Bell Mobility
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Bell scores 163K net adds in Q4, has HSPA launch to thank
Bell and Telus' massive, sudden addition of nationwide HSPA networks to succeed their legacy CDMA towers was an experiment unlike anything the wireless world had ever seen; at no other time had carriers that large jumped from one 3G technology to another, and it was anyone's guess how well it'd go and what effect it'd have on their bottom line -- clean-slate network build-outs aren't cheap, after all. We've got part of that answer now that Bell has reported fourth quarter earnings, and in a nutshell, it seems like this may have been a huge gamble that paid off. The company's wireless unit saw a 2 percent decrease against the previous in EBIDTA -- and ARPU fell by CAD $1.48 to CAD $51.08 -- but here's where the bubbly gets broken out: it saw a 39.3 percent increase in gross activations to 523,000, up 11.3 percent year-over-year. That works out to 163,000 net adds, almost certainly attributable to the launch of HSPA service and a variety of hot new handsets (and some older ones -- the iPhone 3GS, for instance) that gave some disgruntled Rogers customer the ammo they needed to bolt. It'll likely be a good long while before Bell actually goes net positive on its massive network investment, but early signs certainly suggest that it was the right move to make.
Bell's Palm Pre now free -- in exchange for three years of your life
How long does it take for a smartphone to go from two hundred bucks on contract all the way down to a big, fat goose egg? If you're Bell -- and the phone is the Palm Pre -- the answer is right around five months, apparently. Following its August release and a couple of mid-course pricing corrections, Bell's now making Palm's first webOS-based device available for free just as long as you're willing to commit to three years at a minimum spend of CAD $50 (about $47) a month. The move likely comes on the announcement of the Pre Plus, perhaps as a preemptive strike against any of its competitors planning on carrying it -- and if we were Sprint right now, we'd be paying very, very close attention to these guys.
Samsung Galaxy, Nokia N97 go where no man has ever gone before: Bell's HSPA network
Okay, that's not quite true -- Bell's HSPA network has been live for a few weeks now -- but the Galaxy from Samsung and Nokia N97 become two of the first few devices to take advantage of it now that it has made the bold jump from rumor to reality. The Galaxy looks to be a near-perfect replica of the Galaxy found internationally, bringing over the same 3.2-inch glass AMOLED display, 8GB of internal storage expandable to 40GB, 5 megapixel camera, and Android guts (1.5, we sadly presume) that you find elsewhere. What makes this one a little special, though, is the fact that it's got HSPA 850 / 1900 instead of the T-Mobile-friendly AWS bands that you find on the version sold unlocked in the US, so we imagine you'd be able to find a way to sneak this onto AT&T in the States if you were really desperate for it. The N97, meanwhile, looks to be a dead ringer for the version offered in the States; it runs a staggering CAD $199.95 (about $190) on a three-year contract, while the Galaxy is a little closer to reality at CAD $99.95 ($95) for the same duration.
Samsung Galaxy looking confirmed as Bell's first Android phone
Canada's Bell and Telus are going hog wild with handset selection since the launch of their new Rogers-matching (if not beating) 21Mbps HSPA network -- one need look no further than the launch of the LG BL40 for evidence of that -- but there's at least one glaring issue: Bell's yet to launch an Android set. That puts 'em at a distinct disadvantage against Telus, which already has an HSDPA 860 / 1900 cut of the HTC Hero on shelves -- but it looks like that won't be an issue for long. A scanned poster that's apparently already up in Bell stores has turned up on the ever-reliable interwebs this week clearly showing Samsung's Galaxy posing alongside the already-launched Omnia II and Impact; the carrier doesn't do us the favor of mentioning a date here, but it can't be long -- wouldn't want to lose the Google lovers to Telus and Rogers, right?
Palm Pre price keeps sinking on Bell, down to $100
Just weeks after Palm's Pre sunk to CAD $149.95 on Bell, the outfit's first-ever webOS phone has now stooped to just CAD $99.95. That still requires a 3-year contract, of course, but man -- a single bill for a smartphone like the Pre? Anyone tossing out guesses on how long it takes Sprint to follow suit (and embarrass the Pixi)? [Thanks, David]
Imagine that: Bell offers video calling on the cheap
As expected, Bell lit up its shiny new HSPA network today, officially marking a magical transition from CDMA to 3G GSM over a year in the making as it prepares for an LTE upgrade in the coming years, and with it, a few cool phones launched -- most notably the iPhone 3GS and the Samsung Omnia II (you listening, Verizon?). That's not what really caught our eye, though: like Rogers, Bell's now offering video calling, a feature standardized with UMTS and arbitrarily disabled both by T-Mobile and AT&T in the States (though the latter offers the far less useful one-way Video Share service at $4.99 a month for just 25 minutes of usage). Granted, video calling hasn't exactly caught on like wildfire in Europe where it's widely deployed -- but when you consider that they're charging CAD $5 (about $4.70) a month for unlimited use, it seems like a worthwhile add-on even if you only use it for a few minutes now and then. It also makes AT&T Video Share -- and its pricing structure -- look even more ridiculous than it already did, doesn't it?
