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Bell’s Samsung Omnia II is the official mobile phone of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games

Dusan Belic — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:40:11 +0000

Olympic Games are always a great way to spread your marketing message to a wide audience. Bell and Samsung know that, hence we have Bell’s Omnia II being unveiled as the official mobile phone of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

The announcement came just in time to celebrate the carrier’s newly rolled out HSPA network and should certainly help Bell get some love (and new subscribers) from around the country.

You know all about the Omnia II, so I won’t repeat its specs here. I’ll only add that those who own Samsung’s Windows Mobile smartphone will be able to download Samsung’s Wireless Olympic Works (WOW) application, which is used to keep track of the latest news and happenings during the Olympics. Cool for both Bell and Samsung!

[Via: SamsungHub]

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Bell HSPA Network Goes Live, Featuring BlackBerry Bold 9700, iPhone 3GS, OMNIA II, and Video Calling

Simon Sage — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:13:52 +0000

Bell has today gone ahead and flipped the switch on their brand new HSPA network. Coupled with telus (NYSE: TU) launching their own tomorrow, Rogers (NYSE: RCI) will no longer have a lockdown on hot GSM handsets like the iPhone, and Canadians will get some much-needed choice in service providers. The only devices Bell was forthcoming about before today’s announcement were an HSPA+ internet stick, and MiFi mobile hotspot, but they have really opened up both barrels with their full HSPA family. Earlier today, you might have heard about the Bell BlackBerry Bold 9700, but there’s also the original Bold 9000 for $249.95 on contract, the LG Xenon (simple, full-QWERTY slider; $89.95 on contract), the Nokia 2730 (standard candybar; $29.95 on contract), the Samsung omnia II (touchscreen slate running Windows Mobile with TouchWiz 2.0; $199.95 on contract), Samsung Impact (A.K.A Highlight, touchscreen slate with voice and motion-controlled UI; $79.95 on contract), and of course, the beloved iPhone 3GS.

On top of devices, Bell is also announcing a new HSPA video calling service available on the omnia II and Xenon that not only works with other capable phones, but also through a Facebook app. Overall, this is a huge step for Bell and Canadian wireless overall, and it’s not over yet – we’ll be hearing more about telus‘ HSPA grand opening tomorrow. For a closer look at Bell’s full lineup, check their online store, or their HSPA landing page for more info on the new network.

[via Bell]

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BlackBerry Bold 9700 Now Available at Bell

James Falconer — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:15:12 +0000

Ah, we enjoyed some Bold 9700 love on Rogers yesterday, and now, this morning I stumbled across this one while checking out the new pricing on the Bell Palm Pre! Bell has launched the BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Bold 9700 for $229.95 on a 3-year contract.

If you’d prefer to stay away from a 3-year deal, you can pick one up for 2-years at $449.95, 1-year at $549.95, or with no contract for $599.95.

To pick one up, head on over to Bell >

So, the Bold 9700 is now available at Rogers (NYSE: RCI) AND Bell. Gotta love the Canadian born and bread RIM sharing the BlackBerry love with Canadians (as they should!). Would love to hear some initial impressions on the 9700 from those that have one in-hand! T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) customers, I can hear you tapping your fingers, waiting patiently…

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Bell Drops Price on Palm Pre to $99.95

James Falconer — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:55:48 +0000

Well they’ve gone and done did it. I heard some rumblings yesterday that Bell may drop the price of the Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Pre to $99.95 from $149.95… and what to you know… the rumors were true! If you hit up Bell’s website, you’ll clearly notice that the webOS-powered beauty is available for $99.95.

If you’ve been holding off on picking up that Pre, and are of the true north strong and free in Bell’s coverage area… now is a great time to pick it up. Of course, $99.95 is the locked-in 3-year contract price, so if you’re not a fan of long ‘Canadian style’ contracts, you may want to leave this be.

