The US isn’t the only country to have its two largest wireless carriers in the middle of a legal spat as Canada’s TELUS has filed suit against Rogers Wireless. The reason for the lawsuit has to do with Rogers’ claim to “Canada’s most reliable network”, one that is “two times faster than any other.” According to TELUS, such claims became invalid as of November 5th when its very own 21Mbps HSPA network was launched. Looking to resolve the matter out of court, the Burnaby, BC-based company asked Rogers to immediately cease all reliability and speed claims. Rogers did not and one week later the lawsuit was born.

As it stands today, Rogers is refusing to back down from its claims citing independent studies dating back to 2007 which consistently show its networks superior performance. The problem with the position taken by Rogers is it puts TELUS at an unfair disadvantage as its new network has yet to undergo such third-party testing. On the other hand, the Rogers network does include an EDGE network, something TELUS does not have, which one could argue creates a fail-safe of sorts thus lending credence Rogers’ claimed reliability. As for what it hopes to achieve with the lawsuit, TELUS is asking that Rogers admit it disregarded the standards set forth in the Competition Act, stop all ads claiming its network to be the fastest and most reliable and, as always, pay for damages incurred.

Bell, who shares its network with TELUS, is not involved in the lawsuit.

Thanks, Tom!

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Just a quick  little heads up for our Canadians brothers and sisters that at this moment may or may not be doing battle with polar bears on glaciers the size of Manhattan — TELUS has released the BlackBerry Storm2. Retailing for $599.99, the Storm2 is also available at the subsidized price of $199.99 provided one is willing to take on a 3-year contract with a minimum of a $50 voice and data plan. So what’s it going to be, Canada? Yay or nay?

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Recently, TELUS issued a press release letting Canadians know that their handsets are now being offered through Black’s, the nation-wide digital camera chain. This news in itself didn’t interest us in the least, but for giggles we clicked on through to Black’s website just to see what handsets it was going to be offering considering the odd partnership. What did we see in the line up? None other than a TELUS branded BlackBerry Storm2. Unfortunately what you see above is all we have for now as this sucker has not yet been announced by TELUS, but we have a feeling that will change very, very soon.

Thanks, Tony!

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A couple days ago, HTC tweeted the Hero would be anointed with Android 2.0, just like the DROID, and now, HTC’s website is showing us that the Hero will be offered on Telus’ network in GSM/HSDPA goodness. No specification surprises in the GSM variant: Telus’ Hero will have the same Qualcomm MSM7200A 528MHz processor, WiFi b/g, BlueTooth 2.0, and 5 megapixel camera as its CDMA cousin. There has been no indication from HTC as to whether the GSM Hero will ship with Android 1.5 or 2.0 in tow, but we’re sure it will make its way onto the handset eventually. Think HTC has developed a bit of a complex from all the Motorola DROID hoopla?

Thanks, Juicy47!

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We just got an an email from one of our connects and we’ve got some great new for all you iPhone-lovers. We’ve been told in just a couple hours, Canada’s TELUS will officially announce that its nation-wide HSPA network will go live on November 5th. Not only that, but on that very date, TELUS will start selling the Apple iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. The iPhone pricing structure for TELUS will be the same as it is for Rogers (and Bell, for that matter) with the 3G going for $99.99/$599.99 and the 16 and 32GB 3GS going for $199.99/$699.99 and $299.99/$799.99. Beyond that, TELUS doesn’t appear to be in any rush to come forward with specifics on its plan pricing and other handsets. All the presses hints at is “TELUS will offer a number of exciting new devices from HTC, Huawei, LG, Nokia, RIM, Samsung, and Sierra Wireless in time for the holidays, including some on an exclusive basis.” That’s more or less in line with the line-up we’ve already told you.

It’s always a lot of fun for us — and hopefully for you, the readers — any time we can run wild with pictures, news, and even reviews of an unannounced handset. Today, however, RIM spoiled our fun and formally announced the BlackBerry Bold 9700. Things like carriers, release dates and pricing have been withheld for the time being, but RIM has made a statement saying that we should all expect to see the BlackBerry 9700 go on sale “around the world beginning in November.” Spec wise, nothing has changed since our pre-release review, but just in case some of you forgot or weren’t paying a whole lot of attention, here’s a quick refresher on the critical specs:

