“The stars finally seem to be aligned for a Canadian launch of Apple’s popular iPhone nearly a year after it was first unveiled to lineups of gadget-crazed consumers in the United States,” Chris Sorensen reports for The Toronto Star.
“There have been no official confirmations, but industry sources say that Rogers Communications Inc., the only Canadian carrier with a compatible GSM network, was hoping to include the iPhone as part of a campaign that focuses on ‘touch screen’ phones, to be rolled out between May and July,” Sorensen reports.
“That would put one of the world’s most talked-about devices in the pockets of Canadians right around the time that Apple Inc. is expected to roll out an updated version of the iPhone that runs on so-called third generation, or ‘3G,’ networks,” Sorensen reports.
“It has been widely speculated that the stumbling block was Rogers’ wireless data plans, which typically cost more than those offered by carriers in Europe and the United States – a disparity that critics blame on a lack of Canadian wireless competition,” Sorensen reports.
“As well, most of Rogers’ wireless data plans have usage caps, with users charged by the megabyte if they go over their allotment,” Sorensen reports. “‘We’re not fans of unlimited plans,’ Rob Bruce, president of Rogers’ wireless division, told analysts during a February conference call.”
“Apple, by contrast, emphasizes the consumer experience of its products and is said to be adamant that the iPhone be offered with unlimited data plans,” Sorensen reports. “That way, subscribers don’t have to worry their mobile Web browsing habits will put a crater in their wallets.”
More in the full article here.
I seriously doubt it. An “unlimited data plan”(which is by no means unlimited) cost $450/month , plus, plus, plus…… Rogers has hundreds of thousands of these unlimited contracts with huge corporations, from which they make a fortune!! As great as the phone is,( and I have one and pay $700-1200/month, including roaming for travel) the phone doesn’t pose a threat to Rogers as they are the only ones who can carry it. However, it would force a huge drop in revenue from their cash cows(corporation) and would return at best a few thousand new low revenue contracts.
It’s not going to happen!! 🙁
If it is not available here on the 9th of June, I will buy one in France since I will be there in the month of July.
If Apple releases a 3G phone, won’t in run on Bell Canada’s 3G network? Why go with Rogers if a faster phone might be available from Bell…
Apple could talk to Fido, but Rogers owns them. So, it’s six of one, half a dozen of another.
Between the ‘other’ iPhone’ and Rogers, I can’t see this coming soon. And when it does, it will be pure Canadian.
If you think MS is bad, just think if they were Canadian. WinVista would be $399 to OEMs and the boxed version would be $1200. And Canadians would bitch, then pay.
They’s piss and moan, and declare that when it reaches $1500 ‘I’m out!’. They’d of course pay, and declare that when it reaches $1899…
MW: price. No shite!
As a Canadian, I hope the iPhone comes to Canada, but I also hope against hope that we don’t have to deal with Rogers to get it. That company is so evil they make Microsoft look like Amnesty International.
The only way an iPhone in Canada would be for anyone but the uber-rich is if it is sold unlocked so the choice of networks can induce competition for prices. My hope is that because of Rogers reticence to agree to Apple’s terms on the original iPhone, that Apple will sell both the 2G and the 3G phones unlocked in Canada after June. That would give the people real choice and penalise companies like Rogers for thumbing their nose at Apple last year.
Sounds like Canada is a terrible place to live.
Roger’s is a rip-off, but so is every other Canadian cell company. I am still waiting for the iPhone to be released in Canada but fear when it does it will be too expensive to use for anything but regular phoning.
ALL CANADIANS READ THIS.
iPhone doesn’t work on any network in Canada except Rogers. Telus does have a few GSM phones but there service is not compatible. So a unlocked iPhone in Canada still has to be used with Rogers.
We can’t win for loosing.
There are 2 choices in Canada:
1) Rogers, GSM. Also owns Fido.
2) Bell, CDMA. Telus leases/buys bandwidth on Bell’s network.
IMHO, Rogers won’t ever offer the iPhone because there is no benefit. It would simply erode margins, and anyone who really wants one simply buys one in the US and unlocks it.
hope it`s finally true
from Cylon occupied Toronto
It sounds like where Apple cannot make a decent deal they will simply sell unlocked phones.
Other phone makers sell phones that work on different systems. They will eventually have to do that.
The iPhone will be in Iraq before Canada.
*shudder* Rogers?
Not if Steve Jobs is really as smart as people say he is.
Apple would maintain better customer allegiance by never releasing the iPhone in Canada, than to have the criminals at Rogers mete out the plan.
@CandTsmac
I was assuming in my comment about unlocked iPhones and choice that the 3G iPhone will of course work on Bell’s (and therefore Telus’), networks.
The release of unlocked iPhones of *both* 2G and 3G varieties is the best we can hope for. If Apple *really* wan’ts to screw with Rogers, they could release only the 3G one and only to Telus/Bell etc. I would love to see that, but I am not sure how likely it is.
