SAMSUNG

Samsung will pay $392 million to ZTE over patent dispute

Whenever you pick up your smartphone to send a message, make a call, or browse the internet on 5G, you're using technologies that rely on thousands of invisible patents. These patents, known as Essential Standard Patents (ESPs), are the true "oxygen" of mobile networks: without them, your phone wouldn't be able to connect to any antenna. And it's precisely because of this vital access that Samsung has just suffered a multi-million dollar financial blow.

The London High Court in the UK ordered Samsung to pay ZTE a $392 lump sum in a global patent dispute. The court’s ruling on the global patent licensing battle came this Friday, requiring Samsung to pay a lump sum amount.

According to MLex, the UK High Court judge ⁠Richard Meade ruled that Samsung must pay a lump sum of $392 million after the company failed to renew the previous 2021 deal with ZTE.

Samsung requested the court to cap the payout at under $200 million. ZTE sought a huge payout of $731 million from Samsung. The determined payout is higher than Samsung’s request and lower than ZTE’s demand.

ZTE sued Samsung in Brazil, China, and Germany. Samsung, on the flip side, sued ZTE in London in December 2024, seeking a determination of the fair, reasonable, and ​non-discriminatory – or FRAND – terms of a patent licence.

The UK Supreme Court issued a bombshell ruling forcing the South Korean giant Samsung to pay around $392 million (approximately €360 million) to the Chinese company ZTE. The reason? The licensing of these essential patents that allow Samsung devices to communicate correctly with global telecommunications networks.

To understand how we got to this point, we have to go back in time a little. This conflict is based on what the technology industry calls "FRAND" terms (Fair, Reasonable, and Non-Discriminatory). Basically, companies that hold patents vital to global connectivity are required to license them to other brands at a fair price to avoid monopolies.

Samsung and ZTE had a peaceful licensing agreement that was in effect until 2021. The problem arose when it came time to renegotiate the renewal of this contract. The two giants could not reach an understanding on the values, and the conversation soured. In response to this impasse, Samsung decided to file a lawsuit in a London court in December 2024, asking an impartial judge to set a "fair" price for these licenses.

According to reports advanced by Reuters, British judge Richard Meade was responsible for finding the balance point in this heated dispute. And the disparity between what each brand wanted was simply abysmal.

-Samsung was willing to pay a maximum absolute value of US$200 million to settle the matter.

-ZTE, on the other hand, demanded a colossal payment of $731 million for its licenses.

The judge ended up setting the final bill at US$392 million. Although this amount is well below the Chinese brand's pharaonic demands, it represents almost double the original budget that Samsung intended to spend. It's a hefty bill that directly affects the coffers of the Galaxy line manufacturer.

Why London? The unusual stage for technology...You may be wondering: why is a massive trade war between a South Korean company (Samsung) and a Chinese company (ZTE) being resolved in a UK court?

The answer lies in a landmark legal precedent set by the British Supreme Court in 2020. This decision granted English courts the authority and power to define patent licensing terms globally, not just regionally. Since then, London has become the main strategic battleground for the entire telecommunications industry. That's where the tech giants go to dictate the rules of the game worldwide.

The chess game is far from over...If you think the passing of this million-dollar check ends the matter, think again. This British decision is just one piece on a complex global chessboard.

ZTE wasted no time and launched similar lawsuits against Samsung in other crucial markets, including Brazil, Germany, and, of course, China itself, seeking to maintain maximum financial and legal pressure. At the same time, Chinese courts are also working to determine their own FRAND terms to resolve this dispute at the local level.

For now, a tactical silence has prevailed. Both companies have refused to make public comments on the London court's ruling, knowing that both parties still retain the right to appeal the decision. However, regardless of appeals, this verdict sets a costly precedent and sends a very clear message for 2026: the invisible cost of keeping our devices connected is getting higher and higher, and the behind-the-scenes wars for control of 5G are only just beginning.

mundophone

SONY

Springtime with the Sony A7V

How a camera fits in one's hand is very important, so when Sony unveiled a beefier camera, I was sold. It was the perfect blend of form and functionality that many (me, myself, and I) had long desired. It pushed the boundaries of what many once considered to be an all-arounder camera, bringing speeds and video specs once exclusive to higher end models to the masses. How could Sony possibly improve on such a stellar performer? Easy, it's called the Sony A7 V.

