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Canada strengthens net neutrality with zero-rating crackdown
In a victory for net neutrality, Canada's telecom regulator has ruled against a carrier offering 'free' music streaming as part of a zero-rating scheme. Quebecor's 'Unlimited Music' allows premium Videotron subscribers to use select streaming apps, such as Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal, without the data counting towards their monthly allowance. Many believe this type of scheme violates the principles of net neutrality, which argue all data should be treated equally. If certain apps are 'free' to use, others -- which could offer a superior experience, but simply don't have the cash to be involved in a carrier's program -- are put at an unfair disadvantage.
LG G2 ships to six Canadian carriers on September 27th
Canadians won't have to wait long for their version of the LG G2. The 5.2-inch smartphone is now due to reach Bell, Rogers, Sasktel, Telus, Videotron and Wind Mobile on September 27th, two days after it launches on T-Mobile in the States. The carriers haven't yet divulged pricing, although we're not expecting Bell, Rogers or Telus to charge much more than $200 on contract, like some of their American counterparts.
LG G2 coming to six major Canadian carriers this fall
LG was unsurprisingly silent regarding a Canadian launch for the G2 at its New York City event, but it's making up for that today with initial release details for the country. As in the US, LG plans to support most larger carriers: its 5.2-inch phone will be available this fall through Bell, Rogers, SaskTel, Telus, Videotron and Wind Mobile. There are no mentions of pricing at this stage, although the Canadian G2 will share the American variant's 3,000mAh battery and 32GB of storage. It will at least offer more variety in the local smartphone selection -- when the G2 ships, many Canucks will see at least two Android flagships on their network of choice.
Mobile Miscellany: week of May 27th, 2013
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, a new addition to the LG L-Series surfaced in Russia, a Lumia 920 was sighted that'd make Oscar the Grouch flip, and TalkTalk added three new devices from Huawei to its roster. 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 May 27th, 2013.
PSA: Samsung Galaxy S 4 now on sale at Canadian carriers
Samsung's launch of the Galaxy S 4 hasn't been as coordinated as the company would like, but it's making some amends with today's launch of its flagship phone in Canada. In one fell swoop, most of the larger Canadian carriers are now offering the 16GB model for a typical $200 on a 3-year contract. Bell, Rogers and Telus (as well as their sub-brands) are covering much of the country, while more region-specific carriers like Eastlink and Videotron are also joining in. Carriers like Mobilicity and Wind Mobile aren't yet included, however, and supplies are known to be tight -- we'd ask about stock before making a trip to the local store.
Sony Xperia ZL review: a giant phone in a surprisingly compact frame
Sony took a rather unusual path with its flagship smartphone for 2013: it designed the hardware twice. The Xperia Z is ostensibly the star of the show with its glass body and waterproofing, but it's launching alongside the Xperia ZL, an equally brawny, yet plainer sibling. On a spec sheet, there's no apparent reason for the ZL to exist when its features almost perfectly match those of the slimmer and more stylish Z. Still, it's precisely that emphasis on function over form that might just win the day. Sony bills the ZL as the most compact 5-inch smartphone on the market, which could win over folks who see large-screened phones as unwieldy. But is it enough to challenge conventional thinking on big phones, especially in light of fiercer competition? And is there anything special lurking underneath the ZL's reworked hood? Read on and we'll let you know whether the second device in Sony's dual-phone strategy is strong enough to outshine the Z -- and, more importantly, its rivals. %Gallery-185056%
Sony Xperia ZL reaches Canada through Bell, Rogers and Videotron
While we're still waiting on an American carrier to officially release Sony's Xperia ZL, it turns out that Canadians don't have to be quite so patient. That promised April launch in the northern country has come right at the start of the month, and locals can order the compact 5-inch flagship from Bell, Rogers or Videotron as of today. Pricing varies sharply between networks, however. Bell is offering the most aggressive discount, at $100 on a lengthy three-year contract, while Rogers and Videotron raise the prices to a respective $125 and $200 on similar terms. You can also buy the smartphone off-contract from the carriers for $600 (Bell and Videotron) or $625 (Rogers), in addition to the $675 unlocked model from Sony itself. We'd think carefully about a purchase when the Xperia ZL is about to get some stiff competition in the next few weeks; those who want a better sense of (Omni)balance in their lives can hit the carrier links at the source.
