It’s July 11th! That means it’s Apple iPhone day. At 9 pm EST, you can get an iPhone for the first time in Canada, but do you really care? I love Apple products, but you can count me out. The idea of signing a three-year contract with Rogers gives me shivers, and I’m not the only one. As the only service provider for iPhones in Canada, Rogers has been accused of being corporate jackasses with some of the most expensive service plans in the world. While some Apple freaks will still pay top dollar for usage, many would-be consumers have put their foot down, signed petitions and vowed to boycott the Rogers’ services (and in turn th iPhone) on principle. Why should we have to pay more for inferior service plans?
I find the controversy over the Rogers plans to a be fascinating peak into the world of business, supply+demand, Apple fanatics and the power (or lack of) consumer anger. Here are some my favourite links about the iPhone, Rogers and technolust:
Rogers, Apple iPhone and disgruntled Canadians: Blogger Nancy Zimmerman explains the kerfuffle that is the Canadian iPhone story.
Rally online today: The people behind RuinediPhone.com are organizing an online rally against Rogers’ service plans for 10 am EST today. They’ve got the support of Liberal MP David McGuinty’s
Technolust: Today’s podcast from The Current examines technolust and why Appleholics have to have the newest products.
CBC’s iPhone iNdex: An interactive map that compares iPhone rate plans around the world. Guess what? Rogers’ plan for Canadians is the second most expensive in the world, second only to Vodaphone’s plans in Italy.
Why are Canadian cell phone plans so expensive?: CBC’s science and technology writer, Peter Nowak explains why Rogers’ iPhone rates are so expensive compared to the rest of the world, why there is no unlimited data plans, why Canadian mobile rates are generally more expensive and what the future of Canadian cell phone competition will look like.
How to cope with gadget envy: Still want an iPhone despite Rogers’ ridiculous service plans? Resist and read Get Rich Slowly’s great advice on how to avoid falling into technolust.
Unspending 
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July 11, 2008 at 6:54 pm
pete evans
What i find really fascinating in all this is that Rogers has even managed to piss off Apple itself. Apple, obviously wants their products to be in as many hands as possible, but there have been rumblings that Apple has even taken the unusual step of diverting some phones earmarked for Canada towards Europe because of how Rogers is dicking around. That’s crazy.
I can’t wait until the new entrants into the wireless market get up and running so that Bell and Rogers will finally be acknowledged for what they are — unfair monopolies. Things like system access fees are ridiculous in this day and age. Look for the people behind Yak long distance to launch a GSM cellular service in the near future. And remember, GSM is the network on which the iPhone runs, so we may have more options sooner than you think
July 11, 2008 at 8:53 pm
andreachiu
I hope you’re right about Yak, Pete. I would like to see some more competition in Canadian telecom. When I think of how much I paid for cell phone service in Hong Kong (without a contract!) it pains me to look at my Telus bill every month.