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Canada posts

Palm Pre price keeps sinking on Bell, down to $100

by Darren Murph posted Nov 7th 2009 @ 7:41PM

Just weeks after Palm's Pre sunk to CAD $149.95 on Bell, the outfit's first-ever webOS phone has now stooped to just CAD $99.95. That still requires a 3-year contract, of course, but man -- a single bill for a smartphone like the Pre? Anyone tossing out guesses on how long it takes Sprint to follow suit (and embarrass the Pixi)?

[Thanks, David]

BlackBerry Bold 9700 available now from Rogers

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 5th 2009 @ 10:56PM

AT&T and T-Mobile customers have a little bit to wait yet before they can clamp down on a 9700 of their own, but Rogers -- which has a history of being in the VIP section for new BlackBerry launches -- has already brought the new Bold flavor to market. RIM's latest high-end full QWERTY device will run you CAD $299.99 (about $281) on a three-year contract, scaling all the way up to CAD $599.99 (about $563) commitment-free -- so needless to say, you have to really want this thing. The original Bold's running CAD $99.99 on contract, so depending on what you're looking for (read: you're not a rabid early adopter like we are), that could come out the better deal.

[Via CrackBerry]

Imagine that: Bell offers video calling on the cheap

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 4th 2009 @ 9:44PM

As expected, Bell lit up its shiny new HSPA network today, officially marking a magical transition from CDMA to 3G GSM over a year in the making as it prepares for an LTE upgrade in the coming years, and with it, a few cool phones launched -- most notably the iPhone 3GS and the Samsung Omnia II (you listening, Verizon?). That's not what really caught our eye, though: like Rogers, Bell's now offering video calling, a feature standardized with UMTS and arbitrarily disabled both by T-Mobile and AT&T in the States (though the latter offers the far less useful one-way Video Share service at $4.99 a month for just 25 minutes of usage). Granted, video calling hasn't exactly caught on like wildfire in Europe where it's widely deployed -- but when you consider that they're charging CAD $5 (about $4.70) a month for unlimited use, it seems like a worthwhile add-on even if you only use it for a few minutes now and then. It also makes AT&T Video Share -- and its pricing structure -- look even more ridiculous than it already did, doesn't it?

AT&T launching voicemail-to-text service, new Mobile TV stations, Canada plans next week

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 4th 2009 @ 3:04PM

This coming Sunday marks a straight-up bonanza of new services and tweaks from AT&T -- and while it may not combat a heavily-armed invasion of sentient handsets running Android, it's a nice little win nonetheless. Here's what we've got on tap:

Voicemail to Text: This is a variation on a theme that has launched countless times both on other carriers and in the aftermarket, but AT&T's version is explicitly stated "not to be a replacement for a transcription service" because each message is limited to 60 seconds. Users have the option of routing messages to SMS, email, or both for a charge of $9.99 a month. Unfortunately, moving from basic voicemail to this new service will cause all existing messages to be lost, so be careful when adding this one to your plan.
AT&T Nation with Canada: It's exactly what it sounds like -- AT&T Nation plans with a little extra Great White North thrown in for good measure. No long distance charges on calls to Canada, 1,000 night and weekend minutes that work in both countries plus full rollover and anytime minute compatibility; A-List and early nights / weekends can be added as well.
New Mobile TV channels, coverage, and pricing: Three new channels will be added into the MediaFLO-based Mobile TV mix, though AT&T's being coy about what they are; all we know so far is that there's a comedy station, a "national broadcaster," and a kids' channel. Three new markets are launching between now and December 11, and seven more have launched since September 25. The biggest news here, though, might be that service is dropping from $15 to $9.99 a month, while Mobile TV plus unlimited data goes from $30 down to $24.99. It's still pricey, but it's an improvement.

So, who's signing up for tiny teevee now that it's just a little bit cheaper?

