[jokell82]

Wow, I'm certainly glad I don't live in Canada. These rates are insane.
Rogers announces iPhone 3G plans, unlimited data isn't one of them - Engadget

No unlimited data, and if I read the text below the plans correctly it appears that even Caller ID isn't included? Wow, just wow.

[Kristianatiskin]

IM totally not surprised at this release!

we all felt the pain when Blackberry came in with its stupid high rates for data... Why would anyone think that Rogers would be indifferent to the iPhone anyways?

All they are thinking is YAY another Phone that supports our already profit generating Blackberry Services...

Boo Rogers

[Eug]

Rogers Launches Flexible Price Packages for Apple iPhone 3G: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

These plans suck.

They don't even include Caller ID at that price. Lame.

BTW, the Fido plans are exactly the same.

Fido Releases High Value Price Plans for Apple iPhone 3G: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

Haven't decided yet, but I might hold off now.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

The plans are offensive. Not because of the 400 megs data ( I will never go over 200) but because the **** minutes and more important text messaging. it doesn't even have call display unless you pay ANOTHER $15.

I am going to call them and tell them to shove it unless they give me a better plan.

[mkerr64]

I agree with you analogue SPRINKLES. there should be a lower mb budget

FiDo told me that the prices will be exactly the same since they are owned by Rogers.

cant wait to get mine

How early do you think one will have to line up in front of the mall to ensure one gets it?

[analogue SPRINKLES]

I don't care less if they had 200 megs or unlimited, that isn't the issue.

The thing that is pissing me off big time is the fact that they offer 150 minutes which is the same as they offered about 6 years ago. To make it even worse they give you next to no text messages and if you want something as simple as call display it will cost you another $15.

I am going to call them fuming and they better let me keep my current $40 for 700 min and $10 for unlimited texts and just let me add a data plan or I am sticking to my unlocked iPhone I have used since August.

I thought I also read that companies are no longer allowed to charge system access fee's as that was an old law and now rogers just pockets it.

[ginoledesma]

The plans are downright sad, but it's not really much of a difference than the current ones they offer. They usually have introductory promos which sound good (e.g. $15-$20/month for the first 3 months), then you'll be paying with blood for the rest of the plan. The only thing that makes Fido a wee bit better than Rogers is their per-second billing (instead of rounding up to the next minute).

The Value Pack isn't a surprise either, and at least it has more features for $15 (whether you use them all or not is another matter entirely). Unlimited access to Rogers/Fido WiFi hotspots is also nice, but here in Vancouver: 1) I haven't seen that many of them, and 2) lots of the hotspots in most cafes/shops are open/free.

And... when will they ever get rid of that ridiculous System Access Fee?!

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Also think about this... Rogers puts you on a 3 year contract with the iPhone. Considering a new iPhone will come out ever year if you want to upgrade you renew ANOTHER 3 year contract. Even if you decide to skip 2 years of new iPhone models there is no point as again you will be put on another 3 year contract the second you do upgrade.

In other words since unlocked iPhones aren't an option you are always looking at being in a 3 year contract for life.

[lpkmckenna]

I'm already with Rogers, and tend to pay about $50 a month. So I guess I'll just take it. But I won't pay for that call display. Won't the iPhone automagically recognize callers in your address book?

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna 

Won't the iPhone automagically recognize callers in your address book?

Yes if the only people who ever call you are in your address book.

Rogers better offer a data only plan to add to existing accounts.

[jokell82]

Not if they don't send caller information with the calls. I don't know how Rogers works (not being Canadian), but if they hold back all Caller ID without a subscription you won't even see it for your address book contacts.

[ginoledesma]

Call Display ≠ Name Display (they differentiate it). Without it, you won't even see the number that's calling you.

Call Display is the feature which allows you to see what number is calling you. This is an add-on that costs $5/month. Name Display is an addition to Call Display, where the telco will show you the name associated with the number (even if it isn't present in your address book). This costs $7/month (inclusive of Call Display).

[Kristianatiskin]

I have to not agree about the lower data plan - i have an iPhone on Fido and ya 12mb data plan right now kills me on this phone. So i have to say rogers and the boat they came in on.

they are strangling the industry from growing especially with this device which is totally for the internet. What other phone has a true Browser other then Opera Mobile? We might as well go back to the Zach Morris Phone ... Serisouly i will even blow through the 2gb $115/mth plan that obviously is the only sutiable plan for a phone of this nature.

