Smartphones with 5.3-inch displays were the sweet spot for U.S. and U.K. consumers in 2015's first half, Strategy Analytics said in a Wednesday preference survey report. Current smartphone owners also are more likely to prefer thicker handsets with a third more battery life over phones that sacrifice battery life for their thinner profiles, said the research firm. Though most smartphone owners surveyed preferred a prototype with a display larger than their current device, “more than half of respondents expressed interest in a device that was only slightly larger than their current display size,” it said. The findings show it’s important for suppliers “to keep in mind that a long lasting battery is imperative to satisfy the consumers’ needs,” it said. It’s also important for suppliers “to take into account that the largest battery capacity does not always mean the best battery life and finding a way to optimize battery performance is key,” it said.

Nine out of 10 millennials say their smartphone is always with them, said Mobile Future’s sixth annual "Mobile Year in Review," released Friday. Other statistics include that 61 percent acknowledge using their smartphone in the bathroom and 80 percent said they would give up alcohol or chocolate to get a lost phone back.

Apple users “can no longer be complacent about security,” as the number of infections and new threats against Mac OS X and iOS devices rises sharply, said Dick O'Brien, senior information developer at cybersecurity firm Symantec, in a Tuesday blog post. Symantec estimates the number of new Mac OS X threats rose by 15 percent in 2014, and the number of iOS threats discovered this year has more than doubled since 2014, O’Brien said. The range of threats affecting Apple devices also has “multiplied,” he said. “These threats span from ordinary cybercrime gangs branching out and porting their threats to Apple platforms, right up to high level attacker groups developing custom Mac OS X and iOS malware.” Attackers targeting iOS devices “need to find a way to install malware” on an iPhone or iPad, “which can represent a significant hurdle,” he said. Many threats are installed when victims connect their devices to a “compromised” desktop computer, he said. “Jailbroken” devices, meaning iPhones that have had their iOS software restrictions removed, “present more opportunities for compromise and many threats are designed to take advantage of jailbroken phones,” he said.

IDC sees 2015 as the first full year of only single-digit worldwide smartphone sales growth, it said in a Thursday forecast update report. IDC predicts global smartphone shipments will grow 9.8 percent in 2015 to 1.43 billion units, it said. The forecast reflects a slowdown in growth in most Asian markets as well as in Latin America and Western Europe, it said. “China has been the focal point of the smartphone market in recent quarters as its economic slowdown has dampened worldwide growth due to the sheer size of the market,” IDC said. With the smartphone market “finally slowing” to single-digit year-to-year growth, maintaining market momentum will depend on “the success of low-cost smartphones in emerging markets,” it said. “This, in turn, will depend on capturing value-oriented first-time smartphone buyers as well as replacement buyers.” IDC sees Android smartphones finishing 2015 with a 9.5 percent global shipment increase to 1.16 billion units, enough for an 81.2 percent market share, the firm said. Shipments of iPhones will rise 17.3 percent this year to 226 million units, for a 15.8 percent share, it said. IDC sees Windows Phone shipments declining 10.2 percent to 31.3 million units for a 2.2 percent share, it said.

Wireless and particularly its data services is the reason for overall telecom growth, in a "regulatory environment [that] remains mostly constructive" except for scrutiny of large mergers and acquisitions and risk under Title II of the Communications Act, said a debt-ratings firm in a news release and longer report. It's an "otherwise benign environment," regulation-wise, said Moody's. "M&A activity will be limited until the broadcast spectrum auction is completed," and the March 29 start could be delayed, it said. "Without the entrance of non-traditional bidders, the auction could disappoint broadcasters who may expect high prices." Wireless data revenue "will fuel overall telecom growth, driven by the increasing use of smartphones, tablets and other connected devices, as well as the growing popularity of mobile video that has made larger data plans more alluring," said Senior Vice President Dennis Saputo. U.S. telecom profit will rise 2 percent in 2016 as wireless revenue grows 3-4 percent, said Moody's Wednesday. "Mobile video is a potential growth catalyst, but probably 2-3 years from now."

