Rogers says quarter million iPhones sold in Canada
Rogers Wireless, Apple's exclusive iPhone provider in Canada, said Tuesday that September quarter sales of the touchscreen handset totaled more than a quarter million units, boosting both its subscriber count and average user revenue.
Electronista reports the telecoms company sold and activated a total of 255,000 iPhone 3Gs between the device's July 11th launch and the end of September, helping the carrier grow its net subscriber additions to 191,000 while increasing average income per user "considerably above" the previous levels thanks to added data fees.
The sheer number of iPhone subscribers put a strain on Rogers through subsidies but should result in "considerable returns" over the length of the three-year contracts, the company says, courtesy of both higher monthly plans as well as reduced turnover from customers remaining loyal to have access to the device.
Rogers' iPhone deal is also expected to have a significant impact on rivals, none of which run GSM-based networks compatible with the iPhone. The carrier said about a third of its customers are either converting from a competing provider or are new to cellphone service.
Desjardins Securities analyst Joseph MacKay believes the iPhone's affect on Rogers' rivals will become clearer in their financial disclosures later this week. He anticipates that Bell Canada's subscriber adds will fall from 137,000 in the spring to 85,000 in the summer as a result of potential customers either staying with or switching to Rogers. Telus is expected to fare better but should still see a decline of eight percent year over year to 125,000 new customers in the period.
Electronista reports the telecoms company sold and activated a total of 255,000 iPhone 3Gs between the device's July 11th launch and the end of September, helping the carrier grow its net subscriber additions to 191,000 while increasing average income per user "considerably above" the previous levels thanks to added data fees.
The sheer number of iPhone subscribers put a strain on Rogers through subsidies but should result in "considerable returns" over the length of the three-year contracts, the company says, courtesy of both higher monthly plans as well as reduced turnover from customers remaining loyal to have access to the device.
Rogers' iPhone deal is also expected to have a significant impact on rivals, none of which run GSM-based networks compatible with the iPhone. The carrier said about a third of its customers are either converting from a competing provider or are new to cellphone service.
Desjardins Securities analyst Joseph MacKay believes the iPhone's affect on Rogers' rivals will become clearer in their financial disclosures later this week. He anticipates that Bell Canada's subscriber adds will fall from 137,000 in the spring to 85,000 in the summer as a result of potential customers either staying with or switching to Rogers. Telus is expected to fare better but should still see a decline of eight percent year over year to 125,000 new customers in the period.
Comments
I wonder if Rogers will ever realise that they could have even greater sales if they actually gave people a good deal.
Have you checked their plans recently? They're perfectly reasonable compared to anyone else - especially considering nobody actually needs unlimited data and a GB or two is fine.
Wow, imagine at their prices still that many wanted to get Rogered!
And just what does that mean?
Perhaps you should do a direct comparison.
Don't forget that the US dollar is nearly 25% higher.
I wonder if Rogers will ever realise that they could have even greater sales if they actually gave people a good deal.
Vs. what exactly?
And just what does that mean?
Perhaps you should do a direct comparison.
Don't forget that the US dollar is nearly 25% higher.
This is only recent. The US dollar has gained 25% in as little as one month. A little over a month ago, US and Can dollars were at parity. The wild market fluctuations makes this 25% meaningless...I guarantee the US dollar will plunge back to down to what it was a month ago (or worse) in the next month.
This is only recent. The US dollar has gained 25% in as little as one month. A little over a month ago, US and Can dollars were at parity. The wild market fluctuations makes this 25% meaningless...I guarantee the US dollar will plunge back to down to what it was a month ago (or worse) in the next month.
The point was that the Canadian carrier charges about the same as AT&T and now it is even less vs the downturn of the dollar.
do they still force you to sign a 3 year contract? even if monthly pricing is comparable to competitors, it's that requirement that stops me and a few others I know from getting one.
Who really cares? In three year I'll just renew the contract like I have done for the past couple of decades or so.
As for a requirement the stops you and a few others, the numbers are really low. For the most part, it is pure bull.
The point was that the Canadian carrier charges about the same as AT&T and now it is even less vs the downturn of the dollar.
Alright...my bad. I understand what you mean now.
The point was that the Canadian carrier charges about the same as AT&T and now it is even less vs the downturn of the dollar.
in Saskatchewan, Rogers
a) is slightly more expensive
b) has worse features (no unlimited text messaging)
c) has terrible coverage (only 2 major cities and 2 major highways)
Before Apple threatened to take away the iPhone Rogers was really screwing us. A criticised business strategy by some, but quite effective.
Most A-band, provincial carriers (at least in the west) seem to offer better contract than Rogers, unless Rogers has lowered its prices recently
do they still force you to sign a 3 year contract? even if monthly pricing is comparable to competitors, it's that requirement that stops me and a few others I know from getting one.
Obviously a BS-post.
When I got my iPhone, my hope is to use it for a least three years.
If I do that, I can't switch to another carrier. So while it's pain to contract, it doesn't matter because I'm staying with the iPhone even if I upgrade. (so far I have not)
But I can't leave unless Apple opens up other carriers.
Won't anytime soon.
If that's what you say is stopping you, it's BS.
Have you checked their plans recently? They're perfectly reasonable compared to anyone else - especially considering nobody actually needs unlimited data and a GB or two is fine.
Say what? I have an unlimited data plan from Sprint and I regularly use 5+GB a month. 2GB is a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham.
