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LG's curvy G Flex smartphone is coming to Canada through Rogers
Canadians have been left out of the curved smartphone frenzy so far, but they'll soon learn what all the fuss is about: LG has announced that the G Flex is coming to Canada as a Rogers exclusive this spring. While the local edition won't include any radical changes, it should have very fast data with dual-band, 150Mbps LTE support. Pricing isn't available yet. However, the American launches suggest that Rogers' model won't be cheap. You'd better really, really like that banana-shaped display.
T-Mobile will give you $250 if you trade in your old BlackBerry for a new one
If you hadn't heard, BlackBerry chief John Chen isn't happy with T-Mobile -- he believes the carrier fired a shot across the bow when it enticed BlackBerry users to switch phones in a recent promotion. To mend that bruised relationship, the magenta network is launching a limited-time trade-in offer that gives loyal users a strong incentive to upgrade. As of February 21st, T-Mobile will give you $200 for your existing BlackBerry, and $250 if you're upgrading from a T-Mobile BlackBerry to a BB10 device like the Q10 or Z10. The payout is the same regardless of the device's age, so long as it's in good condition; if you're still rocking a Curve 3G, you'll get the full amount. Market share trends suggest that there won't be too many people upgrading to new BlackBerrys, but the olive branch is welcome all the same.
New Bing fitness app for Windows Phone tracks you after the run is over
Windows Phone owners have their choice of activity tracking apps, but few of those apps will tell you how to remain healthy after you've taken off your running shoes. It's a good thing that Microsoft has released a beta of Bing Health & Fitness for Windows Phone, then. The software uses GPS to quantify your biking and running like many of its peers, but it also provides health advice; much like the Windows 8 app, you'll find a diet tracker, exercise instructions and a symptom research tool. Your info will also sync across all your Windows-based gear. Those eager to slim down and shape up just have to swing by the Windows Phone Store to get started.
Jolla's intelligent phone covers are now on sale, and you can make your own
One of the signature features of Jolla's first smartphone is The Other Half -- an intelligent phone back that uses NFC to automatically customize the phone's software. Early owners haven't really had a chance to try the feature for themselves, but that's changing now that Jolla is selling The Other Half covers through its website. Paying €29 ($40) will get you an Aloe- or Keira Black-colored shell, either of which changes the system sounds and wallpaper to reflect a cohesive theme. And if you're not happy with Jolla's designs, you can make your own -- the company has released a developer kit that includes the 3D printer file, software instructions and tech specs that you'll need to get cracking. It currently takes two to three weeks for The Other Half units to ship to European customers, but anyone who's unwilling to wait can grab the do-it-yourself tools right away.
Music Inc. is anti-piracy propaganda posing as a casual game
UK Music and Britain's Intellectual Property Office don't believe that most music games tell the whole story -- while they show the tunes, they omit labels struggling to find good artists and deal with piracy. To help widen the public's perspective, they've just launched Music Inc. for Android and iOS. The label-management game challenges you to foster talent while keeping your company profitable in a market that doesn't always pay for your songs. The free title underscores a real problem for labels, and it may have you thinking twice about swiping that new album. However, it's also very one-sided. The game sees every pirated copy as a lost sale, and it doesn't question the copyright model or the need for labels in the first place. As long as you're aware of the broader issues, though, it won't hurt to try the game today.
Scentee's smelly smartphone notifications are now available worldwide
If you were crestfallen when you heard that Scentee's fragrance-emitting smartphone add-on would be hard to get outside of Japan, you can relax -- it's now available worldwide through the company's site. The perfume plug-in sells for $35 by itself (plus a whopping $30 in shipping), while scent packs for coffee, lavender, rose, rosemary and strawberry will cost you $5 each. That's quite a lot to pay for smell-based notifications on your Android device or iPhone, but Scentee is at least more practical than some of the other novelty imports that we've seen as of late.