If anyone is following this Canadian Launch youll be noticing that there are so many people like us saying the same thing and i really feel this may put a big damper on the whole launch. But has anyone seen any large promotion for this launch - Fido by my house in Mississaauga ON only has a small little desk stand saying coming soon. Like whats that all about

LOL - Maybe they are saying that well there are a few hundred thousand iPhone owners already in Canada what the hell right?

[gradient]

Like it or not, these rates are still a lot cheaper then what it costs to unofficially use an unlocked iPhone on the previously existing plans. Right now I'm paying Rogers $120/month for 450 minutes/unlimited weekends including the biggest non-blackberry data plan I could get which costs a whopping $65/month for only 50 MB!!!!

I could still save a few bucks by going with the new $100/month plan and get way more minutes and 20 times the amount of data I currently get.

I figure I will likely go with the $75/month plan, though and save myself at least $30/month (pays off the new phone in less then a year and after that it's money-in-pocket.

Now that's not to say that the rates aren't high - but it's still a lot better then what we currently have. Sad but true.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by gradient 

Like it or not, these rates are still a lot cheaper then what it costs to unofficially use an unlocked iPhone on the previously existing plans. Right now I'm paying Rogers $120/month for 450 minutes/unlimited weekends including the biggest non-blackberry data plan I could get which costs a whopping $65/month for only 50 MB!!!!

In that case you are getting ripped off, I haven't even paid that much for years.

[jokell82]

http://www.****yourogers.com/

Dunno if MacNN will let me post the link, but it's www.f*ckyourogers.com.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Ya those things always get results. Better off to call rogers and tell them in person.

I am calling them next week and telling them how disgusted I am by the pricing and I am considering switching to bell over it.

[Eug]

An average user might want the 2nd plan:

$75 for voice and data
$15 (or $7?) for Caller ID
$6.95 for System access fee
$0.50 for 911 emergency access fee

Total (depending on cost of Caller ID) would be $89.45 or $97.45.

----

Right now I pay:

$30 for 300 anytime minutes and 300 text messages, and Caller ID.
If I were to get a data plan with them it would be 300 MB for $30.
Add in the System access fee and 911 fee it's another $7.45.

Total: $67.45. ie. $22 to $30 cheaper per month, albeit less data. I also don't have unlimited evenings and weekends but it should be noted that the iPhone plan's evenings begin at 9 pm.

[ginoledesma]

Conveniently, if you want earlier evenings, you can pay $7/month to make evenings start at 6PM, or $9/month to make them start at 5PM.

[Wiskedjak]

Originally Posted by mkerr64 

How early do you think one will have to line up in front of the mall to ensure one gets it?

With those rates, I hope there are no line ups at all. Otherwise, we're telling Rogers (and Telus and Bell) that it's OK to continue screwing us.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by Wiskedjak 

With those rates, I hope there are no line ups at all. Otherwise, we're telling Rogers (and Telus and Bell) that it's OK to continue screwing us.

Ya me and about 10 people were all ready to get the 3G to replace our first iPhone model but with those rates we are ALL sticking to our old phones.

Those rates are for new subscribers though as they always get screwed, people like me and Eug who have been with Rogers/Fido for years will get a much better deal.

[aristotles]

Originally Posted by jokell82 

Wow, I'm certainly glad I don't live in Canada. These rates are insane.
Rogers announces iPhone 3G plans, unlimited data isn't one of them - Engadget

No unlimited data, and if I read the text below the plans correctly it appears that even Caller ID isn't included? Wow, just wow.

Given that the starter package is 60 bucks and the AT&T package is 75 bucks per month and that it only costs 15 bucks to add the add on pack or 5-7 bucks to add caller ID by itself, AT&T is more pricey.

Yeah, yeah I know that 400MB is not unlimited but unlimited is not unlimited either because they can cut you off if you consistently download gigs on your phone per month. Also, most iPhone users have reported that their monthly usage on AT&T is between 100-300MB per month. The 400MB package should be enough for push email, contacts, calendar, regular browsing, google maps and widgets.

Since WiFi hotspots provided by the wireless companies are included, customers should take advantage of them as much as possible for Youtube and other videos.

Rogers is serving a geographically sparse population and they cannot just serve the lower half of Canada because there are population centres spread throughout BC, Alberta and the prairie provinces.

The cellular network is stretched pretty thin and they have to not only accommodate their customers with decent quality of service but also serve roaming international clients coming to visit Canada. Voice comes first and data comes second in this sparsely populated northern country.

