of writing, is the cheapest 5G smartphone with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 chip system on chip. Specs offer 8 GB or 12 GB of RAM, 128 GB or 256 GB of storage, but a rather modest camera (9to5Google).
• Google ARKit update has picked up a tweak that will allow access to dual cameras to generate better stereoscopic images to collect depth information (Android Police). This good news is of course balanced out by another Google cancellation. Google Carboard is more (Ars Technica).
• 16 GB of memory in a gaming smartphone. Ridiculous? No matter the answer, the Asus ROG Phone 6 looks set to deliver just that, according to the latest online benchmarks (MySmartPrice).
• Next week should see Oppo release the Find X3 Pro smartphone. In the meantime the final few leaks are here, and they pretty much confirm the specs not just of the flagship, but also the Find X3 Lite and Find X3 Neo (XDA Developers).

Mobile Tech Headlines

• Amazon has quietly changes its app logo, from a piece of ripped tape to a folded corner of paper. It’s a subtle change that was needed, given the number of memes comparing the old logo to Adolf Hitler (BBC News),
• Clubhouse may be the darling of Silicon Valley right now, but Jason Aten has been taking a look at your privacy inside the app. Rather a lot of data is being collected (Inc).
• Also on the privacy from is Google’s statement that it is pushing towards a ‘privacy-focused web’ where it will not build new systems that replicate the power of third-party cookies to track users across the web. It’s an invovled post that lays out a number of new approaches. (Google’s Ads and Commerce Blog).
• Microsoft has added a number of new features to Teams as the world continues to adapt to the Working From Home movement. These include shared channels, seminar features, and encryption on the end-to-end calls (ZDNet).
• The podcast space is picking up a lot of Big Tech heat this year, and you should expect more big moves. For now, note that Spotify is likely to overhaul Apple in terms of podcast app usage by the end of this year (eMarketeer).

And Finally…

• Netflix is taking on TikTok with ‘Fast Laughs’, a feed inside the iOS and Android apps that feature short clips and skits from it’s comedy specials (Variety).

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.