iPhone 3.0

Is it just me or does the rest of the world see through all the hype around the iPhone 3.0 release? So many promises yet nothing of any real substance to make the iPhone a "contender" in the enterprise space.

Oh sure, adopting Microsoft's ActiveSync was a smart move, but to take credit for "exposing some hidden features" like business policies is, uhm, blowing your own horn a little too much for my liking. The iPhone is still so far behind the BlackBerry, one doubts they will ever really catch up. There's no way the worlds most popular smartphone manufacturer is going to sit on their hands and watch while iPhone hypes up their second rate business phone.

Don't get me wrong, I like the changes the iPhone has brought to the market. But do any of you really consider "automatic software updates" to be a leap in technology? It's sounds really cool that they've sold 800,000 software applications, but aren't a lot of them only a few dollars? Unless you were one of the 7 or 9 idiots who bought the "I am rich" "application" for $1000 only to find out it was just a screen saver, you're not helping change the course of smartphone history. Besides, who'd really want to be remembered as one of the nine dumbest people on earth who would pay $1000 for a screen saver...while there are thousands of starving children that could really use a nice screen saver!

The only thing that iPhone 3.0 shows us is that with the right amount of hype, you can make people believe almost anything.

BlackBerry wins again!

NotifyLink v4.6 now released

Notify Technology has announced the release of their NotifyLink v4.6 server software. There are hundreds of new features and improvements abound in this new version.

Most dramatic among the updated changes are the enabling of the use of "Business Policies" to monitor and control mobile usage. Administrators will love this new set of features.

There is a huge list of improvements numbering in the hundreds. Contact Notify Technology for a full list including a 52 slide powerpoint presentation that highlights all the changes and upgrades.

Rogers quietly extends 6GB data plan for iPhone

That's right, industry spies tell us that although this plan has been removed from the product offering on the company website, customer's can still subscribe to the plan at their Rogers dealer.

Don't miss this opportunity Canadians! You already have the highest data rates in the entire world...even with this "great plan", so don't miss out on your chance to download all that data.

iPhone users tell me that surfing as much as possible with full image download, they were barely able to consume 250 MB of data. 6GB should take you a long way.

The five most popular phones in the US

RCR Wireless published an article indicating the five most popular phones being sold in the US.

1. Motorola Razr - The Razr still maintains “great mind share” among consumers who still find value in a voice-centric phone in a slim form factor, NPD's Ross Rubin said. The Razr generally sells for free at all the top carriers.
2. iPhone 3G - The iPhone 3G represents the touchscreen smartphone at its best: a browsing monster with a fun user interface that has alerted Americans to the possibilities of a mobile, desktop-like experience that has reshaped the market. The iPhone sells for around $200 at AT&T Mobility.
3. BlackBerry Curve - As for RIM, its success in transitioning from an enterprise-only approach to embracing more consumer-friendly designs and form factors, and its ubiquity among carriers, is well represented by the Curve, said NPD's Ross Rubin.The Curve sells for around $100 at most of the top carriers.
4. LG Chocolate - NPD's Ross Rubin attributed the success of the LG Chocolate — an exclusive at Verizon Wireless — in part to canny promotion from the carrier around the device’s music capabilities. The Chocolate sells at Verizon Wireless for around $130.
5. BlackBerry Pearl - RIM's successes in the consumer market are well represented by the Pearl.The Pearl sells for around $100 at most of the top carriers.

“The voice, browsing and music features represented on this list speak to the diversity of portfolios the carriers must maintain for a diverse consumer base,” said Ross Rubin, analyst with NPD Group.

Each one of the top-selling handsets says a little bit about Americans’ shifting preferences, too, according to Rubin. The Razr still maintains “great mind share” among consumers who still find value in a voice-centric phone in a slim form factor, Rubin said. But the once-premium handset has become emblematic of carriers’ popular offerings of inexpensive, often “free” handsets that entice subscribers.

