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Infuse 4G coming exclusively to Rogers, its first 21Mbps smartphone
If you're of the gambling type who wagered on Samsung's Canadian launch partner for the Infuse 4G, you can settle up those bets: the phone is coming exclusively to Rogers this summer -- and it's shipping with Gingerbread. For those familiar with AT&T's story, it should come as no surprise that the carrier quickly highlighted the Sammy as its first smartphone capable of pulling in 21Mbps -- good luck attaining those numbers, though. Sadly, the release date and price of this 4.5-inch beast remain up in the air, but that might just be an opening for some high-stakes speculation.
Nokia Oro passes FCC, cleared for a gaudy stateside landing
The odds that you'll have a North American spotting of Nokia's audacious 18-karat gold Oro just became more likely. That's because the handset recently appeared before the FCC and was certified for frequencies utilized by AT&T, Bell, Telus, Rogers, T-Mobile, Wind and Mobilicity. That's not to suggest any of the carriers are taking a bet with this one, but it leaves a good opportunity for someone to flaunt their excess while using their network of choice. The stark photography certainly doesn't embellish the bling that we'd seen in earlier press shots, but don't kid yourself -- anything lavished with gold is likely to scream "Mug me" on busy street corners. Lest we reiterate, the phone is nothing more than a gilded C7 and it's selling for under a Benjamin on contract as the Nokia Astound. If you're genuinely wanting to attract attention in the US, running Symbian is thoroughly sufficient.
Rogers Canada offers 'early upgrade' for your horribly outdated phone
Long term relationships can be hard. After a year or two, it's easy to lose interest -- but a contract's a contract, right? Not in Canada, apparently. Wireless carrier Rogers is offering a get out of jail early card, letting you get some new hardware before the end of your contract with its new "early upgrade" offer. But if you want, say, the Xperia Play pictured above, ditching your antiquated handset will cost you, naturally. The service provider has a tiered pricing plan, charging a different level depending on the device and the amount of months that you've got left -- something of an early termination fee for those who don't mind sticking with the carrier. If math isn't your thing, Rogers recommends you pop by one of its retail locations to help you figure out just how much it'll run you. In the meantime, try to avoid hurling the thing out a window in disgust, okay?
HP's Pre 3 gets an emissions test at the FCC, likely destined for AT&T
The FCC has seen a decent share of WebOS devices this year, having first tested the Veer in February, and most recently HP's Touchpad (which we reported earlier today). Now, it appears the regulator is examining the forthcoming Pre 3, and while none of the documents specifically name the device, based on the size and proportion of the label, we think it'll pair nicely with a certain 3.6-inch display. We've also noted the diagram mentions a battery compartment, suggesting it's not the Veer, which is rumored to have a sealed battery. Whatever the device may be, it's packing WebOS 2.3 -- and judging from the 1900 / 850MHz 3G bands, it seems destined for AT&T, Rogers, Bell, or Telus in North America. Follow the break for a peek at the FCC label.
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%
Xperia Play goes back to the FCC, this time with GSM (update)
We're all familiar with this handset by now, but what we weren't suspecting (although we have yet to finish our first cup of coffee) to see a GSM version of the Xperia Play come through the FCC this sunny Tuesday morning. While we know that Verizon won't be the sole carrier of the phone in the states (we heard that from Sony Ericsson CTO Jan Uddenfeldt himself), there is yet to be another carrier confirmed. So maybe this is an indication of another possible future? Or, most likely, this is just one of those "north of the border" jobs -- as you know, the FCC gets its look at all Canada-bound phones, and this particular phone is exclusive to Rogers. Get a closer look after the break. Update: Further examination of the docs reveal that this bad boy has global GSM bands and 900 / 2100MHz 3G, which is primarily used in Europe and Asia.
Xperia Play and Xperia Arc confirmed for Rogers in Canada (update)
In case you missed the announcement, a recent press release has confirmed what we already knew: Xperia Play is coming to Canada, exclusively to Rogers. Set to hit shelves sometime this spring in late March alongside the Xperia Arc, both of these bad boys will run on Android 2.3 Gingerbread, with prices to be disclosed at launch. Remember when we used to call Xperia Play the "PlayStation Phone?" That was fun. PR after the break.
Nexus S comes to Canada courtesy of Mobilicity (and maybe Bell, Telus, and Rogers, too)
Canadians, you must chafe under the yoke of a Gingerbread-free existence no longer, for the Nexus S is coming to the Great White North sometime in March. According to Mobilicity CEO Dave Dobbin, the handset will be available on the company's AWS band, but he also said that Bell, Telus, and Rogers will carry the Nexus S as well. If true, that means Samsung will be providing another model of the phone with support for WCDMA 850 / 1900 for it to work with Canada's big three wireless providers. We can only hope that's the case, as said model would be usable on AT&T's network -- making an awful lot of us living south of Canada quite happy. Peep the video after the break to hear the good news for yourself.
