Canadians rejoice! There’s another place to pick up the first-ever touchscreen BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) device… the BlackBerry Storm. FutureShop now has the touchscreen berry on at a very good price of $199.99 on a 3-year contract (on Telus (NYSE: TU)). Not bad, considering I just checked Bell’s site, and yep… it’s still going for $249.95 on the 3-year handshake.

So, if you’ve just gotta have the Storm, you can save yourself 50 perfectly good Canadian dollars over at FutureShop. I can actually save you even more money though… In fact, I’ll save you $199.99. Don’t buy the device at all. Save it. Lots of touchscreen goodness is coming in 2009.

[Via: MobileSyrup]

As each passing day goes by I keep wondering why anyone would want a Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Centro or even the new-ish Treo Pro over the Pre. Only ‘excuse’ I will accept at this point is they need their Palm hit from either the Centro of the Pro to tide them over till the Pre is launched. Fair enough I say. Still… I’d hold on to my monies and pick up the Pre when I had the chance.

To go along with the above mini-rant, it looks like the folks at Bell Canada have started to gear up for an impending Palm Centro launch. I can see the lineups from… wait… Nevermind. Dummy Centros have arrived at Bell stores, and the device is set to launch on February 2nd. A minimum $45 voice/data plan will be required, and some special promo pricing is set at the following:

• 3-year contract: $49.95
• 2-year contract: $249.95
• 1-year contract: $349.95
• month-to-month: $399.95

My advice? Save the cash… and put it towards the Pre when it comes!

[Via: MobileSyrup]

Canadians eagerly waiting to get their hands on the new Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Pre (including myself)… Well, actually I have no news on the Pre in Canada here today (sorry to tease/disappoint) but there news is a bit of new about the Centro (boooo, I know). Bell will start carrying the Centro starting February 2nd at the following prices:

• Special launch promo (3-year contract): $49.95
• Post-promo (3-year contract): $199.95
• 2-year contract: $249.95
• 1-year contract: $349.95
• Month-to-month: $399.95

Personally, I don’t know what you’d want a Centro, unless you have used/tried it out before and got hooked (rare). My advice, hold up for the Palm Pre… But if you’re a Palm booster and absolutely have to have it, then by all means take advantage of the launch promo price.

[Via: MobileSyrup]

Remember when you were a little kid, and you accidentally hurt your buddy while playing around outside? What did he do after he got hurt? He told his mom. That’s kind of the way things go. Seems as though a little spat is going on now between Rogers (NYSE: RCI) and Bell, and I can only assume that mom (in this case the Canadian judicial system) will take care of everything.

Rogers is accusing Bell of a bit of false advertising. In a recent campaign Bell printed that they had/have the ‘fastest and largest network across North America’. A hefty claim that would surely demand some numbers to back it up right?

Rogers filed a complaint to Advertising Standards Canada (ASC) to complain about the ’speed’ portion of the statement. When the hearing on the matter came to be, Bell did not participate or show any evidence to back up their claim. Bell, you gotta talk this through!

Interesting to note here as well, is that Rogers and Bell operate on 2 completely different types of networks. Bell runs EVDO and Rogers runs on HSPA. Despite that, Rogers still pressed forward with their complaint.

Long story short, the ASC decided that ‘the general impression communicated by the claim was that the Bell wireless network was faster than its competitors in each of the countries that make up North America, including Canada.’ In response Bell said that all of their advertising complies with all Canadian legal requirements and have continued to use the advertising as is. The ASC is now moving forward to pass judgments that should stop Bell from using said advertising materials… But we’ll see. In Bell’s eyes it looks like they think they’ve done nothing wrong.

Me? I’ve got no problem with it, provided they can show some hard numbers to back up the claims. I wouldn’t just throw down some crazy ‘we’re the fastest, best… we’re amazing’ claims in advertisements without being able to back them up. That would be silly… Right?

