HoFo Blog

From The Web:

15 Suggested Wear OS Apps for the G-Shock GSW-H1000

Gboard for Wear OS hands-on: Watch typing done right

Leaksters: Huawei will unveil the MatePad 2 and Pro 2, two smartwatches on June 2

US backtracks on Xiaomi blacklisting

The T-Mobile / Sprint merger hasn’t created jobs — it’s ended them

From The Forums:

The FreedomPop Thieves are stealing money from me again ...

500 points or 1000 points for 1GB data?

T-Mobile presses for 12 GHz auction – rather than ‘windfall’ for Dish

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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:

Oppo Find X3 Pro review: the Chinese phone to beat

Popular Apple accessory vendors removed from Amazon following fake reviews scam

Apple AirPods Pro Causing Ear Infections, Allergic Reactions for Some Users

The Source Reportedly Pressured Senior to Buy Bell Products, Services

Big Telecom Used Fake and Dead People to Fight Net Neutrality, NY AG Says

From The Forums:

Update about SIM swapping

Tracfone Motorola Moto G7 Optimo Maxx (XT1955DL) Question

Combining balances from 2 phones in 2 different accounts

Switch to visible

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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 3rd, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Tuesday, May 4th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Wednesday, May 5th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Thursday, May 6th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Friday, May 7th, 2021

Remember that the Monday briefing includes forum posts from the prior 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:

Spin the wheel

Congrats to kc classic for starting our seventy-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:

Top 10 trending phones of week 18

WhatsApp to become increasingly less useful if you don't accept its new terms

Apple brass discussed disclosing 128-million iPhone hack, then decided not to

Samsung phones already protected against modem vulnerability that lets hackers listen to your calls

Verizon and T-Mobile want your business more than ever right now

From The Forums:

Need temporary internet

How to reactivate a device

Purchasing from Best Buy Activate Today and number transfer timing

AT&T branded LG V20 apparently can't be unlocked

How to change to a different Verizon Jetpack

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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:

Qualcomm modem flaw affects 30% of all phones; lets attackers record phone calls

Evidence mounts that 2021 will be the year Google takes on Apple's Bionic processors

Linux Mint’s File Transfer App is Now Available on Android (Unofficially)

Only 4% of iOS users in US are opting in to ad tracking, report says

Kuo: Apple to Launch 8-Inch Foldable iPhone in 2023

From The Forums:

Cheapest phone with usb-c port?

Verizon hits 4.3 Gbps in C-band, mmWave trial

New Phone Activation

Does Cricket support eSIM?

After sale trade-in?

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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 best smartphone you can buy for under $500

Updating an Apple Watch Series 3 is a nightmare in 2021

Buying your first Android wearable? Here's what you need to know

Future Pixel phones may get unlimited Google Photos backups with new “Storage Saver” option

"We Are Devastated": Instacart Is Deactivating Workers and They Don't Know Why

From The Forums:

Spin the wheel

After recharging my Moto e6, battery usage has taken a dive

Perplexing voicemail messages

AT&T Prepaid making a change

Options for large prepaid balance?

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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 Moto G100 smartphone review: Fast 5G mobile phone as PC replacement

Apple exec suggested cutting App Store commission to 20 percent as early as 2011

Australian retailer pulls AirTags off shelves due to potential hazard

Google ‘accidentally’ reveals Pixel Buds A-Series

PSA: Google Photos’ unlimited free storage offer expires this month

From The Forums:

VoNR and ViNR

T-Mobile 1st quarter results

Buying iPhone to use with RedPocket (VZ) sim card - can I buy Verizon or unlocked iPhone?

We are all Star Wars fans?

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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:

It’s once again time to update your iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch as soon as possible

Google's May Android security update for Pixels is ready to go

Samsung removes the Galaxy S8 from its security update schedule

New video reveals major features and design of Harmony OS

Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 6 review

From The Forums:

Very quick review of Tracfone Samsung Galaxy A51

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

Remember that the Monday briefing includes forum posts from the prior 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 35 replies as of this posting the most popular thread started last week is:

Buy New IPhone SE vs Replace Battery Old IPhone SE?

Congrats to pauly02 for starting our seventy-fourth thread of the week! As a small token of our appreciation, please enjoy a month of Gold Membership on us!

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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.
---------

From The Web:

Top 10 trending phones of week 17

Apple's app store goes on trial in threat to 'walled garden'

AirTag Teardown Part One: Yeah, This Tracks

Google Pixel 5a 5G is a real deal, here’s what you should know

35 of the best Android apps released in the last year

From The Forums:

Which of these 3 Tracfone Rewards Phones has the best call quality?

Google maps offline across several states

Can not send/receive pics by text

Will a Tracfone work on Verizon

Now, who has the best plan?

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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:

Dear wireless carriers: the 5G hype needs to stop

EU accuses Apple of App Store antitrust violations after Spotify complaint

Spotify’s paid podcast subscription service one-ups Apple’s offering

Here's every feature your phone will get with Android 12

Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra review

From The Forums:

Transferring downloaded off-line maps to new phone ?