The FCC should ensure wireless carriers can identify handsets complying with rules on hearing aid compatibility, said Commissioner Michael O’Rielly in a blog post following up on a vow he made Nov. 19 to seek a fix (see 1511190032). He said there is no definitive list of HAC-compliant handsets, causing confusion and “unnecessary and time-consuming enforcement actions against wireless providers, which, oftentimes through no fault of their own, procured” handsets that don't meet the agency’s standards. “In fact, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been paid in FCC penalties just because available data regarding hearing aid compatibility compliance turned out to be inaccurate,” he said. O’Rielly said compiling such a list “can be done post haste” because industry participants already submit necessary information on Form 655. O’Rielly said he is pleased commissioners agreed to seek comment on the issue in the FCC’s recent Further NPRM aimed at expanding its HAC rules: “Without prejudging the comments to be received, the answers to the questions should provide a sufficient platform to address a flaw in our hearing aid compatibility requirements.”

AT&T is implementing a "small" price increase on unlimited smartphone plans, said its website. Consumers with a grandfathered unlimited smartphone data plan will receive notifications of a $5 per month rate hike for the plan. AT&T said the price increase is to "help ensure we continue to provide the best service for all of our customers. The increase won't impact current unlimited data speeds, said the carrier, and customers have the option to change plans at any time. If customers decide to cancel their existing wireless service with AT&T, the company will waive the early termination fees for the lines impacted by the price increase as long as the cancellation is made within 60 days of the price increase appearing on their monthly bill, AT&T said. The rate increase will take effect starting with the customer's February 2016 service, said the carrier. AT&T had no immediate further comment.

Comments on FCC hearing aid compatibility (HAC) proposals are due Jan. 14, replies Jan. 29, said the text of a report and order and NPRM in docket 15-285. The item was adopted unanimously Thursday and aims to give people with hearing loss access to more wireless handsets and functionality (see 1511190032). The order expanded the scope of HAC rules to cover IP-based services, such as Wi-Fi Calling and Voice-over-LTE, while the NPRM sought comment on proposals for further actions. They included a consensus proposal by industry and hearing-loss groups to establish a path to achieving 100 percent HAC-compatible handsets within eight years, if technically feasible. The items were released Friday and included in Monday's Daily Digest.

About 96 percent of New York City residents own cellphones, and 80 percent own smartphones, said a study from the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs. The study was sponsored by Capital One and the MetLife Foundation and aimed to "analyze the needs, barriers, and opportunities to increase financial inclusion through mobile financial services use." The study also showed that 66.5 percent of city residents who had no income still have smartphones. Mobile phone usage and ownership varied a little by banking status, with about 95 percent of banked respondents reported owning a cellphone, 79 percent of whom owned a smartphone, the study said. The report said, "Someone who is 'underbanked' has a bank or credit union account but also uses alternative financial services such as a check cashing service, money order, payday loan, pawnshop loan, reloadable prepaid debit card, or payroll card from an employer." About 90 percent of unbanked respondents owned a cellphone, with 73 percent reporting having a smartphone, and 98 percent of the underbanked owning a cellphone, 80 percent of whom had a smartphone, it said. Immigrant respondents and those who were between the ages of 18 and 29 were among the highest groups to have a smartphone, at 93 percent and 94 percent respectively.

FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai hailed carriers AT&T, Boost Mobile, Sprint, T-Mobile and Virgin Mobile for their “move in a positive direction” to activate the FM chips in their smartphones, in remarks at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting convention Friday in Kansas City, Missouri. “I applaud all of these carriers for stepping up to the plate” on FM chip activations, he said. But Pai opposes government mandates on FM chip activations, he said. “I don’t believe that it is the place of the government to intervene here, especially given the robust competition we see among wireless carriers,” he said. “In February, I said that if there was consumer demand for activating FM chips -- and I believed that there was -- I was optimistic that we would continue to see progress on this issue as a result of commercial negotiations and competitive pressure in the private marketplace.” Recent developments (see 1508140064) “have only strengthened my optimism and belief that the private sector can and will resolve this issue,” he said.