It's official: Rogers to bring iPhone to Canada later this year

[AppleInsider]

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.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[mmichel]

Finally something official to nibble on.

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) ...

[iTattoo]

Wow - Just one year behind ... sign me up!

[11thIndian]

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...

[JeffDM]

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.

[BjK]

Originally Posted by JeffDM

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.

[alienzed]

Jesus phone? I think someone took the 'second coming of Jobs' statements a bit too far.

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by alienzed

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.

[pmoeser]

Originally Posted by alienzed

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.

[Abster2core]

Originally Posted by JeffDM

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.

[Banalltv]

Yay! Go, Canada!

[Dzign]

Looks like we'll go straight to version 2 of the iPhone to compensate for the long wait..

I'm ready ! Are you ?

[KnightoftheWord]

Before all the Canadians come on later with speculation and griping about what they will spend on a monthly contract, take a pop over to see how much O2 are offering their data plans to us poor Paddy's. Oh, and it is in Euro (€) so do a translation to Canadian Dollars first. I happen to be in the UK jurisdiction of the far flung northern part of Ireland and friends down south have asked me what my advice is. Comparing our data plans to theirs and considering what the CEO of O2 in Ireland called Apple fans I told them to hold fire and wait until O2 in Ireland had reasonable prices. I really hope you Canadians get a good deal. I really do.

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by Dzign

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?

[bsenka]

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.

[Gustav]

Originally Posted by bsenka

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?

[paxman]

Originally Posted by bsenka

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.

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by Gustav

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?

[TBaggins]

Originally Posted by Gustav

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.

.

[GregAlexander]

It's really starting to look like Apple is going to make the iPhone far more available, and give wider latitude to how a cell provider wants to subsidise etc....

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?)

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by pmoeser

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.

[Restalot]

Whew... the brain cramp at Rogers must finally be at least easing up but until they put the customer first... (i.e. just launch it, don't talk about launching it), I'm not saving any money up.

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by TBaggins

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.

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.

.

So did you still get the iPhone in spite of AT&T?
Or refuse like so many others for that very reason- they are rated near the bottom.

[ouragan]

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.

Tied sales are illegal in Canada as in many European countries. Only unlocked iPhones, not tied to any specific cell phone provider, can be sold in Canada according to the Competition Act.

As a bonus, Canadians will receive unlocked 3G iPhones.

AppleInsider readers may remember the comment by Apple (Tim Cook ?) saying that "Apple is not married to any specific business model" for the sale of iPhones going forward. The ATT tied sales model was adopted to meet overwhelming initial demand for iPhones (and, presumably, not to fleece customers or break the Anti-trust provisions of American law).

[Peruchito]

yay, now i can get a unlocked iphone and use it with Fido! same rogers network so should be fine right?

[wordwise]

Originally Posted by ouragan

Tied sales are illegal in Canada as in many European countries. Only unlocked iPhones, not tied to any specific cell phone provider, can be sold in Canada according to the Competition Act.

As a bonus, Canadians will receive unlocked 3G iPhones.

AppleInsider readers may remember the comment by Apple (Tim Cook ?) saying that "Apple is not married to any specific business model" for the sale of iPhones going forward. The ATT tied sales model was adopted to meet overwhelming initial demand for iPhones (and, presumably, not to fleece customers or break the Anti-trust provisions of American law).

Speaking from Canada, I'm guessing Rogers caved because of the inherent arrival of the G3 model. I'd bet they signed now to get people to sign on to the GSM phone thinking (knowing?) a better and cheaper version (G3) is coming this summer... I'll wait 'til then.

[sho38]

We will not get unlocked iphones by default in Canada...Like France, we either pay a premium for an unlocked model or we will require to sign a multi year contract to get it at a 'discounted' price.

The reason why this statement was made..is to discourage Canadians from driving down to our neighbour's to purchase and unlock the iphone for use. By letting us Canadians know that it is coming, more people will wait for Rogers to offer it then to go through the trouble to get it in the States.

[reidster]

Originally Posted by ouragan

Tied sales are illegal in Canada as in many European countries. Only unlocked iPhones, not tied to any specific cell phone provider, can be sold in Canada according to the Competition Act.

Can you cite your sources on tied sales with some more detail? I had no idea there'd been a change in legislation or a change in respect for existing legislation on part of the carriers. As far as I was aware, every carrier-sold handset in Canada with the exception of the GSM component of Telus' Blackberry CDMA/GSM worldphone is locked to its respective carrier. Even Rogers and Fido GSM handsets are not interchangeable out of the box - and they're the same company. I have paid exorbitant rates on top of Canadian carriers' ridiculous $6.95 "system access fee" for over a year on a month-to-month plan on a phone I bought out right and Rogers will not unlock it for me. My account has been in good standing, but Rogers refuses to unlock my quad-band phone that I was hoping to use for travel. As far as I understand in the US, AT&T and T-Mobile will unlock certain models after several months of holding an account in good standing.