The Razr V3, in one form or another, sells at all four of the top-tier U.S. carriers as well as many regional carriers and independent dealers. The downside, Rubin said: As the company spread the product far and wide, racking up enormous volumes, the Razr’s profit margin shrank, hurting Moto’s bottom line. Its presence at the top of the list — a position unchanged since NPD began tracking in 2005 — also is a reminder that Motorola continues to search for a follow-on handset platform.

The iPhone 3G, of course, represents the touchscreen smartphone at its best: a browsing monster with a fun user interface that has alerted Americans to the possibilities of a mobile, desktop-like experience that has reshaped the market. Rubin said that the 3G model’s pull on subscribers outside its perch at AT&T Mobility — some 30% of iPhone 3G buyers switched to AT&T Mobility from their original carrier to get the device, according to NPD — is actually less than the original iPhone’s pull.

“Verizon Wireless emerged unscathed upon the launch of the first iPhone (last year),” Rubin said, “but Verizon gave up more customers this time.” It may be those customers, Rubin speculated, that were louder in their complaints about 3G connectivity on AT&T Mobility’s less mature 3G network, due to a more mature performance on Verizon Wireless’ 3G network.

As for RIM, its success in transitioning from an enterprise-only approach to embracing more consumer-friendly designs and form factors, and its ubiquity among carriers, is well represented by the Curve and Pearl handsets, the analyst said.

Rubin attributed the success of the LG Chocolate — an exclusive at Verizon Wireless — in part to canny promotion from the carrier around the device’s music capabilities.

So, are Americans’ tastes really shifting and embracing these myriad features and forms? Or are carriers’ subsidies (and thus retail pricing) and marketing really driving the bus?

“Is it carrier push or consumer pull?” Rubin asked, rhetorically. “It’s a little of both. Put another way: Are devices changing or are consumers changing? It’s both.”

“It’s a little more consumer pull than carrier push,” the analyst added. “With the iPhone, you don’t have a wide array of network-based revenue streams that typically get pushed into high-end feature phones. The iPhone puts greater emphasis on browsing the Web — the most compelling aspect of the desktop experience. And that has opened consumers’ eyes to the possibilities.”

NL v4.5 has been certified against CGP v5.2.7.

Notify Technology Corp. (NTFY) of San Jose, CA, announced today that they have certified NotifyLink v4.5 against CommunigatePro v5.2.7.

This means users of CGP's latest version can be assured of full bi-directional synchronization of email, calendar, contacts and tasks when using NotifyLink for any BlackBerry, iPhone, Windows Mobile, Palm or Symbian 9.1s60r3 device.

Notify Technology’s Wireless Enterprise Solution To Support the Apple iPhone with Novell GroupWise

SAN JOSE, CA – August 14, 2008 – Notify Technology Corporation (OTC BB: NTFY), today announced that its NotifyLink Enterprise Edition for Novell GroupWise will now support the Apple iPhone 3G and all iPhones and iPod touch devices once upgraded with the new iPhone 2.0. The NotifyLink Enterprise Edition for Novell GroupWise will extend the enterprise functionality of the iPhone and iPod touch to include support for the wireless synchronization of Novell GroupWise email and PIM (calendar, personal address book, and global address book).

“We are excited to announce our NotifyLink Enterprise Edition now supports the new iPhone 3G and iPod touch. We are now able to offer Novell GroupWise enterprise, government, and educational customers with a push wireless email and PIM synchronization iPhone and iPod touch solution that will meet their needs,” said Paul DePond, President and Founder of Notify Technology. “Since the initial release of the iPhone last year, the GroupWise customer demand for supporting these devices with our NotifyLink Enterprise Edition has continued to escalate. GroupWise customers will be able to choose between our NotifyLink On-Premise or NotifyLink On-Demand versions for their specific environments.”

