Tag: Bell

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Mobile Syrup

Here are the changes to Canadian mobile rate plans this week [November 11 – November 17]

With over 13 wireless carriers in Canada, it can be difficult to keep track of the latest promotions and cell phone rate plan changes. 

MobileSyrup will compile the latest weekly rate plan deals every week. You can also check out our guide on plans across Canada to find the right plan for you.  You can compare from 47,842 options and 13 carriers in Canada to find the best option.

It’s worth noting that rate plans are always subject to change and that we’ll do our best to keep this list updated as accurately as possible.

Canadian carrier rate plan changes this week

Noticeable price changes:

New deals:

  • Trade-in your old device and save
  • Save 20% on a Samsung Galaxy Watch4 with Bell SmartPay
  • Add mobility to your Bell services and get 20GB data for $50/mo
  • Get unlimited data with no overage fees, parental controls and one bill for your family for $45/mo

Ongoing deals:

  • Get six months of Crave Total on us.
  • Get our unlimited talk and text plan for just $30/mo.
  • $55 Promo plan with 15GB data (QC). For new activations only.
  • Promo on Unlimited Share 20 for $80 with new activations and upgrades only; the Canada-US version is $100/mo. (main regions)
  • $50 Promo plan with 8GB data (QC). For new activations only.
  • Save $50 when you buy online.
  • Save $15/mo. for every family member you add to your account.
  • Get 20% off any Samsung smartwatch with Bell SmartPay
  • Various monthly phone credits on select smartphones with SmartPay or SmartPay + Device Return Option
  • Unlimited and Connect Everything share plans are $15/mo. cheaper in MB, QC & SK compared to main regions
  • 100MB bonus data on $25 Prepaid plans or 500MB bonus data on $30+ Prepaid plans with allowance or auto-allowance top-up
  • Get up to 500 MB bonus data/mo. when you sign up for Automatic Monthly or Automatic Monthly/Low Balance Top-Up option on eligible plans.
  • Save $40 on the intelliARMOR UV Shield+ portable sanitize
  • Get three months of Apple Fitness+ free when you buy an Apple Watch

Browse Bell cell phone plans

Noticeable price changes:

New deals:

  • Fido Contest: Get the chance to instantly win an Amazon.ca Gift Card of $5 or $100. (Only on the Fido app).
  • Fido Contest: Enter daily for a chance to win 1 YEAR of FREE Fido service
  • Get AirPods, Beats headphones, cases, screen protectors, chargers, and more for $0 down and 0% interest with Fido Payment Program
  • Each month, all year long, 10 Fido customers will win 1 YEAR of FREE Fido service. Enter daily on the Fido app.
  • Get the chance to instantly win an Amazon.ca Gift Card of $5 or $100. Only on the Fido app.
  • Get $5/month off a new line for 24 months when you add one to your account. That’s 2GB for $33/mo instead of $38/mo.

Ongoing deals:

  • Save up to $360 on iPhone 12 when you trade in your iPhone XR or iPhone XS
  • Various monthly phone credits on select smartphones with 24-mo. Fido Payment Program and Talk, Text and Data plan.
  • Get a Samsung Galaxy device and get up to 4 months of YouTube Premium
  • Trade-in select devices and get a minimum credit of $100
  • One Month Free Service when you invite your friends and they join Fido.
  • Get Extra $5 Credit Per Month on ZTE Grand X View 4

Browse Fido cell phone plans

Noticeable price changes:

Ongoing deals:

  • Get 10 GB bonus data per year in Canada with a Basic 3GB, 10GB and 15GB Mobile BYOD plan
  • Get 100 GB bonus per year in Canada with All-Inclusive 20GB, 25GB plans
  • Get $100 in welcome credit with an All-Inclusive plan or $50 with a 3 GB, 10 GB or 15 GB Plan.
  • Get $50 off the accessories you want.
  • $5 to $75 discount when you BYO phone on select Videotron plans
  • Get a discount on QUB musicque with all the plans
  • Take advantage of the monthly discount with multiline $5 to $15 per line each month (depends on the number of lines)
  • Up to $500 trade-in credit on any smartphone purchase
  • Club illico mobile included on All-Inclusive Mobile plans

Browse Videotron cell phone plan

Noticeable price changes:

New deals:

  • Trade in your old phone and get up to $100 of in-store credit

Ongoing deals:

  • $50 referral credit for both when referring a friend after they join on a postpaid plan.
  • Get six months of Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade when you get an iPhone and three months when you get a certified pre-owned iPhone.
  • Shop online and save the $50 connection fee
  • Bonus 500 MB data per month with Automatic Top-Up on the $30+ talk, text & data prepaid plans – both Canada-wide and Province-wide calling plans (all regions)

Browse Koodo cell phone plans 

Noticeable price changes:

New deals:

  • Get iPhone 13 for $1.30 when you trade in an iPhone 11
  • Sign up for Apple Music and get your first six months free on a Rogers Infinite plan
  • Get a limited time offer on a Rogers Infinite plan

Ongoing deals:

