Given the massive, and increasingly — embarrassingly — international outcry over Canadian GSM monopoly and thus de facto iPhone 3G exclusive carrier, Rogers’ expensive and decidedly limited pricing plans, is it any wonder they’ve gone into full blown PR panic mode?
(If the below is legitimate, of course).
Thanks to sister site’r Crackberry Kevin for sending this our way!
Hello. My name is [redacted] and I’m writing on behalf of Rogers to give you some additional information about the Rogers rate plans available for the iPhone.
The iPhone 3G bundles released June 27 are not the only price plans available to customers, they are the high value plans that allow Rogers customers to use the device to its fullest and offer considerable savings over separate voice and data plans that exist in market today.
Keep reading for the rest!
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As Rene mentioned over the weekend, the iPhone 2G has just turned one year old, we here at TiPb look to the future, though, and the future looks great. Great enough that we’re still planning on giving away an iPhone 3G to one lucky winner who’s made at least 20 posts in our iPhone Forums. Grab the full contest details here. Even better - when you visit the forums from your iPhone you should see a big ol’ “iPhone Version” that lets you interact with the forums via an iPhone interface. Don’t like it? The option to switch back is on the bottom of the iPhone version. What are you waiting for? Go on and register, post, and possibly win!
Also notable, you can now get your iPhone Blog six ways from Sunday. Ok, just two ways. You can now just punch in http://tipb.com into your browser to be brought to our main page. Easy, no? We’re not bringing out an iPhone version of the blog proper just yet — when we find / develop a verison that’s both fast and usable enough you’ll be the first to know.
Meanwhile, there’s only a couple weeks left now in the iPhone Wait-a-Thon, wherein we give away an iTunes Gift card worth $100 to somebody who’s commented on a Wait-a-Thon-tagged post (like, you know, this one). Details and rules here. Congrats to our latest winners, Tom, Mark, and Rafael. Your Gift Cards forthcoming just as soon as we convince Apple we’re not trying to defraud them by buying too many gift cards.
So with just a couple weeks left, we gotta ask: What’s your game plan for July 11th?. Rumor has it the launch will happen at 8 in the morning, so will you be camping out the night before? Sitting at home and pretending your iPhone 2G hasn’t been replaced with newer, faster, better, more? Answer in the comments for a chance to win!
Mobile Mag is reporting that the iPhone 3G may be sold at Radio Shack and Best Buy. Best Buy we can see — Apple’s already been making inroads there. Radio Shack, though, …ugh. Sure, since the iPhone 3G is being sold pretty much just like any other smartphone now, it’s not crazy that it could be sold by any of the usual suspects — Radio Shacks, Mall Kiosks, that one guy down the street who inexplicably has an AT&T store in his garage. But… Radio Shack? Maybe I’m old, but I remember a time when Radio Shack had, you know, electronic parts and wasn’t the laughing stock it is today.
Reconsider, Apple, because if this is true, it may help you reach your target, but it’s not going to do wonders for your image.
If it’s a day that ends in a “y”, then its likely the status of the Apple / China Mobile talks has changed! On again/off again seems to be on again, with reports now saying the obstacles have been hurdled, the chasm bridged, the bamboo curtain rolled up to let in some sun.
But can China Mobile beat competitor China Unicom, or even the massive gray market, to the punch?
Only time, and probably a bazillion more flip flops, will tell.
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Pop quiz. You run one of the few CDMA-based mobile providers in the world, and while you were rumored to have passed on the original iPhone, thus locking you out of the North American market for Apple’s revolutionary handset, even your Old World parent, Vodafone, has finally, desperately signed up to carry the iPhone 3G in many other markets. Bottom-line, you missed the boat to the point of now being landlocked, and what do you have to say for yourself? You’ll do better? You’ll try harder? You’ll stop with the iClones and actually try to out-innovate the iPhone?
