What would you think if your carrier offered full integration of your mobile account on your computer? Giving you all of your phone capabilities from your desktop or laptop, and made it all free?

Canadian carrier Rogers Wireless announced Rogers One Number^TM yesterday, that does all of the above, and more. Any Rogers wireless (personal, not business) customer can go register for this new service for free at www.RogersOneNumber.ca.

Where are they coming from? The company spokesman had this to say in the press release:

“Canadians have told us that with more and more technology, their lives have become more confusing and complicated. We now have a seamless and easy-to-use solution for them with Rogers One Number,” said John Boynton, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Rogers Communications. “By extending your Rogers wireless number to your computer, we’re transforming and simplifying how Canadians connect with family and friends.”

“When you’re a Rogers wireless customer it’s not just about you and your phone, Rogers One Number extends your mobile number to your computer, unifying your communication and giving you an enhanced identity,” said John Boynton. “This service reflects our commitment to customer-driven innovation and creating world-leading internet experiences that evolve with our customers’ relationship to technology.”

Watch a quick video summary of the features on their registration page, which include:

• Unified inbox and contacts – not just for e-mail, but for voicemail and even texts, making them available and synched between your the website and your phone.
  

• Talk and send texts Canada-wide from your computer with no additional wireless charges: The ability to switch wireless calls to your computer and back, and to have them come from your regular number.

• Call or text any Canadian number on your computer, from anywhere for free: No matter where you are, all calls, video chats with other Rogers One Number users and outgoing text messages sent to Canadian wireless numbers are free of charge, even if you are in the US or an international destination.

• Available Add-Ons for Unlimited US or International Calling from your Computer: $10/month for US, $20/month international

With features like this, and assuming the voice call quality is good, many people could significantly reduce their minutes and long distance plans, especially if they travel significantly. They specifically mention travellers and out of town students as some big potential beneficiaries. Even more significantly, think of what you can do if you misplace or lose your phone and still have access to incoming and outgoing calls and texts!

Some of the capabilities are similar at first glace to what works in the opposite direction for the US-only features of Google Voice, which the CRTC has yet to allow into Canada, but much more tightly integrated since its the carrier that is providing them.

Its not too surprising that they would be the carrier to come up with something like this, as Rogers prides themselves on being innovators in the Canadian market. They were first in the world with the BlackBerry, and first into Canada for Android and the iPhone, and more recently first to bring LTE to some of the major markets.

So what about those of us that are not with Rogers, or are enviously eyeing this service around the world? Will the other Canadian carriers follow? How about some of the big US carriers? Since Rogers is one of the largest internet and cable providers in the country, this gives them additional capabilities, bandwidth, and bundling opportunities to make the most of this idea. Is this yet another innovation that will help the consumer by giving us more ways to get long-distance, texts and now even wireless minutes for free? This could prove a tough one for other companies to replicate, or to justify the economics.

So what do you think of a service like this? Would you use it a lot? Do you have Rogers-envy for a day?

Canada is once again getting a jump on its neighbors to the south when it comes to carrier competition. Though the first major LTE network in North America was launched in the United States, Canada can now lay claim to having more LTE choices now that TELUS has confirmed it will launch its network on February 10, 2012.

Starting tomorrow, TELUS will offer 4G LTE service in 14 markets in Canada. Those markets include: Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, Kitchener, Waterloo, Hamilton, Guelph, Belleville, Ottawa, Montreal, Québec City, Halifax and Yellowknife. By the end of 2012, the coverage area should reach an estimated 25 million people.

TELUS joins Bell and Rogers as the top carriers in Canada to offer an LTE network. The top-rated download speeds peaked at 75 Mbps, but customers can expect a more consistent speed ranging from 12 to 25 Mbps depending on the area. And should a customer find him or herself in an area without LTE coverage, the phone will fall back on TELUS’ 4G HSPA+ network, which has a peak of 42 Mbps, 7 to 14 average.

The LG optimus LTE, Samsung Galaxy Note, and Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE tablet will be the first devices capable of running on the LTE network. The Note goes on sale February 14, but the other devices should be available on launch day. Get more information here.

Sprint today announced results for the fourth quarter and full financial year of 2011. The third-ranked U.S. carrier added 1.6 million net new subscribers in Q4, reaching its highest level of customers ever – a total of 55 million.

The Now Network still suffered a net loss of $1.3 billion because of expenses and investments related to launching the iPhone and investing in Clearwire, the company that built the 4G WiMax network Sprint uses (Sprint owns a majority share of Clearwire but it operates as an independent company).

Sprint will spend even more of that money later this year as the company builds its 4G LTE network. Sprint expects to have LTE in select markets beginning in mid 2012. Today, the company added Baltimore and Kansas City to the list of cities that can expect to see a new 4G LTE network and enhanced 3G service this year. That brings the total number of launch markets to six, including Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.

