Telus Mobility -- Engadget Mobile

LG Masterpiece now available on Telus

by Chris Ziegler posted Aug 7th 2009 @ 11:01AM

Look familiar? Sure enough, LG's Masterpiece for Telus up in Canada is really nothing more than a rebrand of the Glance for Verizon. It's not a terribly high-end phone by any stretch -- think 1.3 megapixel camera and a striking lack of 3G data -- but seeing how LG candybars are relatively rare in North America, we feel like there's still an aura of importance to this phone that we can't seem to shake. Of course, it doesn't hurt that it's under 11mm thick and is pretty easy on the eyes; give us a new version with EV-DO and a 3.2 megapixel cam and we might even be in for the ride ourselves. As-is, we'd like to see it free on contract -- but alas, you'll be grabbing it for CAD $49.99 (about $46) on a three-year plan.

[Via MobileSyrup]

Telus' CDMA-to-HSPA customer migration system caught doing its thing

by Chris Ziegler posted Jul 28th 2009 @ 8:11AM

What's that, dear Telus subscriber? That, friend, is the look of inevitability. The look of a relentless march in the direction of GSMA-loved, 3GPP-approved standards. The look of what Telus employees across Canada will be seeing over the coming months as they port customers to HSPA hardware. We still don't know exactly when the carrier is flipping the switch on its shiny new network, but subsidiary Koodo is already showing SIMs on its site, so it can't be long now. So, does CAD $25 sound reasonable for the pleasure of making the switch?

[Via MobileSyrup]

Koodo leading Telus' charge into HSPA territory?

by Chris Ziegler posted Jul 27th 2009 @ 4:12AM

It's no secret that Telus is kicking off a transition from CDMA to UMTS / HSPA starting later this year, but who would've thought its Koodo Mobile value-oriented brand would be on the front lines? Howard Chui notes that Koodo's phone activation page now shows a SIM card on its diagram of where to find your ESN (or IMEI, in this case) -- a pretty strong indication that GSM-enabled Koodo phones are just around the corner. Of course, that leaves open the question of what hardware will be involved, but something tells us Koodo won't be getting that killer LG BL40 its corporate parent has long been rumored to have in the pipe.

[Via Howard Chui]

Best Buy Canada now selling Telus' HTC Snap for way cheap

by Chris Ziegler posted Jul 22nd 2009 @ 3:44PM

If you're willing to peddle off three years of the prime of your life... well then, Canadians, Best Buy has an offer you simply can't refuse. Telus has yet to release its version of the HTC Snap on its own accord, but that's not stopping the big box retailer from doing its thing -- and at CAD $29.99 (about $27) on a three-year contract, we'd venture to say that's quite a steal for a WinMo smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard and global roaming capability. Anyone lining up at the registers right now for this one?

[Via MobileSyrup]

Telus cuts employees, boosts spending on 3G network

by Chris Ziegler posted May 11th 2009 @ 5:17PM

In what has become an all-too-common theme across the telecom and wireless industries -- and just about every industry, for that matter -- Telus cut 1,160 employees from its payroll in the first quarter, a move that it says cost it roughly $28 million in restructuring fees. If it's any consolation, though, the reduction's being offset by capital investment in excess of CAD $2 billion this year to ramp up its 3G infrastructure buildout that'll ultimately see Rogers-fighting HSPA spectrum go live as an interim step on the way to LTE. With $700 million getting spent in Alberta, $500 million in British Columbia, and $300 million in Ontario, that work will undoubtedly create some jobs, so there's your silver lining right there.

[Via MobileSyrup]

Telus picks up the Treo Pro, Bell says "so?"

by Chris Ziegler posted Apr 11th 2009 @ 3:42PM

If you've got $150 worth of Canadian loonies and three years' worth of your life to spare, you're in a perfect position to pick up a brand spanking new Treo Pro from Telus, which launched this week hot on the heels of its sworn rival Bell. Of course, these guys have a similar challenge to Sprint right now -- it's hard to get people amped about any Palm product other than the Pre -- but seeing how Telus hasn't made any announcements about Pre availability, this could be the only Palm action subscribers are getting for a while for all we know. Could be worse, right?

Motorola's rough and rugged V750 now available on Telus

by Darren Murph posted Dec 12th 2008 @ 8:32PM

It won't fill the void left in your heart from not being able to acquire a BlackBerry Storm, but it will withstand the beating you probably feel like dishing out. Motorola's surprisingly stout V750 has made its way across the border and onto Telus Mobility, bringing with it EV-DO Rev. A support, a 2.2-inch 320 x 240 internal display, 3.8-hours of talk time (83-hours in standby) and military-grade resistance to things like drops, water and extreme temperatures. If you're headed up to Yellowknife (or even crazier, Tuktoyaktuk), one of these could certainly come in handy. It's available now for between $199.99 and $399.99 depending on contract length.