  • Promo on Infinite Plan 60GB + 6 months of Apple Music and + 6 months of Disney+ for $85/mo (was 95) (MB/SK/QC)
  • Get the Pixel 6 Series for $0 down on approved credit, $0 interest, over 24 months with financing on Rogers Infinite plans.
  • Sign up for Apple Music and get your first six months free
  • Limited time offer Individual with unlimited messaging and Canada-wide calling data plan +3GB at $40 and +10GB at $50 (QC Only)
  • Promo on Infinite Plan 60GB + 6 months of Apple Music and + 6 months of Disney+ for $95/mo (main regions)
  • Promo on Infinite Plan 40GB + 6 months of Apple Music and + 6 months of Disney+ for $75/mo (MB/SK/QC)
  • Promo on Infinite Plan 40GB + 6 months of Apple Music and + 6 months of Disney+ for $90 (main regions)
  • Promo on Infinite Plan 20GB (15GB + 5GB Data Bonus) + 6 months of Apple Music for $80 (main regions)
  • Promo on Infinite Plan 15GB + 5GB + 6 months of Apple Music for $65 (was 80) (MB/SK/QC)
  • Save up to $650 on iPhone 12 when you trade in your iPhone XR, iPhone XS or iPhone 8
  • Save $15/mo on every additional line you add to your Rogers Infinite plan.
  • Promo on Talk text Unlimited Canada Wide minutes for $30 (was $35)
  • $50/mo for 10GB of non-shareable data with any phone on financing or when you bring your own phone.
  • Get two lines for $60/mo per line for 30 GB of data max speed (QC)
  • $40/mo for 3GB of non-shareable data with any phone on financing or when you bring your own phone
  • Get two lines for $72.50/mo per line for 40 GB of data max speed (main regions)
  • Sign up for Disney+ through Rogers and get six months on select Rogers Infinite plans
  • On a $75 mo/ or higher plan, enjoy access to Disney+ on us for six months
  • Activate or upgrade to a $90/mo or higher Rogers Infinite plan and get a free tablet like the ZTE Grand X View 4 or the Huawei T5 (main regions)
  • Six months of Apple Music on the Rogers Infinite 25 and above Plans
  • $15/mo. off on all Infinite plans in MB, QC & SK compared to other regions
  • Activate or upgrade to a $75/mo or higher Rogers Infinite plan and get a free tablet like the ZTE Grand X View 4 or the Huawei T5 (QC)
  • Three months FREE of Google One cloud storage on select Android phones and all Apple iPhones
  • Various monthly phone credits on select smartphones with Financing or Financing with Upfront Edge
  • $50 referral credit for both after they activate

Browse Rogers cell phone plans

Noticeable price changes:

Ongoing deals:

  • Bring Your Own Device and get 20GB for $52 with the Exclusive Partner Program.
  • Save up to $660 on a like-new phone with Certified Pre-owned.
  • Save the $50 connection fee when you shop online. Plus, get fast, free shipping.
  • Promo on Peace of Mind with 60GB for $85/mo; the Can-US version is $105(MB/SK/QC)
  • Promo on Peace of Mind with 60GB for $95/mo; the Can-US version is $115/mo. (main regions)
  • Get 40GB of high-speed data for $75 per month.
  • Promo on Peace of Mind with 40GB for $85/mo; the Can-US version is $105/mo. (main regions)
  • Promo on Peace of Mind with 40GB for $75/mo; the Can-US version is $95 (MB/SK/QC)
  • Get up to 6 months of Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade when you buy an iPhone or three months with a certified pre-owned.
  • Get three months of of Apple TV free when you buy an iPhone
  • Save up to $564 on iPhone with Bring-it-Back
  • Get bonus 500MB data when you sign-up for Auto Top-up on $30+ prepaid talk, text & data plans
  • Get bonus 100MB data when you sign-up for Auto Top-up on a $25 prepaid talk & text plan
  • Use the promo code SMSPECIAL to save $5 per month on every additional line
  • Promo plan: $65 Simple Share 15GB (QC)
  • Get three months of Apple Fitness free when you buy Apple Watch
  • $10 to $15/mo. off on Peace of Mind, Peace of Mind Connect and Simple Share plans in MB, QC & SK compared to main regions
  • $50 referral credit for both after they activate on a postpaid plan (all regions)

Browse Telus cell phone plan

New deals:

  • 2.5 GB Data at 3G speed 2.5 GB +BONUS 500MB with AutoPay

Ongoing deas:

  • $1 Loyalty Pays every 30 days after the first years. $2 after the second year, and so on.
  • $20 Helping Other every 30 days by earning points in the Community
  • 500MB bonus with Autopay on all Talk, Text & Data plans except $15 plan, which comes with 250MB bonus (all regions)
  • $2 off every month with AutoPay Reward
  • FREE SIM card when buying Certified Pre-Owned phones
  • $1 off every 30 days for every friend you referred as long as they stay active and a one time $10 credit for your friend 

Browse Public Mobile cell phone plans

Noticeable price changes:

Ongoing deals:

  • 500MB bonus with Autopay on all Talk, Text & Data plans and the Data plan
  • 250MB bonus with Autopay on all Talk & Text Plan

Browse Chatr cell phone plans

Noticeable price changes:

New deals:

  • Two months FREE of YouTube Premium with the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G, A32 5G, S20 Fe 5G

Ongoing deals:

  • 500MB Bonus Data on the $30+ Prepaid plans OR 250MB on the $25 Prepaid Plan with AutoPay option (for Canada-wide)
  • 500MB Bonus Data on the $28 Prepaid plan with PPU OR 100MB Bonus Data on the $15 prepaid plan with PPU with AutoPay option
  • Get up to $700 off a hot new device when you trade in your old one.
  • Four months FREE of YouTube Premium with the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G, S21+ 5G and S21 ultra 5G

Browse Virgin Mobile cell phone plans

Noticeable price changes:

New deals:

  • Get up to 20GB of Bonus Data when you sign up on select plans.
  • Get Talk, Text and 1.5GB of Fast LTE Data for $19/mo.
  • Unlimited talk & text starting at $99/year annual payment
  • 1.5GB with talk & text for $19/mo for 12 months with digital discount
  • 15GB Fast LTE for $50/mo with digital discount