Also, everyone is calculating the 3 years versus 2 years or 1.5 years into the price of the phone. Uh, you need service for your phone anyway during those years regardless of whether it was in a contract. All the contracts do is give the cell providers some guarantee of future income that they can used to hedge against future upgrades of their network or other unforeseen costs.

I'm not happy about the pricing and I wish it was lower or the caps were higher but nothing is really unlimited. Giving hard caps help protect companies from being sued over wording by people who are not "average" users of the system. I also recognize that some bad apples who think they are entitled to everything ruin it for the rest of us because if it was not for the data hogs, there would be no need for hard caps.

Here is a scenario:
1. Say that there was an emergency situation and you needed to get through to your loved ones but because the provider did not take steps to throttle data through caps or traffic shaping, your call could not be completed because the network was saturated from a lot of people viewing stupid Youtube videos when an included Roger/Fido hotspot was only a couple blocks away.

How would you feel? You would be pretty cheesed off right?

2. Say that it is not personal emergency but say that you needed to do a quick search or pull up data from a central repository for a meeting you were in with prospective clients and WiFi was not available and you discovered that your connection was slow or the server was unreachable because a bunch of idiots were watching Youtube on 3G unlimited instead of using the WiFI spot down the street.

How would you feel? You would be really pissed off eh? You might even think of suing because your so-called "unlimited" turned out to be finite and unavailable when you needed it most.

Think of the big picture people. We are not bloody sue happy Americans so stop acting like them.

[aristotles]

Originally Posted by Kristianatiskin 

Serisouly i will even blow through the 2gb $115/mth plan that obviously is the only sutiable plan for a phone of this nature.

I seriously have to ask you this. What the hell are you doing that you would use more than 2GB per month on a phone? You do have a computer at home with internet access don't you? If so, wouldn't you either be using Wifi on your iPhone or your computer while at home instead of 3G?

If you are using more than 2GB on a phone per month, then you have your answer as to why unlimited plans do not exists. If everyone used as much as you with unlimited plans then the network would get saturated and the quality of service would be as crappy as shared internet access from Cable providers is in some areas when everyone on a node is on the net at the same time.
It's all "me, me me" with some of you people.

[lpkmckenna]

Frankly, it's time for the CRTC to start doing something constructive about this crap. I tend towards liberal-tarianism, but it seems that the CRTC does nothing in this country about blatant consumer abuse.

[mkerr64]

for all who disapprove the new Roger/ FiDo plans here

RuinedIphone.com | Screwing Canadian iPhone customers since 2008


PLEASE SIGN UP

[Eug]

Originally Posted by mkerr64 

for all who disapprove the new Roger/ FiDo plans here

RuinedIphone.com | Screwing Canadian iPhone customers since 2008


PLEASE SIGN UP

Heh. It would seem that is a PG-14 cleaned up version of the other one, which had let's just say a very "colourful" name.

However, I never sign those things, as they are a complete waste of bandwidth.

Originally Posted by ginoledesma 

Conveniently, if you want earlier evenings, you can pay $7/month to make evenings start at 6PM, or $9/month to make them start at 5PM.

Or you can join Fido. I think evenings start at 7 pm on Fido, but then you lose the free WiFi hotspots.

[Wiskedjak]

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna 

Frankly, it's time for the CRTC to start doing something constructive about this crap. I tend towards liberal-tarianism, but it seems that the CRTC does nothing in this country about blatant consumer abuse.

The CRTC doesn't exist to protect customers, it exists to protect Canadian businesses ... and it's doing a damn fine job in the case of protecting profits for Rogers and Telus.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by Wiskedjak 

The CRTC doesn't exist to protect customers, it exists to protect Canadian businesses ... and it's doing a damn fine job in the case of protecting profits for Rogers and Telus.

I guess this is what happens when the biggest GSM provider (Rogers) buys up the only other significant GSM provider (Fido) in the country. There is no competition for GSM in this country.

[lpkmckenna]

The CRTC should direct the wireless carriers to adopt a single standard. A small nation like this using multiple, incompatible standards is one of the reasons for lack of competition here.

[jokell82]

Originally Posted by aristotles 

Given that the starter package is 60 bucks and the AT&T package is 75 bucks per month and that it only costs 15 bucks to add the add on pack or 5-7 bucks to add caller ID by itself, AT&T is more pricey.

Yeah but with Rogers you only get 150 minutes. With that $75 on At&t you get 450 anytime minutes and unlimited mobile to mobile (and your $75 figure includes a $5/mo addon for text messages - the lowest plan is actually $70). The closest plan Rogers has to that is $100, and that's without caller id.

