A blogger named Daniel Smith is claiming (with a number of sources) that Rogers, the Canadian iPhone distributor, is being punished by Apple in the most effective way possible. Their shipments for the 3G iPhone launch are being severely diminished and much of the stock that was supposed to go to them has been rerouted to Europe. Each Rogers store is now expecting to get only ten or twenty iPhones and has been told not to promise too much stock in the future to the lines of disappointed customers.
This is the result of Rogers’ refusal to offer unlimited data plans and, until recently, making users pay extra for regular features like caller ID. Neither Apple nor Rogers have made any public comment on this rumor, but the 42,000 signers of a petition against Rogers’ practices can’t have helped their relationship.
The diminished launch stocks may simply be a warning from Apple. It seems unlikely that Apple would prevent the iPhone from selling at all in Canada, so this is probably their way of ruining the launch-day fun for Rogers. If you’re so inclined, you might even see this as a tip of the hat to all of the disgruntled Canadians who signed the petition. Friday will be interesting in Canada.
[Via AppleInsider] [Image from Cellphones.ca]
![Glowing Apple logo mod for 2G iPhone [Video]](http://www.iphonefreak.com/wp-content/themes/freshnews/thumb.php?src=http://www.iphonefreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/iphone-apple-light-21.jpg&h=28&w=28&zc=1&q=80)
July 6th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Wow this is great news if it is somehow true. Sucks for the people that really wanted the phone in their hands on July 11th, but is good to screw Rogers and hopefully convince them to play nice or not play at all.
July 7th, 2008 at 9:08 am
I hope something will click with Rogers and maybe they will see what is going on with thier customers.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
This is good news !!!
July 10th, 2008 at 2:09 am
good news…. end of august there will be a $30/month plan that will give 6gigs of transfer a month….rogers used to have it for $100/month..
I guess the petition worked..
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080709.wgtiphone0709/BNStory/Technology/home?cid=al_gam_mostemail