#smartphone updates

Apple says its upcoming iOS 27 update is focused heavily on performance improvements, especially for older iPhones. Devices as old as the iPhone 11 are expected to benefit from system optimizations designed to make everyday tasks feel more responsive.

According to Apple, apps can launch up to 30% faster, AirDrop transfers may be up to 80% faster, and newly taken photos should appear much more quickly in the Photos app. A big part of the improvement comes from changes to the system's CPU scheduler, which helps the phone manage tasks and resources more efficiently.

The update continues Apple's long-running approach of supporting older hardware for many years after release. While newer AI-focused features will still be limited to recent iPhone models, many users with older devices could see noticeable speed and stability gains without buying a new phone.

Observation:

HyperOS 3 Update delivers a smarter, faster, and more intuitive experience with major AI improvements and system-wide optimizations. Core Enhancements in HyperOS 3 Update and Why It Matters in 2025 The HyperOS 3 Update marks a decisive shift in Xiaomi’s vision of mobile software. It is not just another system refresh layered on top of Android. Instead, it represents a structural overhaul…

The Chinese smartphone market has been booming for a number of years. This is the biggest smartphone market in the world, and cannot be rivaled by anyone else at the moment. There are tons of smartphone OEMs in China, a number of which you’ve probably already heard of. China is home to a number of high-profile companies, like Xiaomi, Huawei and ZTE as well as many up-and-coming ones, like Meizu. You’ve probably heard of all of these companies before, but there are a ton of smaller brands over there, like Mlais, Ulefone, Siswoo, etc.

We’ve talked about many of these Chinese companies thus far, and many of the smaller ones actually manufacture quite solid devices which are being shipped all over the world. Now, Chinese brands in general tend to release devices which are exclusive for China, and thus have limited connectivity elsewhere. Interesting enough, these are mostly high-profile companies. Some companies tend to release really compelling devices which someone outside of Asia would like to get, and can’t because of the network support. This actually goes for many of the Chinese OEMs which tend to release devices regionally, instead of including quad-band support in their phones.

Many of you probably know what I’m talking about here, but some of you might wonder what is quad-band support. Well, quad-band support actually refers to support for all 4 GSM frequency bands 850/900/1800/1900MHz. If this is included in a device, it basically makes it compatible with every GSM network in the world. This, of course, makes having such a device really convenient because you can purchase it no matter where you live without having to wonder if your SIM card will actually work / is compatible with the device.

This can come in handy in many situations, not only if you want to purchase a device which is exclusive to China, but if you’re a frequent traveller or something of the sort. Truth be told, Chinese OEMs are not the only ones to be blamed here, but considering how many devices they release, they’re kind of under the spotlight at the moment. In conclusion, it would be great if every single OEM would include quad-band support in smartphones, no matter where you intend to sell it, leave people the option to buy the device if they can somehow. Including quad-band support isn’t exactly such a financial minus that OEMs can’t afford it, quite frankly, they wouldn’t even feel the difference in their budget quite probably, even the smaller companies, and it would definitely boost their sales. I would really like to hear what’re your thoughts are here, because I’ve had issues with limited band support in smartphones numerous times, and I’m actually wondering does this bother you as well? Feel free to share your thoughts.

A little earlier this month Google dove into the WiFi router business by releasing a new WiFi router called OnHub. The router came out of the blue but had many people excited when they heard of the great technology packed into the OnHub. It contains 13 antennas and is capable of 802.11 b/g/n/ac at 2.4 and 5GHz, but the best part is how the router supposedly performs. Most routers nowadays find the best, least congested wireless channel only when they are restarted, which leads to obvious speed problems as wireless channel congestion changes all the time. With the OnHub, the device will automatically scan for and switch to the least congested wireless channel every five minutes meaning that hypothetically it should provide the fastest speeds possible virtually all the time.

With the announcement of the OnHub router earlier this month also came the announcement of something a little different, a companion app built just for the OnHub. Many people who ordered an OnHub router don’t have that much longer to wait for their device to arrive and now it looks like the companion app will be ready for them as it has just hit the Google Play Store only moment ago. The app is called ‘Google On’ and supposedly makes making changes to your OnHub router much simpler than most routers out there.

Here is what Google says that the Google On companion app for the OnHub router can do: help set up your OnHub in just a few minutes, learn how to improve your WiFi connection if there’s a slowdown, run a network check to test your connection speed, easily share your network name and password to family and friends, make changes to your settings, remotely provide or receive assistance from family or friends. The app will essentially let you control every aspect of your OnHub router with a simple and intuitive interface so that anybody could do it. Anybody can head over to the Google Play Store and download the app now, but it won’t do you much good as the app requires you to have an OnHub router. If you’re one of those people then you will want to click on this link to be directed to the Google Play Store to download the Google On app and be prepared.

