iPhone, eh?

So the big news this week for Canadian Apple fanboys like me was the announcement that the iPhone is coming to Canada July 11. I know, there are already lots of iPhones in Canada, but I'm hoping I can get my office to pick up the tab, something that's unlikely with a black market device.

So what's so special about the iPhone? Sure, there are other phones out there with comparable or even superior features, at least on paper (better camera, memory slot, etc.). But keep in mind that in less than a year, and with only fraction of the overall cell phone market, the iPhone has become the most popular camera phone for photos submitted to Flickr and Safari the most popular mobile browser. Simply put, Apple has once again proven its ability to take features on a spec sheet and turn them into something easy, and even fun to use. You may recall that this was a large part of how Apple came to dominate the MP3 player market - for a long time, the iPod was really the only thing out there that was easy to set up and use. Maybe it still is, it probably depends who you ask.

Add to that excitement the new features announced with the iPhone 3G (substantially faster data, GPS, and a $200 price tag), and a lot of us are foaming at the mouth. The only big problem left is that we still have to deal with Rogers, the only game in town for GSM. And Rogers has yet to announce what kind of plan will accompany the iPhone, leading to rampant speculation.

So far most that I've read indicate we'll see something like the UK or Ireland iPhone plans - 75 to 175 minutes of talk, 1GB data transfer. Certainly a far cry from the unlimited data plans south of the border. That's a real downer. The only saving grace is that I'll probably be within range of WiFi most of the time, meaning that with data, at least, I'll only really eat into whatever measly quotient Rogers decides to dole out when I'm on the road.

So will I be part of some frenzied mob camped out in a mall somewhere on July 10th, anxious to be one of the very first to have an iPhone? No. At least, that's what I keep telling myself...