Not if you’re Ivan “the Terrible” Seidenberg, who’s big answer to the iPhone 3G is:
“Steve Jobs eventually will get old . . . I like our chances.”
Yup. Steve Jobs, who helped bring the Apple II (command line), Mac (graphical interface), and iPhone (multi-touch) to the masses, in spite of health concerns that might make lesser CEOs (subjected company not only included but vehemently singled out) lose continence in themselves, will — gasp — grow old.
If that’s best Seidenberg can come up with, his board has a far bigger reason to panic than competition from Apple.
Of course, this isn’t the first time Seidenberg has opened his mouth about Apple only to firmly insert feet.
And luckily (for our funny bones), it’s not likely to be the last!
One year ago today people were lining up outside Apple Stores. Woz was handing out snacks. El Jobso was making surprise cameos. Scoble was screaming. Leo was chatting up the Google devs. Mossberg was flaunting his demo. Colbert was begging for his. Vloggers were vlogging and boy-oh-boy bloggers were blogging. The mainstream media was going gaga. Mike was live at the Mall of America. Dieter was right here, online, keeping us all up to date.
It was launch day USA. The original iPhone. 2G. Premium priced. Industry changing. Handset revolutionizing. Universe denting.
Now, with the iPhone 3G all but upon us, everyone here at theiPhoneBlog.com would like to wish the focus of our obsession, and all the techies at Apple behind it, a very happy birthday.
We’ve done our share of protesting the plan rates released by Canada’s GSM monopoly, and therefor de facto iPhone 3G exclusive carrier, Rogers Wireless. But we’re hardly alone. Reports have even surfaced of angry consumers egging Rogers retail stores.
Now CNN/Fortune have cast their spotlight on it, focusing one what was originally the explicitly, if sincerely named [redacted]rogers.com, now more safely (if less satisfyingly) rebranded ruinediphone.com.:
What’s wrong with Rogers’ rate plan? Both AT&T (T) and Rogers offer calling, data and text messaging at $75 a month, for example. But for $75 Rogers offers a third less calling time, half as many text messages, and puts a 750 MB cap on 3G data usage — with steep fees for users who go over their monthly limit.
In addition to ruinediphone.com’s petition, would-be-Canadian iPhone owners should head on over to David McGuinty’s petition for House Bill C-555 to promote transparency and fairness in Canadian telcos. and the Competition Bureau of Canada
.Mac has been up and down again over the last few days, which is nothing new, but this time it seems like the transition to MobileMe might actually have begun. Some people are reportedly able to receive mail at the me.com version of their alias (meaning name@mac.com is already mapping to name@me.com for some).
I just tried it, and received an “illegal alias” error for my trouble. Is it working yet for you?
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iPhone 2.0 and its App Store are almost upon us, and while deep-delving every new SDK/firmware beta has revealed many a gem before, this time it’s the Read Me file from the new, developer-only, iTunes 7.7 beta that’s giving up the goodness:
Also use the new Remote application for iPhone or iPod touch to control iTunes playback from anywhere in your home — a free download from the App Store.
YES!
This feature — and hopefully parallel Front Row and Apple TV remote control — has been near the top of my wish list since the iPhone was announced, and while this type of functionality (and much more!) has been hinted at before, it looks like we might finally see it.
Now how about hurrying up with 2.0 already, Apple, you teases!
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Not evil twin to theiPhoneBlog.com Week in Review, not an invasion by Fake Steve, This Week in Smart Phone Schadenfreude brings you all the feel-better news you need about the smartphone world outside Apple’s current media dominator. (Who knew there was such a world? We were just as surprised! Inelegant, interface challenged, keyboardy, crashy, single-touchy place — best not to linger…). Join us as we mock review the big news from last week at our sister sites. Everybody loves sibling rivalry!
In this week’s edition: Boldly late… and on strike, WinMob vs. Android, more Windows raves, and Real Ed vs. Fake Steve!
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