Will Rogers land the iPhone for Canada?

[Acadian]

Rogers Wireless is officially keeping its mouth shut, but you can bet it will be the carrier of Apple’s new iPhone when it’s released this summer.

A rumour on Gizmodo stated bluntly that “Rogers is actively working with Apple to launch the iPhone in Canada as soon as possible and will be the exclusive provider of the iPhone in Canada. Availability and pricing aren't set in stone, yet.”

The rumour was based on an unprinted customer service e-mail, the poster claimed.

Not that it would be a shocker: There are really only two wireless carriers in Canada big enough to bid on an Apple entry into the cellphone market — Bell Mobility and Rogers Wireless — but only one of them, Rogers, operates on the world-standard GSM network, which is what Apple’s iPhone will be using.

Rogers spokeswoman Odette Coleman would neither confirm nor deny the rumour, but you can hear her rubbing her hands with glee over the prospect of nailing down the much-hyped iPhone in her e-mail to me: “Speculations aside, we have not made any announcements about iPhone. [Rogers Chief Operations Officer] Nadir Mohamed said this, though since we are a GSM carrier and the iPhone is a GSM device, we are in a very good position to bring the phone to Canada.”

There is a crescendo of hysteria building around the iPhone’s arrival, which is atleast a few months away (for Canada). It’s driven mostly by people who have fallen in love with the sexy phone’s design but haven’t actually held it yet. Since it’s a touch-screen device, it immediately raises a few questions — how will its glass front react to being banged around in a pocket or purse? Will it suddenly start dialling when you reach for your car keys and bump it? And how will it react to sweat, ear grease and fingerprints? And how difficult would it be to operate in sub-zero winters?

Although the faithful accept everything Apple produces as manna from heaven, it’s interesting to note that the responses on the Gizmodo website were largely negative. Many of them were complaining about Rogers as a carrier, and their suspicion that Rogers will price the phone’s service out of most people’s league.

If that happens you can’t blame Apple, but it’s still a problem for Apple if it wants to sell a lot of these sexy iPhones, in Canada or elsewhere.

[Cody Overcash]

If rogers gets it of course plans will be priced out of normal pockets That's what it appears cingular at&t is going to do. Wouldn't be fair for our Canadian friends to get off cheap

[JedixJarf]

Go Canada

[Acadian]

If rogers gets it of course plans will be priced out of normal pockets That's what it appears cingular at&t is going to do. Wouldn't be fair for our Canadian friends to get off cheap

Oh we won't get off cheap, that much I know for sure. Still amazes me that Canadian carriers can get away with charging their Canadian customers so much more than comparitive carriers providing the same products and service in the US and the UK. Knowing Rogers they'll figure out what their bottom line for "normal pockets" is and then add $250: basic Canadian mathematics... *lol*

[JedixJarf]

haha lol

[Cody Overcash]

hahaha now is that canadian dollars or US dollars

[Acadian]

hahaha now is that canadian dollars or US dollars

That's Canadian $'s, which a year ago would have been a huge difference. But today, the Canuk Buck is up somewhere around $0.94 to the Yank Bank but they seem to be still be thinking in $0.76 mode.

Prices should be more in tune with what the US is charging but our dollar has been down for soooo long (hasn't been this high since the '70's) that they think we won't even notice.

[JedixJarf]

iphone shoud be 1000 canuk bucks

[Cody Overcash]

That's Canadian $'s, which a year ago would have been a huge difference. But today, the Canuk Buck is up somewhere around $0.94 to the Yank Bank but they seem to be still be thinking in $0.76 mode.

Prices should be more in tune with what the US is charging but our dollar has been down for soooo long (hasn't been this high since the '70's) that they think we won't even notice.

wow I missed that, I still think the canadian dollar is worth 1/3rd less

[Kyle Matthews]

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

[JedixJarf]

Blame canada???

[graymccarty]

Rogers is no longer 'hiding' their involvement with Apple in bringing the iPhone to Canada. I know that a while ago they leaked it, and then they denied it, and then...... but they are now responding to enquiries about the iPhone with:

On Tuesday, January 9, 2007, Apple announced the unveiling of their new
iPhone, a combination mobile phone/digital music player/camera.

Availability
" The iPhone will first be introduced in North America
" Cingular is the only wireless carrier to launch the iPhone in the
United States
" Rogers is actively working with Apple to launch the iPhone in Canada
as soon as possible and will be the exclusive provider of the iPhone in
Canada
" Apple is planning to introduce the iPhone in Europe (Q4 2007) and Asia
(2008)
" Please be advised that Rogers will be offering the iPhone exclusively
in Canada
" Launch date and pricing for Canada are not yet available
" Other Canadian wireless carriers will not launch the iPhone; Rogers
will be the only Canadian wireless carrier to offer the iPhone

To learn more about the iPhone, you may visit www.apple.com/iphone.

--(I had asked whether employees get any special knowledge about the release dates of products)--
Unfortunately we are unaware when new products and services will be
released until they are launched to the consumer market. We suggest you
visit www.rogers.com/phones because when new products are released they
are listed here.

[JedixJarf]

Cool.

[Kyle Matthews]

Is that an email from Rogers to you?

[thewhiteguy1]

i really don't know what the fuss is about. at&t owns cingular and they just call it cingular, although now they are changing back to at&t wireless. rogers most recently has been rogers/at&t wireless. and even if their just rogers wireless, at&t still owns em'. they'll get it for sure. just a little later then down here.

[Kyle Matthews]

Yup, exactly.

[Eurisko]

Haha thewhiteguy1, are all Americans so arrogant? Rogers is a Canadian owned and run company; they had a collective agreement with AT&T to allow Rogers customers to use AT&T towers in the States for cheaper rates. An agreement that Rogers terminated in 2003, hence the elimination of the moniker Rogers AT&T and the change to Rogers Wireless.

As for Rogers carrying the Iphone. Its run into a bit of a snag because one of Apple's stipulations is that the wireless carrier offer unlimited data plans, which Rogers does not. If their little money grubbing arrangement is worked out, Rogers is suppose to have the iPhone by January 2008.

[mobileguy]

We also have one other small hurdle up here in Canada.
Apparently, Comwave has the "rights" to the word iphone. It's part of one of their packages.. and ever since the launch of the Apple iPhone, I've now seen massive ads on the back of busses marketing "their" iphone (package).

I'm sure it's a small court / lawyer debate - but still a hurdle.

[SebD]

I am using an iPhone on the Rogers Network here in Moncton.
It works great!
I used the tutorial on this website to unlock it and no problems....

[pengcm]

Oh we won't get off cheap, that much I know for sure. Still amazes me that Canadian carriers can get away with charging their Canadian customers so much more than comparitive carriers providing the same products and service in the US and the UK. Knowing Rogers they'll figure out what their bottom line for "normal pockets" is and then add $250: basic Canadian mathematics... *lol*

i gotta agree, Rogers is horrible for their customers. (I was a former one)
since I came to the states though, things have actually felt worse.
ATT really needs a big kick in the *** man..