I was lucky enough to take the new A7 V into the field for a few weeks this spring where I put it to the test in various shooting situations. Of course, I considered putting this camera through the ringer, I figured it was more practical to simply use it as part of my everyday shooting kit. For those who don't know by now, I'm a wildlife photographer. I spend most of my free time chasing and photographing birds, and that's especially true come spring.

As a Sony shooter, I was especially excited to test this new camera. My main weapon is currently the A1 II, but its trusty sidekick, and the reason I switched systems, is the A7 IV. I haven't traditionally been one to upgrade to the latest model every time a new feature comes out. I prefer to buy a camera, learn its ins and outs, and shoot with it until something truly noteworthy comes to the table. Just ask me about my six-year-old smartphone. Still, when certain updates are made or features are added, I feel motivated to make a move.

Does the A7 V motivate me to abandon my IV? Before we can answer that question, we need to see how it performs in the field, and the subject at hand were tiny migrating warblers. These are challenging to shoot for even the most advanced cameras as they're tiny, fast moving, and the environment they live in is dense. It's not a situation I see covered in many reviews, so I decided to take a crack at it.

Size was a big selling point in the early days of mirrorless cameras, though if you look at the legacy of the A7 series, you'll see each and every model get progressively bigger. This was done, not only to fit more features into these cameras, but to give them the larger footprint photographer have come to expect from a working camera. For the time in the A7 line, the A7V looks quite familiar, and that's a good thing.

Sony really hit things out of the park with the prior A7 IV. The control layout, physical size and shape of the A7IV was the perfect blend of size and portability, so it's no wonder Sony decided to keep things as they are. From the perspective of a photographer who is familiar with prior cameras button layout, AND as someone with big hands, this is a welcome decision.

I've always preferred the tilt-screen, as you can shoot at low or high angles without obstruction. A flip-out screen can be held at low angles comfortably as my left arm prevents the screen from fully opening. As you can imagine, the multi-angle screen is a welcome addition to the camera for nature and wildlife use cases. Even those photographing concerts and other live stage events will benefit from this update.

Performance...At the forefront of the fifth incarnation of the A7 series is a newly designed partially stacked 33.1-megapixel Exmore RS CMOS Imaging Sensor. While the resolution has remained the same as the previous model, the readout speed that can be achieved via the partially stacked design reduces the occurrence of rolling shutter significantly and allows the camera to achieve blisteringly fast frame rates.

Speaking of frame rates, one of the biggest improvements for fast action shooters has to be the flagship level continuous shooting speeds the A7 V is capable of achieving. Frame rates have been increased dramatically from the 11 fps found in the V's predecessor to a staggering, blackout free 30 fps when shooting in electronic shutter mode. While this doesn't up your keeper rate, it certainly helps you get that perfect pose.

Autofocus has seen an improvement as well with a dedicated AI processing unit to enhance subject recognition and tracking capabilities. This was immediately noticeable when photographing white ibis flying in and out of a nesting colony. Unfortunately, I was met with gray, rainy conditions, but this worked to my advantage. Dark, overcast light is challenging for any camera to find focus, so the A7 V was in for a real test.

To no surprise, the camera can focus quite well in difficult lighting scenarios. Flight sequence after flight sequence, the camera found and tracked each individual bird as well as I could expect. Nearly every shot was sharp, and the viewing experience through the 3.96m-Dot EVF was as smooth as I could ask. Of course, blackout free 30 fps shooting makes a big difference. In fact, there were time when I almost forgot that I wasn't using my trusty A1 II.

Another holdover from the A7 IV is the very EVF mentioned above. Now, it is a little low in the resolution department when compared to some competitors, but we're nitpicking here. In use, the EVF is perfectly fine in nearly every shooting situation I tested it in. It offers 120 fps playback for smoother motion rendering, plus the brightness and color can be adjusted as needed. I found it a bit dark out of the box, but nothing a little tweaking in the menu couldn't correct.

Image quality...The newly designed sensor brings more to the table than just speed. It provides improved image quality and gains an additional stop of dynamic range, boosting the A7 V to 16 stops. In practice, this gives users a bit more leniency in shadow and highlight recovery. While it's nice to get things right in camera, nature in unforgiving. A lot of the work of a wildlife photographer is done in post, as simple as it may be. For that reason, I always recommend shooting in a raw file format.

Luckily, the A7 V features the familiar compressed HQ raw and lossless compressed raw file formats, which offer greater image quality and editing flexibility respectively. New to the system is a lightweight raw file format, which optimizes file size, saving space on your memory cards. This is especially important for those shooting fast action. If you're shooting 30 fps, you'll even full a 240 GB CF Express card quickly.

