HoFo Blog

Last October I wrote about the egregious outright price of the Pixel XL in Canada—over $1,100 CAD for the 128 GB model. Midway through 2017 it seems that $1,000 USD is fast becoming the norm for a stretched display over a flagship phone. And if you happen to live in Australia and are a fan of the Galaxy Note series Samsung is expecting you to pony up $1,500 AUD for the latest version of that device.

It's not just an Android problem, either... Apple is expected to début its 10th anniversary iPhone with a price tag in excess of $1,000 USD and, according to at least one survey, prospective buyers seem fine with that.

I suppose an argument can be made that smartphone OEMs are merely passing on the R&D costs that make this product cycle's record-breaking screen-to-body ratios possible. But consider also that these same phones are in some ways downgrades from what came before. The Galaxy Note 8 has a smaller battery than the Note 7 (presumably so that it won't explode), Andy Rubin's high-priced Essential Phone has no waterproofing and neither it, the iPhone 8 or this year's Pixel series from Google will have a headphone jack.

With these compromises in mind I have to ask: Are we actually getting a reasonable value from this year's near-bezel-less flagships?

Links: 9to5Mac, reddit

---------

From The Web:

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 vs. Galaxy S8 Plus

Is that an iPhone 8 in Tim Cook's pocket?

Why now is the best time to get a wireless deal in Canada

Why does no-one want a new phone these days?

'Data is the new oil': Your personal information is now the world's most valuable commodity

From The Forums:

K-Mobile K2

is Tracfone the only company that lets me keep my data forever, as long as I keep add

Will gUDP be deprioritized?

Wifi calling from an Andriod?

Wierd carrier logo in bad service area

---------

Irony is, the bezels on this image are YUGE!

Nevertheless, we should be grateful for a thoughtful redditor's recent contribution to r/Android, comparing the differences between 2017's "bezel-less" smartphones so far. There are some notable omissions... Xiaomi's Mi Mix kicked off this craze last year but was never intended for the North American market, so that's fine. But the Essential Phone should definitely be here. It's also odd that the as-yet unreleased iPhone 8 is present, but the similarly-leaked Pixel 2 XL is not.

I think that the general idea here was to compare the bezels on specific phones and their forebears, specifically the Galaxy Note 8 vs. Note 7 and iPhone 8 vs. the 7 Plus. It also seems like the author is trying to decide between an LG V30 and G6. And for some reason the OnePlus 3 has been added to the comparison of bottom bezels and phone widths.

To find out what other redditors are saying see the link directly below.

Source: reddit

---------

From The Web:

Exclusive: Android Oreo Will Receive Rootless, System-Wide Theme Support Within 1 Week

@evleaks: Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will debut on October 5th with Snapdragon 836 in tow

Spyware backdoor prompts Google to pull 500 apps with >100m downloads

Apple reportedly planning $999 price for new iPhone

Loyalty of iPhone owners likely to overcome iPhone 8 price resistance – survey

From The Forums:

Galaxy Note 8 on Tmobile

Extremely Poor Coverage in Wyoming (Yellowstone) and Montana

Increase in porting after Verizon unlimited change?

Who's considering switching?

Google voice sms down?

---------

Before you upgrade your Nexus or Pixel to Google's latest and greatest, you might want to read this first...

Android Police is reporting that some users who have done so are reporting that, on Android Oreo, Bluetooth automatically switches off almost immediately after being turned on. Granted, this was also an issue on some devices running Android Nougat; this time, however, Google itself is taking the unprecedented step of soliciting feedback on its Pixel and Nexus forums.

Most of the replies so far concern Android Auto, and include pairing issues, problems displaying music album artwork and audio hiccups while making phone calls. For Bluetooth headphones, headsets and speakers, there are multiple reports of audio cutting out, sometimes as often as every 5-20 seconds.

It's all but certain that there will be no headphone jack on Google's second-generation Pixel phones; these Bluetooth issues should probably be fixed before those devices ship.

Source: Android Police

---------

From The Web:

Opinion: The Galaxy Note8 is the beginning of the end of the Note - at least as we knew it

Users dump AccuWeather iPhone app after learning it sends location data to a third party

'iPhone 8' Said to Come in 64, 256, and 512GB Storage Capacities, All With 3GB of RAM

Carrier sources indicate Apple iPhone 8 event date set for September 12

Another once high-flying Japanese cellphone maker is calling it quits

From The Forums:

How does ATT handle unlimited?

it's 8/23... streaming 1440p YouTube video just fine, gUDP still on 2-year contract

10 GB for 12 Months Promo

Reception or congestion or deprioritization?

Verizon Demo phone ,corp store, stronger signal than identical device

---------

Yesterday just before dinner I attended a TELUS-sponsored event showcasing Andy Rubin's Essential Phone. That Canadian carrier scored exclusive rights to sell the PH-1 in this country, and from their own listing seem to be offering it on payment plans only—$290 CAD down and $95/month or $490 down and $85/month for the duration of a two-year contract.

