Devoted Canadian Android followers rejoice! The wait is finally over. Both the HTC Dream and Magic Android phones are now available on Rogers.
True to the leaked pricing of Best Buy, you can pick one up for as little as $149.99 on a 3-year contract with a minimum $45/month voice and data plan. Likewise, as previously reported, Rogers is bringing back the $30/6GB data plan for a limited time only for these new devices. It'll be available bundled with these Android offerings until July 1st. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Rogers' pricing of $499.99, $524.00 and $549.00 for a 2-yr, single year and monthly contract which is noticeably more expensive than what was reported in the past. If you don’t like being tied down by any contract, you can get one for the hefty price of $599.99.
If Android flavored phones aren't your cup of tea, you can always choose to wait for either the Palm Pre, Nokia N97 or the new iPhone all of which are also scheduled to make their grand debut this June albeit lacking an assurance that they'll be available in Canada within the same month.
The Mobile Revolution is Here! Canada's First Android Powered Smartphones Available Exclusively at Rogers Wireless
Rogers Wireless and Joshua Jackson Unveil the HTC Dream(TM) and
HTC Magic(TM)TORONTO, June 2 /CNW/ - The wait is over and the mobile revolution is here! Today, Joshua Jackson, home-grown star of television's "Fringe" and the acclaimed Canadian movie "One Week" and John Boynton, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Rogers Wireless, officially unveiled the highly anticipated HTC Dream and HTC Magic, the first Android(TM)powered smartphones in the country. Running on Canada's fastest mobile network, both devices are now available in stores.
Built with web-savvy consumers in mind, the HTC Dream and HTC Magic feature built-in integration with many of Google(TM)'s leading mobile services, including Google Search(TM), Google Maps(TM), and Gmail(TM). Coupled with Rogers Wireless' 3.5G HSPA network, customers using these innovative devices will be able to get the most out of their favourite services on the go, with download speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps, comparable to a desktop experience, and now three times faster than the competition.
"The revolution is here - with Rogers being the first and only wireless carrier to bring the Android experience to Canada," said John Boynton, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Rogers Wireless. "We are thrilled to deliver on Canadians' increasing desire for a revolutionary mobile web experience, by adding the innovative HTC Dream and HTC Magic to our line-up of 3.5G handsets."
The first smartphones in Canada powered by the Android operating system, the HTC Dream and HTC Magic also offer Canadians their first hands-on experience with Android Market(TM). An open marketplace for applications, Android Market features more than 3,200 different apps available for download - with more being added daily. Current apps can do everything from scan barcodes and tell you at which stores in the neighbourhood you can find a better deal on a product, to identifying a song playing on the radio and finding out the name of the tune and the artist in seconds.
The demand for a true mobile Internet experience, when and where a consumer wants it, today a reality with Rogers' 3.5G network, has been growing steadily in Canada over the past year. Recent polling conducted by Ipsos-Reid on behalf of Rogers Wireless showed that nearly one in five Canadian mobile users and one in four young Canadians (18-34) are already browsing from their mobile phones, and one in four smartphone users are already downloading apps. The average smartphone user has downloaded nearly 20 apps over the past year.
The Rogers 3.5G HSPA network is now available in more than 25 of Canada's top markets from Victoria to Halifax, reaching more than 75 per cent of the population. For more information on current coverage areas, please visit www.rogers.com.
The HTC Dream and HTC Magic are now available across Canada for $149.99 on a three year voice and data plan with a minimum combined monthly service fee of $45. Until July 1, 2009, Rogers is offering a $30/6GB data plan for these devices. For more information, please visit www.rogers.com/revolution.
For pictures, video and additional resources about this announcement, please visit the social media release at the following URL: http://www.rogers.com/revolution-news
About Rogers Wireless
Rogers Wireless provides wireless voice and data communications services across Canada to more than 8 million customers under both the Rogers Wireless and Fido brands. Proven to operate Canada's fastest mobile data network as well as the most reliable network for voice with the clearest reception and fewest dropped calls, Rogers Wireless is Canada's largest wireless provider and the only carrier operating on the global standard GSM and highly advanced HSPA technology platforms. In addition to providing seamless roaming in more than 200 countries/areas with its GSM based services, Rogers Wireless also provides wireless broadband services across Canada utilizing its 2.5GHz fixed wireless spectrum. Rogers Wireless is a subsidiary of Rogers Communications Inc. (TSX: RCI; NYSE: RCI), a diversified Canadian communications and media company. For further information, please visit www.rogers.com.
Android, Google, Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, and Android Market are trademarks of Google Inc.
HTC Dream(TM) and HTC Magic(TM) are trade names of HTC Corporation in Canada and other countries. Rogers and the Rogers logo are trademarks of Rogers Communications Inc., used under licence.