telstra

Telstra puts up a page to allow users to register interest in the Nokia Lumia 800

February 1, 2012 | By Surur

lumia-eoi-400x300

If you are Australian and have been waiting breathlessly for the Nokia Lumia 800 to arrive there, you can now register with Telstra to be informed as soon as official news of its release becomes available.

Telstra has said on their facebook page that they will be one of the first countries to get the 850 Mhz band Lumia 800 handsets, but had nothing to say “yet” about the Nokia Lumia 900, hopefully meaning that a future release is not ruled out.

See the page at Telstra here.

Thanks Chris for the tip.

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Samsung Omnia W launches in Australia on Telstra–first second generation handset down under

January 23, 2012 | By Surur

omnia-w-slider Many of our Australian readers have been complaining about the absence of second generation handsets down under.

It seems that situation is finally changing, with WPDownUnder reporting that the Samsung Omnia W is launching on Telstra today.

While I could not find the handset myself on Telstra’s website, Sheeds reports the device will retail for free on the FreedomConnect $59 per month 24 month contract, and also had the handset early for a thorough review, which can be found here.

He concludes:

So what’s the wash-up? The more I used this handset over my week of testing, the more I came to like it! From initially feeling too small and light in my hands – by the time of writing this review the Omnia W actually managed to make my Focus feel a little “awkward” in the hand! Whilst sitting firmly in the mid-range of feature sets (screen size, storage, premium design elements, LTE etc.) – this handset excels at nearly every task thrown at it.

Windows Phone “Mango” absolutely shines on the device – and I see this handset having no issues in “smoking” any other modern smartphone for both task activities (messaging/social media etc.) and speed and responsiveness of the OS. Storage aside, there is not really any other significant weak spot in this device. Make sure you get into a Telstra store and have a feel of the unit, demo it – as it is surprisingly good device, and more than a competent replacement for the HTC Mozart in the Telstra line-up.

Read his full review here.

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HTC Radiant LTE Windows Phone pictured

January 4, 2012 | By Surur

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Pocketnow have just posted this picture which purports to be HTC’s first LTE Windows Phone 7 handset.

The device still has a massive 4.7 inch screen, but appears subtly thicker, likely to accommodate a larger battery to power the LTE radio.

According to earlier leaks the handset is not expected to reach AT&T stores at the same time as the Nokia Lumia 900, which is rumoured for an 18th March appearance, but will show up on AT&T some time afterward.

Pocketnow notes that according to their tipster this device will not be confined to USA, but should also hit antipodean stores on Telstra Australia.

Read more of our HTC Radiant coverage here.

Via Pocketnow.com

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HTC Mozart on Telstra finally gets Internet Sharing

December 15, 2011 | By Surur

Telstra was the first company to give us hope that Internet Sharing would in fact come to Windows Phone when they said, all the way back in August 2010:

“Tethering is a feature we want. We will be on Microsoft’s case as well!”

Well fast forward more than a year, and those words finally become reality, as we have received reports that an update for the HTC Mozart on Telstra is rolling out which brings Internet Sharing at long last to the device.

Let no-one say Telstra does not live up to their promises

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Telstra doubtful about Windows Phone 7 demand in Australia

October 12, 2011 | By Surur

An article in Channelnews.con.au quotes an unnamed Telstra executive speaking about an upcoming Nokia Windows Phone 7 handset, which Nokia has been shopping around to carriers.

"It is very smart and visually appealing" they said. "The issue will be whether consumers are prepared to invest in a Windows based model. They haven’t in the past"

The statement is interesting given that Australia is seen as one of Windows Phone 7’s stronger markets and suggests some resistance at carrier level to the introduction of new Windows Phone 7 handsets there.

The article did not reveal if Telstra in the end agreed to carry the Nokia Windows Phone 7 handset, but even if they did the lack of enthusiasm suggests this may not be accompanied by much promotion.

How do our Australian readers feel about consumer attitude to Windows Phone 7? Let us know below.

Via WPCentral.com

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Telstra also ready to start rolling out Mango “in the next two weeks”

September 22, 2011 | By Surur

Now that Microsoft have made their official announcement carriers are also jumping on board with confirmation that they will be rolling out updates for their Windows Phone 7 handsets. The news is welcome in particular from Telstra, which was one of the slowest to get the NoDo update out to their customers.

Via WPCentral.com

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Telstra have now also approved the Mango update

September 15, 2011 | By Surur

Telstra have now also joined the club of Australian carriers ready to roll out the Windows Phone 7.5 Mango update, with Vodafone declaring yesterday and Optus this morning.

The update is expected in “Spring” which had me worried for a second until I remembered they were Down Under.

While Spring is in theory 3 months long, there is increasing evidence we will see something today, or at least before the end of September.

See the Telstra page here.

Thanks Dawookie and Chris for the tip.

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Telstra now delivering NoDo (finally), May update arriving on the T-Mobile Dell Venue Pro

May 11, 2011 | By Surur

Telstra is one on the last carriers to get the NoDo update (with Telefonica being the other laggard) but it seems the Australian network is finally catching up, with the NoDO update finally being pushed out to HTC Mozart users there.

We are also getting reports from users that the May update (7.0.7392.0) was being pushed out to T-Mobile Dell Venue Pro users, slightly ahead of schedule.

