RSSRogers caves, confusion remains over iPhone sales in Canada
By Ed Oswald | Published July 9, 2008, 2:01 PM
The Canadian cellular provider is now offering a data-only plan for the iPhone which can be attached to any of the company's voice plans, while Apple may or may not be yanking its phone from its own stores in the country.
Customers who activate by August 31 on a three-year contract would be able to select a CAD $30 6 GB data plan for the iPhone, which then can be attached to a standard voice plan.
Rogers claims that the 6 GB data should be enough for the average user to 35,952 Web pages or send and receive 157,286 e-mails or watch 6,292 minutes of YouTube videos every month.
The move is likely in response to criticism over the company's plans that were announced in late June. Over 56,000 have signed an online petition at RuinediPhone.com, demanding that the carrier offer better plans and in some cases threatening to cancel altogether.
Users of other 3G-enabled devices would also benefit: the data-only plan could be used with those phones as well.
Besides the news on new plans, there seems to be confusion regarding whether the iPhone was ever meant to be sold in Apple retail outlets outside of the US. A report on AppleInsider indicated that Apple's displeasure led to its pulling the device from its own stores. The publication claimed Apple's decision was announced during a conference call on Monday evening.
BetaNews placed one call today to an Apple Store in Toronto. What we were told, coupled with the news from several other calls to Canadian Apple stores reported elsewhere, indicate that Apple Store employees are unsure whether the 3G iPhone would be sold in company-owned stores in the country.
AppleInsider reported it spoke with a representative of one Apple Store, who said Rogers retail locations would be the only spots where consumers would be able to pick up the 3G iPhone.
Given its apparent sales strategy elsewhere in the world, it's actually uncertain whether Apple had any intention of selling its iPhone in Apple Stores, in Canada or anywhere else besides the US. Apple has never announced plans to sell the phones in any of its international locations, which include stores in Australia, Japan, Italy, and UK, as well as Canada.
This seems to be verified by checks of Apple's store locator map, which list no company retail locations internationally as places where the iPhone 3G can be purchased.
A request sent to Apple for confirmation of its retail plans in Canada went unanswered as of press time.
so the unlying complaint being no UNLIMITED plans offered is ignored and they come back with a price reduction on one plan. Ok we have a good education system here in Canada we can see the difference there Rogers. You still suck!
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|whoopee do!
More crumbs to the people. Dive in now and Rogers will get you later. Hopefully most people will pass on this non-deal.
What else could you expect from Rogers?
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|Small "typo" lol: "for the average user to 35,952 Web pages"
for the average user to *browse/surf?* 35,952 Web pages? Missing word(s) there.
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|Surprised Rodgers caved in when they will be getting many new customers soon when Bell and Telus start charging for incoming text messages.
http://www.canada.com/to...-4948-970b-80959623d4ad
This is my favourite part of the article.
The growth in text messages has been nothing short of phenomenal," Gratton said. "This volume places tremendous demands on our network and we can't afford to provide this service for free anymore
What a line of bull you get charged for sending text messages or you pay for a plan it's not free at all.
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|yea i was reading about that too, what a joke.
telus and bell go on to say people on plans wont be affected yet if my message limit now includes incoming messages as well then it effectively cuts my plan in half.
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|so then buy a plan with unlimited text messages. What is the deal? People are complaining about this but you still have the option of spending teh 10 - 15 bucks a month for unlimited texts
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|um read it again they want to charge for incoming text messages.
It's like if someone sends you some mail and the post office even thou the sender already paid for the stamp is charging you for it again when you receive it.
Doesn't affect me thou since i'm with Sasktel.
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