HoFo Blog

(This isn't actually my Pebble Time—I take better care of my cuticles than that—but the one I bought is in almost as bad shape...)

So I'm making a bit of an about-face from my proclamation last April that Pebble had already won the smartwatch wars. I still think their Timeline UI makes the most sense, but the honest truth is that within a month of receiving my 2nd-gen Pebble I stopped using it and went back to Android Wear. And if I'm really honest I don't even use Android Wear all that much. ...

From The Web:

Software Updates: A Visual Comparison Of Support Lifetimes For iOS vs. Nexus Devices

Verizon version of Nextbit Robin coming to Kickstarter tomorrow

Best Phones You Can Get Under $100 Fun-boxing! (Part 2)

Amazon Announces Its New $50 Fire Tablet (With $250 6-Pack Option)

You can get an iPhone 6s for donating sperm in China

From The Forums:

Quebecor Not Expanding Outside of Province, Cash Deal/Partnership w/WIND an Option

Should I switch To Verizon? [T-MobileCust]

Just hit 200GB, throttled to 74Kbps. Great.

T-Mobile and the CCA are fighting AT&T over the purchase of 700MHz B block spectrum

Just updated to iOS 9 ...

I generally try to avoid "insider baseball"—that is, news about lawsuits and financials and such that don't have a direct or immediate impact on the end user. But this end user has come across two stories about Apple's record-breaking profits that I feel compelled to comment on, if only to debunk them.

The first is a video by the newly-rebranded YouTube channel Coldfusion, which centres around the $619.77 USD profit that Apple makes on each and every iPhone 6. For the 6 Plus the per-unit profit is even higher, at $711.75 USD. These numbers were reported by Business Insider around this time last year.

If you've eleven minutes to spare, here is that video: ...

From The Web:

The Apple iOS 9 Review

iOS 9 Download Now Available for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch

Huawei-made Nexus will have a 12MP camera, 5.7″ 2K screen

We are Nextbit, the developers of the Robin cloud-based smartphone. We've just raised $1M on Kickstarter. AUA!

Mossberg: It’s Time to Free the Smartphone

From The Forums:

Questions about reception in a rural area - northern Wisconsin

Freedom Pop is it the time to plunge Freedom Spot 803s LTE Hotspot $39.99

AT&T Won't Throttle Unlimited Data Customers Until They Reach 22GB!

AT&T tech issue with Multiple Frequency Band Indicator for Roaming on TM's Band 12

What do you think of how Tmo is portrayed in this article? ...

Looks like the Robin "smarter" phone by Nexbit is a go; with 15 days still left in their Kickstarter campaign they've passed their $1 million USD funding goal, and will hopefully have devices available for purchase early next year.

Why should you care? Only because the Robin has a rather neat trick up its sleeve. ...

From The Web:

Qualcomm Reveals The Connectivity Features Of Its Upcoming Snapdragon 820: X12 LTE Modem, 802.11ad WiFi, And Improved Performance In Metallic Devices

Newsweek: T-Mobile CEO John Legere is Cutting the Cords That Bind You to Your Wireless Provider

Apple might finally let you delete apps that come with the iPhone

Apple’s monthly instalment price plan for unlocked iPhones eludes Canada

That didn’t take long! Goophone i6S iPhone 6S clone launched

From The Forums:

Relation & differences betw (un)locked, stolen/overdue, and carrier-certified phones?

Republic vs the Sprint MVNO pack

Help buying new phone(s)

Verizon automatically pushing up contract upgrade dates

Full Retail Upgrade Fee ...

“I’m investing $49 million per week in building out my networks, both fixed and mobile, with a single point of view that people like you will continue to want to consume more data,” Guy Laurence, chief executive at Rogers, told reporters Monday. “In a lot of plans these days, voice is virtually free, text is virtually free. You got to pay the bills somehow and so we’re paying it through the monetization of data.”

A quick check of Rogers' wireless portal seems to confirm this. I was sure that not so long ago they broke out the cost of data, just like Bell and TELUS still do—that is, you choose a subsidy or BYOD first, then a voice package, then your data bucket. Now the cheapest available option for Rogers customers comes bundled with 500MB. And here in Ontario I wouldn't exactly call that bundle "cheap". ...

From The Web:

Apple Says iPhone 6s and 6s Plus 'On Pace' to Top Last Year's Record 10 Million Sales on Launch Weekend

New iPhone Means We’ll Soon Escape the Captivity of Carriers

Huawei Nexus Geekbench scores reveal Android 6 and 3GB RAM

The Original Moto X On Verizon Is Finally Getting Android 5.1 Via A Soak Test

The OnePlus 2 Camera Might Not Have Optical Image Stabilization As Claimed

From The Forums:

New the peoples operator (tpo) Sprint Mvno

Preorder Eligibilty

NEW COVERAGE MAPS! (2G Only Map & T-Mobile Native Map)

New Phone from Craigslist Sale Might Become Blacklisted

fast battery consumption - help ...

I continue to be impressed by the front page editorials over on the XDA Forums. Their latest missive, posted last Friday, is all about Motorola, and how things seem to be taking a turn for the worse under their new owners. You might not think so looking at their current product portfolio; the only reason I don't recommend the Moto X Play to friends is because it's not available unlocked here in Canada.

