Staples Canada’s Boxing Week sale has discounts on laptops, monitors, headphones, earbuds, tablets and more.
It’s worth noting that the products mentioned below have varying sale end dates. If you’re going to sit on the idea of placing an order, make sure the check when the specific deal ends.
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2022 was a busy year in the telecom industry. We witnessed new developments on Rogers’ $26 billion takeover of Shaw, saw Starlink’s expansion in the north, and observed how telecom companies respond to disasters nationwide.
In no particular order, here are MobileSyrup’s picks of the most important stories to come from the telecom industry this year.
Rogers outage
Rogers customers woke up on July 8th to no cellphone service, internet, or working home phone lines. Rogers was witnessing a complete outage, leaving many struggling to get daily tasks done. The outage, caused by a maintenance update, impacted 13 million wireline and wireless customers.
The company issued $150 million in credits representing five days of service and said it would make changes to prevent something similar, including separating its wireless and wireline networks.
Rogers had to answer to millions of angry Canadians. Its first set of heavily redacted responses to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) questions came in July, hot on the heels of the outage. The Commission’s subsequent request for more information shed more light, as Rogers offered information once redacted in August. But it didn’t paint a complete picture. The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) is one of the parties that want the CRTC to release more details.
When Rogers’ originally announced its plans to acquire Shaw, there was no word on what it would mean for Freedom Mobile. Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne had other plans. In March, he announced Rogers couldn’t acquire Freedom, as doing so would decrease competition. The company received offers to buy Freedom from Xplornet, Distributel and Globalive. However, Québecor subsidiary Vidéotron ended up the winner.
Competition Bureau’s challenge to Rogers’ takeover of Shaw
The Competition Bureau is one of three parties that needs to approve the Rogers and Shaw merger. But so far, the federal department has strongly opposed the takeover. Citing affordability and competition, the bureau filed to block the merger in May. The parties attempted negotiations twice before moving to a tribunal hearing where the bureau maintained its defiant position to block the merger.
Ian Scott’s time at the CRTC
Vicky Eatrides is the new chair of the CRTC, taking up a role previously held by Ian Scott. Scott filled the role for five years, but his time wasn’t without controversy. This past year, he has faced a request to recuse himself from files related to internet competition, addressed a meeting he had with Bell’s CEO, and faced numerous calls to resign. But Scott successfully completed his term, and if given the opportunity, he would be willing to take up the position again.
Hurricane Fiona
Hurricane Fiona hit Atlantic Canada with destruction when it made landfall in September, impacting telecom services. In response, some carriers announced they’d waive fees and offer extra data to impacted residents. But according to Nova Scotia’s Premier, not all telecom companies were helpful. Tim Houston sent Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne a letter complaining about “poor participation and support” from telecom companies, including Bell and Telus. The companies defended their actions and said they provided full support.
The Source’s Boxing Week sale is live now, with over 60 percent discounts on Apple, Samsung, JBL, Razer, and other tech industry giants’ products.
It’s worth noting that all products mentioned below have varying sale end dates, so if you’re going to sit on the idea of making a purchase, note the sale end date so you don’t miss it.
Check out some notable deals from The Source’s Boxing Week promotion below:
MobileSyrup utilizes affiliate partnerships. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, though we may earn a commission on purchases made via these links that helps fund the journalism provided free on our website.
Following the feature falsely detecting crashes when the wearer is riding a roller coaster, it’s was found that the feature also gives false positives when the user is enjoying winter sports like skiing. Now, as reported by The Globe and Mail, via iPhoneinCanada, instances of false alarms rung by the feature have also been reported in Canada.
According to the publication, there were at least four instances in the week of December 15th.
For those unaware, Apple introduced Crash Detection alongside the iPhone 14 series at its latest fall hardware event. The feature is only available with the iPhone 14 series, the Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE (2022) and alerts nearby authorities when it detects that you’ve been in a crash.
One of the instances took place on December 11th, wherein and iPhone stashed in the glovebox of a snowmobile around British Columbia’s backcountry alerted authorities, and a wide search involving the RCMP, and an extended helicopter flight ensued. It is estimated that the search cost Canadian tax payer’s roughly $10,000.
“The following day, Golden and District Search and Rescue received two more emergency calls related to Apple Inc.’s new crash detection system,” reads The Globe and Mail’s report. “A similar thing happened on Saturday near Rossland, B.C., where police believe a skier’s phone mistakenly called for help.”
Apple has released a new iOS 16.1.2 update, which includes “Crash Detection optimizations.” It’s currently unknown how much the update helps in preventing false positives.