Engadget Mobile Podcast 199 - 1.31.14
With a couple big mobile news items dropping this week, it's no surprise that Brad makes a beeline for those topics, and he enlists Engadget newcomers Chris Velazco and Emily Price to join him. With Lenovo's recent acquisition of Motorola's handset division and Google's renewed bipartisanship with Samsung, there's certainly a lot to discuss. Along with the regular mobile fare, we treat you to one car chase, more Ashton Kutcher than you'd probably like and a tale of rare, yet spam-inducing social monikers. Please join us at the streaming links below for episode 199 of the Engadget Mobile Podcast. Hosts: Brad Molen Guest: Chris Velazco, Emily Price Producer: Jon Turi Music: Tycho - Coastal Brake (Ghostly International) Hear the podcast:
US Cellular offers $50 unlimited plan with throttled data as a catch
You won't have to endure data caps if you want cheap phone service at US Cellular. The carrier has just launched a promo plan that offers unlimited internet access, messaging and voice for $50 per month without a contract. There is a big gotcha, though -- US Cellular will start throttling data speeds after the first 500MB, which rules it out for movie fans and others who need a lot of bandwidth. Still, it's worth a look if you're keen to both lower your bill and avoid those dreaded overage fees. [Image credit: Vincent Desjardins, Flickr]
Canada's Wind Mobile offers unlimited US roaming for $15 extra per month
Canadians frequently have to pay through the nose to use their phones in the US; at best, they'll get a paltry 50MB of data per day. They won't have that problem for long, though, since Wind Mobile is launching an unlimited US roaming plan on February 3rd. For $15 extra per month, subscribers will get to use as much data, text messaging and voice as they like while visiting their American neighbors. This isn't as sweet a deal as T-Mobile USA's free basic data, but it's still a huge bargain for traveling Canucks who'd rather not deal with an outrageous phone bill when they get home.
New Microsoft app brings recipes and grocery lists to your Windows Phone
The Bing Food & Drink app for Windows 8.1 is handy if you need to look up a recipe on your PC, but what if you're searching for ingredients at the store? Never fear, as Microsoft has quietly released a beta Windows Phone version of its culinary software. Much like its desktop counterpart, the mobile port will let you both search for great meals and create grocery lists. Microsoft makes full use of its own platform by syncing selections with the desktop app, putting a Live Tile on the home screen and making it easy to share favorites. Lumia-toting amateur chefs will want to grab the app today from the Windows Store.
Samsung's Galaxy Grand Neo melds ultra-basic specs with a mid-size screen
Let's say you like the idea of a big-screened Samsung smartphone, but even the Galaxy Grand 2 is too rich for your blood. Are you stuck? Not at all -- the company has quietly released the Galaxy Grand Neo, a more frugal take on an already cheap handset. The new device keeps the Grand 2's quad-core 1.2GHz processor and 8GB of expandable storage, but scales down to a 5-inch 800 x 480 display, a 5-megapixel rear camera and a VGA front shooter. Few will be blown away by the hardware, then, although there is a healthy 2,100mAh battery inside. Let's just hope that the pricing becomes more competitive. As of this writing, the Grand Neo sells for a relatively high €260 ($355) after tax in the Netherlands; we can think of a few smartphones that offer considerably more for your money.
This iPhone case lets you answer calls while it's closed
Both LG and Samsung have phone cases that let you take calls without exposing your screen to the elements, but what if you have an iPhone? As of today, you can check out Moshi's SenseCover. The iPhone 5 and 5s flip case includes both a preview window as well as a touch strip that lets you answer the phone or silence alarms while the device remains safe. It's not the cheapest design at $45, but it may be worthwhile if you'd rather not risk a shattered display just to start a conversation.
Verizon plan lets you send unlimited international texts for $5 per month
If you like to text friends and family overseas, you know that it can be expensive -- US carriers frequently charge either per text or for blocks of messages that aren't always enough. Pricing won't be a problem if you sign up for Verizon's new World Messaging Unlimited plan, though. As the name implies, the $5 add-on lets you send as many messages as you like to most countries. It also drops the per-minute voice rates to a penny when calling Canada or Mexico, and 5 cents for the rest of the Americas. Verizon describes the unlimited plan as a promotional offer; while there isn't a clear expiry date, we'd suggest acting quickly if you want to chat with the rest of the planet.
