Rogers Wireless Launches Apple iPhone in Canada

Telecom News Editorials Reports Glossary

6:30 am on July 12, 2008 | Category: Telecom Services, Mobile Devices, Wireless, Cell Phones

Apple’s long-awaited iPhone device became available across Canada yesterday, causing hundreds to line up outside Rogers and Fido retail outlets, more than a year after the handset’s U.S. launch.

But even as Apple enthusiasts queued up for the 3G iPhone, which bundles the features of a handheld computer, mobile smartphone, and video-enabled iPod into a single device, industry experts are saying that the iPhone isn’t for everyone.

“This is the kind of thing where the hype outpaces the number of devices that are actually sold,” commented analyst, Carmi Levy.

Rogers Wireless claims to have sold out of iPhones at several of its stores yesterday, as hundreds of customers paid $199 a piece for the device, while signing costly 3-year voice and data contracts.

The above-market price of iPhone service plans, however, has caused tens of thousands of potential customers to sign a petition boycotting the device, limiting its prospects in the near term.

But like the U.S. iPhone, Canada’s incarnation of the handset will likely be discounted within a few months, once the initial hype wares off.