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Bell and Virgin rollout HD Voice in Saskatchewan

Ian Hardy — Fri, 25 May 2012 12:44:23 +0000

Bell and Virgin rolled out HD Voice to most of Canada last January. This feature gave customers who owned various devices “better quality, clearer voice service experience.” There is no cost to have this feature and makes for an overall better voice experience. There were only couple provinces omitted from the initial launch, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. This was most likely due to the limited agreements between SaskTel and MTS.

However, good news for those located in Saskatchewan as HD Voice is now live in your area. This impacts both Bell and Virgin customers and again, no cost, just better voice quality. In order to use HD voice both callers must be either a Bell or Virgin customer, have a HD Voice compatible device and within the 4G HSPA+ coverage area. Here’s the complete list of compatible devices:

- Motorola MOTOLUXE
- HTC One S
- HTC One V
- HTC Raider 4G LTE
- BlackBerry Bold 9900
- Nokia C6
- Nokia C6-01
- HTC Sensation
- HTC Incredible S

If you’ve experienced HD Voice, let us know what you think about it. Have you noticed a difference?
(Thanks tipster!)

Bell updates OS 4.0 “Estimated Release” schedule for various Android devices

Ian Hardy — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:02:18 +0000

Yesterday was a great day for Bell HTC Raider and Sensation users as they received the upgrade to OS 4.0. If you’re holding one of Bell’s other Android devices that has been promised an OS upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich we have an update for you. There seems to be some adjustments to their “Estimated Release” schedule for various devices, seems most have been pushed back a few weeks. The updated list is below:

- Samsung Galaxy Note: Estimated release is June 2012
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1: Estimated release is June 2012
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE: Estimated release is July 2012
- LG Optimus LTE: Estimated release is July 2012
- Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE: Estimated release is July 2012

No word on the reasons why, but the good news is that testing is currently happening. We’ll have more info soon.
(Thanks tipster!)

Bell Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE Review

Daniel Bader — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:19:08 +0000

By the time we reviewed the Samsung Galaxy S II in July 2011, the phone had become the most anticipated Android phone of all time. Its screen, speed and form factor were, and still are, legendary. Today it is by far one of the most popular Android phones ever made.

Almost a year later, I was struck by the strangeness of the phone I was holding in my hand. The Bell Galaxy S II HD LTE is, besides a mouthful to say, a very curious smartphone. In many ways it is the best Galaxy S II ever created and, to that end, a fantastic smartphone in its own right. But debuting on the heels of its successor, the Galaxy S III, there is something subdued about its existence.

Nevertheless, it’s always exciting to try a new high-end Android phone. Can the SGS2HDLTE wrest your hard-earned dollars away? Let’s take a look.

Specs

- Android 2.3.7 with TouchWIZ 4
- 4.65-inch 720 x 1280 pixel HD Super AMOLED display
- 1.5Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 dual-core SoC w/ Adreno 220 GPU
- 1GB RAM / 16GB internal storage (expandable with microSD slot)
- 8MP back camera with flash / 2MP front camera
- 1080p video capture with image stabilization
- 1850mAh battery
- WiFi (b/g/n), Bluetooth 3.0, WiFi Direct, GPS, NFC
- 131 x 68.4 x 9.27 mm
- 133g

Design

The design of the hereby-called HD is, as expected, an evolution of the whole Galaxy S II line. If you take a look at the original Galaxy S II I9100, with its grainy textured backing and reverse chin, to the Galaxy S II X and Galaxy S II LTE, which both offered more refinement, there is very little new here.

In fact, from the front you’d be hard-pressed to tell this and the Rogers Galaxy S II LTE apart. It’s only once you turn it over when you realize the camera design was taken from the Galaxy Note and the textured backing from the Galaxy S II X. In truth the HD is a beautiful mishmash of every previous Galaxy S II device, and it’s nicer for it. The body feels extremely sturdy, with the right amount of weight distributed between the tall-and-thin body. At 133g the 131mm height and 68mm width seems ideally proportioned, and there was never a time when I thought the phone was too big to handle. Considering the Galaxy S III weighs the same and is only 5mm taller, it bodes well for Samsung’s next generation of devices.