Ongoing deals:

  • Freedom plans: Get 9GB bonus data on the $45 plan
  • Get up to 20GB of Bonus Data when you sign up on select plans.
  • BYOD Big Gig Unlimited plans : get 20 GB bonus date on the $85/$115 Canada/US plans
  • Freedom plans: Get 3GB bonus data on the $35 plan
  • Add a line with 8GB data for $35/mo
  • BYOD Big Gig Unlimited plans : get 15GB bonus data on the $85 plan
  • BYOD Big Gig Unlimited plans : get 7GB bonus data on the $50/$60 plans
  • Freedom plans: Get 6GB bonus data on the $40 plan
  • BYOD Big Gig Unlimited plans : get 9GB bonus data on the $65 plan
  • BYOD Big Gig Unlimited plans : get 10GB bonus data on the on $75 plan
  • Refer a friend and get a $25 service credit for each referral. Save up to $250 a year
  • Freedom plans: Get 10GB bonus data on the $50 plans
  • Get 3 moths of Apple TV+ included when buying an Apple iPhone (except iPhone 12 series)
  • Prepaid Freedom Talk + Text – 12 Month plan for $99/year
  • Get $5/mo. on BYOD Big Gig Unlimited plans
  • Get 1 month of Visual Voicemail for Free
  • Save the $10 connection fee when you order and activate a Prepaid SIM Card online
  • $5/mo. digital discount on all plans

New deals:

  • Switch to SaskTel and get an unlimited plan for as low as $50/mo. when you bring your own device.
  • Sign up for noSTRINGS Prepaid Auto Top-ups and get a $20 bonus

Ongoing deals:

  • Switch and save $10/mo. for 24 months. Plus, save an extra $20/mo. if you bring your own device.
  • Save $20/mo. off any voice & data plan when you bring your own phone or buy a phone at a full price.
  • Bring your Google Pixel and save $600
  • Save up to $200 when you purchase a new iPhone and Apple Watch.
  • Sign up for a noSTRINGS Prepaid Talk, Text & Data or Unlimited plan and save $10/mo. for eight months.
  • Get three months of Apple Fitness+ free when you buy an Apple Watch.
  • Switch and save $10/mo. for 24 months when you sign up for wireless service on any unlimited or shareMORE plan. Plus, save an extra $20/mo. if you bring your own device. Conditions apply.

Noticeable price changes:

Ongoing deals:

  • Get 30 GB with any phone purchase.
  • Create your perfect mobile plan and activate your perks, one by one or all at the same time, before November 30, 2021, inclusively.
  • $50 credit offer each when referring someone
  • Any unused mobile data will be rolled over to the next month.
  • Visual voicemail is now offered at Fizz.
  • Various phone discounts on select smartphones with Full Retail Price

Browse Fizz cell phone plans 

Noticeable price changes:

New deals:

  • Fibre+ Gig, Total TV & Mobile Unlimited
  • Fibre+ 300, Total TV & Mobile by the Gig
  • Fibre+ 25, Limited TV & Mobile by the Gig
  • Fibre+ Gig & Mobile Unlimited
  • Fibre+ 300 & Mobile by the Gig
  • Fibre+ 25 & Mobile by the Gig

Ongoing deals:

  • Get the iPhone 13 pro on a $25/mo Unlimited Plan with 25GB Fast LTE
  • Various monthly phone credits on select smartphones

Browse Shaw cell phone plans

Ongoing deals:

  • MaxWest Nitro 5P with $74.99 and $50 top-up voucher + FREE SIM
  • Data plans start at $35 for 2GB

Browse cell phone plans

Ongoing deals:

  • 20,000 PC Optimum points with new PC Mobile SIM card activation

Browse cell phone plans

Ongoing deals:

  • 500MB bonus with Automatic Top-Up on $24, 3.5GB bonus with Automatic Top-Up on $33, 11.5GB bonus with Automatic Top-Up on $43 plans for QC
  • $50 referral credit each when referring a friend after they activate
  • 250MB bonus with Automatic Top-Up on $15, 1GB bonus with Automatic Top-Up on $25, 3GB bonus with Automatic Top-Up on $35, 5GB bonus with Automatic Top-Up on $40, 10.5GB bonus with Automatic Top-Up on $50, 15.5GB bonus with Automatic Top-Up on $70 ( main regions )

Browse cell phone plans

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Mobile Syrup

Bell reports Q3 2021 earnings with 136,464 mobile phone net activations

Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE) reported its Q3 2021 earnings on November 4th, beating estimates thanks to a boost in wireless and improved customer retention.

The company reported 136,464 mobile phone net subscriber activations, up 14.3 percent from the same time last year. That was primarily driven by the 114,821 net mobile postpaid subscriber activations, up 45.9 percent year-over-year. However, Bell’s net prepaid mobile subscriber activations came in at 21,643 — down from 40,639 in 2020.

Further, Bell reported its “best-ever Q3 result” for postpaid churn, which came in at 0.93 percent.

BCE reported its mobile phone customer base now totals 9,349,459 as of the end of Q3 2021, a 2.7 percent increase over the same time last year. 8,520,518 are postpaid subscribers (up 3.2 percent) while 828,941 are prepaid (down 2.2 percent).

Average blended billing per user (ABPU) was up 1.1 percent to $74.07.

