Hacker News with Generative AI: Smartphones

Deep-sea mining threatens sea life in a way no one is thinking about (theconversation.com)
As the demand for electric car batteries and smartphones grows, mining companies are turning their attention to the deep sea, where precious metals such as nickel and cobalt can be found in potato-size nodules sitting on the ocean floor.
Pixel 9a: The latest A-series phone with Google AI smarts at an unbeatable value (google)
Built to last with a new design, upgraded camera system and helpful AI, the Pixel 9a has a lot to offer.
Citronics built a router based on the Fairphone 2 mainboard (cnx-software.com)
Belgium-company Citronics has designed a router based on the mainboard of the Fairphone 2 smartphone, connecting the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 “system-on-module” to a carrier board with Ethernet, USB ports, and other connectors, while leveraging 4G LTE, WiFi, and Bluetooth connectivity from the phone’s core board.
Which Motorola Phone Should You Buy? (wired.com)
Motorola phones may seem old-school, but their simple interface, good battery life, and tendency for steep discounts make them solid wallet-friendly Android smartphones.
Google may be limiting some Pixel demo units to upsell the Pro models (androidpolice.com)
FBI Warns iPhone, Android Users–We Want Lawful Access to All Your Encrypted Data (forbes.com)
The furor after Apple removed full iCloud security for U.K. users may feel a long way from American users this weekend. But it’s not — far from it. What has just shocked the U.K. is exactly what the FBI told me it also wants in the U.S. “Lawful access” to any encrypted user data. The bureau’s quiet warning was confirmed just a few weeks ago.
Apple debuts iPhone 16e: A powerful new member of the iPhone 16 family (apple.com)
Apple today announced iPhone 16e, a new addition to the iPhone 16 lineup that offers powerful capabilities at a more affordable price.
Apple iPhone 16e (apple.com)
Pre-order starting at 5:00 a.m. PST on 2.21.
Apple Debuts iPhone 16e (apple.com)
Apple today announced iPhone 16e, a new addition to the iPhone 16 lineup that offers powerful capabilities at a more affordable price.
Huawei launches $3,660 trifold phone (cnbc.com)
School phone bans do not improve grades or wellbeing, says UK study (theguardian.com)
Banning smartphones at school does not by itself improve academic grades and children’s wellbeing, a study suggests.
Coordinates of millions of smartphones feared stolen (theregister.com)
Gravy Analytics has been sued yet again for allegedly failing to safeguard its vast stores of personal data, which are now feared stolen. And by personal data we mean information including the locations of tens of millions of smartphones, coordinates of which were ultimately harvested from installed apps.
New iPhone SE Coming Soon (bloomberg.com)
Apple Inc. plans to unveil a long-anticipated overhaul of the iPhone SE in the coming days, a move that will modernize its lower-cost model in a bid to spur growth and entice consumers to switch from other brands.
New iPhone buyers do care about Apple Intelligence (9to5mac.com)
Apple positioned the iPhone 16 as the first model “built from the ground up for Apple Intelligence.” But until the company shared iPhone sales numbers, we didn’t know whether customers would care or not. Now, the answer seems clear.
Sam Altman: OpenAI plans to develop a dedicated AI device to replace smartphones (nikkei.com)
米オープンAIのサム・アルトマン最高経営責任者(CEO)は日本経済新聞の取材でスマートフォンに代わる生成AI(人工知能)専用端末の開発に乗り出すと表明した。
How to turn off Apple Intelligence (asurion.com)
🚨 Setting up a new phone? Trouble connecting? No matter the issue, we can help.
Google Pixel 4a update to "improve stability" of the battery cuts life in half (liliputing.com)
The Google Pixel 4a is a mid-range smartphone that was released in 2020 at a time when Google was only promising to deliver software and security updates for three years. But earlier this month Google rolled out an unscheduled update that the company says was required “to improve the stability” of battery performance on some models.
Apple iPhone sales dip despite AI rollout (bbc.co.uk)
Sales of Apple iPhones dropped at the end of last year, as the tech firm's roll out of new artificial intelligence (AI) features was met with a lukewarm response.
Light Phone III camera sample photos (thelightphone.com)
Google will factory reset your Pixel 4a, unless updated with "battery of death" (reddit.com)
ATTENTION: Google Customer Service said device will be reset on 30th January
Liberux: Linux phone (liberux.net)
The Liberux NEXX sets you free with LiberuxOS (based on Debian 13 Linux), mostly open-source and ethical operating system.
Apple's iPhone Sales in China Plunged 18% in Holiday Quarter (bloomberg.com)
Sales of Apple Inc. iPhones dived 18.2% in China during the December quarter, according to independent research, a major setback for the company in its biggest market after the US.
iPhone drops from first to 3rd place in China, struggles to launch AI features (9to5mac.com)
The iPhone has lost its crown as the best-selling phone in China, dropping to 3rd place in the latest market intelligence data.
Apple iPhone USB-C Hacked (forbes.com)
With 100 million macOS users already reeling from news of a new credential-stealing attack, Safari users warned do not click twice, and even a report about iOS being targeted more by hackers than Android, it’s not been the most reassuring few weeks for Apple users. Now security researchers have disclosed details of a successful bypass of Apple security protections to hack the iPhone USB-C controller. So, what does this mean for smartphone security?
HMD Key – A lightweight, affordable smartphone (hmd.com)
Upgrade your smartphone with Human Mobile Devices (HMD) and their latest launch of the HMD Key. The HMD Key is proof that you don’t need to break the bank to get a reliable smartphone. Its lightweight build, essential features, and accessible price point make it an excellent choice for anyone seeking a new smartphone.
A billion dollars later, the iPhone 16 is still banned in Indonesia (9to5mac.com)
The iPhone 16 is still banned from sale in Indonesia, despite Apple promising to invest a billion dollars in the country’s economy.
Samsung is rolling out a smartphone subscription next month (theverge.com)
HMD Fusion: Budget repairable smartphone with modular flair (theregister.com)
The HMD Fusion is a budget smartphone with a couple of appealing twists. The first is that the device is modular and repairable – iFixit already has guides on how to swap its battery and screen, among other things. HMD promises two years of Android updates and three years of security updates, which is slightly underwhelming, but still better than what the real bargain-basement kit offers.
California rescue teams say iPhone's advanced features keep saving lives (sfgate.com)
Every new iPhone release seems like it’s more expensive than the last, with Apple hosting massive global events to promote the newest features. But in the past few years, a series of new features built into iPhones could do more than make digital stickers from your photos or transcribe messages from callers you didn’t want to talk to: These features could save your life.
School smartphone ban results in better sleep and improved mood: study (york.ac.uk)
Psychologists at the University of York, who tested the impact that smartphones have on children’s behaviour for a new two-part documentary series for Channel 4, found that a ban in school impacted positively on sleep and mood.