Bell and Virgin Mobile release the HTC Incredible S and Bell updates Mobile TV

The HTC Incredible S is now available on both Bell and Virgin Mobile. This Android smartphone, the latest from HTC, was first shown at this year’s Mobile World Conference, on Feb 15th. It is incredible, then, that it came out in Canada so quickly.  We usually have to wait at least 2 to 3 months for the latest phones to get here from the US and Europe.

The Incredible S runs the 2nd generation Snapdragon 1Ghz MSM8255 CPU, with the Adreno 205 GPU – the very same combination as the Sony Ericsson Play, making it a viable option for mobile gaming. It has 768MB of RAM, 1.1 GB of internal storage, and comes with a removable 8 GB MicroSD card. The screen is a 4” 480×800 Super-LCD, and the rear facing camera is 8 MP with a dual LED flash.

There is also a 1.3 MP from facing camera, but unfortunately there is no video chat application out of the box, and Qik does not support this phone yet. It has HSPA+ for speedy 14.4 Mbps downloads, and a generous 1450 mAh battery, a big improvement from previous HTC models. Lastly it runs Android 2.2.1, which might be disappointing to some, but HTC has said that they expect to roll-out 2.3 to a number of their phones, including the Incredible S, in Q2. Hopefully that means Q2 in Canada too.

The Incredible S is definitely a refinement of previous HTC phones rather than a radically new design, but that isn’t a bad thing. If you are looking for a well made, high performance Android phone you certainly won’t go wrong with the Incredible S. I have had a review unit for a couple of days now and have been extremely impressed with the build quality, screen, and overall responsiveness. While it doesn’t have a dual-core processor, HTC’s Sense UI interface has been optimized to run butter smooth on the single-core CPU – and you won’t see many applications that require a dual-core CPU, apart from some games, for at least 6 – 8 months.

Today Bell also announced their expanded Bell Mobile TV service for smartphone and tablets, with expanded on-demand and live TV content from channels such as TSN, CTV, HBO, and MTV. Each option cost $5 a month for 10 hours of TV on smartphones, and you can see some pictures of the interface in the gallery below. I didn’t get a chance to try out the new service until today, so I don’t have any footage of it in action, but I will include more info about it in my full review of the Incredible S. One initial disappointment is that the content is in 4:3 SD. I will have to follow up with Bell to see if any of the content is available in 16:9. For more info about Mobile TV you can check out the news release here, and the Mobile TV site here.

Check more pictures of the phone below, including some comparisons with my HTC Desire HD, and the official Bell press release. Check back for our full review and hands-on video later this week.

The HTC Incredible S is available now for $500 no term, $100 on a 3-year term at both Bell here, and Virgin Mobile here.

HTC brings a truly Incredible smartphone to Canada

New smartphone combines cutting-edge design with a premium mobile experience

Toronto, ON – April 4, 2011 – HTC today announced the Canadian availability of the Android™-powered HTC Incredible S™ smartphone. The HTC Incredible S features an 8 megapixel colour camera, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, 1GHz processor and SRS WOW™ HD surround sound – all combined within a stunning, contoured body. The elegant design is so unique that it stands out from any angle, and truly lives up to its name.

“At HTC, we pride ourselves on bringing to people devices that are as beautiful to look at as they are to use,” said Rick Babington, executive director, HTC Canada. “The HTC Incredible S is a testament to what can be achieved when engineers and designers work together to raise the bar for smartphone design. The look, the sound, the feel… it’s a phone that impresses the senses of everyone.”

Capturing and viewing video has never been so easy than with the HTC Incredible S’ bright 4-inch WVGA super LCD display and SRS WOW HD surround sound , bringing a vibrant cinematic experience to the palm of the hand. The noise suppression functionality enabled by dual microphones allows people to enjoy high-quality voice calls. The HTC Incredible S includes HTC Sense™, HTC’s unique user experience that puts people at the centre by making phones work in a more simple and natural way.

HTC Incredible S also takes high quality pictures with its 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash and it easily enables videos, photos and music to be shared from the handset directly to a compatible TV using DLNA® technology. The HTC Incredible S’ 1.3 megapixel front camera gives people the ability to easily use video chat applications available from the Android Market or even take self-portraits freely.

With the HTC Incredible S, all of the details have been polished and fine-tuned. While other phones only support auto landscape rotation for wide screen viewing experience, the HTC Incredible S rotates the capacitive buttons on the front of the phone for easier navigation. The new HTC Incredible S supports numerous social networks and integrates contact information seamlessly. Other powerful features include the speedy Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 1GHz processor and Adobe Flash 10.1 support.

Specifications:

• 4-inch touch screen with 480 x 800 (WVGA) resolution
• 8 megapixel main camera with auto focus and dual LED flash and 1.3 megapixel front camera
• 720p HD video recording
• 1GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ processor
• 1450 mAh battery
• SRS WOW HD surround sound