The iPhone 3GS continues to be unavailable in much of Canada, writes the Globe and Mail. Despite promises of continual shipments, Rogers says it is once again out of stock for the iPhone 3GS -- launched in June of this year -- and even the iPhone 3G, released in 2008. The carrier's sub-brand, Fido, is still said to have some 3G models in stock.
Canadian carrier Rogers has extended a number of key iPhone 3GS promotions -- originally set to expire today -- until September 15th, both under its own branding and that of Fido. A $500 subsidy is available to people who bought an iPhone 3G between July 11th and September 30th of last year, and also spend at least $100 per month. Eligible shoppers are penalized with a one-year contract extension.
Telus could leap on the iPhone almost as soon as it has a network ready to support the device, a rumor floated today suggests. A historically reliable source of leaks on Howard Forums claims a Telus executive has said the carrier will pick up rights for the iPhone almost immediately after its HSPA-based network goes live in October and could support the handset. As Telus doesn't have a GSM network, the iPhone would have to use the new 3G service for both calling and data.
(Update with extra leaks) The version of the iPhone 3G S bound for Canadian provider Rogers and its sister carrier Fido may cost disproportionately more for existing customers than it will in the US, according to claims made by Fido representatives. While the three-year pricing is technically lower priced than the US counterpart, Fido reportedly says the newer device will cost a minimum of $799 CAD non-contract for a 16GB model and $899 for a 32GB version, or significantly higher than the equivalent $567 and $680 prices in the US.
Canadian carrier Fido has posted information on its iPhone 3GS pricing and subscription options. As in the US the phone will be launching June 19th, with a 16GB phone costing $199, and a 32GB model $299, when either is combined with a three-year voice and data plan. Fido will also be offering the iPhone 3G for $99, when bought under the same terms. Contract-free pricing should be available, though figures are not yet ready.
Bell on Thursday said it had bought up the remaining stakes in Virgin Mobile Canada, taking complete control of the prepay-heavy carrier. The takeover is mutual and is labeled by Bell as part of its attempt to take the lead in the Canadian cellphone market. The Virgin label will continue to exist separate from Bell but will reportedly have streamlined operations, including a shared network and the ability to get the same phones as Bell.
Canadian carrier Fido, a subset of Rogers, has begun selling "refreshed" iPhone 3Gs, reports say. The phones were originally bought and returned within Fido's 15-day return window, reflecting conditions similar to various refurb discounts outside of Canada. The Fido phones are specifically not refurbished, however, having only received minor attention before being put back on sale.
An image that surfaced last week reveals the approximate release dates and pricing information for several handsets that are coming to Canadian wireless provider Fido, a subsidiary of Rogers. The Samsung F266 is due for a February 10th release, priced at $150 CAD contract-free, or $25 on a two-year term. Little is known about this handset, which would make its debut at Fido in North America. It has a camera, music playback capabilities, Bluetooth and an LCD screen with 176x240 resolution.
Canadian wireless provider Fido on Wednesday announced it is offering the BlackBerry Pearl 8100 smartphone from Research in Motion. Only available in black, the handset is being priced as low as $25 CAD on a three-year voice and data plan. The lowest-priced data plan is the $15-per-month unlimited Personal Email on BlackBerry.
While it is still unofficial, last week's rumors of Canadian wireless provider Fido, a sub-brand of Rogers, starting to offer BlackBerry handsets seem to be true as Fido staff has been trained on the RIM-made devices. As of February 4th, Fido will reportedly offer at least the BlackBerry Pearl 8100 to customers.
Rogers' sub-label Fido may carry BlackBerries after all, a new leak to BGR indicates. Multiple Fido staffers now say the provider is about to start training for sales and support this week and thus that a formal launch is a matter of weeks away. The tips also suggest the carrier will just begin service with now two years old, original Pearl 8100 and will likely omit the Pearl Flip 8220 for the initial debut, though this first model is discontinued and might both sell out quickly and require an OS upgrade.
