HoFo Blog

From The Web:

The AI takeover of Google Search starts now

The Pixel Fold is Google’s $1,800 entry into folding phones

Google’s Pixel Fold is not coming to Canada at launch

Review: Pixel 7a affordably delivers on every promise of the Pixel series

Google Pixel Tablet is fully official with bundled Charging Speaker Dock

From The Forums:

Newbie question about moving SIM to another phone.

How much service for refer-a-friend points to vest?

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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Pixel 7a
6.1 inch OLED display, 1080 x 2400 pixels, 429 ppi @ 90 Hz
Google Tensor G2 processor
8 GB RAM / 128 GB storage
64 MP wide + 13 MP ultrawide rear cameras
13 MP selfie cam
4,385 mAh battery with wireless charging
Coral (Google Store only), Charcoal, Sea & Snow colourways
$500 USD / $600 CAD
Available now with free Pixel Buds A-series from the Google Store



Pixel Fold
7.6 inch OLED internal display, 2208 x 1840 pixels, 380 ppi @ 120 Hz
5.8 inch OLED external display, 2092 x 1080 pixels. 408 ppi @ 120 Hz
Google Tensor G2 processor
12 GB RAM / 256 or 512 GB storage
48 MP wide + 10.8 MP ultrawide + 10.8 MP 5x optical zoom rear cameras
9.5 MP + 8 MP selfie cams
4,821 mAh battery with wireless charging
Obsidian + Porcelain colourways
$1,800 USD / no availability for Canada (?!!)
Preorder now for delivery in June, with a free Pixel Watch from the Google Store

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

How to watch Google I/O 2023

Pixel Fold fully revealed in star-studded Google x NBA ad

Here’s one more Pixel 7a leak before Google I/O

Apple brings Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro to iPads

National emergency alert system being tested Wednesday in much of Canada

From The Forums:

Can I Use The Verizon SIM Card From My Laptop Computer In A Tablet?

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

Best small phones in 2023

iPhone 14 models are now being assembled in Brazil

Rogers Lowers Price of 5G Plans, Extra Discounts for Shaw Customers

Bell and Telus Revamp Unlimited Data Plans to Match Rogers

Four explanations for how BlackBerry blew it

From The Forums:

Reactivate ATT iPhone 14/14+/14 pro

showing photos on the pc help

How long do text messages stay on the TF server?

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

Google I/O 2023: What to expect

Amazon spills the beans on the Google Pixel Tablet

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE reportedly coming with 50MP camera

Apple Supplier Seemingly Confirms iPhone 15 Pro Solid-State Buttons Cancellation

Top 10 trending phones of week 18

From The Forums:

Which Prepaid Companies (MVNOs) Will Offer Coverage On More Than One Network?

AT&T 25¢/35¢ per minute plan questions

RCS texting

TF agent changed my email address without my permission

International Coverage

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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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, May 1st, 2023
Your Morning Briefing for Tuesday, May 2nd, 2023
Your Morning Briefing for Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023
Your Morning Briefing for Thursday, May 4th, 2023
Your Morning Briefing for Friday, May 5th, 2023

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 16 replies as of this posting the most popular thread started last week is:

Port-in number needed?

Congrats to bamx2 for starting our one hundred and sixty-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!

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

BlackBerry director Matt Johnson on why the iPhone won and why most tech movies suck

Google announces the Pixel Fold

Google Pixel 7a leaks won’t stop: hands-on and teardown videos pop up

T-Mobile encounters second hack for 2023

Aeroplan members will receive free in-flight messaging on Air Canada flights

From The Forums:

T-Mobile Bands

Moving from PagePlus to ???

Trouble activating a new line on an existing TF account today

GV speech to txt sucks since last update

Dish Wireless Network(s)

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

Motorola unveils flagship Edge Plus (2023) in the US with competitive $800 price

Motorola's new 2023 lineup has something for everyone — except foldable fans

Motorola’s new Razr foldable breaks cover with huge display, red color

Motorola ThinkPhone review: Business as usual

Google Pixel 7a launches May 11 (likely with Tensor G2 chip, 90 Hz display and upgraded cameras)

From The Forums:

Google Voice may use mobile data even when on Wi-Fi

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

Xiaomi Mi Band 8 buyer's guide: Specs, features, and competition

Moto Watch 70 and Watch 200 announced

Garmin Watches Can Be Used As Blood Sugar Monitors For People With Diabetes

Apple and Google are working together to limit AirTag stalking

Google’s answer to AirTags has a new name and icon

From The Forums:

We're unable to complete your call.

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

Apple's iPhone drops to second place in declining smartphone market

Samsung loses billions on chips as overall profits decline 95 percent

Samsung now sells Certified Re-Newed Galaxy S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra in the US

Apple Releases Rapid Security Response Updates for iOS 16.4.1 and macOS 13.3.1

Microsoft’s Phone Link app is now available for iOS so you can use iMessage from a PC

From The Forums:

Scratch-To-Lose game is back!

Trouble logging in to Tracfone, and order

Port-in nmmber needed ?

Visible Switching Plans & 2FA Weakness

T-Mobile Revvl 6 Boot loop and com.android.phone error

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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Not today, Bell!