A few small things have changed in a year. The internal battery has been boosted to 1850mAh (same as the Rogers LTE version) and the SIM is now micro. Thankfully, Samsung left the microSD slot unmolested, so an extra 32GB can be added to the internal 16GB. Buttons feel firm and precise, and the materials are on par with the Galaxy Note — in other words, a huge improvement from previous models.

The placement of the buttons to the feel in the hand is almost identical to its forebears. This includes the four capacitive button arrangement, optimized for Gingerbread. Newer devices omit the dedicated search button, mapping it to a long-press of the menu or back button. Nevertheless, if you’ve held a Galaxy S II device in the last year, you know how the HD feels.

Display

As with the chassis, there is something familiar about the HD. The 1280 x 720 pixel display is the same part that debuted in the Galaxy Nexus, PenTile and all. This is not a bad thing: colours are fantastic and rich, blacks are absolute, contrast superb and brightness more than sufficient. Whites retain that divisive textured look, recalling a threaded piece of paper. The Galaxy Nexus was often criticized for the way it displayed lighter shades, almost as if it were made of stucco. This is true here, too, for better or worse.

The boosted resolution is welcome on Samsung’s TouchWIZ overlay; the added detail to icons, precision to text, and overall sharpness to media makes TouchWIZ seem less cartoony and oversized. Icons roughly maintain the physical dimensions of their WVGA forebears but the graininess is largely gone. I’ve never been one to divert attention to the plight of PenTile, which cuts by one-third the number of subpixels per pixel, since the screen on the HD looks every bit as good to me now as the Galaxy Nexus did in September.

Graded on a scale, the inclusion of PenTile is a knock against this display — just as it will be on the Galaxy S III – but to my well-trained eye, and likely to many others’, it offers superlative viewing angles, colour saturation, sharpness, contrast and brightness. In other words, unless you’re looking really, really hard for the grain in text, it provides about 90% the quality of the Super LCD2 panel of the HTC One X. This is not the equivalent of the throwing PenTile on a qHD display, which, on a 4-inch+ display has a low enough pixel density to easily make out the inferior subpixel array. The pixel density here is high enough that, to most users, all they’ll see is the screen.

Performance

I’m going to avoid hard numbers here and just say that the 1.5Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 SoC inside the HD performs every bit as well as it did in the past four Samsung devices I reviewed. TouchWIZ was made for speed, and to that end Samsung hasn’t let us down. Scrolling through home screens and menus was deliciously free of any sort of lag, while app load speeds, multitasking consistency and general responsiveness was top notch.

I did a few benchmarks just to confirm what my thumbs already knew: the Galaxy S II HD LTE is still darn fast, and is unlikely to let you down when it comes to sheer speed. Samsung’s browser, hardware-accelerated despite its Gingerbread roots, is still an excellent example of what OEMs can do when they successfully marry hardware and software.

That being said, after using the HTC One X for an extended period of time, there is no question that the HD is running on last year’s specs. There were times, especially during games, when I experienced long loading times and occasional framerate drops, though most games worked without issue even at high detail. Remember this is the same Adreno 220 GPU that powers the 1280×800 Galaxy Note and the 1280×768 HTC Jetstream, among others. Both the Snapdragon S3 chip and Adreno 220 GPU are extremely capable; the S4 is just significantly faster and more power-efficient.

That’s the problem with reviewing a device such as the HD. It was scrapped on AT&T for a reason: it’s already been surpassed internally by a number of devices either on the market or on their way. Objectively this is a problem: why recommend something that is ostensibly “out of date?” But subjectively the performance on the HD was not only good but great. Samsung did a fantastic job with Gingerbread to add its own hardware acceleration layer, and when the Galaxy S II X came out around the same time as the Sensation, Samsung proved its mettle by besting it in almost every benchmark by up to 40% using identical internals.