Crash Detection is on by default. You can turn off alerts and automatic emergency calls from Apple after a severe car crash in Settings > Emergency SOS, then turn off Call After Severe Crash.
Samsung’s Galaxy S23+ and S23 Ultra were spotted in alleged promotional material showing off their designs and colours. These images were shared by 91mobiles.
You can see the S23+ in ‘Lilac’ and the S23 Ultra in ‘Olive.’ Of course, Samsung will release the two handsets in a variety of colours.
This leak doesn’t say much else, but it’s cool to see that these handsets look almost exactly the same as Samsung’s previous smartphones.
Another rumour indicates that the S23 and S23+ will both sport 1,750 nits of brightness, catching up to the S23 Ultra. Additionally, the two will sport a battery that’s 200mAh bigger than the previous years.
Because Ultra did not further improve the screen brightness, the regular upgrade of S23 and S23+ has caught up with S23 Ultra, 1750nit，which is a good psychological comfort for S23 and S23+, but it is boring for S23 Ultra users. https://t.co/m6a35FoTRb
According to past leaks, the S23 Ultra will sport QHD+ 3088 x 1440-pixel resolution, 8GB/12GB of RAM, 256GB/512GB/1TB of storage, and four rear cameras with 200-megapixel primary, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto and a 10-megapixel telephoto sensor with 10x optical zoom.
The rise of streaming services means that there are all kinds of great shows that come out every year.
In many ways, we’re in a ‘Golden Age’ of Television — there really is so much to choose from. 2022, in particular, was a stellar year for the small screen, both in reinvigorating established franchises and for creating bold new ones.
With that in mind, we wanted to round up some of the best streaming shows of the year. Naturally, there’s so much that could be included here, but we’ve tried to feature a good mix of genres and platforms so there should be something here for most people.
From sci-fi and fantasy to satire and anime, here are 10 of the top shows to stream in 2022.
Andor
Star Wars in the Disney era has had an eye-rolling tendency to rely on non-stop nostalgic tie-ins to the original trilogy, but Andor is far better than that. Instead, creator Tony Gilroy, who re-wrote and directed parts of Rogue One, simply focused on telling a good story, fan service be damned. In this prequel to Rogue One, we get to see what sets Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) on the path to joining the rebellion, making for quite the compelling character study. But beyond that, Gilroy crafts an utterly gripping, mature and politically-charged story about oppression and the sacrifices people must make to fight against it. Star Wars has never been this good.
Stream Andor on Disney+. A second and final season is currently filming.
The Bear
This comedy-drama about a young chef running his family’s Italian beef restaurant is low-key the most stressful show of the year. In one moment, creator Christopher Storer will have you cheering with Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), and in the next, biting your nails with high anxiety. This isn’t your mum’s cozy cooking show, and it’s all the better for it.
Stream The Bear on Disney+ (under the Star banner). A second season is in development.
The Boys
With so many superhero properties out there, The Boys continued to feel like a breath of fresh air in its third season. Creator Eric Kripke’s gritty satire took the titular group of vigilantes to thrilling and unexpected new places, while further exploring the fascinating — and eerily realistic — narcissism of Antony Starr’s Homelander, one of TV’s best villains. We also got a perfect scene-stealing addition to the cast in the form of Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy, a welcome — and appropriately darker — riff on Captain America.
Stream The Boys on Amazon Prime Video. A fourth season is currently filming in Toronto.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
After the disastrous launch of CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077, beloved anime creators Studio Trigger (Kill la Kill) came out with this anime series that actually helped the 2020 video game reach peak players on Steam. But rather than adapt the game, Edgerunners tells a standalone story in the world of the video game about a young mercenary who struggles to make it for himself in the ever-cruel Night City. With a delightfully over-the-top animation and a surprisingly emotional story, Edgerunners makes for quite the solid addition to the cyberpunk genre.
While the final season Game of Thrones proved to be quite controversial, this prequel series has been pretty much unanimously praised for being a brilliant return to form for HBO’s popular fantasy drama series. Set 200 years before Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon explores the intriguing events that lead up to the beginning of the decline of House Targaryen. Throw in some standout performances from the likes of Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy and Milly Alcock and House of the Dragon is a wildly successful expansion to George R. R. Martin’s beloved universe.
Stream House of the Dragon on Crave. A second season is in development.
The Rehearsal
Vancouver’s own Nathan Fielder’s spiritual successor to Nathan For You has been viewed as one of the best new series of 2022, and for good reason. The docu-comedy series sees Fielder helping everyday people rehearse conversations or life events through staged reenactments. The result is a show that is simultaneously full of absurdist comedy and a surprisingly tender exploration of empathy.