Meizu teases three MX4G smartphones with giant screens
Meizu clearly isn't content to rest on its laurels. Just a few months after the MX3 first reached Chinese shops, the company's Jack Wong has teased a full range of MX4G smartphones that includes Mini, Uni and Pro variants. Wong isn't going into great detail at this early stage, but these will not be tiny devices -- even the Mini should have a screen that's at least five inches across, and he has already hinted that one or more variants will use a 5.5-inch, 2,560 x 1,536 display. The MX4G series may not ship for a long while; Meizu tends to launch flagships later in the year. Even if that's true, we suspect that many will like knowing what to expect so far in advance.
Beats Music to reach Windows Phone listeners on January 24th
Beats Music launched with a lot of fanfare today, but you may have noticed that its promised Windows Phone client is missing. What happened? As it turns out, the app is just fashionably late -- Beats' Ian Rogers says that the Windows Phone edition should be available on January 24th. That's unfortunate for Lumia-toting listeners who wanted to try Beats Music on day one, but there's no shortage of alternative services to use in the meantime.
Verizon adds 250MB Share Everything plan for the extra-thrifty
Verizon's Share Everything plans may be convenient for multi-phone households, but they're not cheap -- even the 500MB tier can be pricey for those who don't need much data. To that end, the carrier is introducing a $20, 250MB shared data plan on January 21st. The new offering shaves about $20 off the base rate, and lets a single smartphone owner pay as little as $60 per month for full service; a customer with a basic phone pays $50 per month. With that said, the plan isn't exactly the bargain of the century. AT&T offers a slightly better 300MB for the same money, and 250MB is likely to run out quickly if there's at least one smartphone in the mix. It may be worth investigating what Sprint and T-Mobile have to offer if you want more data without paying a lot more for the privilege.
Better late than never, Path arrives on Windows Phone
Path for Windows Phone has had an unusually long development cycle for a mobile app -- we first saw it at a Nokia event in July, and the rest of 2013 came and went without a release. Still, fans of the smaller-scale social network will be glad to know that a Path beta is at last available in the Windows Phone Store. The software mirrors much of the functionality seen in the Android and iOS versions, including private sharing, although it also takes advantage of Nokia's imaging software and provides 50 unique photo filters. No, Path isn't as exciting as Instagram or Vine, but we doubt that Windows Phone owners will mind getting another well-known app on their platform of choice.
Latest LG phone leak keeps hope alive for keyboard lovers
Smartphones with keyboards are increasingly rare, but LG must see some life left in the category -- @evleaks has just posted a leaked press shot and specs for the Optimus F3Q, a landscape slider reportedly headed to T-Mobile. While the image doesn't do much beyond confirm the five-row keyboard from an abstract image seen last month, the rumored specs suggest that the F3Q won't be much different than its touch-only counterpart. It will supposedly ship with the F3's 4-inch WVGA display, dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon, 5-megapixel camera and 2,460mAh battery; it may even run Android 4.1. There's no mention of launch details in the leak, but the modest spec sheet hints that LG's QWERTY handset will get an entry-level price.
Chrome updates bring data compression to all Android and iOS users
Google has been testing data compression in mobile versions of Chrome for what seems like ages, but today it's finally ready to bring that efficiency to the masses. Both the Android and iOS versions of the browser now let all users squeeze website content to reduce their data use -- and, in some cases, their phone bills. There's also a pair of platform-specific upgrades in the pipeline. Android fans will get to create web shortcuts on their home screens, while iOS users will see the automatic translation bar that has been available on Android since last year. Whichever version of Chrome you're running, you'll want to grab its latest update through one of the source links.
You can order a gold LG G2 in Taiwan, but just... don't.
It's de rigeur now for flagship phones to get a gold version, a debatable trend that's at least working out for snarky tech editors. After all, there's something awkward about gilting a geeky handset like LG's G2, especially in a shade reminiscent of gaudy late '80s home decor. It's now available in Taiwan (and possibly elsewhere later) for $530 -- if you're in the target market, those back buttons are less likely to tangle with manicured nails.
