The iPhone is coming to Canada...

youpi. You see my enthusiasm. :)

I was surprised when I've heard the announcement( CBC: Rogers says iPhone coming to Canada this year).

I haven't forgotten that Fido once carried the Sidekick (called Hiptop), which is the ancestor of the iPhone, and the very first thing that Rogers did when they bought Fido... they squashed the Sidekick and at the same time, they torpedo their low-cost unlimited internet access.

Rogers is carrying the competing Blackberry, and many many users have been complaining for years how Rogers was charging insane amount of money for the use of the Blackberry on their network.

Of course, if you use your Blackberry as a phone... it costs no more than a regular phone. But who is crazy enough to buy a Blackberry and to use it strictly as a phone?

During my travels in the US and in France, I was given the opportunity to play with the iPhone. The geek in me was shouting: I want one! I want one! Hehehe...

As a traveler, I carry... a cellphone, an MP3 player, a laptop. That's a lot. I'm also carrying their chargers and cables. That takes a lot of space in my luggage and they add some weights . So to have all these devices into one... oh, what a dream!

And traveling half a spin of the world, and many flights later... I don't want to have so many gizmos tied on my belt... and I also realize how an iPod-like gizmo is paramount. Music, music, music! :)

About the iPhone, In January I had a chance to play extensively with the French version. I love the way to navigate, using finger gestures. It's intuitive and easy.

I also love its web browser! I think it would be doable to surf the 'Net without my laptop. The big big drawback is what makes the Sidekick so desirable: The keyboard. On an iPhone, the keyboard is "painted" on the screen. On a Sidekick, you flip the screen and bingo, you have a *real* keyboard. That makes the difference. The drawback of the Sidekick is its clunky interface and a somewhat small screen (when compared to the iPhone).

So, I should be thrilled about an "all-in-one" device, and a device that is small, powerful and lightweight. So, why I am less than enthusiastic about the iPhone coming to Canada?

I suspect some foul plays from Rogers. Especially since they bought Fido a few years ago, they act like a monopoly.

First, the dataplan. Will they give *unlimited* internet access at a *reasonable* cost, like iPhone users around the world currently enjoy? After what they did to Sidekick users in Canada and the price they charge for their Blackberry? I want to see that.

(Beside I'm curious. I want to see what they'll do with their Blackberry line, in this context).

Secondly, there should be the next generation of iPhone coming in a few months. These phones will be 3G, meaning a lot faster internet connection than the current EDGE technology.

So what kind of iPhone we will have in Canada? The older slower iPhone that no one will want, or the new one? It's funny, knowing Rogers mhhh.... I've a good hunch at the outcome.

Beside the data plan, it remains to be seen how they'll price the iPhone. Our dollar is on a par with the US dollar. It will be tough to justify a huge price difference, but knowing Rogers, nothing would surprise me. :)

A colleague of mine was mentioning recently that Ottawa is about to allocate new frequencies for cellphone services, and apparently the Canadian government isn't too allergic to the idea to allow other operators to invade the Canadian market. Wow. I wish it's going to be true. Time will tell.

So would it mean the end of the current near-monopoly... and for that reason, Rogers finally has locked that exclusive deal with Apple... before someone else? Mhhh... I'm skeptical, but I like the theory.

Seeing is believing, so I prefer to wait... and see and then I'll believe... and get excited. :)

Cheers,

-E