Being that I'm a wildlife shooter, I shot in 30 fps for most of the outing. Surprise surprise! To maximize space on my memory cards, I decided to shoot in this new lightweight mode. This would also let me see what the big fuss was all about. Would there be a noticeable difference in file formats? Not really. I couldn't easily detect any differences in color or acuity myself. In fact, at higher ISOs the lightweight raw files looked a bit better than the standard raw file out of my A7 IV.

Autofocus...When it comes to animal and bird eye detection modes, the A7 V suffers from the same case of background-itis. This is where the camera's autofocus system blows past the subject and locks onto a busy background and struggles to let go without manual override or other hands-on techniques like focusing on a closer object and trying again.

It's important to shooting in tight environments with small subjects makes this issue more pronounced, though it can occur in any shooting scenario. One method I found worked best was to use a smaller focusing area. I was primarily using Flexible Spot Small but experimented with Zone and Wide areas. The latter two worked well when ample contrast was detected, but for tricky scenarios, the smaller point always found the subject more accurately.

Low light...One area where Sony has really pulled ahead is in high ISO performance. There was a time just under a decade ago where shooting at ISO values higher than 6400 was a luxury only attainable by flagship cameras. Now, photographers of all caliber can experience the joys of shooting in challenging light. The image below was taken at ISO 12,800 and was run through some simple noise reduction software.

The A7V shapes up to be quite the worthy successor to an already stellar camera. While there are times when upgrading from one model to the next doesn't always make sense. This is one of those occasions where I'd bet an upgrade is well worth it, no matter the genre of photography you pursue. There's truly a feature to benefit nearly all use-cases.

What's different is a more versatile rear LCD screen. This 3.2" 2.1m-dot four-axis multi-Angle Touchscreen LCD, combines the best features of previous designs by offering tilting and side-opening/flip-out functions. This suits nearly every shooting situation, from stills to video and everything within those categories.

Sports and wildlife shooters will undoubtably love the faster frame rate and improved subject detection, whereas landscape and concert shooters will appreciate the tiltability of the rear LCD. Even wedding and event shooters can make use of both features and so much more in an environment where every shot counts and there are second chances.

For those looking to enter the Sony ecosystem with a solid, versatile full-frame option, the A7 V may seem overkill. Yes, it's the latest and greatest, but the A7 IV is still available and at a decent price now that it has been "replaced."

by mundophone

 

TECH

Toilet giant Toto may hold the key to ending the RAM shortage

Toto, the Japanese company best known for its heated bidet toilets, is suddenly looking less like a bathroom brand and more like an unlikely beneficiary of the global RAM shortage. In a year when memory has become scarce, expensive, and generally annoying to anyone trying to buy a computer, the company has a semiconductor materials business that is riding a surge in demand tied to memory-chip production.

We doubt that business school case studies will look back on this crisis and say, “And then the toilet people saved the day,” but then again, here we are. Apparently, Toto’s advanced ceramics division makes components used in NAND memory chips, including electrostatic chucks that help hold wafers steady during manufacturing. As AI data centers expand, demand for memory chips has tightened, and that has quietly boosted Toto’s industrial side.

Toto is mainly known for its advanced toilets and sanitary ceramics. However, the company's expertise in ceramic production can also be applied to semiconductor manufacturing. Since the 1980s, Toto has made electrostatic chucks (e-chucks) indispensable in modern semiconductor manufacturing. According to Nikkei, operating profits from these products are expected to exceed $100 million this year.

In contemporary semiconductor manufacturing, electrostatic chucks (ESCs) securely hold a silicon wafer (or other substrate) in place using electrostatic forces rather than mechanical clamping or vacuum-based methods. The ESC is a key component in many steps of chip production, including EUV lithography steps, plasma etching, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), and other steps requiring precise wafer positioning and minimal contamination.

While e-chucks have traditionally been used for CVD, PVD, and plasma etching, but not for DUV lithography steps as they are carried out in an ambient environment or immersion fluid, and therefore, a vacuum system under the wafer is good enough to maintain wafer flatness and position. However, with EUV, things are different. EUV lithography operates at very short 13.5nm wavelengths and requires a high-vacuum environment to prevent absorption of EUV light. Therefore, chipmakers use e-chucks instead of vacuum chucks as they are easier to use in such environments. Also, they can provide more uniform clamping force, reduce stress, minimize distortion, and improve overlay and critical dimension (CD) control.

