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Wind Mobile Launches Huawei Ascend P1 Android ICS Smartphone

Michael Kwan — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 01:12:11 +0000

Huawei may not be quite the same kind of household name as Samsung or Motorola, but the Chinese company has quietly been increasingly its market share by approaching more affordable alternatives to its competitors. The latest Huawei smartphone to land on our Canadian shores is the Huawei Ascend P1, an Android 4.0 device available now through Wind Mobile.

Spec for the spec, the Ascend P1 looks like it can hold its own against most higher-end Android smartphones. There’s a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display, a 1.5GHz dual core processor, and a full 1GB of RAM. As an added differentiator, it also boasts a unique 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound System. Rounding out the specs are its 8MP camera with 1080p support and a thin 7.69mm profile, which is a hair thicker than the 6.68mm Ascend P1 S. I guess the S stands for super-slim.

In keeping with the budget-friendly nature of Wind, the Huawei Ascend P1 has also been priced accordingly. If you take on a $40 monthly plan, the Ascend P1 can be yours for $49 on WINDtab. If you go for the cheaper $25 plan, then the price is $199. In both cases, you can get a free pair of tickets to see The Expendables 2 in theatres when you buy this phone. I’m not sure what Huawei has to do with Sylvester Stallone, but there you go. The full press release is below.

Highly Anticipated Huawei Ascend P1 smartphone now available in Canada at WIND Mobile

MARKHAM, ON, July 19, 2012 /CNW/ – Huawei Canada announced today that the Huawei Ascend P1, with its 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and Android 4.0 ICS OS, is now available to Canadians through WIND Mobile. The Ascend P1 is the latest offering from Huawei’s expanding suite of high-end smartphone devices.

“The Ascend P1 is a welcome addition to Huawei Canada’s device lineup and we’re very happy to be able to offer it to Canadians,” said Alane Zhang, General Manager of Huawei Device Canada. “Its exceptional craftsmanship and unparalleled performance create a truly unique mobile experience for the user.” The Huawei Ascend P1 combines good looks with a fantastic audiovisual experience. Powered by a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM and running on Android 4.0 ICS, the Ascend P1 offers users a movie theatre-quality cinematic experience with its super AMOLED, 4.3 inch screen and 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound System.

At only 7.69 mm thick, the Huawei Ascend P1 is one of the thinnest smartphones available in Canada. The 64.8 mm frame allows the Ascend P1 to sit comfortably in the user’s palm, giving them the ability to navigate all the phone’s features with a single hand.

“The Huawei Ascend P1 is the perfect device for smartphone enthusiasts,” said Anthony Lacavera, CEO and Chairman of WIND Mobile. “And when combined with our contract-free, truly unlimited plans users can get the most out of their Ascend P1.”

WIND Mobile will launch the Ascend P1 at for $49 on WINDtab and will be available at WIND Mobile locations nationwide. For a chance to win a Huawei Ascend P1 smartphone, and a trip to Los Angeles for the Hollywood premiere of The Expendables 2, please visit http://www.facebook.com/WINDmobile.

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Wind Mobile cranks it up with 4G LTE live trial

Michael Kwan — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 22:00:05 +0000

Yes, Globalive’s Wind Mobile doesn’t cover most of the country yet and you can still come into some dead zones where you think you’re in a home zone, but that’s not stopping the AWS-centric 3G+ wireless provider from stepping up to the next level.

They’ve just announced a successful live trial of the upcoming 4G network. Interestingly, the reason why they’re interested in building out an LTE network is not for the faster web experience; it’s to provide the exclusive North American introduction of “HD Voice.”

“Our ability to deliver HD Voice before any other carrier in North America and to test LTE are examples of the technologies WIND is uniquely positioned to offer as we continue to advance our network to the next evolution of mobile network technology,” said Wind CEO Ken Campbell.

When you can’t be the first to market with LTE, you might as well be first to market with something that no one has ever heard of… then again, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Canada’s Big Three starting using this terminology too. HD Voice is supposed to provide “improved audio quality and the reduction of background noise.”

Interestingly enough, Wind is saying LTE is for more than phones and tablets; they want to see it in cameras, car, appliances, and “other everyday devices” too.