I always find these carrier events just a little unsavoury, as the money that bankrolls their open bars and extravagant settings comes directly from subscribers' pockets. However, this one was at least a bit more informative than most, with employees from Essential on-hand to talk about various aspects of the phone. There were three manned stations—Camera, Design and Engineering; I visited each and listened to a short presentation, then tracked down an actual phone and took some photos. Which were of course out of focus.

Anyway, here's what I learned about the Essential Phone...

The Feel

There's no questioning it, The PH-1 is a substantial device to hold in your hand, and definitely feels worthy of its $700 USD price tag. I also got to hold some of its individual components separately. The titanium frame is strong but impressively light, but when you add the ceramic back there's definitely some heft.

As for the 360° camera accessory, the magnets that hold it to the phone are strong enough that you won't have to worry about it coming unstuck.

The Cutout

I didn't realize this, but the cutout at the top of the display for the selfie cam also holds the proximity and other sensors that you'd expect along the top of a typical smartphone. That's no small feat, and Essential did a better job with this than LG, Samsung or even what's coming from Apple.

The Chin

Of course I had to ask to design guy about this... Why does the Essential Phone's screen not extend all the way to the bottom edge of the phone? It turns out that, even without a headphone jack, some space was still needed for the LCD display driver and speaker assembly.

The Bootloader

On at least one of the phones I handled the bootloader was unlocked, and I was able to confirm with its owner that the bootloader on all Essential Phones is indeed unlockable. For Android modders that's great news.

When it comes to carrier locks things are less clear. Phones ordered from Essential.com are SIM-unlocked but whether the TELUS version is any different is unknown. It's kind of academic, anyway, as it looks like the only way you'll be able to buy the phone in Canada is on TELUS through one of their payment plans and a two-year commitment.

Expect to hear more about the Essential Phone if and when TELUS give us a loaner for review.

Links: Essential, TELUS

---------

Felt obligated to watch this for my hands-on with the Essential Phone later this afternoon. So you might as well, too.

From The Web:

Android Oreo Source Code Uploaded to AOSP by Google

Verizon throttles video for good with its not-so-unlimited plan

Rogers increases U.S. Roam Like Home service fee to $6 per day

Nokia 8 might not launch in US or China

Xiaomi’s Mi Mix 2 may have even smaller bezels

From The Forums:

Unlimited data plan changes to affect EVERYONE on 8/23

Lady on retention tells me: "Condolences"

Need major advice/help

Moto G4 Plays down to $19 at Walmart

will this work?

---------

Google has so far released two Pixel-branded Chromebooks—the original in 2013 and a refresh in 2015, pictured directly above. According to Android Police, there will be a new Chromebook Pixel announced alongside the new Pixel phones later this year. Perhaps this one will be available for purchase in Canada? Please...?

This third iteration of Google's own high-end notebook may or may not be an evolution of Project Bison, an Andromedia-powered notebook/tablet convertible with the following specs:

12.3 inch screen
8 or 16 GB of RAM
32 or 128 GB of storage
Optional Wacom stylus (sold separately)

The existence of Project Bison was leaked to Android Police last fall; since then a new name has started popping up in the commits on Google's Chromium code review—this device, referred to as Eve, also seems to be a convertible with a Wacom digitizer. It could be the continuation of Project Bison, or something entirely new.

For what it's worth, Bison was thought to retail for $799 USD. That's significantly cheaper than the first two Chromebook Pixels, and more in line with 2015's Pixel C tablet.

Sources: Android Police, Chrome Unboxed

---------

From The Web:

Meet Google’s Latest OS Dessert: Android 8.0 Oreo

Android 8.0 Oreo will be uploaded to AOSP today, updates for Pixels and Nexuses will roll out "soon"

Samsung secures first batch of Snapdragon 845 CPUs for the Galaxy S9

Why we wouldn’t care about the Nokia 8 without the Nokia name

Let’s face reality: US Teens engage with iMessage more than any other social platform

From The Forums:

Issues with BYOP iPhone 4s (balance, IMEI, network)

Bestbuy 2 yr contact iPad mini plan to single device plan

Should any Prepaid ATT phone work with any ATT MVNO?

Found a spot where T-Mobile is spotty

New phone SIM swap

---------

I'm having a hard time believing that this is in any way official artwork for the next version of Android, but I can't fault the source—Evan Blass rarely, if ever, get's this stuff wrong. If he's right, expect Android Oreo to be made official by the end of the day.