Bell confirms HSPA launch on November 4
One-half of the worst-kept secret in all of Canada over much of the last year -- the HSPA networks being prepped by Bell and Telus -- is finally launching in just two short days' time. Bell has announced that its shiny new 21Mbps airwaves will be available to the public at large starting November 4, along with a host of devices ready to take full advantage of it; perhaps most impressive, though, is that they'll be covering fully 93 percent of the country's population out of the gate, which should make the new network a viable option immediately for would-be switchers. Your move, Rogers. [Thanks, Shawny]
Samsung Omnia II coming to Bell this month
Bell and Telus are both making quick work of forgetting their legacy CDMA networks and bringing gobs of sexy, high-profile devices to their new HSPA digs -- presumably in an effort to get folks switched over as quickly as possible and steal Rogers customers posthaste -- and the latest is Samsung's Omnia II, which will be coming to Bell in GSM form (despite the fact that Verizon is bringing a CDMA version to market). Featuring a 3.7-inch WVGA AMOLED display, 5 megapixel cam, WinMo 6.5, and 16GB of storage on board, the phone definitely rests at or near the top of the current WinMo crop -- but the real news here is the fact that the phone has just been selected as the Official Mobile Device of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games, which we suppose means you can use it with pride while bobsledding, lugeing, curling, slaloming, or whatever other arctic sports you enjoy. Pricing hasn't been announced, but the phone will be available this month; let's just hope that Olympic endorsement doesn't drive up the MSRP, eh?
Bell announces HSPA+ Turbo Stick, MiFi for shiny new network
What good is a brand new 21Mbps beast of a network without some hardcore data devices ready to take advantage of it? Not much good at all, which is why Canada's Bell Mobility is Johnny-on-the-spot this week with a couple hardware announcements. First up, there'll be an aptly named HSPA+ Turbo Stick, which -- you guessed it -- is a USB stick capable of blazing along at HSPA+ speeds. Next up, lucky customers will be getting the MiFi 2372 from Novatel, the North American 3G version that we'd all love for AT&T to launch at some point. Both devices will be swinging by in November, just in time to christen the brand new towers on a high note.
Bell drops Pre by $50, now down to $149.95
Anyone in Canada who took a wait-and-see approach with the Pre can do a little dance of joy now that Bell's finally dropped the phone by CAD $50, which means you're now looking at CAD $149.95 (about $143) on a three-year deal. That's still a far cry from the $99.99 you can pay these days on Sprint, especially considering that you're talking about a two-year contract there, but who knows -- maybe Bell's not bothering to compete too hard on the CDMA arena as it starts putting some serious marketing force behind its HSPA spectrum in the next few months. At least this gives the Pixi some breathing room on pricing if Bell decides to launch it, we suppose. [Via Palm Infocenter]
Bell nabs iPhone deal in Canada, ends Rogers' reign of terror
It's official, Bell and Apple have agreed to sell the iPhone 3G and 3GS in Canada starting November. The move ends the Rogers exclusive in while christening Bell's new 3G network with Apple's darling. Hmm, first O2 lost it exclusivity then Rogers, we're sensing a trend. [Thanks, Sean]
iPhone headed to Telus and Bell's fancy new HSPA networks next month?
Rogers is losing its iPhone exclusivity in Canada next month, if a new report by The Globe and Mail is to be believed. Telus and Bell -- traditionally CDMA-bound -- have been prepping GSM networks of their own in a joint effort, and it sounds like they'll be getting this off on the right foot with the iPhone 3GS as a launch device. Nothing's official just yet, but those in the know expect an announcement tomorrow or Wednesday. Rogers isn't the best-loved carrier in Canada, and a bit of choice never hurt anybody, so this seems like pretty good news all-round for our friendly northern neighbors [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Windows Mobile 6.5 cellphones coming October 6th
Unfortunately for those on the hunt for nitty-gritty details, the headline here just about says it all. In a shockingly vague release from Microsoft, the Redmond-based giant has announced that the first batch of Windows Mobile 6.5 handsets will launch on October 6th, or around three weeks after its Zune HD. If we're reading this correctly, it looks as if this round of cellies will be the first to be called "Windows phones," and aside from promising "new customer experiences" and superior browsing capabilities, they'll also feature Windows Marketplace for Mobile (an app store), Microsoft My Phone (a backup service) and Office Mobile. As for what phones we'll see, all we're told is that HTC, HP, LG, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony Ericsson and a few other big time players are onboard, with just about every carrier in the world (save for T-Mobile USA) also voicing their support.[Via MobileTechWorld]Update: AT&T has informed us that starting on September 14th, customers with Wi-Fi-enabled Windows Mobile smartphones and unlimited / other qualifying data plans will receive unlimited access to AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots nationwide.
