HoFo Blog

While hardcore fans are still waiting for the top of the line Nokia 9 to be made official, HMD Global threw them a curve ball this week and announced the mid-range Nokia 7 for the Chinese market. The mere existence of Android phones bearing the famous Finnish brand is apparently not enough; Nokia is once again touting its Dual-sight camera (aka "bothie") as a unique selling point. Other notable specs are as follows:

Snapdragon 630 processor
5.2 inch FHD LCD display
4 or 6 GB RAM / 64 GB storage plus microSD (or dual SIM)
16 MP rear camera with PDAF, Carl Zeiss optics
5 MP selfie cam with autofocus
3,000 mAh battery with USB-C charging port
Android 7.1.1 Nougat
Courage (headphone) jack

The 7 will be available starting October 24th in either black or white, with either 4 or 6 GB of RAM and priced at either ¥2,499 or ¥2,699—which works out to about $377 or $407 USD. Will a version of this phone ever wash up on North American shores? You'll have to ask HMD Global about that.

Sources: Nokia (China) via Android Police

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From The Web:

Google Pixel 2 XL Teardown Receives a Repairability Score of 6 Out of 10

Stagnant iPhone 8 Demand Leads to 50% Production Cut

‘In-your-face’: Freedom Mobile takes on Big Three with 10 GB data package for $50

Freedom Mobile now offers up to $1,200 device subsidies with Big Gig plans

F-Droid, the open-source app repository, has been updated to v1.0

From The Forums:

How many here have an unlimited data plan?

Tell me about RED POCKET please

UL data plan for $65?

New Freedom plans... Your thoughts?

Wpa2 krack

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This week Belgian researchers discovered a major security flaw in WPA2, previously thought to be an unbreakable security protocol for WiFi networks and the devices that use them—including routers, desktop computers, streaming set-top boxes, connected appliances and, of course, smartphones.

The flaw is called Krack, or Key Reinstallation Attack, and can be exploited to read sensitive information like passwords or credit card numbers being sent through the network, or insert malicious code into websites as they are loaded onto devices.

The bad news for Nexus and Pixel owners is that they'll have to wait for the next monthly security update from Google to get their devices patched; the really bad news is for users of other Android devices (Samsung), who will have to wait much longer than that. The good news? If you're a modder and are running either LineageOS or OmniROM then your hardware is likely already patched. Android Police reports that official Lineage builds from October 17th onwards have been patched; ditto for Omni builds starting October 18th.

For anyone reading this who has ever questioned the value of custom Android firmware I'd say that this right here is a pretty good example of their worth.

Sources: Android Police, The Guardian

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From The Web:

The Pixel 2 XL would be the best phone in the world if its screen wasn’t so weird

Consumer Reports Recommends Samsung’s Old Galaxy S7 Over iPhone 8

Five More Reason You Should Reconsider Your Purchase of the Note 8

OnePlus turns to customers to fix its identity crisis

Google and Apple yet to fix Wi-Fi hole in a billion devices

From The Forums:

Is Verizon Still The Best?

Gmail

Question about Best Buy phones...

Buyer Beware - How Tracfone charges Pre-Paid time

T-Mobile / US Cellular VoLTE Update for Iowa and Wisconsin

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Last December I decided that smartphones had become boring, with both Apple and Google guilty of chasing profits over pursuing innovation. This week Android Authority published some evidence in support of that claim.

Using Google Trends as a source, Tristan Rayner compared the interest (Google searches) in Apple and Samsung devices over the past five years. It's hardly a complete data set, but if you're going to compare only two smartphone OEMs then Samsung and Apple are probably the way to go. And his findings do seem to suggest that interest in new hardware from either of these manufacturers is indeed on the wane.

Spoiler alert: we reached peak smartphone with 2014's iPhone 6 Plus—which, if you think about it, makes perfect sense. After years of living in the shadow of the massive Galaxy Note (literally) Apple, with the 6 Plus, finally gave their customers a phablet to call their own.

Source: Android Authority

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Google Pixel 2/XL Review MegaThread

LG V30 review: groundbreaking phone with a deal-breaking flaw

Apple's Supply Chain confirms that they'll meet iPhone X Demand for the Holiday Season

First iPhone X batch reportedly only contains 46,500 units

ZTE Axon M is Official: 6.75″ Dual Screen Foldable Smartphone!