Rogers, Ericsson turn Ottawa into an LTE trial playground
Rogers is breaking LTE out of the confines of its labs for the first time with the announcement today that it's flipping the switch on a trial network in Ottawa -- a place where infrastructure partner Ericsson conveniently just happens to have some facilities. The 4G network won't be open to customers yet, but it seems like that'll be a relatively small step -- in the Ottawa area, anyway -- once all the technical issues have been ironed out. Step one will be a deployment in Rogers' AWS spectrum portfolio, but they've already filed a request with the gub'mint to roll out on 700MHz as well -- a critical step if these guys want any semblance of interoperability with the first LTE deployments in the US. So, Canadians, tell us: excited? Follow the break for the full press release.
Rogers' budget-friendly chatr brand launches in Canada
We knew it was coming, and now it's official: Rogers Wireless has today launched its entry-level "chatr" wireless brand for Canadians everywhere -- and by "everywhere," we mean Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Ottawa (Montreal is coming soon, as is possibly elsewhere). Two plans are available: $45 monthly for unlimited talk-and-text and $35 for unlimited talk and 50 free texts. As of now, the official website's showing four devices to choose from, available at full price only (no subsidizing). On the low end, relatively speaking, there's the Nokia 1661 candybar for $60, followed by the LG GB125R flip for $75, the Nokia 2680 portrait QWERTY slider for $95, and Samsung's Gravity landscape QWERTY slider sitting at the top of the chain for $130. Rogers -- whose name appears nowhere in Chatr's branding so far -- expects "hundreds" of chatr kiosks to be rolled out at Future Shops, Best Buys, Costcos, and other retail outlets. The brand will compete with other budget-conscious options from the likes of Wind Mobile and Mobilicity, but this one's got the advantage of Rogers' more established, wider-reaching network. According to The Globe and Mail and CBC News, Wind will be offering a whopping $150 credit for those who switch to its network from Rogers / chatr. Mobilicity's chairman John Bitove has a different strategy altogether, threatening to complain to the Competition Bureau that Rogers' possible goal here is to drive other discount phone brands out of business before dissolving chatr and leaving the market with only a higher-priced segment. And if you were wondering where Telus and Bell Mobility stand, well, both companies are reportedly expected to follow suit with entry-level brands of their own. Data plan-averse Canadians should have quite the selection from which to choose.
Rogers announces plans for budget-minded 'Chatr' wireless brand
Well, it looks like Canadians will soon have yet another discount wireless brand to consider -- Rogers has just officially announced plans to launch a new budget-minded "Chatr" brand to compete with the likes of Wind, Mobilicity and Public Mobile. Yes, that's the same Rogers that already has the Fido discount brand, but it says that the "launch of a third brand mirrors many other industries like the hospitality and retail sectors and is designed to offer Canadians more choice." The official announcement follows some rumors and leaks that have been circulating as of late, which suggested that Chatr would initially launch in Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver on July 5th, although those details still haven't yet been confirmed by Rogers.
Rogers, O2 tease iPad data plans
On the heels of international shipping delays, carriers from the UK and Canada have released terse confirmation that they will be offering iPad data plans by "...the end of May." Rogers senior director of social media, Keith McArthur, wrote on the company's blog, "Rogers today announced that it will offer iPad price plans for all models from the end of May in Canada. We will share more details soon." Likewise, the UK's O2 carrier has released a tease which reads, "O2 today announced that it will offer dedicated iPad price plans for all models from the end of May in the UK." Again, no details were offered. What the Rogers post omits (other than, well, everything) is what many Canadians are anxious to learn: Will tethering be available with 3G models? Rogers offers free tethering to iPhone customers who subscribe to a data plan of 1 GB and above, something their southern neighbors can't do without jailbreaking. Now, the waiting game begins continues.
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 coming to Rogers on April 15, free Bluetooth headset in tow
So who's the first North American carrier to pick up Sony Ericsson's high-end X10? AT&T? T-Mobile? Nope -- it's Canada's Rogers, which is once again showing its superior Android prowess by getting first dibs on a phone that plenty of folks have been anticipating since its announcement late last year. Looks like April 15 has been locked in as the carrier's date with destiny, but there's more to the story than that: they'll be tossing in a gratis Sony Ericsson MW600 Bluetooth headset with integrated FM radio if you're an existing customer who's eligible for a hardware upgrade. It's actually a pretty deluxe deal -- the MW600 retails for almost $100 -- so if you were on the fence about whether to pull the trigger on the upgrade, this might be the straw that breaks the camel's back. [Thanks, Phil T.]