Stream The Rehearsal on Crave. A second season is in development.
Severance
If Ted Lasso defined Apple TV+ in 2020 and 2021, Severance did so for the streaming service this year. This deeply engrossing psychological thriller series follows a group of people who voluntarily undergo a procedure to separate non-work memories from their work ones to create a better “work-life balance.” It’s a fascinating premise that creator Dan Erickson uses to great effect, exploring how the shady dealings of a mysterious corporation affect both those under its employ and their loved ones. You’ll never look at the office the same way.
Stream Severance on Apple TV+. A second season is in development.
Star Trek: New Worlds
While there have been several Star Trek shows in recent years, New Worlds has received significant praise for capturing the sense of discovery that defined Gene Roddenberry’s original series. This Discovery spin-off follows Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), Spock (Ethan Peck) and crew as they venture throughout the galaxy. Besides being a successful spiritual throwback, New Worlds is also noteworthy for filming in Mississauga, Ontario.
Stream Star Trek: New Worlds on Crave. A second season is in development.
Station Eleven
While this might cheating a bit since most of its episodes released in 2021, it’s too good — and Canadian — not to include.
Based on Canadian author Emily St. Mendel’s 2014 novel of the same name, Station Eleven tells the story of the survivors of a devastating flu who attempt to rebuild the world. The Canadian connections don’t stop there; the solid cast is led by Vancouver’s Mackenzie Davis and the show as a whole was shot in Mississauga, Ontario. But even without any of that, Station Eleven is a resounding success as a powerful story about community, proving that even post-apocalyptic dramas can be beautiful and uplifting.
Mike White’s critically-acclaimed comedy-drama series heads to Sicily for even juicier social satire. Outside of returning fan-favourite Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge), Season 2 focuses on a new but equally compelling ensemble cast that includes the likes of Aubrey Plaza, F. Murray Abraham, Theo James, Adam DiMarco and Haley Lu Richardson. While many shows suffer from a “sophomore slump” in their second outings, The White Lotus proved in 2022 that it’s still got it.
Stream The White Lotus on Crave. A third season is in development.
What were your favourite shows of 2022? Let us know in the comments.
MobileSyrup utilizes affiliate partnerships. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, though we may earn a commission on purchases made via these links that helps fund the journalism provided free on our website.
Every week, MobileSyrup rounds up some of the most notable movies and TV shows to recently hit Canadian streaming platforms.
Our ‘Streaming in Canada’ column typically focuses on new content from Amazon Prime Video, Crave and Netflix, but other services like Apple TV+ and Disney+ are mentioned when relevant. Premium video on demand (PVOD) platforms are also fair game as movies continue to come to digital early amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Finally, we’ll highlight shows or movies that are made by Canadian companies, involve notable Canadian cast or crew and/or are filmed in Canada.
Amazon Prime Video
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (Season 3) [Amazon Original]
Amazon Prime Video Canada release date: December 21st, 2022 Genre: Thriller Runtime: Eight episodes (46 minutes to 1 hour, 5 minutes each)
Jack finds himself on the run from the government while on a critical mission.
Jack Ryan is an adaptation of Tom Clancy’s ‘Ryanverse’novels by Carlton Cuse and Graham Roland (Lost) and stars John Krasinski (The Office), Wendell Pierce (The Wire) and Michael Kelly (Criminal Minds).
The full list of movies and shows hitting Amazon Prime Video Canada can be found here.
Crave
Letterkenny (Season 11) [Crave Original]
Crave premiere date: December 25th, 2022 Genre: Comedy Runtime: Six episodes (around 30 minutes each)
The small Ontario town grapples with lost dogs, invading influencers a Church Bake Sale mystery and more.
Letterkenny was created by Listowell, Ontario’s Jared Keeso (19-2) and stars Keeso, Calgary’s Nathan Dales (Supernatural), Vancouver’s Michelle Mylett (The Drownsmen) and Toronto’s Trevor K. Wilson (Goosebumps).
This Canadian film is based on the true story of a Syrian family who moved to Canada as refugees and opened an artisanal chocolate shop in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
Peace by Chocolate was co-written and directed by Halifax’s Jonathan Keijser (What Would Beethoven Do?) and stars the late Hatem Ali (Omar), Ayham Abou Ammar (Abou Khalil Al-Qabbani) and Montreal’s Mark Camacho (X-Men: Days of Future Past). The movie was also filmed in Montreal.
Theatrical release date: May 6th, 2022
Crave premiere date: December 23rd, 2022 Genre: Drama Runtime: 1 hour, 36 minutes
A standard Crave subscription is priced at $19.99/month, with Starz costing an additional $5.99/month. A mobile-only subscription is also available for $9.99/month.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Crave this month can be found here.