Check out all the details at Bell >

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Quickie: Bell Confirms iPhone Launch via Email

James Falconer — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:57:59 +0000

Just a quickie here for all of those awaiting the iPhone 3GS and 3G in Bell’s coverage area. They’ve sent out an email this morning reminding us that the iPhone is indeed arriving on their network November 4th. That’s tomorrow. Yeehaw!

Pricing? Expect the iPhone 3GS 16GB model to come in at $199.00 on a 3-year contract… with the 32GB version dropping at $299.00 on the same 3-year term. If the iPhone 3G is more your style the 8GB will run you $99.00 on a 3-year deal, with the 16GB version coming at $149.00.

For more information about the iPhone on Bell, you can sign up for their email notification service.

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MiFi and HSPA+ Internet Stick Announced for Bell

Simon Sage — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:22:06 +0000

telus (NYSE: TU) announced yesterday a flurry of handsets (including the iPhone 3GS) to launch alongside their brand spanking new HSPA network, leaving a lot of people wondering what Bell will have to offer. Today, they’re only announcing the Novatel MiFi portable hotspot and an HSPA+ capable U998 Turbo Stick, though we have an inkling they’ll also end up getting the iPhone, among other things. If you haven’t seen our review of the MiFi, check it out – it’s essentially a portable Wi-Fi hotspot that shares a 3G cellular connection with 5 other devices. The U998 is an exclusive with Bell, and should rock the 7.2 Mbps wireless internet connection that HSPA+ has to offer. Keep an eye out for both of these, and presumably a batch of new phones, from Bell in November.

[via Bell]

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Get the Palm Pre for $99.95 at WirelessWave

James Falconer — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:13:42 +0000

If $149.95 direct from Bell isn’t cheap enough for you, there’s another more affordable option for Canadian Palm Pre bargain hunters. The folks at WirelessWave currently have the Pre up for $99.95. Of course it goes without saying that you’ll need to sign your life away for 3 years and commit to a minimum $45/mth voice/data plan to get that price. For all the details you can pop on over to WirelessWave.

At the rate prices are dropping on the Pre up here in Canada, pretty soon the carriers will start paying YOU to pick up the webOS powered beauty, right? Oh, if only that were the case… I’d be so happy.

[Via: MobileSyrup]

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BlackBerry Bold 9700 (Onyx) Now Official

Simon Sage — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:00:10 +0000

RIM’s new flagship device, the BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Bold 9700, has been officially announced. If you’ve been following the latest leaked videos and pictures, you’d already know a fair bit about this device (including that it’s coming to AT&T, T-Mobile, Vodafone, Bell, Rogers, telus and maybe even wind) but here’s a spec run-down anyway:

3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, image stabilization, video recording, flash and 2 x zoom
122 g, 109mm x 60mm x 14.1mm
2.44″480 x 360 display
New 624 Mhz processor, 256 MB of flash memory
Wi-Fi with UMA support, A-GPS, Bluetooth (incl. A2DP)
3.5mm headphone jack, microUSB jack, and microSD memory card slot supporting up to 32 GB
Optical trackpad
1500 mAh battery with 6 hours of talk time or 19/15 days standby (GSM and UMTS, respectively)
1900/1800/900/850 MHz on GSM, 2100/1900/850/800 Mhz or 2100/1700/900 Mhz on UMTS

For those currently rocking the original BlackBerry Bold 9000, upgrading to this bad boy would provide you not only with added application memory, processor speed, and an upgraded camera, but extra style by way of the optical trackpad, slimmer dimensions, and overall revamped style. Don’t worry, the keyboard you know and love has changed very little, and the leather backing is still there, if you’re into that kind of thing. Anyone who had passed up on the 9000 because it looked like a fatty next to the Curve will probably be reassessing their options this go-around.

OS 5.0 is also included in the new Bold, some of the improvements from which we’ve seen in the Storm2. A lot of the really cool enterprise stuff, like flags and remote e-mail lookup will be available for those companies who have upgraded their BES to 5.0 and have devices like the Storm2 9550 and Bold 9700 among their employees; in good time, though, OS 5.o will likely find its way to the most recent BlackBerry models.