Sony Xperia ZL coming to a swath of Canadian carriers in April
It's not quite a US launch, but it's close: Sony is bringing the more compact of its two 5-inch smartphones, the Xperia ZL, to Canada in April. While that's already good news for locals who like their Xperias extra-large, the real perk will be a change in Sony's tendency toward limited launches in North America. The release will put the ZL on several of the more significant Canadian networks, including heavyweights Bell and Rogers as small-but-significant carriers like Mobilicity, MTS, Videotron and Wind Mobile -- the only major exceptions appear to be Telus and the big providers' budget brands. There's no word on pricing, although we're not expecting a radical break from the norm. We're mostly just left wondering whether the Xperia Z will appear as well, and just which if any of Sony's 1080p flagships will cross the border to the States.
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.
Huawei Ascend D Quad XL hits the FCC with North America-friendly 3G, 12MP camera mention
We'd been hoping that Huawei's flagship Ascend D Quad would roll by the FCC, hinting that the long-in-waiting hardware was soon to become a reality. It's here, and it looks to be the XL version we were promised back in Barcelona, with no mention of the LTE that some US carriers love so well. Like the Ascend D1, though, it's carrying pentaband HSPA+ that would let its 3G fly at full speed on any North American GSM carrier. There's a slight surprise in the camera. Schematics mention a 12-megapixel sensor as a possibility alongside the officially announced 8-megapixel shooter -- that said, whether it's a quiet upgrade, a regional variant or just a discarded dream isn't made obvious here. More certain references can confirm video out through HDMI and MHL as well as the increasingly de rigueur NFC. We don't need the FCC to confirm launches that start late this month in China and October in Europe, but the approval guarantees that there won't be rude surprises for the release or for any imports, whether they're unofficial or through a carrier deal.
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.
Samsung bumps Galaxy S III Canadian launch to June 27th, pins it on 9 million world pre-orders
Canadians who marked June 20th on their calendars as Galaxy S III Day will have to hold off on the festivities for a week, as Samsung has just confirmed that it's shifting the Canadian release to June 27th. As you'd expect, the company is blaming the last-minute swap on "unprecedented demand" -- the nine million worldwide pre-orders that it only anonymously mentioned before now -- and the resultant difficulty in getting enough supply for the magic moment. Any further shortages are still poised to be "short lived," Samsung promises us. The extra wait will no doubt leave us with more than a few crestfallen Canucks; we just hope the shortage doesn't spread and push more US launches into July in the process.
Canadian carriers put Galaxy S III launch on June 20th, back dual-core 1.5GHz chip for LTE models (update: Snapdragon, 2GB RAM official)
Canadian carriers flocked to the Galaxy S III before we'd barely even left our seats in London to try it, and it looks like they're also more than a little eager to provide launch details ahead of their American counterparts. Telus and Videotron have both confirmed the leaked June 20th release date, and Telus has gone so far as to reinforce suspicions that LTE models will use the Snapdragon S4 instead of the Exynos 4 Quad -- it expects the phone to use a "1.5GHz dual-core processor," which sure sounds like Qualcomm's latest to us. The same carrier has nailed down pricing at $160 on a three-year contract for a 16GB version and $210 for a 32GB model. Other carriers like Bell and Rogers are still a bit commitment-phobic, although that earlier Best Buy tip makes us think they'll fall into line before long. Update: Samsung's own release has swung our way, and it's providing a slew of details that should closely relate to the US launch. As expected, that's a Snapdragon S4 inside, although we now know that the 2GB of RAM of the NTT DoCoMo version will at least be making its way to Canada as well. The LTE version for Bell, Rogers, Telus and a handful of regional carriers is known as the SGH-i747, while the fabled SGH-T999 stops at 42Mbps HSPA+ and is the edition that Mobilicity, Wind and Videotron will get, since it supports 1,700MHz 3G. There's no mention of a 64GB Canadian Galaxy S III, so you'll still have to import if you frown heavily upon microSD cards.
Mobile Miscellany: week of May 14th, 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, Verizon Wireless brought its LTE service to 28 new markets and expanded its reach in 11 additional areas. We also saw Straight Talk introduce the Samsung Galaxy Proclaim, and it appears that Rogers will soon offer the HTC One S. 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 May 14th, 2012.