BCE’s total operating revenue was up 0.8 percent to roughly $5.84 billion. The company says this was driven by a 3.6 percent increase in service revenue. Bell’s total wireless operating revenue decreased by 0.9 percent to about $2.3 billion.

You can find BCE’s full earnings report here or view the Q2 2021 earnings details here.

Source: BCE

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Mobile Syrup

Crave has a new ‘KitKat Comedy Collection’ featuring Fresh Prince, Friends and more

Have you ever spent time on Crave and thought “something is missing?” Although there are some genuinely good titles on the streaming service, like HBO’s Succession, did you ever feel like you wanted more from the service besides universal 4K support and a better bitrate?

If that applies to you, then the answer to your Crave problems might be KitKat! At least, that’s what Bell seems to have in mind.

The company has launched a new sponsored ‘KitKat Collection’ on Crave that features more than a dozen comedy titles. “Satisfy your entertainment cravings with The KitKat Comedy Collection,” writes Bell. “An assortment of movies and tv shows curated by Crave. Have a well-deserved break and a laugh after work, brought to you by KitKat.”

The assortment of content includes the following 15 comedy shows and movies:

  • Adorableness
  • The Big Bang Theory
  • Corner Gas
  • Corner Gas Animated
  • Daria
  • Flight of the Conchords
  • Frasier
  • The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
  • The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion
  • Friends
  • Friends: The Reunion
  • Jann
  • Star Trek: Lower Decks
  • Superintelligence
  • Wellington Paranormal

Amusingly, there’s a 16th Crave “title” listed in the collection, “The KitKat Comedy Collection,” which is simply a 15-second ad for KitKat and Crave. In other words, it’s a perfect companion to classics like The Fresh Prince, Friends and Frasier. 

The only thing that could make Will Smith and James Avery’s iconic emotional scene from “Papa’s Got a Brand New Excuse” better, after all, is a KitKat.

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Mobile Syrup

Telus wins annual BrandSpark award for Canadian consumer’s most trusted ‘Cellular Service’

Leading market research firm BrandSpark has announced its consumer-voted 9th annual BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards (BMTAs) across several categories, including ‘Finance & Insurance,’ ‘Health & Fitness,’ ‘Retail & Restaurants,’ and, of course, ‘Telecom & Home.’

On the carrier side of the consumer-focused study, Telus took home gold for ‘Cellular Service,’ followed by Bell, Rogers and Koodo (Telus’ flanker brand) tied for silver. Bell also took home gold for home phone service, followed by Telus with silver and Rogers/Vidéotron tied for bronze.

On the other hand, Bell took home the gold award for ‘High Speed Internet,’ with Rogers, Shaw and Vidéotron tied for silver. Closing out the notable telecom-related categories is Bell/Shaw tied for gold with ‘TV Service,’ followed by Rogers/Vidéotron with Bronze (no company was awarded silver).

Regarding ‘Apps and Websites,’ Flipp took home gold and Reebee took silver for the ‘Best Flyer App,’ SiriusXM won gold for ‘Internet Radio Network’ and Wix won gold for best ‘Website Builder.’

For a full list of award winners, follow this link.

Regarding methodology for the awards, BrandSpark surveyed 7,857 Canadians across 64 categories.

Brandspark’s consumer voting methodology will be the basis for the research firm’s 2022 Best New Products: Tech Edition created through a partnership with MobileSyrup. The Tech Edition of Brandspark’s awards features several new categories, including smartphones, video games, fitness devices, headphones, smart home devices, electric vehicles and more.

Along with awarding top products in each category based on user feedback, the Best New Products: Tech Edition aims to reveal insight into how consumers approach emerging technology, trends and product innovation. Brandspark says that it aims for the inaugural Best New Product awards to include a sample size of over 15,000 Canadians.

If you’re interested in signing up to participate in Brandspark’s 2022 Tech Edition consumer study, follow this link.

Source: Newswire

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Bell is Canada’s best 5G network according to analyst company GWS

Bell’s 5G network has been ranked as the best in Canada by Global Wireless Solutions (GWS), a company that tests wireless networks.

GWS says it applies ‘OneScore’ rankings using a combination of real-world wireless network performance measurements and feedback from customers. Additionally, GWS says that key metrics to consider when evaluating 5G networks include speed, reliability, video performance and latency.

Moreover, the company’s evaluation utilized over 425,000 tests conducted across Canada between May and October 2021, which included “all major metropolitan cities as well as less populated towns and cities.” In total, the GWS tests covered 65 percent of Canada’s population.

The company awarded Bell the “Best 5G Network OneSore 2021” and “Fastest 5G Network OneScore 2021.”

GWS says it used ‘Rohde & Schwarz SmartBenchmarker’ equipment, Samsung Galaxy mobile devices and its own ‘MobiStat’ data evaluation and reporting platform.

Bell also shared a press release patting itself on the back for its performance and reiterating plans to bring 5G to roughly 70 percent of the population by the end of the year.

It’s also worth noting that in October, PCMag also awarded Bell as the fastest mobile network. However, OpenSignal released 5G network rankings in August and, while it also awarded Bell with the fastest network, OpenSignal ranked Rogers higher overall thanks to wider 5G availability.

Source: GWS Via: Bell

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Mobile Syrup

Smartphones on Bell’s network fell back an hour this weekend

If you missed your alarm this weekend or noticed that your smartphone mysteriously fell back an hour, don’t worry, you aren’t alone.

Some Bell mobile customers found that their smartphones’ internal clock jumped back a full hour.

“Some of our mobility clients may have experienced an incorrect time change on their phone this morning,” said Bell in a press statement. “Our teams are investigating the situation in order to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience.”

