Customer Backlash on iPhone Rate Plans, Launch Approaches
As international pricing for the iPhone has been trickling out, customers in some countries are particularly unhappy about their rate plans for the upcoming iPhone launch.
Sweden's TeliaSonera rate plans, which started at 299 kr/month (~$50) for 100MB of data and a 199 kr/month (~$34) unlimited data add-on, were met with numerous complaints from their customers. In response, TeliaSonera is now offering the 199 kr/month ($34/month) unlimited add-on plan to any of their existing voice plans.
Potential Canadian iPhone customers have been particularly displeased with Rogers' iPhone rate plans announced 9 days ago. This resulted in an online petition attracting over 41,000 signatures. Rival Canadian carrier Bell Mobility appears to be taking advantage of the opportunity and will be offering the Samsung Instinct (an iPhone competitor) with a $10/month unlimited browser add-on data plan. The Samsung Instinct will be introduced in Canada on August 8th of this year.
Unconfirmed rumors suggest that Apple is displeased with Rogers and is reportedly diverting some of the Canadian iPhone stock to European launches.
Apple will be launching the iPhone 3G in 20 countries on July 11th. We'll provide ongoing coverage of the launch. MacRumors readers are organizing meetups around the world. One group has already started lining up at Apple's 5th Avenue store, but appear to be making a political statement rather than being particularly interested in the iPhone.
Sweden's TeliaSonera rate plans, which started at 299 kr/month (~$50) for 100MB of data and a 199 kr/month (~$34) unlimited data add-on, were met with numerous complaints from their customers. In response, TeliaSonera is now offering the 199 kr/month ($34/month) unlimited add-on plan to any of their existing voice plans.
Potential Canadian iPhone customers have been particularly displeased with Rogers' iPhone rate plans announced 9 days ago. This resulted in an online petition attracting over 41,000 signatures. Rival Canadian carrier Bell Mobility appears to be taking advantage of the opportunity and will be offering the Samsung Instinct (an iPhone competitor) with a $10/month unlimited browser add-on data plan. The Samsung Instinct will be introduced in Canada on August 8th of this year.
Unconfirmed rumors suggest that Apple is displeased with Rogers and is reportedly diverting some of the Canadian iPhone stock to European launches.
Apple will be launching the iPhone 3G in 20 countries on July 11th. We'll provide ongoing coverage of the launch. MacRumors readers are organizing meetups around the world. One group has already started lining up at Apple's 5th Avenue store, but appear to be making a political statement rather than being particularly interested in the iPhone.
Top Rated Comments
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47 months ago
Wasn't Apple supposed to be briefing their employees today with launch info?
What time are they launching?
What time are they launching?
47 months ago
Hell yea! i Would be pissed too! God bless america!
Not that I'm particularly happy with AT&T $30/mo when they have such lousy coverage in many areas.
47 months ago
Not that I'm particularly happy with AT&T $30/mo when they have such lousy coverage in many areas.
The coverage is fine in my area. It's not like I'm happy with the $10/mo. price bump either, but at least it's unlimited. I would be pissed if I had to worry about data overage charges. It's not like I can forsee how large a web page is.
47 months ago
Oh, how cell phone carriers want to be so much more than a dumb pipe...
These are just pipe dreams.
These are just pipe dreams.
47 months ago
AT&T's 3G plan pricing is financial rape. Not only did they raise the rate on the data portion unnecessarily, but they made texting an additional charge. This is exactly why monopolies are a bad thing. AT&T obviously knows it's the only game in town as far as the iphone is concerned, and they're not hesitating to stick the knife in and give it a little twist.
47 months ago
Not that I'm particularly happy with AT&T $30/mo when they have such lousy coverage in many areas.
Obviously it could be worse. :rolleyes:
47 months ago
I know in the US, the iPhone plans are the same as any other 3G device from AT&T.
Are some other countries charging extra for the iPhone, for the exact same plan that other 3G phones get for less from the same carrier?
THAT would make me mad!
I think it's wrong that AT&T makes 3G pricing mandatory, even if you live an a non-3G area where a cheaper EDGE-only plan would serve equally well.
But it's not about the iPhone: their restrictive practices and 3G plans were the same before the iPhone. The knife was in long ago, and hasn't gotten a new twist. In fact, some educated guesswork seems to indicate AT&T paying a larger chunk of your phone's purchase price than they have been used to paying in the past.
We wanted 3G... now we have it :o It's too bad AT&T is the only 3G carrier in the US that is fully compatible with other countries' systems. Apple didn't have anyone else to go to when it came time to go 3G, unless they wanted to make multiple phones for different carriers. (There's always that hope--even an EDGE-only phone might return, in theory. Don't hold your breath.)
Are some other countries charging extra for the iPhone, for the exact same plan that other 3G phones get for less from the same carrier?
THAT would make me mad!
AT&T obviously knows it's the only game in town as far as the iphone is concerned, and they're not hesitating to stick the knife in and give it a little twist.
I think it's wrong that AT&T makes 3G pricing mandatory, even if you live an a non-3G area where a cheaper EDGE-only plan would serve equally well.
But it's not about the iPhone: their restrictive practices and 3G plans were the same before the iPhone. The knife was in long ago, and hasn't gotten a new twist. In fact, some educated guesswork seems to indicate AT&T paying a larger chunk of your phone's purchase price than they have been used to paying in the past.
We wanted 3G... now we have it :o It's too bad AT&T is the only 3G carrier in the US that is fully compatible with other countries' systems. Apple didn't have anyone else to go to when it came time to go 3G, unless they wanted to make multiple phones for different carriers. (There's always that hope--even an EDGE-only phone might return, in theory. Don't hold your breath.)
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