Bell and Telus To Launch iPhone In November
As long as quasi-substantiated rumours are to be believed, anyways. The iPhone will be available from Bell and Telus in November, breaking a year plus exclusive deal with Rogers. November also marks the nation wide launch of the joint HSPA network from Bell and Telus, well ahead of the original schedule, which suggested it would be available around the time of the Olympics, and probably starting in Vancouver so the two telecom companies could take advantage of international roaming fees racked up by visitors from around the world.
It’s little surprise that the network will be ready, as both Bell and Telus have been working hard to get it off the ground. Over the past few months, mobile users in many Canadian cities have been seeing the early towers for the HSPA network appear on their phones.
According to a Globe and Mail article, there’s no official confirmation that the iPhone would be added to the lineup…
Neither Bell nor Telus would confirm that they would add the iPhone to their lineups. Apple also declined to comment. But people familiar with the matter said the two carriers would announce a working partnership with Apple as early as Tuesday or Wednesday and begin selling the device in time for the launch of their new network. [from the Globe and Mail]
Since there’s no official word, there’s also no idea what the pricing will be like, but if/when the iPhone appears on the other two carriers, it could lead to more competitive pricing across the board. From the perspective of all three of the Canadian telco giants, it will likely help stave of some of the bleed from newcomers who bought into the Canadian wireless spectrum auction.
UPDATE: Yep, it’s official for Bell at least. Bell is getting the iPhone starting November.
UPDATE REDUX: Telus is getting it too, though no date is specified on this form, so November can’t be confirmed.
this was an unsubstantiated rumour on ho-fo month ago – then the G&M posts this and everyone takes it as truth. hmmm it seems strange that apple would want to more carriers, but just reading ho-fo has more stuff to back this up. What I am more interested in is what other smartphones they will launch
It can’t be true then 😛
I gotta say I’m more interested in what other smartphones they’ll be getting as well. Though it’s got a mighty big screen (almost too big) that HTC Leo is looking pretty cool, and has all the hardware to support WM7 when it comes out.
Now it all comes down to price.
telus official page :
http://promotions.telus.com/registration/
hmm I was wrong – 3 iphone carriers in Canada – now EVERYONE and their brother will have that damn phone – even more reason for me NOT to get one 🙂
Touch HD2 (leo) or Omnia 2 here I come
That Leo certainly looks nice, but as far as I know it’s going to be non-North America, unless they make a separate model with the proper radios.
My bad… looks like slashgear has a story today saying that it will come (at least to US) in Q1 2010…
Hmmm…
http://www.slashgear.com/htc-hd2-gets-official-hands-on-video-0659275/
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