Disney+
Strange World
A legendary family of explorers must team up with a motley crew to navigate a mysterious and treacherous land.
Strange World was directed by Don Hall (Big Hero 6) and features the voices of Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain), Dennis Quaid (The Parent Trap), Jaboukie-Young White (Only Murders in the Building) and Gabrielle Union (Bring It On).
The full list of movies and shows hitting Disney+ Canada this month can be found here.
Netflix
Emily in Paris Season 3 [Netflix Original]
One year after moving to Paris, Emily finds herself at a career and romantic crossroads.
Emily in Paris was created by Darren Star (Sex and the City) and stars Lily Collins (Rules Don’t Apply), Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu (Call My Agent!), Ashley Park (Mean Girls on Broadway) and Lucas Bravo (Ticket to Paradise).
Netflix Canada release date: December 21st, 2022
Genre: Romantic comedy Runtime: 10 episodes (27 to 38 minutes each)
Following 2019’s critically-acclaimed Knives Out, writer-director Rian Johnson and Benoit Blanc actor Daniel Craig return for a new mystery surrounding a murder on a tech billionaire’s private Greek island.
The film features an ensemble supporting cast that includes Edward Norton (Birdman), Janelle Monáe (Hidden Figures), Kathryn Hahn (WandaVision), Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Kate Hudson (Almost Famous).
A child prodigy dares to take a stand against her oppressive parents and head teacher.
Based on Roald Dahl’s Matilda novel, Matilda: The Musical was directed by Matthew Warchus (Pride) and stars Alisha Weir (Darklands), Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks), Lashana Lynch (The Woman King) and Stephen Graham (Boardwalk Empire).
Netflix Canada release date: December 25th, 2022
Genre: Fantasy Runtime: Four episodes (around one hour each)
Set more than 1,000 years before the events of The Witcher, Blood Origin explores the creation of the first Witcher and the ancient Elven civilization.
Based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s Witcher novels, The Witcher: Blood Origin was created by Declan de Barra and Lauren Schmidt Hissrich (The Witcher) and stars Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere At Once), Sophia Brown (The Capture), Laurence O’Fuarain (Game of Thrones) and Lenny Henry (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power).
Over the last few years, the Canadian smartphone market has become bland.
While devices from manufacturers like Motorola, OnePlus and TCL still occasionally make their way here, usually, they can’t compete against heavy hitters from Samsung and Apple. So with my flagship round-up this year, I’m keeping things simple.
Samsung’s Z Fold 4 is an amazing smartphone as well, and it gets an honourable mention this year, but this list is primarily focused on “candybar” flagships.
I’ve spent several weeks with the iPhone 14 Pro Max, Galaxy S22 Ultra and Pixel 7 Pro. I snapped pictures, played games, browsed the internet and generally put the three devices through their paces. While all three are solid, they also shine individually in their own way.
Let’s get into it:
Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro Max
I specifically spent time with the iPhone 14 Pro Max over the iPhone 14 Pro because I wanted to focus on devices with similar screen sizes to the S22 Ultra and the Pixel 7 Pro to ensure equal footing (though the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro offers the same feature set as the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max). Additionally, the Pro Max offers better battery life thanks to its larger cell, which is something I’m always after when it comes to smartphones.
Out of the three devices, I used the iPhone 14 Pro Max for the longest period because I didn’t have prior experience with the smartphone, unlike the Pixel 7 Pro and the S22 Ultra.
If you’re an Apple user, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is a great device. However, I wouldn’t suggest upgrading from the iPhone 13 Pro, as there isn’t much of a leap forward. That said, thanks to the 14 Pro’s ‘Dynamic Island,’ its new 48-megapixel primary shooter and Emergency SOS via Satellite, the 14 Pro is a great smartphone.
While Dynamic Island doesn’t work with every app yet, it’s still useful when listening to music or following directions. It allows the iPhone 14 Pro’s camera hole punch to expand and display animations when using certain features, like when you’re on a phone call. It makes the iPhone 14 Pro series stand out from its competitors and adds a quick, easy way to access apps when they’re in use.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max’s triple camera setup takes great photos. While the Galaxy S22 Ultra might offer slightly better camera performance under certain lighting conditions (at least to me), the iPhone 14 Pro’s photos are generally more true-to-life. Check out the photos below to see the iPhone 14 Pro’s camera performance.
