Welcome to ‘Android News Canada’ a weekly column for our Android friends to the North covering all of the note-able Droid News affecting Canadians. While I am not Canadian, Chris our Editor-in-Chief and Founder certainly is, and he has tasked me with delivering all the latest Android News in Canada and hopefully I will become an honorary Canuck once a week! Now that, the snow has stopped falling, well except in Whitehorse, Spring is here… take out that BBQ, head to the cottage, eat some poutine, grab your favorite beverage -Molson Canadian, Labatt Blue or a Timmy’s- put some hockey on TV and get all your Canadian Android News right here! It is ‘aboot/aboat’ time to get started eh!
Galaxy S4 Stock Limited in Canada Too
Right along with the announcements that there would by shipment delays for the Galaxy S4 in the US and UK, the same has also been announced of Canada. It’s no surprise really, given the high demand for Samsung’s latest flagship.
Pre-orders start shipping on April 27, but during the official launch (May 3rd) there will only be a limited number of handsets available for sale. Currently there’s no word on when the supply issues will be over, so it looks like we’ll just have to wait for some more information.
Mobilicity is Working Toward Eventual Sale or “Recapitalization”
Mobilicity issued a press release last Friday stating that it has “obtained two orders of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice authorizing Mobilicity to, among other things, call and hold meetings at which two arrangements will be voted on by debt holders pursuant to the Canada Business Corporations Act.”
The two scenarios or arrangements that may happen include a total sale of all the company’s assets, or a “recapitalization” process if the company cannot be sold outright. The restructure process would see Mobilicity rearranging company finances, and selling various assets to help pay off loans and gain some extra funds. The meetings are set to take place on May 21, and we’ll let you know as soon as more news on the matter is available.
TELUS is the most likely candidate to purchase Mobilicity leaving many worried that such a merger will affect the Telecom market in Canada, thus ruining any chance at healthy competition.
Sony Xperia J Now Available Through Bell and Virgin for $150 or More
The Sony Xperia J is an entry-level handset, packing a 1GHz single-core processor, a 4-inch display, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and a 5MP camera. It also includes a 1700mAh battery with removable back covers (black and white) that can be swapped out.
Virgin has the cheapest price for the handset at $149.99 with no contract, while Bell is offering the device for $179.95 outright, and for $0 with a 3 year contract.
Canadians Who Pre-ordered the Galaxy S4 Should Now Have It
Canadians who pre-ordered their Galaxy S4 through Rogers, TELUS, Fido and Bell should now either have the device in their possession, or at the very least in transit. The device officially launches over the next couple of days, and even though pre-orders saw a shipping delay- carriers recently began shipping units.
Stream the Playoffs Right to Your Smartphone with Rogers Anyplace TV and CBC’s Hockey Night
Ah, yes Hockey. It’s the biggest sport in Canada, probably because it’s always so damn cold up there.
Nevertheless, the playoffs are kicking off soon, and the good news is that now you can watch the games directly on your smartphone. Rogers Anyplace TV will be streaming coverage of CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada so that you can watch it anywhere, anytime.
If you own a Rogers handset the application should already be installed on your phone, but you can still download Rogers Anyplace TV from Google Play if you need to. Usually it costs $5 per month for 10 hours of viewing, with overage charges of $1 per additional hour, but right now the overage fees are being waived (until October 31, 2013).
Rogers Rebrands Network to LTE Max
As the title implies, Rogers rebranded their entire network to LTE Max, or in other words adjusted LTE support across two different frequencies, AWS (1700/2100MHz) and 2600MHz. The new LTE Max network, which went live Wednesday (May 1) is now available to more than 20 different markets which more to come. The network is expected to be offered in more than 44 markets when all is said and done. Check out the Rogers Redboard for more information, and to find out if you’re home market is affected.