Samsung Galaxy S III gets a Canadian girlfriend as Bell, Rogers, Telus, Wind Mobile line up
If you live north of the 49th parallel, you're no doubt frustrated that Samsung teased a summer launch for the Galaxy S III in North America but made no initial mention of its Canadian plans. Don't fret, as virtually every Canadian carrier and its mother has now pledged to carry the giant Android 4.0 smartphone while you're on your summer vacation -- the first carrier commitments in North America that we've seen. Bell, Rogers, Telus, Virgin Mobile and Wind Mobile have all stepped up as national providers, while regional carriers such as SaskTel and Videotron have also signed on. The Galaxy S III is a special milestone for Virgin, as it's the first 4G LTE phone on the Bell-run budget network. We're still waiting for Mobilicity and other cellular services to hop on the Galaxy S III bandwagon, and details like pricing and exact ship dates are still elusive, but odds are that Canucks will have a wide choice of carriers when the 4.8-inch flagship hits stores. Update: Sure enough, Mobilicity is also onboard, which along with Wind Mobile makes it pretty clear that T-Mobile-friendly AWS frequencies are baked in.
Canada's Videotron finally delivers tru2way-based illico TV HD DVRs
We've been waiting for the tru2way-based cable service Videotron promised since the end of 2009, and now it has finally delivered illico Digital TV. The software is being provided by Alticast, while HD DVRs available through Videotron and at retail are from Cisco and Samsung. While it's been a while and we can't quite remember where we put our excitement for all things OCAP (probably tossed when the retail availability dream died), Videotron customers can expect a new HD UI, widgets, and a 500GB DVR. At least in this initial push there's no mention of multiroom capabilities, although there is the ability to view video on demand content on PCs and mobile devices. It will start rolling out April 4th in the Greater Quebec region with other regions following soon, those interested can check out an English-subtitled trailer as well as a Francophone-only presentation video after the break.
Mobile Miscellany: week of January 30th, 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 week, we've spotted a leaked Android 4.0.4 ROM for the Nexus S 4G, and we've also come across a price and release date for the Droid 4. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride. Let's explore the "best of the rest" for this week of January 30th, 2012.
Nexus S immigrates to Canada, Future Shop commemorates event with gingerbread muffins
It's been a good week for Canadians to get a taste of Gingerbread, with today marking the official release of the Nexus S for our friends up north. To mark the event, lucky Toronto residents were greeted with a release party at Future Shop, replete with ginger-themed treats and giveaways. With availability spreading across the country, Samsung's homage to Android purity is now available online through Mobilicity, Telus, Koodo, Wind, and Videotron, effectively tempting the majority of Canada with Google's finest offering. If you'll remember last week's report on Mobilicity's soft launch of this praised handset, we assumed Fido and Rogers were nipping at their heels... and while the Nexus S has yet to hit their online stores, you might find them sitting in your local Best Buy. So, Canada, how does it feel to get this awesome slab of engineering coming at you from all corners? Don't worry, we'll understand if this is an emotional time. %Gallery-121302%
Videotron parent company tries to push iPhones off its TV network in Quebec
What happens when a giant media company owns both a wireless carrier and a television network? Shenanigans -- or at least that's what now seems to be going on in la belle province of Quebec, where the parent company of cable and wireless provider Videotron and television network TVA has seemingly decided to throw its weight around a bit. Apparently, some folks from Quebecor Inc. recently realized that a number of television shows produced for TVA featured iPhones somewhat prominently, which just so happens to be a phone that isn't offered by its Videotron subsidiary. Their solution? Ask the shows' producers to feature phones that are available on Videotron instead, like the Nexus One -- provided free of charge, of course. There doesn't seem to be an outright iPhone ban, however, and at least one show has apparently been given specific permission to let its characters continue using their iPhones -- although another show's producer says he "wouldn't be surprised" if such a ban was eventually put in place.
Videotron's 120Mbps broadband is Canada's fastest, now available in Quebec City
Fittingly called Ultimate Speed 120, Videotron's latest internet access service is raising Canadian heartbeats today. Starting out in Quebec City and eventually expanding to the whole province, this broadband package will give users access to a 120Mbps information superhighway, complete with 20Mbps upload lanes. There are monthly usage caps, of course, set at 170GB down and 30GB up, but you can break them so long as you're willing to pay the surcharge. The broadband itself costs 160 Canadian bucks a month, though you can cut that down to C$150 by bundling it with a TV or telephony service. That's not exactly a bad deal, but given the choice, we'd still rather go live in Chattanooga. [Thanks, Gary]
