Posts tagged Telus
Telus Turns On HSPA+ Network in Saskatchewan!
Aug 25th
Finally! SaskTel customers are still waiting, but if you’re a Telus customer (or wanted to be), you’ve been waiting for this day a long, long time.
Small portions of Saskatchewan have had their HPSA+ network turned on, and others (the light green areas) will follow in Q4 of this year. Nothing else to say here except WOOT!
(thanks @Dan_L, via HowardForums)
Poll: Torch 9800 - Have you? Will You?
Aug 16th
As most of you may know, the Torch 9800 has finally launched on AT&T . It will also will be coming to Telus, Bell, Rogers, Virgin Canada, Orange UK and Vodafone UK in the upcoming weeks. I’m on AT&T and have decided to pass on the 9800 for now. I’m personally a fan of standard QWERTY style BlackBerrys and don’t really see myself using a slider for more than a short time. I don’t know if my feelings will change, but for now I’m standing strong with my Bold 9700 on OS 5. Although, if BlackBerry 6 doesn’t end up leaking for the 9700 soon and there is still no sign of the 9780 in sight, I might just crack.
So what’s your stance on the Torch 9800?
Telus launches the BlackBerry Curve 3G
Aug 13th
Finally the circle is complete now that Telus has launched the Blackberry Curve 3G.
Though most the hype is on the Blackberry Torch 9800, which launched yesterday across the border, good news is if you are looking for a discount BlackBerry that runs 3G and is upgradeable to OS 6, this device is for you.
The Curve 3G is being launched at $79.99 on a 3 year (with a voice and data plan of $50 or more) or $329.99 out right.
To learn more about the BlackBerry Curve 3G visit Telus’ website
[Via Mobile Syrup]
Follow me on twitterWell, Hello Pat Prefontaine!
Aug 11th
When the “Old Spice” guy series of video blogs were launched, people laughed, but their overall impressions of Old Spice being an “old man’s” deodorant changed, thus re-invigorating the brand recognition they so desperately needed.
Today, Telus launched their own version of the Old Spice guy in “Pat Prefontaine” a goodlooking, well-educated man, set out to enlighten consumers on what they are missing when they don’t have Telus as their carrier. He breaks it down to 5 cleverly thought out steps: Embrace Change, Never Compromise, Nurture Relationships, Broaden Your Horizons and Be Confident.
I don’t know what Telus’ plans are yet for Pat Prefontaine, but it is an interesting change to see, and if they decide to get rid of those cute animals in their commercials for him, I will not be a happy Guru.
Learn more about Pat Prefontaine via his website.
[via MobileSyrup]
Follow me on twitterTelus updates Milestone, but isn’t 2.2 yet
Aug 11th
This is a bit of a surprise! IntoMobile is reporting that Telus’ Milestone has been updated, but the software version is 2.1 still. Don’t expect Froyo anytime soon, then.
The updates include:
- Alarm Improvements
- Music Player Functionality
- Audio Quality Enhancement
- PIN Lock Improvements
- Proximity Mode Enhancement
- “My Location” Improvements
Check out the update at Motorola’s website, and wait patiently for 2.2.
Canadian Contracts Are Vampires: Study
Aug 11th
Get it? Flipout?
Canadians pay too much for their monthly cell phone bill, and are dragged into lengthy contracts that punish consumers for ending them before their term, according to a SeaBord Group study entitled “Death Grip.” (Great name!)
There will likely be another wireless spectrum auction in 2012 or 2013, and could increase competition again in the country, as the auction did in 2008, leading to the creation of WIND Mobile and Mobilicity, two companies who are completely contract-free.
But these companies will always be at a disadvantage to the three incumbents, Rogers, Telus and Bell, in part because they are established brands within the country, whose networks extend nationally, but also because they offer huge phone subsidies when signing a contract.
The problem comes in when customers want to remove themselves from the contract; they have already received promotional prices on their phone, and likely preferred monthly rates on their plan, but the cancellation fee is directly tied to how many months remain in his or her contract. Sometimes these penalties can cost more than the cost of the phone itself, which is the whole reason the contract exists in the first place.
But contracts are guaranteed revenue for these carriers, and they are loathe to change their business model, especially for higher-end business and data clients, who spend $100+ every month on their smartphone plan.
The report goes on to say that even though the Canadian carriers have less “buying power” when purchasing handsets, the discrepancy between the cost to the consumer and to the carrier is too high, and consumers end up with the brunt of it.
Read the entire report, and see for yourself.
(via The Globe and Mail)
HTC Desire Available From Telus for $79.99! Whoa!
Aug 6th
Seriously?
Ok, so we actually knew this was coming, but looking back at it, we didn’t realize how important this phone would be to the Canadian Android market once the iPhone 4 was released. And since Telus is wisely pricing this phone at a very cool $79.99 on a 3-year term, I have no doubt that it is going to push a lot of people weary of the iPhone’s issues over to this bad boy.
The Desire is essentially the Nexus One on steroids. Which is a very, very good thing. While it doesn’t have the same “oomph” of the Bell Samsung Vibrant, its implementation of HTC Sense is a huge advantage compared to Samsung’s attempt to “improve” Android with their own TouchWIZ3 overlay. Consider as well that the Desire is half the price of the aforementioned Bell device, and we are talking a seriously attractive deal.