NotifyLink Enterprise Edition Versions for Novell GroupWise

The NotifyLink Enterprise Edition “On-Premise” version is ideal for organizations or enterprises who want to maintain and support their wireless email and PIM synchronization on site whereas the NotifyLink Enterprise Edition “On-Demand” version is hosted by Notify and designed for organizations or enterprises of all sizes wanting to avoid the maintenance and support of an “On-Premise” solution and still deploy any number of wireless devices.

Availability and More Information

The NotifyLink Enterprise Edition supporting the iPhone and iPod touch is now available. Notify is offering weekly Webinars on the NotifyLink iPhone and iPod touch solution. For more information please contact Notify directly at (408) 777-7930 or send an email to sales@notifycorp.com or visit our website at http://www.notifycorp.com/.

About Notify Technology Corporation

Founded in 1994, Notify Technology Corporation, (OTC BB: NTFY) is an independent software vendor (ISV) specializing in wireless solutions and services. Notify’s wireless solutions and services provide secure synchronized email and PIM access and management to any size organization or business on a variety of wireless 2-way devices and networks. Notify sells its wireless products directly and through authorized resellers internationally. Notify is an official Apple iPhone Development Partner, BlackBerry Alliance Member, Symbian Alliance Member, and Palm Select Partner. The Company is headquartered in San Jose, California.

Google Apps

NotifyLink has been tested by end-users who have verified that this excellent smartphone application supports plain old Gmail and the Google calendar and contacts!

Who are "The FIVE"?

Are you as curious as I am about who the "Rich Five" might be? Who can afford $1000 for a screen saver?

Other questions that are starting to burn:

Will the Five sell their exclusive application?
Will Armin find another way to sell his screen saver?
How much more is the application worth, now that only 6 people on the planet own it?
Will one of the "The Five" sell their app on eBay?
Will they sell their iPhone along with the installed "I am Rich" application?
What would the app be "worth" if millions could acquire it?
What if YOU were the only person on the planet to own the app, would you sell it to make a buck?
Is Apple right to crush "freedom of choice"?
Will Apple become BIG BROTHER and control other apps or content of the iPhone?
Will "The Five" leverage their unique opportunity?

Sucker born every minute or too much money?

You'll need to decide for yourself, but there is a controversy brewing over Apples control of their iTunes store.

The web is awash with references to the article hyperlinked to the title. It is about 5 users who paid $999.99 to purchase the "I am Rich" application for their iPhone, that makes the screen show a picture of a glowing garnet.

This application was "worth" the price of admission for at least five iPhone users, before Apple pulled the plug on the smart and industrious German developer Armin Heinrich. There was no misrepresentation what so ever and the description of the product matched its functionality exactly...so what's the problem?

The problem is that far too many people have become used to doing incredibly stupid things, then whine and complain to whom ever will listen, to bail them out of the results of their own stupidy (or personal purchase decision). The "government" usually picks up most of the tab for most people's stupidity...and then makes laws to govern at the lowest common denominator. We are slowy "dumbing down" society by pandering to the bottom rungs of the food chain. Laws are always made to "govern" the most stupid and irresponsible among us. Do people need a law against stealing to remind them that it is wrong? Apparently they do...and the list grows every year. Intelligent people don't steal (truely intelligent people) and it isn't because some line of text in a judges book of rules, tells them so. NO, these laws are soley there to control and manage the stupid people who can't figure out the simple "rules" of life.

Anyway, all my ranting aside, take a look at the article and make up your own mind.

We say, who are Apple to decide what is fair when it comes to a private developers application pricing strategy? Think about all the other ways a strategy like that would harm the way anybody does business in a free market economy.

SHAME on Apple for trying to regulate against freedom of choice.

Here is Armins ad on iTunes:













Here's what people are saying:

Apple sells a million iPhones in a week

Wow...isn't that something? NO...not really. Nokia sells 120 million phones a year and Samsung sells over a million units a week.