It would be the first confectionery co-branding since Android KitKat, almost four years ago. That version of the platform introduced the Android Runtime as a technology preview which would eventually replace the Dalvik Virtual Machine; Oreo's most welcome feature will likely end up being Project Treble, a reworking of the OS as a modular base to enable more efficient OEM customizations and (hopefully) faster software updates for end users.

Google has scheduled a web event to coincide with the solar eclipse rolling across the USA later today. Their livestream will start broadcasting at 2:40pm Eastern Time, so we won't be in the dark about the next version of Android for much longer...

Sources: @android, @evleaks

---------

From The Web:

24 hours with the Essential Phone

ASUS ZenFone AR review: A decent phone, but Tango still fails to impress

Google has an Android O event on August 21st to coincide with the eclipse

Apple Watch Series 3 Enters 'Final Testing Phase' Ahead of Rumored September Launch

Will smartwatches ever become the general-purpose wearables we were told they’d be?

From The Forums:

Transfer Wizard issues......

Iphone Swap Question (Fulfill Unlock Requirement)

Heavily discounted Net10 Airtime on eBay, thoughts?

Flash Sale: $40 6GB, $50 8GB, to Aug 21

data speed

---------

ASUS revealed its 4th generation ZenFone lineup yesterday. There's a lot to cover so let's get right to it...



ZenFone 4
Processor: Snapdragon 630 or 660
RAM: 4 or 6 GB
Storage: 64 GB + microSD (or dual SIM)
Display: 5.5 inch FHD LCD
Front Camera: 8 MP
Rear Cameras: 12 MP OIS + 8 MP wide-angle
Battery: 3,300 mAh
Price: $399 USD




ZenFone 4 Pro
Processor: Snapdragon 835
RAM: 6 GB
Storage: 64 or 128 GB + microSD (or dual SIM)
Display: 5.5 inch FHD AMOLED
Front Camera: 8 MP
Rear Cameras: 16 MP with 2x optical zoom + 12 MP
Battery: 3,600 mAh
Price: $599 USD




ZenFone 4 Selfie
Processor: Snapdragon 430
RAM: 4 GB
Storage: 64 GB + microSD (or dual SIM)
Display: 5.5 inch 720p LCD
Front Cameras: 20 MP + 8 MP wide-angle
Rear Camera: 16 MP
Battery: 3,000 mAh
Price: $279 USD




ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro
Processor: Snapdragon 625
RAM: 3 or 4 GB
Storage: 64 GB + microSD (or dual SIM)
Display: 5.5 inch FHD AMOLED
Front Cameras: 24 MP + 12 MP wide-angle
Rear Camera: 8 MP
Battery: 3,000 mAh
Price: $399 USD

Sources: Liliputing, Mobile Syrup

---------

From The Web:

Essential Phone is available now for pre-order from Essential, Sprint, and Best Buy

Nokia got a lot right with its first Android flagship

Gboard 6.5 beta adds sticker integration w/ Bitmoji & others, keyboard & themes tweaks

Now you can use Google Allo to chat in a web browser

Life and death in Apple’s forbidden city

From The Forums:

Is Verizon really better then AT&T?

Anyone on Red Pocket and unable to get data or text?

Where can I take my phone?

Cricket Wireless $25 phone upgrade fee requirements

Best Tracfone 4.5" screen

---------

This is the gimmick that Nokia is using to pitch their new flagship model 8, which was finally made official late yesterday. From the camera app you can access both the front and rear-facing camera feeds simultaneously in a 50/50 split window, like you see you above. "Bothies" can be photos, recorded video or even live video streamed to Facebook and/or YouTube.

If nothing else, it's an apt demonstration that the camera modules on either side of the phone are identical—though there's an additional monochrome sensor on the back. Die-hard Nokia fans will probably be most interested in the ZEISS logo on the rear camera assembly.

Here are details on the camera and other specs:

Performance
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
Operating system: Android 7.1.1 Nougat
RAM: 4 GB

Storage
Internal memory: 64 GB
MicroSD card slot: Up to 256 GB

Display
Size and type: 5.3” IPS QHD
Resolution: 2560 x 1440
Material: Corning Gorilla Glass 5, 2.5D Glass

Camera and flash
Primary camera: 13 MP (Colour + OIS) + 13 MP (Mono), dual tone flash
Front-facing camera: 13 MP PDAF, display flash

Network
LTE Cat. 9, 3CA, 450Mbps DL/50Mbps UL
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (MIMO)

Connectivity
Connectivity: Type C, USB 3.1 (5Gbps)
BT 5.0, GPS/AGPS+GLONASS+BDS, NFC, ANT+
SIM slot: 1 nano-SIM slot + 1 nano-SIM or 1 MicroSD card slot

Audio
3.5mm headphone jack
3 mics

Battery
3090 mAh

Other
Splashproof (IP54)

Design
Size: 151.5mm x 73.7mm x 7.9mm
Colors: Polished Blue, Tempered Blue, Steel, Polished Copper

The Nokia 8 will be available for purchase on September 6th with a price tag of €599 EUR, or about $700 USD. Here's the bad news: Nokia has no immediate plans to bring their flagship to North America. Could be good news for grey market importers, though...!