Samsung Galaxy Spica comes to Rogers
Granted, they got off to a slow start -- but every since the Dream and Magic originally launched, Rogers has done a pretty commendable job of leading the Android charge north of the border. Latest in the line is Samsung's venerable i5700 Galaxy Spica, a phone that won't win any awards for running up-to-date firmware (it still rocks Cupcake) nor any medals for being high-end (the camera's just 3.2 megapixels with no flash), but at the very least, it makes an interesting, cheap Magic alternative with a high likelihood of an Android 2.x upgrade down the road. If you're willing to commit three years upfront, you can score this bad boy for CAD $79.99 (about $78) right this very second -- or a more daunting CAD $399.99 ($390) commitment-free if you're into that sort of thing.
Rogers gets LG Pop, Fido goes green with Sony Ericsson Naite
Let's circle back and take a look at a couple of big handset launches in the Great White North this month, shall we? Rogers nabbed the LG Pop -- sans solar back -- for a mere CAD $19.99 (about $19) on three-year contract or CAD $174.99 ($166) commitment-free, living up to the phone's philosophy of taking full-touch awesomeness downmarket with a 3 megapixel cam and 3-inch WQVGA display. Next up, Rogers' value brand Fido added the Naite from Sony Ericsson -- the first GreenHeart-branded handset to land anywhere in North America -- for $25 on a two-year deal. The eco-focused candybar (which might tug on the heartstrings of ex-T610 owners) keeps it simple with a 2 megapixel camera, but still manages triband 3G and an integrated FM radio. Both are available now.
For Rogers, HTC Magic + Sense = Magic+
Thought that one of the first major Android devices in the world would go away without a fight? Think again! T-Mobile and Rogers have taken two very different roads to extend the lives of their HTC Sapphire-based devices. Big Magenta, of course, has opted to make a hardware tweak, adding a much-needed 3.5mm headphone jack and spitting out a faux wood limited edition; Rogers, meanwhile, rather suddenly updated the firmware with Sense. Oh, but that's not all -- it turns out that Rogers views the Sense upgrade as such a big deal that it's changing the name of the phone altogether, tacking a plus symbol on the end. Yep, that's right: meet the Magic+. Apart from Sense on 1.5 with a promise of 2.1 down the road, though, there's nothing materially new here, so don't feel too bad if you've been stuck with one of the plus-less models. No, seriously.
Bell, Telus, Rogers trial inter-carrier video calling
Even as American carriers continue to resist it, a variety of Canada's GSM networks support video calling on so-enabled 3G handsets -- but currently, the problem is that you're only able to video call other phones on the same network. Fortunately, Rogers, Bell, and Telus have been hard at work playing nice long enough to ensure that their respective video calling services play nice one another, and they've just announced the successful completion of inter-carrier trials. The companies are quick to point out that this makes them the "first inter-carrier partnership in North America" to support 3GPP-compliant video calling, something that should hopefully make AT&T and T-Mobile feel at least a fleeting moment of shame. No word on exactly when the service will be available to end users.
Rogers getting Android 2.1-equipped Acer Liquid e this spring
Acer may make plenty of cellphones, but they've so far been a pretty rare sight on North American carriers. That's now set to change this Spring, however, when Rogers will reportedly be the first carrier in North America to offer Acer's new Liquid e phone -- and, incidentally, the first carrier in Canada to offer an Android 2.1 phone (not counting the upgradable Milestone, that is). In case you missed its debut at MWC, the Liquid e packs a 3.5-inch touchscreen, along with a slightly underclocked 768MHz Snapdragon processor, a 5-megapixel camera, 7.2Mbps 3G and Wi-Fi and, of course, a basic implementation of Android 2.1. Still no indication of a price or exact release date, but Rogers is promising to say more as that approaches.
LG commits to Android 1.6 -- not 2.0 -- for Rogers' Eve
We suppose we should be excited that Canada's version of the LG GW620 Eve is getting any major update at all, but still: what the heck? LG Canada has communicated via its official Twitter account this week that Rogers' version of the phone -- its second QWERTY-equipped Android set after the Dream -- would be getting an update to Android 1.6 (known to the bakers in the room as Donut, of course) this Spring. What's crazier, it apparently won't be an over-the-air boost since they're saying it'll be available from both LG's and Rogers' sites. That's not a huge deal, but seriously guys, why 1.6? If it were to drop today it'd feel old -- and by Spring, when HTC, Motorola, and likely Samsung all have 2.1 updates at the ready, this is just going to look a little silly, isn't it?
Dropped calls, begone: AT&T expands feds' Wireless Priority Service to Canada
American carriers have had Wireless Priority Service in place for several years now, giving government officials and first responders improved access to potentially overloaded networks in the event of an emergency or high-density gathering -- but historically, that service has been restricted to American soil. With the Winter Olympics coming right up in Vancouver, AT&T figured it'd have quite a few G-Men strolling north of the border, so it has worked with Rogers this month to roll out priority access for devices roaming in Canada that are already authorized for the service. In a nutshell, that means VIPs strolling around the luge circuit will be able to get through (and stay through) if the crush of humanity gets too much for the poor, overworked cells to handle. And no, you can't sign up for it, so don't even ask.