I haven’t needed to use Emergency SOS via Satellite (thankfully), but I tested the feature at an event in New York City when Apple gave me the opportunity to see how it works. Though few iPhone 14 Pro users will ever use Emergency SOS via Satellite, the feature offers great peace-of-mind. If you’re ever in a situation where you’re hiking, for example, without access to regular cellular services and need help, you can connect to a Globalstar satellite and message for help.
I won’t say that Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro is the best smartphone on the market, but in Canada, where our access to flagships is very limited, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is a great option, especially if you already live in Apple’s ecosystem.
Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra
Switching over to the king of Androids, Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra. 2022 was a year of frivolous updates for the South Korean tech giant. In short, if you own an S21 Ultra, there is nearly no reason to upgrade to the S22 Ultra. The S22 Ultra features a 108-megapixel primary shooter and 10x optical zoom in its 10-megapixel shooter. It also offers a 40-megapixel primary shooter and comes with a stylus.
Like other phones on the list, the S22 Ultra sports a 120Hz refresh rate screen with a 3040 x 1440 pixel resolution, ensuring it displays content beautifully (sometimes even better than the iPhone 14 Pro).
The S22 Ultra’s 108-megapixel primary shooter is paired with Super Clear Glass and Lens in order to improve low-light photography, and during my time with the device, this was quite evident. Low-light and night images look great and are still detailed. Further, the handset sports an impressive 10x zoom optical, which is better than any other smartphone on the Canadian market.
Take a look at some of the photos I snapped with the S22 Ultra below.
On top of the great camera capabilities, the S22 Ultra comes with the S Pen stylus. While I’m not the biggest fan of the S Pen, it’s popular with Note users (RIP). The S Pen’s 2.8ms latency is impressive, making writing on the S22 Ultra feel instantaneous and fluid. However, it still doesn’t feel quite like writing on paper. There are also other useful stylus features like ‘Air Gestures’ for controlling media, and you can use it as a remote shutter to snap pictures.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra features top-of-the-line specs, including a quad-camera setup, a sizable 5,000mAh battery, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, and much more. It’s the top of the Android world in Canada, but of course, you’ll have to pay a pretty penny for the smartphone.
Google’s Pixel 7 Pro
The last of the three flagships you should consider is the Pixel 7 Pro. This flagship gives users the purest Android experience compared to the other Android handset on this list. It’s also the most affordable, coming in at $1,199 (and it was recently on sale for $879), which is an incredible price considering how solid of a smartphone the Pixel 7 Pro is.
The device features great specs as well, which easily puts it against the S22 Ultra and the iPhone 14 Pro. This is alongside a solid display, striking design, all-around decent camera and great pricing.
Additionally, the Pixel 7 Pro features a 50-megapixel main sensor, offers 5x optical zoom and is able to achieve 10x zoom through a sensor crop technique. The device also features great low-light performance and vivid-looking pictures that are full of detail. Check out some of the pictures I’ve shot with the 7 Pro below.
The Pixel 7 Pro also has a nice design. My model is hazel, and you can see the sometimes bronze, sometimes silver camera bar showcasing the handset’s three cameras. The rest of the rear sports a glossy glass material that attracts far too many fingerprints and smudges for my taste, but I’m fond of the grey-green colour. The Pixel 7 Pro also comes in ‘Obsidian’ (black) and ‘Snow’ (white) and offers an aluminum frame that melds into the camera visor on the handset. I like the design of the Pixel 7 Pro, and personally, it’s my favourite of the three flagships.
The Pixel 7 Pro is the most affordable of the three, so while it doesn’t have the best cameras of the three or the best Geekbench scores, it does have the best pricing.
Honourable mention
Though they’re not on this list, I still want to mention Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4. The foldables are great devices, especially the Fold 4, which I reviewed earlier this year. I love foldables and think they’re the way of the future. Unfortunately, they aren’t for everyone just yet. The Flip 4 comes at a great price but lacks a flagship camera, display, battery and more, making it not comparable to other main flagship smartphones on this list.
The Galaxy Fold 4, on the other hand, features a pretty good camera array, great displays, okay battery life, but a very hefty price tag that makes it not worth it for most people looking for a new smartphone.
MobileSyrup utilizes affiliate partnerships. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, though we may earn a commission on purchases made via these links that helps fund the journalism provided free on our website.
Reynolds has undoubtedly been trying to work through the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) stringent requirements for registering as a new carrier in Canada. In particular, the CRTC has a slew of rules that mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) like Mint must follow to operate in Canada. This includes companies having their own spectrum license and plans to build a network in the region they want to piggyback their service off of within seven years.
Hopefully, we’ll hear more on Reynolds’ efforts to bring Mint to Canada next year.
