Rogers set to carry the iPhone in Canada?
By Paul Miller 
posted Jan 22nd 2007 6:55PM
posted Jan 22nd 2007 6:55PM
The rumors are flying, but so far it's looking good for our Rogers / Apple / poutine fanboy friends up north. Will Pate, after hearing a rumor of the iPhone being headed for Rogers Wireless sometime in 2007, dug into the matter a little bit, and got this response from Rogers: "You were wondering about iPhone..Lots of speculation out there. Beyond the fact that Rogers is the only GSM carrier in Canada, we have not issued any statements as to whether or when the iPhone would be available at Rogers." And there you have it, completely vague, but near tacit assurance that Rogers will indeed be carrying the iPhone, since it happens to be the only GSM gig in town. At least that's what our iPhone-addled brains are reading into the situation, we suggest you draw your own conclusions on the matter.
Rogers will carry the iPhone 3G on July 11th. Fido hasn't yet confrimed or announced it. Going to Apple.com you will see that the phone is available from these two carriers. As for pricing goes if its $199 in the states, then its usually about $100 more here. So $299 with a vision 3G plan which is in the $40s and above a month. Don't know if its a good deal. The Blackberry Bold (9000) is coming out soon as well.
Seriously? I give it a week after release of the 3G in Canada (July 11, 2008) before Pacific Mall will have them for $199. I'm currently using an iPhone (also from Pacific Mall in Toronto). So here's what I don't understand, Why would WE (Canadian) pay $100 more than what our Southern friends when OUR dollars is worth more than theirs. Cut the cost, support local jobs and get it unlock in Canada for $20. Been using mine for a year and it works great. WiFi is amazing. There's a WiFi connection pretty much wherever you go here (airports, libraries, coffee shops, restaurants, hotels, malls).
As for the BlackBerry Bold. Have you seen or heard of the BlackBerry Thunder? It's an iPhone on prozac.
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I wish some MS phone manufacturer would take the hardware used in the iPhone and make a full PPC phone. While the Q and Blackjack are nice slim phones, they don't have touchscreen nor as high of resolution as the iPhone. Many users I support have the 6700 and don't type long messages so they never bother to slide out the keyboard - they just use the screen keyboard. They should make an 11mm full PPC phone like the iPhone and one like it but with a keyboard as well - that way they could make one that is only 11mm and one that is about 15mm with a keyboard but with a nice high resolution screen. If they could up it to 640x480 that would be even better for browsing the web.
About the only hardware change I'd recommend is CDMA so we could actually use the unit in the states (Cingular sucks) and make it EVDO A
get a life
that's not exactly news... Rogers is the only GSM carrier and the defacto cell company for the iPhone. The real question is WHEN will we get it? June like our friends to the south, or 2008 like the rest of the world.
Rogers is not the only GSM carrier in canada. Videotron are the new kid on the (cell) block in Canada and they are GSM carrier.
Just to let you know...
At first i though they where talking about rodgers ohio (a place that sells ghetto shit like iPads and stujff) but then i saw canada... lol never new there was a cell provider called rodgers
I'm Canadian, but I know the names of all major cell carriers in the U.S. You're American, but know shit about Canadian carriers. You couldn't even spell it right, It's Rogers. Quick-- name a country that starts with 'U'!
Fido is a GSM carrier in Canada. www.fido.ca
Rogers owns Fido
Fido is owned by Rogers but Videotron is the new kid on the (cell) block in Canada and they are GSM carrier.
Just to let you know...
Wow. I unfortunately live in one region where Roger's coverage is patchy. I may go cry.
Rogers owns Fido.
Also, sweet! Not that I'm gonna get an iPhone though, but still.
Hey Jamie, Rogers owns Fido. Rogers is a massive Canadian Company and the best.
And Fido is a Roger's subsidary.
Well Rogers isn't the only GSM provider in Canada. But they are the only one in most of Canada. http://www.cnac.ca/other_codes/imsi/imsi_codes.htm
Check out Ice Wireless http://www.icewireless.ca/
Rogers is in reality the only GSM provider in Canada (I realize there is that ice wireless, so all 20 people up there can get cell phone calls)...
I don't see why Rogers wouldn't get the iPhone...
Giving the fact that Rogers's PDG was Apple canada's PDG, I think he have some contacts in order to get the iPhone.
Well, that was a pretty ignorant comment... but that aside, im stoked for the iphone coming to canada, since i am looking for a phone. however.. that is a slighly high price point.
Wait, does Rogers own Fido? It was only said like 4 times, so i'm not yet convinced.
