Telus

Y'all remember that 2016-SMS timestamp bug we discussed a few weeks ago? The one that caused all incoming text messages to be dated from the year 2016?

Well, good news as HTC has released patches for Telus, US Cellular and Alltel users (Sprint got theirs last week; not a peep though from Verizon yet).

Telus

• Diamond
• Touch Pro
• Touch Pro 2

Alltel

• Touch Pro
• Diamond (n/a)

US Cellular

• Touch Pro 2
• Touch Pro (n/a)

Remember, these don't play too well with custom ROMs, so best to stick with the 'Ziggy' patch.  

Sure, this was an unfortunate bug, but three to four weeks isn't too bad for an official patch, we suppose...we mean in comparison to where we were a few years ago (Anyone remember the Sprint 700wx SMS debacle? That was like a 6 month wait!)

[Thanks to Gregory P for the Telus tip!]

Need some more of that Telus LG IQ (aka the Monaco) we got eyes on earlier this week? Ask and ye shall receive. And shaky camera work aside, that's a solid looking phone. We could get behind the (optional) fingerprint scanner as the means of unlocking the phone, though we're still not sold on optical-type d-pads. Otherwise, those of you in Canada look like you've got a rather snazzy 3.2-inch WGVA slider with Snapdragon on your hands. Peep some video after the break. [Mobile Syrup]

Update: Loads more pics and thoughts from Mobile Jaw. (thanks, Mike!)

Not to stir up too much attention, but the unlocker (Hard SPL) for the CDMA Touch Pro 2 is expected to drop sometime this coming week.

Like the GSM version, this will allow users to flash the much coveted custom ROMs onto their phones.  The 'CDMA Rhodium Elite Team' has been hard at work cracking this latest HTC device and evidently it hasn't been an easy job, so give them some thanks when it drops.

What is even better news is the expectation that a separate SIM unlocker will be released at or near the same time as the Hard SPL.  The will allow the CDMA Touch Pro 2 to reportedly work on any U.S. GSM network (e.g. AT&T and T-Mobile) as well as for flashing of different radio firmwares.

The Sprint Touch Pro 2 is already SIM unlocked for oversea GSM carriers (unlike the Verizon and Telus versions), but all CDMA devices are barred from U.S. GSM networks, making this accomplishment, if accurate, truly astonishing.

The Hard SPL (for custom ROMs) will of course be free but the SIM unlocker is reportedly going to cost a license of €14 (~$21), which we suppose is fair for such a bonus feature.

We'll keep you posted as soon as either are released!

We've been hoping that after a couple of days Best Buy Canada would realize there's a mutant Touch Pro 2 on the loose, but no dice. So, here you go. The Telus version is now available for $249 and the standard 36-month contract. Good luck finding a square case.

Via BGR

Here's more from Mobilesyrup on the upcoming Touch Pro 2 with its confirmed 3.5mm headset jack that caught most everyone by surprise. And that leads us to a couple of questions.

1. What's the trade-off? While there appears to be plenty of room on the bottom edge of the Touch Pro 2 for a headset jack, adding one certainly must change the internal design of the device. (That's Dieter's hands-on with the stock Touch Pro 2 at right.) And while the Telus version proves that it can be done, was anything taken out?
2. Telus is the first carrier we've seen to add in a headset jack. Will anyone else follow? It's not a given that Verizon or anyone else will do so. (And if anyone out there can predict exactly how Verizon hack up any given phone, we've got a date at the track we'd like to take you on.) Again, that'd likely come down to the trade-offs.
3. Is this HTC turning over a new leaf sooner than we thought? They've said headsets will come in future phones. Yeah, it's probably too soon for that, but who knows.

Regardless, we're not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Congrats, Telus customers. And let's hope some of that headset goodness comes our way.

We knew HTC would be pulling out some big guns this year, and it looks like they're going to be firing both barrels. The Boy Genius Report got some inventory shots from Canada's Telus that shows the Touch Pro 2 and Snap being launched as "world editions." That, for those of you more used to vanilla devices, means CDMA and GSM radios, for use, well, all over the world.

If this all pans out, it is a good sign that HTC is pushing even harder for the enterprise market. World phones are pretty much aimed at serious business travelers, after all. No word on pricing or availability, but stay tuned.

Looks like the Palm Treo Pro and Samsung Omnia will be on Canada's Telus network, at least if recent newspaper ads (check out Page 5) have anything to say about it. [via BGR] We're not entirely certain, but the price could well be $149.99 for the standard 3-year deal. Interesting that the Treo Pro gets that much more of a discount than the Omnia, but then who are we do question our benevolent neighbors to the north?

Not to forget our neighbors to the north, users of the HTC S720 (aka the Libra, and a CDMA version of the Vox to the rest of us) on Canadian carrier Telus have a bit to cheer about as an update to Windows Mobile 6.1 has been released [via].

What you'll get in the upgrade:

• Adds EVDO Rev. A capability for faster download and upload speeds
• Upgrades to Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
• Improves overall device functionality and stability
• Adds new shortcuts for easy access to TELUS mobile email, TELUS navigator, Pocket Express applications

The larger implication is that official Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrades are still rolling out, albeit not as quickly or on as many devices as we'd like. But that's as much (or likely more) of a carrier issue than anything else. So you'll excuse us for taking what we can get. And there are always those back channels for less, er, official upgrades.

Download: HTC S720 update