An initial 2009 roadmap for phones at Canadian provider Rogers and its sub-label Fido has leaked and provided clues not only to devices coming to the West for the first time but a new BlackBerry device. A new Pearl Flip will represent a quick turnaround for RIM and will add HSPA-based 3G for faster Internet access; it will also be the first non-QWERTY phone from the company to have both GPS and Wi-Fi at the same time. The new Flip is due sometime in the first half of 2009 and will be available only through Rogers.
Rogers' plans for its BlackBerry lineup will include both an aggressive launch of the Curve 8900 and an expansion of the smartphones to its budget brand Fido, tips from BGR suggest. The Canadian provider should get the 2G-only but GPS and Wi-Fi equipped device in January and will reportedly price it substantially under the Bold, offering it at $150 on a three-year plan with both voice and data.
Canadian cell carrier Fido is poised for an overhaul that will change its role in the market, a claim by purported sources of the Financial Post says. Under this new strategy, the Rogers sub-brand would more closely compete with Telus' Koodo, Bell's Solo and Virgin Mobile with an emphasis on lower-cost plans and a wider selection of phones than today's selection, which is partly a subset of Rogers' own lineup. Among other changes, the controversial $7 System Access Fee would be dropped to reduce the practical monthly rate.
The end of September has brought an end to a Rogers/Fido iPhone offering of 6GB of data for $30 CAD, which is being replaced with two new subscription options. The revised plans are slightly different than rumored ones, and come at a cost of either $60 or $75 per month. On the $60 plan users will get 250 daytime minutes, 1GB of data, 75 sent text messages, Visual Voicemail, and unlimited evenings and weekends (9PM to 7AM on Rogers, 7PM to 8AM on Fido). Additionally, Fido customers get unlimited network calling and billing by the second.
Normally only known for its cellphone service, Fido today expanded its options to include the Novatel Ovation MC950D. The USB adapter gives the Canadian provider's notebook- and UMPC-borne subscribers full 3G Internet access over HSPA without needing a PC Card slot. On Fido's network, the device can download as quickly as 7.2Mbps in peak conditions; roaming with certain carriers in Europe and eventually in Canada can upload as quickly as 2.1Mbps.
(Updated with extra plan info) Rogers and its sub-brand Fido today made concessions to potential subscribers worried about low bandwidth by offering a limited-run promotional plan for the iPhone 3G. Customers who sign up for the Apple device before the end of August will have access to a $30 monthly plan that offers 6GB of data per month while purchased with any existing voice plan Rogers or Fido already offers. The pricing effectively gives an iPhone user enough bandwidth to watch nearly 105 hours of YouTube videos per month on the cellular connection, Rogers claims.
A soon-to-be concluded Canadian wireless auction is now likely to offer a new wireless service provider in the country, according to observations. More than $4.2 billion in bids have been made and are currently led by relative newcomer Globalive, which currently operates small-scale provider Yak Mobile but is now set to obtain 31 out of 292 regional licenses that will let the company operate a countrywide network for phones or data services on a future portion of wireless spectrum.
Apple Canada may be further punishing Rogers by refusing to sell the iPhone 3G at its own retail stores, according to an investigation by AppleInsider. A conference call purportedly held Monday evening will see Apple decline to sell iPhones at its own stores, instead showing them only as demo units. Customers will have no choice but to visit a Fido or Rogers store to buy the device, the report explains.
Canadian cell provider Rogers Wireless and its sub-brand Fido today listed their iPhone 3G plans, revealing the strategy for carrying the device in the country. All plans will need both voice and data and have finite data limits; unlike previous rumors, there will be no option for unlimited access with either service, though all will include Visual Voicemail as well as unlimited weekend and evening calling; incoming SMS messages are also unlimited, as is access to Rogers- and Fido-owned Wi-Fi hotspots.