The fortunes of semiconductor businesses can ebb and flow very much like the tides. In the mobile arena, the semiconductor providers and handset manufacturers exist in a fragile business arrangement, where decisions by the larger handset manufacturers can have a large impact on the System-on-Chip (SoC) providers. In the case of Qualcomm, the loss of the 2015 Samsung flagship smartphone deal (whereby Samsung used an in-house chipset for the Galaxy S6 family rather than the Qualcomm flagship SoC) had a significant impact on the business; we’ve seen Qualcomm announce job layoffs and a reduction in expenditure. However, Qualcomm are far, far more than a one pony house: in addition to their flagship processor line (currently the Snapdragon 810, which will be replaced with the Snapdragon 820 at some point in the not too-distant future), Qualcomm also provide a number of other manufacturers with various SoCs from lower down in the price range. These low and mid-range chipsets offer the same baseband (modem), Bluetooth, WiFi and location technologies as their high end cousins. The story today is that Xiaomi’s push into developing and using their own chipsets could cause considerable upset at Qualcomm, because the low and mid-range chipsets are a staple part of their business.

Let’s explore some of the reasons why Qualcomm have been such a success over the years. Partially, the reason for their success is because they have been able to produce their own custom processor architecture and optimize the blend of performance and power efficiently, and partially because Qualcomm do not simply sell application processors, but offer an integrated solution for smartphone and tablet manufacturers. By this, I mean that when a manufacturer buys a Qualcomm System-on-Chip, it is in fact a “solution,” offering the necessary connectivity (including the baseband, or modem, Bluetooth, GPS / GLONASS and WiFi subsystems) for the device in question. The manufacturer needs to provide the antenna but does not need to integrate these wireless technologies into their chosen processor. This has the obvious advantage that there is less work required by the manufacturer but another side effect in that it offers a simple way to reduce power consumption: the Qualcomm chipset is able to easily power up and down various subsystems on the device depending on what the device needs. We have seen other chipset manufacturers catching up with this approach, in particular MediaTek: but currently, even the low end Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 offers onboard LTE connectivity. Essentially, Qualcomm’s leaders realized many years ago that device manufacturers did not necessarily have the expertise to efficiently integrate the the appropriate technology for smartphones.

This fact has not been lost with the major manufacturers around the world, which leads me to Xiaomi, the largest Chinese manufacturer and a major customer of both Qualcomm and MediaTek’s System-on-Chips. Xiaomi have increased their use of MediaTek technology in order to keep prices down: the business deliberately sells its smartphones at an inexpensive, low-margin price as it sees itself as more of an Internet business rather than a device seller and seeks to make money off bundled and optional services. As such, a small reduction in component prices has a relatively significant impact on the underlying price of the device: it may be that the shift from the more expensive Qualcomm chipsets to the relatively less expensive MediaTek SoCs is a short term tactic, because in 2014 Xiaomi released the Xiaomi Redmi 2A, which had a price of $96 and was based around a processor developed partially in-house. This in-house processor had a unit price of $4 rather than the $8 of the equivalent Qualcomm chipset.

There is another reason why Xiaomi may seek to built its own chipsets into their devices, which is that of tighter integration with the software. Xiaomi are sure to have taken a close look at how Apple control the hardware and software of the iPhone and iPad, including the design of their own System-on-Chips (as a point of interest, Apple use Qualcomm for their modem technology). This may allow the business to further differentiate its products from the competition: Apple’s iPhone has used a potent set of chipsets, but the only way to utilize these was to buy an Apple product. Similarly, if one wants to buy a device based around the Samsung Exynos 7420 (considered to be one of the finest chipsets used in mobile devices today), one currently needs to buy a Samsung-branded product.

What could this mean for Qualcomm? In short, it mean that a major world smartphone player may end up buying fewer of its System-on-Chips. This does not just mean Xiaomi’s Chinese operations, but the manufacturer has announced plans to push into both the North American and European markets, where currently it only has a limited exposure. This could open up a significant new market for Xiaomi and Qualcomm could miss out on a significant line of revenue. For a business already feeling the pressure from losing a significant source of revenue thanks to the Samsung deal, this is not good news. Qualcomm channels much of its revenue into developing future generations of chipsets.

In the short term, Xiaomi are likely to concentrate on the lower and mid-range devices, where customers are less fussy about the branding on their devices. Currently, customers seeking a high end device are happier knowing that there is a well known System-on-Chip inside the chassis. Having a Qualcomm Snapdragon inside a device still carries a certain kudos. However, is Xiaomi are able to build their own chipsets and add value to their smartphones this way, this is a significant threat to the current Qualcomm business. As for Qualcomm, they appear to be caught between a rock and a hard place: they need the cash generated by their lower and mid-range chips in order to fund development of their high end products.