It takes over 4,000 steps to process a wafer and make a chip. Usage of EUV steps has been increasing in recent years, just like steps requiring precise wafer positioning, so usage of ESCs has been on the rise, driving Toto's revenues and profits. Ceramics used for e-chucks must be both strong and resistant to cracking. Toto has developed materials with uniform properties, applying its expertise in molding and firing from its long history in toilet manufacturing. However, competition in this field is growing. In e-chucks, Toto faces Shinko Electric Industries, which has strong ties to chip equipment manufacturers and Applied Materials.

To strengthen its position, Toto has invested heavily in manufacturing. In 2020, the company spent ¥11.8 billion constructing a ceramics production facility in Oita, Japan. Between April 2020 and April 2024, it increased its ceramics production workforce by around 20%. 

The image above shows electrostatic chucks used in high-precision industrial processes

Toto's ceramics business grew 34% year-over-year and accounted for 55% of Toto’s 53.8 billion yen, or about $343.5 million, in operating profit so far this year. The company expects the division to keep expanding, with roughly 27% growth projected next year. Moreover, the company says it will invest another 30 billion yen (about $192 million) over the next fiscal year to increase mass production and strengthen R&D.

For perspective, Toto is currently the world’s second-largest producer of electrostatic chucks (e-chucks) for NAND memory production. Stock markets have also taken notice. In January, Toto shares jumped as much as 11% after analysts highlighted the company’s chip-related prospects, calling out the potential for significant profit growth from the business. Investors who once would have lumped Toto in with slow-moving consumer and housing equipment firms are now being forced to look at it through a much more industrial, and much more semiconductor-shaped, lens.

In reality, Toto's increased contribution to memory production won't necessarily drive memory and gadget prices down, but who knows? For the company, the irony is almost too perfect, however. As the world runs short of memory, Toto remembers where the money is.

mundophone

TECH

Why delaying cell phone repair can increase the final bill?

Delaying cell phone repairs while they are still operational can result in a significantly higher financial burden in the medium term. This warning comes from iServices, a company that analyzes a recurring pattern in the Brazilian market: seemingly minor failures that evolve into serious and expensive damage. Based on more than 184,000 interventions carried out in 2025, the technology company identifies that ignored wear and tear on components such as the screen or battery ends up compromising the overall integrity of the device.

The tendency to ignore minor physical damage is based on the perception that the equipment continues to perform its basic functions. Bruno Borges, CEO of iServices, clarifies the rationale behind this consumer behavior:

When a device is still working, it is natural for the customer to choose to postpone the repair. The problem is that, in practice, this decision can be more expensive. A degraded battery, a broken screen, or an unstable charging port are problems that, when ignored, can compromise other components of the equipment.

Technical evidence, corroborated by a reliability analysis published in the Journal of Cleaner Production, highlights that the lifespan of these devices can be extended through timely repair measures.

A screen with small cracks, for example, fails to ensure the hardware's watertightness, allowing moisture or dust particles to enter and oxidize internal circuits. Delaying the repair of cell phones with degraded batteries constitutes another technical risk. A battery that no longer holds a stable charge causes overheating, which impairs processor performance and deforms other components.

The new regulatory framework of the European Union...The European legal framework addresses the need to extend the durability of digital products. Since June 20, 2025, the European Commission has been applying new ecodesign and energy labeling rules for cell phones and tablets. These standards require manufacturers to guarantee the availability of spare parts and facilitate access to technical information. According to the European Environment Agency, monitoring product lifecycle trends is crucial for a functional circular economy.

Sustainability and the cost of the digital footprint...Timely maintenance is a decision that benefits personal finances and environmental balance. With high-end equipment reaching values ​​above 1,500 euros, replacing specific components is the most rational option. A study by ADEME and Arcep on the environmental footprint of digital technology indicates that the production phase accounts for approximately 80% of a device's total impact.

The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) estimates that adding just one year to the lifespan of mobile phones in the European Union would prevent the emission of 4 million tons of carbon dioxide per year by 2030. Keeping a device longer reduces the need for premature replacement and avoids the unnecessary extraction of raw materials.

How to act in the face of specific damage...To help the reader mitigate damage before reaching technical assistance, there are procedures that can prevent the technical situation from worsening:

-Broken screens: If the glass has cracks, avoid direct exposure to sunlight or environments with high humidity (such as bathrooms), as protection against external elements is compromised.

-Swollen batteries: If you notice a deformation in the back structure or the screen lifting, turn off the phone immediately. Do not attempt to charge the device, as there is a risk of ignition or explosion due to chemical instability.

