Yesterday official details were released by Apple Canada and Rogers Wireless, regarding the launch of the iPhone in Canada.
Canada, along with 22 other countries, will receive a simultaneous launch of the the new iPhone 3g.
Rogers was the only provider listed, but Fido’s name soon came up unofficially at the Apple Canada website.
Fido is owned by Rogers Communications.
While RIM’s Blackberry is the main player in the smartphone market, the release of the iPhone in Canada is expected to be a serious competitor.
“Rogers has a long history of bringing Canadians the very best in wireless services, networks and handset innovations. With iPhone 3G, we will provide our customers with an amazing mobile experience over Canada’s fastest wireless network,” said Rob Bruce, president,Rogers Wireless ( News - Alert).
Apple is hoping business people will embrace the iphone as well. The new phone offers push e-mail support with Microsoft Exchange, and support for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF and Jpeg file formats.
The 3G iPhone will operate on Rogers’ High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) wireless network, the fastest mobile network in Canada, announced Rogers.
“We’re excited to be working with Rogers to bring iPhone 3G to Canada. We can’t wait to get this revolutionary phone in the hands of even more people around the world,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s COO.
The $199 for the 8GB and $299 for the 16GB quoted will be for a three-year contract.
Details as to what the pricing will be for other plans and rates will be made available later.
According to Apple CEO Steve Jobs, the iPhone is expected to be available in 70 countries by the end of the year.