FOR DETAILS AROUND TODAY’S ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE IPHONE
VISIT MY IPHONE BREAKING NEWS PAGE
UPDATE APRIL 29
Rogers confirms it has a deal with Apple to bring the iPhone to Canada some time this year. That’s all they’re saying. No release date, no pricing details.
UPDATE Tue, Apr 22 08 (9:26):
Someone says they’ve had an IM chat with a Rogers employee who “revealed” May 21 as the release date. [link]
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Here’s the skinny on the delay bringing the iPhone to Canada.
First, don’t blame Rogers for the delay. Rogers is dying to bring the iPhone here. The only two networks in Canada that can support the iPhone (GSM) are both owned by Rogers (Rogers and Fido networks). Speculation on the street has been that Rogers has been stalling because it doesn’t want to offer the unlimited-data plan that Apple demands of its other national cell providers.
Not true.
If Rogers could get the deal from Apple, they’d take it.
The hang-up is two-fold:
- Trademark dispute: Between Apple and ComWave, a company that owns the iPhone trademark in Canada for its VoIP products. Apple offered to share the trademark (i.e. “Apple iPhone” and “ComWave iPhone”) but ComWave seems to be holding out for cash from Apple.
. - 3G upgrades: Apple is going to upgrade its iPhone to support the 3G network HSPA, recently launched by Rogers. Forward Concepts analyst Will Strauss leaked this first. Strauss says an HSPA version of the iPhone should be shipped sometime in the first quarter of 2008.
Tod Maffin is a popular keynote speaker, national broadcaster, writer, influential blogger, and uber-nerd. [
33 Comments
You could be right, but I would bet against either one of these reasons having any effect on the iphone’s release in Canada. Rogers has been rolling out 3G for a while but it is no where near everywhere, plus 3G in the iphone would seriously limit the battery. Also, if Cisco didn’t stop Apple from using the iphone trademark I doubt that ComWave would either.
Hi Daryl,
Rogers only had a true 3G network in a network test in Ontatio. They just launched it in 25 cities on Monday.
You’re right about battery use, but rumour has it Apple’s next-gen battery will be better. Battery life always improves.
The Cisco claim was a scam. They didn’t seem to have any product actually in the market. What they submitted to the trademark authority was an existing product with, literally, the word iPhone taped over top. Nuts.
Thank you for clarifying it, Tod. I originally thought it was the Comwave trademark dispute, but everyone was saying that had been settled. To me it has never really made sense that Rogers would want to hold this up. Why would they note want to be in there making a profit on this trend while it is hot?
Cheers!
Connie
I stand corrected on the 3G stuff. Everything I’ve been reading about it was come out of Ontario and I forget how big that place is
Honestly, like most things with technology I find the rumors much more fun than the fact. I did, however, give up on waiting on an iphone and bought an ipod touch the minute it hit calgary.
Quick note: it’s HSDPA (with the D), not HSPA. “High-Speed Downlink Packet Access,” they call it.
Wireless folks are never very good at naming their networking standards.
Whoops, I may be wrong. There is also an “Evolved HSPA” 3G standard beyond HSDPA:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolved_HSPA
That may all be true. It still doesn’t excuse the shitty, shitty data plans they are providing us.
After so many “insider told me” stories that seem to appear daily on this subject, they mean absolutely nothing. Until we get names and maybe an actual press announcement, I’m not holding my breath.
I simply do not believe you when you say Rogers is not the holdup. There is no way Rogers will lower their data plan rates to a level that would make it feasible for Apple to market the iPhone in Canada. It is not going to happen. There is no competition in Canada for the GSM service.
Whatever the reasons are, according to today’s ATT and Apple numbers, Rogers is losing money by not working closer with Apple to figure this thing out. Based on June 29th release date you could probably figure out how much money Rogers is losing per second.
I still think the iPhone will be launched to Canadians right around the time that AT&T launches a new 4G network. Technology has a shelf life, and the iPhone will, one day be passe and filling landfills (around the time that it goes on sale in Toronto).
Maybe Apple’s just afraid of taking on RIM on their home turf.
it makes me want to puke that there’s no wireless competition in Canada. As a would-be iPhone owner, I spit on anyone (like Rogers) who would argue that we do.
So it looks like Bell should make a move to expand the GSM position beyond the world edition BB. This way there would be competition on this network and even greater pressure for a relative non-entity to receive a few dollars to just go away and open up the iPhone name.
So ComWave is essentially selling a Skype wifi phone (yawn). Wow - that’s got to be worth a few hundred thousand dollars worth of sales. Both Rogers and ComWave better get off their butts - as news of the iPhone drums up more demand - proportionately more Canadians will be pissed off at both Canadian companies for holding us back.Frankly I don’t understand why we’re not already P’d off. You realize we have the most obscene data rate and wireless plans? We continue to be HOSED on all our data services from Cable, to High Speed Internet, Satellite and Wireless due to lack of any honest competition. You still can’t get Skype numbers in Canada - because Vontage was given the monopoly on that. Free market my arse.
