Carriers and prison officials met Monday on contraband cellphones, as expected (see 1804270062). “ASCA and CTIA are committed to protecting the public from the dangers posed by contraband cellphones in the hands of prison inmates,” CTIA and the Association of State Correctional Administrators said jointly. “We welcome the FCC’s continued focus on this problem and today’s task force meeting marked the beginning of an important partnership. It’s clear there’s no easy answer, but ASCA and CTIA launched an initiative today to begin to identify and test solutions in the coming months for stamping out the use of contraband cellphones.”

The latest development of an eSIM standard is “on hold,” pending DOJ investigation (see 1804230063), GSMA said. AT&T and Verizon, the subjects of the probe, deny any wrongdoing. GSMA said it's “cooperating fully” with Justice. “This standard contains a wide range of features, including the option for the eSIM to be locked,” GSMA said last weekend. “In the United States, consumers would have this option; however, they would need to explicitly consent to this under specific commercial agreements with their mobile operator, for example when purchasing a subsidised device.”

Public Knowledge encouraged DOJ to dig in on an investigation of alleged collusion between AT&T and Verizon at GSMA. “New technologies can increase customer choice. eSIMs could make it easier for customers to use their phones, tablets, smartwatches, and other connected devices with multiple carriers, enabling consumers to pick whichever carrier has the best service or lowest price,” said John Bergmayer, PK senior counsel, Friday. “But new technologies can also provide companies with ways to take away consumer freedoms. That is why it has been disturbing to learn that major carriers may be colluding behind closed doors to make eSIMs benefit themselves, instead of consumers.” Reports of the SIM card substitution investigation surfaced Friday. “We are aware of the investigation into GSMA’s process for developing eSIM standards that provide a better experience for consumers," an AT&T spokesman said. "Along with other GSMA members, we have provided information to the government in response to their requests and will continue to work proactively within GSMA, including with those who might disagree with the proposed standards, to move this issue forward.” The accusations are "much ado about nothing," a Verizon spokesman said. "We are striving to provide a better experience for the consumer. The reality is that we have a difference of opinion with a couple of phone equipment manufacturers regarding the development of eSIM standards. Nothing more."

The Supreme Court should clarify U.S. law on compelling commercial speech, CTIA said in a Tuesday reply brief in case 17-976, CTIA v. Berkeley, California. Defending its RF disclosure ordinance, the city argued it may compel truthful disclosure in commercial speech because it’s reasonably related to the FCC’s interest (see 1804020049). CTIA argued that the First Amendment precludes state and local governments from forcing retailers to convey a government message. “Berkeley’s response confirms the need for this Court to resolve the widespread confusion about the proper standard of scrutiny for laws compelling commercial entities to speak,” CTIA said. Circuit courts don’t agree, the wireless association said. “Thirty-three years is long enough for the issue to percolate.” The Supreme Court will consider whether to hear the case at a May 10 conference, said a docket notice Wednesday.

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers pressed FBI Director Christopher Wray Friday for answers on the bureau’s apparent failure to exhaust all in-house options before forcing Apple to help access a terrorist’s iPhone after a 2015 San Bernardino, California, attack (see 1803280043). Reps. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.; Darrell Issa, R-Calif.; Ted Lieu, D-Calif.; and Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, were among those writing. Their letter cited reports the agency claimed similar issues with accessing as many as 7,800 devices in 2017. Reports that companies like Cellebrite and Grayshift “have developed tools to cheaply unlock nearly every phone on the market, including every version of iOS, raise even more concerns that the FBI has not been forthcoming about the extent of the ‘Going Dark’ problem,” the legislators wrote. The bureau didn't comment.

