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Mobile Miscellany: week of June 17th, 2013

Zachary Lutz
Updated ·4 min read
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If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week, Ting went rogue and all but confirmed the HTC Tiara, Boost Mobile did the obvious and announced a phone that's long been rumored in its pipeline and Wind welcomed a new, compact Samsung handset into the fold. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of June 17th, 2013.

Ting teases HTC Tiara, revamps its payment scheme

It was just a month ago that Ting first announced that it'd bring Windows Phone handsets to its lineup -- subject to their arrival at Sprint -- but now the MVNO has revealed one of the two smartphones as the HTC Tiara. Most importantly, the reveal adds credibility to rumors of the Tiara, which have existed entirely in the form of leaked specifications. According to @evleaks' initial reveal, the HTC Tiara is said to include a 4.3-inch WVGA display, a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon, an 8-megapixel / 1.2-megapixel camera setup and 8GB of internal storage.

Separately, Ting also took the opportunity this week to announce a new approach to its pricing model. While rates remain unchanged, subscribers will no longer need to pay in advance for their estimated usage. Instead, Ting will now charge users at the end of the month, based on their use of voice minutes, messages and data. The new approach effectively eliminates the need for Ting to credit users at the end of every month for unused minutes, messages and data, which was initially one of its key selling points. [Ting 1, 2]

LG Optimus F7 announced for Boost Mobile

Mobile Miscellany week of June 17th, 2013

Chalk up one more in the "correct" column for @evleaks, as the LG Optimus F7 for Boost Mobile is now official. According to the carrier's press release, the smartphone will become available on June 27th for $300. As a quick refresher, the Optimus F7 includes a 4.7-inch IPS display at 720p, a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU, an 8-megapixel / 1.3-megapixel camera setup, 8GB of expandable storage and Android 4.1. Currently, the Optimus F7 is also sold by US Cellular, where customers can find it for $100 on contract. [Boost Mobile]

Samsung Galaxy Ace II E comes to Wind Mobile

Mobile Miscellany week of June 17th, 2013

Following in the footsteps of Eastlink and Videotron, Wind Mobile is now selling the Samsung Galaxy Ace II E. As a slight pain, the phone is sold exclusively through Wind's retail stores and over the phone, and can't be purchased online. Customers can snag the Galaxy Ace II E for $259 outright, or free with a $40 WINDtab plan. The compact handset includes a 3.8-inch WVGA display, a 1GHz dual-core CPU, a 5-megapixel camera, 4GB of expandable storage and Android 4.1.2. You can find the phone in any color you want... so long as it's black. [MobileSyrup]

Other random tidbits

  • According to T-Mobile, WiFi Calling is in the works for BlackBerry 10, which will be to current users via a software update. [CrackBerry]

  • Sony has released an experimental API that allows developers to control the Illumination bar, which is included on a number of Xperia smartphones. [Sony]

  • The Samsung Galaxy S 4 is now available in Red Aurora through AT&T, where it sells for $200 on contract. [Android Central]

  • C Spire has published a new app known as WiFi On, which allows users to discover more than 12 million public hotspots across the globe. [BusinessWire]

  • The Huawei Ascend P6 is now available for £329.95 on pre-order at Carphone Warehouse, which expects to ship the smartphone by July 4th. [Android Central]

  • Canonical has formed the Carrier Advisory Group, which will provide carriers with early access to information from Ubuntu smartphone manufacturers, along with the ability to be a launch partner of said devices. [Canonical]

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[Mobile Miscellany photo credit: Thristian / Flickr]