HoFo Blog

From The Web:

Apple Pay accounted for 92% of US mobile wallet debit transactions in 2020, study says

Call recording in Google Phone app begins rolling out to eligible Pixels globally

‘Pixel 5a (5G)’ gets early Google Fi reveal, will also be sold through $15/month ‘subscription’

California regulators think T-Mobile lied to get Sprint merger approved

T-Mobile Confirms It Was Hacked

From The Forums:

Red Pocket CDMA-V in Ketchikan, AK

Mom's 3G flip phone says searching

How can I find the nearest cell tower

visible to start locking their phones that they sell for 60 days

Do Google Voice #s Work For Facebook 2FA Text Verifications?

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

It's time for a new thread of the week, our way of recognizing forum members for promoting valuable discussion here.

Every weekday yours truly posts a morning briefing, including the most popular forum threads—that is, the posts with the most replies—for the previous 24 hour period. For reference, here are the briefings for the past seven days:

Your Morning Briefing for Monday, August 9th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Tuesday, August 10th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Wednesday, August 11th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Thursday, August 12th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Friday, August 13th, 2021

Remember that the Monday briefing includes forum posts from the prior Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so all weekend posts are similarly eligible.

In each briefing, forum posts are ranked by the number of replies (from highest to lowest). That's subject to change, of course, so I did a quick recount of replies for all forum posts in the briefings above. With 41 replies as of this posting the most popular thread started last week is:

Verizon satisfies groups opposed to TracFone deal

Congrats to offthegrid for starting our eighty-ninth thread of the week! As a small token of our appreciation, please enjoy a monthlong Premium Membership on us. Benefits include ad-free browsing, increased private message count, access to a subscriber-only forum, extra attachment space, a referral/affiliate signature link, the ability to post referrals, and a custom avatar and user title!

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

T-Mobile Investigating Claims of Massive Customer Data Breach

Google One's VPN has gone international

Xiaomi Mi Band 6 review, one month later: Almost perfect

Xiaomi clones the iPad Pro for half the price: $386

Top 10 trending phones of week 32

From The Forums:

Anyone using the Moto E (2020)?

Tracfone byop AT&T sim issues?

Form to Request a New Cell Site

Brand new Samsung - But FRP...

TF Apple iPhone SE 2020 Question

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

DOJ letter tells Dish and T-Mobile to figure out CDMA customer migration, or else

Apple’s controversial new child protection features, explained

The Future of Weaponized App Data

Rogers offers best 5G experience, Telus best mobile network experience overall: report

Quebec to Launch Vaccine Passport App for iPhone, Android on Sept. 1

From The Forums:

Verizon satisfies groups opposed to TracFone deal

Does Mint Mobile share the T-Mobile Extended LTE 71 (600Mhz)?

Freedompop vs Tello

Confused about unlocked Galaxy phones

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

The 5 biggest announcements from Samsung’s August Unpacked event

Where to pre-order the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 in the US

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 Canadian pricing and availability

Samsung's Galaxy Watch4 is official, and it could be the most exciting thing to happen to Wear OS in years

Samsung Galaxy Buds2 bring ANC in a lightweight body

From The Forums:

Comparing Tello vs TracFone

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

Xiaomi announces Mix 4 with under-display camera

Xiaomi's gorgeous Mi Mix 4 proves why it's become the largest smartphone brand in the world

Motorola Edge 20 Fusion's specs revealed ahead of August 17 launch

Watch Samsung’s Unpacked event live here

In an effort to ride on Samsung’s hype train, OnePlus teases a copy of LG’s dual-screen case

From The Forums:

Reasonable upload speed and minimal usable upload speeds

TracFone BYOD T-Mobile wifi calling while overseas

Mobile calling to Germany

DOJ: Dish not adhering to merger terms

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

The FCC shows you where the data's at with new nationwide LTE map

The best phone plans in 2021 (and how to pick one)

Dish says its will launch wireless 5G service in beta at the end of September

Bell Says Unfair 5G Auction Will Make it ‘Very Difficult’ to Lower Wireless Prices

Koodo, Virgin and Fido offering 10GB plans for $50

From The Forums:

Unable to make calls on new Samsung A11

TracFone ATT VoLTE required?

Cdma-less provisioning?

