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Canadian Bell and Virgin Mobile will unlock iPhones for $75
According to documents obtained by Mobile Syrup, Bell and Virgin are now unlocking all versions of the iPhone for eligible customers. The policy allegedly went into effect on November 26 and requires you to pay US$75 to the carrier for the unlock. According to Mobile Syrup, customers must also own the iPhone outright, must not be on contract and must be a post-paid customer on Virgin Mobile or Bell Mobility. The unlock procedure requires you to call Bell's Credit & Prevention department or Virgin Care. If you are a Virgin Mobile or Bell customer and can't unlock now, then you might want to wait for a few months as the leaked document suggests these eligibility guidelines will be expanded in 2013.
Bell gearing up for November 15th HTC 8X release
Windows Phone fans in the Great White North shouldn't have to wait long to get their hands on HTC's latest piece of kit -- a internal Bell document obtained by MobileSyrup pegs the 8X for a November 15th launch. The reported Canadian launch date trails T-Mobile's availability by a mere day, noting that pre-ordered devices could ship out as early as November 9th. Not too surprising, considering the phone just skipped through the FCC with support for the entire north American continent. No word on pricing, but the page's listed specs nicely match the brightly colored 4.3-inch, 1.5GHz dual-core slab we reviewed. Not a Bell customer? Don't worry -- MobileSyrup is hearing murmurs that the same date applies to Rogers, as well.
Mobile Miscellany: week of October 22nd, 2012
If you didn't get enough in mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This past week, T-Mobile announced the price and release date for the Optimus L9, carriers were announced in Canada for the ATIV S Windows Phone and ZTE released a low-priced Android smartphone for Virgin Mobile in the UK. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of October 22nd, 2012.
Mobile Miscellany: week of October 15th, 2012
If you didn't get enough in mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This past week, we received further evidence of an imminent replacement for the Galaxy Nexus and the Optimus 4X HD found a new home in Canada. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of October 15th, 2012.
Bell may get Samsung Galaxy Rugby LTE on November 1st, give Canadians rough and tumble 4G
Americans won't get to keep the Galaxy Rugby Pro all to themselves. As long as internal documents gleaned by MobileSyrup prove true, Bell should be carrying Samsung's ruggedized 4G phone as the Galaxy Rugby LTE on November 1st. Other than the name change, it's likely to be a match for the AT&T version down to the very wide frequency support we saw at the FCC, when it appeared as the SGH-i547. You're looking at a modest 4-inch screen, 768MB of RAM and 5-megapixel rear camera, but also a quick 1.5GHz dual-core processor, Android 4.0 and that dust- and waterproof body. Pricing is an unknown, although the partly toned-down features imply that the Galaxy Rugby LTE will skew well below the $160 contract price for a Galaxy S III on Bell's network.
Mobile Miscellany: week of October 8th, 2012
If you didn't get enough in mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This past week, Samsung confirmed its Canadian release date for the Galaxy Note II, Alcatel took the wraps off of its first Windows Phone and it was revealed that T-Mobile will no longer openly market the iPhone in conjunction with its BYOD value plans. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of October 8th, 2012.
Likely HTC Windows Phone 8X with AT&T-friendly LTE surfaces at the FCC, just in time
Isn't that convenient. With only weeks left to go before the official Windows Phone 8 launch event, what's likely a version of the HTC Windows Phone 8X with North American LTE support has stopped by the FCC for approval. The PM23300 variant we see here (the international 8X is the PM23200) supports both the needed 700MHz LTE band for its eventual appearance at AT&T as well as AWS for wider AT&T coverage and the big three Canadian carriers. All are good signs that HTC is just about ready, although T-Mobile and Verizon subscribers might not want to get overly excited just yet -- there's no AWS 3G, CDMA or Verizon-ready 700MHz LTE to be found on this 8X, which shows that any US launch will still demand multiple editions. The others won't be far behind in the FCC race with that November release window already locked in.
Huawei Ascend P1 LTE takes a tour through the FCC with AT&T-capable 4G and beyond
Huawei hinted last week that the Ascend P1 LTE would travel beyond British shores; it just didn't say where. Based on a new FCC filing, North America is sounding like a good (if very broad) destination. The regulator has cleared a version of the Android 4.0 hardware packing AT&T-friendly 700MHz LTE frequencies as well as AWS support that could suit it to Canadian LTE providers and future T-Mobile deployments. We've likewise noticed AWS-based 3G join the usual 850MHz and 1,900MHz approvals for North American HSPA providers. With such broad coverage, it's difficult to narrow down just the exact carriers that could embrace the Ascend P1 LTE if it launches on this side of the Atlantic. Whatever the choices, it's clear that Huawei is hedging its bets.
Mobile Miscellany: week of September 3rd, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, AT&T revealed grand plans for LTE expansion that'll continue through the end of the year and the Galaxy Reverb for Virgin Mobile officially went up for preorder. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of September 3rd, 2012.
