HoFo Blog

Just got the release. Both AT&T and T-Mobile are allowing their users to roam on each other's networks in areas that have been hit by Hurricane Sandy.

Good job T-Mobile and AT&T!
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HoFo user hkalltheway picked up a Nokia Lumia 920 on Rogers yesterday and noticed it has pentaband HSPA + quadband LTE. Other users are also reporting that the initial batch from Rogers is unlocked. That means you can use it Bell/TELUS/Rogers/Mobilicity/Wind.

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Windows Phone 8 just launched yesterday. Here's what you need to know.

While Microsoft has been previewing Windows Phone 8 for a while now, they announced a few new features yesterday. Besides the resizeable live tiles and camera lenses Windows Phone 8 now allows Live Apps which can display information on the lock screen. The Skype app is now able to run in the background.

Other new features include Data Sense. It helps you use less data by compressing webpages before they're sent to the phone (like Blackberry, Hiptop, etc), helping you find hotspots, showing you how much data each app uses (like Android) and by reducing the amount of data used when you're close to your bandwidth allocation.

Kid's Corner is a really cool looking kid mode for Windows Phone 8. You choose which apps you want your kids to use and then launch Kid's corner. In Kid's corner they'll be able to use any of the apps you approve but won't see any of the ones you don't want them to.

Finally, the People Hub allows you to organize your contacts into rooms. It will allow you to group message them, share calendars, that sort of thing.

While the new changes are welcome - I can't wait to try Kid's corner myself - to me the real story is new Windows Phone hardware which was sorely due for an update.

There was an HTC 8X, Samsung ATIV-S and Nokia 920 to play with. Of the 3 I thought the 8X felt the nicest in my hand. It's solid and is easier to hold. I can't wait to try the Nokia 920's image stabilized camera - should be perfect for taking pictures of my kids.

While the ATIV-S feels like a Galaxy S III it didn't really speak to me (and yes, a GS3 is one of the phones I carry around). I don't know if it's the vulgar metal-looking plastic or what. Then again, maybe it will grow on my after I use it for a while.

The other big story is having the same UI across phone, tablet and computer. If you buy into the new Windows ecosystem you'll get a relatively seamless interface.

I tried the Surface RT and some touch-screen Windows Phones yesterday and it's a pretty cool experience.

Who's excited for Windows Phone 8?

My summary of yesterday's webcast follows: ...

Google just announced the Nexus 10 tablet with a retina stabbing 2560x1600 display. Another way of saying it is that it has a 4 megapixel display - the iPad with retina display has get by with a blurry 2048x1536 display.

It's powered by a dual-core ARM Cortex A-15 processor which has a Mali T604 GPU. Don't let the dual cores fool you. Cortex A15 cores are more advanced than Qualcomm's Krait cores and ARM's own Cortex A9's.

You also get 2GB of RAM, 5MP camera, WiFI that supports 40Mhz wide channels. Other goodies include a micro HDMI port, magnetic power connector, and a huge 9000mAh battery.

It will be available in 16GB and 32GB versions. The 16GB one will be $399USD/$409CAN while the 32GB is $499USD/$509CAN.

On paper it's a pretty insane tablet - the problem is that I'm not sure many people are going to fork out $399 or $409 CAN for an Android tablet. Don't get me wrong, you get a ridiculous amount of hardware for your money. The thing is, Android doesn't quite have the same rep that it does in the phone space. $399 is really pushing it.

You can order it November 14 from Google Play. ...

Today Google announced the Google Nexus 4. It's similar to the LG Optimus G but with an up-to-date version of Android. That means you get a 4.7" 1280x768 IPS display with Gorilla Glass 2 - to say the display on the Optimus G is amazing is a gross understatement. Other specs include a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM, 2100mAh battery, etc. One feature which the Nexus 4 lacks is LTE though it does have penta-band HSPA+ support.

It will ship with Android 4.2 and will be available in 8GB and 16GB models. Neither will have a microSD card slot

The 8GB model will cost $299 while the 16GB is $349 or $309/$359 CAN. Both are unlocked. For the hardware you get, it's a killer deal but the lack of LTE may be a deal killer for both carriers and some customers. The lack of microSD may be a deal-breaker for reviewers.