The issue seems to have impacted users on Bell’s flanker brand Virgin as well.

It’s currently unclear what caused the issue. Clocks in various regions across Canada will fall back by one hour as of November 7th due to Daylight Saving Time, so there’s a possibility that Bell pushed this change forward a little earlier than planned.

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Mobile Syrup

The fastest Tim Hortons Wi-Fi in Canada is at a Guelph, Ontario location

There 4,286 Tim Hortons locations across Canada to be exact. For context, this number doesn’t even include Tim Hortons locations at gas stations.

This many restaurants across the country make Tim Hortons the largest free Wi-Fi provider in Canada — McDonald’s doesn’t even come close.

PCMag performed 3,051 speed tests via Ookla at 1,469 Tim Hortons restaurants during its recent cross Canada carrier speed test.

According to the test’s findings, Tim Hortons has overall pretty slow Wi-Fi. On average, Tim Hortons locations offered 22.7Mbps download speed and upload speeds of 6.5Mbps.

However, at the fastest 20 locations, which only includes the top 1.4 percent of tests, the average download speed was 143.7Mbps and 36Mbps. Delving deeper, PCMag says that three particular Tim Hortons locations highly skew the average.

These Bell-powered Tim Hortons locations equipped with super fast internet are in Etobicoke, Guelph and Toronto, Ontario. Most of the restaurant chain’s Wi-Fi offerings rely on GoCo, a spin-off of Telus that offers Wi-Fi to businesses in Canada.

Below are the highlights from PCMag’s extensive Tim Hortons internet speed testing:

  • The fastest Tim Hortons in Canada is in a mall outside Guelph.
  • The fastest Tim Hortons in Toronto is just off Bathurst Street in Fort York.
  • The fastest Tim Hortons in greater Montreal is in the Quartier DIX30 shopping mall in Brossard.

The Guelph location’s download speed measured in at 325Mbps, and following that Toronto was Toronto with 308Mbps. PCMag’s report also revealed that Bell offers the fastest Canada’s fastest mobile network.

You can check out the full report, here.

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Bell, Virgin release Pixel 6 and 6 Pro pricing 10 days late

Bell and its flanker brand Virgin Plus have finally released Pixel 6 and 6 Pro pricing after basically skipping the pre-order period.

If you were expecting any crazy awesome pricing, well, I’ve got some bad news. Bell appears to be more or less in line with Rogers and Telus on the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro cost.

The Pixel 6 starts at $0 down with $28.30/mo financing ($679.20 over the 24-month term). On the surface, it sounds like a deal, but that pricing is based on Bell’s Device Return Option. In other words, at the end of the two-year contract, you’ll either need to give back the phone or pay $120 to keep in. All in, that means you’d get the phone for $799.20 from Bell through financing, which is the same as buying the phone outright from Google.

If you don’t do the Device Return Option, the monthly financing cost jumps to $33.30 (which works out to $799.20 over two years).

The story is very similar with the Pixel 6 Pro, which also costs $0 upfront and $39.12/mo financing ($938.88 after 24 months). Adding on the Device Return Option fee of $240 brings the grand total to $1,178.88, just a few cents shy of the $1,179 outright price for the Pixel 6 Pro. If you don’t do the Device Return Option, you’re looking at $49.12/mo financing ($1,178.88 total).

Keep in mind that this is all on top of at least an $80/mo plan.

At Virgin Mobile, the Pixel 6 costs $0 upfront and $33.30/mo financing ($799.20 over two years), but plans start at a lower $50/mo. In other words, while the phone costs the same, Virgin Plus customers can get a little relief on the monthly cost.

For the Pixel 6 Pro, Virgin charges $379 upfront plus $33.34/mo financing ($1,179.16 total).

Those interested can check out the Pixel 6 Pro pricing for all carriers offering the phones here.

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Here are the changes to Canadian mobile rate plans this week [October 28 – November 3]

With over 13 wireless carriers in Canada, it can be difficult to keep track of the latest promotions and cell phone rate plan changes. 

MobileSyrup will compile the latest weekly rate plan deals every week. You can also check out our guide on plans across Canada to find the right plan for you.  You can compare from 47,842 options and 13 carriers in Canada to find the best option.

It’s worth noting that rate plans are always subject to change and that we’ll do our best to keep this list updated as accurately as possible.

Canadian carrier rate plan changes this week

New deals:

  • Get six months of Crave on us.
  • Get our unlimited talk and text plan for just $30/mo.

Ongoing deals:

  • $55 Promo plan with 15GB data (QC). For new activations only.
  • Promo on Unlimited Share 20 for $80 with new activations and upgrades only; the Canada-US version is $100/mo. (main regions)
  • $50 Promo plan with 8GB data (QC). For new activations only.
  • Save $50 when you buy online.
  • Save $15/mo. for every family member you add to your account.
  • Get 20% off any Samsung smartwatch with Bell SmartPay
  • Various monthly phone credits on select smartphones with SmartPay or SmartPay + Device Return Option
  • Unlimited and Connect Everything share plans are $15/mo. cheaper in MB, QC & SK compared to main regions
  • 100MB bonus data on $25 Prepaid plans or 500MB bonus data on $30+ Prepaid plans with allowance or auto-allowance top-up
  • Get up to 500 MB bonus data/mo. when you sign up for Automatic Monthly or Automatic Monthly/Low Balance Top-Up option on eligible plans.
  • Save $40 on the intelliARMOR UV Shield+ portable sanitize
  • Get three months of Apple Fitness+ free when you buy an Apple Watch
  • Up to $700 trade-in credit with any smartphone purchase or min. $100 trade-in credit with eligible phone trade-in and purchase of a new one

Browse Bell cell phone plans

Noticeable price changes:

New deals:

  • We’re celebrating 25 years with $25,000 in prizes with Fixo XTRA (Only on the Fido app).
  • Fido Contest: Get a chance to instantly win 1 of 2,000 boxes of sweet and sour Halloween candy with Fixo XTRA (Only on the Fido app).