There’s no official info on carriers or pricing, but they are expecting it to be picked up in November, just in time for Christmas.

[BlackBerry Bold 9700 Official Site]

UPDATE: Rogers (NYSE: RCI) has confirmed that they’ll be offering the 9700 for $299.99 on a three-year plan. T-Mobile and AT&T will both be selling the Bold for $199.99 on a two-year term. Bell and Telus have also confirmed the 9700; although with no price point, they’re saying November.

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Bell Drops Price on Palm Pre to $149.95

James Falconer — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:18:36 +0000

Ah, god bless Bell. Or, at least, give them a whopping high-five for this little bit of price-dropping goodness. For all of the Canadians that may have been on the fence about the Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Pre, Bell has dropped the price on the webOS marvel to $149.95 (on 3-year contract). At launch, the Pre was available for $199.95 on a 3-year contract. If this price sounds a little more digestible to you, head on over to Bell for all the details.

I have a sneaking suspicion we may see yet another price drop on the Pre before the holidays hit. I mean, with their new HSPA network coming shortly, plus no doubt a whackload of devices to go with it… Can I get a seconder? Of course, this is all just an educated guess… Hopefully I’m spot-on!

[Via: CellFanatic]

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Bell’s HSPA Launch List Leaks: Bold 9700, iPhone 3GS, and More

Simon Sage — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:00:51 +0000

Canadian carriers Bell and Telus (NYSE: TU) have been preparing to flip on the GSM switch on their currently CDMA-only networks, but we’ve heard remarkably little about what exactly they’ll be offering when HSPA becomes an option for them. Lucky for us, some generous tipsters have provided us with the list to date, along with associated price points, depending on your plan.

LG Xenon: $89.95, $289.95
Samsung Impact: $79.95, $279.95
Samsung Omnia 2: $349.95, $549.95
Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) iPhone 3G 8GB: $399.95, $599.95 — probably $149 after in store rebates
Apple iPhone 3GS 16GB: $499.95, $699.95 — probably $199 after in store rebates
Apple iPhone 3GS 32GB: $599.95, $799.95 — probably $299 after in store rebates
BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Bold 9000: $399.95, $599.95 — probably $149-$199 after in store rebates
BlackBerry 9700: $399.95, $599.95 — probably $249 after in store rebates
Nokia (NYSE: NOK) 2730: $29.95, $119.95
Nokia 6350: $49.95, $249.95
3 Novatel HSPA data cards: two HSPA+, one 7.2Mbps

Not a bad start – now, what will Telus have?

[via BGR]

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Rogers and Bell To Release New Bold 9000’s

James Falconer — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:59:48 +0000

Canadian Berry addicts, excited about the upcoming launch of the BlackBerry Bold 9700? You should be, it’s shaping up to be an ever-so-solid sequel to the Bold 9000… But the 9700 isn’t the topic of choice this morning. I’m talking Bold 9000 love right now!

Over the weekend, we learned that both Bell and Rogers (NYSE: RCI) are gearing up to launch a couple of new Bold 9000’s on their network. Yes, the 9000, not the 9700 here! Perhaps this is just a testament to how popular the 9000 really is. Roughly a year since the device’s launch, and the carriers are still releasing new variants

But I digress… Word is that Bell will have a new Black version of the Bold 9000, while Rogers will pump out a White version of the original Bold. Cool. No details on launch dates or pricing, but stay tuned for more.

[Via: BGR]

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Bell Makes it Official: iPhone Coming in November

James Falconer — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:10:19 +0000

So we heard the rumors, then the Telus confirmation, and now, thankfully, some confirmation from Bell as well. They’ve just gone all official on the whole iPhone 3GS deal, with the devices to become available in November. Still no pricing or exact launch date details available, but if you’d like to sign up for HSPA+ network updates (which will no doubt include iPhone 3GS news), hit up BellNetwork.ca.

A quick snippet from an official press release brings a tear to my eye:

Bell and Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) have reached an agreement to bring iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS to Canada this November.