From The Forums:

New Freedom Plans

Looking for low cost phone plan for a friend

still have "Nationwide Talk&Text 700-min plan" with unlimited data, under contract un

unlock code

Are extended batteries worth it?

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Well, this was unexpected...

I was all set to activate a SIM and try out one of Freedom Mobile's impossibly good data plans today—that is until late last night, when I read news of even better plans on the way. iPhone in Canada reports that the new plans will make their début this Thursday, October 19th.

Big Gig plans do not include calls from Canada to the USA, but for a limited time will offer free international SMS and MMS. Options are as follows:

$50/month: 12GB data (8GB + 4GB bonus) within Home; 250MB within Away
$70/month: 15GB data (8GB + 7GB bonus) within Home; 500MB within Away
$90/month: 20GB data (12GB + 8GB bonus) within Home; 1GB within Away

If you didn't know, the "Away" data allotments are for roaming within Canada outside of Freedom's limited Home network.

Everywhere Canada plans add long distance to the USA (from within Freedom's Home zones) plus 2,400 minutes of in-Canada roaming. International SMS and MMS are also included:

$50/month: 5GB (4GB + 1GB bonus) within Home; 250MB within Away
$60/month: 10GB (6GB + 4GB bonus) within Home; 500MB within Away
$75/month: 12GB (9GB + 3GB bonus) within Home; 1GB within Away
$100/month: 20GB (15GB + 5GB bonus) within Home; 1GB within Away

Note that neither of the new plans include any free data when in the United States. If that's important to you then you'll want to jump on the current $50/month plan, which includes 1 free gigabyte of data per month from within the USA.

Freedom is definitely on a tear to get new customers, and I can't help but wonder if their current promotion isn't getting the activations they were hoping for. Their LTE network still seems plenty fast, even in downtown Toronto. And just last week there was a weird moment when the girlfriend and I walked by a Freedom outlet at Yorkdale Mall. Not only was the store empty, but the entire staff was assembled at the entrance, staring down passers-by as if trying to will them into entering.

Has anyone here switched to Freedom from Koodo? I'm seriously considering it—once I do some further testing, of course...

Source: iPhone in Canada

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From The Web:

Huawei's Mate 10 phones have big screens, small bezels, and AI hardware

IDC Analyst: Huawei Could Overtake Apple This Year in Smartphone Market Share

iPhone 7 Currently Outselling the 8 Ahead of iPhone X Launch: Analyst

Severe flaw in WPA2 protocol leaves Wi-Fi traffic open to eavesdropping

Want to see something crazy? Open this link on your phone with WiFi turned off.

From The Forums:

IPnone SIM swaps

Cricket vs Verizon prepad

Reasonably Priced Android Phone To Use On Verizon MVNO's? (Other Than Moto G)

need y'alls opinion

Redpocket 3GB($30) vs PuretalkUSA 3GB($30), Let's go~!

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Linux laptop maker Purism has succeeded where Ubuntu failed, meeting their crowdfunding goal of $1.5 million USD to produce this, the Librem 5 smartphone. Unlike 2013's ill-fated Ubuntu Edge, you probably won't be buying this thing for its specs:

5 inch touchscreen
i.MX6 or i.MX8 CPU, Vivante GPU
3 GB RAM / 32 GB storage + microSD
Front and rear cameras
WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G / 4G / LTE
Courage jack (aka 3.5mm headphone)

You might, however, be interested in the Librem 5 for its Linux compatibility and privacy-minded features. Out of the box the phone will run a mobile version of Purism's in-house PureOS, or any other Linux distribution that supports its hardware. Since the processor and GPU are both open-source there may well end up being a lot of support for this phone. For privacy there will be hardware kill switches for the cameras, microphone and all wireless networks. In addition the baseband will be separate from the CPU, presumably to prevent the NSA and its Five Eyes partners from overriding any of those kill switches.

In terms of apps, Purism is all about the HTML5, which was also the promise of Firefox OS. Remember Firefox OS? I do. It was terrible. And the cynic in me can't help but think that a phone running LineageOS and F-Droid in place of the Google apps would deliver 90% of the freedom and a much better user experience.

But who am I to rain on the freedom beards' parade? It seems like the Linux community is wholeheartedly embracing the Librem 5, and it will interesting to watch what they whip up for it—even if it will be very much a niche product.

Links: Librem 5 via OMG! Ubuntu!