The lack of LTE is a big disappointment and pretty much ensures no carriers besides T-Mobile will promote it. That said penta-band HSPA+ gives you the most flexibility if you're going to switch carriers (another reason why probably no one will promote it). As far as customers are concerned, it really depends on how congested your carrier's HSPA networks are.

T-Mobile will be selling the 16GB model for $199 on contract. I tried T-Mobile's network in New York recently and I was mildly impressed. In the places I was it was certainly fast enough that I could live without LTE.

The price point is very competitive but I also find it quite interesting. Basically, what the price means is that if an OEM can't make an Android overlay that connects with consumers like Touchwiz or to a lesser extent Sense, then all their super high-end phone is worth is around $349 unlocked. Another way to put it is that all 'Android' phones are only worth $349 max. I'd expect OEM's to put more work in their software overlays going forward.

Personally, I'm not sure if I'll get it. Stock Android is nice but it lacks some features. Then again, it's a killer deal. What about you? Interested?

You can order it Nov 14th from Google Play.
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The Sony Xperia T AKA "The James Bond phone" will be coming to Bell on November 14th. Bell has exclusive marketing rights to say that the Xperia T is the James Bond phone. Since the Xperia T will be exclusive on other carriers, it could be that Bell is the only one who is allowed to use Daniel Craig, I mean James Bond in their Xperia T marketing.

The Xperia T is similar to the Xperia ION I reviewed a while back but the T has a faster Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor whereas the ION's is an older and slower S3. My guess is the S3 wasn't fast enough for 007.

Who's pumped to go see the new Bond film? Will the "James Bond" branding prompt you to throw your GS3's and One X's in the garbage for an Xperia T? ...

Just got an LG Optimus G. Here are my quick thoughts on it.

Both the front and back are covered with Gorilla Glass. Apparently the back is polarized so it has an interesting pattern on it. Some how in my hand the finish makes it feel like plastic - maybe the sides have too much laquer on them or something. Still, it's a very solid phone.

The screen looks amazing. It's 4.7" 1280x720 display with amazing viewing angles. I just got it tonight so I haven't had a chance to use it outdoors in the sun yet.

The speaker on the back isn't very loud.

There are going to be 2 versions for the Canadian market. They differ in terms of LTE support. The Rogers one has 2600Mhz LTE only while the TELUS and Bell ones have AWS LTE (and probably other bands though I'm just speculating here). ...

Since our resident Apple Affectionado Ray finished his write up about Android from the eyes of an Apple user, he got an iPhone 4s. Since he was going from a 4 to a 4s I thought it was a good time for him to compare it with a Samsung Galaxy S III. An iPhone 5 comparo will come at a later date when my nano SIM card adapters show up.

In case you didn't read the first article Ray is a huge Apple fan, Apple stickers, all Apple products, at home, that sort of thing. It's not that Ray doesn't like non-Apple products, it's just that he's always used Apple products and been happy with them. That said, Ray is not a non-Apple hater. Let's see what he thinks about the Galaxy S III

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Today Apple announced 2 new iPads. The iPad with Retina display and the iPad mini. Let’s check out the effect the mini will have on the Tablet market.

Whether you love or hate Apple, you’ve got to admit that they’ve done a great job of managing their brand. In the 3 categories where Apple is strongest; that would be computers, phones and tablets, their devices are seen as premium products and generally command the highest prices. Take tablets for example. Until the announcement of the iPad mini, at $429, the iPad 2 was Apple’s cheapest tablet. Looking around, there aren’t a lot of 10” Android tablets that cost more than $429. Most of the 10” Android tablet action happens around $349.

A year ago, I was having a conversation about Android tablets and said that Apple could destroy the market for Android tablets by lowering the the price of the iPad. In order to compete Android makers have to make tablets with similar hardware yet with lower price points. The problem is that each Android tablets maker can’t sell their tablets in the same numbers of iPads so they can’t get the same economies of scale. ...