Links: Nokia

---------

From The Web:

Everything That’s Inside Your iPhone

Essential PH-1 smartphone ships this week for $699

The Pixel 2 will do things when you squeeze it, FCC filing confirms

Android Wear now belongs to fashion brands, not gadget nerds

Apple, Facebook, Google and other tech giants tell the Supreme Court to protect cellphone data in a key, upcoming case

From The Forums:

First 600 Mhz in world is now live

Unlocked iPhone

Introducing myself to the group

ZTE BLADE ZMAX !! Coming to MetroPCS

iPhone 6S model A1633 vs. A1688..which on Tracfone Verizon?

---------

Hot on the heels of yesterday's story about Snap, Inc.'s Spectacles comes this brand-new streaming camera called Front Row. It's available right now from Amazon.com (and ships to Canada) but will set you back $400 USD.

Instead of putting a camera on your face you wear this device around your neck—with the included lanyard or a necklace of your own—or by clipping it to a piece of clothing. Apparently the idea for the product came from the CEO of Ubiquiti Networks, who was at an NBA game and wanted to livestream his view without holding up his phone.

Fair enough, but why is this thing so big...?



Because on the other side of this Android-powered camera system there's a full touchscreen. And also a selfie cam. The Front Row, it seems, is like an un-ruggedized GoPro made specifically for livestreaming. Interesting idea; not sure if it's worth the high price tag, though.

Notable specs:

Dimensions
Height: 59.8 mm / 2.354"
Width: 70.3 mm / 2.768"
Thickness: 12.1 mm / 0.476"
Weight: 55 g / 1.94 oz

Display
Resolution: 640 x 572 @ 327 ppi
Type: 1.96 inch LTPS Round
Management: Touchscreen UI

Main Camera
Megapixels: (8 MP) / f2.2
FOV: 148° ±3°
Resolution: 1080p (1920 x 1080) - up to 2.7k
Maximum Frame Rate: 30 fps
Optical Image Stabilization: Yes

Reverse Camera
Megapixels: (5 MP) / f2.0
FOV: 85°
Resolution: 1080p (1920 x 1080) - up to 2k
Max. Frame Rate: 30 fps

Battery
Standby: 50 hrs
Recording: 1 hr 50 min - 2 hr
Live Streaming: 1 hr 45 min - 1 hr 55 min
Charging: Fast Charging via USB C

Memory & Storage
RAM: 2 GB
Storage: 32 GB

Connectivity
Bluetooth: 4.1 LE
Wi-Fi: 802.11b/g/n/ac

System Architecture
Front Row OS: Android
Processor: Quad Core

Links: Amazon, Android Police, Front Row, Wareable

---------

From The Web:

Qualcomm Spectra 2nd Generation Announced for 2018 Phone Cameras

Saygus V² smartphone gets FCC approval… if you still care

$550 dock turns a smartphone into a medical lab

Public Mobile wants select customers to join Koodo with $50/5GB promo

The nine wearable tech types you’ve probably met

From The Forums:

Phone plan for my kid

LTE phones on Verizon MVNO's

Can LTE Phones Be Used With Local SIM Cards Out Of the USA?

Quick tower-switching

Red Pocket -trouble connecting to an outgoing number or other Verizon MVNO too?

---------

A story published in yesterday's news round-up is worthy of a little more scrutiny... according to TechCrunch, sales of Snap, Inc.'s camera-equipped Spectacles are falling hard, and fast.

In their first full sales quarter fewer than 64,000 Spectacles were sold. If that doesn't sound like much here's the really bad news: Q2 was even worse, with sales of only 41,500 units—a drop of roughly 35%. Snap recently started selling Spectacles through Amazon.com and Harrod's in the UK, but I don't foresee either of these entities reversing the company's fortunes anytime soon. Amazon, if anything, will just enable easier returns.

One reason for the failure of this product has to be the obvious privacy issue; I just don't think our society is ready for people wearing cameras on their faces. It's reminiscent of my feelings about Google Glass—I was really excited about it's AR potential until I encountered someone wearing it in New York City; with the realization that I was probably being recorded I suddenly wasn't so interested anymore.

There's also the fashion angle, or in the case of Spectacles the lack thereof. Imagine if, like Android Wear, Snap put aside their single, in-house design and instead partnered with established eyewear brands like Ray-Ban or Oakley. This way, Snap users could use the technology with their own sunglass style. As an added bonus, there would be a sales channel for Snap already in place.

Or maybe Spectacles are just a bad idea altogether. What do you think?

Source: TechCrunch

---------