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  • 40% of Android phones have modem vulnerability allowing an attacker to listen in to your calls

    40% of Android phones have modem vulnerability allowing an attacker to listen in to your calls

    A vulnerability discovered by security firm Check Point Research could allow a malicious app to skip the usual security features giving it access to call and text history. It also gives an attacker the ability to record conversations. The Qualcomm Modem Interface (QMI) software is normally impossible for third-party apps to access, but if key aspects of Android are hacked, the QMI vulnerability can be used to listen in and record an active phone call, and as we already pointed out, steal call and SMS records.

    QMI is used on as much as 40% of Android handsets including those made by Google, Samsung, OnePlus, LG, Xiaomi, and more. Check Point kept certain information out of its report to make sure that the attack can not be easily copied. There is no indication that the attack has been used by a malicious hacker.

    Check Point revealed all of this to Qualcomm last October calling it a high-rated vulnerability. The chipmaker told the phone manufacturers that use Qualcomm’s modem chips. So far, the vulnerability has not been fixed and we can only hope that Qualcomm and Google will patch this in a future security update.

    However, Qualcomm says that it did make fixes available to “many” Android phone manufacturers last December and that these firms passed along security updates to end-users. The vulnerability will be part of the June Android bulletin.

    Qualcomm issued a statement today that said, “Providing technologies that support robust security and privacy is a priority for Qualcomm. We commend the security researchers from Check Point for using industry-standard coordinated disclosure practices. Qualcomm Technologies has already made fixes available to OEMs in December 2020, and we encourage end-users to update their devices as patches become available.”

  • Apple’s 5G iPhone Using Samsung Modems to be released in 2020

    Apple’s 5G iPhone Using Samsung Modems to be released in 2020

    In one fell swoop, Apple cut the Gordian knot of 5G modem supply and it is smooth sailing from here, as it paid Qualcomm undisclosed amount to settle the patent litigation and secure a multi-year contract for 5G iPhones.

    “It’s personal. I don’t see anybody who can bridge this gap,” tipped the WSJ recently about Apple and Qualcomm CEOs relationship but the big boys ironed out their differences quickly. Apple could have tried Intel, Samsung or Huawei, but each of those choices comes with drawbacks.

    Intel threw in the towel on 5G modem development when it learned that Qualcomm resolved its patent issues with Apple, while America’s homeland security institutions would balk at Huawei’s involvement due to geopolitical considerations. Despite all rumors, Huawei company reps said during its Analyst Summit 2019 yesterday that they have “no communication with Apple on 5G modems.”

    Samsung, on the other hand, simply can’t make enough of its own 5G modems to exclusively supply huge customer like Apple. It recently declined Apple’s advances for its Exynos 5100 5G modem. Not only does the company need its production for the Galaxy S10 5G that is now shipping, but it could very well need it for the Note 10 Pro, too, and others down the line.  According to one “electronics industry official” there:

    Apple inquired about the supply of 5G modem chip from Samsung Electronics System LSI division. However, we know that Samsung Electronics System LSI answered that the supply volume of its smartphone 5G modem chip is insufficient.

    Well, the most renowned Apple supply chain analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities, has spoken, and Apple will seemingly hedge its Qualcomm bets with Samsung as a side dish. If you are wondering why, Apple is most likely planning to use the more advanced Qualcomm modems in placed where mmWave spectrum 5G networks are being established, while Samsung’s likely cheaper solution will remain for the sub-6 GHz crowd.

    Apart from all these juicy dual supplier predictions, Ming-Chi Kuo is advocating for a fall 2020 release date of the future 5G iPhones. That’s the same timeframe as before but this time around, Apple is in a position to use the best that the 5G market can offer without triggering the NSA, CIA and other three-letter agencies’ wrath.

    South Korea just launched its nationwide 5G network, with the Galaxy S10 5G being its poster child. Upon the phone’s release there, Korea will have all of its largest networks offering 5G plans. In fact, Korea Telecom announced three 5G price tiers. Among those, there is a “Super Plan” that offers truly unlimited 5G data without speed caps, and this one will go for the equivalent of $70, a pretty good price no matter how you slice it. In fact, the Super 5G Plan is somewhat cheaper than the current unlimited 4G LTE plans in Korea, so the 5G future seems bright, and we are expecting more and more 5G handsets to enter the fray this year, especially towards the tail end of 2019.

    A true nationwide shift to 5G networks is not happening this year in the US anyway, so iPhone users won’t be missing all that much until then. Next year, however, most of the flagship phones of the spring season will probably have some sort of 5G connectivity support, be it with a Qualcomm, Samsung or Huawei modem, and Apple could feel the pinch in that regard.

    Had Apple gone alone in developing a 5G modem, either by acquiring Intel’s wireless modem assets, or starting from scratch, it would have taken it years to reach a sufficiently good unit that is worthy to put in millions of iPhones. Wireless connectivity modems are perhaps the most complex of chips in a phone, and 5G ones require so much filters and software control to avoid interference and still be backwards compatible that this option would have meant either a lot of extra expenses for Apple in order to deliver a 5G iPhone in 2020, or falling behind the competition by launching one that is a cycle or two behind.

    “Apple knows our phone number, we are still in San Diego,” tipped Qualcomm recently, giving a glimmer of 5G hope, and patching thing up with Qualcomm turned to be the smartest solution, just as we expected. There you have it – Apple resolves the bad blood between the companies, Qualcomm is likely to assist it with the 5G push, and Samsung will be its sidekick. The 5G future is so bright, we have to wear shades. According to Kuo, the launch of the 5G iPhone is expected to unleash a big upgrade cycle for Apple, and he upped his forecast for iPhones sold in 2020 to the whopping 200 million, from the current 190 million prognosis.

