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Mobile Miscellany: week of July 9th, 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, Motorola debuted the RAZR V in Canada and the Sony Xperia Ion was spotted at Rogers -- curiously, the phone has yet to be formally announced for the carrier. 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 9th, 2012.

Motorola RAZR V revealed for Q3 availability in Canada

Mobile Miscellany week of July 9th, 2012

Motorola took an opportunity this week to introduce us to the RAZR V, which is set for arrival in Canada during Q3. The Android 4.0 smartphone will feature a dual-core 1.2GHz CPU, a 4.3-inch qHD display and an 8-megapixel camera. Pricing has yet to be established for the RAZR V, although it's said to be available through Bell Mobility, Videotron, Virgin Mobile and Wind Mobile. [MobileSyrup]

Verizon announces latest LTE expansion efforts

We've got news of Verizon's latest LTE expansion plans, which was made official for the following areas:

  • Columbus and Rome, Ga.

  • Cedar City, Logan, Provo and Salt Lake City, Utah

  • Clearfield, Dubois, Meadville and Punxsutawney, Pa.

  • Lafayette, La.

  • Belfair, Bellingham, Gig Harbor and Tacoma Wash.

  • Areas between Key West and Miami, Fla.

  • Danbury, Conn.

  • New London County and Windham County, Conn.

  • Cattaraugus-Allegany and Hudson Valley, N.Y.

  • Anderson and Muncie, Ind.

  • Greater Cleveland, Toledo and Wooster, Ohio

  • Bennington And Rutland, Vt.

  • San Francisco Bay area, Calif.

  • The Big Island, Oahu and Maui County, Hawaii

[Verizon Wireless PR]

Consumer Cellular welcomes Huawei 8800 for $175 outright

Mobile Miscellany week of July 9th, 2012

Consumer Cellular, an MVNO that caters primarily to seniors, introduced the Huawei 8800 to its lineup this week, which is available for $175 outright. The Android 2.2 handset features an 800MHz CPU, a 3.8-inch WVGA display and a 5-megapixel camera. [Phone Scoop]

Jelly Bean keyboard ported to Android 4.0

Thanks to the efforts of Beansoft, owners of Ice Cream Sandwich devices can now poke at the keyboard of Android 4.1. The virtual keypad was ported from AOSP code and then bundled as a free app in the Play Store. Currently available as a beta, the keyboard supports English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil) and Russian languages, although full word prediction and auto correction of missing spaces are only available for the English language. [Talk Android]

Sony Xperia Ion makes early arrival at Rogers Wireless retail

Mobile Miscellany week of July 9th, 2012

Word on the street has it that Rogers has begun receiving shipments of the Sony Xperia Ion. What's more, a recent leak suggests the phone will be a temporary exclusive to the carrier, which is said to retail for $49 on a three-year contract or $549 outright. [Mobile Syrup 1, 2, 3]

HTC Desire C debuts at Sasktel and Virgin Mobile Canada

Mobile Miscellany week of July 9th, 2012

The HTC Desire C, an entry-level smartphone with Android 4.0, is now available through both Sasktel and Virgin Mobile in Canada. The handset contains a 600MHz CPU, a 3.5-inch HVGA display, a 5-megapixel camera and is available from Sasktel for just $99 outright. Virgin Mobile customers will need to pay a bit more, however, as the Bell subsidiary has priced the Desire C at $149 off-contract. [MobileSyrup]

Other random tidbits

  • AT&T introduced its LTE this network to the following markets: Buffalo, N.Y.; Burlington, Greensboro and Winston-Salem, N.C.; Corpus Christi, Texas; Wichita, Kan.; and Gainesville, Ga. Additionally, the carrier is also expanding its LTE coverage in Charlotte, N.C. and Cleveland, Ohio. [Android Police]

  • Nokia will have a 60 day exclusive of Words With Friends and Draw Something upon each game's launch for Windows Phone. [WMPoweruser]

  • The HTC One X is now available from Telus for $129.99 on a three-year plan or $629.99 outright. [Android Central]

  • Motorola's recently-announced RAZR V and Atrix HD smartphones are each said to arrive at Bell Mobility in early August. [MobileSyrup]

  • The LG Optimus L5 is now available from both Bell Mobility and Virgin Mobile in Canada. Virgin's offering is currently the cheaper of the two, which sells for $179 off-contract. Meanwhile, the same unit from Bell retails for $199. [MobileSyrup, Virgin Mobile]

  • Like it did for Android and iOS, the BBC has launched a BlackBerry app for the London 2012 Olympics. [N4BB]