I did encounter a strange “Your device is not compatible with this game” message when I loaded Gameloft’s Modern Combat 3, an app I had no problem running on my Galaxy Nexus. Whether this has to do with the specific phone not being registered with Gameloft (due to its relatively newness and obscurity) or a larger hardware incompatibility remains to be seen, but I’m guessing the former.

If you do choose to go with the HD, be aware of its lineage. This is a great phone right now, and will provide what you want for the immediate future. After that there’s no guarantees.

Software

The Galaxy S II HD LTE runs Android 2.3.6 and will be, hopefully soon, upgraded to Android 4.0. Considering the on-the-market-since-July-2011 Galaxy S II 4G already has Ice Cream Sandwich.

As for what you get out of the box, Samsung does a great job keeping Gingerbread modern-feeling, though I immediately missed certain aspects of ICS such as drag-and-drop folder creation and swiping away notifications. It was also frustrating to realize that some of my favourite apps didn’t work out of the box on the HD, including my favourite browser, Chrome for Android.

I’ve said it numerous times before: there is nothing wrong with Gingerbread, and if you’ve never tasted Ice Cream Sandwich you probably won’t know what you’re missing. But more fundamentally, releasing a device running Android 2.3.6 less than two months before its ICS-powered sequel is akin to shooting itself in the foot.

If you’ve got to have a Gingerbread-powered phone for whatever reason, I’d suggest this one right now. It’s fast, it’s smooth and it doesn’t come with a lot of added crap. For a more in-depth look at TouchWIZ 4, head on over to our original Galaxy S II 4G review.

Camera

Like all the Galaxy S II-series devices, the 8MP sensor inside the HD is fantastic. It’s not lightning quick like the Galaxy Nexus, and it doesn’t do 4fps burst mode like the Galaxy S III, but it’s fast enough and, more importantly, takes some of the best photos on a phone today.

Details are plentiful, colours are accurate and there is little-to-no software sharpening to mask the sensor’s inherent flaws. Video too is terrific, with smooth and stable 1080p capture. While I would prefer the camera UI see a makeover akin to what HTC did on Sense 4.0, Samsung’s version is neither intrusive nor less functional — it’s just a bit ugly. That, and it takes a few more steps to enable/disable toggles because everything is buried in a menu somewhere.

Network Speed, Call & Sound Quality

Like any other LTE device on Bell’s network, the Galaxy S II HD LTE is very, very fast. It’s also got excellent reception: I usually had between four and five bars of LTE in most downtown areas. Results were consistently good, too, peaking between 15 and 20Mbps down and 6-12Mbps up. These are probably going to be typical results going forward on any of the three LTE networks in Canada, and more users engage in existing cell sites. And until the incumbents roll out 700Mhz LTE, we’re going to be stuck with pockets of the city where the AWS signal just cannot reach. Luckily the HD handoff between HSPA+ and LTE is very fast.

Call quality was typically good from the HD, though I wouldn’t say it was the best I’ve heard. Voice calls over Bell’s network are typically reliable, though, even in congested Toronto areas. The speaker on the back of the phone, in typical smartphone fashion, was loud yet sibilant, a compromise I’d probably rather make if relied on to fill a room with a conference call, for example.

Battery life

In many ways the Galaxy S II HD LTE is a combination of the the Rogers Galaxy S II LTE (internals) and the Galaxy Nexus (screen). Luckily its battery has a couple hundred extra mAh’s to work with than the Nexus but the last-generation LTE chip is still quite power-hungry.

Luckily for prospective buyers I didn’t notice a huge decline in typical battery life moving from the WVGA Super AMOLED screen to a more pixel-dense variety. But, as we know from the Galaxy Nexus, battery life was never one of its strongest suits.