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  • Apple could end up buying 5G modem chips from unlikely sources

    Apple could end up buying 5G modem chips from unlikely sources

    You might know that Huawei manufacturers handsets and networking equipment. At the end of last year, it was the third largest smartphone company in the world and the top provider of networking gear. What you might not know is that Huawei designs its own chips. Its Hi-Silicon unit created the Kirin 980 SoC which is currently found powering up the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and the Huawei P30 series. It also will be used to drive the foldable Huawei Mate X. While Huawei designs the chips, they are actually manufactured by TSMC.

    Now as we discussed yesterday, Apple is relying on Intel to have its XMM 8160 5G modem chip ready in time for its 2020 iPhone models. There are conflicting reports about whether Intel will deliver the component in time, and as a result, we have seen rumors that a 5G iPhone might not surface until 2021. Intel says that it will be shipping the chip later this year, but just in case there is a problem, Apple has found an unlikely friend in Huawei.

    Huawei would consider selling its 5G Balong 5000 modem chips to Apple. The report cites a source who has “knowledge of the situation.” This is an unusual thing for Huawei to do considering that an executive said earlier this year that “Balong is mainly for supporting Huawei’s smart products, such as phones and IoT products, and is currently for Huawei’s internal use only.” It also seems strange considering that Huawei is looking to leapfrog over both Apple and Samsung to become the global leader in smartphones by 2020.

    Apple could turn to Qualcomm, but that is unlikely to happen since both firms have been squaring off in court over patent infringements, antitrust claims, and royalty payments, In fact, a week from today a courtroom in San Diego will host a multi-billion dollar trial between Apple, its contract manufacturers like Foxconn and Wistron, and Qualcomm. At stake are unpaid royalties amounting to billions of dollars. Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf said back in November that his company was “on the doorstep” of resolving its differences with Apple; we now know that this was not the case.

    While it seems that Huawei would be “open” to selling Apple its 5G modem chips, the other side of the equation is whether the gang in Cupertino would be willing to buy them. During the FTC v. Qualcomm case, Apple supply chain executive Tony Blevins testified that Apple was considering the use of 5G modem chips from Samsung or MediaTekfor the iPhone. Even though Apple currently uses only Intel modem chips for its handsets, Blevins talked on the stand about “Project Antique.” This was Apple’s attempt to find a second supplier to provide it with modem chips. As Blevins noted, “No offense to (Intel) but we don’t want to be single supplier with them. We wanted both Qualcomm and (Intel) in the mix.”

    Huawei’s Balong 5000 modem chip supports both mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G networks. It also is compatible with 4G LTE, 3G, and 2G networks. The important thing about using Huawei’s modem chip is that Apple could get its hands on it earlier than Intel’s chip and have more time to test a 5G iPhone. The Balong 5000 5G modem chip will debut on Huawei’s first phone to support the next generation of wireless connectivity. That device happens to be the foldable Mate X.

    Apple wouldn’t be the only one in such a partnership to benefit. Huawei would get to widen the use of its chips beyond its own devices, and you can just imagine how much revenue would flow into the company’s coffers. It also might play well in China after U.S. government attacks on Huawei have led some Chinese consumers to unofficially boycott Apple products.

    There is a huge unknown here, and that is how the Trump administration might react. Huawei is considered a threat to U.S. national security and allies have been warned not to use Huawei’s networking gear to build out 5G networks. That’s because the law in China requires a company like Huawei to gather intelligence if requested to do so. Considering that we are talking about the modem chip, a major component in communicating voice and data, there are bound to be concerns about the use of Huawei’s component inside the iPhone.

  • Qualcomm unveils 5G modem chipset solution

    Qualcomm unveils 5G modem chipset solution

    US chipset maker Qualcomm has announced what it says is the world’s first commercial 5G modem chipset solution to help accelerate the deployments of 5G networks globally.

    Announced at the Qualcomm 4G/5G Summit in Hong Kong on Tuesday, Qualcomm said the Snapdragon X50 5G modem is designed to support original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in building 5G smartphones and other devices, as well as aid mobile operators with early 5G trials and deployments.

    The solution, with 800MHz bandwidth support, works in the millimetre-wave (mmWave) spectrum in the 28-GHz band and supports a peak download speed of 5Gpbs. It employs MIMO antenna technology with adaptive beam-forming and beam-tracking technology.

    “The Snapdragon X50 5G modem heralds the arrival of 5G as operators and OEMs reach the cellular network and device testing phase,” said Cristiano Amon, executive vice president at Qualcomm Technologies.

    “Utilizing our long history of LTE and Wi-Fi leadership, we are thrilled to deliver a product that will help play a critical role in bringing 5G devices and networks to reality. This shows that we’re not just talking about 5G, we’re truly committed to it.”

    The Snapdragon X50 5G platform includes the modem, the SDR051 mmWave transceivers, and the supporting PMX50 power management chip.

    The modem can be used for multi-mode 4G/5G mobile broadband, along with fixed-wireless broadband devices, when paired with a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with an integrated Gigabit LTE modem and interwork cohesively via dual-connectivity.

    Sampling for the Snapdragon X50 5G modem is expected to begin in the second half of 2017, with the first commercial products integrated the modem expected in the first half of 2018.

    The company also introduced three new processors for mobile devices – the Snapdragon 653, Snapdragon 626 and Snapdragon 427 processors.

    The Snapdragon 653, Snapdragon 626 are expected to be available in the market by the end of this year, while the 427 processor will appear in commercial devices by early 2017, Qualcomm said.

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