HO Hum....nothing like a bunch of over-rated hype to get consumers to pay too much for an under performing device with a weak GPS signal and poor battery life.

Notify Technology makes important press release on iPhone 3G support

Notify Technology’s Wireless Enterprise Solution To Support the Apple iPhone

NotifyLink solution will extend enterprise wireless synchronization to 12 additional email suites using Apple’s new iPhone 3G and any iPhone or iPod touch upgraded with the new iPhone 2.0 software

SAN JOSE, CA – July 11, 2008 – Notify Technology Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: NTFY), today announced that its NotifyLink Enterprise Edition will now support the Apple iPhone 3G and all iPhones and iPod touch devices once upgraded with the new iPhone 2.0 software. With the iPhone 2.0 upgrade for the iPhone and iPod touch, Apple is only providing enterprise wireless email and PIM synchronization support for Microsoft Exchange users. The NotifyLink Enterprise Edition will extend the enterprise functionality of the iPhone and iPod touch to include support for the wireless synchronization of email and PIM (calendar, personal address book, and global address book) to an additional 12 email suites. The NotifyLink support for the iPhone and iPod touch will include all supported email suites listed on Notify’s website at www.notifycorp.com. In the coming weeks, Notify will make separate joint announcements with many of its email suite partners regarding support for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch...

You can find all the details in the press release on the NotifyLink website.

F-R-I-D-A-Y is the day for iPhone

NotifyLink for Google Apps Premier Edition

Yes, it's true! Insiders at Notify Technology advise us that Notify Technology (NTFY) is releasing their client for Google Apps!

You can now enjoy full bi-directional synchronisation on your device of choice while enjoying the benefits of Google Apps.

There is an official press release being prepared this week for release on July 16!

Prices are rumored to be in the $120 per user per year range.

Newer, Faster, Cheaper iPhone 3G

Software and Online Store Will Widen Its Versatility, But There Are Hidden Costs

July 8, 2008
by Walter S. Mossberg
Apple Inc.’s iPhone has been the world’s most influential smart phone since its debut a year ago, widely hailed for its beauty and functionality. It was a true hand-held computer that raised the bar for all its competitors. But that first iPhone had two big drawbacks: It was expensive, and it couldn’t access the fastest cellular-phone networks.



On Friday, Apple (AAPL) is launching a second-generation iPhone, called the iPhone 3G, which addresses both of those problems, while retaining the look and feel of the first model’s hardware and software.

The base version of the new iPhone costs $199 — half the $399 price of its predecessor; the higher-capacity version is now $299, down from $499. Yet, this new iPhone is much, much faster at fetching data over cellphone networks because it uses a speedy cellular technology called 3G. And it now sports a GPS chip for better location sensing.

The company also is rolling out the second generation of its iPhone operating system, with some nice new features, including wireless synchronization with corporate email, calendars and address books. And there’s a new online store for third-party iPhone programs that Apple hopes will make the device usable for a wider variety of tasks, including gaming and productivity applications. This new software and store will also be available on older iPhones, through a free upgrade.

I’ve been testing the iPhone 3G for a couple of weeks, and have found that it mostly keeps its promises. In particular, I found that doing email and surfing the Internet typically was between three and five times as fast using AT&T’s 3G network as it was with the older AT&T network to which the first iPhone was limited.

Apple’s new iPhone operating system includes an ‘App store,’ where you can browse for, and download, third-party software.The iPhone 3G is hardly the first phone to run on 3G networks, and it still costs more than some of its competitors. But overall, I found it to be a more capable version of an already excellent device. And now that it’s open to third-party programs, the iPhone has a chance to become a true computing platform with wide versatility.

There are two big hidden costs to the new iPhone’s faster speed and lower price tag. First, in my tests, the iPhone 3G’s battery was drained much more quickly in a typical day of use than the battery on the original iPhone, due to the higher power demands of 3G networks. This is an especially significant problem because, unlike most other smart phones, the iPhone has a sealed battery that can’t be replaced with a spare.

