Your weekly look at the world of smartphones and mobile technology, this is the Phone Buzz on Friday 23rd July 2021.

This Week’s Top Story

• Discussions around the ‘Pegasus’ software from Israel’s NSO Group; its capabilities to hack a third party’s phone; and use the camera, microphone, GPS, and other sensors to monitor you; were everywhere this week  A study by the Washington Post And one of the more interesting facets of the story is the vulnerability of the iPhone (The Guardian).

Apple Headlines

• The launch of the iPhone 13 will see Apple take another swing at the iPhone Mini concept, but I don’t think that’s going to be any more than a curiosity… not when the third-generation iPhone SE is waiting in the wings for an early 2022 launch. It’s set to be the cheapest 5G handset in Apple’s portfolio, albeit with a design harking back to 2014’s iPhone 6! (Ars Technica).
• The latest published patent documents by Apple suggest that the R&D teams at Cupertino are still working on a foldable displays and curved screens for both the iPhone and iPad (Patently Apple).
• Alongside the impact of the Pegasus software, Apple is facing a number of other security woes. iOS 14.7 has a significant issue when used to unlock a nearby Apple Watch; if you forget your passcode it locks up the Apple Watch and it will require a full wipe and restore to clear the problem on the smartwatch (Apple Support).
• It has taken some time, but the biggest news in the iOS 14.7 update is security related. Apple has closed the Wi-Fi vulnerability that would expose an iPhone to attacks through a specially crafted SSID of a Wi-Fi network. Security Analysts ZecOps, who publicised much of the original work around the exploit, has confirmed the hack is closed (Forbes).
• Mark this one down as either ‘revolutionary’ or ‘doesn’t every top-end Android smartphone already have this?’ depending on your tribe. The iPhone might finally be getting an always on display (MacRumors).
• Will Apple update the iPad before the end of 2021? The signs say yes, with an A15 powered small format tablet along with USB-C replacing the lightning port according to “sources familiar with the matter”. You can also expect the iPad Mini to come with the same smart connector as other iPads, opening up the peripheral market (9to5Mac).
• The exact details of the new MacBook Pro laptops remain up in the air, and once again it’s the new display technology that is causing headaches. Even some of noted Apple’ watchers can’t pin down a release to anything tighter than ‘between early September and late November’. If you were to ask me, Id suggest Apple will want to set up a rhythm to the releases, much as it does with the iPhone – so watch for a mid- to late-October launch event and the first batch going on sale mid November. Now ask me how big that first batch might be…  (9to5Mac).
• Apple’s 5 GB of free iCloud storage for ever user is enough to hold some photos and videos, but it’s not enough to use the cloud to transfer your data to a new iPhone. Although the free tier is not expanding, the beta releases of iOS 15 and watchOS 8 allow you to have a ’temporary boost’ to your account storage that will allow cloud transfers to take place. Charlie Sorrel argues that it’s time iCloud had a small bump in the free tier, say to 10 GB, to improve the user experience (Lifewire).
• The FTC has published its policy paper on how it will approach the expansion of right-to-repair in America. This is going to impact countless manufactures, but there’s been a particular push towards Apple from many advocates. Given the sealed nature of both Apple hardware and the availability of parts, testing equipment, and documentation for third party repairers, Tim Cook and his team are going to feel this legislative move far more than others (Vice).
• Long ago, Apple had no iPhone and Nokia ruled the smartphone waves. Until this very week in 2011, when Cupertino overtook Espoo in terms of smartphone sales (Cult of Mac).

Android Headlines

• Samsung is preparing for its big event on August 11th with a flood of signage popping up around the world to promote the event and keep everyone thinking about Galaxy phones (SamMobile).
• …meanwhile recently published Samsung patents suggest that the next Z Flip model after the handset expected to launch next month will have a rotating camera mounted in the hinge (Let’s Go Digital).
• OnePlus has announced the next handset in its mid-range line-up. The OnePlus Nord 2 5G replaces last year’s Nord, and if you’re a follower of the OnePlus story you’ll spot the resemblances to the ‘Flagship Killer’ mythos of the early OnePlus handsets. Thanks to OnePlus, I’ve been able to spend time with the handset this week to review it (Forbes).
• Huawei’s Twitter account has announced  launch date of 29th July for a mysterious gold device. It’s not that mysterious, given everyone is waiting for the Huawei P50. What will be interesting is how the P handsets sell in the US and Europe, given the continuing inclusion on the US Entities List, banning trade and services by US companies – which includes Google and its Mobile Services   (Huawei on Twitter).
• Realme may have just launched the Realme GT master in China, and is preparing the X9 for launch in August, is the brand planning to launch a tablet? Following on from various official teases, Steve Hemmerstoffer of @OnLeaks has gathered all the information to create his own RealMe Pad Renders (via 91mobiles).
• Ahead of the launch of the Honor Magic3 smartphone on August 12, Honor has been quietly confirming details on the device as the days go by. As well as announcing the Magic3 series will be using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888+ system on chip, an official picture of the protective case has revealed a significant circular cutout on the rear of the handset; presumably for the camera island (GSMArena)
• Google’s Android-powered smartphone platform may not have the breadth of adoption as the Apple Watch, but it has been quietly powering the wrists of many users since its launch and through countless rebrands. The upcoming bump up to Wear OS 3 was announced at I/O earlier this year, with a note that some current smartwatches will be able to upgrade their software. The list is incredibly small – and does not feature any watches from Samsung or Fitbit – but any upgrade will not happen until the middle of next year (Android Police).
• What next for Microsoft’s Android-powered Surface Duo? Jez Corden sets out the case for Redmond to double-down on the concept, nudge the hardware forward, and work intensively on the software to let the vision shine (Windows Central).
• And finally Pocketcasts, one of the key podcast apps on Android, has been bought by Automattic, the company behind WordPress.Stand by for a lot more podcast integration with WordPress, and more updates and features coming to Pocketcasts now it has a new parent (WordPress).

Mobile Tech Headlines

• Samsung Display is preparing to offer folding displays running at 120Hz that uses LTPO technology, allowing for variable refresh rates. Expect the next wave of folding smartphones to upgrade their existing Samsung displays over the next 12-18 months (SamMobile).
• British Games developer Sumo – behind titles such as Team Sonic Racing, Hitman 2, and Forza Horizon 4 – has been purchased by China’s Tencent for $1.27 billion, some forty-three percent higher than the previous share price. But that does mean it has some big franchises as part of the deal (Reuters).
• Valve saw pre-orders for its Steam Deck filled incredibly quickly this week as it revealed its handheld gaming PC to the world. Drawing comparisons to the Nintendo Switch (or the Atari Lynx, depending on your age), the x86 device ships with Steam’s own OS and the Proton software layer to allow games from the Steam library to run on the device. As of today, any pre-orders would not be fulfilled until late Q2 2022 (Windows Central).

And Finally…

• What happens when you send an AirTag through the post to Apple? YouTuber MegaLag decided to find out. Spoiler… Tim Cook comes out of this much better than Elon Musk (9to5Mac).

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.