• BlackBerry OS 5.0
• 624MHz CPU
• 256MB flash memory and support for microSD cards up to 32GB
• Quad-band UMTS/HSDPA (800/850/1900/2100 MHz) or tri-band UMTS/HSDPA (900/1700/2100 MHz)
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g with UMA support (carrier dependent)
• A-GPS
• 2.44″ HVGA+ display
• 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash
• Optical trackpad
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP/AVCRP
• 1500 mAh battery
• 6 hours of talk time and 17 days of standby (3G)
• 109mm x 60mm x 14.1mm, 122g

In short, this is the BlackBerry device of your dreams. We’re expecting pretty much every single major GSM carrier on the planet to pick up the 9700 sooner or later, so we’ll be sure to keep the updates coming. As always, high res pics and a few other odds and ends are available after the jump.

UPDATE: AT&T, Rogers and T-Mobile have announced they will be carrying the Bold 9700 in the weeks ahead. AT&T and T-Mobile’s 9700 will go for $199.99 after a $100 MIR on 2-year deals while Rogers will be asking for $299.99 on a 3-year contract with a monthly minimum voice and data plan of $45. Bell and TELUS have yet to come forward with pricing but have confirmed they will be carrying the device.

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With employee HSPA training well under way, one of our TELUS connects hit us up late last night to let us know just what smartphone hungry Canadians can expect once its HSPA network overlay goes live next month. Apart from the obvious ones – iPhone 3G and 3GS — TELUS will be dishing out the BlackBerry Bold 9700, LG Chocolate BL40 and the Nokia E71 (odd, we know). Road warriors should also note that TELUS will be offering the Sierra Wireless 306 USB data stick which is capable of taking full advantage of TELUS’ 21Mbps HSPA network. Okay, fine, rumors about many of these devices coming to TELUS aren’t exactly new, but we’re the first to be able to confirm this 100%. Just one more thing…. We’ve been told that the HTC Hero is definitely in TELUS’ play book and it’s going to be the GSM/HSPA variant.

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After receiving approximately 100 emails on the subject, we obviously obliged. Like we said yesterday, the iPhone is coming to both Bell and TELUS next month. The price of the handsets, the plans that they require and specific release dates have not been mentioned. Those partial to TELUS can click here to sign up for an emailing list that we’re sure will be neither prompt nor informative, while those who are all about Bell will have to wait until Bell updates its website. For one stupid reason or another they’re still hyping up the Palm Pre. Smooth.

Thanks to everyone that sent this in!

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Not super excited about the November launch of Bell’s HSPA network? Fair enough, but we think you’ll change your mind once we tell you what The Globe and Mail is reporting: both Bell and TELUS are going to be selling the Apple iPhone next month. Apple, Bell and TELUS declined to speak to the matter when asked, but the fact remains that not only does this make sense considering the fact exclusivity deals are already starting to fizzle out in the UK, but for the simple fact that if The Globe and Mail says its going to happen you can confidently bet your bottom dollar that it will happen 99 times out of 100. If not, we’re going cancel our subscription for our Canadian office. Rogers, we are awaiting emails from your PR people.

Thanks, Scott, and everyone else who sent this one in!

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Windows Mobile fans take note — 30 new handsets powered by your mobile OS of choice will supposedly be debuting before you again sing a drunken version of Auld Lang Syne. Benjamin Tan, senior director of the GCR Mobile Team Unit at Microsoft China, let loose the rumor that an avalanche of new Windows Mobile 6.5 handsets from HTC, Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson, Acer, Toshiba, HP and more will be released in the waning months of 2009. Carriers who have jumped on board this Window Mobile bonanza include AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, Orange, T-Mobile, Vodafone, NTT DoCoMO, Softbank Mobile,  SKT, Telstra and Telus. Bottom line: no matter where you are located or what you prefer in a smartphone, there will apparently be a Windows Phone to suit your needs in 2009.

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A day we thought would never come is upon us as the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, whose members include all of the major Canadian telcos and their subsidiaries (including all new entrants other than DAVE Wireless), have agreed to a code of conduct that benefits not themselves but their customers. Just like in the US, Canadians will now be able to walk away from their contracts penalty free if a carrier makes material changes to the terms of the contract. If the customer doesn’t wish to leave their carrier, he or she will have the option of staying on board at a grandfathered rate. Other new rules state that charges and contracts must be more clearly explained, privacy must be more fiercely protected (remember a few years ago when hundreds of pages of Rogers subscribers’ personal information were found in a dumpster?) and customer service must, well, be of service. All in all the new rules sound amazing, but only time will tell whether or not they actually have an impact on the Canadian wireless market.

