So just don't buy an iPhone
by MaxPower
Apple Inc. will not be selling the hotly awaited iPhone in its six Canadian stores when it is released this Friday, leaving Rogers Communications Inc. and its Fido subsidiary to sell the device on their own."The iPhone 3G will be available in Canada from Rogers and Fido," said Simon Atkins, spokesperson for Apple. He declined to elaborate.
The Cupertino, Calif.-based company broke the news during a private conference call on Monday evening, according to AppleInsider.com. The website said Apple was "disgusted" with the rates Rogers is charging on the iPhone, which has prompted nearly 50,000 people to join a protest at ruinediphone.com. An Apple store manager last week confirmed to CBCNews.ca that staff were "very disappointed" by the cellphone company's rates and that Apple was keeping a tally of complaints.
The only way this budding revolt will get off the ground is to not buy an iPhone. There is no way mobile phone rates in Canada will change without big hitters swinging. Piss off Apple, maybe something will happen. Don't appeal to Jobs' goodness, by asking him to help, he doesn't have any say on the rates. But we can make him mad, so he takes it out on Rogers. Perhaps that is what we need. A big stick in the form of Apple. If this whole thing shakes out with Rogers slightly decreasing the contract length or terms it is a failure. It needs to reduce the overall price of wireless data services in Canada.
Oh an in other news Bell Mobility will begin charging customers 15 cents per incoming text message on Aug. 8. Telus Mobility is moving to the same billing practice effective Aug. 24. And given you can't control who sends you texts, I think this is just another brick in the wall of contempt for consumers which is being built by the Canadian telecom oligopoly. Ironically, Rogers is NOT going to charge for incoming text messages. Yay!
I think Bell, Telus and Rogers have passed the Banks as the number 1 target of my scorn.
Hat tip to Angry Robot for the top graphic.