Second, Apple’s exclusive carrier in the U.S., AT&T Inc. (AT&T), has effectively negated the iPhone’s up-front price cut by jacking up its monthly fee for unlimited data use by $10. Over the course of the two-year contract you must sign to get the lower hardware prices, that adds $240, overwhelming the $200 savings on the phone itself. If you want text messaging, the cost rises further. With the first iPhone, 200 text messages a month came free. Now, 200 messages will cost $5 a month, or another $120 over the two-year contract.

The iPhone 3G still has a couple of features that made the first version unpalatable to some potential buyers. It uses a virtual on-screen keyboard instead of a physical one. While I find the virtual keyboard easy and accurate, not everyone does. Also, in the U.S. and in many other countries, the iPhone is still tied to a single exclusive carrier, whose coverage or rate plans may be unacceptable to some.

Here is a rundown of the changes in the new model.

Design: The new iPhone looks almost exactly like the old one. It is the same length and width, has the same big, vivid screen, and has the same number and layout of buttons. The main difference is the back, which is now plastic instead of mostly metal and curved instead of flat. It’s very slightly thicker in the middle, with tapered edges, and weighs a tiny bit less.

The new iPhone 3G (left) delivers much higher Internet download speeds over cellular networks than the original iPhone (right).
Like its predecessor, the iPhone 3G comes in two models distinguished only by storage capacity: 8 gigabytes and 16 gigabytes. The top model is available in black or white.

Apple has greatly improved the audio on the new iPhone. I found the speaker was much louder, for music and for the speakerphone. But the new phone produced an echo when used with the built-in Bluetooth system in my car. Also, the headphone jack is now flush with the case instead of recessed as on the first model, so it can accept any standard stereo earphones.

The camera, however, is still bare-bones. It can’t record video and has a resolution of just two megapixels. The power adapter is now tiny, at least in the U.S., but Apple no longer includes a dock for charging, just a cable.

Software: The basic software is similar. The biggest addition for some users will be full compatibility with Microsoft’s (MSFT) widely used Exchange ActiveSync service, which many corporations use. In my tests, I was able to connect the iPhone 3G to my company’s Exchange servers in a few minutes, and my corporate email, calendar and contacts were replicated on the phone. Any changes I made on the iPhone were reflected almost instantly in Microsoft Outlook on my company PC, and vice versa. Email was pushed to the phone as soon as it was received on the company’s servers.

One drawback: While you can have both personal and Exchange email accounts on the new iPhone, if you synchronize with Exchange calendars and contacts, your personal calendar and contacts are erased.

The new iPhone and upgraded older iPhones also will be able to use a new Apple consumer service, MobileMe, which offers synchronized push email, calendars, photos and contacts.

There are other improvements. You can now delete multiple emails at once, set parental controls and search your contacts. You can also save photos in emails or from Web sites. You can also now open Microsoft PowerPoint files sent as attachments, though I found in my tests that opening larger PowerPoint files crashed the phone.

Some software features missing from the first iPhone are still AWOL on the new one. There’s no copy and paste function, no universal search, no instant messaging and no MMS for sending photos quickly between phones.

Network: Like the old iPhone, the new one can perform Internet tasks using either Wi-Fi wireless networking or the cellphone networks. But the addition of 3G cellular capability makes the new model more useful for Web surfing, email and other data tasks when you’re not in Wi-Fi range. In my tests, in Washington and New York, I got data speeds mostly ranging between 200 and 500 kilobits per second. By comparison, the original iPhone, tested in the same spots at the same time, mostly got cellular data speeds between 70 and 150 kbps on AT&T’s old EDGE network. The new iPhone typically was between three and five times as fast as the old one.