At present there are no rumours of further updates before Mango expected to come in around 5 months, but with the emulator being released in a few weeks there will certainly be a lot to keep us excited till then.

Via itechreport.com.au

Thanks Bondo for the tip.

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Telstra HTC 7 Mozart NoDo update to be releases soon

April 29, 2011 | By Surur

telstraupdate

According to Telstra’s Software update page, the Australian carrier has finished testing the NoDo update for the HTC 7 Mozart, and are expecting it to become available in early May.

With Telefonica Telstra is the last hold-out for the NoDo update, but it seems subscribers there will not have to wait much longer.

via WPCentral.com

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Telstra HTC HD7 comes with Mystery Flight Offer

April 21, 2011 | By Surur

Telstra is going all out with the HTC HD7. Not only does it come with NoDo out of the box, and two free Xbox games or 300 Microsoft points, the Australian carrier is also offering the “HTC HD7 Massive Mystery Flight Offer”.

For a $10 booking fee you could fly to one of 33 mystery holiday destinations around Australia.

The offer is only eligible for purchases between 15th of April and 31st, which seems a good reason to jump in now.

Via Istartedsomething.com

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Telstra HTC HD7 buyers being treated to 2 free Xbox games or 3000 points

April 11, 2011 | By Surur

telstraoffer Not quite at the same level as giving away free Xbox Arcades, Telstra and Microsoft are promoting the newly introduced HTC HD7, which just became available on Telstra in Australia, with the choice of either two free Xbox games or 3000 Xbox Live points.

The offer is only available between the 8th April and the 31st May and limited to the first 5000 purchasers, whichever comes first.

Read more about the deal at Xbox.com here.

Via Gizmodo.com

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Telstra only pushing pre-NoDo this week, NoDo some time in April

March 29, 2011 | By Surur

At present Telstra is carrying the HTC Mozart and the LG Optimus 7Q (better known as the Quantum) and will soon have the HTC HD7.

Windows phone 7 has been selling well down under, and obviously these users are as eager to get their updates as everyone else.

On their new HTC HD7 pricing announcement page the company has announced their time scale for the push.

The wrote:

Software updates for our current Windows Phone 7 customers
We know our Windows Phone 7 customers want the latest, best-performing software for their smartphones. We’re working with Microsoft and phone makers to deliver OS updates as quickly as possible. The Windows Phone 7 ‘pre-update’ has passed Telstra’s test program and we expect Microsoft to make it available to our 7 Mozart and LG Optimus 7Q customers late this week or early next week. Additional software updates for both devices will follow in April.

Hopefully testing for the NoDo update will progress much more rapidly than the Pre-NoDo update, but I suspect “in April” actually means late in April and likely May for most users.

Thanks Chris for the tip.

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Telstra makes HTC HD7 official, expected to do well down under

March 23, 2011 | By Surur

HTC-HD7-on-Next-G-network-front-lores Telstra has confirmed they will be launching the HTC HD7 exclusively on the 29th March on their Telstra Next G® network.

“We are pleased to announce the HTC HD7 will be available exclusively on the Telstra Next G® Network in March,” said Ben Hodgson, Country Manager, HTC Australia and New Zealand. “HTC has shown strong leadership in developing Windows® based devices in the past, illustrating our ability to be first-to-market. The HTC HD7 continues along this tradition with its focus on providing the ultimate multimedia experience coupled with a nice simple user interface and access to a broad range of useful applications.”

According to Smarthouse.com.au, which we heard is not the most reliable source in the world, analysts are saying Windows Phone 7 is performing very well in Australia. They quote Mark Novosel, Market Analyst Communications, as saying the platform has done “extremely well in Australia” during the last quarter after all three carriers, Telstra, Vodafone and Optus backed the platform selling WP7 Smartphones from HTC, Samsung and LG.

Mark did not reveal numbers, but Smarthouse pegs it in the 5% range. At Mobile World Congress Telstra Corp. Ltd. CEO David Thodey said Windows Phone 7 devices have accounted for about 7 to 8 percent of new sales at Australia’s largest phone company since they were introduced late last year.

Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis for NPD, said “Microsoft has made the case for Windows Phone 7′s differentiation and improved integration.” Microsoft next has several critical steps to take, according to Rubin: “Close the feature gap, offer more exclusive capabilities, work with partners to deliver hardware with better differentiation, and leverage its extensive experience in driving developer communities to increase its app offerings.”

“HTC HD7 arrives at a time when Aussies are increasingly turning to their smartphones for entertainment and gaming,” said Andrew Volard, Director, Telstra Mobility Products. “They’re going to love the HTC HD7’s huge screen for playing video or streaming YouTube®. Its snappy performance and access to a growing catalogue of Xbox LIVE® games also makes a really exciting games platform. And perhaps most importantly for our customers, the HTC HD7 is really simple to use with the Windows® Phone 7 operating system making navigation, composing email and accessing information incredibly easy.”

The HTC HD7 is available for RRP $768 which can be repaid over 24 months when purchased in conjunction with a Consumer Telstra Next G® Cap plan or a Telstra Business Mobile PLUS Plan. It is available from 29 March from Telstra Stores and partners.

Read more about the device at Telstra here.

Thanks Soundman for the tip.

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