@ Switcher
I think Bell has 3G network available for data…
http://www.telecomsinsight.com/file/32645/bell-mobility–telus-continue-with-3g-network-roll-out.html
http://www.3gnewsroom.com/3g_news/jun_05/news_5906.shtml
Stop playing with our emotions.
We get all excited every time there is a glimmer of hope that we might get the iPhone (with an unlimited plan) here in the Great White North. Then, the rug gets pulled from under us.
One of these days, we might just get angry. (that wouldn’t be very Canadian of us, now would it, eh?)
You guys are confusing two unrelated terms:
3G is a feature set. Not a network. A 3G feature set is available using any late network type (ie; broadband signal architecture). Network technologies include CDMA, W-CDMA, GSM, HSDPA, LTE, etc…. Qualcomm and Broadcom (among others) make chipsets and own intellectual property for a lot of this technology.
Each carrier must pick a technology for their network gear & radios. ATT uses GSM-HSDPA (EDGE for 2.5G) which RIMM’s devices use (Apple’s biggest smartphone competition). Verizon uses CDMA and I believe is going to LTE for their 3-4G net.
WiMax (802.16) is a contender in the near future for 4G nets, and for home broadband in place of DSL/cable (check out Airspan, Alvarion, and Intel here). One radio tower could handle a multi-mile radius with Ethernet speeds.
If Apple used a chipset that supported radios for both CDMA and GSM (and WiFi, and Bluetooth, like I think Broadcom has available) then you could use the same device on more carriers. More expensive to do this upfront but prices would come down quick (and maybe shorter battery life).
Wonder if we’ll ever *really* see micro-fuelcells in phones any time soon? ( http://www.mtimicrofuelcells.com/ )
Yaaa for gadgets!
Rogers will introduce the iPhone in Canada. Here’s an email I received from Rogers Online Customer Service when I complained that I didn’t want to receive any further advertising about any phone upgrades unless it was an iPhone:
“Thank you for taking the time to write to us, we appreciate your use of online customer service.
In your recent email, you have informed us that you were not interested in upgrading your phone unless it is for the iphone.
Once the iphone is released by Rogers a public announcement will go out, at that point feel free to contact us to process your upgrade and we will be more than happy to do so.”
They seem pretty sure! Anybody want to buy a Treo???
Rogers are a bunch of bastards. Overpriced and allowed ro have a virtual monoppoly bec ause of Canada;s corruption at ALL governement levels.
25 years ago, Canada was a real country – now its a corrupt mess.
The iPhone from Rogers – I doubt it.
I have one that I use on their stinking network and have to pay $80 for limited data.
My usual monthly bill is $400.
Canada is a sad backwater full of slimy people who pretend to be ‘nice Canadians’.
I know, I live here.
I’ll believe it when I see it. Anyway, I’ve been using my iPhone on Fido since September 2007.
Waiting for the 3G version now and when I get it, I’ll unlock as well so I’m not tied in to anyone (especially with number portability). Damn telcos have too much power and money anyway.
Even though competition is weak here, and yes, Rogers have yet to let go of their ridiculous data rates even though Bell and Telus seemingly already have, I can’t believe that it isn’t going to happen. And I hope it will be sooner rather than later.
While adoption here in Canada of this device might be a bit slow at first, I’m sure any company with half a brain – including Rogers – must realize that by listing this device with reasonable data rates, they will in turn will get good steady, quality long-term income. And it will also be a relatively trouble-free customer base likely too, as the iPhone is well built, well designed and user-friendly. There’s benefits there as well for them. Less calls to their support staff.
A CDMA version would be good that’s for sure, but I don’t know if Apple is planning on that or not. I doubt it, yet still hope so….
I think Japan is predominantly CDMA, so that’s a pretty large market that might be worth it for Apple to build one for. If they do, maybe Canada can benefit from it as well. Bell and Telus could duke it out, or maybe they could both carry it.
And I really don’t think of Canada as a sad backwater full of slimy people. Those who do certainly don’t know the Canada I know, or the Canadians I know.
CDMA sucks when it comes to travel portability. What I mean is that in order to change the number on your phone, you have to bring it in to the telco company you are subscribing to. For someone who travels extensively like me and have a local number in several countries, this proves to be a real pain in the rear. I can’t just take out the SIM and put in a local SIM of whatever country I’m in. This means huge roaming charges and overseas charges for people calling you locally.
@ makemineamac:
I agree with your closing statement. I as well don’t think Canada is a sad, slimy backwater full of slimy people. I just think that our mobile/ telecommunications is backwater (compared with the rest of the world) and slimy (then again show me a telco who isn’t slimy).
“‘We’re not fans of unlimited plans,”
Hey, that rhymes!
It also sounds really, really evil.
Canada ? Who cares, what about Belgium!!!
@ Hollywood North: You’re right.
@ CandTsmac: 3G = Bell’s 1X. So if the 3G iPhone is finally release (at the WWDC in june probably), there will be a lot of possible combination. My guess is that Apple will have the choice to make the most interesting deal (EDGE tech limit them to a few company). So if Rogers is too demanding, they’ll choose someone else.
I’m not a Bell fanboy but I rather choose them from Rogers.