TF Reward Points for Walmart Gift Cards

Can I use a Total Wireless data plan w/ a Tracfone phone & voice plan?

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

It's time for a new thread of the week, our way of recognizing forum members for promoting valuable discussion here.

Every weekday yours truly posts a morning briefing, including the most popular forum threads—that is, the posts with the most replies—for the previous 24 hour period. For reference, here are the briefings for the past seven days:

Your Morning Briefing for Monday, August 2nd, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Tuesday, August 3rd, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Wednesday, August 4th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Thursday, August 5th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Friday, August 6th, 2021

Remember that the Monday briefing includes forum posts from the prior Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so all weekend posts are similarly eligible.

In each briefing, forum posts are ranked by the number of replies (from highest to lowest). That's subject to change, of course, so I did a quick recount of replies for all forum posts in the briefings above. With 98 replies as of this posting the most popular thread started last week is:

TracFone eBay Annual SIMs now $29.99 ($23.99 with coupon)

Congrats to Yeswap for starting our eighty-eighth thread of the week! As a small token of our appreciation, please enjoy a monthlong Premium Membership on us. Benefits include ad-free browsing, increased private message count, access to a subscriber-only forum, extra attachment space, a referral/affiliate signature link, the ability to post referrals, and a custom avatar and user title!

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

Top 10 trending phones of week 31

OnePlus Nord 2 review: The Matrix Reloaded of phones

Pixel 5a rumour points to August 26th release, still not coming to Canada

Quebec to Launch ‘Vaccine Passport’ to Access Restaurants, Gyms and More

Washington, D.C. giving away free AirPods to encourage teens to get their COVID-19 vaccine

From The Forums:

Anyone experiencing very good speeds on 5G ultra capacity outside and also indoors somewhere?

2G/3G/4G Shutdown dates - All carriers

TF unlocking issues with my Moto E6 after 12 mo. service

"Free" 2 day shipping costs $4.95 at checkout now - glitch?

FCC Coverage Maps

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

Apple will scan photos stored on iPhones and iCloud for child abuse imagery

Apple's Plan to "Think Different" About Encryption Opens a Backdoor to Your Private Life

Xiaomi took No. 1 slot in global smartphone sales rankings through June 2021

Competition Bureau seeking info from telecom companies for Rogers-Shaw deal review

Meng Wanzhou: Final arguments in extradition battle

From The Forums:

$50 for 1 year 365 days service no longer available?

The quest for a vanity number in a newly-created area code...

T-Mobile and Metro Snag #1 Spots in J.D. Power Customer Care Study

Opinions on the TF LG CLASSIC Flip (L125DL)

setting up locked Cricket phone without the SIM?

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

Oppo's new under-screen camera takes us one step closer to 'invisible' selfie cameras

Samsung Galaxy S21 series sales show a massive 47% decline from the Galaxy S10

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE arrives to the US on August 5 in Wi-Fi and 5G flavors

Australian Government Now Offering COVID-19 Digital Vaccination Certificates for Apple Wallet

Android’s built-in ‘COVID Card’ vaccination record is now available for Australia

From The Forums:

Cannot connect internet/data suddenly

Wildly inconsistent speeds.

Anyone recently lose 5G?

No VoLTE--Moto E4 Plus--T-Mobile (Red Pocket GSMT)

Is anyone implementing STIR/SHAKEN and how does one tell?

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

T-Mobile confirms it will shut down Sprint’s LTE network next year

Spotify is testing a less restrictive ad-supported tier costing $0.99 a month

WhatsApp is rolling out support for self-destructing photos and videos à la Snapchat

YouTube trials cheaper ‘Premium Lite’ tier without YouTube Music

Elon Musk calls Apple’s App Store fees a ‘de facto global tax on the Internet’

From The Forums:

Nearly unusable speeds?

Secret "Reserve" balance

Which plans allow Call Forwarding to a Canada number?

T-Mobile to shutter Sprint's LTE network on June 30, 2022

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

This is the Pixel 6

Big pricing leak spoils Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event

In Canada, One Mobile Phone Carrier Falls, and One Rises, in 5G Spectrum Auction

Apple Watch Series 7 appears in regulatory filings ahead of expected September release

Hands-on: You can now run Windows 365 on iPad, and Microsoft even has an app for it

From The Forums:

TracFone eBay Annual SIMs now $29.99 ($23.99 with coupon)

Target's TracFone 1GB emailed PIN redeemed as a 60 minute airtime card

Spin the wheel is back

Porting Report

Verizon’s broken phone trade-in is back. Now supposedly even better…

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

It's time for a new thread of the week, our way of recognizing forum members for promoting valuable discussion here.