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From The Web:

What’s Inside Every iPhone, From Retina Displays to Cameras

The Google Pixel 2 has a Hidden, but Disabled, Dark Theme

OnLeaks posts renders of the Nokia 9, showing off curved glass and no headphone jack

Let's Talk About OxygenOS Analytics

Long live the group chat

From The Forums:

My Truphone cannot receive incoming calls

why is the Verizon signal so bad in Puerto Rico? (even before the hurricane)

Unlocked ATT iPhone SE "Not eligible" for Total Wireless ?

Voip lag

Signal Strength Issues in Altamonte Springs, Florida

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The biggest story of this short news week has to be the revelation that OnePlus phones running the company's stock ROMs—Hydrogen and Oxygen OS—are, without their users' consent, collecting and transmitting personally-identifiable data. Here's a sample of what's being collected:

But wait, there's more... OnePlus is also collecting timestamped events on your device, like unexpected reboots, which apps you use and for how long, even when you lock and unlock your screen. It may sound like innocuous diagnostic information, but each of these timestamps is dispatched with personally-identifiable information. And even if you opt out of the OnePlus User Experience Program the hidden services that collect this data are still collecting this data and sending it back to OnePlus.

The collection can be halted via adb and a terminal command on a desktop computer. A more detailed account of how this data harvesting was discovered, and how to fix it, can be read at the link directly below.

Link: Chris's Security and Tech Blog

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From The Web:

Motorola releases kernel source code for Moto G5S

Is metal really a better material than plastic on phones?

I couldn't care less if my smartphone didn't have bezels.

Google is really good at design

Apple is really bad at design

From The Forums:

Mobile Without Borders Now Subject to 5GB Data Limit

T-Mobile Soon To Be the Only Mobile Service Provider in Coalport, PA

Tip toeing in over here

Certain apps don't connect on mobile data (WiFi works fine)

Waiting on a Friend for 5th line, can we just add it now?

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This week Koodo finally joined the ranks of other Canadian carriers in offering its own "roam like home" service; for a daily charge of either $7 or $10 CAD you can access your data bucket in the USA or the rest of the world. And while its uninspired moniker, Easy Roam, isn't so impressive, the list of supported countries definitely is. Plus you can sign up for the service via SMS, like I did above.

I know what you're thinking: I must really feel like an loser owning this dog of a dual SIM phone, right? I mean, what a waste of money that thing turned out to be! Yeah, not so much...

Let's do some math on my upcoming winter vacation, to (big surprise) Hong Kong and Japan. We'll be going to Osaka first and spending 9 nights there. Using Easy Roam for those 9 nights would cost my girlfriend and I $90 each, or $180 for the both of us. With local taxes that comes to a total of $203.40 CAD. But if we rent a WiFi hotspot like we've done in the past, we would instead pay only $134 USD, or about $167 CAD, with no additional taxes (see option 3 here). More importantly, that hotspot rental comes with an extra 9 GB of LTE data to share between us.

Granted, there is the hassle of carrying an extra gadget around and keeping it charged, and also staying within range of it—if we split up on separate shopping trips then only the person with the hotspot will be connected. However, the numbers don't lie: for two people in this scenario, renting a hotspot is definitely cheaper.

When it comes to Hong Kong there's no contest. For $118 HKD—the equivalent of just $19 CAD—what I believe to be the world's best tourist SIM gives each of us 5 GB of LTE data over 8 days. Using Easy Roam for those same 8 days would cost more than 4 times as much!

So why did I even bother activating Easy Roam at all? Convenience, mostly. I can think of at least two additional scenarios where it would come in very handy. The first is transiting through an airport or a layover where there's no free WiFi. It happens, sometimes. And Easy Roam would come in very handy at a destination where there's no good local SIM solution—like if we don't feel like buying a pair of BlackBerries just to use in Bermuda, for example.

It's great that all six brands of Canada's Big Three carriers now offer a more affordable way of roaming internationally. Just know that they're not necessarily the best value when travelling abroad.

Source: Mobile Syrup

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From The Web:

With sales about to explode, the Apple Watch is ready for its iPod moment

Apple patents self-adjusting Apple Watch bands

Best smartwatches for Android you can buy [October 2017]

New Android Wear 2.0 features can now be delivered through the Play Store, no OTA required

What the Heck Is Google's Plan for Android Wear?

From The Forums:

Need to transfer minutes to newer, but not to expensive - tracfone. Which one is ..

Limit to densification

Tips on Smoothest "Activation of Phone bundle" WITH Current service and transfer back

FreedomPop requires adding $5 credit for downgrading to free plan

Red Pocket vs Total Wireless VZW network

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It has begun.

