It must be Canada day. This will be the third CrackBerry.com post in a row for our Canadian readers. Two big things here...
- our buds at BBCool put together a couple of sweet charts comparing the least and most expensive data/voice plans for the the iPhone 3G and BlackBerry, based on the most recently announced BlackBerry data plans and iPhone 3G value packs. Check it out after the jump. Don't ya just love the image above (originally from Slate Magazine)? But the BB doesn't actually need a knife - we know he can knock the iPhone out in GSP rush-like style.
- Keep in mind the iPhone 3G is hitting Rogers on July 11th and the BlackBerry Bold should be released to customers on the 25th
- it seems the recently released iPhone 3G pricing has scared a lot of people. The petition site RuinediPhone.com (formerly FRAKyourogers.com) seems to now be blocked from visitors (it gained over 20,000 signatures very quickly) and Rogers has gone into full blown PR panic mode. A few hours ago I received an email sent on behalf of Rogers clarifying the iPhone pricing story (also read that after the jump). Basically the iPhone plans we have seen will not be the only options available to new iPhone customers; rather, they are value plans for those who intend to reallly use the device. There will be cheaper alternative options available (keep this in mind when you check out the comparison chart).
Check it all out after the jump. And if you're one of the many non-smartphone users out there making the BlackBerry or iPhone decision, might I also suggest checking out the Smartphone Round Robin conducted by the SPE community editors back in November. Reading through the articles you'll get a good idea of what a long-time BlackBerry user like myself thinks of the iPhone (first impressions; final impressions), and what hardcore iPhone, Treo and Windows Mobile users think of the BlackBerry platform. The goods and bads of each device all surface in here, so sit back and take a read!
iPhone Value Plans vs. Typical BlackBerry Plans
The iPhone 3G bundles released June 27 are not the only price plans available to customers, they are the high value plans that allow Rogers customers to use the device to its fullest and offer considerable savings over separate voice and data plans that exist in market today.
That said, Rogers customers have more choices available to them and can use their existing voice and smartphone data plans if they wish. For example, they can select from the new data pricing (ranging from $30 for 300MB to $100 for 6GB or $50 Flex Rate plan) and add a voice plan, or they can choose a combined voice and data plan to best suit their individual needs.
Customers are not required to take the value packs, and can order most other features a la carte, such as $7 for Caller ID.
Existing customers can keep their existing voice service plan and pick a separate data plan (not in the iPhone 3G bundle) to meet their needs. They will need to check their upgrade eligibility, but any customer with a monthly service fee that is over $30 can upgrade to an iPhone 3G at $199 (for the 8GB model). Other options outside the iPhone bundle may be available depending on the customer’s individual information.
