Your weekly look at the world of smartphones and mobile technology, this is the Phone Buzz on Friday 21st August 2021.

Apple Headlines

• With production under way ahead of the launch of the iPhone 13 family, it’s hard to hide the components that are going to be used, with the supply chain analysts at Wedbush confident that we’re getting at least one model with LiDAR scanning, and at least model with a 1 TB storage option, (WedBush via 9to5Mac).
• Mark Gurmna has rounded up the expected hardware releases for Apple in September and October. THere’s no huge surprises; the iPhone 13 family will launch alongside the Apple Watch 7 and AirPods; a refresh of the iPad and iPad Mini; and the MacBook Pro release “by the time of the second anniversary of the current MacBook Pro.” (Bloomberg).
• Apple may be planning for a future with miniLED displays the signature technology in the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro, but it’s going to be a rocky road getting there; 2021 has not made it easy to get the supplies needed for the upcoming MacBook update, with new suppliers and techniques still being worked on (Forbes)…which may explain why LG is joining the ’supply OLED screens to Apple’ game (9to5Mac).
• Apple’s approach to regulating sexual content in the App Store is damaging LGBTQ+ apps far more than the mainstream heterosexual apps. Kendra Albert and Afsaneh Rigot explain why it is time to stop automatically throwing NSFW content out of the App Store (Wired)
• Following Microsoft’s updating of OneDrive for macOS, Apple has updated iCloud for Windows. Isn’t nice when everyone plays fair between the various ecosystems (9to5Mac).
• With Apple expected to retire the Touch Bar with the upcoming MacBook Pro laptops, many are rejoicing at the return of the physical function keys. But what if Apple took another route, and decided the top row would be a perfect place for an Apple Pencil? Against a background of ‘macOS does not need a touchscreen’, this curious Apple patent suggests just that (Yankodesign).
• As for the release date on the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops, more signs are pointing to an early November release, which would match up with the release schedule over the last two years (Forbes).
• Kosta Eleftheriou, the developer behind the FlickType iPhone keyboard developed for blind users will be discontinued. Citing numerous obstacles and objections made by Apple when rejecting the app and its updates from the App Store. (@FlickType)
• Last week it was reported that Apple had settled with Corellium over its ‘virtual iPhone’ service. Well, not so fast. Apple has filed a notice of appeal; albeit over a different issue with Corellium. This isn’t over yet (Reuters).
• Opposition to Apple’s implementation of CSAM scanning on a user’s own device continues to rise, with the use of the technology as a wedge in Apple’s much-praised approach to the personal encryption of data. Over 90 groups and policy makers have published an open letter to Apple asking them to think again (Reuters).
  “More broadly, they said the change will break end-to-end encryption for iMessage, which Apple has staunchly defended in other contexts.
• Apple’s efforts to launch a podcast subscription service so podcast producers could easily monetise their audience continues to have issues since its launch in April; issues that are impacting smaller podcasts and listeners far more than the big production companies (The Verge).

Android Headlines

• A history lesson to kick off the Android news this week, as Ars Technica has an extract from the upcoming book “Androids: The team that built the Android operating system.”  That’s one for the Christmas Gifts list (Ars Technica).
• We might still be waiting on Google’s Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro to be fully launched, but in the meantime we have this week’s release of the Pixel 5a 5G. Building on last year’s Pixel 5, the larger device is essentially the closest you will get to a vanilla Android smartphone – unsurprising given who’s selling it. Sporting a 4680 man battery, IP67 water resistance, and a top-end camera, the 5a continues to push the mid-range market higher for a competitive price of $450 in the US. But it’s not perfect; availability is limited to the US and Japan, and software and security updates are less than that of some rival handsets (The Verge).
• Google also noted that the Pixel 5a would be the last Pixel to ship with a charger in the box… yes the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are going to sport a USB cable that you can use with your existing chargers (9to5Google).
• Ahead of Android 12’s debut on the new Pixel phones, the updated UI, Material You, has made an early official appearance. The latest update to Google’s Contacts app has picked up all the new UI elements and designs and is available now (Android Police).
• Samsung’s move to show in-app advertising on its bundled apps drew criticism when it was launched. The South Korean company is rowing back slightly on this, with news that they will be removed from Samsung’s stock apps, which include  Samsung Pay, Samsung Themes, Samsung Weather (SamMobile).
• Samsung Pay has added a new feature for US users; the ability to show your Covid-19 vaccination status in the app. Partnering with the Commons Project Foundation, a verifiable vaccination card can be downloaded for convenient access when travelling, entering into venues and event halls, in a contactless manner (Samsung).
• The latest Realme handset, the Realme GT, is seen as the company’s ‘flagship-killer’ handset. The 5G handset with the SnapDragon 88 system on chip, a 129Hz refreshing screen, and a 4500 may battery, comes in at £400 here in the UK. David Taylor has the full review (The Independent).
• Asus has released a mid-cycle replacement to the ROG Phone 5 that was launched earlier in the year. The imaginatively titled ROG Phone 5s bumps up the screen touch sampling rate from the already high 300Hz to 350Hz, and goes with the latest Snapdragon 888+ along with some polished specs all round (XDA Developers).
• Following its launch in China, ZTE is bringing the Axon 30 to global markets, with sales starting on September 9th (Gizmochina).

Mobile Tech Highlights

• As Mobile App Stores and how they are leveraged by their respective owners come under increasing scrutiny in legislatures around the world. The ‘Open Markets Access Bill’ launched last week in the US Congress is just one of many efforts in the US and abroad to expand the choice available to developers and consumers. Brad Stone looks at the use in depth (Bloomberg).
• Given the number of mobile apps, social media networks, and gaming, it’s worth noting Tencent’s quarterly revenue numbers; revenue up 20 percent year on year, with profits of $6.6 billion up 29 percent year on year (Tencent).

And Finally…

• The new earbuds from the curiously challenging Nothing company are now generally available in the UK and Europe. Sporting active noise cancelling and a lightweight design, I’m curious to see just how much impact in the retail space there will be, given CEO and co-found Carl Pei’s previous marketing success with OnePlus (Nothing).

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.