The likelihood of the HD lasting an entire day is good to excellent, depending on how many services you have working in the background. I typically got between 10 and 14 hours from the device, which is terrific. More intense usage will likely net lower results, but I’d rate Samsung’s dark, AMOLED-friendly colour scheme generally lighter on battery than many of its competitors.

Conclusions

Not to belabour the point, but the Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE is a strange beast. At once it is a terrific handset, a capable Android smartphone with a stacked feature set that checks all the right boxes. But all manufacturers should make it mandatory for high-end Android phones to ship with the latest version of Android, in this case Ice Cream Sandwich.

It’s interesting to see Bell release this phone so close to the availability of the Galaxy S III. The HD is a great-looking, high-performing smartphone in its own right, but it’s hampered by its own lineage; it’s just not different enough from previous Galaxy S II devices to make a significant mark. It feels like a perfect but rather superfluous send-off to a storied franchise. All eyes are on the upcoming availability of the Galaxy S III.

The Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE is available exclusively from Bell for $99.95 on a three-year term and $549.95 outright.

Bell HTC Sensation 4G and Raider 4G LTE upgrade to OS 4.0 now available

Ian Hardy — Tue, 22 May 2012 17:32:14 +0000

Even though an internal Bell document suggested that the upgrade to OS 4.0 for the Sensation and Raider had an “estimated release” of June 2012, good news for both users of those Androids comes your way today. Bell has declared that Ice Cream Sandwich is now available for the Sensation 4G and Raider 4G LTE - looks like it’s OS 4.0.3 – and you can go forth and update it via OTA. Here are the step: Menu >> Settings >> About Phone >> System software updates >> Check now.

Update: The Sensation upgrade to 4.0 is also available to Virgin Mobile members.

Source: Bell
Via: Twitter
(Thanks Pete!)

Motorola MOTOLUXE now available at Bell for $300

Ian Hardy — Tue, 22 May 2012 12:16:56 +0000

There is at least one certainty about the Motorola MOTOLUXE: the price. This was released by Bell today and as expected hit a reasonable $299.95 no-term. Pretty decent pricing for an Android – albeit OS 2.3 and no plans to hit 4.0 – that has a 4-inch display (resolution of 480 x 854), 8MP camera and an 800 MHz processor.

Source: Bell

Bell streamlining prepaid monthly rate plans today

Ian Hardy — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:03:52 +0000

In Bell’s recent quarterly report they noted that “Prepaid gross activations decreased 23.8% in Q1 2012 to 94,574, due primarily to our emphasis on postpaid.” This is a trend in Canadian wireless and not just limited to Bell. Other such as Rogers and TELUS have also both reported a decrease in prepaid subscribers numbers.

Today, to potentially combat this growing concern, Bell will be streamlining the number of Prepaid plans they offer. An internal doc we received reveals that “Prepaid plans are being condensed into a single ‘Voice & Messaging’ plan line-up… new ‘Voice & Messaging’ plans are launching, prepaid ‘Voice’ plans are being renamed ‘Voice & Messaging’ plans, and prepaid ‘Voice & Data’ plans are expiring.”

So customers who want to sign up on a voice/text can grab a prepaid plan, but then if you want data you’ll have to sign up specifically for a data add-on. The two new prepaid plans that Bell is launching today are a $20.75/month plan that gives you $0.10/minute calling with unlimited text. Plus a $30.75/month plan that offers up unlimited incoming with unlimited text. As usual, all the prepaid plans includer a $10 start-up credit plus Call Display, Call Forwarding, Voicemail and Call Waiting

The data add-on is either $10/month or $20/month. Bell states that “Clients on a monthly ‘Voice & Messaging’ plan valued at $15.75 or higher receive 50% off one of the data add-ons.” The $10 add-on will drop to $5/month and you’ll get 100MB. The $20 will fall to $10 and gives you either 250MB data or BlackBerry Social (Facebook, Twitter, BBM).

Look for these changes to take place today.
(Thanks tipster!)

