The iPhone 3G has launched in Canada…sorta

This pretty much sums it up (works best if you use Twitter):

(via Sean Osteen on Flickr)

My secret iLine location

iPhone 3G Launch

Despite being in line at 4am, it still took over 4 hours for me to have a working iPhone 3G after physically getting it due to server issues. I’ll elaborate more on the phone in a future post (or two) but suffice to say this morning was a clusterfuck is an understatement.

It would appear that my plan to stay in the burbs rather than head to a major outlet worked as I was able to get into the store (being first in line helped) and get my choice of phone (8/16gb in black or white).

Then the fun started.

I saw on Twitter that the Apple activation server was down earlier that morning as the people on the east coast started twittering about their phones hours before the west coast. Once I got into the store, not surprisingly, the system that Rogers uses to make changes to your phone plan (like say add the 3G data plan) was timing out due to too many people trying to access it. After waiting for about 45 minutes, the store clerk retrying every few minutes, I finally get a positive response on their servers and they began processing my account. The iPhone was still shrinkwrapped in the box.

Once the Rogers process started working, they informed me that my current phone would stop working as they transfered my details to the sim preloaded inside the iPhone. Sounds great except for the fact that I was scheduled to participate in the Bill Good Show at 11am and it was about 10:15 at this time…kind of hard to phone into a radio show if you don’t have a phone. You see the problem was that my ‘old’ iPhone didn’t work anymore (the sim card inside technically) and I wasn’t able to activate the new iPhone on Apple’s servers.

Effectively I was in iLimbo with no working phone, new or old.

iTunes Fail

Peter, who was second in line with me, ended up coming to the rescue by running back to my place and picking up my wife’s phone so that I could call into the radio show. He would have given me his but he was next in line for iLimbo so it didn’t make sense to risk it.

iPhone 3G in hand!

After the radio show finished up, I tried again and it failed…so we went off to lunch.

Once I got home from lunch, I plugged in my new phone and it was activated…it’s like it didn’t even have time to ‘phone home’.

Last I heard, Tanya and Tod were still stuck outside the Fido store downtown waiting to get in. Ironically, when I left the mall, there were still people coming in, walking right up and getting iPhones. They only had 8gb models left (Peter & I got the only 2 black 16gb models) but the people coming in weren’t complaining. Maybe Tanya should jump on the West Coast Express and come out to the burbs?

So there’s the morning wrap up. More stuff coming when I catch my breath (and some sleep). I’m hoping to have a copy of the radio show to post soon too….with another post to cover off the crazies that called in.

I’m off to play in 3G land for awhile…possibly on a patio, definitely with beer.

Update: Here’s the source stream to the audio (WMA) from CKNW today with Tanya & myself. Head to around the 7:15 mark for the start our our bit.

Update 2: Here’s the full CKNW session (direct mp3 download)

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13 Comments

  1. That sums it up. FWIW – I still do not have my phone back from Rogers as of 2:30pm. Appears that absolutely nothing has happened yet, in fact, not even Limbo.

  2. EPIC FAIL. See my post for details. Sooo disappointed. I’m glad you got your hardware!

    See my post for the full audio of the show — great to be a part of it with ya (you sounded way more intelligent than I did… My head wasn’t working quite right)

  3. @Tanya you sounded fine…it was the callers that made me wonder where they found them. Updating post with your link soon.

  4. Yep, I’m thinking I made the right call by sticking with my first-gen model for now. I’ve had a working iPhone all day and spent no time in line. Not that I’m gloating, I’m just feeling the pain vicariously here…

    Of course I’m also paying ridiculous amounts for data at the moment too, but that’s nothing new. A random Rogers store employee I talked to this pm (after the rush had died down) told me they’ll be extending the 3G plans to first-gen iPhone users. Between that and the 2.0 unlock supposedly coming next week, it feels like I’m really not missing out on much.

  5. Dave — I just added the 6 GB/$30 plan to my first gen iPhone, via a regular old Rogers phone rep. Shouldn’t be a problem for ya…

  6. Very strange, Kerry went to the same store, as you know, and she was told that she got the last 16GB model…and it was black. Rogers’ math on the number available black models doesn’t add up along with alot of other things supposedly being available.

  7. @Frank yeah it appears they had more than 2 16gb phones….each sales rep had an assigned number of units for each configuration…they never did tell use how many they had total. When I left the store they still had 8-8gb models and 1-16gb in white.

  8. so sorry to miss it. i’m in England today and there is not one 16 GB iPhone to be had. all sold out. i feel so denied.

    ps. i read your quotes in Mac|Life!! super cool, you iPhone expert, you.

  9. What are you using for a case? I modded one of my iTouch screens so I could be free from scratches, but eventually I’m going to want some sort of carrying case.

  10. I use this case from my 1st gen iPhone for normal use but will probably seek out a new one once stores start getting them in stock…or head to an Apple Store in the US which usually has more choices than up here.

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