It's official: Rogers to bring iPhone to Canada later this year
Canadian wireless carrier Rogers Wireless said Tuesday it has reached an agreement with Apple to begin offering the iPhone later this year, putting an end to months of speculation on the subject.
"We're thrilled to announce that we have a deal with Apple to bring the iPhone to Canada later this year," the carrier said in a statement. "We can't tell you any more about it right now, but stay tuned."
It's long been presumed that Rogers would serve as the wireless provider who would usher the touch-screen handset into Canada, given that it's the only carrier in the region with a GSM networked suited for use with the device.
In January of 2007, just weeks after Apple demonstrated the first iPhone at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco, the carrier issued an email statement to its customers saying it was in ongoing negotiations with the handset maker and would be the only Canadian provider to offer the device.
"I?m not saying whether we have agreements or anything [with Apple], but given the iPhone was launched on GSM, we?re in good position to reinforce that we?re the first and have the best-feature devices," Rogers chief operating officer Nadir Mohamed would later say.
The carrier continued to backtrack on its claims in the month's that would follow, calling reports of the iPhone's arrival in Canada through Rogers as speculation on the part of the media. The contradiction sent shivers of doubt through hopefuls in the region, who began to wonder just when, and if, the much-hyped "jesus phone" would make its way up north.
Though the reasoning behind Rogers' apparent about-face were never made public, speculation amongst analyst and industry followers were that data rates in Canada were too steep for Apple's liking, Rogers still had some time on existing contracts with other handset makers, and that it was in the process of upgrading to a next-generation 3G network.
"The barrier to the iPhone in Canada is not Apple," said Michael Geist, Canada research chair of Internet and e-commerce law at the University of Ottawa. "Rather, it is the lack of wireless competition that [...] leads to pricing that places Canadians at a significant disadvantage compared with other developed countries."
In February, the Canadian carrier for the first time began introducing affordable unlimited data plans, in what was seen as a sign that one more barrier to an official iPhone launch in Canada had been knocked down.
In addition to Canada, Apple has said that this year will also mark the launch of iPhone in several additional European countries, as well as portions of Asia. The touch-screen handset is currently available in the US, UK, Germany, France, Ireland and Austria.
"We're thrilled to announce that we have a deal with Apple to bring the iPhone to Canada later this year," the carrier said in a statement. "We can't tell you any more about it right now, but stay tuned."
It's long been presumed that Rogers would serve as the wireless provider who would usher the touch-screen handset into Canada, given that it's the only carrier in the region with a GSM networked suited for use with the device.
In January of 2007, just weeks after Apple demonstrated the first iPhone at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco, the carrier issued an email statement to its customers saying it was in ongoing negotiations with the handset maker and would be the only Canadian provider to offer the device.
"I?m not saying whether we have agreements or anything [with Apple], but given the iPhone was launched on GSM, we?re in good position to reinforce that we?re the first and have the best-feature devices," Rogers chief operating officer Nadir Mohamed would later say.
The carrier continued to backtrack on its claims in the month's that would follow, calling reports of the iPhone's arrival in Canada through Rogers as speculation on the part of the media. The contradiction sent shivers of doubt through hopefuls in the region, who began to wonder just when, and if, the much-hyped "jesus phone" would make its way up north.
Though the reasoning behind Rogers' apparent about-face were never made public, speculation amongst analyst and industry followers were that data rates in Canada were too steep for Apple's liking, Rogers still had some time on existing contracts with other handset makers, and that it was in the process of upgrading to a next-generation 3G network.
"The barrier to the iPhone in Canada is not Apple," said Michael Geist, Canada research chair of Internet and e-commerce law at the University of Ottawa. "Rather, it is the lack of wireless competition that [...] leads to pricing that places Canadians at a significant disadvantage compared with other developed countries."
In February, the Canadian carrier for the first time began introducing affordable unlimited data plans, in what was seen as a sign that one more barrier to an official iPhone launch in Canada had been knocked down.
In addition to Canada, Apple has said that this year will also mark the launch of iPhone in several additional European countries, as well as portions of Asia. The touch-screen handset is currently available in the US, UK, Germany, France, Ireland and Austria.
