HoFo Blog

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.
---------

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!

---------
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 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.

---------
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 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

---------
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 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

---------
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:

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?

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

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

---------
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:

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?

---------
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 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!

---------
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:

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?

---------
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:

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?

---------
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:

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

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