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Oops. While neither handset is due for launch until this Friday, apparently LG just couldn’t wait to take the wraps off either of these puppies. Both handsets are now fully detailed on LG’s Canadian site and, despite their humdrum specs, we just can’t resist it when a company leaks its own handsets. Beginning with the LGBliss, pictured above left, we’re looking at an August 7th launch from Bell with pricing coming in at $79.95 CAD on a 3-year contract. In terms of specs you’ve got a full 3-inch 240×400 pixel touchscreen, 2 megapixel camera, video capture capability, 4 1/2 hours of talk time and a UI that even looks terrible in the marketing renders. TELUS’ Keybo2 will also launch on August 7th and will be priced at $129.99 CAD on a 3-year contract. Here we’ve got a dual-keypad clamshell with a 2.6-inch 320×240 pixel internal display and a 1.56-inch 160×96 pixel external display. Other notable specs include a 3 megapixel camera with video capture, stereo Bluetooth support and up to 5 1/3 hours of talk time. There’s still no word on whether or not we can expect either handset to launch elsewhere in the near future, not that you care.

[Via MobileSyrup]

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Just one day after it was officially announced by LG, a super special variant of the incredibly sexy BL40 surfaced on the FCC. Dubbed the BL40g, it contains absolutely no surprises save for two of the things we love most in life — the 850 and 1900 MHz bands of UMTS. Now before any of you get jumping to conclusions such as “holy crap, it is coming to AT&T” we should remind you that the BL40 has long been known to be TELUS-bound in time for the launch of its HSDPA network. You know, seeing how it runs on the same bands as AT&T and Rogers… You get the idea.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

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Canadian Windows Mobile junkies have a couple of reasons to smile this afternoon as TELUS has begun selling two great WinMo packin’ smartphones: the HTC Snap and Touch Pro2. Priced at $0 and $249.99 respectively on 3-year deals with voice and data discount (or $399.99 and $649.99 outright), both the Snap and Touch Pro2 are sure to please prosumers and business users alike. Apart from their obvious differences, each device has an abundance of features including email support, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, speakerphone, visual voicemail, global GSM roaming and well over five hours of talk-time per device. So, Canadians, who’s in?

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Oh Best Buy, how we love you so. It doesn’t seem to matter to you whether or not a carrier has officially launched a device, because you’re in the big box business and don’t care about trivialities like carrier announcements. The latest example of this sort of behavior is your peddling of TELUS’ HTC Touch Pro2 for $249.99 CAD despite the fact TELUS has yet to confirm pricing, let alone a launch date. But like we said, you’re Best Buy so you can afford to take these sort of risks. Just do us one favor, okay? Fix the crazy image that you have up on the site because you’re making the sexiest WinMo handset in creation look like one of those LG phones that wants to be a makeup compact. Kthx.

Thanks, Dennis!

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Sometimes it takes a little while for everyone to get with the times but better late than never, we say. The still unreleased HTC Touch Pro2 for Telus will be featuring, amongst a host of other awesome specs, a 3.5mm headphone jack (ditching the USB one that came with an adapter) as revealed by an early video review. Hopefully this will be a new and permanent trend for all future HTC devices. The touchscreen/QWERTY hybrid will also be home to Windows Mobile 6.1 with HTC’s famous TouchFlo 3D UI, a 3.2 megapixel shooter, Wi-Fi and a pivoting screen much like the AT&T Tilt of yesteryear. This is definitely a worthy successor to the original Touch Pro/Fuze, so if you’re in the market for a new device on TELUS you might not want to pass this one up. Hit the jump for the video reviews.

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And just like that, yet another carrier has officially jumped in on the BlackBerry Tour action — today the honors belonging to Canada’s TELUS. The carrier is willing to let anyone and everyone get their hands on the latest sexy number from RIM provided they’re cool with dropping $229.99 and signing off on a 3-year deal. But don’t worry, those of you who are contractaphobes or just like to spend cash like it’s going out of style, because the Tour can be bought off-contract for $599.99. In other news related to the green carrier from North of the 49th, the HTC Snap and Touch Pro2 have officially been announced as coming soon. This means it’s likely that all is indeed set for the 15th and 21st of July respectively. However, considering that the TELUS launch date of the Tour has been pushed up by two days in response to Bell’s earlier than expected launch, we wouldn’t be surprised to see things for the Snap or Pro2 change at the last moment as well.