While AT&T now has 3G networks in 280 U.S. cities, and aims to be in 350 by year end, it is converting its cellphone towers gradually, so not all areas of included cities have 3G coverage. The new iPhone falls back to EDGE speeds when 3G isn’t present.

One side benefit to 3G is that in some areas, voice coverage improves. At my neighborhood shopping center, where the first iPhone got little or no AT&T service, the iPhone 3G registered strong coverage. But I still found that calls regularly broke up on some major streets. In New York City, riding in a taxi along the Hudson, one important call was dropped three times on the new iPhone. Finally, I borrowed a cheap Verizon (VZ) phone and got perfect reception.

Battery life: Apple claims that over 3G, the new iPhone can get five hours of talk time, or five hours of Internet use. Talk time is twice as long on the older EDGE network, and Internet time is an hour better with Wi-Fi.

I ran my own battery tests using the phone’s 3G capability. Although I left the Wi-Fi function on, I didn’t connect it to a network, so the phone had to rely on 3G. In my test of voice calling, I got 4 hours and 27 minutes, short of Apple’s maximum claim and nearly three hours less than what I recorded in the same test last year on the original iPhone. In my test of Internet use over 3G, I got 5 hours and 49 minutes, better than Apple’s claim, but far short of the nine hours I got using Wi-Fi in last year’s tests.

More important, in daily use, I found the battery indicator on the new 3G model slipping below 20% by early afternoon or midafternoon on some days, and it entirely ran out of juice on one day. I overcame this problem by learning to use Wi-Fi instead of 3G whenever possible, turning down the screen brightness and even turning off 3G altogether, which the phone permits.

The iPhone 3G’s battery life is comparable to, or better than, that of some other 3G competitors. But they have replaceable batteries. The iPhone doesn’t.

Third-party software: If things go as Apple hopes, third-party software could be the biggest attraction to the new iPhone 3G, and to upgraded older iPhones. By some estimates, there will be hundreds of these programs, some free and some paid, almost immediately.

Apple didn’t supply me with programs for testing, but I managed to try several on older devices upgraded to the new operating system. I tested a game that used the phone’s motion sensors to control the action, and I tested several programs from America Online (TWX), including AOL Instant Messenger; AOL Radio, which streams music from the Internet; and AOL’s Truveo video search engine. All worked very well.

Among the programs Apple has publicly previewed were a sales automation program from Salesforce.com, a game called Super Monkey Ball from Sega and a program for bidding on eBay (EBAY). Also made public were a news reader from the Associated Press, a program for following live games from Major League Baseball and several programs for doctors, including the Epocrates drug reference.

Bottom line: If you’ve been waiting to buy an iPhone until it dropped in price, or ran on faster cell networks, you might want to take the plunge, if you can live with the higher service costs and the weaker battery life. The same goes for those with existing iPhones who love the device but crave faster cellular data speeds. But if you already own an iPhone, and can usually use Wi-Fi for data, you probably should hold off and get the free software upgrade before deciding whether it’s worth getting the new hardware.

iPhone 3G — Twice as Fast. Half The Battery Life.

Just as Jun. 26, 2007 was likely your last chance to buy shares of Apple for less than $120, July 8, 2008 may well have been your last chance to buy them for under $170. A trio of iPhone 3G reviews went to press yesterday evening, and all are largely positive. There are some caveats though: battery life is disappointing (4 hours and 27 minutes of talk time? The first iteration of the device provided up to eight hours), as is lack of video and voice capture. And the device’s GPS receiver is apparently too weak to support turn-by-turn navigation. Oh, and you’ll likely need an adapter to use first gen iPhone accessories.

If you’ve been waiting to buy an iPhone until it dropped in price, or ran on faster cell networks, you might want to take the plunge, if you can live with the higher service costs and the weaker battery life. The same goes for those with existing iPhones who love the device but crave faster cellular data speeds. But if you already own an iPhone, and can usually use Wi-Fi for data, you probably should hold off and get the free software upgrade before deciding whether it’s worth getting the new hardware.”