To check out the whole release, head on over to BCE.

Can I get a high-five from any Canadians out there glad to see the end of Rogers (NYSE: RCI)’ iPhone exclusivity!???

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Bell To Go All Official With New HSPA Network in November

James Falconer — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:47:21 +0000

Of course, as you just read in my post above, Bell has been working hard on their network upgrades. So much so, that the HSPA upgrade is well ahead of schedule. BGR is reporting that the network will go green next month, in plenty of time to work out any kinks ahead of the Olympic games in Vancouver. Bell is the official network of the games… Me thinks Bell has a busy few months ahead of them!

The new HSPA network from bell is an overlay of their 1XRTT/EV0DO Rev A. network and will offer speeds of up to 21Mbps. The expansion has apparently covered more than 1,000,000 square kilometers of Canadian landscape, including around 20,000 cities and towns. Yikers, great job Bell. Thumbs up.

Now, where did you stash those iPhones?

[Via: BCE]

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Bell and Telus to Announce iPhone Deal with Apple Real Soon?

James Falconer — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:42:20 +0000

Well what do we have here… Late last night and early this morning I’ve heard nothing but Bell and Telus (NYSE: TU) iPhone news? What? Yep, the latest rumor has Bell and Telus launching the iPhone in Canada, as early as this November. Believe it!

Bell and Telus have been working together on their next-gen network, something that was needed to happen in order to offer such devices as the iPhone. Apparently the network upgrades are at or near completion, well ahead of schedule. Suppose that’s why we’re hearing these iPhone rumblings now!

For the longest time, Rogers (NYSE: RCI) has had a monopoly on the phone in Canada, and it looks like those days are coming to an end. Of course, both Bell and Telus aren’t confirming that this is indeed true, but expect to hear something more official sometime today or tomorrow.

These are exciting times for Canadian mobile junkies like myself. Rogers has had their chance with the iPhone all alone for too long now, and I can’t wait for the competition to come in. With Bell and Telus gearing up to launch the iPhone, and new wireless carriers joining the fray this year… I can’t wait to see what the new competition brings to all Canadians. Me thinks lower prices, more selection, and better service.

[Via: TheGlobeAndMail]

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BlackBerry Bold 9700 and Curve 8530 Spotted on Bell

James Falconer — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 20:51:14 +0000

Back in August we got our first ever-so-blurry peak at the BlackBerry 9700 on Bell’s systems. While the shot wasn’t that impressive, it did give us some kind of confirmation that the latest edition Bold will be coming to Bell in the near future.

Today (via BGR), it looks like Mr. Blurrycam can take a back seat to a clean, crisp image leaked of Bell’s internal systems… An image that clearly shows off the Bold 9700 for all to see. You’ll note the pricing set at $599.00, which will clearly be the off-contract price. Kind of odd, as Bell tends to price their devices at X dollars plus 95 cents, but meh, whatever. However you slice it, we’re likely to see the launch of the 9700 real soon, alongside Bell’s new HSPA network.

Important note: System shots of the BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Curve 8530 have also been spotted on Bell’s systems too. The device will run $499 off-contract.

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Palm releases webOS 1.2 with premium apps in tow

Will Park — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:36:42 +0000

We’ve been waiting for Palm (NSDQ: PALM) to release its webOS 1.2 update ever since rumors pointed at a September 24 launch date. That day came and passed with nary a peep from Palm. Today, Palm is making some noise with the release of webOS 1.2 and its support for premium, paid webOS apps. The arrival of paid apps in webOS 1.2 is a milestone for the app-lacking webOS App Catalog – the kind of milestone that will hopefully entice developers with revenue possibilities and kick webOS development into high gear.

But, there’s more. webOS 1.2 supports direct downloading from the web. The Amazon MP3 app now allows users to purchase and download music over-the-air to the phone, WiFi connection or no. Zooming into a webpage is now more intuitive and music playback can be controlled from the touchscreen when the device is locked.

Want to learn more? Hit up Palm’s changelog for webOS 1.2 here.

