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Bell Canada gets slapped for fake App Store reviews
Bell Canada has been handed down a $1.25 million CAD ($970,719) fine by Canada's competition bureau after its employees posted fake reviews of Bell apps. According to the regulator, the carrier "encouraged" staff members to post glowing testimonials of the MyBell Mobile and Virgin My Account apps on the App Store and Google Play. Unfortunately, these overenthusiastic write-ups neglected to mention that they were written by people on Bell's dollar. Oops.
Bell cleared to buy Astral Media, creates a Canadian TV powerhouse
Bell tried to shake up the Canadian media landscape last year by acquiring Astral Media, but it ran into a CRTC-sized roadblock -- regulators didn't want 25 TV stations moving to one provider. After some big concessions, however, Bell has received approval to buy Astral for $3.2 billion. The revised deal gives Bell control of 12 channels that include The Movie Network, HBO Canada's owner. Bell is offloading some important TV content to move forward, though. Corus gets several recognizable channels that include the Cartoon Network and Teletoon, while big stations like Disney XD and MusiquePlus are on the auction block. Not that Bell will complain too loudly when the buyout closes on July 5th, mind you. The merger still gives it 35.8 percent of the English Canadian TV market and 22.6 percent of its French Canadian equivalent, or enough to immediately eclipse rivals like Rogers and Quebecor.
Bell Canada set to launch Novatel's MiFi 2
Novatel's touchable MiFi 2 -- also known as the MiFi Liberate -- receives a fresh coat of paint in the form of a UI overhaul on its way to Bell Canada's network this March. No word on pricing or an exact date, but this 11-hour-lasting king of all portable access points is $50 on a two-year agreement on AT&T, so we'd hazard that sets a decent watermark on the potential price. No word on what the new UI tweaks entail but we're angling to get our hands on one some time this week at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
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.
Motorola's Atrix HD LTE hits Bell Canada for $50 on a three-year contract
Canadians who need a new LTE handset, and can make things last, can now get Motorola's Atrix HD LTE from Bell for just $50. The catch? You'll be yoking yourself in matrimony to a whopping 36-month deal, a period longer than most celebrity marriages. The 4.5-inch handset is clad in a Kevlar body and comes with Ice Cream Sandwich, so as long as you're not in the habit of flinging phones against walls, you should be okay.
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.
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.
Tim Hortons bringing free WiFi to 90 percent of its locations by September
It's already toyed around with offering free WiFi at a few of its locations, but Tim Hortons has now finally committed to making the service available at most of its restaurants across Canada. That's being done through a partnership with Bell Canada, which Tim Hortons says was selected after a "rigorous six-month testing process," and it looks like the WiFi has already been turned on at quite a few of its locations (you can search for those near you using the store locator on its website). All told, the company expects to roll the service out to more than 90 percent of its restaurants (not including gas stations, kiosks, and the like), or over 2,000 locations, by this September -- a number that Tim Hortons says will make it the largest free WiFi network in Canada.
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.
HTC One V reaching Telus on June 8th, completes Canadian trifecta
HTC's One V is invading Canada en masse, having just slipped into Bell and Koodo stores in the past few days. Internal documents slipped out to MobileSyrup would have Telus completing an unintentional troika: it's expected to ship the reborn Legend on June 8th. Pricing looks to be right in the middle of the pack, at $30 in Canuck bucks on a lengthy three-year contract but a still-manageable $290 contract-free. It's not as frugal as the $225 price Koodo asks, but if you're not eager to jump carriers just to get entry-level Android 4.0, there's now an abundance of choices.
Engadget Giveaway: win an HTC One S, courtesy of Bell Canada
The HTC One S has been making a splash across carriers in Canada, so it's only fitting that we ride the wave and give one away to a reader in the true north strong and free. The example we're giving out is Bell Canada's model, which mates the dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 and Android 4.0 with Bell-specific extras like Mobile TV. Should you live in the land of the red and white, fire off an entry according to the rules and you might just get HTC's super-skinny smartphone for yourself. Leave a comment below. Any comment will do. Duplicate entries will be filtered out and discarded, so adding additional comments won't increase your likelihood of winning. Contest is open to all residents of Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winners will be chosen randomly. One winner will receive one Bell Canada HTC One S. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Bell Canada service will NOT be included. Also, HTC, Bell and Engadget are not held liable to honor warranties or customer service. The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here. Entries can be submitted until June 3, 2012 at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Samsung Galaxy S III shows in Best Buy Canada leak due June 20th, maple syrup uncorked to celebrate
Jitters have persisted that the Canadian release of the Galaxy S III might face the customary weeks-long delays that those north of the border are used to. If we go by what looks to be an escaped Best Buy Canada flyer graphic, Samsung's Android 4.0 beast should be going up for pre-orders soon -- MobileSyrup hears May 30th -- with launches on at least Bell, Rogers, Telus and a Bell-owned Virgin Mobile around June 20th. We know that Samsung has publicly promised a US release in June, so there's a real chance that we could be seeing a simultaneous North American appearance that brings everyone together in TouchWiz harmony. There's still some big questions left open even if we're seeing an accurate snapshot, such as when Mobilicity, Wind and other LTE-less carriers will get their units as well as whether or not the LTE versions use Snapdragons instead of the Exynos 4 Quad. [Thanks, Imdad]
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.