[Via: MobileSyrup]

The 2009 NHL All-Star Game will take place at the Bell Centre

Hockey fans in Canada will be pleased to know that Bell is moving ahead with guns-a-blazin’ on the mobile TV tip (jeez, did that sentence even make sense!?). The National Hockey League is working exclusively with Bell for all of their Mobile NHL hockey feeds. Customers on Bell can subscribe for $8 per month. The fee will give Bell hockey fanatics access to live NHL games on NHL Audio, NHL Centre Ice Mobile, real-time text alerts… plus in-game and post-game video highlights. As a special little ’spiff’, Bell is including NHL wallpapers, ringtones and more as part of the monthly fee.

No doubt the partnership has a great deal to due with the fact that the NHL is heading to Montreal for the All-Star game this season. Where will the game be played? The Bell Centre. Imagine that

For more information, a list of compatible devices, and more… head on over to Bell.

[Via: MobileSyrup]

Sorry Americans, were you jealous after hearing about Canada getting the Wi-Fi BlackBerry Storm from Rogers? Not to fret, this leaked ‘09 lineup gives us a rough idea of what BlackBerrys to expect from American and Canadian carriers, including lots of love for the EV-DO portion of the wireless world.

BlackBerry 9030 ‘Niagra’ – Due first half of 2009 on Verizon (NYSE: VZ), Sprint (NYSE: S), Bell and Telus for $249-$299 – EV-DO Bold, possibly dual-mode HSPA for global roaming, upgraded 3.2 megapixel camera.

BlackBerry 8930 ‘Jupiter‘ – Due first half of 2009 on Verizon, Sprint, Bell and Telus for $149-$199 – EV-DO Javelin/Curve

BlackBerry 8230 ‘Apex’ – Due first half of 2009 on Verizon, Sprint, Bell and Telus for $49-$149 - EV-DO Pearl Flip

BlackBerry 9220 ‘Magnum’ – Due second half of 2009 on Rogers and AT&T (NYSE: T) for $199, possibly announced at WES – 3G HSPA version of the 8900/Javelin/Curve

BlackBerry 9900 ‘Pluto’ – Due second half of 2009 on Rogers and AT&T for $199-$299, possibly announced at WES - Touchscreen BlackBerry Bold

Storm Slider – Unconfirmed, possible European release in 2009 for $199-$299 - Possibly with 3G and Wi-Fi

Refreshed Pearls – Due 2009 in emerging markets for $49-$149 – HSPA 3G upgrade, high-res screen

It’s a little sad that the CDMA Pearl Flip won’t be packing the video conferencing camera that the next GSM Pearl Flip (8200) is rumored to have, although things like that can always get squeezed in at the last second. It’s cool that they’re keeping the original Pearl alive and not letting it get bumped out by the Pearl Flip; GSM-flavoured 3G and a new screen is definitely enough to keep it a viable choice for consumers in emerging markets.

We had heard rumblings of a touchscreen Bold a few months ago, but it looks like the codenames got shuffled around. The big clincher here will be if it uses the clickable SurePress screen of the Storm, or if it will go for something a little more traditional. If they threw a stylus in there, then RIM would be in a fine position to rope in Palm (NSDQ: PALM) defectors. If it does come out at WES in May, then the 3G Javelin will be a fine partner announcement. Most impressions of the BlackBerry 8900 have been good to date, often accompanied with the comment “Would be nice if it had 3G…”, so it’s an expected upgrade to make. For those still waiting on the new Curve, the lineup confirms earlier rumours of T-Mobile getting it in early ‘09. Combined with the Storm getting Wi-Fi, RIM is quickly plugging the gaps in their feature sets, but it sure would be nice if they just included everything in the first place, no?

Finally, the Storm slider. I’ve been hankering for a slider BlackBerry for a long time. RIM’s been toying with new form factors since the Pearl two years ago, and is getting braver with touchscreen and flip form factors, but the slider style remains the last one they have to tackle to have a fully-rounded selection of devices. If the GSM Storm on Rogers can sufficiently squash all the bugs that the CDMA variant suffered, that would leave the following slider iteration to go above and beyond what the first Storm should have been.