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Best Buy Canada Drops Price on the Palm Pre to $149.99

James Falconer — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:39:14 +0000

Early adopters of the Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Pre in Canada knew this was coming… You know when you’re one of the first to take on any new technology you’re going to pay through the nose for it. There’s no exception when it comes to the Palm Pre in Canada. Best Buy have already lowered the 3-year contract price to $149.99. Of course you’ll still need to sign up for the minimum $45/mth voice and data plan… But that kinda goes without saying.

I can already hear some saying ‘ok, but what about on Bell, surely they’ve lowered their price too?’. Nope, not yet. As of this morning the 3-year contract price was still set at $199.95. I suspect the drop will be coming soon, but exactly how soon, I’m not sure.

[Via: MobileSyrup]

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Bell Launches the Samsung Reclaim

James Falconer — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:05:11 +0000

You may recall earlier the plans Bell had to launch the Samsung Reclaim. True to form, those plans have come to fruition and the Reclaim is now available on Bell! You can pick one up for $49.95 on a 3-year contract, $99.95 on a 2-year, $199.95 on a 1-year and $219.95 prepaid.

So why is the Reclaim so special? Well, to start it’s made from corn-based bio-plastic materials and is 80% recyclable. It’s packaged in recycled materials as well, and even the size of the package is smaller. The wall charger is Energy Star approved, which means it takes about 12 times less energy to charge. Impressive! If you’re earth conscious and earth friendly (who isn’t these days), this phone is kinda setting a standard.

The Samsung Reclaim is available at Bell in ‘Ocean Blue’ and ‘Earth Green’, and comes complete with a 3.5mm headset jack, 2MP camera with video, GPS, full HTML web browsing, microSD expansion up to 16GB, and a whole lot more.

For more, visit Bell.

[Via: MobileSyrup]

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Samsung Reclaim Arriving on Bell September 17th

James Falconer — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:58:44 +0000

As rumored a little while ago, we now have word that the eco-friendly Samsung Reclaim is arriving at Bell. The Canadian carrier is set to launch the Samsung Reclaim up north on September 17th. The device will be available in ‘Ocean Blue’ and ‘Earth Green’, and is made from corn-based bio-plastic materials, which make it easy to recycle when you’re done with it. Dummy phones have already started arriving at Bell locations, so there’s no doubt staffers have read the memos and are getting trained up on this one.

The Bell Samsung Reclaim will go for $49.95 on a 3-year term, $99.95 on a 2-year, $199.95 on a 1-year and $219.95 on the prepaid option.

Key features of the Reclaim include a 2.4″ display, 2MP camera with video, microSD expansion to 16GB, 3.5mm headset jack, GPS, a 1000 mAh battery and more.

Stay tuned for the official launch, comin’ real soon!

[Via: MobileSyrup]

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Bell Due to Flip GSM Switch This Month, TELUS in October

Simon Sage — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:41:54 +0000

The GSMA has just updated their network status page with dates for Canadian carriers Bell and TELUS (NYSE: TU). Being Canada’s only serious competition to Rogers (NYSE: RCI), the addition of GSM support will open a lot of doors for these two providers, both in terms of devices and service quality. Here’s a preliminary list of devices we can expect, based on rumours floating around the forums.

Bell: Planned September 2009

BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Bold 9700
Blackberry Bold 9000
Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) iPhone
Nokia (NYSE: NOK) N97
Nokia 2730
Nokia 6350
LG Xenon
Samsung T746
Novatel HSPA Turbo Stick

TELUS: Planned October 2009

Apple iPhone
BlackBerry Bold 9700
HTC Hero
LG BL40
LG GB 255
Nokia E71

We had heard before that the iPhone would be coming to TELUS in October, so that much lines up perfectly, but everything else is conjecture for now. It’s also worth noting that newcomer WIND is set to have its network ready in November; we’ve got a decent idea of what devices and plans they will be offering, but will they be ready to rock for the holiday season?

[HoFo via MobileSyrup]

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