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

Gallery: AT&T launching voicemail transcription service, new Mobile TV stations, Canada plans next week

LG GW620 Eve coming to Rogers, Android deftly avoids AT&T yet again

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 3rd 2009 @ 9:16PM

It looks like Canada's Rogers will be among the first carriers in the world to offer LG's first Android device, the GW620 Eve -- and for North Americans, this is particularly notable since it means there's a version of the device at retail that'll theoretically work on Bell, Telus, and AT&T in addition to Rogers proper. We have no indication that AT&T's about to actually pull the trigger on this thing (or on any Android device for that matter), though, so if you're into the 5 megapixel AF cam, full QWERTY slide, and 7.2Mbps HSDPA capability, we'd recommend putting your unlockin' pants on. For Rogers customers, we're not seeing a release date just yet, but it looks like you'll be paying a downright reasonable CAD $49.99 (about $47) on a three-year deal when it launches.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Bell confirms HSPA launch on November 4

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 2nd 2009 @ 4:01PM

One-half of the worst-kept secret in all of Canada over much of the last year -- the HSPA networks being prepped by Bell and Telus -- is finally launching in just two short days' time. Bell has announced that its shiny new 21Mbps airwaves will be available to the public at large starting November 4, along with a host of devices ready to take full advantage of it; perhaps most impressive, though, is that they'll be covering fully 93 percent of the country's population out of the gate, which should make the new network a viable option immediately for would-be switchers. Your move, Rogers.

[Thanks, Shawny]

Samsung Omnia II coming to Bell this month

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 2nd 2009 @ 12:40PM

Bell and Telus are both making quick work of forgetting their legacy CDMA networks and bringing gobs of sexy, high-profile devices to their new HSPA digs -- presumably in an effort to get folks switched over as quickly as possible and steal Rogers customers posthaste -- and the latest is Samsung's Omnia II, which will be coming to Bell in GSM form (despite the fact that Verizon is bringing a CDMA version to market). Featuring a 3.7-inch WVGA AMOLED display, 5 megapixel cam, WinMo 6.5, and 16GB of storage on board, the phone definitely rests at or near the top of the current WinMo crop -- but the real news here is the fact that the phone has just been selected as the Official Mobile Device of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games, which we suppose means you can use it with pride while bobsledding, lugeing, curling, slaloming, or whatever other arctic sports you enjoy. Pricing hasn't been announced, but the phone will be available this month; let's just hope that Olympic endorsement doesn't drive up the MSRP, eh?

CRTC blocks Canada's WIND from launching over ownership concerns

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 30th 2009 @ 8:15AM

Globalive, which has recently been ramping up to launch a national Canadian phone service under the WIND brand using spectrum won in last year's auction, has been dealt a hell of a blow by the CRTC this week. The organization -- essentially the northern equivalent of the FCC -- has strict rules demanding that Canadian wireless networks be Canadian-owned, and an investigation of WIND's structure has apparently raised enough concern to cause it to call off the service's launch. Egypt's Orascom Telecom (which, strangely, also runs North Korea's Koryolink) owns some 65.1 percent of the operation and apparently "holds the overwhelming majority of the outstanding debt" for which Globalive is responsible, so yeah, we can see how that might not qualify as "Canadian-owned." For its part, Globalive says that it's "extremely disappointed" in the decision and "will be evaluating [its] options on how to proceed," but in all likelihood, that's going to have to mean cashing out a good chunk of Orascom if it's serious about making this happen.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Read - CRTC decision
Read - WIND response

Bell announces HSPA+ Turbo Stick, MiFi for shiny new network

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 27th 2009 @ 12:12PM

What good is a brand new 21Mbps beast of a network without some hardcore data devices ready to take advantage of it? Not much good at all, which is why Canada's Bell Mobility is Johnny-on-the-spot this week with a couple hardware announcements. First up, there'll be an aptly named HSPA+ Turbo Stick, which -- you guessed it -- is a USB stick capable of blazing along at HSPA+ speeds. Next up, lucky customers will be getting the MiFi 2372 from Novatel, the North American 3G version that we'd all love for AT&T to launch at some point. Both devices will be swinging by in November, just in time to christen the brand new towers on a high note.