[via Tmo News Forums]

Update: Woops, this is actually compiled by RBC Capital Markets as an analyst forcast. Still some good estimations there.

For all the Canadians out there… If the ‘jonesing’ for a BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Storm hasn’t diminished in your mind at all, you’ll be pleased to know there will be more opportunities to score the device. It looks like a new shipment of BlackBerry Storms are due to hit select Bell stores on Boxing Day, with more coming during Boxing Week as well. No need to pre-order, the bad boys will be in-store while supplies last.

An email from Bell has begun circulating that reads:

“Bell Mobility is announcing more BlackBerry Storms are arriving in select stores on Boxing Day. Additional shipments will continue to arrive throughout Boxing Week. Supplies continue to be very limited so get there early.”

If you’re in a major Canadian centre, your odds of snatching up a device are probably much better… But make sure you get to the store early. Prices for the device remain at $249.95 (3-year term and minimum $45 voice/data plan), $549.95 (2-year) and $699.95 on no contract. Happy Storm Chasing!

Check out the BlackBerry Storm over at Bell Mobility.

Thanks John!

[Via: MobileSyrup]

A new shipment of BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Storms are coming in to Bell in the near future. If you’ve been waiting to snap one up since the initial flurry of activity on Bell (sold out in hours), you’ve got another chance now…

The BlackBerry Storm 9530 is available for purchase via the Bell website right now. They have ‘limited quantities’ available to ship immediately… so you might want to jump on this while they are still in-stock. You can get it for $249.95 on a 3-year contract with a minimum prerequesite $45 voice/data plan. Alternatively you can pick it up on no contract for $699.95.

I’m reserving more personal comments and judgements on the Storm until I can give it a more thorough walkthrough myself. I have tried and tested out the device… And my mom always told me… ‘If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all’. Keep in mind I am a ‘Berry Booster’, so that’s somethin’ for you to think about/chew on. I think I’ll wait for a next gen or an entirely new model of this device before I would ever consider picking one up. There’s a lot of wrinkles to iron out on the fabric on this one.

If you intend on picking a BlackBerry Storm 9530 up from Bell via their website… good luck!

[Via: MobileSyrup]

A few more entry level phones have been announced for the post-holiday season. This time around it’s for the Canucks in the crowd, and they’re coming from Bell.

The Sanyo (OTCPK: SANYY) PRO 200 and 700 are due to hit Bell on January 12th next year. Both devices feature bluetooth, speakerphone, 3G and 10- capability. If you’re looking for a basic phone that can take a bit of a beating, the Sanyo PRO 700 meets military grade specs (810F). Drop it, kick it, try and freeze it… and the device should be A-OK.

The Sanyo PRO 200 will be availble for $149.95 on a 3-year term. $199.95 for the 2-year and $349.95 to own it contract-free.

The Sanyo PRO 700 will be available for $199.95 on a 3-year term, $249.95 for the 2-year and $399.95 for the contract-free dealy-o.

[Via: MobileSyrup]

It was only a matter of time before we started seeing the new wave of BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) mascots… and this time, it’s the new BlackBerry Storm mascot! As you can see in the image above, the mascot is clearly a Bell booster, and the custome is kitted out with all of the Storm-esque features you’ve come to love (or hate) in the new device.

Looks to me that this picture was snapped at a Toronto Marlies game. I’ve always wanted to put on a silly costume like that and go watch a sporting event. Can you imagine, you’re sitting at the game, the camera pans around the fans… and there you are, BlackBerry Storm costume and all, just watching the game like it doesn’t matter. ‘What!? This is the nicest outfit I have!’

Nothing like some light friday content.

Note: You can view a few more pictures of the new mascot over at CrackBerry.com.