YES ROGERS OWNS FIDO. FIDO is basically like ROGERS LITE. It happened around the same time Fido created their unlimited incoming/outgoing plan, supposedly so they could build their subscription base prior to a buyout. But goodness gracious if you're Canadian and you just found this out from an engadget comment, please, please listen to newsradio or pick up a newspaper once in a while, especially if you are planning to grow up into an adult voter.
I emailed Rogers asking about the iPhone and received this response:
* Rogers is pleased to announce that yes we are going to be getting the
apple iphone .Watch www.rogers.com for the phone when it becomes
available.
And yes, that's a cut and paste, capitization and spacing errors and all.
Now, I just hope it's in June and not 2008 as I can't wait to ditch my crummy Treo 650.
considering how slowly Rogers brings new smart phones to market (we got the HP iPaq 69xx in Jan '07), I say there's no chance we'll get the iPhone in June. I'd say xmas if we're lucky.
$660 CDN + a monthly data plan from Rogers is about $500 more than i want to spend on a phone. You wont even own it for 2 years.
Personally I hope Rogers brings it to Canada as i cannot wait to get my hands on the iphone
I hope Rogers gets it for June 07. It would fall in nicely with Local Number Portability for wireless numbers (which debuts in March). That could be a killer combination for them. Although I think it might take time for them to licence the visual call waiting, free push e-mail from yahoo (Note rogers hi-speed is partnered with yahoo already), and any other carrier specific features the iPhone has.
The more they show that promo pic of the JobsPhone...the more it reinforces what terrible ergonomics it has as a "phone" and how fragile it is,and how scratched up it will soon become. Too bad it wasn`t a "slider" (like Kevin Rose said it would be). Oh...he also said it would have dual batteries. That was just wishful thinking ;)
Have you seen Rogers' data rates?
http://www.shoprogers.com/business/wireless/plans_services/business_plans.asp?plan=dataservice&cat=2&typ=2
$100 PER MONTH FOR 200MB!
With Google maps, and a full featured web browser, 200MB can be used in a matter of days.
Just a single page on Engadget takes up half a megabyte!
I can't believe that people in Canada are willing to pay these exorbitant fees.
Don't forget though, 100$ is Canadian...
And that the unlimited data package with my blackberry is $25CDN.
Canadians do not pay those fees. Only businesses, the rich and the stupid pay it. I have a data plan for work at $100 for 250mb from Bell, and that`s a deal. The problem is we have a duopoly in Canada. Rogers and Bell are the only two carriers, everyone else just leases time from their networks.
Rogers is full of weaksauce.
First off the iphone is not a smart phone. Apple said so the specs say so therefore its not a smart phone. Secondly in the last year rogers has had more releases then cingular. And cingular has still to bring in some of what Rogers already has. It is quite possible Rogers will get the iphone before cingular. Rogers tends to leave its media blitz until the week prior to launch. The fact they confirm it is coming says a lot more the you think.
As a Canadian and Rogers customer I must say that whoever said Rogers has released more phones than Cingular, implying that Rogers is somehow superior, has obviously been smoking too much crack. Just because you release a bunch of dumb phones and the Motorola RAZR in different colours does not make Rogers are the greatest GSM company in the world.
Cingular has the HTC StarTrk, TyTN, Samsung BlackJack, HP 6945. There is no comparison and it is a damn shame Canada is a third world country when it comes to cellular phones. Oh well, at least I can get the 2003SE edition of the HP69xx at Rogers. Whoohoo!
And now you think we'll get the iphone before Cingular? You poor, delusional man. Is reaching a market smaller than the state of California really in Mr. Jobs' best interest? Cingular had to change the way voice mail was delivered just for the iphone. Can you imagine how long Rogers will take to get that done? Third world countries already have 3G dammit!
I hope you're not a betting man because you'd be broke from all the times you picked the Washington Generals over the Harlem Globetrotters just because you thought they were due for a win.
Please save yourself the embarrassment and everyone else from your crazy talk and don't reply because you're fooling non-Canadians into thinking that Rogers has the greatest cell phone selection in the world. Even people who work for Rogers know better.
Man Rogers here in Canada is HUGE.... I mean they bought out our 'skydome' and re-named it 'Rogers Centre'.... now their going to carry the iPhone.... we are so getting taken over..
Man Rogers here in Canada is HUGE.... I mean they bought out our 'skydome' and re-named it 'Rogers Centre'.... now their going to carry the iPhone.... we are so getting taken over..
I wish we (Anaheim) had Deion Phaneuf.
This is so old I emailed rogers the day that the iphone was announced and got this response.