-Liquid damage: If the phone comes into contact with water, turn it off and do not attempt to charge it. The use of external heat sources (hair dryers) or home methods (rice) is usually ineffective and can accelerate internal corrosion.

The impact on warranty and resale value...With high-end phones potentially exceeding €1,500, preserving market value is a rational economic decision. Continued use of a damaged device may void the manufacturer's warranty, as user negligence in the face of visible damage is often invoked to refuse coverage for secondary faults.

The European Union has reinforced this paradigm with new ecodesign rules in effect since June 2025. These rules require manufacturers to ensure the availability of parts and facilitate access to technical information. Extending the lifespan of equipment has gone from being an individual choice to a cornerstone of family savings and the circular economy.

Signs that require immediate diagnosis...The following table systematizes the indicators that justify a professional evaluation:

Wear Indicator -- Risk of Worsening -- Cost Consequence

Partial cracked screen -- Liquid and dust infiltration -- Total replacement of internal components

Overheating battery -- Processing instability -- Irreversible damage to the motherboard

Intermittent charging -- Accelerated battery wear -- Multiple circuit repairs

Slowness or restarts -- Critical hardware fatigue -- Total equipment replacement

Avoiding the postponement of cell phone repairs is the most effective strategy for preserving the device's functionality. The convergence of high hardware prices and European regulations protecting the right to repair creates a new context for the consumer. In the current scenario, proactive maintenance ceases to be an accessory expense and becomes an investment in technological durability and personal data security.

Delaying cell phone repair—particularly for a cracked screen or minor charging issue—often increases the final bill because minor damage creates a "domino effect," allowing moisture, dust, and pressure to degrade internal components over time. What might start as a simple $100 screen repair can escalate into a $500+ motherboard replacement if the delay causes the phone to stop functioning entirely.

Here is why delaying repairs significantly increases the final cost:

1. The snowball effect of damage:

-Screen cracks spread: Minor cracks rarely stay small. Daily use (typing, scrolling) combined with temperature changes causes cracks to branch out, often damaging the touch digitizer beneath, resulting in a full display assembly replacement rather than just a top glass fix.

-Internal exposure: A cracked screen or broken casing loses its protective seal. This allows dust, debris, and moisture to enter the phone, which can lead to corrosion on the motherboard—one of the most expensive parts to repair.

-Water damage escalation: Even if a phone is water-resistant, a cracked screen or broken port voids that protection. A quick, cheap drying/cleaning repair can become a complete, high-cost overhaul if corrosion spreads to the motherboard.

2. Component failure spreads:

-Charging port damage: A loose charging port can destroy the motherboard if not addressed early, turning a small, cheap fix into a massive, expensive repair.

-Battery degradation: A broken, exposed screen can allow glass shards to reach the battery, damaging it and leading to swelling, which can then destroy other internal parts.

3. Impact on functionality and security:

-"Ghost touches": A cracked screen can cause the phone to register phantom touches, leading to failed password attempts and potentially locking you out of your device, which may require a total factory reset and loss of data.

-Reduced resale value: A phone with a cracked screen loses 30-50% of its value immediately. Delaying repair can make the phone unusable, reducing its resale or trade-in value to zero.

4. Other hidden costs:

-Higher labor/diagnosis costs: A phone with multiple issues from neglect requires more intense diagnostic time from technicians, increasing the labor fee.

-Lost productivity: If the phone finally dies entirely, the cost of an urgent, last-minute repair or a brand-new replacement device is far higher than addressing the issue early

by mundophone

DIGITAL LIFE

Study reveals playing League of Legends may improve brain function

Recent research suggests that one of the world's most popular games may be doing more than just entertaining. The observed effects have even caught the attention of the scientific community.

For a long time, video games were seen only as a pastime — or even as a harmful distraction. But this perception has been changing as science begins to investigate their effects on the brain. Amid this debate, a recent study analyzed one of the world's most popular games and found results that may surprise even the most skeptical.

League of Legends, one of the most influential titles of the last decade, was analyzed in a study conducted by scientists at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China.

The study, published in the journal Brain Sciences, followed 68 students over five months. The goal was to understand how different types of games impact cognitive performance.

To do this, the researchers compared League of Legends players with participants who played Sanguosha, a popular turn-based card game in China. The difference in results was clear.

What changes in the brain of someone who plays...Participants who played League of Legends showed better performance in tasks that require simultaneous attention to multiple elements and quick decision-making.

