The state of 5G: Hype versus reality two years later
5G networks have been up and running around the world since early 2019, at least in some markets. The rollout so far is touted to be much faster than 4G LTE, with broader coverage, a wide range of carriers, and a plethora of 5G smartphones and other devices to pick from compared to the same point on 4G’s deployment.
That sounds like great news for the wireless networking industry’s big players, but what about us consumers? 5G promised us not only faster data speeds for streaming content but also brand new products and never-before-seen use cases based on the benefits of 5G.
Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority
Apple recently introduced its controversial App Tracking Transparency feature on iOS. If enabled, the privacy-focused feature restricts apps from tracking you across the web and other third-party apps. This would ultimately mean users gaining more control over how companies share their personal information for ad-targeting. It would also mean people seeing fewer necessary apps. But personalized ads that are sometimes useful could also take a hit.
With iOS 14.5, Apple gives iPhone users a choice to opt out of app tracking. So we asked our readers if they would also want a similar anti-app tracking feature on Android. We gave readers three options to choose from. Here’s how they voted in our poll.
TL;DR
The Spotify vs Apple fight just heated up with the former seeing a big win against the latter in the EU.
The European Commission charges that Apple abuses its dominant position with the App Store as it pertains to music streaming apps.
Apple, of course, disputes the EC’s finding.
If you fire up the Spotify app on your iPhone and try to upgrade to a premium subscription, you’ll be stopped short. The app will simply say, “You can’t upgrade to Premium in the app. We know, it’s not ideal.”
The reason this isn’t possible is that Spotify has one of two choices: present that alert or allow people to subscribe to Spotify within the app but forfeit 15% of their payments. Obviously, Spotify chose the first option. However, this conundrum is what lies at the heart of the Spotify vs Apple fight happening right now.
Strong Galaxy S21 sales drive Samsung to highest mobile profit in years
Samsung’s mobile division achieved its highest quarterly profit figure since 2014.
The Galaxy S21 series buoyed the company’s mobile sales performance.
Its Galaxy A series, tablets, and wearables also contributed to a strong quarter.
Judging by the data from several research firms, it seems that almost every tech company is enjoying a better start to 2021 than 2020. But some firms, like Samsung, are doing better than they’ve done even before the pandemic.
Samsung’s mobile phone business recorded a profit of 4.4 trillion won (~$3.9 billion) in Q1 2021 the highest figure in seven years, per