Ongoing deals:

  • Various monthly phone credits on select smartphones with 24-mo. Fido Payment Program and Talk, Text and Data plan.
  • Get a Samsung Galaxy device and get up to 4 months of YouTube Premium
  • Trade-in select devices and get a minimum credit of $100
  • One Month Free Service when you invite your friends and they join Fido.
  • Get Extra $5 Credit Per Month on ZTE Grand X View 4

Browse Fido cell phone plans

Noticeable price changes:

Ongoing deals:

  • Get 10 GB bonus data per year in Canada with a Basic 3GB or 8GB Mobile BYOD plan
  • $5 to $75 discount when you BYO phone on select Videotron plans
  • Get a discount on QUB musicque with all the plans
  • Take advantage of a monthly discount with multiline $5 to $15 per line each month (depends on the number of lines)
  • Up to $500 trade-in credit on any smartphone purchase
  • Club illico mobile included on All-Inclusive Mobile plans 

Browse Videotron cell phone plan

Noticeable price changes:

Ongoing deals:

  • $50 referral credit for both when referring a friend after they join on a postpaid plan.
  • Get six months of Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade when you get an iPhone and three months when you get a certified pre-owned iPhone.
  • Shop online and save the $50 connection fee
  • Bonus 500MB data per month with Automatic Top-Up on the $30+ talk, text & data prepaid plans – both Canada-wide and Province-wide calling plans (all regions)

Browse Koodo cell phone plans 

Noticeable price changes:

New deals:

  • Promo on Infinite Plan 50GB + 6 months of Apple Music and + 6 months of Disney+ for $85/mo (was 95) (MB/SK/QC)
  • Get the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G for $25.58/mo.
  • Sign up for Apple Music and get your first six months free
  • Save $786 over 24 months on the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
  • Limited time offer – Individuals with unlimited messaging and Canada-wide calling data plan +3GB at $40 and +10GB at $50 (QC Only)
  • Get iPhone 13 for $5 when you trade in an iPhone 11
  • Promo on Infinite Plan 60GB + 6 months of Apple Music and + 6 months of Disney+ for $95/mo (main regions)

Ongoing deals:

  • Promo on Infinite Plan 40GB + 6 months of Apple Music and + 6 months of Disney+ for $75/mo (MB/SK/QC)
  • Promo on Infinite Plan 40GB + 6 months of Apple Music and + 6 months of Disney+ for $90 (main regions)
  • Promo on Infinite Plan 20GB (15GB + 5GB Data Bonus) + 6 months of Apple Music for $80 (main regions)
  • Promo on Infinite Plan 15GB + 5GB + 6 months of Apple Music for $65 (was 80) (MB/SK/QC)
  • Save up to $650 on iPhone 12 when you trade in your iPhone XR, iPhone XS or iPhone 8
  • Save $15/mo on every additional line you add to your Rogers Infinite plan.
  • Promo on Talk text Unlimited Canada Wide minutes for $30 (was $35)
  • $50/mo for 10GB of non-shareable data with any phone on financing or when you bring your own phone.
  • Get 2 lines for $60/mo per line for 30 GB of data max speed (QC)
  • $40/mo for 3GB of non-shareable data with any phone on financing or when you bring your own phone
  • Get 2 lines for $72.50/mo per line for 40 GB of data max speed (main regions)
  • Sign up for Disney+ through Rogers and get 6 months on select Rogers Infinite plans
  • On a $75 mo/ or higher plan, enjoy access to Disney+ on us for 6 months
  • Activate or upgrade to an $90/mo or higher Rogers Infinite plan and get a free tablet like the ZTE Grand X View 4 or the Hauwei T5 (main regions)
  • 6 months of Apple Music on the Rogers Infinite 25 and above Plans
  • $15/mo. off on all Infinite plans in MB, QC & SK compared to other regions
  • Activate or upgrade to an $75/mo or higher Rogers Infinite plan and get a free tablet like the ZTE Grand X View 4 or the Hauwei T5 (QC)
  • 3 months FREE of Google One cloud storage on select Android phones and all Apple iPhones
  • Various monthly phone credits on select smartphones with Financing or Financing with Upfront Edge
  • $50 referral credit for both after they activate

Browse Rogers cell phone plans

Noticeable price changes:

New deals:

  • Save the $50 connection fee when you shop online. Plus, get fast, free shipping.
  • Promo on Peace of Mind with 60GB for $85/mo; the Can-US version is $105(MB/SK/QC)
  • Promo on Peace of Mind with 60GB for $95/mo; the Can-US version is $115/mo. (main regions)
  • Get 40GB of high-speed data for $75 per month.
  • Get Up to $990 trade-in credit with select smartphone purchase
  • Order your iPhone 13 Pro at TELUS and get up to 6 months of free Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade.