This type of skill is essential in competitive games, where the player needs to monitor several objectives at the same time, react to unexpected changes, and make decisions in fractions of a second.

But the most relevant data came from neurological analyses. Electroencephalogram exams showed that players developed more efficient brain networks, suggesting an adaptation of the brain to this type of complex stimulus.

An effect that goes beyond game time...Another point that caught attention was the duration of the effects. Even after the end of the gaming sessions, the cognitive benefits continued to be observed for weeks. About ten weeks later, the participants still showed improvements compared to the comparison group. This indicates that the impact is not just momentary, but can generate more lasting changes.

This result reinforces the idea that certain types of games not only stimulate the brain in the short term, but also contribute to the development of cognitive skills over time. League of Legends belongs to the MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) genre, known for demanding a high level of strategy, coordination, and constant adaptation.

Unlike more predictable games, it places the player in dynamic scenarios, where each match is different from the previous one. This forces the brain to process information quickly, adjust strategies, and deal with multiple variables at the same time.

This highly complex environment seems to be one of the factors that explain the gains observed in the research.

Since its launch in 2009, League of Legends has not only established itself as one of the most popular games in the world, but has also helped shape the esports landscape.

With a massive global community, high-level competitions, and a cultural impact that transcends video games—including productions like Arcane—the game has become a modern entertainment phenomenon.

Now, with scientific evidence pointing to cognitive benefits, it is also taking on a different space: that of a potential tool for mental development.

This does not mean that all video games bring the same effects, nor that screen time should be ignored. But it indicates that, in certain contexts, playing games can be more than just fun—it can be training for the brain.

Several scientific studies indicate that playing video games can improve brain function, provided it is done in moderation. The positive impact occurs because many games act as a "training" for the brain, requiring rapid information processing and decision-making under pressure.

The main functions that benefit include:

-Attention and focus: Gamers tend to show greater efficiency in areas of the brain that control sustained and selective attention.

-Cognitive ability and IQ: Research with children has shown that those who play regularly may show gains in IQ tests and better performance in problem-solving tasks.

-Memory and flexibility: Games that require switching between tasks quickly (such as strategy or RPGs) help with cognitive flexibility and working memory.

-Motor coordination: Titles that demand precision improve fine motor skills and spatial perception.

-Visual Skills: Action games can enhance visual perception and the ability to identify details in complex environments.

The Role of Game Type: Not every game stimulates the brain in the same way. See how different genres impact the mind:

-Action/shooter (FPS): Focus on attention, quick reflexes, and sensory perception.

-Strategy (RTS): Excellent for executive functions, planning, and resource management.

-Puzzle: Stimulate logical reasoning and creativity.

Attention to Limits...Despite the benefits, excessive use can cause negative effects, such as addiction and an imbalance of neurotransmitters like dopamine, which can lead to procrastination and irritability. Experts recommend moderate use so that video games act as a complement to cognitive health, and not as an escape from reality.

mundophone

APPLE

iPhone 18: the future gadget may arrive with new Samsung OLED screens

If there's one rivalry that has defined the tech world in the last decade, it's undoubtedly the constant tug-of-war between Apple and Samsung. But, as you may have noticed if you follow this market, what happens on marketing screens and social media is quite different from what happens behind the scenes in the factories. When it comes to ultra-high-quality screens, the South Korean giant continues to dictate the rules of the game. And now, a new explosive rumor suggests that Apple may have to swallow its pride and hand over the total monopoly on the production of the future iPhone 18 screens to its biggest rival.

The relationship of dependence between these two brands when it comes to supplying image components is already long-standing. Samsung Display has always been the "queen" of OLED screens and has supplied panels for all Apple smartphones that have adopted this technology, from the launch of the revolutionary iPhone X to the current and highly sought-after iPhone 17 series.

However, Tim Cook and his operations management team's usual strategy is never to rely on a single supplier. Apple hates putting all its eggs in one basket, as this takes away its bargaining power and leaves the brand vulnerable to failures in the production chain. To mitigate this risk, the Cupertino company has made a colossal effort over the years to integrate other manufacturers into the process, sharing the gigantic screen orders with LG Display and the Chinese manufacturer BOE.

However, a very recent and detailed report, published by the prestigious South Korean newspaper The Korea Herald, indicates that the wind may be about to change direction drastically. Apple may be planning to acquire the screens for the entire future iPhone 18 line absolutely exclusively from Samsung. If this information is officially confirmed, it will be a historic milestone: it will mark the first time since the debut of the iPhone X that Apple has entrusted the entire supply of such a critical component to a single manufacturing partner.