The first 4G devices will be the previously-covered Samsung Galaxy Nexus and LG Viper. It will be interesting to see if either device will convince Sprint subscribers to opt for Android instead of the iPhone, a proposition most don’t embrace these days. Of the 1.8 million iPhones sold in the fourth quarter, 60 percent were from existing customers. Those subscribers previously would have chosen between Sprint’s top Android handsets. The lack of 4G on the current iPhone didn’t deter customers, so the lack of LTE on the next version probably won’t either.

T-Mobile USA wants to get everyone in the Valentine’s Day spirit, so the boys and girls in magenta will make all smartphones and a select few tablets free on a 2-year agreement.

The way it works is that customers can go into T-Mobile USA stores this Saturday and purchase a new phone on a 2-year agreement. Customers will then receive a rebate form that they fill-in and mail to T-Mobile to receive a rebate card for the full value of the phone. You’ll still have to pay $250 to get a Galaxy S II, but you’ll get $250 back a few weeks afterward.

The deal is open only to new customers and existing subscribers who are eligible for an upgrade. Residents of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Miami-Dade County, Florida are not eligible for the deal, but a separate offer will be made available to those customers (no details mentioned in the announcement).

T-Mobile is also offering a deal for customers interested in an Unlimited Value plan. Those users will get a mail-in rebate for the upfront costs and have an EIP monthly payment in addition to their monthly bill. For instance, you’ll pay $199.99 for a Galaxy S II in-store and then received a rebate card in the mail worth $200. Your monthly bill will then be charged an extra $20 per month to pay for the phone.

More details on requirements and the phones offered are available at T-Mobile.

Verizon Wireless announced the availability of its upcoming Motorola DROID 4 smartphone earlier today.  The DROID  4is going to launch on February 10th for $199 on a two year contract, as reported by Andrew.  However, this Friday not only marks the launch of the DROID 4, but will be the date Verizon reintroduces double the data and begins its BOGO promotion on the DROID RAZR series.

In late 2011, Verizon introduced a promotion in which individuals signing a new data contract would automatically receive double the data.  Typically, customers pay $30 for 2GB of data, but during the promotion, Verizon would double it to 4GB without any extra fees.  The same promotion applies to 5GB and 10GB doubling to 10GB and 20GB, respectively.  This is a great promotion since 2GB can be reached relatively easily if you use 4G LTE for a lot of browsing and video streaming.

In addition, the Motorola DROID RAZR in white, black, and purple will be available as a BOGO offer.  The DROID RAZR MAXX will also be eligible for this promotion.  The DROID RAZR is priced at $199 on a two year contract, while the DROID RAZR MAXX sports a $299 price tag.  If you’re looking to pick up two top notch Android smartphones for the price of one, Verizon has the deal for you.

Lastly, all of their 4G LTE tablets are said to be going on sale such that if you purchase a 4G LTE tablet and smartphone, the up front cost will be slashed by $100.

Again, these promotions will not begin until Friday, February 10.  If you are looking to sign a new contract with Verizon Wireless, you may want to consider this new promotion.

[BGR]

Motorola and Verizon have confirmed the price and launch date for the Motorola Droid 4. Set to go on sale beginning Friday, February 10, the Droid 4 will cost $199 on a two-year agreement.

The Droid 4 has access to Verizon’s 4G LTE network, so its comforting to see the company offer a premium LTE phone under the $200 mark. Verizon has also dropped the price of the Lapdock 500, which is sold separately for $299. That will be a welcome change of pace for anyone who considered getting the accessory that can turn the phone into a special laptop-like mode for browsing the web and accessing apps.

There’s plenty to like with in the Droid 4. The phone continues the original Droid concept of high-powered specs mixed with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. It basically looks like a Droid RAZR with a keyboard strapped on to it, and has:

• Verizon Wireless 4G LTE – Customers can expect fast download speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G LTE Mobile Broadband coverage areas
• Android^™ 2.3.5 Gingerbread, to be upgraded to Android^™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• 4.0-inch qHD display with scratch and scrape resistant glass
• Government-grade encryption (FIPS 140-2) for email, calendar and contacts; preloaded with Citrix^® Receiver^™ for Android (available in webtop) for desktop virtualization and access
• 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video capture
• Front-facing camera for video chat
• 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot supporting up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices

I played with the Droid 4 at CES and had a favorable first impression. The Droid 4 has a 5-row keyboard reminiscent of previous Droids, and the buttons are spaced out nicely. I did some brief testing of my favorite phrase – “Andrew Kameka is the greatest person on the face of the Earth” – and my thumbs immediately found the right key despite not having touched a QWERTY in months.

Pickings are slim for those who want a slide-out keyboard, but the Droid 4 is probably going to be at the head of the class thanks to its specs. There are some differences from the RAZR, the most noticeable being an LCD screen instead of Super AMOLED, but most of the other key specs are all present. Head to Verizon this Friday and test it for yourself to see if it’s worth upgrading.