[aristotles]

Originally Posted by jokell82 

Yeah but with Rogers you only get 150 minutes. With that $75 on At&t you get 450 anytime minutes and unlimited mobile to mobile (and your $75 figure includes a $5/mo addon for text messages - the lowest plan is actually $70). The closest plan Rogers has to that is $100, and that's without caller id.

Long time customers are likely to be able to haggle to get things like Caller ID thrown in for free. You would be surprised what you can get if you haggle with sales people. I bought a Sony HDR-TG1 a few days ago and I got the Sony store rep to throw in 109 bucks of extended warranty for free.

I agree that they should have included more minutes and CallerID. Unfortunately, you are not going to get as cheap prices as even AT&T because of the small market and low population density.

PS. In case anyone is wonder, I am not an employee of Rogers but I am a current Rogers wireless subscriber with a crappy Rogers crippled Motorola Razor which I bought on a business trip when my Samsung slider ended up with a broken screen. My first cell provider was Telus mobility back in the days of the motorola brick phones and I was a pay as you go Fido customer prior to signing up with Rogers a few years back.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by aristotles 

Since WiFi hotspots provided by the wireless companies are included, customers should take advantage of them as much as possible for Youtube and other videos.

Gimmie a break, I have never seen ONE of either a Fido or Rogers Wifi hotspot and I am downtown and uptown every day. I am not going on a Wifi hunt to check my email or get directions.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

Gimmie a break, I have never seen ONE of either a Fido or Rogers Wifi hotspot and I am downtown and uptown every day. I am not going on a Wifi hunt to check my email or get directions.

Exactly. And if you're just gonna stick with WiFi, you're better off just using your 1st gen iPhone and pay $0 for data.

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna 

The CRTC should direct the wireless carriers to adopt a single standard. A small nation like this using multiple, incompatible standards is one of the reasons for lack of competition here.

I disagree. Canada can support having both CDMA and GSM (and their derivatives). Remember, we had two carriers for both... until Rogers bought up the other GSM carrier.

[Wiskedjak]

Originally Posted by Eug 

I disagree. Canada can support having both CDMA and GSM (and their derivatives). Remember, we had two carriers for both... until Rogers bought up the other GSM carrier.

And, they bought it because it was starting to become competitive. The sale should have been blocked.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by Eug 

Juvenile humour FTW.

YTMND - Rogers Wireless Stores On July 11th

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Rogers/Fido has also raised it maximum early cancelation cost from $250 to $400 so keep that in mind when you sign a 3 year contract.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by Eug 

I never sign those things, as they are a complete waste of bandwidth.

Well, maybe not. It's already made it onto CNN/Fortune.

FORTUNE: Apple 2.0 10,000 Canadians petition Steve Jobs for iPhone rate relief �

It’s taken more than a year for the iPhone to make its way across the world’s longest undefended border, which may help explain why so many Canadians are upset this weekend.

On Friday, Rogers Communications (RCI) — Canada’s largest mobile carrier and the only one with a contract to sell Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone north of that border — announced the details of its voice and data plans. They struck some would-be customers as unreasonably high and unnecessarily restrictive, especially when compared with those in the U.S. and the U.K., and thousands of angry Canadians have made their feelings known in various homegrown websites, including eh Mac, GeekCulture, blog.r4nt, and CBCnews.

But the largest and most pungent protest is the letter-writing campaign whose original name was unprintable, but which can now be found at ruinediphone.com. Its stated goal is to add 10,000 names to a letter to Steve Jobs by July 11, the date when the iPhone 3G goes on sale in Canada. By Sunday morning it had already gathered more than 10,400.

EDIT:

11000+ signatures now.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

Rogers/Fido has also raised it maximum early cancelation cost from $250 to $400 so keep that in mind when you sign a 3 year contract.

Hey, I consider it, if it meant I could keep the iPhone 3G, unlocked.

[Andy8]

Hong Kong is not doing much better.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by Eug 

Hey, I consider it, if it meant I could keep the iPhone 3G, unlocked.

Oh now you don't mind hacking and voiding your warranty eh?

[Eug]

Originally Posted by Andy8 

Hong Kong is not doing much better.

If that sucks by HK standards, it's still way better than the CAD pricing.

You get 500 MB data and 800 minutes, for <$34.50/mo USD, with a 2 year contract, and $223 for the upfront price for the iPhone.