Ongoing deals:

  • Enjoy 20GB of data for only $52/mo. when you Bring Your Own Device to the TELUS Exclusive Partner Program.
  • Promo on Peace of Mind with 40GB for $85/mo; the Can-US version is $105/mo. (main regions)
  • Promo on Peace of Mind with 40GB for $75/mo; the Can-US version is $95 (MB/SK/QC)
  • Get up to 6 months of Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade when you buy an iPhone or three months with a certified pre-owned.
  • Get three months of of Apple TV free when you buy an iPhone
  • Save up to $564 on iPhone with Bring-it-Back
  • Get bonus 500MB data when you sign-up for Auto Top-up on $30+ prepaid talk, text & data plans
  • Get bonus 100MB data when you sign-up for Auto Top-up on a $25 prepaid talk & text plan
  • Use the promo code SMSPECIAL to save $5 per month on every additional line
  • Promo plan: $65 Simple Share 15GB (QC)
  • Get three months of Apple Fitness free when you buy Apple Watch
  • $10 to $15/mo. off on Peace of Mind, Peace of Mind Connect and Simple Share plans in MB, QC & SK compared to main regions
  • $50 referral credit for both after they activate on a postpaid plan (all regions)

Browse Telus cell phone plans

Ongoing deals:

  • $1 Loyalty Pays every 30 days after the first years. $2 after the second year, and so on.
  • $20 Helping Other every 30 days by earning points in the Community
  • 500MB bonus with Autopay on all Talk, Text & Data plans except $15 plan, which comes with 250MB bonus (all regions)
  • $2 off every month with AutoPay Reward
  • FREE SIM card when buying Certified Pre-Owned phones
  • $1 off every 30 days for every friend you referred as long as they stay active and a one time $10 credit for your friend 

Browse Public Mobile cell phone plans

Ongoing deals:

  • 500MB bonus with Autopay on all Talk, Text & Data plans and the Data plan
  • 250MB bonus with Autopay on all Talk & Text Plan

Browse Chatr cell phone plans

Noticeable price changes:

Ongoing deals:

  • 500MB Bonus Data on the $30+ Prepaid plans OR 250MB on the $25 Prepaid Plan with AutoPay option (for Canada-wide)
  • 500MB Bonus Data on the $28 Prepaid plan with PPU OR 100MB Bonus Data on the $15 prepaid plan with PPU with AutoPay option
  • Get up to $700 off a hot new device when you trade in your old one.
  • Two months FREE of YouTube Premium with the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G, A32 5G, S20 Fe 5G, A11, Note 20 Ultra 5G, Note 20 5G
  • Four months FREE of YouTube Premium with the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G, S21+ 5G and S21 ultra 5G

Browse Virgin Mobile cell phone plans

Noticeable price changes:

  • Various plans: Increase pricing on Samsung Galaxy A12 32 GB, Galaxy S20+ 128 GB, Galaxy S20 Fe 5g 128 GB, Galaxy Z Flip3 5g 128 GB, Galaxy Z Fold3 5g 256 GB, Galaxy A32 5g 64 GB, Galaxy A52 5g 128 GB
  • Various plans: Dropped pricing on Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 128 GB, Galaxy S21+ 5g 256 GB
  • Google Pixel 6 128 GB, Pixel 6 Pro 128 GB are now available
  • Various plans: Increase pricing on Apple iPhone 11 64 GB, iPhone 12 64 GB, iPhone 12 Pro 512 GB, iPhone 13 512 GB, iPhone 13 Mini 128 GB, iPhone 13 Pro Max 128 GB
  • Various plans: Dropped pricing on Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max 128 GB
  • Various plans: Increase pricing on Motorola Moto G Power 64 GB

New deals:

  • Get up to 20GB of Bonus Data when you sign up on select plans.
  • Get up to 20GB of Bonus Data when you sign up on select plans.
  • BYOD Big Gig Unlimited plans: get 20 GB bonus date on the $85/$115 Canada/US plans
  • Freedom plans: Get 3GB bonus data on the $35 plan

Ongoing deals:

  • Add a line with 8GB data for $35/mo
  • Get Talk, Text and 1.5GB of Fast LTE Data for $24/mo.
  • Freedom plans: Get 7GB bonus data on the $45 plan
  • BYOD Big Gig Unlimited plans: get 15GB bonus data on the $85 plan
  • BYOD Big Gig Unlimited plans: get 7GB bonus data on the $50/$60 plans
  • Freedom plans: Get 6GB bonus data on the $40 plan
  • BYOD Big Gig Unlimited plans: get 9GB bonus data on the $65 plan
  • BYOD Big Gig Unlimited plans: get 10GB bonus data on the $75 plan
  • Refer a friend and get a $25 service credit for each referral. Save up to $250 a year
  • Freedom plans: Get 10GB bonus data on the $50 plans
  • Get three months of Apple TV+ included when buying an Apple iPhone (except iPhone 12 series)
  • Prepaid Freedom Talk + Text – 12 Month plan for $99/year
  • Get $5/mo. on BYOD Big Gig Unlimited plans
  • Get up to 15GB of Bonus Data when you sign up on select plans.
  • Get one month of Visual Voicemail for Free
  • Save the $10 connection fee when you order and activate a Prepaid SIM Card online
  • $5/mo. digital discount on all plans

Noticeable price changes:

New deals:

  • Switch and save $10/mo. for 24 months. Plus, save an extra $20/mo. if you bring your own device.
  • Save $20/mo. off any voice & data plan when you bring your own phone or buy a phone at a full price.

Ongoing deals:

  • Bring your Google Pixel and save $600
  • Save up to $200 when you purchase a new iPhone and Apple Watch.
  • Sign up for a noSTRINGS Prepaid Talk, Text & Data or Unlimited plan and save $10/mo. for eight months.
  • Get three months of Apple Fitness+ free when you buy an Apple Watch.
  • Switch and save $10/mo. for 24 months when you sign up for wireless service on any unlimited or shareMORE plan. Plus, save an extra $20/mo. if you bring your own device. Conditions apply.