Global smartphone original design manufacturing and electronics manufacturing services assembly shipments fell 13.8 percent year-on-year in Q4 on weakening market demand, IDC reported Thursday. Shipments rose 2.1 percent sequentially, it said. Slowness in Q4 was due to “conservative supply and weakening demand” as the industry migrates to larger screen sizes, said analyst Sean Kao. “Chinese OEMs accelerated their inventory cleanup of old models while staying conservative on orders for new models,” said Kao. Component suppliers were also cautious due to fast-changing specs, contributing to an “unusual shipment trend” throughout the supply chain up to the Chinese New Year, he said. Trends to watch out for in upcoming quarters are the continued shift to full-screen smartphones and improving face-recognition technology, IDC said. Total smartphone shipments will not likely grow significantly until low-end smartphone specs stabilize in Q2, said the analyst. Midrange and low-end devices are likely to be a key segment for vendors as emerging-market demand becomes a primary growth driver, he said.

The Vivo X20 Plus UD smartphone and its under-display fingerprint sensor is “well ahead of Apple’s face recognition technology,” said a Wednesday ABI teardown report. Apple abandoned the sapphire sensor in the iPhone X in favor of Face ID, but the company “may now be forced to return to fingerprint sensors in the next iPhone,” said ABI analyst Dimitrios Pavlakis, citing growing relevance of fingerprint sensors. More banking and payment service providers are employing fingerprint sensing, which is five times as difficult to spoof as face recognition, said Pavlakis. Vivo didn’t make complete use of an under-display fingerprint sensor technology from Synaptics -- choosing to retain a large border below the display at the bottom of the phone, leaving room to fall back to a traditional sensor below the display, said ABI analyst Jim Mielke. Traditional fingerprint sensors are either embedded under the home key on the front of the mobile phone or on the back of the phone, but placing the fingerprint sensor under the display on the front of the phone “should allow for a borderless display on three sides,” said the analysts.

Four out of five iPhone X buyers who were previously Samsung owners were “satisfied with making the switch,” Strategy Analytics reported. The iPhone X’s $999 starting price was an issue for many respondents, some "questioning whether it is a premium worth paying,” SA said Wednesday. Among buyers who converted brands, more who moved to the iPhone X were satisfied than those moving from Apple to the Samsung S8, said analyst Adam Thorwart. Price was the main issue for discontent among consumers switching from Samsung to Apple, said analyst Kevin Nolan. “While switchers were highly satisfied with the iPhone X’s feature set,” they didn’t feel the features justified the high price, Nolan said, saying it opens an “opportunity” for Samsung to reclaim some converters.

A federal capital-area wireless emergency alert test starts 10 a.m. Thursday, the FCC reminded in a Wednesday note to media. Governments in the National Capital Region are using social media and doing a flurry of local media interviews before Thursday’s WEA test by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (see 1803300026).

The Competitive Carriers Association has major concerns about an NPRM set for a vote at the April 17 commissioners’ meeting proposing to prevent use of money in any USF program to buy equipment or services from companies that “pose a national security threat” to U.S. communications networks or the communications supply chain, President Steve Berry told us Tuesday. “The FCC has injected uncertainty at a time when carriers need certainty most,” as they are getting set for the Connect America Fund Phase II and Mobility Find II auctions and “building out 600 and 700 MHz spectrum,” Berry said. “This will most certainly impact the United States’ efforts to win the global race to 5G.” The Rural Wireless Association and NTCA also expressed concerns (see 1804020054). CCA was preparing for its spring meeting last week when FCC Chairman Ajit Pai circulated the draft NPRM. “CCA and its members care about national security and support prosecution of those who violate known national security policy,” Berry said. “Nevertheless, the FCC’s proposal to prohibit the use of USF to purchase any equipment or services produced or provided by any company posing a national security threat is incredibly broad and could impact every aspect of the communications supply chain with or without ever taking USF or purchased Chinese or Russian equipment and/or services.” Berry conceded the NPRM raises complicated issues. “CCA members care deeply about the security of their customers and the country and are focused on working towards comprehensive solutions,” he said. “I would hope any action taken by the FCC will move our nation to a broad solution and not a half measure that unduly paralyzes consumers in rural America.” Many smaller carriers have cut deals with Chinese equipment makers Huawei and ZTE, which worked hard to penetrate the U.S. market (see 1803260037).