Rogers Wireless Customer Service
reply-to Rogers Wireless Customer Service
to Dan
date Jan 11, 2007 5:16 PM
subject Re: Your Cellular General Inquiry
mailed-by rci.rogers.com
Dear Dan,
Thank you for taking the time to write to us, we appreciate your use of
online customer service.
In your recent email, you have inquired whether Rogers will carry the
new Apple iPhone.
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.
We appreciate your continuing patronage. Please contact us at your
convenience if you have any further inquiries.
For future reference with respect to this e-mail, please quote reference
number 16840700.
Regards,
Catherine W.
Rogers Online Customer Service
http://www.rogers.com
when they unveiled the iphone they sait that cingular have a 6 month exclusivity
if its true i believe that rogers will get it in 2008
exclusive US carrier.
The competition in the canadian cell phone industry is a joke. The data rates are assinine, text charges are rediculous. Everyone lauds their profits and ups their fees year over year. Coverage sucks too. Pricefixing? Ques'que c'est?
I'd like an Iphone so I could skype over wifi, but rogers will probably lock that feature out.
They'll price it at $699 cdn with a 3 year contract.
Nice website too..........
Just because Rogers owns Fido doesn't mean Fido gets the same phones. Fido users don't get the cutting edge ones. But they are really fucking cheap.
Vidéotron (second largest cable provider) has recently introduced it's cell phone service through a partnership with Rogers, using their GSM network. I'd love to have an iPhone through them, as I'd have all four services (cable TV, high speed internet, digital phone and cell phone on one bill). Crossing my fingers real hard!!
http://www.videotron.com
why....why....why....i upgraded my phone 2 weeks before christmas for the sony ericsson k790...if i only knew that rogers was gonna get the iphone i would have waited for it...arrrgghhh! hey my k790 takes nice pics thou :-( yeah i tried to return it but i was a day late...and they wouldn't take it back :-( now am suck with a 2 year contract with rogers...
Considering those idiots at Rogers charge $100 on top of your existing voice plan for an unlimited data plan (stupid wording considering they cap it at 200mb a month), I would be extraordinarily interested to hear how much they are going to charge for such a data plan on the iPhone. And they wonder why people think cell phone corps are the worst scum in business.
I don't really know why this is "news"...
As soon as Apple announced that they were partnering with Cingular I knew right away that when it came to Canada that it would be with Rogers because (a) they are the largest provider here, (b) they used to be Rogers AT&T, and AT&T now owns Cingular, and (c) Rogers usually gets the latest phones before other providers.
The only real question in my mind is when.
Rogers Canada suks!
Besides, rumors here says that it will not be released before 2008. With this delay, it will probably be the second gen iPhone ;)
Rogers the worse operator in Canada, their service sucks. Their networks sucks too. These guy are 5 years behind japan/korea. They don't even have G3. Expect a lot of DROP CALLS iPhone.
There's no way anyone in Canada will pay $700 Canadian for a iPhone. Only to make calls, that a waste of money. Not gonna happen Apple.
There's also a GOOD CHANCE of Roger screw their customers with a 3 years contract for 50 bucks a month. iPhone are as good as dead.
Better luck next time apple...there's alway charging a $5 for a update of itunes. LOL
Carriers are even worst in Canada than in the States. Period.
Their monthly fees \ plans are horrible. And they hardly throw in any good promotions towards new activations.
Fido was much better before Rogers bought them out. Now rogers just made Fido Crappier instead of better.
And the sad thing is. Rogers owns pretty much all the GSM service in canada, so there isnt any competition (even from CDMA, thats more a niche...since thier phones are even worst than the GSM versions)
[sarcasm]It's true Ben. Rogers owns Fido.[/sarcasm]
(But really, Rogers *owns*)
I don't believe Rogers even has 3G yet, and I think we only have 1 service provider that does. Anyway, phones that come out in Asia are officially released here almost a year after it is released there (i.e. not unlocked phones straight from asia). But since this is from the U.S., we might just get it before 2008 ^_^ Not that I would get it. Unlocked Asian phones ftw!
News to me that Rogers is the only GSM provider in Canada. What do the other networks use then, just out of curiosity?
And since we're on the topic of cellphones, do WiFi phones require you to sign up with your service provider? Or can you use your own broadband connection?
From an insider, Rogers will have the iPhone in the 3rd quarter of this year.
I actually am a Rogers employee, I called my local wireless expert a day after the iphone got announced and i was told they were working on something along the lines of getting the iphone but she talked about it being an multi year exclusive deal for cingular so unless that got worked out we would still have to wait just like all other service providers in America.
