Apple has been in control of its destiny since the introduction of the first mac 40 years ago, this control has made sometimes things too difficult for them to adapt and deliver better priced products, but most of the time the same level of control has generated results better than expected, for example: the ipod only works with itunes, mac os x only runs on mac and the price for Apple products is driven by demand, not by the market.

With the iPhone 3G introduction and subsequent announcement for availability in different countries and markets, a new problem has emerged, carriers are setting different prices and offers that are totally out of Apple control.

Take for example: Rogers in Canada. Rogers will be offering voice and data plans ranging from $60 to $115 a month, check the price relations:

Phone 3G Voice & Data Packages

Plus, A $6.95 monthly System Access Fee (non-government fee), a monthly 50¢ 911 Emergency Access Fee (non-government fee) and a one-time $35 Activation Fee apply in addition to the monthly service fee. Local airtime over the allotted monthly minutes in the plan, long distance and roaming charges, any additional service options selected and applicable taxes are extra and are also billed monthly.
Source: Rogers.

This situation has revolted canadians that have created www.ruinediphone.com, a website dedicated to collect firms for a Formal Petition to Rogers and its Fido subsidiary for their abusive and unaffordable data plan for the iphone 3G, making things even more difficult is that Rogers it the only iphone reseller in Canada and that the new iPhone can’t be bought without a contract in the United States as in the past when you could buy your iphone from Apple Store and then jailbreak it for use in other countries.

The only company losing here is Apple if nobody buys the iphone, rival Instinct is gaining traction in Canada, being offered by Bell Canada with good features and a better priced voice plan for $40. Of course the Instinct is not an iPhone, but so far more than 33 thousand canadians have signed the www.ruinediphone.com petition and they could end up being 33 thousand new Bell Canada clients and not iphone users.

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