A curved screen on all four sides to celebrate 20 years... Don't forget a very important detail that is pushing Apple to take more risks than usual: the launch of the iPhone 18 series will mark the long-awaited 20th anniversary of the launch of the original iPhone. The brand wants (and needs) to shine to mark the date, and a normal, flat, boring screen simply won't be enough to leave the world speechless.

According to industry sources, Apple demanded that Samsung develop an incredibly complex OLED panel. The request focuses on a screen that is fully curved on all four sides (creating an "infinity pool" illusion in your hands, with no visible aluminum bezel when you look at it from the front) and, above all, that does not use any type of polarizing layer.

The magic of COE technology and its major obstacles...But what does removing this polarizer mean for you in practical cell phone use? Traditionally, OLED screens use a polarizing layer to drastically reduce reflections from external light and improve image contrast. The major technical problem is that this plastic layer blocks a significant portion of the light emitted by the screen itself, forcing the phone to consume much more battery power to achieve high brightness levels.

To eliminate the need for this obstructive layer, Samsung will have to resort to a cutting-edge technology it already masters, called COE (Color Filter on Encapsulation). With this innovation working in its favor, its future iPhone 18 could be physically even thinner, have a brutally brighter and more visible screen in summer sunlight, and, most importantly, save immense energy, considerably extending battery life with each charge cycle.

The major obstacle to this idyllic vision is the cruel reality of assembly lines. Industry experts and market analysts remain quite skeptical about the deadlines imposed by Apple. They firmly believe that this type of highly advanced screen, which combines extreme quad curvature and the absence of a polarizer, is a genuine engineering nightmare to mass-produce with the low defect rates that the brand demands. We can only wait with great anticipation for the coming months to see if Samsung's elite engineering team will be able to pull off this industrial "miracle" in time for the grand anniversary of Apple's most iconic product.

Recycled design with good improvements in specifications...A new rumor indicates that Apple should keep the look of the iPhone 18 practically identical to its predecessor, focusing innovations on the inside of the devices. Apparently, we would see an increase in dimensions, especially in the Pro models, which would become thicker to possibly house larger batteries, in addition to debuting the brand's long-awaited 2nd generation 5G modem.

The news was shared on the Chinese network Weibo by leaker Fixed-focus digital cameras, who suggests that the overall appearance of the line planned for 2026 will remain unchanged, but the dimensions will grow. The informant does not mention exactly what differences we would see, nor which specific models would be affected, but the details complement other recent rumors that give a better context to the comment.

As far as is known, the main adjustments would be in the thickness, which would increase especially in the Pro versions. It is described that the iPhone 18 Pro Max would be the thickest and heaviest smartphone ever made by the company, a sacrifice that would have an important advantage: a leap in battery life.

It is speculated that the batteries would increase in size, with estimates suggesting that the batteries could reach the 5,200 mAh range in the eSIM versions, which doesn't seem like such a big gain compared to the iPhone 17 family, but the giant's known optimizations could complement this aspect, along with other internal adjustments.

The main ones would be the improved efficiency of the future A20 and A20 Pro chips, as well as the arrival of the long-awaited Apple C2 5G modem. Combined, in addition to offering features such as improved satellite connectivity, these characteristics would ensure healthy advances in phone usage time.

mundophone

TECH

Mythos AI triggers record number of patches and divides experts

Mythos AI, Anthropic's latest model, has identified, according to the company itself, thousands of unknown vulnerabilities in just seven weeks. The tool triggered a record volume of security patches and pressured governments and central banks to coordinate emergency responses. Launched in April 2026 to a select group of organizations, it exposes a growing tension between the speed of automated detection and the human capacity for response.

Microsoft was one of the first to feel the impact. The April edition of Patch Tuesday included fixes for 167 security flaws, a number that Adam Barnett, senior software engineer at Rapid7, described as "a new record." Barnett himself acknowledged that it was tempting to link this volume to the announcement of Project Glasswing the previous week, although without establishing a direct causal relationship.

Mozilla followed suit. Firefox 150 integrated fixes for 271 vulnerabilities detected with the support of Mythos AI, although only three were formally credited to the tool in Mozilla's official security note, according to The Register. Anthropic claims, in its official System Card, that the flaws found cover all major operating systems and browsers, some decades old.