I'm back from 9 days in Tokyo, and can report great success with a pair of Ubigi eSIMs, installed on an unlocked Pixel 4a and 6a.

I set up both phones before we left, and switched the APN info right before we took off from Toronto. When we landed, my girlfriend's 4a connected almost immediately, and my 6a quickly followed after a restart. By the time our plane reached its arrival gate we were both good to go.

One added perk that I didn't realize about eSIMs is that you can use them simultaneously with your home network. Since incoming texts are free even while roaming, I was able to see a message from a family member and respond by email — using the much cheaper data provided by Ubigi.



Some random speed tests conducted during my trip. Service was 4G rather than 5G but speeds were perfectly fine, even for real-time navigation. The few low numbers above were almost all recorded at Narita Airport.



Our 10 GB each turned out to be plenty for 9 days abroad. We did connect our phones to the hotel's WiFi but probably didn't need to.

I chose Ubigi for this trip based on recommendations from reddit. For other destinations you can consult the esimdb and get the best/cheapest data for where you want to go. Another perk of eSIMs is that you can install multiple profiles (depending on your device), even if only one can be active at a time.

My brother's family also visited Japan earlier this year, and paid their provider's "roam like home" rate of $16 CAD per device per day — almost ten times what we paid per device with an eSIM. It was pretty great to not be ripped off by a Canadian carrier for once!

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

Canada's controversal streaming bill just became law

Roaming rates keep rising – can eSIMs ease pressure on wallets?

Top 10 trending phones of week 15

Top 10 trending phones of week 16

Top 10 trending phones of week 17

From The Forums:

TracFone Security and "SIM Swapping" Scam

UTT, 2GB $10 Boost Mobile Plan

Any way to get an NTP without a text?

BNE SIM 40% off coupon code. Decent eSIM data plans that never expire.

Does 60min/90 day card triple--?

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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A quick heads-up that there won't be any morning briefings or threads of the week for yours truly for the rest of this month. My partner and I are taking our first international flight since COVID, to mark our hopefully triumphant return to Japan!

If you're wondering about the generic-looking logo at the top of this post it's for Ubigi, the eSIM we'll both be using for local data. $17 USD for 10 GB for 30 days is considerably cheaper than the $16 CAD per day that Bell would charge each of us to access our home data abroad. Fingers crossed that it actually works...

Whatever the case, it'll be back to business as usual on Monday, May 1st.

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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, April 10th, 2023
Your Morning Briefing for Tuesday, April 11th, 2023
Your Morning Briefing for Wednesday, April 12th, 2023
Your Morning Briefing for Thursday, April 13th, 2023
Your Morning Briefing for Friday, April 14th, 2023

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 29 replies as of this posting the most popular thread started last week is:

Tracfone XR Refurb Unlock Hell

Congrats to drooper for starting our one hundred and sixty-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.
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From The Web:

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra display deep dive: Still not the best Samsung Display OLED on the market

iPhone 15 Pro may not have new solid-state volume buttons after all

Warren Buffett: ‘If someone offered you $10,000 to never buy an iPhone again, you wouldn’t take it’

Verizon’s legacy Unlimited plans are getting more expensive

Garmin Instinct 2X Solar launches with flashlight and multiband GPS

From The Forums:

Unlocked flip phone+1 yr service for 20 bucks! Plus get 50 bucks off any phone!

provider for (non-phone) hotspot device

What is MBBD?

TF-V to TF-Tmo

How to get warranty service for TF phone?

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

Google releases Android 14 Beta 1 for Pixel phones

Google delivers the April patch to Pixel phones after a week-long delay

Pixel 8’s smaller display will allegedly measure 6.16-inches

Pixel Tablet spotted on Canadian Radio Equipment List and FCC

The best Android phone to buy in 2023

From The Forums:

Adding airtime makes you lose service days.

Do agent provided points have any strings attached like AAL points?

Tracfone account and rewards

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

All the rumors about this year’s iPhone 15 lineup

Samsung’s having a terrible financial year

The Fitbit-to-Google account migration will start this summer

Bell Slams TTC for Rogers Subway Contract without Open Bidding

Rogers CEO overtakes Telus chief as the highest paid telecom executive

From The Forums:

How Best to Purchase Phone w/ Rewards and $

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

Motorola Edge 40 Pro review

Motorola’s big-battery budget phone gets 5G and a price hike

iOS 16.4.1, iPadOS 16.4.1, and macOS 13.3.1 Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerabilities

Rogers to Bring 5G to TTC Subway, Acquires BAI Canada

T-Mobile calls on Congress to let it keep building 5G

From The Forums:

Locked phone compensation.

T-Mobile Prepaid unlocks device on 366th day

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

Huawei Business Partners Remove Huawei Logo and Brand From All Their Products

Huawei’s latest watch is a jab at the Apple Watch Ultra

How Pierre Karl Péladeau plans to apply the secret of Videotron's success to Freedom Mobile

SwiftKey adds Bing’s ChatGPT AI on Android – Here’s what it can do

Top 10 trending phones of week 14

From The Forums:

Updating J7 for Cranky Seniors?

Tracfone XR Refurb Unlock Hell

Rainbow Sims

Would a 4g lte device work on infinite, or will 5g phones be required?

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