Bell Canada launches revamped push-to-talk service, now with added 4G
People have been pushing to talk for a good number of years, but it's a service that has largely remained untouched by the passing of time. Bell, however, thinks it's due a little lick of "next-generation" paint. What's new? Well, the firm boasts that it's the firs PTT service in North America to make use of 4G, which on Bell, means a slice of that "up to" 21Mb goodness. The service launches on a slew of devices that includes the BlackBerry Curve 9360, the Samsung Galaxy SII and the rugged Sonim XP5520 with a range of plans available. Want to know more? Push (the press release button) to find out more.
Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE listed as 'coming soon' on Bell Canada's site
Just a couple of days ago, Canadian carrier WIND quietly outed its soon-to-be Nokia Lumia 710, and now it's Bell's turn to follow suit by teasing an upcoming device of its own. Unlike WIND, however, Bell isn't flaunting a Mango-flavored handset, but instead a Gingerbread-loaded Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE. As you may have guessed by the "LTE" stuffed in its relatively long dub, this Sammy slab will be able to surf through the Mobility network's Long Term Evolution waves. Sadly, the product page isn't showing us just how much cash you'll have to unleash, or how "soon" we can expect it to hit shelves around the True North. No worries, though, since Bell does have a signup page waiting for you to kindly place your name on it.
Engadget Giveaway: win a Samsung Galaxy Note, courtesy of Bell Canada
To celebrate Bell Canada's improved Mobile TV service -- which is particularly nice on a large display -- we could think of no better way than to gift a Samsung Galaxy Note to some lucky Canadian. So how do you win the Note with its beautiful 5.3-inch Super AMOLED display and crazy fast LTE? All it takes to enter is a comment posted below, the ability to follow the rules outlined in this article and that you're a Canadian. Yeah, that's right, our first Canada-only contest -- and no we're not hating on anybody, them's just the rules this time. So apply northern friends and good luck! Leave a comment below. Any comment will do. Duplicate entries will be filtered out and discarded, so adding additional comments won't increase your likelihood of winning. Contest is open to all residents of Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winners will be chosen randomly. One winner will receive one Bell Canada Samsung Galaxy Note. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Bell Canada service will NOT be included. Also, Samsung, Bell and Engadget are not held liable to honor warranties or customer service. The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here. Entries can be submitted until March 10, 2012 at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Bell Canada Mobile TV service hands-on
Bell Canada's updated its Mobile TV service to introduce a bevy of new features and content. The mobile TV service now offers 26 channels of live programming and a pile of on demand content thrown in for good measure. The interface has been tidied up, a programming guide has made an appearance, alerts are now here so you won't miss shows and flipping to portrait mode from landscape lets you browse the new guide while your current show plays on. Bell's Mobile TV service is priced at $5 a month for five hours of content; overages -- measured in hours -- cost an additional $1 per hour, though using the service with WiFi is thankfully free. Is it worth the $5 on top of your already potentially pricey phone bill? Follow on through while we take Bell's TV offering for a quick spin with words and some pretty video, too.
Samsung Galaxy Note coming to Bell, Rogers and Telus in February
Those of you who seem to be more closely connected to the Maple Leaf than the pine needle might've jumped on the envious side at the news that folks across the border are getting their hands on the LTE Galaxy Note. Envy no more. Via blog post, Rogers has announced that Samsung's "phablet" creation will be surfing through its fresh 4G waves in the upcoming month. Aside from the Rogers branding we expect to see, it'll be hard to distinguish this Note from its AT&T brother, as it'll be identical in the specs department. Based on a page thrown up at Best Buy Canada, it looks as if it'll sell for $249.99 on a three-year contract (with Bell and Telus getting in on the fun, too), with the first of 'em shipping out on Valentine's Day. Desperate to be the first to try and fit this in your pocket? Head on to the source to join the carrier's reservation system.
Telus launching Samsung Galaxy Nexus January 13th
Telus does a me too and follows Bell to market with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Starting tomorrow, January 13th, Telusites can grab Google's newest pure Android dev. set for a cool $99.99 on a 3-year contract, $549.99 for 2-years, $599.99 for one and $649.99 off-contract. In case you've been away from civilization for the last little while and missed what this set is all about, feel free to check the facts and figures followed by our review. Update: The Galaxy Nexus just popped up on Telus' site for an introductory price of $99 on a 3-year deal. The sale starts today and carries on until the 26th of Jan. Happy days!