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We appreciate the fact that many people are sick and tired of all of the coverage the BlackBerry Tour has received lately but the fact is there are tons of people eager to get their hands on a modern CDMA BlackBerry with a QWERTY keypad. Both TELUS and Bell are going to be carrying the Tour as we know, with TELUS offering it for $249.99 as of July 15th — kind of a steep price considering a 3-year contract is required. So for those who are looking to save any amount of money up front on the device, we recommend checking out Best Buy where the Tour is $20 cheaper compared to TELUS’ direct price. It’s not much but every penny counts these days.

Thanks, Ed!

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It looks as if July is shaping up to be a pretty good month for TELUS subscribers — how does three hot new handsets in one week sound? One of our ninjas just hit us to let us know the carrier will apparently be launching both the BlackBerry Tour and the HTC Snap on July 15th followed less than a week later by the HTC Touch Pro2 on the 21st. So far the only pricing we have is for the Tour and the Snap, which will go for $249.99 and $29.99 respectively on 3-year contracts. As for the Pro2, unfortunately pricing has yet to be entered into the TELUS system. We’re doing our damnedest to get more details but in the meantime you’ve got some decision making to do, TELUS subscribers.

Thanks, Bird!

UPDATE: We’re hearing $249.99 for the Touch Pro2.

It’s been a while since we talked about these devices coming to TELUS, but the BlackBerry Tour, HTC Snap and Touch Pro2 are front and center in our minds today, having just popped up in a new Best Buy Mobile flyer. TELUS has yet to officially announce the two HTC handsets (the Tour popped up on its website this morning) and unfortunately nothing juicy like pricing or release dates are specified for any of the handsets. The flyer is valid from July 3rd to July 30th though so hopefully we’ll get official word from TELUS soon.

[Via Mobile Syrup]

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We typically shy away from wild rumors such as the one you’re about to read. Considering the information has been relayed by an individual with a pretty good track record with this sort of thing however, we’re going to report on it. With an extra spoonful of caution, that is. Word on the web is that Rogers and Fido don’t quite have the iPhone exclusivity deal in place we all thought they did. Apparently TELUS, currently a CDMA-only carrier, will be picking up the so called 3GS in October once it gets its upcoming HSPA network up and running. Just to be clear, we have yet to see any evidence to support this claim at all, meaning that for now it’s just one of those rumors that seems a bit too convenient. We’re not going to count it out just yet either though — it would certainly be a hell of a way for TELUS to get that shiny new HSPA network on the map.

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Just because Verizon and Sprint have been hogging all of attention when it comes to the newly announced BlackBerry Tour 9630 doesn’t mean those who live in the home country of the smartphone itself have been forgotten by your pals at BGR. The latest rumor regarding the TELUS Tour has it launching on July 15th, much later than the previously rumored launch date of June 22nd. Delays (assuming that the first rumored launch date was even real) are never fun, but perhaps an included 1GB microSD card will be a good enough consolation prize for the extra 23 days of waiting. Ok, probably not — and definitely not if the rumored $249.99 3-year promotional price becomes a reality.

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Thanks, Ricky Ricardo Mentelban!

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Aaaaand we’re back with some more news regarding TELUS’ HSPA soft-launch. We’ve spoken to a few more people who have been able to confirm to us that TELUS is indeed going to be flipping the switch on parts of its HSPA network on September 2nd — though at this point in time we’ve been unable to get confirmation as to which markets this will occur in. All we know for now is that Vancouver will be one of the lucky markets and, if all goes to plan, the majority of the country will be able to bask in the glory of the new network by the end of October. In other TELUS network news, we know a lot of people have been complaining about a sudden uptake in network interuptions. We’ve been told this is to do with the fact that engineers at TELUS have had to reposition a lot of CDMA antennas to make room for the new HSPA equipment. Chalk it up to a case of no pain, no gain, we suppose.

Earlier this week we broke the exclusive news that TELUS is looking to soft-launch its HSDPA network well ahead of schedule and now the folks over at MobileSyrup have unearthed an .xml file over at the LG website that may further support our scoop. The file, entitled “LG-BL40-TELUS”, contains references to UMTS and HSDPA connectivity which in turn led to speculation that the BL40 (which is also headed to Vodafone) could very well be among the first HSDPA devices to be offered by TELUS. Specs wise, it appears that the BL40 will sport a 345×800 display and a 5 megapixel camera but not much else can be gleaned from the file. Regardless of the specs, mention of an HSDPA-enabled TELUS handset already floating around in public domain is most defintely a good sign.

