Public Mobile vs. Wind Mobile – new carrier showdown
Canada has two new wireless competitors on the scene. Both Wind Mobile and Public Mobile opened doors over the past four months. Aside from competing with the three incumbent carriers, each new carrier has been touting their superiority via press releases and comments from company executives. But how do the two really stack up against one another? We take a look.
By Brian Jackson, Staff Writer, ITBusiness.ca
Advertising – Public Mobile
Public Mobile used real people who walked in off the street to create large posters like this that were plastered on bus stops in Toronto and Montreal. Photographer Peter Bregg shot these people in high detail and without the use of makeup, or a wardrobe for the subjects. The result is different and eye-catching.
The teaser ads had the text “Unlimited” printed across the posters. Now the reveal phase will be rolled out – detailing a $40 unlimited talk and text plan.
Advertising – Wind Mobile
Wind Mobile built up an impressive ad presence since its December launch. Its pitches are seen on city streets, in public transit, in print, and online. Many feature these word bubbles filled with colourful doodles. They look like a comic strip character’s curse words, not so much like a conversation about cell phones.
Wind Mobile’s video ads, such as one featuring a hot dog vendor charging excessive fees for condiments, proved to be very popular.
Advantage: Public Mobile
Coverage – Public Mobile
When Public Mobile launches mid-May, it will be available only within the city core of Toronto and Montreal. By the end of 2010, it will extend coverage to include the greater metropolitan areas around those cities. Plans for 2011 see the coverage area branch out around the Golden Horseshoe and also to Ottawa and Quebec City.
So far Public Mobile hasn’t announced a roaming deal with another carrier. That means you can’t use your cell phone outside of its coverage area.
Coverage – Wind Mobile
Wind’s coverage is currently spread across the country, from St. John’s to Victoria. Based on this coverage, it has two different cost structures – home zone calling and away zone calling. So far, Toronto, Edmonton and Calgary are the only home zones available. Next year Ottawa and Vancouver will be added to that list.
Wind does have a roaming deal, allowing its subscribers to make calls across the country and internationally.
Advantage: Wind Mobile
Pricing – Public Mobile
Public Mobile has a straight-forward pricing structure – there is only one option. For $40 a month, users get unlimited local calling, unlimited Canadian and U.S. text messaging, call waiting, call forwarding and 3-way calling. To get call display and voice mail, you’ll need to add a $5 per month package. For Canadian long distance, $5 gets you unlimited calling and Canadian and U.S. long distance is $10 per month.
The new carrier has a promotional offer to customers who sign up early. They will give you free Canadian long distance so long as you keep paying your phone bill on time.
Pricing – Wind Mobile
Wind Mobile’s voice plans are a bit more varied, with three options to choose from. For $15 per month, you get unlimited incoming texts and Wind to Wind calls. $35 per month gets unlimited province wide calling, and unlimited texts. $45 per month gets unlimited calling across Canada and unlimited texts in Canada and the U.S.
All plans include caller ID, call forwarding, call conferencing, call waiting, and call hold. The $45 plan includes voicemail. There’s a current promotion to get your first month free on all plans.
Advantage: Wind Mobile
Public Mobile’s top handsets
Public Mobile doesn’t offer any data plans, so it doesn’t sell any smartphones. Its top of the line phone is the Kyocera G2GO at $180. This QWERTY-slider can double as an mp3 player, has stereo Bluetooth, a 1.3 MP camera, a microSD card slot and a speakerphone.
The Samsung R312 is a step down at $125. The flip phone has an exterior screen, a 0.3 MP camera, Bluetooth, and voice dialing.
Wind Mobile’s top handsets
Wind Mobile does offer data plans and its two top phones are both smartphones. Its flagship device is the BlackBerry Bold 9700, featuring the familiar BlackBerry QWERTY keyboard, touchpad navigation, a 3.2 MP camera, Wi-Fi, GPS, expandable memory with a microSD slot, and Bluetooth. This costs $450.
The $300 HTC Maple is a Windows Mobile 6.1 phone that also sports a QWERTY keyboard under a LCD screen. It has a 2 MP camera, GPS, Wi-Fi, a microSD card slot expansion and Bluetooth.
Advantage: Wind Mobile
Public’s low-priced handset options
Public Mobile is going after consumers who don’t yet have a cell phone, and offering a couple low-priced options to incent them. The $70 ZTE C78 is a candy-bar style phone with a 0.3 MP camera, and Bluetooth capabilities. It can store 500 names in the address book.
The $110 Kyocera Tomo offers a similar set of features in a flip phone design. This is the smallest and lightest phone available from Public Mobile.
Wind’s lower-end phones
Wind Mobile’s lower end phones still support many smartphone functions. The $130 Huawei U7519 is a touch screen phone with a 2 MP camera. It has a built-in FM radio, supports Google Maps, has a music player, and Bluetooth.
The Samsung Gravity 2 offers two keyboards – a number pad under the screen on the front of the device, and a slideout QWERTY keyboard. The phone has a 2 MP camera, Bluetooth, a music player, and a microSD card slot for memory expansion.
Advantage: Public Mobile