Cottagers: Bell rolling out Muskoka LTE coverage

Ian Hardy — Thu, 17 May 2012 02:08:47 +0000

Bell has been working hard on transforming the Muskoka landscape by disguising the standard and hideous looking cellphone towers as beautiful trees. What they haven’t been communicating is that they’ve been actively testing their LTE network in the area. Effective May 17th, Bell will once again expand their HSPA+ and LTE coverage, this time taking care of all the Summer vacationers in the Muskoka region.

First, by July 1st, Bell will be improving the HSPA+ coverage to 42Mbps. Now, according to an internal doc we received it states that LTE download speeds will reach “up to 75 Mbps,” unfortunately we don’t have a coverage map yet, but a link on the Bell site will go live tomorrow (Bell.ca/muskoka). However, what we do have for you is the future rollout schedule. Apparently by July 1st the LTE coverage “will expand to include over 90% of the shorelines on the largest lakes, over a dozen resorts and golf clubs, and several key communities.” Here’s what you can expect:

Lakes: Lake Muskoka, Lake Joseph, Lake Rosseau, Lake of Bays, Six Mile Lake, Honey Harbour

Communities: Gravenhurst, Port Carling, Rosseau, Milford Bay, Minett, Port Sandfield, Honey Harbour, Baysville, Dorset

Resorts & Golf Clubs: Taboo, Rocky Crest, Touchstone, Delawana Inn, Windermere House, Severn Lodge, Bigwin Island, Lake Joseph Club, Muskoka Lakes Golf & Country Club, Port Carling Golf & Country Club, Muskoka Bay Club, Muskoka Woodland Golf, The Rock

Bell’s LTE coverage currently reaches over 7 million Canadians and with this addition it’ll give it a slight boost. Muskoka will join other LTE area such as Guelph, Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Quebec, Calgary and Edmonton.

Update: Here’s your Muskoka coverage map:

Summer is already looking good: Sun, golf, beers, LTE.

(Thanks tipster!)

Bell and Virgin HTC One S pricing revealed

Daniel Bader — Wed, 16 May 2012 23:34:46 +0000

The HTC One S will be officially available tomorrow from several Canadian carriers. We’ve already seen TELUS’ pricing of this Android OS 4.0 device (ranges from $99.99 to $569.99) and now we can confirm the pricing that Bell will launch with. We happened upon a Source store who was willing to sell us the device a day early on either Virgin Mobile for $99.99 on a 3-year term, $599.99 outright or Bell for $0.05 cheaper.

We’ll have our full review up in a few days, but in the meantime check out our quick hands-on. Check after the break for some more hands-on photos with the blue and grey version that will be coming to multiple carriers.

Bell to release “85 Fab 10 plan” with 1,000 minutes and 3GB data

Ian Hardy — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:19:57 +0000

Just in time for some new device launches (HTC One S), Bell will be coming out with some new plans on Thursday, May 17th. There’s a few of them, such as the $25 Single/Share Voice plan with 50 minutes, but we’ll highlight one called the “85 Fab 10 plan.” This is available to “New and existing postpaid clients” and good for any smartphone or BlackBerry. The details are that you’ll get 1,000 minutes, 3GB of data, Unlimited calling/texting to 10 people, Unlimited Text/Picture/Video messaging, 10 hours of Mobile TV, 6PM evenings for $85/month. Sans Voicemail.

Look for this in a couple days.
(Thanks tipster!)

Upcoming Bell Motorola MOTOLUXE priced at $300 Prepaid

Ian Hardy — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:23:12 +0000

The Motorola MOTOLUXE will be arriving on Bell’s lineup. We let you know last week that the official launch date is currently scheduled for May 22nd. According to the internal doc we received it should be hitting their Prepaid for $299.95. This is very respectable pricing as it runs Android OS 2.3 (no word on being upgraded to 4.0), 4-inch display with a resolution of 480 x 854, 800Mhz processor and an 8MP camera. Certainly something to consider…

(Thanks tipster!)