Bell's latest Pre ad insults Americans, old people, and bloody roller derby girls in one pass
With the latest installment of Bell's "Meet my Palm Pre" series, paid spokesman Bradley here has basically guaranteed himself that he'll be visited by elderly American roller girls with bad attitudes and a taste for justice. Some of the gruesome highlights: "Unlike our neighbors to the south, Canadians are an active people." "Coupe de Kill is kinda scary. I should probably get out of here before she goes on Twitter." "According to Wikipedia, this game was first played in 1299. And, uh, I think some of these people were maybe there." Follow the break for the video. [Via MobileSyrup]
Video: Palm Pre jumps the border, now shipping on Bell
Right on schedule, the Palm Pre has started shipping to Bell Mobility customers. The Bell exclusive marks the first international launch of Palm's little savior and to celebrate, we've got commercials -- a pair of knee-slappers featuring real live Canadians. And you thought that the mirror on the back of the Pre was only for the ladies.
Bell signs HSPA roaming agreement with AT&T
Networks in the GSMA's technology path have an easier time roaming around the world (whether pricing is easy on the wallet is another story altogether) -- but naturally, you've got to have the roaming agreements in place to make the globetrotting a reality. Up in Canada, Bell's wasting now time getting those deals lined up so that customers are good to go the moment it flips the switch and lights up its brand-spanking-new HSPA network as it makes the transition from CDMA; specifically, it's announced during its second quarter earnings call that it has hooked up with AT&T for a symbiotic relationship that'll let Bell customers roam on AT&T's network and vice versa. Interestingly, the agreement allows Bell's phones to roam both on HSPA and legacy GSM in the States while AT&T customers will be strictly HSPA when they're on Bell, reinforcing two things: one, Bell's likely lined up to be North America's first commercial UMTS network without legacy compatibility, and two, Bell's phones -- at least some of them -- will rock GSM / EDGE for use abroad (we should certainly hope so). [Via MobileSyrup]
Palm Pre comes to Bell on August 27
Up until now, Bell's been coy about an exact availability date for the Palm Pre -- a tactic borrowed from Sprint prior to its release -- so we're happy to hear that they've finally decided on August 27 to get it out of the door. It'll run CAD $199.95 (about $187) on a three-year deal, ramping all the way up to $599.95 contract-free with a minimum 500MB / month data plan (trust us, you'll want every megabyte of it). Preorders are now being accepted online and in Bell stores, so if you want it on day one, you might want to get moving on that.
LG Bliss and Keybo2 fully disclosed thanks to... LG Canada
Bell and Telus probably weren't so hot on the idea of LG blowing the cover on their August releases, but for what it's worth, we're certainly happy that the manufacturer's Canadian site saw fit to unveil a pair of new sets in all their glory. Actually, the Keybo2 is really nothing more than an enV3 (dressed a little warmer for its Canadian excursion, of course) that should be hitting Telus in a few days' time; like its American cousin, it makes off with a 3 megapixel cam, EV-DO, and a pair of displays with QWERTY on the inside. The Bliss for Bell might be the more interesting of the two, a full-touch dumbphone that clocks in at 11.95mm deep with a 2 megapixel camera and that's about it -- not Earth-shattering specs by any means, but a solid sign that manufacturers are aggressively looking to take the full-touch concept downmarket. MobileSyrup says we can expect both of these on the 7th of the month, so if they've got you fired up, you shouldn't have long to wait. [Via MobileSyrup] Read - LG Bliss Read - LG Keybo2
Bell has six-month exclusivity on the Pre?
It's been gathered, extrapolated, or otherwise assumed pretty much from day one that Sprint's period of exclusivity on the Pre was roughly six months (we say "roughly" because Dan Hesse himself has explicitly said it's not six), and it looks like things are working just about the same up north. In the case of Bell, MobileSyrup is reporting that they're being guaranteed rights to the Pre for precisely six months, actually, which means archrival Telus is probably rearing to start its kitchen timer (you know, that one your mom has that's shaped like an egg) for the countdown the moment it launches. The more interesting question, though, might be whether Rogers (and, by technological proxy, AT&T) end up with a webOS-based device of their own before that second round of Pre launches goes down.
LG "Bliss" coming to Bell next month?
How about a nice little touchscreen LG, Bell customers? MobileSyrup says this little guy -- whatever it is, exactly -- is the "Bliss," ripe for launch on Canada's Bell on August 7 with a 2 megapixel cam, video capture, and microSD expansion for CAD $79.95 (about $72). The site speculates that it could be a localized version of the Versa -- which, if true, would mean that you were looking at some nifty modular add-on accessory crap to go along with it -- but it could just as easily be any other of the one bajillion full touch LGs in the market today. August is coming up mighty quick now, so we'll know soon enough.