Pictures over MMS resized so small it's useless

Sim swapping question.

Activated with Transfer, Question re Device list Name

Ultra Mobile Experience

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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:

Samsung is being sued over defective camera glass on the Galaxy S20 series

Australia's anti-competitive beef with Google expands to target the Play Store

Apple to Reportedly Face Antitrust Charges From the EU Later This Week

T-Mobile SyncUp Tracker uses LTE so you can find your stuff when it’s out of range (but it’ll cost you)

The new Amazon Fire HD 10 has a brighter screen, more RAM, and more configuration options

From The Forums:

Leaving Cricket

TraccFone rewards. GOOD, BAD, or UGLY??

Verizon is reportedly considering a sale of its media assets, including AOL and Yahoo

eSIM on Tracfone's iPhone SE 2

New iPhone, new or old (also iPhone) SIM

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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:

Fitbit’s Luxe is a fashion-focused fitness band that costs $149.95

Xiaomi has shipped over 1 million Mi Smart Band 6 units worldwide

Honor Band 6 review: a top budget fitness tracker

Montblanc's fitness-centric Wear OS smartwatch arrives in the US for $860

TicWatch 3 Pro just keeps getting better, still probably the only Wear OS watch to buy

From The Forums:

Minutes disappearing with the SIM not even in a phone???

Samsung Galaxy A32 5G on T-Mobile and HelloMobile

Dish wants California regulators to reopen T-Mobile inquiry

YES, drop paid data and backdate for free UNL promo! [Details inside...]

Wi-Fi Calling gets the ax on more than a dozen T-Mobile devices

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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 Galaxy M12, Samsung's newest entry-level smartphone, costs less than $200

Samsung's April update is rolling out to more US models — here's which phones have it so far

Nobody wants anything to do with Google's new tracking mechanism FLoC

iOS 14.5 is out now with new Face ID mask features and Apple’s App Tracking Transparency

Update Your iPhone So You Can Tell Apps to Stop Tracking You

From The Forums:

Ported out number - can't reactivate account

Verizon Stagnant is So. Orange County Cal

P+ Customer Service Almost OK

Any timelines on 5G Roaming in Canada?

$15 Connect- iMessage whitelisted

---------
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 19th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Tuesday, April 20th, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Wednesday, April 21st, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Thursday, April 22nd, 2021
Your Morning Briefing for Friday, April 23rd, 2021

Remember that the Monday briefing includes forum posts from the prior 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 35 replies as of this posting the most popular thread started last week is:

What are the chances of getting a TF unlocked if it's on a bundle plan?

Congrats again to WheelieBoot for their second and our seventy-third thread of the week! As a small token of our appreciation, please enjoy another month of Gold Membership on us!

---------
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 16

Motorola Moto G20 official with 90Hz display and 5,000mAh battery

Poco X3 Pro review: With great power comes...an affordable price tag

Google Fi is adding a less expensive unlimited plan

Not Just User Generated Content: Liberal Government Also Want the CRTC to Regulate Apps Under Bill C-10

From The Forums:

GV activation

Buy New IPhone SE vs Replace Battery Old IPhone SE?

Only 5g Sim Cards Available By Mail

Is VoLTE now required, and source for a flip phone.

Ebay Redpocket Verizon Plans

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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:

Here is the purple iPhone 12, which is purple

Apple and Spotify could spell the end of everything we love about podcasts

You Can’t Hide Whether You Are Online on WhatsApp—And That’s a Problem

Why the Liberals Have Become the Most Anti-Internet Government in Canadian History

From The Forums:

AT&T Reports First-Quarter Results

Verizon loses 178,000 subscribers. Thanks T-mobile

iPhone 12 & Wi-Fii Calling

Att IOS updated app

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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:

Redmi Note 10 review, one month later: Good luck finding better at this price

Moto has even more G series phones

Apple’s AirTags will work with Android... sort of

Apple Ramping Up M1 Production as New 12.9-inch iPad Pro Expected to Reach Five Million Shipments in 2021

The iPad Pro runs a Mac chip and has the same RAM as the iMac. So let it run macOS.

From The Forums:

Hotspots

Swap sims between phones.

All text messages disappeared

Unlimited plan

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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 introduces Purple color for the iPhone 12 and 12 mini

2021 iPad Pro Pricing from $999 in Canada, Maxes Out at $2,979

Are there Android tablets worth buying instead of an iPad?

Discord ends $10 billion plus sale talks with Microsoft

Rogers offers customers compensation after outage, credit to be applied to next bill

From The Forums:

Tracfone purchase. Is there a breakup fee?

Google Assistant, how to disable it?

Galaxy S10e not displaying wireless charging information on charging pad

How or where do I get this keypad?

Visible, Motorola G Stylus & call blocking.

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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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