I think XDA has done an excellent job of contrasting Moto's successes as a Google company with their current predicament as a Lenovo joint. See if you agree. ...

From The Web:

If you're planning on ordering an iPhone 6S tonight, do this right now

Apple's Live Photos Take Up About 2x Space of Normal Images

Sony changes stance on waterproof phones: Do not use underwater

OnePlus apologizes for poorly executed OnePlus 2 launch

Canadian Banks Fear Their Mobile Technology is Falling Behind

From The Forums:

"Beware: AT&T's iPhone 6s Limits Your Carrier Choices"

Att LTE 30 WCS Deploying

Tracfone BYOP for Iphone 5C

Is the 12 band support enough reason to upgrade

LTE BYOP recommendations/deals? ...

Last month I wrote about UGO Wallet, an app that (barely) supports tap and pay here in Canada but, for some reason, doesn't work with rooted phones. Since then two more notable tap and pay apps have appeared on the Play Store. One is from a Canadian bank that I hold a credit card with; the other is Android Pay.

And it seems that Canadian banks aren't the only ones who don't understand root! ...

From The Web:

Android Pay App Will Launch Today, But Does Require The Explicit Support Of Your Credit Card Or Bank

Googler Says Dark System Theme Won't Be Included In Marshmallow, But Might Be Considered For Future Releases

Rumored Droid Turbo 2 photo shows a smartphone ruined by Verizon branding

Former executives of Wind and Rogers to open Mobile Klinik repair stores

Opinion: Why Force Touch is a paradoxical complication in the world of sublime simplicity

From The Forums:

John Legere, .."So we’re launching the first-ever Lifetime Coverage Guarantee™!"

Obtaining a good signal with PagePlus

Which carrier version to buy?

#Blessed - We can buy the iPhone 6S full price via Apple, off-contract, as VZ subs

Exstended network ...

So the new iPhones have force touch. Apple is branding it "3D Touch", presumably to differentiate it as an improvement over the force touch trackpad introduced on their new MacBook last spring. The difference? It's faster.

Surprisingly, though, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus aren't the first smartphone on the market to offer multi-level haptic feedback. That title, if you can believe it, goes to Huawei, and their Mate S announced at IFA in Berlin last week.

Even more surprising is that the Android platform has supported force touch since version 2.0 Eclair, circa 2009! ...

From The Web:

Apple announces $199 iPhone 6s & $299 6s Plus with 3D Touch, A9 CPU, rose gold color, coming Sept. 25

Here's how the new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus compare to the top Android phones

Apple Introduces Moving 'Live Photos' for iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus

Apple iPad Pro announced with Apple Pencil and a Smart Keyboard

"Surface Tension" (NSFW Language)

From The Forums:

Must Tracfone Sim cards be purchased?

T-mobile in Arkansas, LTE problem

What does invalid esn mean?

Group Plan Admins - Any Rules or Procedures?

Amazing...... ...

Congrats to... ...

No, these aren't actual leaked product shots, just renders by designer Martin Hajek...

Today at 10am PST Apple will be hosting an event where the new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus will almost certainly be announced. Less clear is whether or not there will be a new "budget" model to replace the two year-old 5C. Apple is apparently happy enough with sales of the 6 and 6 Plus to continue selling it alongside the new models.

History teaches us that the 'S' iteration of an iPhone is, in broad strokes, the same hardware as the last release but with beefier internals. This time around, however, Apple will be addressing the "bendgate" issue with stronger aluminum and a possibly thicker chassis. Force Touch is expected to be a new feature on the new devices, along with a new colour option, rose pink. ...

From The Web:

The Xperia Z5 Premium has 4K: A picture-perfect product , or not?

LG, Huawei’s Nexus phones to be up for pre-order on October 13

More than 30 Snapdragon 820 devices in the works

Verizon will start testing 5G technology next year

Canada’s Wireless Carriers Are Against CNOC’s Application For Wholesale Wireless Services

From The Forums:

Does anyone know how to reach someone at AT&T who cares?

Expert advice would be appreciated. Help me choose a new phone (LTE)

Individual users not getting any deal...

spent $10 to find out network is [email protected]

What's the best Verizon MVNO, all things considered? ...

Never mind the iPhone 6S, set to be announced tomorrow; rumours are already circulating about its successor, the iPhone 7—specifically, how thin it's going to be. There isn't an exact number, but MacRumors is reporting a range of 6-6.5mm, compared to the current iPhone 6/6 Plus at 6.9/7.1mm.

Here's the top-rated comment on that post:

I'm going to assume that last part is sarcastic—that is, that nobody has been begging for thinner phones. Am I right? ...

Consumers have been spend less money on computers and more on their mobile phones. This has given companies like Acer, which is a big name in computers, a challenging time. While they’ve had some mobile phone offerings, they haven’t gained much traction in the market. As such, it’s been awhile since I’ve tried one.

Here’s their latest offering; the Acer Liquid Jade Z. At $269.99 CAN unlocked, it’s a high-entry/low-midrange phone. Spec-wise you get a 5” HD display, quad-core 64 bit processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, 13 megapixel camera with LTE so on that front, it's promising. Let’s check it out: ...