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Over the past few weeks, we’ve spoken to quite a few people in the know who have casually mentioned that TELUS is soon going to be flipping the switch on its HSDPA network in a few major Canadian markets. The focus of the soft-launch will apparently be on the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. This information is further corroborated by a tip we received recently from a TELUS engineer who claims that September 2nd is the date that TELUS is eyeing for the soft-launch. The move will not only allow the company to iron out the kinks before a nationwide release, but it will also ensure that it has ample time to get everything thoroughly tested for February 12th, 2010 when all of the world comes to Vancouver and Whistler for the 2010 Winter Olympics (oh hi, HSDPA roaming fees). What makes this even more interesting is the fact that the same people also mentioned a Fall launch for Bell, the official cellular carrier of the 2010 Winter Olympics and a company that happens to have a Canada-wide tower sharing agreement with TELUS. Who’s excited to see Rogers’ HSDPA monopoly come crashing down?

Well isn’t this interesting. One of our TELUS ninjas just sent us some snapshots of the TELUS inventory system which now lists both the HTC Touch Pro2 World Edition and the HTC Snap World Edition. This is the first time we know of that either of these devices have shown up in a carrier’s inventory system. While nothing is confirmed, we have to think we’re looking at EV-DO Rev. A for both handsets along with dual-band GSM as the World Edition moniker implies. Beyond that we’re guessing they tout pretty much the same specs as their respective GSM counterparts. As always, we’ll dig as deep as we can to get more information and report back ASAP. Until then, rest easy knowing that it can’t be too long until two more awesome smartphones arrive on the TELUS network. Hit the jump for a shot of the HTC Snap listed in the TELUS inventory system.

It was only last week when we found out that TELUS was going to follow in Bell’s footsteps and launch the Palm Treo Pro. Well, on Tuesday that day finally arrived. Going for $149.99 on a 3-year ($549.99 retail) it’s not quite as tasty as Bell’s $99.95 Treo Pro but it’s still a fair deal, relatively speaking. To people already with TELUS who have a good plan they don’t want to give up, we can’t see that $50.04 getting in the way. You know, unless they’re intent on getting a Pre as soon as it makes its way North of the 49th Parallel.

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It looks like Bell isn’t going to be the only Canadian carrier to offer both the Palm Treo Pro and Samsung OMNIA as TELUS is getting ready to launch both devices for $149.99 each. Well, based upon some advertisements that have appeared in several newspapers across Canada at least. Despite the good news of their impending arrival, both handsets are more expensive on TELUS with the OMNIA and Treo Pro commanding an extra $20 and $50 respectively over the prices offered by Bell. It might not seem like the biggest deal, but considering that these prices are based upon 3-year contracts being signed we have to say that the extra dollars are likely to rub more than a few people the wrong way. Now, we don’t have any specific release dates as of yet, but we will be sure to keep you all updated with the latest news as it happens.

UPDATE: Surprise, surprise, TELUS announced the OMNIA shortly after this was published and dropped the price to $129.99.

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Here we go again. On the one hand, rumorsville is buzzing with speculation surrounding the Evoke QA4, a rather intriguing touchscreen slider reportedly headed to US Cellular, MetroPCS and/or Cricket. On the other hand, you’ve got the VE465.

• CDMA 800/1900/1700/2100 connectivity
• 1.9 inch TFT internal display with 176 x 220 pixels and 65k colors
• 1.05 inch CSTN external display with 96 x 80 pixels
• Brew OS
• Stereo Bluetooth
• Music player
• Video player
• MMS, SMS, Instant Messaging, E-mail
• 1.3 megapixel camera
• USB 2.0
• MicroSD up to 4GB
• Talk time: up to 4.5 hours, Standby time: up to 12 days
• 1.8 x 3.9 x 0.7 inches, 3.8 ounces

We’re not sure exactly how this handset carries ruggedized devices forward but apparently Moto did something right as it has already been picked up by two known carriers, Alltel and TELUS. Release timing and pricing are still unknown but we’re hoping carrier subsidies take it down pretty low. Any of you outdoorsy types out there looking forward to snagging one?

[Via Unwired View]

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