Project Glasswing: controlled access, increasing pressure...The program was launched with eleven named partners, including Amazon Web Services, Apple, Broadcom, Cisco, CrowdStrike, Google, JPMorgan Chase, the Linux Foundation, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Palo Alto Networks, joined by more than 40 additional organizations responsible for critical software infrastructures. The more time partners have to fix flaws before the model is made widely available, the lower the risk of malicious exploitation.

Anthropic confirmed plans to extend access to European and UK banks. The European Central Bank is preparing to warn banks under its supervision about the risks of Mythos AI, according to Reuters, cited by the Business Standard. Unlike in the US, this consultation is taking place through the usual channels of dialogue with banking staff, without any extraordinary meetings with top management scheduled for now.

Banks and governments mobilized...In the US, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell met with banking executives on April 8th to encourage them to test their own systems with Mythos AI. Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Bank of America, and Morgan Stanley responded to the call and began internal testing, according to Bloomberg, cited by TechCrunch. Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, warned that Mythos AI exposes more vulnerabilities to potential cyberattacks, according to CNBC.

The mobilization went beyond the US. Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chaired a high-level meeting with bank directors, the Reserve Bank of India, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the NPCI, and CERT-In to assess the risks associated with Mythos AI, according to the Economic Times. Sitharaman urged banks to take preventative measures to protect their systems and customer data, tasking the Banking Association of India with coordinating the institutional response.

Christian Sewing, CEO of Deutsche Bank, told Bloomberg that the German banking sector does not see Mythos AI as an existential threat, although he acknowledges that its cybersecurity capabilities warrant heightened vigilance.

The dual-use dilemma...Palo Alto Networks warned that capabilities similar to Mythos AI will eventually be available outside the controlled perimeter of American companies with built-in safeguards. The risk pointed out by the company is accurate. Threat actors with access to equivalent tools could create “unprecedented autonomous attack agents in the industry,” a category of risk for which current defenses are unprepared.

Anthropic's cybersecurity assessment documents the offensive capabilities of the model and the rationale behind restricted access. Artificial intelligence is finding vulnerabilities at a faster rate than teams can fix them, and defenders are facing a race for which they are not yet equipped.

Anthropic has committed up to $100 million in usage credits to partners and $4 million in donations to open-source security organizations, including Alpha-Omega, the Open Source Security Foundation, and the Apache Software Foundation, according to the official Project Glasswing page. The company guarantees that the model will not be widely available until new safeguards are operational

The release of the Mythos model (or Claude Mythos Preview) by Anthropic in April 2026 triggered a record volume of security fixes by automating the discovery of critical flaws. The model was able to identify thousands of zero-day (unknown) vulnerabilities in just seven weeks of testing, equivalent to about 30% of the world's annual production of such discoveries before the use of AI.

The Impact of Mythos on Cybersecurity...Mythos's differentiating factor is not only the volume of flaws found, but its autonomy and speed. It can perform complex analyses, chain multiple vulnerabilities, and generate functional exploits in minutes or hours, tasks that would take weeks for experienced human researchers.

Emblematic discoveries: Mythos identified a 27-year-old flaw in OpenBSD and a 16-year-old vulnerability in the FFmpeg video software, both ignored by decades of human audits and traditional automated tools.

Patch Wave: Anthropic formed the Project Glasswing consortium — including Microsoft, Google, Apple, and the Linux Foundation — to provide early access to the model. The goal is to allow these partners to patch their systems before the model (or similar capabilities) falls into malicious hands.

Patch Bottleneck: Experts warn that the speed of AI discovery has surpassed human patching capacity. This has created a "congestion" of updates, forcing companies to prioritize exploitable flaws instead of trying to patch the entire reported volume.

Why wasn't the model released to the public? Due to its high potential for offensive use (dual-use), Anthropic decided to keep Mythos as an internal research model, with no plans for general release. The company cited its Responsible Escalation Policy (RSP), indicating that the model has reached capability levels (ASL-3) that require extreme safeguards against the development of biological weapons and large-scale cyberattacks.

Recommendations for users and businesses...With the acceleration of discoveries, the traditional model of "waiting for a vulnerability to fix" has become insufficient.

Automatic updates: Enable automatic updates on all devices, especially browsers and operating systems.

Digital hygiene: Use password managers and two-factor authentication (MFA) to mitigate the impact if an account is compromised by a system failure.

Data security: Companies should focus on protecting the data itself (data-centric security) and behavioral monitoring, assuming that breaches in the external perimeter will become increasingly common.

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