*Edit* it's blue. The price is $279.99 on a 30 day or $79.99 on a no term contract.

The entry-level HTC Windows Phone 8s is now available from Virgin Mobile Canada.

It runs Windows Phone 8 and looks similar to the 8x but the 8s has a smaller 4", 800x480 Super LCD display, dual-core 1Ghz Snapdragon S4 (2 x 1.5ghz on the 8x), 512MB of RAM (1GB on the 8x), 5MP camera that shoots 720p video (8MP and 1080P w/8x) and 4GB of storage that can be expanded with MicroSD cards (vs 8 or 16GB non-expandable).

While the processor is 'only' clocked at 1Ghz it's important to remember than the 8s' display contains about 2.5x less pixels than the 8x. While it means the 8s display will look a little more coarse compared to the 8x it also means that 8s' graphics processor doesn't need to work as hard. This means that the 8s could be faster than the 8x at running 3D games.

Anyways, it's a nice looking phone. Anyone interested in one? ...

Just got word from Treatz that the Nexus 4 is going to be available to for order at 3PM EST today (Dec 3rd) for Canadians.

Go Go Nexus Power! ...

*Edit* looks like it's only for the LTE GS3. I just checked on my Wind GS3 (I have both versions) and no update yet.

Looks like the juicy Android 4.1 Jellybean update for Canadian Galaxy S III users is available a few days early. Users are reporting they're getting the 320ish MB update. Just go check manually:

settings -> about device -> software update -> update

I just checked and my GS3 is being updated as I type this.

Go Go Go!



Thanks Treatz, AllanVS and can3gsw!
...

*EDIT* you can also get them in store in the 'States now too.

Just got word that unlocked iPhone 5's are now available in-store at Apple stores in Canada.

Previously, you had to order them online and wait a few weeks.

Anyone going to get one?

Thanks Treatz! ...

*EDIT*, I added some more pictures of the phone displays along with pricing.

I'm at the Microsoft Store at Yorkdale right now.


There are a few Windows Phone displays. The people at the store can actually hook up the Windows Phones to the displays in on the side of the store. The phones sold at the store will be carrier locked.
...

*EDIT* The Nexus 4 became available around 11:35 and was sold out around 5 minutes later. Did you snag one?


Just wanted to remind you all that Nexus 4 orders start tomorrow on Google Play.

The Nexus 4 will be available with 8GB or 16GB of non expandable storage. If you're thinking of a Nexus 4 do yourself a favour and get the 16GB version. 8GB doesn't cut it if you plan on using the camera, listening to music, storing videos and most importantly, downloading apps. Some games can weigh in at 100's of MB if not GB's.

It will be unlocked and will cost either $299USD ($309CAN) for the 8GB or $349USD ($359CAN) for the 16GB.

The Nexus 4 comes with a 4.7" 1280x768 IPS display, 2GB of RAM, a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 pro processor, 2100mAh battery and built-in wireless charging. While it lacks any LTE support it has penta-band HSPA so it will be compatible with all North American HSPA frequencies along with some international ones as well.

Hardware-wise it's very similar to the LG Optimus G which I reviewed recently (great phone btw).

One thing to keep in mind is that Google Play charges around $20 for shipping plus they screwed up the Nexus 7 launch badly. I had a friend who pre-ordered his Nexus 7 from Google Play like a good fanboy and he ended up getting his N7 DAYS after I got mine. I pre-ordered mine from Futureshop a while after he did. I was also able to get a N7 the day of the launch from the store. I also didn't pay for shipping.

Personally I'm not sure if I'll order via Google Play and pay the extra 20 bucks or wait to see if a more reliable retailer sells it.

The Nexus 10 Tab with an eye-popping 2560x1600 10" display and a state-of-the-art dual-core ARM Coretex A-15 processor will also be launching tomorrow in 16 and 32GB versions. It will be $409CAN for the 16GB and $509 for the 32GB. Take off $10 for USD pricing.

Who's going to order one? ...

Blackberry 10 will be launching January 30th. It will launch in multiple countries simultaneously. There will be 2 devices at launch.

Who's excited? ...

Just got the release. Both AT&T and T-Mobile are allowing their users to roam on each other's networks in areas that have been hit by Hurricane Sandy.

Good job T-Mobile and AT&T!
...

Windows Phone 8 just launched yesterday. Here's what you need to know.

While Microsoft has been previewing Windows Phone 8 for a while now, they announced a few new features yesterday. Besides the resizeable live tiles and camera lenses Windows Phone 8 now allows Live Apps which can display information on the lock screen. The Skype app is now able to run in the background.

Other new features include Data Sense. It helps you use less data by compressing webpages before they're sent to the phone (like Blackberry, Hiptop, etc), helping you find hotspots, showing you how much data each app uses (like Android) and by reducing the amount of data used when you're close to your bandwidth allocation.

Kid's Corner is a really cool looking kid mode for Windows Phone 8. You choose which apps you want your kids to use and then launch Kid's corner. In Kid's corner they'll be able to use any of the apps you approve but won't see any of the ones you don't want them to.

Finally, the People Hub allows you to organize your contacts into rooms. It will allow you to group message them, share calendars, that sort of thing.

While the new changes are welcome - I can't wait to try Kid's corner myself - to me the real story is new Windows Phone hardware which was sorely due for an update.

There was an HTC 8X, Samsung ATIV-S and Nokia 920 to play with. Of the 3 I thought the 8X felt the nicest in my hand. It's solid and is easier to hold. I can't wait to try the Nokia 920's image stabilized camera - should be perfect for taking pictures of my kids.

While the ATIV-S feels like a Galaxy S III it didn't really speak to me (and yes, a GS3 is one of the phones I carry around). I don't know if it's the vulgar metal-looking plastic or what. Then again, maybe it will grow on my after I use it for a while.

The other big story is having the same UI across phone, tablet and computer. If you buy into the new Windows ecosystem you'll get a relatively seamless interface.

I tried the Surface RT and some touch-screen Windows Phones yesterday and it's a pretty cool experience.

Who's excited for Windows Phone 8?

My summary of yesterday's webcast follows: ...