Has Rogers upset Apple?
It’s 4 days before the much anticipated launch of the iPhone in Canada. But could there be trouble brewing between Apple and their chosen carrier, Rogers?
It’s 4 days before the much anticipated launch of the iPhone in Canada. But could there be trouble brewing between Apple and their chosen carrier, Rogers?
We’re not really in the habit of repeating rumours over here at Sync, but some rumours are just too hot to ignore.
Two days ago, a blogger named Daniel Smith, who writes a blog called Smithereens, posted an item about a possible falling-out between Apple and Rogers. Based on accounts of events that Smith has gleaned from someone he claims is an insider at Rogers, he has constructed the possibility that Rogers will not be receiving the number of iPhone units they expected for the initial launch on July 11th. Supposedly, the majority of iPhones once destined for Canada are now enroute to Europe.
Further citing the layoffs of temporary employees at certain Rogers retails locations as evidence of an unexpected slap on the hands, Smith conjectures that Apple is reacting to both the iPhone data plans that Rogers announced as well as the ensuing backlash by iPhone fans via a heavily supported online petition.
If the rumour is true it would certainly be bad news for Rogers, as it faces intense competition in the smartphone arena from both Bell’s imminent launch of the Samsung Instinct and Telus’s offering of the HTC Touch Diamond. While neither of these phones have the intense aura that surrounds Apple’s iPhone, they do come with unlimited data options, which will likely play a role in consumers’ decision-making.
Disclosure: Sympatico / MSN is a partnership between Microsoft and Bell Canada.
Update July 8, 3:50pm: It looks like there may be a good deal of truth to this rumour. Last night, Apple announced that they will not be selling the iPhone in their retail stores in Canada. The CBC reports that Apple retail staff in Canada are very disappointed with the Rogers data plans and are keeping logs of all customer complaints they receive.
Update July 9, 11:00am: Apparently Rogers is responding to the petition. Engadget reports that they have added a $30/month/6GB option to their voice plans, giving users more bandwidth flexibility, but stopping short of an unlimited plan.
We all know cell phone plans are a repoff but I can't believe nobody is talking about the other issue here – the outrageous price Apple is charging for the Iphone and the fact that they've made an "exclusive" deal with Rogers. So much for their historical griping about Microsoft. There are other phones out tehre now with as many or more fraetures..I say boycott Rogers AND boycott Apple!
This would not suprise me one bit. I heard the reason iphone was launched in the states only at first was because apple was not happy with rates rogers was charging for data. Rogers did try to bring in the first generation of iphone but apple turned them down. Hard to believe it but the rates have improved since the original relase date of the iphone and yet still they are a joke compared to american rates. Rogers keeps talking about all these great things phones can do now a days but it costs a small fortune to use any of them! The other day my wife sent me a 12 second video message of her and my kids being goofy. We do not have a data plan so rogers charged us the quality price of 5 cents per kb. The video message was 77kb.Thats an almost $4.00 charge for 12 seconds of video. Imagine the bill a person could ring up at those rates.
Like that wasnt expected, Rogers has been fleecing its customers for years and they expected to fleece users again if they wanted an iphone w/o any kinda backlash, serves them right!! Not only that but they have the worst coverage in northern ontario. would've been great if iphone was available with telus then i might have considered getting one, but seeing as Apple made the mistake of going with Rogers then thanks but no thanks apple, I'll pass on the iphone and get something else with Telus!
Who cares about the i-phone or the Blackberry for that matter….they're just another way for phone service providers to screw you out of more money with exorbident service fees….I'm de-activating my Blackberry tomorrow and going back to a plain cellphone…
hey Rogers,
hahahaha hahah aha hah aahah ahaha hahha hah ha
and Ha!
Apple actually doesn't have an exclusive deal with Rogers like they do with AT&T in the States. They're just stuck with Rogers/Fido since they're the only GSM carrier in Canada. The lack of competition in Canada's cell phone market is just ridiculous thanks to government intervention. With no competition from another GSM carrier, it's no wonder Rogers is screwing us so badly with their data plans. At this point, I think the only hope of more reasonable rates is if Apple steps in and makes Rogers offer better plans to be able to carry the iPhone.
If Rogers had come out with a comparable plan to what is available in the U.S. for a comparable price, they would have had a surefire hit on their hands. Instead, they have alienated customers before the phone is even released. Have you looked at their charges if you go over on data? 50 cents a MB for the first 60 MB before dropping to 3 cents. The want to gouge you for thirty extra bucks before they'll give you a break.
