OS X Leopard Due Out This Month? Canadian iPhone En Route As Well?

[Rob Williams]

From our front-page news:

I'm not a Mac user, but even I am finding the wait for OS X Leopard to be taking forever. Not surprisingly, rumors have been floating around for a while as to a potential release date, but as of now, rumor has it that October 26th could be the day. Apple has a history of releasing their OS updates on the last Friday of a given month, and it's unlikely that it will be pushed all the way to November, given the status of the latest betas.

Also referred via Gizmodo is another rumor (aren't they fun?), but this time for the iPhone and it's Canuck-boundedness. According to rumors, Canadians might see the iPhone available mid-October, which would still be far longer of an overall wait than I think most of us originally anticipated. Now, I'll admit that I might be able to believe the Leopard rumor, but this one is a little harder to swallow, as the apparent price for the Canuck iPhone would be $799. Yeah, right.

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Attention friends to the Great White North: the Apple iPhone is rumored to be coming your way by middle of this month. The leak is said to come from an insider at Canadian fashion specialty department store Holt Renfrew, and the 8GB GSM iPhone will reportedly sell for $799. If these rumors are true, and we have no reason to believe so, that'll be double the price of the iPhone in the U.S.!

Source: Gizmodo (Leopard), Gizmodo (Canada iPhone)
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[b1lk1]

More overpriced stuff from the iCamp.

 

[Rob Williams]

I can't see it being $799... that would be biggest mistake for Apple, ever. Considering the US version costs $399 and the Canadian dollar is worth more than the USD... it makes no sense that it would cost twice as much. If it were true, they'd be moving units very, very slowly.

 

[b1lk1]

Too many companies are continuing to rip us off like our dollar was still worth $.60. I sure hope they are not dumb enough to sell it at that price point, but I have a bad feeling it will be much more expensive here.

 

[Rob Williams]

Too many companies are continuing to rip us off like our dollar was still worth $.60.

I agree, it's bullshit. Even at the beginning of this year, the difference was 15%... and now it's in the Canadian's favor, yet we continue to pay these premiums. I still doubt we'll see a $799 iPhone... that's just asinine. Nobody is going to pay that, except the absolute die-hard Apple fans.

 

[b1lk1]

I agree, it's bullshit. Even at the beginning of this year, the difference was 15%... and now it's in the Canadian's favor, yet we continue to pay these premiums. I still doubt we'll see a $799 iPhone... that's just asinine. Nobody is going to pay that, except the absolute die-hard Apple fans.

*** cough *** Macman *** cough ***

 

[Rob Williams]

Hah, naw even MacMan I think would have enough sense to realize that $800 for an iPhone is just ridiculous. What's stopping Canadian buyers from ordering the iPhone from the US and just bringing it into a Rogers store in Canada? Not much of anything, unless somehow Apple is actually releasing different firmware in Canada to make sure people own the Canuck version.

 

[b1lk1]

I think the only thing so far is the voiding of the warranty for unlocked phones. Plus, the unlocking doesn't always go well and when you kill it you are out your money. I believe Rogers would not allow you to activate it illegally, but if all you need to do is add in your sim card then it would be simple. From alot of the reviews and critiques I have been reading online are stating that it is really not that special and more of a gimmick than anything. Maybe Canadians are just using their heads and realizing that it does not live up to the hype.

 

[Enigmachine]

Besides, why not buy US iPhones and just replace the firmware with Canuck firmware?

The whole thing seems even more insane to me because I usually shop for days for a good cell phone and so far I've always ended up buying the cheapest one (or the 50$ one with provider plans) because they are usually the most rugged, reliable or with the best antenna...

Why would anyone pay 20 times more to do the same thing; talk on a phone? Get a cheap PDA phone and you can do almost the same stuff; only the UI/experience won't be the same...

Anyway. If Apple does something this crazy, I will definitely mock Apple users till the day I die.

 

[b1lk1]

The problem is that when you are unlocking your phone, there is a decent chance you will make it a brick. Once you make it a brick, Apple will not help you out or replace it. Plus, this BS with locking it to a single provider is just wrong. For spending $400+ you get the privilege of being told who can give you service? I am a Rogers customer, but I still don't like being told I have to use them. I have no contracts on my current phones (and they are not pay per use) and will never sign a contract just to have a cell phone. I would expect Apple to gouge Canada $600+ on this little pile of garbage.

 

[Enigmachine]

I read a magazine article that says there are customer advocacy groups (in Canada at least) that are starting to make the claim that 'locked' phones are illegal - after all, you own the phone even if the phone company sold it to you at an important discount.

I hope they win their cause and we get to benefit. Wouldn't it be great if your phone could negociate the best rates with phone companies on the fly based on local cell availability, quality, etc. and then switch networks without you even noticing?