Best of Mobile Development — September 2025

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    Article
    Avatar of hnHacker News·36w

    Linux phones are more important now than ever.

    Google is rapidly closing Android's open ecosystem through AOSP component privatization, manufacturer bootloader restrictions, Play Integrity API enforcement, and mandatory developer verification. Major manufacturers like Samsung, Xiaomi, and OnePlus have removed bootloader unlocking options, while Google targets ad-blocking software and forces app store compliance. This trend mirrors Apple's closed approach and threatens the viability of custom ROMs and open-source Android alternatives. The author argues that Linux mobile development needs acceleration as Android's openness disappears, despite current Linux phones lacking polish and features compared to mainstream smartphones.

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    Article
    Avatar of medium_jsMedium·35w

    Bringing apps to life: How we use Flutter and Rive at Scapia to build engaging experiences

    Scapia demonstrates how combining Flutter with Rive animations creates engaging mobile experiences that feel alive rather than just functional. The team uses Rive's state machines to build interactive elements like games, calendar highlights, and onboarding flows, enabling designers to create animations directly while developers integrate them with minimal code. Key insights include performance optimization strategies like visibility-based animation triggering, file size management, network caching, and maintaining version compatibility between Rive editor and Flutter runtime.

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    Video
    Avatar of codingwithlewisCoding with Lewis·34w

    I Coded on a Smartphone for 7 Days (Surprisingly Good)

    A developer experiments with coding on a smartphone for a week, testing various mobile code editors including GitHub Codespaces, Acode, and NeoVim through Termux. The experiment explores hardware setup with Bluetooth keyboards, ergonomic solutions like phone mounts, and running local AI models for code completion. While challenging due to screen size limitations, the experience proves surprisingly viable with proper tooling, especially using NeoVim in a terminal environment for local development.

  4. 4
    Article
    Avatar of mozillaMozilla·36w

    Young people are outsmarting period tracking apps

    Young women are adapting their use of period tracking apps in response to privacy concerns following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. While many users deleted apps due to fears of reproductive surveillance and data misuse, others switched to privacy-focused alternatives or developed workarounds like using notes apps or paper diaries. The article explores how cycle tracking apps collect and monetize sensitive health data, the varying privacy standards across different apps, and how marginalized communities are particularly vulnerable to surveillance. Despite privacy risks, many users continue finding these apps valuable for understanding their bodies and managing health conditions.

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    Article
    Avatar of appledevApple Developer·35w

    Upcoming Currency Change in Bulgaria

    Bulgaria will adopt the euro as its official currency on January 1, 2026, replacing the Bulgarian lev. This change affects App Store pricing, payments, and reporting for developers with apps sold in Bulgaria. App pricing will be automatically converted using the statutory rate of 1.95583 BGN = 1 EUR, subscription billing will continue uninterrupted, and developers must display both currencies during the transition period until August 2026. Financial reports will split between BG and EU categories based on transaction dates.

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    Article
    Avatar of tcTechCrunch·37w

    After selling to Spotify, Anchor’s co-founders are back with Oboe, an AI-powered app for learning

    Former Anchor co-founders launched Oboe, an AI-powered learning platform that generates personalized courses on any topic through simple prompts. The app offers nine different learning formats including text, audio lectures, podcast-style discussions, games, and interactive tests. Built with a multi-agent AI architecture, Oboe creates courses within seconds while ensuring accuracy and personalization. Users can access free courses and create up to five monthly courses for free, with paid tiers offering 30 or 100 additional courses. The startup raised $4 million in seed funding led by Eniac Ventures.

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    Article
    Avatar of tcTechCrunch·34w

    Nothing launches AI tool for building mini apps using prompts

    Nothing unveiled Playground, an AI-powered tool that enables users to create mobile widgets and mini apps using simple text prompts. Currently limited to widgets like flight trackers and virtual pets, the platform allows deployment to Nothing's Essential Apps ecosystem. The launch follows Nothing's $200M funding round and CEO Carl Pei's vision for AI-first operating systems. While promising, similar vibe-coding approaches on mobile have struggled with security and maintenance challenges.

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    Article
    Avatar of cassidooCassidy's blog·34w

    Using Notebook Navigator and Cupertino in Obsidian

    A developer shares their improved mobile note-taking setup using the Notebook Navigator plugin and Cupertino theme in Obsidian. The combination provides a more native mobile experience with better navigation features, tag visibility, and smoother typing on iPad and phone. The author also mentions plans to incorporate ideas from Cupertino into their own custom theme, Cardstock.

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    Article
    Avatar of medium_jsMedium·38w

    Flutter 3.35: The August 2025 Update That’s Actually Revolutionary

    Flutter 3.35 introduces significant improvements including stateful hot reload for web development, Widget Previews for component-driven development, AI integration through MCP Server, and major performance enhancements. The update brings web development to first-class status, adds contextual AI assistance, improves analysis server speed by 50%, and begins decoupling Material and Cupertino libraries from the core framework. Key features include WebAssembly preparation, enhanced accessibility support, and platform-specific improvements for iOS and Android.

  10. 10
    Article
    Avatar of thevergeThe Verge·35w

    Xiaomi 17 series arrives with secondary screens and enormous batteries

    Xiaomi launched its 17 series smartphones with three models (17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max), featuring secondary screens on the Pro models' backs, massive batteries up to 7,500mAh, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipsets, and triple 50MP camera systems. The phones start at ¥4,499 in China with global release expected in spring 2025.

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    Article
    Avatar of hnHacker News·37w

    iPhone dumbphone

    A developer shares how they used Apple Configurator to transform their iPhone into a restricted device, eliminating access to distracting apps and websites while keeping essential utilities. The setup reduced daily screen time from 4 hours to 2 hours by creating real friction for changes and completely disabling the App Store. The guide includes step-by-step instructions for factory resetting the phone, setting up Apple Configurator profiles, and configuring content filters and app restrictions.

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    Article
    Avatar of hnHacker News·34w

    Apple's iPhone 17 chip becomes the fastest single-core CPU in the world on PassMark, beating PC chips and Apple's own M3 Ultra — passively-cooled A19 CPU catapults past power-hungry competitors

    Apple's A19 chip in the iPhone 17 achieved the highest single-core performance score on PassMark benchmarks, surpassing desktop processors from Intel, AMD, and even Apple's own M3 Ultra. The A19 scored 5,149 points while consuming only 4W of power, compared to 44W for Intel's Core Ultra 9 285K and 56W for AMD's EPYC processor. However, the chip's multi-threaded performance remains limited due to fewer cores compared to desktop alternatives.

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