iPhone Coming To Canada

It’s the news technology buffs and Apple fans north of the border have been waiting a long time to hear.

On Tuesday Rogers announced that it will be bringing the highly popular high-tech iPhone to Canada.

“We’re thrilled to announce that we have a deal with Apple to bring the iPhone to Canada … later this year,” president and chief executive Ted Rogers said in a release.
  
“We can’t tell you any more about it right now, but stay tuned.” Rogers said he was prevented contractually from going beyond that, meaning no arrival date was leaked.

Since the gadget was released in the U.S. last June Canadians have been streaming across the border to buy one, even though it wasn’t offered by any cell phone providers in Canada and wouldn’t really work here.

“It’s one of those phones that even if you’re not really doing anything with it you have to have it in your hand because it just doesn’t get old,” boasted Chrissy Dimain, one Toronto woman who was an early iPhone owner. “Touchscreen is the coolest feature about it.”

Users can make calls and perform other functions on the iPhone simply by tapping the touchscreen and it automatically syncs contacts, photos, and music from a Windows PC, Mac or Internet service.

Rogers is currently the only provider in Canada that has the networks capable of handling the iPhone. The new toy’s arrival, whenever it comes, could spell major competition for Research In Motion’s popular Blackberry handsets.

The company more than doubled its first quarter profits this year, but the company is also bracing for possible economic slowdowns in Canada in response to fiscal problems south of the border, which could mean many people won’t have hundreds of dollars to spend on pricey gadgets.

An 8GB model sells for $399 (US) and a 16GB device goes for $499 (US). There’s still no word on how much iPhones will sell for here in Canada.

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Some of the features of the iPhone:

The Phone:

• Make calls by tapping name or number on touchscreen
• Most frequently called numbers can be compiled into favourites lists
• You can listen to voicemail messages in any order you choose
• You can use songs from iTunes to create ringtones

iPod:

• Widescreen – 3.5-inch display to watch videos, movies, tv shows
• You can sync content from iTunes

Web:

• Features rich HTML email and Safari browser
• Syncs bookmarks from your PC or Mac
• You can make a phone call while sending an email or surfing the web
• iPhone Maps finds your location using cell tower information and WiFi networks

Other Tech Features:

• Accelerometer which detects when you rotate the phone from portrait to landscape and then adjusts the display accordingly