Rogers offering $20 for iPad add-on to existing iPhone customers?
The Apple Store for Canada is currently showing the above rates for iPad data plans, but before you get too excited, note a few things. First, Rogers' official iPad page does not yet show any rate plan information. Second, BoyGeniusReport updated their article on this to say that "Apple has removed all traces of the $20 plan from its website," but it is still available at the link shown. Rogers PR told BGR that the "the $20 plan was a mistake on Apple's part."
If this is true (and that's a big "if" at this point), iPhone users in the USA are going to look longingly at Rogers again. Rogers earlier announced that tethering was going to continue to be free for many customers. And now it looks like they might offer some sort of a bundle deal for iPhone users?
Hey, AT&T, are you listening? This is how you treat customers when you hope to keep them, not rest on your exclusivity for as long as possible. How about you get your act together and offer tethering at a reasonable price (Not that I would expect Verizon would treat iPhone customers any better.)?
Many people will point to the "5GB per month" limitation of the Rogers plan as a step down from AT&T's unlimited $30/month iPad plan. That's true, but I doubt many people who pay for unlimited will use more than 5GB.
UPDATE: I re-checked at 2:45pm and Apple's page no longer shows the $20, and Rogers' website now shows only the $15 and $35 options. Like AT&T, these plans do not require a contract, and come with free access to Rogers' Wi-Fi "Hot Spots."
[Via Clever Simon]
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The Apple Store for Canada is currently showing the above rates for iPad data plans, but before you get too excited, note a few things....
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Let's be clear, I don't mind pay for the administrative costs and paying for a new SIM card for a sharing my data plan with a new device. However, a resonable price would be more closer to $10 a month.
However, let's put some blame on Apple for not allowing USB/bluetooth tethering from an iPhone. I'm using MyWi which works okay but I'd like to have a more elegant option which doesn't drain my battery so quickly.
Maybe Rogers will announce the $20 plan when the iPad in released May 28th.
May 11 2010 at 12:38 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyThe amount of rogers wifi hotspots is embarrassing. So them being a part of iPad data plans is not much help at all.
May 10 2010 at 7:53 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyWorse in Australia...major carrier (Telstra) have the best network and charge like wounded bulls. Prepaid, per month - 1gb = $20, 3gb = $30, 6gb = $60. No contract, expires after 30 days. Comparatively (kind of), I have a 3G USB modem from an ISP here called Internode which is $39.95 a month for 6gb, no contract. Only problem is they run off the Optus network which is nowhere near as good in regional areas as Telstra's. And, add to that that we always get slugged on the price of Apple products...gonna be expensive. :(
May 10 2010 at 5:24 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyThat's an incredible rip off. Rogers already offers tethering as part of their service!
Yes, it is absolutely possible to tether your ipad to your iPhone as I do it all the time on the road. All it takes is a quick jailbreak and myfi. There's no way for Rogers to know or even care about this since it's all coming through one account.
Chalk up another reason the 3G model is just a cash grab.
Isn't the ATT unlimited plan technically 5GB a month as well?
May 10 2010 at 2:54 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyMy thoughts exactly. Rogers and AT&T both offer 5GB/month, but AT&T deceitfully lablels there's as "unlimited" because "surely no one will use that much in a month."
Kudos to Rogers for at least being honest.
There have been widespread reports of AT&T's iPad "unlimited" actually meaning "unlimited" and in fact one blogger even pushed 31GB through it in *two days*:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/195630/blogger_tests_limits_of_ipads_unlimited_plan.html
So, no, in this particular case I believe "unlimited" means unlimited, not "5GB" as it sometimes means, even from AT&T.
For 20 bucks they can stick this option "where the sun don't shine" (excuse the grammar).
Seriously, even if they revived this now defunct add-on, that's highway robbery at its best. I might accept it for $ 5. Otherwise, I'll pass. I'd rather just buy the non contract options when I need them. And that they're non-contract has been confirmed numerous times.
I think the biggest question here is ARE THESE RATES CONTRACT FREE!??! I mean, the paragraph states "A range of data plans are available and most don’t require a contract", but is that in relation to the Rogers or is that old-copy from the US site?
May 10 2010 at 2:23 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyAn extra $20 is a deal???
Why should existing customers have to pay an extra $20 for mobile data? The device shouldn't matter. It should be a personal data account and one should be able to share the data part of the plan between their iPhone, iPad and tethered MacBook, if they want to do so. Not this oh $20 add on for your iPad $30 add on to tether your MacBook road they seem to be heading for.
"Unlimited" home broadband, home phone, iphone voice + unlim data, ipad unlim data, etc. Some of which sit idle 23 hrs out of 24, because you can't use it all at once.
The page is still up on the Apple Canada site. I just navigated to it, and the $10 add on is there still.
May 10 2010 at 2:11 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyDeals of the Day
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