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Mobile Miscellany: week of April 15th, 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 brought a possible arrival date of the Lumia 521 to T-Mobile, our best look yet at the Lumia 928 for Verizon and news of a new Android compatibility option for Tizen. 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 April 15th, 2013.

Lumia 521 outed for April 24th at T-Mobile

Mobile Miscellany week of April 15th, 2013

Shopping for a Windows Phone on T-Mobile? Take a look at the carrier's website and you'll find a rude surprise: the HTC 8X is nowhere to be found and the Lumia 810 is only available in refurbished form. On the upside, a leak from TmoNews suggests the current drought is unlikely to last too long, as the Lumia 521 is set to arrive in stores on April 24th. Curiously, the leak also revealed that the Lumia 810 is set to receive the axe next month, but it mentioned nothing of a similar fate for the HTC 8X. Perhaps Ms. Magenta's high-end Windows Phone has yet to take its final bow? [TmoNews, WPCentral]

Lumia 928 gets an all angles tour, inside and out

Mobile Miscellany week of April 15th, 2013

We know, we know, you can't get enough of the Lumia 928. This week revealed our best look yet at Verizon's upcoming Windows Phone with an all angles view from @evleaks and a video from ETrade Supply that examines the phone's display and digitizer assembly. This time around, we've learned that the Lumia 928 will contain a 4.5-inch display, and it appears that even the white model will feature a black faceplate. Meanwhile, as ETrade Supply explains, the display and digitizer of the Lumia 928 are bonded together, unlike the separate assemblies found in the Lumia 920. As you can see, this allows for a slimmer setup, with sides that are highly reminiscent of the Lumia 810, which is quite befitting of a top-shelf device. [@evleaks, PhoneArena]

Tizen gains another Android compatibility option

Mobile Miscellany week of April 15th, 2013

It's no secret that Samsung is looking to decrease its reliance on Android with the Tizen OS, but to have any success, it'll need a viable app ecosystem. If Infraware has any say in the matter, however, that may not be much of a hurdle. This week, the Korean company (primarily known for Polaris Office) announced an Android-to-Tizen app converter known as the Polaris App Generator. Unlike a similar compatibility product from Open Mobile that's aimed at OEMs, Infraware promises app developers the ability to easily repackage their APKs into TPKs, which can then be published to the Tizen Store. It's no secret that BlackBerry has used the app compatibility route to a great advantage, which opens the possibility that Infraware may play a significant role in the adoption of Tizen. An enviable position, indeed. [PR Newswire]

Other random tidbits

  • Bell Mobility has put the BlackBerry Q10 up for pre-order, which will ring in at $199.95 on a three-year contract. [MobileSyrup]

  • The Sony Xperia ZL is now available at Mobilicity for $599.99 outright. [MobileSyrup]

  • The Nexus 4 arrived at Telus this week for $99 on a two-year contract. Likewise, the phone is also now available from Koodo Mobile, and depending on your plan, it can be snagged for as low as $250. [MobileSyrup 1, 2]

  • Videotron introduced a new smartphone plan that brings unlimited talk, text and 3GB of data usage for $54.95 per month. [MobileSyrup]

  • Google Voice for Android was updated to improve the reliability of SMS delivery. [Android Central]

  • AT&T activated its LTE network in Cheyenne, Wyo., Cushing, Okla., and Florence, S.C. [Android Central]

  • Verizon Wireless announced new LTE markets this week in El Centro, Calif.; Middlesboro, Harlan and Paducah, Ky.; Cambridge, Senecaville and East Liverpool, Ohio; and Fort Dodge, Iowa. [Verizon Wireless 1, 2]

  • Citizens in Fredericton, New Brunswick report that LTE service is now active from Bell and Telus. [MobileSyrup]

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[Mobile Miscellany photo credit: Thristian / Flickr]