Palm Centro makes its Canadian debut with Rogers

It still hasn't quite made the rounds of US carriers, but it looks like that hasn't stopped the Palm Centro from hopping across the border to make its Canadian debut on Rogers. If that's the moment you've somehow been waiting for, and you're an existing Rogers customer, you get your hands on one now for $199 with a three-year plan and minimum $45 monthly service fee, while new customers will have to fork over $299 and jump through the same contract hoops. Of course, there is also that other little phone that's making its long-awaited Canadian debut on Rogers next month, but we're guessing that anyone planning to go that route has already pretty firmly made up their mind.

[Niki @ Jun 16th 2008 12:42PM]

ummm,
correct me if I'm wrong...
But that's Spanish.
Not French.

Eh?

[bohsocks @ Jun 16th 2008 12:45PM]

Rodriguez, Vega, Riviera, Suarez

Muy bueno, Sherlock Holmes.

[Niki @ Jun 16th 2008 12:46PM]

it was the "fotos" that done me in =]

[phanbouy @ Jun 16th 2008 1:05PM]

ahora con más cowbell!

[Niki @ Jun 16th 2008 1:08PM]

lol

[pundit @ Jun 16th 2008 12:48PM]

It's more than likely a stock photo, especially given the lack of Rogers labelling.

[pundit @ Jun 16th 2008 12:49PM]

Dang. That was directed at Niki.

[Nicky-Larson @ Jun 16th 2008 12:59PM]

Excuse me, 3 YEARS AGREEMENT? Who signs a contract for 3 Years? Man, that's so many years for me. I am not even comfortable with 2. Canadians must be getting themselves on the edge. WOW

[danny003 @ Jun 16th 2008 1:01PM]

thats how it is.. we get screwed up hear with 3 year agreements just to get half decent handset pricing

[Darkroom @ Jun 16th 2008 1:04PM]

yeah it's a fucking joke. the iPhone is going to be a 3-year agreement also, while in the states AT&T wants 2 years...

[bohsocks @ Jun 16th 2008 1:30PM]

Three years in Canada is only like 16-17 months in United States time.

[phanbouy @ Jun 16th 2008 2:05PM]

so _that_ explains why canada's more socially advanced than us...

[Ellianth @ Jun 16th 2008 2:29PM]

Or you can read your contract before you sign, and see how much the payout thing is. For me it's only a maximum of 200 bucks. Buy the phone on their contract then close the account the next day, sometimes you make a profit :P.

[jorvay @ Jun 16th 2008 9:55PM]

I noticed, while looking through my Rogers papers (yes, I'm on a dreaded 3-year contract from hell) that you're eligible for a phone upgrade at the end of two years at the new-contract pricing...as long as we sign an extended contract to get that new phone. So we may be getting hosed big time, but at least we can replace our phones a little more often than every three years.

Oh, and to add to the Rogers hate: the infamous Sky Dome in Toronto was renamed the Rogers Centre a few years ago. That's a bigger slap in the face than a 3 year contract!

[SHoe @ Jun 16th 2008 1:01PM]

>>existing Rogers customer, you get your hands on one now for $199 with a three-year plan and minimum $45 monthly service fee, while new customers will have to fork over $299 and jump through the same contract hoops

The usual Rogers customer rape-age. $199 with a 3 year plan for existing customers and @ $45/month? Fucking Rogers bastards. The dollar is on par but they double the price of the phone.

Americans (rightly) think they are ill served by their carriers - but Canada is the worst in the westrern world. It will be interesting to see if the current bandwidth auction goiong on in Canada right now will change anything.

[Astrostream @ Jun 16th 2008 1:06PM]

"but Canada is the worst in the westrern world."
Not just the western world; they are the worst in the WHOLE world.

[Some Kid @ Jun 16th 2008 1:03PM]

yeah 3 years is a bit much eh?
but is Rogers the only fucking telecom company in Canada cause it is the only one anyone ever talks about

[danny003 @ Jun 16th 2008 1:07PM]

the only gsm carrier

[Darkroom @ Jun 16th 2008 1:06PM]

it's the only one in canada that can offer 3G... and they are notorious here... EVERYONE fucking hates goddamn Rogers...

[SHoe @ Jun 16th 2008 1:11PM]

Its not just that its 3 years - it that you have to sign for 3 years AND it still costs you $199 (double the U.S. price) or $299 if your not a Rogers subscriber. And $45 a month - damn I'm getting pissed as I type this.

Rogers is the only GSM/GPRS company in Canada. Bell and Telus (basically our version of Sprint and Verizon) are CDMA - but they are also a part of the little 'carrier cartel' that fixes the prices up here.

[Astrostream @ Jun 16th 2008 1:03PM]

Rogers is the worst ISP/Carrier in the world.
Even their site sucks. always slow and gives lots of "system errors".

BTW. they are a MS site!!!

[Zed @ Jun 16th 2008 1:04PM]

i just found out you have to pay 199 + 3 year contract for the iphone on rogers. thats so ridiculous. bundled with a probably 60 plan, i am now saying 'fuck it'.

[Some Kid @ Jun 16th 2008 1:07PM]

and also is this $199 canadian dollars or american dollars
cause $199 CAD is about $160 ish american dollars- which is still overpriced on a 3 year contract
hint- its $99 with a 2 year contract on VZW

[Astrostream @ Jun 16th 2008 1:09PM]

Where do you live? Have you been sleeping for the last 2 years?

