Your weekly look at the world of smartphones and mobile technology, this is the Phone Buzz on Friday 13th August 2021.

Ewan’s Thought For The Week

This week saw Samsung’s latest Galaxy Unpacked event deliver pretty much what the tech world was expecting – which tends to be the case with the volume and accuracy of leaks in the current ecosystem – and I think it was a pivotal moment for the South Korean company.

The Galaxy Note, Samsung’s groundbreaking phablet and flagship handset for the back half of a year (contrasting with the Galaxy S launches in the first half of any given year), was nowhere in sight. Instead we had the Galaxy Watch4 as a warm-up before the two folding handsets, the Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3, were brought to the virtual stage. And the lack of the Note I think was the best move possible.

When the Note was launched, giving it a standalone event helped Samsung explain the new technology, showcase the phablet, and allow its uniqueness to shine. Here was a company that was at the very top of the smartphones design pyramid.

Now you have budget handsets with larger screens than the Note series, and the ‘regular flagship S Series has the ‘Ultra’ handset which is a Note in size and capability. There’s no need for the Note to get its own event. There’s barely a need for a Note at all, and the economic slowdown imparted by the coronavirus pandemic amplifies that.

But there is a need for Samsung to flex its design and manufacturing muscle at a standalone event.

Which is where the Z Fold and the Z Flip family of handsets come in. They are the supercars of Samsung’s smartphone world. They are not going to sell in huge numbers, they are not going to materially impact the company’s bottom line. But they have a huge impact on the perception of the company, on the technology it offers, and consumers feel they are supporting a brand they can believe in, even if they never buy the £2000 bleeding edge hinge.

The Z handsets are for for show, and the S handsets are for dough. Now they both get an Unpacked to shine.

And Samsung can shine throughout the year.

Apple Headlines

• There’s good news on the specs front for the upcoming handsets, especially the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Apple is beefing up the battery capacity. The 13 Pro Max’s 4352 mAh battery is almost on a par with equivalent Android devices, although the other iPhone 13 handsets are still falling short. For many the efficiency of iOS makes up the different in terms of endurance. The battery tests, once the handsets reach the real world, will be interesting (ZDNet).
• Production on the upcoming 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops have commenced, according to reports in Digitimes. With around 3 million units planned over the next four months, Apple is counting on the super-cycle started by the first Apple Silicon laptops to continue (Forbes).
• The next MacBook Air is set to follow this year’s Apple Silicon powered iMacs by introducing a range of colours to the consumer focused laptop (9to5Mac).
• Other news from the supply chain includes Samsung Display preparing its production line for the next generation of IT-OLED display technology, with Samsung Electronics and Apple set to benefit from the technology; the latter is expected to debut in next year’s iPad tablets (The Elec).
• Lost your AirPods but they are outside of your bluetooth range to trigger the nearby location features? Never fear, iOS 15 will allow you to add your AirPods to your AppleID so they can use the Find My Network… now they just need to be close to any Apple device in the network to be located (9to5Mac).
• Previously, Apple initiated legal action against Corellium and the ‘virtual iOS’ service it offered to developers to test applications rather than on actual devices. This week Apple settled its lawsuit; terms have not been disclosed by Corellium continues to offer the service (Washington Post).
• Scam Apps continue to plague the App Store. The general principle, to get users to download a ‘free’ app before hitting them with well-hidden monthly subscription costs in the hundreds of dollars, can be seen time and time again. Appel’s much vaunted security around the App Store continues to have a blind spot to this approach (Forbes).

Android Headlines

• This week was Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event, and the change for the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 to shine. Also on show, and opening up the event, was the Galaxy Watch4. Running Google’s WearOS, it puts a huge focus on health. It packs in the ability to run an ECG test, monitor blood oxygen levels, watch over your blood pressure, and introduces body composition sensors (Trusted Reviews).
• Next up is the larger of the folding handsets. While it has phone functionality, and very much acts it when closed (albeit with a stretched aspect ratio) once you open the Galaxy Z Fold 3 you realise it’s much closer to being a small tablet than a large phone; especially with the multi-window support and working with app partners to make best use of the large screen real estate (XDA Developers).
• Meanwhile the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is very much the smartphone form factor when unfolded. When closed it cuts down the vertical size making it far more pocketable – and no doubt stirring memories of the StarTAC for a few of us. That said, everything beyond the hinge works like a smartphone, just as you would expect (Ars Technica).
• Honor has announced the Magic3 family of smartphones. These are the first flagship devices from the company since it was spun out of Huawei. The three handsets – the Magic3, Magic3 Pro, and Magic3 Pro Plus – have leaned heavily into camera technology. They feature recording Magic-Log format, cinematic effects, and a variety of camera lenses in what I presume will become its signature circular camera island. Global availability will follow a Chinese retail release in the near future (GSM Arena).
• Last week’s pre-announcement of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro made one thing clear about Google’s flagship handsets. There’s no place for a smaller handset. While the likes of the Pixel 4 with its 5.7 inch screen just about meet the criteria of a small phone, the Pixel 6’s 6.4 inch screen; and the 6 Pro’s 6.7 inch – means the fat flagship is back (XDA Developers).
• US lawmakers in the House of Representatives are discussing placing Honor on to the US Entities list, which would restrict its ability to deal with US suppliers of software and hardware. Recall that Honor was spun out of Huawei, which remains on the US Entities list. As a new company Honor was a ‘clean slate’ as regards the Entities List; how this progresses will have a significant impact on Honor’s growth over the next few years. (Reuters).

Mobile Tech Headlines

• Twitter has updated a redesign to both the web and app versions of the social network… which is why you are seeing a new font and a UI with more contrast (CNet).
• One to watch out for in the future, as a bipartisan bill is introduced in the US Senate that seeks new rules to “oost competition and consumer protections by placing new restrictions on how the stores operate and what rules they can impose on app developer.” It’s going to keep the pressures on Google and Apple, and the discussion points around app store lock-ins will continue (Wall Street Journal).

And Finally…

• Also making an appearance just ahead of Galaxy Unpacked was an Instagram Video from OnePlus that looked to be the Shenzhen-based company’s first folding phone. Nope. It was two OnePlus 9 handsets balanced very close to each other, with a subsequent video revealing it was a ‘half off’ campaign if you purchase the device through T-Mobile USA. So a misguided marketing stunt then.(Pocket Lint).

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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.