However, Qualcomm have shown great acumen in the past. We have seen evidence that Qualcomm recognize the threat of losing significant device manufacturer customers and the business has worked on alternative sources of revenue, such as the push into the Internet-of-Things. Smartphones have rapidly become a staple part of society and Qualcomm’s integration of graphics chipset and radio technologies has been steadily eroded over the years as the technology has become commoditized. Qualcomm’s chipset business is likely to evolve rather than erode in the coming years, moving away from smartphones and tablets where it could be less able to add value for customers, and more into the refined area of specialist low power, connected devices and wearables.

In a post on the official Samsung Tomorrow blog, the South Korean technology company has revealed that it intends to “bring IFA to you through a new and exciting IoT experience, no matter where you are”. What it means in essence is that the company will broadcast its presentations at the event in virtual reality through the Samsung Zone. Users of Gear VR headsets will be able to experience the happenings at the IFA in first person, in spite of not being physically present at the event to be held in Berlin, Germany from the 2nd of September. If that sounds interesting enough, Samsung also says that the company’s “startling innovations and visions” will be on full display at the trade fair. Samsung is expected to unveil its Gear 2 smartwatch at the event, alongside new IoT products from SmartThings’ new home automation lineup.

Every year over the past few years, Samsung has been launching its Galaxy Note flagships at the trade show. This time around however, the company announced the fifth generation Galaxy Note phablet (along with the Galaxy S6 Edge+) much earlier, potentially resulting in a bit of a void at this year’s IFA. The company however, is confident it would be able to put that opportunity to good use by introducing the assembled world media to the product lineup of SmartThings Inc. a home automation company it acquired last year for $200 million. While Samsung did talk about its plans for the smart home during its keynote speech at last year’s IFA, this time around the company is actually expected to put its money where its mouth is and unveil some of the products that SmartThings is believed to have been developing all this while. Products like the Hub, which is supposed to act as the gateway or the home-controller for connected devices.

While Samsung hasn’t spelled out in clear terms what its plans are and what products are to be expected at the upcoming event, the media at large believes that the company will have its hands full with announcing some interesting consumer-centric devices as part of its push towards going beyond traditional electronics and developing products and services for the much-anticipated IoT and the ensuing smart home revolution that has been talked up a lot in tech circles over the past few years.

Carriers occupy a precarious position between device manufacturers and fickle customers. They act as the go-between, handling the calls, text messages and data for customer devices, occupying in a competitive market where every business concerned wishes to capture the customer mindshare and generate customer loyalty. Carriers need to organize a long list of services from managing and upgrading the network through to complex billing systems with roaming partners, whilst providing a return for shareholders. Relationships with device manufacturers are generally healthy, but there are rumors that some of the larger manufacturers are difficult, which means Apple and Samsung. Today’s story concerns how the Israeli carriers are avoiding buying handsets direct through Samsung but are instead seeking alternative routes to acquire handsets. The three carriers, CellCom Israel, Partner Communications and Pelephone Communications, are the three official Samsung device importers via Samsung Israel but after a dispute that is reputed to have lasted for several months, these three businesses are not currently buying the Note 5 device direct from Samsung, but are instead sourcing the new smartphones from other sources. Customers can still buy Samsung devices sourced at Samsung Israel via open market stores such as Bug, Dynamica and Hot Mobile, as unofficial importers are still bringing products into the country.

The details as to the dispute are sketchy. The source website cites one of its unnamed sources, where the story here is that there is a crisis of faith between the three carriers and Samsung Israel. The carriers claim promises from Samsung Israel have not been kept and do not trust the official device importer. The Israeli carriers are relatively small in a global context but Samsung appear to be applying the same rules to their sales incentives and similar as they do to all other carriers, including the large heavyweights of the US market. The example given is the fixed payout for selling Samsung devices; the original sales target was set at $12 million, which the smaller carriers could reach. However, Samsung have moved this sales target up to $20 million and these three carriers are unable to reach this. Thus, the carriers do not benefit so much from selling the device. Worse, Samsung have been increasing the price of their devices at the same time when these three carriers are struggling to encourage customers to upgrade to the new models – one way to encourage this is to reduce handset or contract prices, but this of course, hurts the carrier’s profits.

Because the three carriers are being squeezed from the Samsung end of the arrangement at the same time as at the customer side, they decided not to partake in the new launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5: there were no executives at the launch of the new Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ devices. Instead, the three carriers are waiting for prices to drop: it appears that they will be selling the Galaxy Note 5 bought direct from Samsung, but not until the devices are cheaper. We have no timescale when this will be but it is possible that we will need to wait until the new iPhone is released. Meanwhile, the carriers are looking to “parallel import” devices from other (presumably larger) carriers around the world and pass these savings on to customers. Buying the devices from a source other than Samsung Israel will likely require the carriers installing Hebrew language support themselves rather than having Samsung set up the device for them and could have warranty implications going forwards. We have recently seen Samsung falling out with other carriers and resellers around the world; it appears that part of Samsung’s recovery plan is to play that much harder with carriers and it will be interesting to see how things pan out over the coming months.