As for the upgrade path of the Desire, we know that unlocked European versions of the phone have already seen Android 2.2 released officially, so while the device is being released with 2.1, it shouldn’t be long before it sees Froyo. Right, Telus?
Check out the hella cool HTC Desire at Telus’ website, or go into a store to touch one.
Rogers, Bell, Virgin and Telus confirm the Blackberry Torch 9800
Aug 3rd
No surprise here now that AT&T and RIM have let the cat out of the bag, ALL the Canadian carriers have confirmed they will carry the new Blackberry Torch 9800.
Though no official release date has been announced, they all make mention of it being released in “the coming weeks”. So i’d imagine an end of Q3 launch.
We will update as we know more.
Read the official Rogers announcement via their Redboard Blog here
Read Virgin’s announcement via their twitter handle here
Follow me on twitter
Bell, Telus and Rogers Release Similar iPhone 4 Price Plans, Early HUPs
Jul 30th
Yes, it appears that Rogers’ $159 16GB / $269 32GB trend has spilled over to the other carriers, and this will be a Canadian mosquito-swatting competition to see which carrier can be lure you into the light.
What’s lovely about this is that all three carriers are being more lax about their hardware upgrade requirements, so even if you’ve upgraded your phone quite recently, you can probably eek out a lower-cost iPhone 4 than you would any other device.
This is the first time that the iPhone has launched simultaneously on Canadians networks. If you recall, Telus and Bell only launched their HSPA+ network in November 2009, so up until then Rogers had exclusive sale opportunities for the iPhone 3GS. Hence, this time, why the competition is so heated.
As well, Bell is offering a 6GB/$30 monthly data plan, which jibes with Rogers’ latest offering, too. Get this while it’s hot, as it will probably expire September 30th. Telus will likely have to follow suit, though no announcements have been made.
Bell is also offering a $10/month iPad sharing offer, so if you sign up for that 6GB plan, you can share it with your iPad for only $10. Not bad. Rogers is offering the same ability, but for $20/month.
Should You Upgrade to the iPhone 4 in Canada?
Jul 28th
Today we introduce another contributing editor to the site, GuruTyler. Tyler is an iPhone fan-boy and cellphone guru-in-training. Please welcome him!
To upgrade, or not to upgrade
As we approach the Canadian release date of the iPhone 4, the anticipation of hopeful buyers is beginning to reach critical mass. Without the ability to pre-order with the providers, long lineups are surely expected on July 30th when it finally drops. Unfortunately, along with the newest technology, also comes a hefty price tag and a new 3 year contract. Of course, for the first time, the iPhone will be available for purchase without a contract, however expect the cost to be similar to an iPad. All this begs the question - is it really worth the upgrade?
Firstly, this article is geared towards current iPhone owners, whether it be the 3G or 3GS. With the recent iOS4 software update, is the iPhone 4 merely a sleeker version of the previous models, or is it worth the money?
Beginning with what most casual owners care about, space. Perhaps the most disappointing thing about the iPhone 4 is that Apple is not offering larger capacity flash drives, remaining with 16GB and 32GB models. Although most may find 32GB to be plenty, the massive number of available Apps is quickly making the 16GB feel outdated.
Everybody loves taking pictures, making the next most important feature the camera. This is the biggest hardware related improvement in the iPhone 4 compared to all previous models. There is now a camera on both the back and front, as well as an LCD flash. Current owners are well aware that not having a flash is very frustrating and provides for very low quality pictures in dim light. Also, trying to take a self-portrait with a touch screen is unnecessarily difficult. As if those improvements weren’t enough, the camera records in 720p High Definition, which could hypothetically put HD flip cameras completely out of business. Lastly, Apple has introduced a new featured entitled “Facetime” which allows for video calling between iPhone 4 owners over a WiFi connection. Needless to say, the beefed up cameras alone might be enough to entice customers to upgrade.
As far as hardware, those are really the most important aspects. Of course the iPhone 4 has improved their display, battery life, and esthetics, but none fully justify an upgrade on their own. That leads to the meat and potatoes of the device: software stability. iOS4 performs much better on the newest model than the 3GS across the board. With an updated “A4″ chip similar to that used in the iPad, it runs noticeably faster and smoother. The 3G really suffers in this department with iOS4. Hardly any of the new features are available, and not having multitasking is an utter disappointment. The 3GS has all the key features of iOS4 but there is noticeable lagging when switching between apps in multitasking. It is certainly not a severe enough issue to say the 3GS is outdated, but to say that it runs as smooth as 4 would be false.
The final verdict: The iPhone 4 is without a doubt one of the best cell phones ever released. There is no question that it is the biggest advancement since the original iPhone was introduced. For those still using said original or a 3G, an upgrade will be a great improvement. However those with 3GS can easily get another year out of it if the fancy bells and whistles aren’t as appealing. All this keeping in mind that Apple will undoubtedly be releasing a 5th incarnation of the iPhone in the summer of 2011.
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