Rogers Wireless and its sub-brand Fido will nearly match AT&T's pricing when they begin selling the iPhone 3G next month, according to a leaked data sheet said to have been sent out to employees of the two carriers. The sheet points to a standard personal account requiring a $30 data plan like that of AT&T that would provide unlimited access to at least the web, normal e-mail, and Visual Voicemail when linked to a phone plan that includes voice messages. Corporate users would likewise pay $45 per month for similar offerings plus access to work e-mail.
(Updated with device pricing) Apple today on its iPhone 3G for Canada site revealed that the new iPhone 3G will be available for both Fido and its parent company Rogers Wireless in the country. The news expands on the previous Rogers-only announcement and will let users of either service buy the phone when it becomes available in Canada on July 11th. Rogers says it will sell the phone at the same $199 (8GB) and $299 (16GB) prices as in the US, but will require a longer three-year contract common to providers in the territory.
Nokia's E71 today has received a review ahead of its official release date that suggests it may be the cellphone maker's best device yet. BGR notes that the QWERTY keyboard smartphone is more polished and slimmer than the E61i it replaces without sacrificing features; confirming earlier leaks, the device sports 3G for North American HSDPA networks as well as GPS and Wi-Fi. It also brings a large-capacity battery that lasts through more than a whole day despite "heavy" usage, according to informal tests.
Matching internal leaks published in March, Fido today kicked off the launch of its UNO calling service. The feature closely mirrors T-Mobile's HotSpot@Home in the US and lets users save on cellular plan minutes and improve indoor reception by calling when within range of a Wi-Fi hotspot. Fido's implementation is likewise based on UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) and automatically bridges to or from the regular GSM phone network to keep calls active as the phone user roams into or out of coverage.
Rogers may offer its own take on a Wi-Fi calling solution in the near future, say multiple tips sent to Crackberry. The service would be known as Rogers Home Calling Zone and would replicate many of the features found in services such as T-Mobile's HotSpot@Home; devices that support Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) would be used to offer unlimited calling from any Wi-Fi access point and could seamlessly bridge to the cellular phone network and back to avoid interrupting calls.
Novatel used the occasion of the CTIA show to upgrade its Ovation line with a pair of USB modems capable of 3G-grade Internet access in most parts of the world and on nearly any computer, including the MacBook Air. Both the MC990D and the North America-minded MC992D connect to the fastest HSPA networks in the world and download at up to 7.2Mbps while uploading at up to 5.76Mbps in peak conditions. The MC990D is tuned primarily for the 900MHz and 2100MHz bands used by Europe and most parts of the world, while the MC992D is more receptive for AT&T, Fido, and Rogers in North America.
Canadian cell provider Fido is set to follow in the steps of T-Mobile USA and launch a Wi-Fi calling service that can potentially be less expensive than traditional service, a leak on HowardForums says. Fido UNO will use the same Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) technology as T-Mobile's HotSpot@Home to immediately switch from GSM cellular to Internet calling when connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot. In Fido's version, any calls made to the customer's home area from Wi-Fi would be free on a base $15 monthly plan; a $20 monthly plan would extend this to include all of Canada.
T-Mobile's tentative steps to enter the Canadian market for cellphones may have been confirmed, according to a detailed tip sent to BGR. The carrier has reportedly received government approval to start its service in 2009 and would run at least a trial service until 2010 that would offer all the normal calling, data, and roaming services expected of most providers. It would also bring many of the phones used by its American cousin, including HTC-made devices such as the Shadow as well as the SideKick line.
Canadian carrier Fido has adopted two high-end smartphones, which are now on sale. The first is Samsung's BlackJack II, which like the version at Fido parent Rogers, has been simply renamed as the Jack. The phone features items like a QWERTY keyboard, a two megapixel camera and a built-in GPS receiver, with storage provided by 155MB of internal memory and external microSD cards. Its major highlight however may be support for Fido's burgeoning 3G service, which here allows 3.6Mbps HSDPA. The Jack costs as little as $225 CAD after a three-year contract, a data plan and a $100 rebate; contract-free, it can cost as much as $425.
