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Getting your hopes up ain’t a wise thing to do when it comes to HTC Dream or Magic from Rogers Wireless. Both these gadgets won’t be receiving an official OS update past Android 1.5, according to HTC’s website (Rogers Wireless has confirmed this as well). Android 1.6 upgrades for Rogers HTC Dream or Magic haven’t been planned as it was made only for “Google”- branded devices such as the G1. It isn’t available for the above two HTC-branded handsets that run Android 1.5, being considered a stable and reliable platform delivering an outstanding user experience. Bragging about the device, calling it an open-sourced “Revolution” and then turning down the customers is just plain sad. Did we mention that rival carriers offering Google supported devices have managed to tweak it up with some software upgrades?

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Those who have tried Layar, swear by it, those who haven’t, well get with the times already. Layar works by using the camera on your Android handset to show the world to you with an extra layer of location-based content. If you’re using Google search or Yelping for a restaurant, the Layar browser will plot results in a 3D layer above the live video displayed on your screen from your camera. But the fun doesn’t stop here, Layar is actually a platform, an OS if you please. And many developers have seized the opportunity to make the OS more functional, Currently available content includes Flickr, Wikipedia, Yelp, Google local search, Qype, Britekite, Twitter and more. The augmented reality browser in now globally available on the Android OS, it even comes pre-installed on the Samsung Galaxy. AND, there are talks that the makers of Layar are eyeing the iPhone 3GS with intentions of launching a browser for the iPhone by next year. In the words of Homer Simpson; Woohooooo!

Demo video

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Okay some hope for HTC Magic users pining after the Sense UI. The HTC Magic will indeed be getting the new and improved UI from HTC.  Of course the Magic’s poor cousin over at T-Mobile, yes we mean myTouch 3G, will not be getting any Sense UI action. We expected as much. In any case, at least somebody gets to see some new improvements on their Android. And a legal agreement with Android signed by T-Mobile is exactly the reason why myTouch users won’t have access to the new interface. Happy Sense Magic owners!

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DigiTimes, the Chinese tech journal got a hold of HTC CEO Peter Chou and in the very brief interview that ensued, they got some tasty tidbits for all of us. The biggest bit of info they were able to pry was that HTC has sold over 1 million Magic units by the start of August. The Magic initially came out this year in April has made the millionth mark in impressible little time. It’s not as big a number as that of the iPhone or the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, but it’s impressive nevertheless. Beyond the sales figures, Chou also revealed that HTC was planning on shifting focus towards more mid-range smartphones during the remaining half of 2009. The target price range of these handsets will be around $300. All we can say is, we look forward to it.

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Well of all the comical, over the top prying into other people’s personal preferences, the blogosphere has gone slightly ablaze with images of Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt sporting a BlackBerry. Gasp! Okay, so maybe that’s a bit of an eyebrow raiser, only a bit, that the CEO of the company that is making the newest and hottest mobile OS, Android, would chose a non-Android device. But just stop to think, BlackBerry phones have been around for a lot longer than any other business oriented smartphone and that too with resounding success. Most CEOs have practically grown up on them (corporately speaking of course). So maybe Schmidt was just chatting up with his favorite device. I’m sure he has his Android favorites too, just not in this photograph. No need to lose our heads and doubt Android, we are the new generation and have more options than ever before. Bask in that glory and let the veterans be.

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T-Mobile just made its second android handset official and all the good head shots are here. Picture below is practically every imaginable angle on the new Handset, myTouch 3G which has gone by the name Magic. Well Hogwarts stricken or not, this is one sizzling set as you can probably tell from the detail photo shoot. The handset both in and out of its skin is to die for.

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We already told you about how Rogers plans on retailing the HTC Dream (G1) and Magic for $549.99 a piece, well now it seems that Rogers has just adjusted the price point. And before you start celebrating, just know that it’s not to our advantage, seems like Rogers just jacked up the price to $649.99, which makes the three-year contract option cost $249.99.  But then there’s also news that Rogers will not be so shrewd, and has in fact kept the three-year contract price fixed at $199.99.  bear in mind that changes are still taking place and there could be further changes in Rogers’ pricing of both Android handsets. We hope so…and in a downward direction.

 

 

Rogers had announced earlier that it would be launching both the HTC Dream (G1) and the Magic, but what we didn’t know were the prices. But thanks to vigilant insiders that we can all be proud of, it seems that both handsets will have a retail price of $549.99. Now it’s an educated guess that the contract price on Rogers could be the usual $400 off retail, which means $149.99 on a three-year contract.

Also, it’s been talked about lately that Rogers is thinking about bringing out nation-wide calling plans. At present it seems only one plan is in the works; 350 minutes, nation-wide evenings and weekends and 1,000 texts for $45. Not exactly what anyone would call mind-blowing, but let’s give them time. Rogers is also planning on bringing back the 6GB/$30 data plan it introduced with the launch of the iPhone 3G last summer. Good for iPhone 3G inventory clearing, not to mention the Android phones.

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Globalive, aka Global Wireless, has just been the on the receiving end of a former employee’s wrath…or so it would seem. The employee in question was sacked for “poor performance in marketing” and decided to get back at the company that’s gearing to roll out UMTS / HSPA network with service planned for all provinces and territories excluding Québec that will make it one of the biggest carriers in Canada. How so? He hit up the HoFo forums and shared everything about the carrier’s future plans…except maybe the CEO’s favorite coffee. The tons of slides that he’s shared at the forum are not the best camera job on the planet, but thankfully they have been deciphered. Here’s what you can all expect from Globalive (hell hath no fury greater than an employee scorned?)

