Canadian iPhone situation. Since then, we’ve heard rumors, but certainly nothing that solidly indicates the arrival of the Apple phone north of the border. Even the recent Toronto Star article doesn’t have me convinced. MarketnewsGadgetTalk picked up the issue yesterday, and tried to add some perspective to the issue. I thought two points stood out above the rest. First is that the spectrum auction, slated to start next month, will bring another competitor into the Canadian landscape. As I mentioned six months ago, the Big Three — Telus, Rogers, and Bell — control well over 90 percent of the market, which could be aiding in the inflated data prices. A new national competitor could even the field. The second point is the BlackBerry/iPhone race. BlackBerry devices are pretty well established in Canada. With the rumored release of the 9000 series coming this summer, the lack of an iPhone could mean more people become more attached to the BlackBerry. It’s kind of an abstract thought, but one I think has at least a shred of validity. But really, it all boils down to data prices. There’s no sense in bringing the iPhone to Canada if there isn’t a reasonably priced all you can eat data plan. I actually know a few Canadians who have iPhones, and they keep EDGE off by default, and use WiFi whenever possible. In the end, though, we’re still left with no answers. And that, folks, is rather frustrating.]]>
Posted in Canadian Wireless