[Via mobilesyrup]

Telus tantalizes with LG Chocolate GiG music phone

by Darren Murph posted Nov 9th 2008 @ 4:11PM

Americans may know the pictured handset by another name (psst... it's Chocolate 3, you knew that!), but Telus Mobility customers will soon be referring to it as the LG Chocolate GiG. Available now on the Canadian carrier, said flip phone offers up 1GB of internal storage, an incredibly convenient 3.5-millimeter headphone jack, a spinning scroll wheel, 2-megapixel camera, 2.2-inch QVGA main display and stereo Bluetooth support. You'll also get access to Telus mobile radio (XM) as well as Telus mobile music, both of which should keep you adequately stocked with artfully imposed sine waves. It's available now for the taking at $99.99 (3-year contract), $199.99 (2-year deal), $249.99 (1-year agreement) or $299.99 without any obligations.

[Via mobilesyrup]

Telus Touch Pro breaks cover again courtesy of Future Shop

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 13th 2008 @ 9:47AM

Best Buy already did the honors a few weeks ago, but it seems like the release of Telus' Touch Pro is imminent now that Future Shop is... oh, you know, actually listing it in its mailings with a price and all. Excited Windows Mobile fans (and converts -- if such creatures exist) can apparently look to pay $239.99 CAD (about $206) on a three-year agreement, and you get a $50 gift card to boot. We're hearing that these are still difficult -- if not impossible -- to actually come by in Future Shop locations, but they've got to be shipping any minute now.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Telus and Bell in bidding war over BlackBerry Storm?

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 29th 2008 @ 4:36PM

The Storm's a lock for Verizon stateside, but we're hearing the battle for the jewel in RIM's crown is far from over north of the border -- which would actually make a whole lot of sense, considering that we haven't yet heard anything definitive from any of the carriers up there. Telus is said to have tried to lock up the deal out of the gate, but Bell jumped in, upped the ante, and currently has the high bid for an exclusive Storm launch. Our tipster says "this won't be over any time soon," so we've got to ask: any Bell or Telus subscribers out there want to kick in some cash to get it on your network?

[Thanks, kjb_ninja]

Telus and HTC bump S720 to Windows Mobile 6.1

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 17th 2008 @ 4:54PM

With Windows Mobile 7 on the horizon (presumably... no, hopefully), it's easy to lose sight of the fact that 6.1 updates are still going strong. Take for example Telus' S720, the CDMA version of the Vox -- a Standard handset with a penchant for high-efficiency texting. It's a bit of a dark horse in a world dominated by high-gloss badasses like the Touch Diamond, but it's still a totally serviceable device that's worthy of an update from time to time. What's more, this particular patch offers EV-DO Rev. A support and an improvement in "overall device functionality and stability," so it seems like a no-brainer for owners. Until they have a crack at something like the S740 on a GSM carrier, anyway.

[Thanks, Colin]

Telus launches LG KEYBO

by Chris Ziegler posted Aug 6th 2008 @ 6:42PM

We were secretly (or not so secretly) hoping there'd been some crossed signals in the rumors that Telus would be launching a version of the enV2 called the "KEYBO," but no, it's all very true. The ~~Tae Bo~~ ~~Thibault~~ KEYBO checks in at $49.99 CAD (about $48) on a three-year contract, offering EV-DO, GPS, a 2 megapixel camera, and of course the series' claim to fame, a flip top that reveals a second display with a dedicated QWERTY keyboard for extreme texting action. Enjoy trying to say "KEYBO" without giggling, Canadians. We dare you.

[Via MobileSyrup]

Telus announces HTC Touch Diamond for a summer release

by Chris Ziegler posted Jul 3rd 2008 @ 3:00PM

Though the Sprint version is the most well-scooped CDMA variant thus far, Telus is actually becoming the first carrier 'round these parts to announce the Touch Diamond imbued with a little EV-DO for your data-consumption pleasure. The phone will run $149.99 CAD (which is just about a wash in US dollars) on a three-year contract, accompanied by data plans ranging from $15 for email and instant messaging to $30 for email, IM, and web browsing. Sprint, Verizon, we anxiously await your press releases.

Telus picks up the LG Venus

by Chris Ziegler posted Apr 17th 2008 @ 12:21AM

Strong work, Telus! First you guys are pretty much on the ball with your release of the BlackBerry 8330 Curve and the Motorola Q9c, and now you've become the first Canadian carrier to offer the LG Venus -- and you're clearly reveling in it, too, since you point out on your product page that this is actually LG's first touchscreen phone in all of Canada. $99.99 CAD (about $100) of your customer's hard-earned savings is going to net them a 2 megapixel camera, QVGA primary display, microSD slot, GPS, EV-DO, and stereo Bluetooth, so we'd say you've done good -- for the moment, anyway. Keep up the strong work.

[Thanks, Jesse]

Canada's Koodo Mobile lights up

by Chris Ziegler posted Mar 18th 2008 @ 6:58PM

As expected, Telus has rolled out its young, fresh, "fat-free" (their words, not ours) Koodo Mobile brand this week, targeting Canadians looking for a no-frills way to get wireless on the cheap. In light of all the unlimited action we've seen stateside as of late, we're not necessarily blown away by the offerings -- but $65 CAD for 1000 minutes plus unlimited incoming calls, 50 text messages, and per-second billing is alright... we guess. The phone selection is positively barebones, too, reflecting the mantra of the company itself; buyers can choose from a Samsung U410 for $75, a Motorola KRZR for $200, and a W385 -- also from Moto -- for $125. Any Canadians want to chime in here? Is this a blessing, or a Telus-backed fleece?

[Via Howard Chui]