HoFo Blog

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?

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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, July 19th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Tuesday, July 20th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Wednesday, July 21st, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Thursday, July 22nd, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Friday, July 23rd, 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 42 replies as of this posting the most popular thread started last week is:

Never used Verizon before and need help

Congrats to Lisme for starting our eighty-sixth 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:

Top 10 trending phones of week 29

Camera test: 2013 contender challenges the reigning champion

Ex-Googler explains why Chrome abandoned a redesign similar to iOS 15 Safari years ago

An Explosive Spyware Report Shows the Limits of iOS Security

The Inevitable Weaponization of App Data Is Here

From The Forums:

My experience getting porting out instructions

Verizon bent on TracFone buy even as Prepaid Brand Loses Subs

Unanswered calls go to my carrier voicemail rather than GV voicemail

Is there a way to avoid taxes on annual plan?

Rootmetrics Results for 1H2021 Are In. Verizon is 1st, AT&T is 2nd, T-Mobile is a very distant 3rd.

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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:

The OnePlus Nord 2 looks like an even better value than the original — assuming you can even buy one

OnePlus Nord 2 5G review

The Huawei P50 series will be available globally, company confirms

​Whoop co-founder: 'Wearables have been plagued with snake oil'

The Pebble’s hardware buttons couldn’t save smartwatches from touchscreens

From The Forums:

Verizon C-Band Sites All Equipped with 64T64R Massive MIMO

Black Wireless tethering

Installing youtube on an old Samsung 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:

OnePlus Nord 2: what to expect

Google Maps now lets you avoid crowded mass transit in 100 countries

Predictably, T-Mobile’s merger promises weren’t enough to make a carrier out of Dish

Nothing's transparent Ear (1) ‘leaks’ out

Today in Apple history: Apple unseats Nokia as top smartphone vendor

From The Forums:

Moto e6

Verizon Q2 results

When to worry about delay porting over a number?

Secret $20/month Tablet UDP with 10 GB Hotspot

Five U.S. senators want to ensure Verizon TracFone deal does not raise prices

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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 Three Major U.S. Carriers and Google Adopt Rich Communication Services, But No Sign of Apple Interest

Google gently pushes Apple to adopt RCS by pointing out the poor security of SMS fallback

Report Finds Big Telecom Spends $230,000 on Lobbying Every Day

The Dish ‘fix’ for the T-Mobile-Sprint merger seems more shortsighted than ever

The MAGA-targeted “Freedom Phone” has a breathtaking amount of red flags

From The Forums:

Cheapest AT&T based plan available right now?

iPhone 12 question

Dish Networks Investment Scam

Warning: Redpocket Activation Codes now expire after 90 days

What Is The Best Way To Contact AT&T Prepaid Customer Support?

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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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I feel like this is more of a PSA than actual news. Nevertheless... Bell's Virgin Mobile has officially re-branded to Virgin Plus. Why? Well, it makes sense to ditch the 'Mobile', as the sub-brand now offers broadband internet and — I didn't actually know this — TV services in Ontario and Québec. As for the rest of Canada:

There really isn't anything more to this, but for the words of others on the exact same subject see immediately below:

Source: CNW Release via iPhone in Canada, Mobile Syrup

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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:

What is Pegasus spyware and how does it hack phones?

Despite the hype, iPhone security no match for NSO spyware

This tool tells you if NSO’s Pegasus spyware targeted your phone

WhatsApp begins testing end-to-end encryption for cloud backups

Dish cuts a 10-year, $5 billion deal to make AT&T the primary service provider for its MVNO

From The Forums:

Dish and AT&T partnership

DISH and AT&T Sign Strategic Network Services Agreement

Is visible phone same as bestbuy?

If stop paying can you still port out?

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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, July 12th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Tuesday, July 13th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Wednesday, July 14th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Thursday, July 15th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Friday, July 16th, 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 37 replies as of this posting the most popular thread started last week is:

scratch to win, not

Congrats to kc classic for starting our eighty-fifth 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:

Gurman: iPhone 13 could feature an Apple Watch-like always-on mode

'iPhone SE 3' With A14 Bionic Chip and 5G Expected in First Half of 2022

Top 10 trending phones of week 28

Counterfeit wireless earbuds are being seized in record numbers at US border

Pocket Casts has a new owner... again

From The Forums:

Never used Verizon before and need help

Red Pocket add extra voice minutes

Question about Tracfone Sim Activation Kit

AT&T in New Mexico

What Are The Biggest Differences Between Prepaid And Postpaid AT&T Service?