[SHoe @ Jun 16th 2008 1:18PM]

As of today: $1 Cdn = $0.98 U.S.
So they are on par (have been for months) and this cannot be used as an excuse anymore. Many companies always overcharged beyond the exchange but used it as an excuse to charge more. Dollar parity and canadian consumer outrage has cuased a number of businesses up here to change their pricing (notably, automotive sales). But Rogers doesnt give a shit - what other GSM carrier are we going to go to?

[kjb434 @ Jun 16th 2008 1:23PM]

yeah,

The Canadian dollar and the US dollar is about the same now....

[Zed @ Jun 16th 2008 1:42PM]

@shoe, its actually going to be $199. read the rogers iphone press release

"Starting
July 11, iPhone 3G will sell for $199 for the 8Gb model and $299 for the 16Gb
model, on a three-year plan. More details on price plans and retail
availability will be available soon."

http://micro.newswire.ca/release.cgi?rkey=1606099873&view=84735-0&Start=0

[computer.dude.28 @ Jun 16th 2008 7:53PM]

How the HELL did THIS turn into an iPhone conversation!? This is a Palm Centro!!

[wunderbar @ Jun 16th 2008 1:09PM]

Anyone else notice how crazy expensive this is? it's $100 more than in the states with a contract that is one year longer.

This is why Canadian cell phone markets suck. the only GSM carrier in the country is by far the worst one. the Two half decent ones are CDMA.

[thatguy @ Jun 16th 2008 1:09PM]

Ted Rogers was born with horns and a tail.

[joe @ Jun 16th 2008 1:12PM]

I am in Canada ,too.
All we should do is F uc k ing wait for rogers to lower the price.
or no one going to buy it..
if we do so together.then we get what we want.
the problem is that there are some people going to get it no matter how much rogers is fu ck ing asking for ..

[Astrostream @ Jun 16th 2008 1:14PM]

I was planning to get an iPhone on July 11 but I seriously am considering to wait for a while. I really hate Rogers.

[danny003 @ Jun 16th 2008 1:15PM]

thing is, regardless of the price, why would anyone buy a palm anyway? with a UI that looks like its 10 years old, how does this even come close to a BB/WM/iphone?

[Killa Gorillaz @ Jun 16th 2008 1:50PM]

Yeah Canada should go on strike! For lower cell phone costs... and more internet money.

[derX @ Jun 16th 2008 6:17PM]

Apparently you haven't seen South Park. Canada going on strike is not a good thing. You'll end up with coupons.

[thatguy @ Jun 16th 2008 1:19PM]

The whole point behind the Centro was that it was supposed to be a cheap smartphone that would attract a younger audience for Palm. It has worked well and it has been pretty successful, but at $199/$299 price points and a 3 year plan that concept has been squashed by rogers.

[trumpton @ Jun 16th 2008 1:44PM]

The Centro's a really great phone, but that madcap price plan manages to take away nearly all its appeal in one fell swoop.

(((Canadians)))

[dlheritage @ Jun 16th 2008 1:56PM]

Why is everyone so hot for this POC? Oh yeah, I forgot - there's one billion POC software apps written for the Palm platform.

[Don @ Jun 16th 2008 1:58PM]

Canadians suck and so does that phone, who cares?

[ipodrulz @ Jun 16th 2008 2:16PM]

Wow.. was that really necessary. Could you tell us one reason why all Canadians suck?

[phanbouy @ Jun 16th 2008 2:20PM]

he's just sad cuz he sucks at hockey

[phanbouy @ Jun 16th 2008 2:23PM]

heh heh... for some unintentional humor check out Don's recent posting history. actually, maybe Don's pissed because he wasn't smart enough to get his application for Canadian residency passed

[Steffen Jobbs @ Jun 16th 2008 4:04PM]

Righ on target!!!

USA eats Canada for breackfast

IPhone and RIM eat Palm centro for breackfast

[phanbouy @ Jun 16th 2008 4:11PM]

Steffen, might wanna ease up on the rim eating. Explains a few things tho.

[Don @ Jun 16th 2008 5:04PM]

Actually, I am not that bad at hockey. I have to deal with Canadians on a regular basis. They bother me because every time they talk it sounds like they are asking a question. The long O in process drives me crazy. They are cheap picky and uptight. And I hate it when I find your shitty currency amongst my American money. I just threw some of your shit money out the window of my car cause I kept thinking they were quarters.
I am sure not all Canadians suck but I believe a large majority do.

[neofolklore @ Jun 16th 2008 3:22PM]

UGLY

[DestroyerMTL @ Jun 16th 2008 3:35PM]

I hate you Ted Rogers.

Also, while our iPhone will be $199 and $299, it's with a 3 year contract.

Ted's fat dick in your bum once again...

[grull27 @ Jun 16th 2008 6:40PM]

It's with a 2-year contract.

Also, the Palm Centro is by far the ugliest smart phone out there. I tried it out at an ATT store and damn the thing so f*cking ugly and bulky. Oh and the software is dated and old fashioned. I'm not saying everybody should get the iPhone, I'm just saying no one should get this phone.

[Fusion Fuzo @ Jun 16th 2008 4:04PM]

I don't care about either.

I live in America and have Apple. Who needs Palm and canada?

[Astrostream @ Jun 16th 2008 4:52PM]

You need Canada's oil, gas and electric power you stupid ass.