[Tulkas]

Originally Posted by ouragan

Tied sales are illegal in Canada as in many European countries. Only unlocked iPhones, not tied to any specific cell phone provider, can be sold in Canada according to the Competition Act.

I don't think that is right at all. Carriers mostly sell locked phones in Canada, since they only subsidize the locked phones. I believe you can buy them unlocked, but you lose the subsidy and pay full price.

Since Apple seems adverse to allowing subsidies anyway, maybe it is a moot point.

[Abster2core]

Originally Posted by teckstud

So did you still get the iPhone in spite of AT&T?
Or refuse like so many others for that very reason- they are rated near the bottom.

The bottom of what?

Show us the evidence.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by teckstud

So did you still get the iPhone in spite of AT&T?
Or refuse like so many others for that very reason- they are rated near the bottom.

Im convinced that all these customer rating stating a carrier offers poor service stem from the device that is causing the issues. Since going back to AT&T/Cingular I have had an excellent experience. Frankly, I didn't expect any carrier to offer such smooth support.

[ajmas]

While Fido and Rogers might be the same company, they are managed as different brands. This means just because something is true for one, doesn't mean it is true for the other. The benefit is for the company behind the two names, and not necessarily the customer. This is to say that just because Rogers has agreed to have the iPhone, it does not mean that they will let their Fido customer access it.

Only time will tell how they decide on the availability of the iPhone to their customers.

One thing that is worth noting is that Rogers has a total monopoly on GSM in Canada, so they would not really have much to lose from an unlocked iPhone.

Edit: Interesting that the list of Canadian GSM providers lists planned service from 'Dryden Mobility (DMTS Mobility)'. Ice Wireless only covers the far north.

[ronster]

Originally Posted by ajmas

One thing that is worth noting is that Rogers has a total monopoly on GSM in Canada, so they would not really have much to lose from an unlocked iPhone.

Edit: Interesting that the list of Canadian GSM providers lists planned service from 'Dryden Mobility (DMTS Mobility)'. Ice Wireless only covers the far north.

It's too bad that the spectrum auction was this year. If it happened last year, I would think Rogers / Fido would have some GSM / HSPDA competition in place. If the iPhone launch is delayed until the end of the year, the "emerging" carriers may have a chance....

Looks like Fido is offering UMTS/HSPA phones, which would mean Rogers is rolling out UMTS (3G GSM)...

Edit: another interesting thing is Koodo brand (Telus discount wireless division) that's marketed to the younger generation....could they use this as a UMTS vehicle??

[mdriftmeyer]

Originally Posted by JeffDM

Does that make it any less true?



What's next, that you're going to try to justify that sort of poor service?

Sorry, but when MaBell was the only shop in town the most you got were bitching to friends and SNL mocking AT&T will Lilly Tomlin.

You make your voices heard now by dropping your plan.

If you are truly pissed you will hold onto your iPhone and drop your plan. When AT&T or others grasp that they aren't listening then and only then do they fix it.

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer

Sorry, but when MaBell was the only shop in town the most you got were bitching to friends and SNL mocking AT&T will Lilly Tomlin.

You make your voices heard now by dropping your plan.

If you are truly pissed you will hold onto your iPhone and drop your plan. When AT&T or others grasp that they aren't listening then and only then do they fix it.

Huh? Besides, I don't even have an iphone, nor do I use AT&T.

[joelsalt]

Living in Saskatchewan, this isn't all that exciting.

Rogers has virtually no coverage, except in the 3 major centres, and even still in places at the University friends with Rogers get no service.

I guess I'll have to wait until I move

[TBaggins]

Originally Posted by Abster2core

The bottom of what?

Show us the evidence.

Simply check out the JD Powers wireless surveys, or the ones that Consumer Reports does every year. ATT never seems to do well. If it wasn't for Sprint's current huge issues, they'd likely come in dead last instead of the their customary 'almost last'.

I do remember some ATT fans getting excited when ATT came in as "average" in a JD Power customer service survey not long ago, though. And in some parts of the country, like the Northeast, their network rates pretty well sometimes. Unfortunately, that's not where I live.


.

[DaveyJJ]

Originally Posted by reidster

As far as I was aware, every carrier-sold handset in Canada with the exception of the GSM component of Telus' Blackberry CDMA/GSM worldphone is locked to its respective carrier.

Absolutely true.

[TBaggins]

Originally Posted by teckstud

So did you still get the iPhone in spite of AT&T?
Or refuse like so many others for that very reason- they are rated near the bottom.

Didn't get the iPhone yet. No 3G, and yeah, ATT just flat sucks in Northern California, where I am.


.

[GregoriusM]

There is still the rumour going around that Telus in Canada is converting to GSM before the Olympics in 2010, so there might finally be some GSM competition for Rogers.