14 Handsets:

1.      Sony Ericsson TM506: 7.2Mbps HSDPA clamshell. $29.99 on 24-month, $99.99 on 12-month and $199.99  monthly / pre-paid. Available in green, silver and red.

2.      Nokia 5330 XpressMusic: 384Kbps UMTS candybar. $59.99 on 24-month, $109.99 on 12-month and $207.79 monthly / pre-paid. Available in black and red.

3.      Nokia 5730 XpressMusic: 3.6Mbps HSDPA candybar. $49.99 on 24-month, $99.99 on 12-month and $179.99 monthly / pre-paid. Available in black, pink, blue and red.

4.      Nokia 6070 Classic: 10Mbps HSDPA candybar with 5 megapixel camera. Pricing is unknown. Available in silver and black.

5.      Sidekick LX 2009: Radio information is unknown, though we’d wager 3.6Mbps HSDPA. Pricing is unknown and you can have it in any color you like so long as it’s black.

6.      Sony Ericsson Xperia X1: 7.2Mbps HSDPA Window Mobile 6.1-powered slider to be billed as the flagship device of globalWireless. $149.99 on 24-month, $249.99 on 12-month and $449.99 monthly / pre-paid. Look for it in black.

7.      Global (HTC) G1: Identical to the HTC Dream and the T-Mobile G1 including the 7.2Mbps HSDPA radio. $129.9 on 24-month, $229.99 on 12-month and $429.99 monthly / pre-paid. Black only.

8.      Global (HTC) M1: identical to the HTC Magic aka T-Mobile G2. Pricing is unknown, though we do know it will feature 7.2Mbps HSDPA and will be offered in white only.

Airtime Rates

1.      $29.99 – 350 minutes, unlimited e/w, unlimited incoming

2.      $39.99 – 650 minutes, unlimited e/w, unlimited incoming

3.      $59.99 – Unlimited minutes and incoming.

 

Voice Add-Ons

 

1.      $5 – Unlimited nights at 5PM

2.      $8 – Unlimited mornings until 9am

3.      $15 – Unlimited calls to the US

Included Services for Monthly Plans

 Unlimited SMS (Canada and USA), Voice Mail, Caller ID, Name Display, MissedCall, Call Waiting, Call Conferencing and Call Forwarding

Optional Services

·        $4 – 500 international SMS

·        $7 – Unlimited international SMS

·        $5 – Video Mail

International Calling

·        $5 – 100 minutes to Asia

·        $10 – 250 minutes to Asia

·        $5 – 100 minutes to Philippines

·        $10 – 300 minutes to Philippines

·        $5 – 200 minutes to Eastern Europe

·        $10 – 350 minutes to Eastern Europe

US Roaming (T-Mobile)

·        $0.19 per minute without plan

·        $0.05 per SMS without plan

·        $0.40 per MB of data without plan

US Roaming Plans (T-Mobile)

·        $15 – 75 minutes

·        $25 – 200 minutes

·        $40 – 650 minutes

·        $10 – 250 SMS

·        $19.99 – 50MB of data

·        $29.99 – 250MB of data

·        $59.99 – 1.5GB of data

 

Data Access Rates

·        $10 – Unlimited email (20MB in reality), IM and “communities” (social media sites?)

·        $23 – 2.5GB data and unlimited email

·        $40 – Unlimited, plain and simple

Data Add-Ons

·        $8 – Unlimited browsing

·        $5 – Enables tethering

·        $10 – “100MB of global remote mobile storage”

SIM Cards

·        $0 on 12 and 24-month plan

·        $19.99 on 1-month contract

·        $29.99 outright

·        Will only work on a globalWireless handset

If you still want to get a first hand look at the slides, HoFo forums are up and alive with the vengeance.

 

 

It’s about high time Canada got its share of Android. And Rogers is just the carrier to do it, the official announcement is in; the HTC Dream (G1) and the HTC Magic (G1 sans QWERTY) will arrive ‘exclusively’ at Rogers on June 2^nd. And while we can safely assume Rogers will make good on the HTC Dream release, let’s just keep our eyes peeled for more info about the HTC Magic making it out by that time.

Press Release:

TORONTO, May 7 /CNW/ – Rogers Wireless today announced the exclusive Canadian launch in June 2009 of the HTC Dream(TM) and HTC Magic(TM) smartphones, the first cellphones in Canada powered by the Android platform, allowing for fast and easy access to a wide range of Google(TM) mobile services, including Google Search(TM), Google Maps(TM), Gmail(TM) and more.

“Who else but Rogers would be the first carrier to offer Canadians the first chance to join the mobile revolution with a choice of not one, but two, handsets powered by the Android platform?”, said John Boynton, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Rogers Wireless. “The HTC Magic offers a responsive touch screen and the HTC Dream delivers both a touch screen and a slide out QWERTY keyboard. Both devices offer outstanding wireless internet search capabilities and a full suite of applications that run two times faster on Canada’s fastest mobile network.”

Rogers will release details of the launch soon. In the meantime, customers can sign up for more information at rogers.com/revolution.