– Walt Mossberg, The Wall Street Journal

So the iPhone 3G is a nice upgrade. It more than keeps pace with advancing technology, and new buyers will generally be delighted….But it’s not so much better that it turns all those original iPhones into has-beens. Indeed, the really big deal is the iPhone 2.0 software and the App Store, neither of which requires buying a new iPhone. That twist may come as a refreshing surprise to planned-obsolescence conspiracy theorists — and everyone who stood in line last year.

– David Pogue, The New York Times

The iPhone 3G … is worth the wait….It’s cheaper, faster and a lot friendlier for business. Apple’s blockbuster smartphone already had nifty features such as visual voicemail, a splendid built-in video iPod and the best mobile Web browser I’ve ever used. With GPS newly added to the mix, this handheld marvel has no equal among consumer-oriented smartphones.”

– Edward C. Baig, USA Today

Get ready for a wave of interest in iPhone 3G

Headlines like these are becoming more common as the iPhone 3G is introduced around the world. UK customers can hardly wait to get their hands on the new phone through O2.

Full story here:

Significant Improvements in iPhone 3G

The new iPhone 3G is a significant improvement in both hardware and software. Physically, it's thinner and rounder at the edges, While the durable glass front remains, the brushed aluminum back has been replaced with a plastic housing much more comfortable to grip. And the headphone jack is actually now flush so you can use any headset. Inside, Apple has added GPS in addition to its location based capabilities as well as 3G allowing for significantly faster access than the current EDGE technology with speeds approaching that of Wi-Fi or as Jobs calls it, amazingly zippy. Battery life has also been enhanced.

The software, dubbed iPhone 2.0 Software, provides new features and addresses many of the naysayers concerns. To appease the Enterprise users, it will offer, wirelessly, out of the box, full Microsoft Exchange support using ActiveSync allowing for Push e-mail, Push Contacts, Calendar, auto discovery of the Exchange servers and global address lookup. It will also offer Cisco secure VPN (Virtual Private Networks) as well as many other security support features. And if you lose your iPhone, it can be remotely wiped.

iPhone can do almost anything!

There are reports that the iPhone has built-in functionality that is not being exposed to "non-developers". Witness the evolution of the cell-phone in these images:

Rogers unannounced iPhone rates causing uproar in Canada

iPhone love it or hate it...is causing a ruckus in Canada. There is even a petition being circulated, demanding that Rogers offer an unlimited data plan "like AT and T in the US".

No one knows for sure what Rogers will charge for data plans for the sleek new device. A company spokesperson quoted in the Edmonton Sun, stated that Rogers has not yet released any pricing and any speculation is premature. She went on to indicate that Rogers customer's will have complete freedom to adjust their plans to meet their needs... OK...I need a free unlimited data plan! Accomodate that!

Talk about a subsidy...how do I get one?

Cnet news.com writer Tom Krazit reports that AT and T is paying Apple $325 per iPhone 3G! Yair Reiner that claims Apple will wind up getting just as much revenue from the subsidies as it did from the revenue-sharing agreement between Apple and AT and T that was in place before the introduction of the iPhone 3G last week.




The actual price of the iPhone doesn't matter to most people, but certain AT and T customers who might not be eligible for the upgrade price of $199 or $299 will likely have to pay the unsubsidized price--or something close to it-- for the iPhone 3G. Current iPhone owners are eligible for the $199 price, as are new AT and T customers, but some AT and T customers who use another smartphone and have been with the carrier for a short time might have to pay the higher price.
And it matters to AT and T, obviously. The company raised the price of its iPhone data plans by $10 a month to offset the subsidies it's paying to Apple. AT and T is throwing an awful lot of cash at Apple from the start, rather than on an ongoing basis as was the case with the revenue-sharing agreement. Still, the heavy subsidies will be worth it if iPhone 3Gs start flying off the shelves on July 11.