Every weekday yours truly posts a morning briefing, including the most popular forum threads—that is, the posts with the most replies—for the previous 24 hour period. For reference, here are the briefings for the past seven days:

Your Morning Briefing for Monday, July 26th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Tuesday, July 27th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Wednesday, July 28th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Thursday, July 29th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Friday, July 30th, 2021

Remember that the Monday briefing includes forum posts from the prior Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so all weekend posts are similarly eligible.

In each briefing, forum posts are ranked by the number of replies (from highest to lowest). That's subject to change, of course, so I did a quick recount of replies for all forum posts in the briefings above. With 57 replies as of this posting the most popular thread started last week is:

TF Moto G Stylus 2021 No Data Connection When Charging

Congrats once again to NanaC for starting our eighty-seventh thread of the week! As a small token of our appreciation, please enjoy a monthlong Premium Membership on us. Benefits include ad-free browsing, increased private message count, access to a subscriber-only forum, extra attachment space, a referral/affiliate signature link, the ability to post referrals, and a custom avatar and user title!

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

A Guide to RCS, and Why It Makes Texting So Much Better

Trying iOS made me appreciate these 8 Android features a lot more

Google to block sign-ins for Android 2.3 and lower

Top 10 trending phones of week 30

The Privacy Battle That Apple Isn’t Fighting

From The Forums:

T-Mobile Q2 2021 Results: 1.4 Million Net Adds

Need help switching from Verizon to Tracfone

5G access by plan?

No signal

Side-loaded apps not putting icon on Home Screen

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

Motorola Edge 20, 20 Pro, 20 Lite announced

Nothing ear (1) review

Mi Band X leak suggests Xiaomi is working on a sleek smart band à la Nubia Alpha

Telus Connection Fee Increases to $50, Matching Rogers and Bell

'NO DASHER = NO DELIVERIES:' DoorDash Drivers Strike for Tip Transparency

From The Forums:

New mobile hotspot plans

Please explain hotspots

Account Management Updates for Legacy Accounts

Moto Mod 5G is Dirt Cheap on eBay - Improves 4G LTE Speeds

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

Apple releases new iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 public betas with latest Safari changes and more

Android 12 prepares to kill off native support for Internet-based SIP calling

Samsung Galaxy buyer's guide: The best Samsung phones at every price in 2021

Huawei P50 Pro 4G Full Specifications Revealed Ahead of Tomorrow’s Launch

Amazon’s older Kindles will start to lose their internet access in December

From The Forums:

My Tracfone got wet

T-Mobile's coverage map now displays "Ultra Capacity 5G" (n41)

Verizon Pixel 3 work?

Will this plan work? - Just want to double-check it here

Visible BYOD?

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

OnePlus's recent growth is staggering — and shows just how small it still is

There won't be a OnePlus 9T or OnePlus 9T Pro, rumor has it

IDC: Huawei is no longer a Top 5 smartphone company in China

The POCO X3 GT has a huge battery and flagship-level haptics for $299

Apple wins patent for in-screen Touch ID and Face ID

From The Forums:

Scam Text

T-Mobile now covers 305 million Americans with 5G

Visible party creator quits?

Cricket Moto G Play dimensions, same as Moto G Play?

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------

From The Web:

iPad Mini 6 to Feature 8.3-Inch Display With No Home Button and Narrower Bezels

Android or iPhone? This map shows who's on top where

Google shrinks in US smartphone market ahead of Pixel 6’s ‘reboot’ while OnePlus grows over 400%

Watch the Nothing ear (1) launch event

Telus Named ‘Fastest Mobile Network’ in Canada by Ookla Again

From The Forums:

TF Moto G Stylus 2021 No Data Connection When Charging

Want to get a Galaxy S10 BYOD, have a couple of questions first

Unlocked S21 5G, but still dealing with Verizon boot screen and SIM error.

New Prepaid Compare Tool Features

Wait for ATT sim card vs. using new Tmobile sim card?

---------
Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
---------