Comments
Now all apple has to do is settle things with Comwave. I just hope we have comparable plans to what we've seen with AT&T. (I'm not keeping my hopes up) ...
Canadian wireless carrier Rogers Wireless said Tuesday it has reached an agreement with Apple to begin offering the iPhone later this year, putting an end to months of speculation on the subject.
"months" is an understatement at this point. "Later this year" does sound suspiciously NOT like June/July though...
Once the rates are published, I bet we'll hear complaining about that. It's not as if Rogers has a positive reputation with their rates.
Especially now that Apple has shown it's not all that committed to unlimited plans at reasonable rates in other markets. (Although who am I to decide what's reasonable?)
In any event, at least we know it will be officially available to our northern neighbors at some point.
Jesus phone? I think someone took the 'second coming of Jobs' statements a bit too far.
That name has been thrown around occasionally over the last year.
Jesus phone? I think someone took the 'second coming of Jobs' statements a bit too far.
I think it is a quote coined by a journo for a beige box industry mag. Me thinks a hint of bitterness.
Hopefully we'll get a press release about a date for Down Under. I'll be in Sydney this weekend so I'll check on progress of the Apple store fit-out while I'm there.
Once the rates are published, I bet we'll hear complaining about that. It's not as if Rogers has a positive reputation with their rates.
I'll bet that Jobs, like his previously stated objectives to keep service cost reasonable and demonstrated via AT&T, got Rogers to get those data plans down.
It is unfortunate that it couldn't have come to fruition last year when the loonie was nearly 10¢ above the US dollar. Those in Toronto could have gone to Buffalo on the weekend, bought a Macbook Pro, gone to a Saber's game that night, the Bills on Sunday afternoon, drank American beer (can't have everything) and gotten the iPhone virtually for free because of the difference in prices between Apple US and Canada at the time.
I'm ready ! Are you ?
Looks like we'll go straight to version 2 of the iPhone to compensate for the long wait..
I'm ready ! Are you ?
See- it certainly pays in this case to wait. You could have purchased and been stuck with a first generation slower phone with a 2 year contract in a recession. That is- Is Canada in a recession like the US?
Nice that Canada's finally getting the iPhone, too bad it has to be Rogers. They are the worst of the worst for mobile phones in Canada. Rogers is the only teleco that I would never use, no matter what.
Funny, some people say that about Bell too. Every teleco has bitter ex-customers. Complaining about how crappy your phone company is has become a cliche. What's next, complaining the Rogers cable guy can't make an appointment window smaller than a day?
Nice that Canada's finally getting the iPhone, too bad it has to be Rogers. They are the worst of the worst for mobile phones in Canada. Rogers is the only teleco that I would never use, no matter what.
To the question in earlier post - no, no recession here (yet). But when it comes to wireless, then yes, we live in permanent recession. We are being fleeced with exorbitant call rates and retarded price plans. No doubt this will continue. Until there is competition there is no incentive for anyone to reduce charges.
No matter, Rogers just got itself another customer. Bye bye Telus. Another benefit of switching is that I can finally bring my phone when I travel to Europe.
Why do you say Rogers is the worst? You get me worried.
Complaining about how crappy your phone company is has become a cliche.
Does that make it any less true?
What's next, complaining the Rogers cable guy can't make an appointment window smaller than a day?
What's next, that you're going to try to justify that sort of poor service?
Funny, some people say that about Bell too. Every teleco has bitter ex-customers.
Odd, I say that about Bell (ATT) too, but I'm not a "bitter ex-customer". I just go by the experiences of many friends and family members, who've had ATT and who've really not liked it very much in my part of the country.
If a carrier has bitter ex-customers, generally they've earned them.
Complaining about how crappy your phone company is has become a cliche.
Yep, and a cliche that will never go out of style, so long as carriers have areas where they give poor service, have bad customer service, screw up your bills, etc. etc.
They all do it, to varying degrees. So all you can really do is go with the carrier that sucks the least.
.
Perhaps the Rogers announcement is just them saying "it's about to become a free for all - so we'll be selling it!"
(am I a cynic or what?)
I think it is a quote coined by a journo for a beige box industry mag. Me thinks a hint of bitterness.
That's a hard case to make, but I don't think so. Not only that, it's been used by the pro-Apple side too.