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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:

Canalys: Xiaomi was the world's 2nd biggest smartphone maker in Q2 2021, neck and neck with Samsung

Pine64's Open Source Smartwatch Goes on Sale for $27

There's only one carrier in the US with 5G you'll actually appreciate

Rogers, Bell, Telus, SaskTel Launch 'Low-Cost' Plans as Ordered by CRTC

Mobile data in Canada is so expensive we can't in good conscience ask you to read this article on your phone

From The Forums:

ATT in car experience

AT&T Expanding mmWave 5G+ to 12 Airports & 40 Cities by end of year

Tracfone to provide Nationwide 5G?

Tello?

Can MVNO Still be used on “locked” account?

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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:

Android 12 Beta 3 lands today with the scrolling screenshots we've been waiting years for

Pixel phones can automatically stop charging at 80% to improve battery longevity

iOS zero-day let SolarWinds hackers compromise fully updated iPhones

Oops! Samsung Galaxy Watch4 and Watch4 Classic listed prematurely by Amazon Canada

Everyone In Canada Needs to Change Their Wireless Carrier

From The Forums:

Is T-Mobile Coverage getting Worse or better than when John Legere was there?

Verizon wins Rootmetrics, AT&T super close, T-Mobile still sucks.

Moto g power came with standard charging cord

Best experience from the carrier with the worst coverage! WTF

Closeout deals on lg phones

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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:

iPhone 13 rumors grow more certain ahead of September launch

Apple quietly launches new MagSafe Battery Pack for iPhone 12 series

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE details confirmed: new 32MP main camera, microSD slot

Samsung Galaxy S20 screens are suddenly starting to die left and right

Who wants to buy a $2,000 Super Mario-themed Wear OS watch?

From The Forums:

Net10 hotspot refills - any advice?

Roaming speeds on unlimited plans?

ATT playing games with grandfathered DTV unlimited accounts

CDMA network on 3G for week and slow

Note 10 Plus 5G?

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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 Mobile Data Prices vs the World in One Chart

Vancouver judge’s decision over Huawei finance chief may deepen US-China row

OnePlus phones used to be my go-to recommendation — not anymore

Apple AirPod batteries are almost impossible to replace, showing the need for right-to-repair reform

Uber and Lyft Can’t Find Drivers Because Gig Work Sucks

From The Forums:

What happened to pocket sized smartphones?

AT&T Unlimited Elite Customers stay in the Fast Lane with Unlimited High Speed Data, 5G In

at&t Unlimited Elite to Match Magenta Max

how to disable 5G on samsung 5g a71 uw

Mint Free for Six Months (new subs only)

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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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According to prodigious leaker Evan Blass, these are the official product renders for every major hardware announcement next month by Samsung:



Galaxy Z Fold3



Galaxy Z Flip3



Galaxy S21 Fan Edition 5G (to be officially unveiled later in the year...)

Follow any of the links below and you'll also see renders for the Galaxy Buds2, Galaxy Watch4 and Galaxy Watch4 Classic.

Sources: @evleaks via 9to5Google, GSM Arena

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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, July 5th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Tuesday, July 6th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Wednesday, July 7th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Thursday, July 8th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Friday, July 9th, 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 33 replies as of this posting the most popular thread started last week is:

Mobile Hotspot / Tethering

Congrats to FT_VZW for starting our eighty-fourth 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 27

Huawei Watch 3 Pro: The first smartwatch with Harmony OS in review

Redesigned iPad mini reportedly on track to launch this fall

Comment: It’s 2021, and Apple Podcasts still can’t stay in sync across devices

White House Executive Order Poised to Restore Net Neutrality

From The Forums:

scratch to win, not

What Are My Choices For Verizon MVNO Data Only Hotspot Plans?

PagePlus SIM not working on most of my phones....

Does this look like Verizon?

S8 Active Service issues

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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:

EXCLUSIVE: Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro – Full Final Specifications

Pixel 5a makes a stop at the FCC before heading to your pocket

We Got the Phone the FBI Secretly Sold to Criminals

All members of the iPhone 14 family to sport 120Hz LTPO OLED panels

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak stands up for right-to-repair, argues company built on open source

From The Forums:

Help me upgrade and KEEP my udp!

New small cell setup

Emergency broadband benefit

What is up with this upload speed?

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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 and Google crowd out the competition with default apps

9 cool features you can find in Google apps on iOS, but not Android

36 states, D.C. sue Google for alleged antitrust violations in its Android app store

Google counters that Play Store antitrust suit is ‘about boosting a handful of major app developers’

The OnePlus 9 seems to be throttling its performance in many popular apps

From The Forums:

AT&T MVNO with actual working MMS over WiFi Calling?

Is porting AFTER activation possible?

TMOBILE Promotions Without Bill Credit?

Is it a bad idea to buy a Galaxy S9?

Unlocked Phones on T-Mobile

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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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