Molson contest hints at Canadian iPhone launch in January
By Donald Melanson 
posted Oct 25th 2007 8:25AM
posted Oct 25th 2007 8:25AM
We've certainly had plenty of hints that the iPhone was headed to Rogers in Canada sooner or later, but it looks like those rumors may now be reaching the boiling point, with a new Molson contest offering the clearest indication yet of the iPhone's launch in Canada. As you can see above, the contest rules clearly state that the phone will be available on Rogers starting in January 2008, and that the winners will have to pay for the service charges themselves. It also lists the iPhone with a value of $800, which is more than a little curious especially given the now mighty loonie. According to The Globe & Mail, a Rogers spokeswoman says the contest came as a surprise, adding that "Molson is speculating and that Rogers wouldn't launch the iPhone this way." Either way, it seems like we should know more soon enough, unless Molson has plans to deal some unhappy contest winners.
[Via Mobile in Canada, thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Update: Well, it looks like this rumor has been put squarely on the back burner, with The Globe & Mail now reporting that Molson has pulled the iPhone as a prize after admitting they "made a mistake." The winner of the contest will now get an "unnamed digital phone."
[Via Mobile in Canada, thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Update: Well, it looks like this rumor has been put squarely on the back burner, with The Globe & Mail now reporting that Molson has pulled the iPhone as a prize after admitting they "made a mistake." The winner of the contest will now get an "unnamed digital phone."
who cares? I'm gonna barf at the next iPhone blog. Get over it already.
Who cares? How about.. people in Canada? Jackass.
I care. I've been waiting for iPhone news in Canada ever since Day 1 especially regarding how Rogers is going to handle unlimited data. Will it be more customer gouging typical for wireless carriers here in Canada?
My name is Corndog, and I support Marino's message.
I wonder if that price is pre-contract or post-contract. Either ways, that is WAY too expensive for the average user and will not sell well. Hopefully this is nothing but a rumor and when a proper announcement has been made, the price will be at least below 500.
Pretty much everybody who reported this last night is now saying that Molson's ad agency got a little overzealous.
Apparently they called Rogers about the promotion, somebody at Rogers said "Won't happen before the new year", which the ad agency took to mean "OK, January it is then."
http://www.canada.com/topics/technology/story.html?id=1d77ed41-6982-413f-b8c7-3d802a216d8d&k=15535
It will prob have 32 or 64gb of memory.
All together now: "My name is Joe, and I have an iPhone".
Sorry, couldn't help the Molson link in :)
What is up with the $800 dollar price tag?! Have those people not been following the market. I'm not paying $800 bucks for a phone unless it's got a direct line to god (and no long distance charges for that call).
That's ridiculous. If that is the cost of the phone after contract then I can safely say that there may be 5-6 sales total in this country. On top of that its probaly linked to rogers indefinitely, hacks aside. I think I'll be content with my RAZR until these guys get their S&%t straight .
Just a shame the poor neighbors up north will end up paying $400 a month for 100mb of data :(
Rogers PC Card plan (Which can be applied to any GPRS/EDGE or 3G Phone) is $65 for 1GB of Data.
@tits; BS. There is no 100mbps 3G in Japan.
And $35 is more than I pay for my $30 SERO plan with unlimited EVDO (3G), unlimited messages, unlimited m2m...
Rogers PC Card plan (Which can be applied to any GPRS/EDGE or 3G Phone) is $65 for 1GB of Data...
That is still ridicilously expensive... I would pay $10 for that much data.. maybe.. I mean, when I can just wait and access the information I need from home, it's not worth it.
They've now backtracked and are saying the Molson's screwed up. Everyone is backing off the story and saying that it was one big mistake. Don't get your hopes up...
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/business/story.html?id=e25ad28d-decf-43d6-b83f-e9cb8fe82f04
I personally would love to see it up here as I work for the Source by CC but people wont even spend their money on an Ipod Touch in my store so I cant see them buying this. Maybe the Oil/Gas managers, owners and such, if you can peel them away from their Blackberrys. Would be nice but would be expensive, getting the data plan plus a voice plan on top of that...
The way the Canadian cell companies work is sickening. I can understand that the realities of a small population covering a huge area will drive costs a bit higher, but these companies have been ripping us off for years. Now we'll see the iPhone come to Canada probably costing more than the $400 American price, and the service and data plans will easily run upward of $120 a month. Rogers, and to an extent Bell and Telus and others, should be ashamed.
If that were the price it would be getting a huge "fuck that" from the Canadian population.
You'd think... but for some reason, with no other options, we keep buying these damn things and paying out the nose. And when I say "we" I mean crazy rich Canadian companies that can afford it, not me.
I have an iPhone working on the Rogers network. Big deal.
holy crap! i should buy a bunch of iphones and unlock them myself and sell them for $500 and probably still make a profit next time i go home to Toronto.
who on earth would $800 for an iphone of all things?!