I think Rogers is attempting to squeeze as much money out of its subscribers as it can to offset the subsidy they apply to every iPhone. This is why they demand a three year contract. Come on, very few people keep any cellphone for three years! The next version will come out in a year or so and the first wave of users will not be upgrading. This is what upsets Apple the more… not the monthly plan. Apple wants the iPhone to remain ahead of the pack and 36 months is not the right timing for their next update.
i hope whatever way apple decide's to go, that it isn't with rogers. I'm sure it's no secret to anyone that roger's is aggressively trying to monopolize the personal entertainment sector in general. From dictating the amount of gig's we download, slowing server's at inconvienient time's, to shafting us with the type of service we recieve in comparison to our american, european, and asian counterpart's. Quite honestlty, until canadian's in general start demanding to be treated with the same quality of living, we will be hushed and force fed the same mediocre verbal slop that we as canadian's, have been trying to swallow since the world, got rid of that useless cord.
I contacted Rogers today and was given a bunch of unsatisfactory responses to my inquiries on this subject. As a Rogers customer for more than a decade I can't BELIEVE they expect me to sign a 3-year contract just to get a phone that CAN'T BE USED ON ANY OTHER CANADIAN SERVICE ANYWAY!
After that disappointing experience I contacted Apple directly and told them that as much as I love their product and have been coveting the iPhone since it was first unveiled I sadly will not be purchasing one specifically because Rogers requires I sign a three-year contract for a service that is inferior to that being offered in virtually every country the phone has been released in. They said they had been getting a lot of these calls and were logging each and every one of them.
Phone Apple Canada, tell them how unhappy you are with the situation, and phone Rogers as well. Let them know directly how disgusted you are with their greed.
Roger's stinks. The sale of FIDO to Rogers should NEVER have been allowed. Until that time cell phone rates in Canada were going down, and since then they have been going up and up and up.
Our government's stink, they cave to corporate demands without any thought to the consumer. Telus should never have been alowed to buy Clearnet way back when either. It's a disgrace, and a slap in the face to every consumer.
Down with Rogers.
I worked for rogers, I know for a proven fact, your private information is not safe with rogers, it is leaked out to the public, and rogers doesn't care, they got you where they want you, and TOO Bad. – That is why I Quit. Believe me, Rogers IS NOT a company anyone wants to deal with, and anyone who has anything with Rogers, switch to another provider for all your needs, telephone, cell phone, cable etc, before your life is destroyed. Rogers will not back any product they sell – they tell you it is the manufacture's fault, and you are out of money!
With their over-amped price tags, Apple and Rogers prove once again 'you can fool some of the people all of the time.' Perfect for the wannabeemer set…
Anyone that purchases an Iphone from Apple is lucky to get a 14 day replacement warranty, from a dealer, zilch.
It will usually start breaking down in about two months and Apple will send out "refurbished units" that are likely in worse shape then your original.
But a piece of gum from Walmart, get a better warranty.
Who cares!!! Rogeres sucks balls anyway, as does Apple…a scuffle 'tween two groups of greedy manipulators. F-em.
Um, the Rogers iPhones will have already been boxed and shipped with Canadian bilingual documentation by this point, so Apple would have had to have made this decision a really long time ago.
I'm not concerned either way; I've played with the iPhone (emphasis on 'played') and it's more of a toy than the business device that my Blackberry is. It's no fun typing on a touchscreen; I'll keep my tactile keyboard thanks!
I cannot believe the fools that write petitions to get better rates for a totally unnecessary piece of technology. As a consumer, the best tactic is not to by such an item and the prices will naturally come down over time.
Don't forget, unlike fuel or food, you probably can survive a few months while others are getting screwed over an unecessary piece of hardware.
Just like Joey said, if people are really that upset with Iphone rates… simply do not buy one. Let other people get screwed and wait it out. It is not a necessity in life to be able to do a google search at every moment of every day.
But if you really and truly want to get an Iphone, just give it some time, and an unlocked version will be sold by many, and you could access all of the Iphone's multimedia features through Wifi. Sure, you won't be able to use it "everywhere" but there are tons of Wifi networks around.
what a bunch of cry babies… as the saying goes, if you want to play, you gotta pay… most of the comments i read are summed up as "i want the TOP of the line CELL phone w/UNLIMITED data plan for cheap/free" 1st off, if you're a "business" person then either you or your company writes off the cell phone/plan as an expense, so no big loss, if you're not then too bad, buy your UNNECESSARY piece of hardware and STFU… and how about we start a petition on gas prices, or taxes or something MORE important than your toys.
Rogers as a bit of the "We can do what we want" attitude the last little while. Guess what Ladies (meaning Rogers), you not as big and tough as you though you where. Nice to see them get knocked down a notch or two…