Redbox, the DVD and Blu-Ray rental kiosk spotted outside grocers across the U.S., is launching a joint-venture with Verizon. The new partnership will give consumers the chance to rent a new release DVD or Blu-ray from a physical Redbox location or access on-demand streams and downloads from Verizon.

The Verizon-Redbox partnership, currently unnamed and light on details, appears on the surface to be a Netflix competitor. But based on the few details that are available, there’s no guarantee that Verizbox (unofficial title that I’m totally trademarking) will follow the same all-you-can-eat format of Netflix. There could be a monthly subscription fee to watch unlimited video, but there also could be a per-movie charge or a combination of the two that gives members the option of purchasing a film out right.

The Verizon-Redbox “product portfolio” will launch in the second half of 2012, so there’s plenty of time to wait and see what exactly Verizbox has up its self. There could be a natural rival to rental options based on the number of kiosks Redbox already has, and the company’s recent decision to no longer honor the lengthy wait times some movie studios want to place on rental services could lead to movies being available weeks before Netflix users ever get a chance. That could be a strong differentiator if the service is similarly-priced to Netflix.

There’s no word yet if this service will be limited to Verizon wireless customers. One would assume that Verizon might want to use the streaming service as a way to entice users to sign-up for its 4G LTE network, but the carrier may just as well want to expose this service to as many users as possible and offer streaming on computers, web connected TV’s, tablets, and maybe even phones not tied to its network. Redbox, which has a 35-percent stake in the new venture, probably falls into “as many as possible” category, so we’ll see how that affects availability later this year.

A kerfuffle erupted a short while ago when folks first noticed that the Android developer page had removed the Galaxy Nexus 4G LTE from its list of supported devices. That immediately led people to wonder if Google had just dropped the Nexus from its list of supported devices and was turning the device over to Verizon for management. Considering that testy relationship, that instantly made a lot of folks nervous. What’s the point of having a Nexus device if you’re still waiting half a year for your carrier to decide if it will deliver an update?

That’s not what’s happening here, however. Google has already clarified in separate statements. On a Google Groups page, Developer Advocate Dan Morril said that the change “simply updated the documentation to be clearer about the current extent of CDMA support.” That’s because the current crop of CDMA Nexus devices, of which the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon is a member, has issues with the way telephone function is implemented. Those issues cause custom builds from AOSP source code to be unable to make calls and access data because the “platform” key doesn’t match. Morril says that Google still delivers binaries to CDMA phones and will support the phones as much as it can, but GSM/HSPA+ models will require less work on the developer’s part. (Read the full explanation here.)

In a separate statement attributed to an unnamed Google representative, the company confirmed to The Verge that this change will have no effect on the way updates are handled. Firmware updates will still be delivered to the Galaxy Nexus by Google. So, nothing has really changed for non-developers.
Move along, folks; nothing to see here. Unless you’re a developer, of course.

via The Verge, Droid Life

Sunday will be the first time that many Americans are introduced to the Samsung Galaxy Note, thanks to the supersized Super Bowl commercial to go along with the device’s supersized 5.3-inch SuperAMOLED screen. Super.

This Sunday will also be the day that the Galaxy Note goes up for pre-order for AT&T. Best Buy Mobile will begin reserving phones for consumers interested in the Galaxy Note, which retails for $299.99 on a two-year agreement, and it’s throwing in a special offer for those who purchase from the store. Anyone who pre-orders with Best Buy and activates the phone in-store or at BestBuy.com/Mobile will receive a free Protective Flip Cover Case.

During my time at CES, a surprising number of the Asian journalist and bloggers in attendance were using the Galaxy Note, and virtually all of them had the flip cover case as well. It’s a thin case that clips on to replace the back cover and protects the front with a faux-leather-like material. The case is valued at $29.99, but Best Buy is selling it for free. Droid-Den has a review of the case if you’d like to know more about the product and see if this sways you to pre-order with Best Buy or another retailer.

For more information on the Galaxy Note, you know where to look.

img credit: photobucket

At CES 2012, Verizon Wireless announced several smartphones including the LG Spectrum, DROID RAZR MAXX, DROID RAZR in purple, and the Motorola DROID 4.   The first three smartphones already launched in January, so the only 4G LTE smartphone to launch at this point is the DROID 4.

The Motorola DROID 4 is essentially a RAZR packed with a revamped Slider QWERTY keyboard, a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, and Android 2.3 onboard.  Given the fact that it is a new device, it should be upgraded to Android 4.0 in the near future.  In terms of when it is going to be released, Droid-Life is citing some of their own sources that it will be released on February 9th for $199.

Verizon is moving towards the trend of pricing their high-end 4G LTE devices with only 16GB of on board storage at $199, such as the Motorola DROID RAZR.  However, the high-end devices with larger storage capacities will continue to be priced at $299.

If Verizon does indeed launch the DROID 4 on February 9th, I imagine we will have an official announcement confirming this information within the next several days.

[Droid-Life]