Ice Cream Sandwich update won't be coming to HTC's Incredible S, says Bell Mobility
Even though Jelly Bean's the latest mobile OS to come out of Mountain View, there are still OEMs and carriers working on delivering the not-so-fresh Ice Cream Sandwich update to some of their earlier handsets. Now, unlike what we'd previously heard, it appears HTC's Incredible S won't be on the receiving end of said 4.0.x refresh, with Bell Mobility taking to Twitter to reveal that the Taiwanese outfit "will not be updating the Incredible S with ICS." Still, things could potentially take a turn for the best, as the Canadian carrier told a cheerless S owner, "If that changes, I'll let you know." As for us, well, we'll have to hold off on making any changes to our current Ice Cream Sandwich list.
Refresh Roundup: week of August 20th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Refresh Roundup: week of August 13th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Editorial: Carriers, let customers choose their own phones
Remember what the experience of shopping for a gadget was like at big-box stores years ago? Whatever your actual needs were, the store clerks would invariably steer you towards whatever they were getting a commission to sell, or whatever scratched their personal itch. Why would you even go to a store if you knew you would never get an honest answer? The problem was bad enough for Apple in the 1990s, when Macs were often relegated to a dark corner alongside the Ethernet cables, that the company started up its own retail chain. It didn't get better for most of us until outlets like Best Buy backed off and sometimes made it a point to advertise commission-free staff. Today, while it's tough to completely escape personal bias and the occasional exception to the rule, it's more likely than not that a modern general electronics store will give you a decent shot at buying what you really want. But just try buying a cellphone at a carrier store today.
Mobile Miscellany: week of August 6th, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, Sprint began testing its LTE network in Boston and we've come across a QWERTY slider from LG that'll be hitting a convenience store near you. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of August 6th, 2012.
BlackBerry PlayBook 4G LTE hands-on
RIM's attempts to get a cellular-equipped version of the BlackBerry PlayBook have been troubled, to say the least. The company signalled its intentions around Mobile World Congress last February, only to watch as carriers backed off -- partly as RIM focused its attention on LTE, and partly after carriers grew skittish over sales of the WiFi version. A year and a half later, we finally have an LTE version, and with a faster 1.5GHz processor to boot. But do 4G data and a processor bump make all the difference? And does the upgrade stand a realistic shot in a competitive field that has moved on since the original PlayBook? We'll find out in our hands-on. %Gallery-162114%
Samsung Galaxy S III LTE to support VoLTE calls, starting with Korea in August
Aren't you glad you waited to buy an LTE version of the Galaxy S III? Samsung has confirmed that the versions with faster cellular data will support Voice over LTE on appropriately equipped networks, giving them that IP-based boost to call quality. The rollout will start with the Korean LTE model receiving support in August -- we suspect SK Telecom is an early partner here -- followed by a deployment in foreign LTE markets, which would mostly limit the upgrades to American and Canadian owners. About our only qualm is with Samsung's assertion that the update makes the Galaxy S III the "world's first Voice over LTE smartphone:" we're pretty sure the fine folks at LG and MetroPCS have a thing or two to say about keeping up with current events.
Motorola RAZR V goes on sale at Bell, gives Canadians a thin slice of Ice Cream Sandwich
Bell's version of the Motorola RAZR V might not be the media darling that is the Atrix HD, but that shouldn't dampen the interest for Canadians that can at last buy what's potentially a slick deal for an Android 4.0 phone. For $30 on a 3-year contract, or $400 contract-free, the carrier is offering an arguably improved version of the late 2011 RAZR (Droid RAZR for Yankees). Although it bulks up slightly to a third of an inch thick, it's still a skinny, Kevlar-clad wedge. The primary upgrade outside of the OS is a swap-out of that frankly mediocre Super AMOLED screen of the original RAZR smartphone for a much nicer ColorBoost LCD -- sorry, ColourBoost. Otherwise, you're getting the familiar 1.2GHz processor, 14.4Mbps HSPA+ data and 8-megapixel rear camera, although Motorola has shaved the built-in storage to 4GB to keep the costs down. We'd still be tempted to snag the Galaxy Nexus across the aisle to get us a taste of Jelly Bean for the same money, but Canucks with a penchant for Smart Actions now have an option outside of Rogers to get their fix.
Mobile Miscellany: week of July 23rd, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, Nokia introduced a custom edition Lumia 610 smartphone and also released its Camera Extras app for global availability. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of July 23rd, 2012.
BlackBerry PlayBook with 4G LTE may reach Bell by July 31st, 1.5GHz chip tagging along for the ride
RIM has been planning a 4G-capable BlackBerry PlayBook for so long that CEO Thorsten Heins' promises of a 2012 launch still made it feel distant. If Bell Canada information breezing past MobileSyrup's desk is any indicator, though, the launch is coming sooner than Heins implied -- just one week away, as of this writing. The slip has at least the one carrier reportedly offering an LTE-equipped, 32GB version of the 7-inch tablet on July 31st at a price of $550 Canadian ($540 US) without a contract. And yes, it would get that rumored 1.5GHz processor upgrade if there's any substance to the story. We'd still prefer to see the tablet jump to BlackBerry 10 more than anything, especially at that kind of price, but the RIM faithful could still find something to cheer if they're looking for a truly definitive PlayBook to make the BB10 wait feel shorter.
Refresh Roundup: week of July 9th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