On another point with the upcoming Local Number Portability in Canada I could see them announcing more news on this as quick as possible to keep and gain wireless customers.
"even from CDMA, thats more a niche...since thier phones are even worst than the GSM versions"
I don't know how CDMA is a niche market considering between Telus, Bell, and Aliant, nearly the whole country is covered by CDMA towers.
There are lots of decent promotions for new activations here in Canada - not sure why someone would say there isn't. There's always cheap phones, bonus minutes, and all the normal incentives.
The problem is AFTER you have your phone and you start paying ridiculous bills and fees and realize your phone is completely locked and has features removed. Our cell plans are overpriced, especially for data and texting.
As for Rogers, they have the worst coverage in my province (NS) of the three providers. I have friends in four distinct areas of the province who are with Rogers and who hate their service - dropped calls, terrible reception, expensive plans, etc.
I wish Apple would make a CDMA version for Telus/Bell. Also: the Cingular contract probably doesn't affect the Canadian market... or does it?
I want the iPhone to crash and burn. Seriously. It's crap.
you've used one I see?
Rogers and Ted Rogers (owner) suck arse and ASS!!
According to an article on canada.com the day after the announcement we won't be getting this before 2008. And as far as features being crippled by the carrier... I got the impression Apple will not allow a carrier to have this phone unless they upgrade their services (for visual vocie mail etc) and have all features enabled.
... hence protecting the full Apple user "experience". I guess we'll have to wait and see. I for one would rather not have the phone at all than get a feature stripped version.
Thanks for throwing us Canadians a bone btw engadget. ; )
Here's hoping Apple's mandated 'user experience' causes Rogers to reduce the cost of their data plans. Though I do enjoy seeing my co-worker's jaws drop when I tell them how much it will cost them to use the damn thing.
As a rogers dealer I wish i could add to this - just as anxious as the rest of you to see what happens
Actually, the "multi-year exclusive deal" with Cingular would be for sales within Cingular's own territory -- that being the U.S.
Since Cingular doesn't have any service in Canada, this would not preclude Rogers from releasing the iPhone regardless of *what* arrangement Apple has made with Cingular, since I'm sure Apple hasn't told Cingular that they're going to be the only carrier in the *world* to get the iPhone.
Realistically, I'm sure Rogers is on it, since the hype around this announcement means they would be foolish to not be making arrangements to carry it. The six month pre-announcement helps things along a bit, but of course there are a still a lot of details to be worked out.
I'm honestly not holding my breath for a June release, although stranger things have happened. If I were to place bets, I'd say a September-December '07 time frame, based on previous phone releases by Rogers. However, this is a unique device and a unique situation, so it's hard to say what will actually happen.
Rogers is not the only GSM carrier in Canada.
Videotron is a new kid on the (cell) block since last year and is a GSM carrier too. but they operate only in Quebec province.
Just to let you know...
aro
Yeah, except that Videotron is merely piggy-backing on the ROGERS GSM network...
how much will it cost in Canada
I dont iPhone will repeat iPod's success, just look at this:
"Market research firm Compete talked to 379 people in the US and discovered that while most of them had heard of the super soar-away iPhone they would not buy it until the price drops."
iPhone Converter
http://www.iphoneconverter.com/
Best iPhone News
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Does anybody know when it will be available in mexico or any country in LA?
some services already announced they will be able to unlock iphone, ie http://fineunlock.com/products/Apple-iPhone/Apple-iPhone-Unlock.html. does anybody know whether it will be possible at all? what are prices for Rogers roaming in Europe?
Yes, I belive iPhone will be released in Canada in this autumn
DVD to iPhone
http://www.pqdvd.com/dvd-to-iphone-movie-video-converter.html
I heard Rogers (Canadian carriers) will not get iphone for at-least 2 years because the data rates (rogers ) are way too expensive, and Apple want its carriers to have affordable unlimited data rates. Canadian Telco's are just too greedy at the moment! Cingular have iphone unlimited data plans for $60 per month. Rogers would be like $500.
Rogers already miss-lead customers by not allowing them to view their day to day usage off their web site. Wireless Data is an incredible cash cow for them right now, and they are not about to give that up easily!
I just spoke with a rogers sales rep, and he told me that the iphone is set to be released in the middle of December. When I asked him about the price he said; around the $500 range and that's only with a 2-3 year contract. He also stated that many speculations have been going around, and that rumours of the iPhone not being released are false. The iPhone will be released on Rogers, and is expected in mid December 07. However no one has stated that Rogers will be offering an unlimited data plan, but it will most likely result in Rogers creating an unlimited data plan to suit Apple's demands.