Rogers Wireless

RIM begins rolling out new devices

Sue Marek — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:18:13 -0400

Research in Motion is beginning to rollout its highly anticipated new device lineup for the fall and analysts are already starting to question whether the company can deliver on its robust plans.

The BlackBerry Bold is expected to launch on Canadian operator Rogers Wireless today and will debut with AT&T in mid-September. The Bold is expected to sell in Canada for $399 with a three-year contract. Meanwhile, analysts believe that AT&T will subsidize the phone more than Rogers and offer it for $250 with a two-year contract.

RIM's other two devices--the touchscreen Thunder and the flip phone Kickstart are expected to hit the market in late September, according to analysts. RIM has never acknowledged the existence of the Thunder or the Kickstart but analysts say both products are ready to be introduced. Avian Securities analyst Matt Thornton says that all the new devices from RIM should bring an "onslaught of new customers." However, he also says that RIM needs to make sure they have enough quantities of the phones and they can deliver them on time.

For more:
- see this article

Related articles:
AT&T to launch 3G BlackBerry Bold
BlackBerry Bold launch delayed 'til August

Chronicling the humiliation and anger induced by the iPhone 3G

Lynnette Luna — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 17:51:13 -0400

With the iPhone 3G scheduled to land in consumers' hands nearly simultaneously around the world on Friday, it has been interesting to see the range of emotions, from anger to humiliation, the iconic device has induced since Apple's announcement of it last month.

3 Australia has been downright humiliated by the device, or one could argue that 3 humiliated itself. Its competitors Optus, Telstra and Vodafone will all launch the iPhone 3G later this month, while 3 was left out of the fray. Instead of touting its own strengths, however, 3 opted to point out to its customers that it doesn't have the one thing its customers want. In fact, 3 is appealing to its customers to petition Apple to allow it to distribute the iPhone 3G. To make itself feel even worse, 3 asked its customers to send their thoughts about 3 and the iPhone. It received about 3,500 messages. And Noel Hamill, director Sales, marketing and product with 3 reiterated on the company's website 3's efforts to get the iPhone 3G, but indicated that "for those of you who can't wait, I respect your call and thank you for being with 3 until now. I also hope you return at some point." What sort of marketing tactic do you suppose that is? The please-feel-sorry-for-us-and-don't-leave marketing tactic? Then again, the iPhone makes one do strange things, like waste one's life for a week to stand in line for one.

Meanwhile, Canadians are outraged over the Rogers Wireless 3G iPhone rate structure and are petitioning Apple CEO Steve Jobs over the deal. Some 30,000 Canadians have signed an open letter to Steve. Late last month, Rogers said that customers who purchase the 3G iPhone would have to sign a mandatory three-year contract and the company will cap data usage at 750 MB. Although both AT&T and Rogers offer calling, data and text messaging for $75 a month, Rogers at that price gives Canadians 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. That much hatred isn't likely to change Rogers' pricing practices, however, as it is the only operator in Canada that offers GSM/WCDMA, and hence, the only operator in Canada that will offer the iPhone 3G. And while Canadian consumers talk the good talk, you have to wonder if they can really stay away in droves from the iconic device. As I said, the iPhone makes one do strange things, like pay through the nose to an operator one professes to hate.

Of course, it's interesting to see the blatant dichotomy here. 3 is desperate and apologetic to its customers since it doesn't have the iPhone 3G while Rogers shrugs its shoulders and thumbs its nose at its customers because it's the only player in town with the device. And with a pan-European rollout (12 European markets are launching the device), operators there are actually stripping the iPhone of its current "elite" device status, notes Emma Mohr-McClune, principal analyst with Current Analysis. She notes that the new iPhone 3G will be treated to standard, mass-market pricing and promotion practices, including heavily subsidized devices and prepaid promotions.

Still, Mohr-McClune says such a move will make the iPhone 3G a greater threat in Europe--causing more humiliation and anger for all of those operators and handset players desperately trying to compete with the device. --Lynnette

iPhone: rumors and consumer rebellion

Sue Marek — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:42:50 -0400

Apple's 3G iPhone continues to drum up controversy and incite rumors. Here's a roundup of some of the latest tantalizing iPhone tidbits that are circulating:

* Will the 3G iPhone be distributed at retailers such as Best Buy and RadioShack? When the original iPhone was launched last year, consumers could only purchase it online or at AT&T company-owned stores or Apple stores. But rumors are circulating that the 3G iPhone may be available at both Best Buy and RadioShack stores. Story

* Canadians are outraged over the Rogers Wireless 3G iPhone rate structure and are petitioning Apple CEO Steve Jobs over the deal. On Friday, Rogers said that customers who purchase the 3G iPhone would have to sign a mandatory three-year contract and the company will cap data usage at 750 MB with high fees for users who go over their monthly limit. Story

* RBC Analyst Mike Abramsky says that there is "unprecedented demand" for the 3G iPhone. RBC's research indicates that 55 percent of those planning to buy a smartphone in the next 90 days will purchase an iPhone, up from 35 percent in March. Story

Related stories:
Report: 3G iPhone costs $173 to make
AT&T will subsidize 3G iPhone

Canadian spectrum auctions begin today

Sue Marek — Tue, 27 May 2008 10:49:40 -0400

Industry Canada is hoping to instigate more wireless competition in the Canadian market by auctioning off 40 megahertz of spectrum specifically intended for a new entrant to compete against established carriers Rogers Wireless, Telus and BCE Inc. The auction is expected to raise about $1.5 billion and will close by the end of June.

There are 23 companies participating in the auction, which begins today. Twenty of these firms are designated as new entrants. Possible spectrum winners include Shaw Communications, Manitoba Telecom Services, Quebecor, Globalive Communications Corp. and Data and Audio-Visual Enterprises.

For more:
- see this article

Related story:
Telus terminates Amp'd Mobile Canada deal. See this Telus story.

Rogers will sell HSPA version of HTC Shift

Sue Marek — Fri, 23 May 2008 10:39:42 -0400

Canadian operator Rogers Wireless will begin selling the HSPA version of the HTC Shift X9501 device. The Shift, known as a "data powerhouse" is available for $1,599.99 with a three-year contract and a minimum data plan of $50 per month.

The Shift is powered by Windows Vista and offers push email. The smartphone has multimedia capability and uses Windows Media Player 11 to give subscribers access to music, video and photos. It features a 7-inch touchscreen and a 40 gigabyte hard drive.

Rogers says that within three months it will offer a software upgrade to HTC Shift users that will provide TeleNav LBS capabilities.

For more:
- see this release

Related stories:
HTC launches Windows Mobile powered Diamond. See this HTC story.