Noticeable price changes:

New deals:

  • Any unused mobile data will be rolled over to the next month.
  • Visual messaging now available at fizz.

Ongoing deals:

  • $25 credit offer each when referring someone
  • Up to 50% off selected phones.
  • Various phone discounts on select smartphones with Full Retail Price

Browse Fizz cell phone plans 

Noticeable price changes:

New deals:

  • Get the iPhone 13 pro on a $25/mo Unlimited Plan with 25GB Fast LTE

Ongoing deals:

  • Various monthly phone credits on select smartphones

Browse Shaw cell phone plans

Ongoing deals:

  • MaxWest Nitro 5P with $74.99 and $50 top-up voucher + FREE SIM
  • Data plans start at $35 for 2GB

Browse cell phone plans

Ongoing deals:

  • Additional 50 Canada-wide minutes on $10 plan, 100MB Bonus Data on $15 plan
  • 2GB Bonus data per month for six months on the $25+ plans (and an additional 1 GB of data with Auto-Allowance)
  • 20,000 PC Optimum points with new PC Mobile SIM card activation

Browse cell phone plans

New deals

  • 500MB bonus with Automatic Top-Up on $24, 3.5GB bonus with Automatic Top-Up on $33, 11.5GB bonus with Automatic Top-Up on $43 plans for QC

Ongoing deals:

  • $50 referral credit each when referring a friend after they activate
  • 250MB bonus with Automatic Top-Up on $15, 1GB bonus with Automatic Top-Up on $25, 3GB bonus with Automatic Top-Up on $35, 5GB bonus with Automatic Top-Up on $40, 10.5GB bonus with Automatic Top-Up on $50, 15.5GB bonus with Automatic Top-Up on $70 ( main regions )
 

Browse cell phone plans

Categories
Mobile Syrup

PCMag: Bell retains its fastest mobile network title

Bell has retained its title as Canada’s fastest mobile network, according to PCMag’s latest report.

To crown Bell as the winner, PCMag drove through more than 40 Canadian cities and towns, as well as rural locations across eight different provinces. What did they find? Something that we already know. The divide in the performance gap between rural and urban Canada is very prominent. “While urban areas are getting world-class speeds and rock-solid network reliability, rural areas struggle with much lower speeds and less reliable networks,” reads the report.

Download speeds

The top three contenders for the fastest internet were Bell, Telus and Rogers. The report found that Bell’s maximum download speed was 786.8Mbps, up from 760Mbps last year, with an average download speed of 241.8Mbps, also up from last year’s 232.6Mbps speed.

Telus followed with maximum download speeds of 804.4 Mbps, up from last year’s 752.1Mbps speed, and an average of 234.1 Mbps, down from last year’s 239.3Mbps speed.

Rogers’ maximum download speed was 510.2, up from 2020’s 492.4Mbps speed, with an average of 145.8, the same as last year.

Upload speeds

In terms of upload speeds, Bell’s maximum speed was 115.4Mbps, with an average upload speed of 43.2Mbps.

Telus’ maximum upload speed was 116Mbps, with an average speed of 42.6Mbps.

Rogers’ maximum upload speed was 159.4Mbps (best out of the bunch), and its average upload speed was 39.9Mbps.

Latency

Bell’s latency was 25.1ms, Telus’ was 24.8ms and Rogers’ was 28.2ms. Bell’s overall speed score is 100, and Telus followed close with a score of 99. Rogers received a speed score of 84.

Out of the top 20 cities, Bell won in eight, Telus won eight as well, and Rogers won two. Two cities were tied between Bell and Telus, however, Bell’s victory in highly-populated cities like Toronto and Montreal secured it the crown.

The report further states that with an average download speed of 228.4Mbps, Halifax has the fastest download speeds in Canada, whereas London, with an average download speed of 119Mbps across all carriers, has the worst average download speeds. Montreal had the lowest latency, averaging 20.3ms, making it the perfect city for Canadians looking to stream or play multiplayer games, while Toronto had the greatest 5G coverage out of the big three carriers.

PCMag says that speeds stayed steady from 2020 to 2021 even though Canadians are using far more data per month compared to last year. This causes Canadian networks/Airwaves to get congested. But what’s worth noting is that Even when Canada’s networks are congested, they are still faster than those in the United States. Check out the image below for reference:

However, disparities between urban and rural areas of the same cities are on a rise. Tests done in Moncton, Halifax, Toronto and Regina show that rural areas, in general, have about 150Mbps less speed when compared to urban areas.

For example, the average download speed in urban areas of New Brunswick is 169.1Mbps, whereas, in rural New Brunswick, the average speed drops down to 51.8Mbps. Similarly, in Ontario’s urban areas, download speeds hover around the 260Mbps mark, however, in rural areas, it drops down to 82.6Mbps.

Find a list of best carriers for different provinces below:

Province Winning Carrier
Alberta Bell
British Columbia Telus
Manitoba Telus
New Brunswick Bell
Nova Scotia Telus
Ontario Bell
Prince Edward Island Telus
Quebec Bell
Saskatchewan Bell

PCMag conducted its tests with Samsung Galaxy S21 devices along with non-throttling SIM cards provided by Canadian carriers. Moving forward, PCMag says it will test components like web page downloads, streaming, and voice calling using new software from Solutelia’s WIND solution to form a more comprehensive understanding of the fastest mobile networks in Canada.

Image credit: PCMag

Source: PCMag