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| Written by Jono Cono iPhone 3G is going to be released in Canada on July 11th. The only problem that I found out today is that you won’t be able to just walk in and purchase the iPhone. The only way you can get it is by purchasing a brand spanking new 3 year contract. Those wanting to get the iPhone by way of an upgrade will have to wait at least a couple of weeks before Rogers will allow it. By that time there will probably be a shortage and the iPhone will be on back order etc. I’m hoping Rogers is smart enough to have plenty of iPhones in stock. It would make sense that they would seeing as it’s hard to push a 3 year contract with no phone to go along with it.
Update: 2008/07/01
Rogers now has the data and phone plans listed for the iPhone on their website. They’re not cheap and the way the features are bundled they’re done in such a way to severely limit your options. For instance your unlimited evening minutes start at the ungainly hour of 9:00 PM. If you would like to get the 6:00 PM buy back option you have to get a whole $20 bundle that would include it.
I’m curious to know if Rogers inked an exclusive deal with Apple and they will be the only ones carrying the iPhone in Canada. If that is so then I have another idea. If one were prepared to just buy the iPhone outright and shell out $500 then you could always just get a new 3 yr contract, get the iPhone for $199 and then cancel the contract and pay the $400 cancellation fee and you only ending up pay an extra $100 and can use the iPhone with your existing plan and SIM card.
Update: 2008/07/11
So the iPhone was released today and to no surprise Rogers had little to no stock which is just simply retarded. I guess I was right that there will be a shortage for a while. People also seemed to be surprised that you could only get the phone on a brand new contract. CBC has quite a long article here on the whole debacle. I’ll just have to keep waiting until things get sensible. There should be a new model out by that time, lol.
The bonus? According to Rogers, if you were short-sighted enough to recently hop to Rogers and sign a three year contract (like me) you WONT be able to buy an iPhone, period. Not unless, of course, you pay the $400 ECF.
That’s insane and sadly not surprising. Given the fact Rogers is the only GSM wireless carrier that will have the iPhone they’re basically going to lock everything down as much as they can.
On the other hand, doing exactly that will only make people continue doing what they have been doing ever since the iPhone came out. Buy it from the States, unlock the phone and throw their SIM card into it.
If it turns out that a couple of weeks after the iPhone release that I still can’t get the iPhone via an upgrade and renewing my existing contract then I just won’t bother with Rogers and I’ll get the iPhone from the States.
That sucks about waiting an extra couple of weeks. Thats such a bummer for customers that have been with rogers for years. Thanks, but no thanks.
I agree, I’d be much happier not having to wait two weeks. It really just takes the thrill and excitement out of the whole experience. Everyone initially got excited that finally the iPhone was going to be released in Canada and OMG the price is only $199, oh but wait that’s only on a 3 yr contract. Then we find out you can’t buy the phone outright. Then we find out you can’t upgrade right away. Then we find out that if you recently signed a contract there’s no chance in getting the iPhone unless you’re willing to shell out some serious cash. The iPhone release in Canada is a joke. The way Rogers is handling this it’s almost more of a hassle to try and get an iPhone here then in the States and unlock it.