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

Oh now you don't mind hacking and voiding your warranty eh?

No, I don't want a hacked iPhone. I'd pay full price for it legally unlocked though. ie. Just give me the iPhone for $599 and no contract and I'll pay it. Otherwise Rogers, you ain't getting a cent from me for the iPhone unless you give us better plans.

[aristotles]

Originally Posted by Eug 

Hey, I consider it, if it meant I could keep the iPhone 3G, unlocked.

But then what would be the point since you would have to use either Fido or Rogers anyway?

[analogue SPRINKLES]

All these online petitions and animated gifs are cute and all but we all need to actually do something about this if we expect results. Everyone here that is pissed off with these prices needs to call Rogers and speak to customer relations and let them know how disappointed we are.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by aristotles 

But then what would be the point since you would have to use either Fido or Rogers anyway?

I'd keep my current voice plan, and add data. The only problem is that their current data plans also suck.

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

All these online petitions and animated gifs are cute and all but we all need to actually do something about this if we expect results. Everyone here that is pissed off with these prices needs to call Rogers and speak to customer relations and let them know how disappointed we are.

MacNN | RuinediPhone petition against Rogers, alt data plans

Rogers sent out a notice informing customers that they are not limited to the pre-constructed iPhone data packages, and that users can sign up for a separate smartphone data plan. Rogers reminds users of its range, offering 300MB for $30 CAD, to $100 CAD for 6GB of transfer, as well as the $50 CAD Flex Rate plan. The company also points out that users can also select a-la-carte from its feature sets, such as Caller ID ($7 CAD)

Rogers Communications - Wireless, Digital Cable TV, Hi-Speed Internet, Home Phone

Sounds like an about-face to me, considering that several Rogers reps had already stated that existing voice plans wouldn't be accepted.

P.S. Here's another cute img for ya.

[nailr]

It would seem that there are a bunch of Doh! heads out there. You the consumers have the ultimate choice and power. Quit bitchin...boycott Rogers and don't buy the product if you are so concerned about the high price

[Eug]

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

The plans are offensive. Not because of the 400 megs data ( I will never go over 200) but because the **** minutes and more important text messaging. it doesn't even have call display unless you pay ANOTHER $15.

I am going to call them and tell them to shove it unless they give me a better plan.

I'm now considering adding the $30/300 MB plan to my $30 voice plan. Total $60 including 300 anytime minutes, 100 SMS, and Call Display.

The 300 MB is going to be a bit of a restriction though. No YouBoob, etc. I guess.

P.S. Do you turn off images for surfing? Are you on WiFi 75% of the time?

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by Eug 

The 300 MB is going to be a bit of a restriction though. No YouBoob, etc. I guess.

P.S. Do you turn off images for surfing? Are you on WiFi 75% of the time?

$30 for 300 megs isn't bad. You can't turn off images silly but unless you watch video's I seriously doubt that you will find 300 megs restrictive for only web surfing. Like I and other US iphone users have said the average seems to be only about 50 megs as it is used for email.

When do you expect to do all this web surfing since you got Wifi at home, work and all your friends houses? When you are in the park or on the bus' you don't ride?

But since you have been with Fido for 5+ years you could easily get them to give you 600 min for the same price you get now if you just ask.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

$30 for 300 megs isn't bad. You can't turn off images silly but unless you watch video's I seriously doubt that you will find 300 megs restrictive for only web surfing. Like I and other US iphone users have said the average seems to be only about 50 megs as it is used for email.

Well, it's 3G, and I already mentioned YouBoob. Mind you, given the vast majority of YouBoob isn't H.264, it would be that much harder to make use of it.


AT&T plans:





It's no surprise that they're way better than the Canadian plans. They're still not as good as the Asian/European plans, but amusingly an American news writer had this to say about it...

Things could be immensely worse: You could live in Canada, where Rogers Communications is offering an insultingly limited set of plans, starting at $60 Canadian for 150 weekday minutes and a measly 400 megabytes of data use -- no, that last number is not a typo. Canadian iPhone fans are as irate as you might expect.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by Eug 

Well, it's 3G, and I already mentioned YouBoob.

You really watch that much youtube? In the year that I have had the iphone I have only watched about 10 youtube video's and 8 were in range of Wifi.

[jokell82]

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

You really watch that much youtube? In the year that I have had the iphone I have only watched about 10 youtube video's and 8 were in range of Wifi.

Same. And I really only use it to pull up videos I've already seen for others that haven't.