I personally would love an iPhone. But to read all these opinions on the issue - I would have to suggest that Apple is very much in a position to take it or leave it. As mentioned, they’re playing with players that could swallow Rogers whole and if Apple can get them to agree to a deal - the only party that is holding this up is Rogers. Would Apple like the sales? Sure they would - why wouldn’t they like to add to that 10 million units sold that they’re after? With that said - if Rogers really wanted one of the most innovative phones in the world - they’d have it - I really don’t think tha Apple is holding this one back.
I know that we are all talking about Rogers selling the iPhone. Is it possible that Telus could carry it and that Canadians may see the phone in 2008, or would we have to wait until 2009?
Soon we will have competition as T-Mobile will be coming to Canada in 2009. Look out Rogers, your gouging days are numbered!! And, yeah, I hate Rogers.
Braden: I don’t believe it would be possible at the moment for Telus to carry the iPhone due to their use of CDMA instead of GSM… though word has it that Telus may be flirting with GSM and may go so far as to phase out CDMA in the coming years.By then it won’t matter about the current iPhone though.
By now, everyone who really wants an iPhone probably already has one. There are at least 100,000 in Canada already. Rogers has almost missed the boat. But they are probably too greedy to give us a decent data plan.
Well There are rumors that is coming out in late 2008…i agree with the last guy
IPHONE FOR LIfe!!!
I love apple but this is ridiculous, i’m a couple weeks away from going blackberry
I think it has everything to do with Rogers and the fact that they won’t be able to control the iphone like they do with the RAZR. I initially switched from Telus to Rogers because Rogers had unlock able phones (RAZR’s that you could upload your own mp3 ring tones on to.) That feature is now gone. They now force you to only purchase and download their ring tones. If that’s not Fascist - I don’t know what is. It’s just a ring tone man!! Let me have some fun with my phone!! It’s very simple - they have a communications monopoly in Canada and they know it. Anyone who watches TV here must be sick of the amount of lame Rogers commercials we have to sit through. Why? Cause its their TV system that all broadcasters have to go through. Crappy service yet their prices keep going up. Its so brutal. What’s with the Digital TV 1980’s user interface that looks and acts about the same as a Vic 20. Rogers has basically got all Canadians bent right over and they’re cleaning up. Bell is even worse by not having GSM. It’s got to be one of the worst things about Canada - these 2 pinhead companies that can’t do anything right except take our money.
I think it has everything to do with Rogers. Its very simple - they have a communications monopoly in Canada and they know it. Anyone who watches TV here must see the amount of lame Rogers commercials we have to sit through. Yet their prices keep going up. Its so brutal. Even with this whole digital TV thing. What’s with the 1980’s user interface that looks and acts about the same as a Vic 20? Rogers has basically got all Canadians bent right over and they’re cleaning up. Bell is even worse. It’s got to be one of the worst things about Canada - these 2 pinhead companies that can’t do anything right except take our money and provide us with crappy customer support and outdated technology. If it’s true, I can’t WAIT to see Tmobil here. Rogers must be shitting in their pants at the thought of it. “What? - actual competition??? Nooooooo!!
I have a friend of mine working with Rogers. He called me 2 days ago letting me know that almost all the Rogers store got the iPhone 8Gb & 16Gb. But he was not sure when Rogers will let them know to put them up on the shelfs. I think Rogers will bring the iPhone out by mid May, 2008. What do you think guys?
The thought of Rogers having the iPhone possibly in their stores make me so happy. I hope it’s true. Is T-Mobile actually coming here to Canada? When?
I’d like to believe that those are the only two reasons, but cell phone companies don’t make money on the phones, that make money on the plans and services (as well as accessories). Rogers (and Fido) may very well be the most expensive wireless data transfer provider in the world.
http://www.thomaspurves.com/2007/04/09/canada-worse-than-3rd-world-countries-when-it-comes-to-mobile-data-access/
I checked my own plan with Rogers and it really is that bad. I have a bit of a hard time believing Rogers is trying to give up that kind of atrocious mark up.
it final, rogers just released a few days ago an unlimited data plan, you know what that means people
I’m guessing an iPhone, if it’s not a dream???? LOL
Hey chris can u give us the website of this so called unlimted data plan? cause i havent seen a thing!?!?!?
is there an estimate as to which quarter the iphone will be released on?
Yeah, there is an estimate. Q3. Have a look at the story posted just yesterday evening, here:
http://www.touchpodium.com/2008/05/17/rogers-wireless-iphone-coming-to-canada-q3-2008/
When I think of this subject, I also want to puke. To me it is mystery. The only think that I do know is… the bottom line is money.
I thinking Rogers has a pot full of cell phones they need to sell first.
I have officially given up wanting an iphone and broke down and bought a simple Nokia flip phone. Does everything but wifi.
It would have been nice, but I am off on a simpler path:)
I have been in China for the past 4 months and it is cell phone heaven. Not only are there cell phone shops…. everywhere, but everyone uses these babies like walkie-talkies.
Free incoming calls, including international calls, no long distance charges… unless you go to Hong Kong or Macau, and then it is 2.5 yuan per day.
Yeah, its heaven, I am thinking of staying here!
oh, and you can buy a cell phone for around $600 cdn, but why would I spend that much when you can get most phones from 50 to 100 cdn.
ooops, that was an iphone for $600 cdn.
And everyone is on pay as you go… $14 cdn last me about 2 months, and I use my phone at will
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