Not even a year after Pebble was acquired by Fitbit their watches are already starting to fail. Some have apparent manufacturing defects or quality control issues, while others have suffered too much abuse on the wrists of their owners. What's especially heartbreaking about these photos is that we Pebblers are holding on to our hardware for dear life. Unlike a good mechanical watch, however, these things just aren't built to last.



The first-generation Pebble started shipping in January, 2013; here's what one of those looks like when the buttons fall out.



When a button on their 2016 Pebble 2 wore off, this user switched from using his finger to the tip of a pen, with predictable results.



Swollen batteries are also starting to affect some Pebbles. Here's a 2015 Pebble Time Round with a display panel lifting away from its body.



And this 2016 Pebble Time Steel seems to have experienced an adhesive failure between its display and body.

The moral of the story? If you love your Pebble like I do get a spare or two on Amazon while you still can...!

Source: reddit (1) (2) (3) (4)

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From The Web:

Forget the iPhone 8 and iPhone X — here are 7 reasons you should buy the iPhone 7 instead

Apple's swollen batteries are symptomatic of a larger industry problem

Verizon Takes the Top Spot

ISED launches consultation on allocating wireless spectrum over next five years

Watch Out AirPods, Here Comes Bose

From The Forums:

WCS/Band 30 Shutdown/Bandwidth Decrease Markets

Hotspots on unlimited plan—no longer allowed effective 12/05/2017

Man Gets "T," Tattoo His Arm / Scores free iPhone 8

Blackfoot and T-Mobile to Build 200 Cell Sites in Montana and Wyoming

Boom Mobile vs Red Pocket on VZ

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Here's a photo taken by a not-so-proud owner of a new iPhone 8 Plus in Japan; out of the box the new device's battery had swollen to the point where it was pushing the display panel out of its seating. There are reports of similar defects trickling in from around the world—seven in total so far:

Canada - 1 incident reported
China - 1 incident reported
Greece - 1 incident reported
Hong Kong - 1 incident reported
Japan - 1 incident reported
Taiwan - 2 incidents reported

This story on Pocketnow has links to each incident. In a couple of cases the phone's battery was swollen out of the box; in others the swelling occurred after the user's first charge (with original equipment). In the rest the swelling became apparent after a short fall, with no initial signs of damage. There are, at present, no reports of batteries actually exploding.

Apple is said to be investigating the issue, which might prove to be a challenge, as batteries for the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are made by three separate manufacturers: LG Chem, Samsung SDI and Simplo Technologies.

Hopefully no one reading this has a swollen battery in their new iPhone; if you do, I'm sure your neighbourhood Apple Store will help you out.

Sources: Pocketnow, The Verge, Twitter

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From The Web:

Need a headphone jack? These 10 phones have your back

Why having no headphone jack is a bad idea

DxOMark scores shouldn't be your definitive camera rating system

Microsoft's Joe Belfiore says Windows 10 Mobile features and hardware are no longer a focus

Research Shows Dependence on Smartphones Weakens Intellect

From The Forums:

Mobley unlimited plan retired

Help Me Find A Prepaid Plan That Allows WiFi Calling

Netgear Unite Explore New update is here!!

Cricket, Red Pocket, Ooma, and Google Voice Latency Tests

Does a Ring.to mobile app for Android exist? Or is only for iOS?

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What better way to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving than with a new BlackBerry? Let's just maybe overlook that it was announced in Dubai, and its availability at launch will be limited to that part of the world.

The BlackBerry Motion, known previously by its codename "Krypton", is a touchscreen-only device. Here are the notable specs, courtesy of CrackBerry:

Snapdragon 625 processor
5.5 inch FHD IPS LCD display with Dragon Tail Glass (?)
4 GB RAM / 32 GB storage plus microSD
12 MP rear camera with PDAF
8 MP selfie camera with flash
4,000 mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0
IP67 water resistance
Headphone jack (!)

The Motion will be available for purchase in the Middle East before the end of the month, and will apparently be the first BlackBerry sold in the region with dual SIM capabilities. It won't be the world's first dual SIM BB, however; that honour goes to an Indian variant of the KeyOne—at least that's what TechRadar says.

UAE pricing for this mid-range BlackBerry works out to less than $500 USD. I'd expect to see the Motion available in North America before too long, but maybe not the dual SIM version. Just a hunch.

Sources: CrackBerry, TechRadar

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