Telus kicks off HSPA+ network with iPhone November 5th, HTC Hero, LG New Chocolate and more to follow

by Donald Melanson posted Oct 26th 2009 @ 9:10PM

Telus already announced that it'd be launching the iPhone in November, but it's just now gotten official with an actual date: November 5th -- which just so happens to also be the day that it lights up its brand new HSPA+ network. Unfortunately for anyone hoping that a little competition would spark a price war, Telus is matching Rogers' prices across the board, starting at $99.99 for the basic 8GB iPhone 3G, and moving up to $199.99 for the 16GB 3GS, and $299.99 for the 32GB 3GS (all on a three-year contract, of course). What's more, Telus has also taken the opportunity to offer the first official confirmation of some of the other devices that'll take advantage of its new network, including the HTC Hero, the previously rumored LG New Chocolate (a.k.a BL40), the Blackberry Bold 9700, and the Nokia E71 (plus a USB stick, for good measure). No prices or release dates for any of those just yet, unfortunately, but the Hero and New Chocolate are apparently Telus exclusives.

Bell drops Pre by $50, now down to $149.95

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 23rd 2009 @ 9:02AM

Anyone in Canada who took a wait-and-see approach with the Pre can do a little dance of joy now that Bell's finally dropped the phone by CAD $50, which means you're now looking at CAD $149.95 (about $143) on a three-year deal. That's still a far cry from the $99.99 you can pay these days on Sprint, especially considering that you're talking about a two-year contract there, but who knows -- maybe Bell's not bothering to compete too hard on the CDMA arena as it starts putting some serious marketing force behind its HSPA spectrum in the next few months. At least this gives the Pixi some breathing room on pricing if Bell decides to launch it, we suppose.

[Via Palm Infocenter]

BlackBerry Curve 8520 now on Rogers

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 9th 2009 @ 5:57AM

You know what's screwed up? A CAD $99.99 (about $95) BlackBerry Curve 8520 -- you know, the cheap one -- being sold on the same carrier at the same time as CAD $79.99 (about $76) Dreams and Magics. Doesn't that seem a little out of whack? Not to mention the fact that Rogers is looking for three-year contracts all around here, and with all due respect to the 8520, the thought of committing to it for anything even close to the next 36 months sends shivers down our spines. The latest BlackBerry (and the first with a touchpad in place of a trackball) is yet to go live on Rogers' site, but apparently you can go ahead and pick one up this very second if you're so inclined -- just be sure to bring cash and your best contract signin' pen.

Telus joins the fun, gets itself an iPhone this November

by Ross Miller posted Oct 6th 2009 @ 10:41PM

Not that we're surprised, but Bell isn't the only Canadian carrier stealing the iPhone exclusivity limelight from Rogers. Telus is proudly proclaiming on its home page that it, too, will have the iPhone 3GS in November. No word on prices, but we doubt the companies will stray too far from the current trends. Now that the playing field's a bit more even, may the best carrier (or the one with the best advertising, at least) win!

Bell nabs iPhone deal in Canada, ends Rogers' reign of terror

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 6th 2009 @ 8:25AM

It's official, Bell and Apple have agreed to sell the iPhone 3G and 3GS in Canada starting November. The move ends the Rogers exclusive in while christening Bell's new 3G network with Apple's darling. Hmm, first O2 lost it exclusivity then Rogers, we're sensing a trend.

[Thanks, Sean]

iPhone headed to Telus and Bell's fancy new HSPA networks next month?

by Paul Miller posted Oct 5th 2009 @ 10:07PM

Rogers is losing its iPhone exclusivity in Canada next month, if a new report by The Globe and Mail is to be believed. Telus and Bell -- traditionally CDMA-bound -- have been prepping GSM networks of their own in a joint effort, and it sounds like they'll be getting this off on the right foot with the iPhone 3GS as a launch device. Nothing's official just yet, but those in the know expect an announcement tomorrow or Wednesday. Rogers isn't the best-loved carrier in Canada, and a bit of choice never hurt anybody, so this seems like pretty good news all-round for our friendly northern neighbors

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]