Seriously, that's a paltry amount of data. I use my data plan daily (with an EVDO card) and do little more than surf with it. I don't download large files, but I do occasionally stream some video. It's incredibly easy to use up 2GB in a single week.
This is only recent. The US dollar has gained 25% in as little as one month. A little over a month ago, US and Can dollars were at parity. The wild market fluctuations makes this 25% meaningless...I guarantee the US dollar will plunge back to down to what it was a month ago (or worse) in the next month.
WOW you can actually guarantee that? You must be the richest man in the world!
Then again, I'm pretty happy with what I have now. I'm on the $17.50 EPP, with $30/6GB data plan. Can't complain!
Even then, the best deal they offer is $30 for 6GB of data, which is great if you actually use all that data, but most don't even come close to a single GB. They should at least have a $15 dollar option for half the data.
The cheapest price you can get away with is something just over $70 at the moment (including hidden fees and "gotchas"), which is pretty outrageous for a phone for most people.
I don't know why some cell company doesn't ever understand that people want to pay one price and forget about it. All the services Rogers (or AT&T for that matter), provide could be priced at a flat $50 (including taxes, fees, "gotchas" etc.) a month and they would still make money hand over fist.
The nice thing about being a wireless subscriber in Canada is that Bell and Telus, the two main competitors of Rogers, will be implementing their own HSPA network within the next 2 years. Which means, we'll be able to take our iPhones and hop over to another carrier if we're unhappy with Rogers' prices.
Unless we travel to under-serviced rural areas where the iPhone 3G would fail to obtain a 3G signal. It would fall back to GSM/EDGE, which neither Bell nor Telus have any plans to support, and you'd end up paying even higher fees to roam on Rogers' network.
Have you checked their plans recently? They're perfectly reasonable compared to anyone else - especially considering nobody actually needs unlimited data and a GB or two is fine.
I love vast generalizations... "Nobody needs more than 640K of RAM". The fact is it depends on your situation. With the ubiquity of WiFi in many places, I'm sure the average monthly data transfer being reported by the mobile carriers is way lower than the actual total in reality, as they are only seeing the traffic that moves over their cellular network. If you are a heavy user without access to WiFi in the areas you use your phone the most, then a GB or two may seem very limited.
Also, it depends on the rollout of laptop-iPhone tethering with the different carriers. It is very easy to use 10X the amount of mobile data when you are working on a laptop compared a smartphone.
Well the plan they offer first time iPhone customers is a horrific value compared to what they offer their existing customers, so you sorta have to "cheat" before you even walk in the door to get the good deal.
Their website says that you are at liberty to choose from any of their complete line of voice packages, and any of their "smartphone" data packages, if you don't like the special iPhone combos. Signing up for any data plan at all is optional, and not a requirement of buying the phone. The minimum you need to do to get permission to buy the phone is commit to using Rogers for voice service for a term of 3 years. Any dealer who tells you otherwise is lying. However, if you do commit to a data plan, you'll have to commit to keep it for the full term of the contract too, or pay a separate data ETF.
They also move "standard" items like caller ID into "value packs" so you have to pay at least five or ten bucks a month more than you actually want or need.
All of the major players charge extra for caller ID in Canada. It's just another way that they all try to fool you into thinking their service is cheaper than it really is. (Unless you opt for prepaid. For some inconceivable reason, they all offer caller ID as a complimentary service when you go with prepaid.)
Even then, the best deal they offer is $30 for 6GB of data, which is great if you actually use all that data, but most don't even come close to a single GB. They should at least have a $15 dollar option for half the data.
The $30/6GB offer was extended once, but it finally did expire at the end of September. Rogers will honour its contracts with current clients who've already signed up for the package, but it will not be allowing any new customers to sign up for it.
The current "extra special offer" is 8 GB for $80 per month, only available with a 3-year commitment.
As of now, $30 per month will only buy you 1GB as part of an a-la-carte smartphone plan. If you cut the data allotment in half (500 MB per month) the price is a whopping $25 per month, so when faced with a choice between them it's a really no-brainer.
Add the cheapest possible postpaid monthly voice plan ($20 per month for 200 weekday minutes, unlimited nights and weekends), for which you have to pay a one-time subsidy penalty at the time you buy the iPhone), the Caller ID ($7 per month), the System Access Fee ($6.95 per month), the 911 fee (between 50¢ and 93¢ depending which province you live in) and you'll be paying between $65 (1 GB) and $35 (no data) per month, before taxes.
If you opt for one of the iPhone special combos, you get the added benefit of visual voicemail, and you have the option of:
-$60 per month for 1 GB of data and 250 minutes of weekday talk time, unlimited evenings and weekends. That really works out to a minimum of $75 per month, before taxes, if you factor in the system access fee and the minimum possible price for caller ID.
-$75 per month for 2 GB of data and 400 minutes of weekday talk time, unlimited evenings and weekends. That really works out to a minimum of $90 per month, before taxes, if you factor in the system access fee and the minimum price for caller ID.
Depending on the province you live in, taxes will tack a minimum of an additional 5% to 15% onto all the numbers above.
T...I guarantee the US dollar will plunge back to down to what it was a month ago (or worse) in the next month.
I assume you've put your money where your mouth is, and say, bought put options on the US$ (against the Can$)?
O/w, please stop with the useless bombast.