Wind Mobile Announces Successful 4G Live Trial

WIND’s innovative all-IP 3G+ network continues to evolve toward the next generation of mobile technology with the exclusive North American introduction of HD Voice

TORONTO, ON – February 3, 2011 – WIND Mobile today announced their successful 4G live trial and introduction of High Definition Voice Calling (HD Voice) to the North American marketplace as one of only a few wireless carriers in the world to offer the advanced technology on their new and evolving all-IP 3G+ network.

WIND has been building a technologically advanced 3G+, all-IP network from the ground up, and building faster and further than any other new entrant to the Canadian marketplace. Recent Long Term Evolution (LTE) testing confirms that the network is in line to advance to the next evolution of 4G compatible technologies.

“We’re very proud of our network quality and of the efforts of our people to perform ongoing and rigorous testing to maintain quality and advance innovation,” said Ken Campbell, Chief Executive Officer of WIND Mobile. “Our ability to deliver HD Voice before any other carrier in North America and to test LTE are examples of the technologies WIND is uniquely positioned to offer as we continue to advance our network to the next evolution of mobile network technology.”

LTE is the next generation (4G) mobile network technology and successor of 3G. LTE takes a huge leap forward in the way network resources such as spectrum, bandwidth and capacity are used, and how the network is deployed and managed. LTE delivers much faster speeds (up to 100Mbps) with lower latencies and superior customer experience with strengthened coverage and seamless handovers between sites. During testing, customers experience average download speeds of 50-60Mbps and improved speed while multitasking (concurrent emailing, browsing, file downloads, etc).

Future opportunities with LTE will enable more devices to be connected – not only mobile phones, tablets and laptops/netbooks, but also cameras, cars, appliances, interactive information screens and other everyday devices. TV and multimedia streaming will become as easy as online streaming or satellite radio streaming allowing more face time with video chat, the ability to watch home security cameras, live traffic cameras or just stream content on any mobile LTE enabled device. Additionally, mobile gaming will become much more connected and real time.

WIND has also introduced HD Voice throughout its network, a North American technology first. HD Voice is a cutting edge technology that provides a dramatically enhanced caller experience with improved audio quality and the reduction of background noise. The new service is available for FREE for WIND subscribers and will initially be supported on the Alcatel Tribe ANDROIDTM with more HD Voice-ready 3G handsets coming soon to Wind’s line-up. As more devices become compatible with this advanced technology, more customers will have the opportunity to enjoy the superior quality of the HD voice calling experience. WIND’s advanced 3G+ network has been built to support HD Voice anywhere in Canada in any WIND Zone.

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Wind Mobile “phone booth” gives 5 min of free long distance

Michael Kwan — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:49:37 +0000

When it comes to marketing, one of the first challenges is simply convincing potential customers to come through the door. Wind already tried that with its 50% discounts, but the Canadian carrier is about to unleash another tactic: free long distance… but it’s not exactly what you think it is.

The first time I heard about this story, my assumption was that you would get some long distance minutes tacked onto your monthly plan for free when you sign up for service with Wind Mobile. That’s not the case. Instead, customers can waltz into Wind “mobile phone booths” and make a long distance call in the store.

You don’t sign a contract. You don’t agree to sign up for service. You just ask to use the phone the same way you would when your regular cell phone runs out of juice and you ask the local diner if you can borrow the phone to call a cab. The kicker is that Wind is a-okay with you doing long distance on that free call… for up to five minutes.

This free service is being offered in Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver, which presumably also includes the Wind kiosks inside of Blockbuster locations. These same stores are also offering a gift wrapping service too. I wonder how they’d feel about wrapping up a shiny new Telus phone for your cousin?

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Huawei U8100 is first Android phone from Wind Mobile

Michael Kwan — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 22:24:47 +0000

So, you’ve been itching to get your hands on a new Google Android phone, but you don’t want to break the bank in the process, nor do you want to sign a lengthy contract. Wind has you covered, because they’ve just released the Huawei U8100. This touchscreen smartphone is the first Google Android smartphone to be made available through Wind Mobile in Canada and you can get it for just $160. As with all Wind phones, that’s sans contract, making it one of the most affordable Android phones on the market today.

The features are pretty standard fare for an Android phone; with quick access to Google applications, Google Maps with GPS, and a customizable main screen. The specs aren’t the best with just a 3.2MP camera and QVGA display, but it is cheap, and it comes with Android 2.1 out of the box.

Photo: Wind’s 8100 will be available only in Black.

[Wind]

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