Upgrading to an iPhone 3G S in Canada? We feel for you, and we fear we’re going to continue to feel for you for a healthy portion of the day. Last year there were activation backlogs and hang-ups all over, but it was especially egregious in Canada, where people were waiting for half the day for Rogers’ system to get up and happy and talking with Apple’s system.

Our esteemed editor Rene Ritchie just called in from his Apple Store to say that their system isn’t showing the 3G S on the Rogers system and it’s unclear how exactly it’s going to be resolved. Last year we heard 6-hour-wait horror stories. This year we’re crossing our fingers that resolution will come more quickly.

On the bright side, we haven’t heard a whiff of a problem anywhere else. From Switzerland to Cincinnati people who didn’t pre-order are finding lines short enough to guarantee everybody will get their phone and activations almost as quick as the iPhone 3G S itself.

Update: Rene is currently channeling the fury of his fellow Rogers-snafu-victims on his twitter feed.

Rogers Customers: Prepare for a Long Wait. Everybody Else: Smile is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Iain Grant of Seaboard, a Canadian Market Analyst group, figures that the iPhone has caused precipitous price drops in Canadian data plans. That’s right — the iPhone isn’t out yet, and yet they finger it to be the cause. In June, 1GB worth of data would have cost in excess of $2300 Canadian per month. Then, a string of price cuts over several months occurs. Now the price for 1GB worth of data is $100 Canadian per month on Bell and Telus. Rogers doesn’t have a 1GB plan, but their 1/2 GB plan is now $80 Canadian per month. Like the MacWorld article says: “This price plunge is almost entirely attributable to the expectation that the iPhone is coming.” He also concludes that the delay of the iPhone in Canada is entirely attributable to Rogers’ unwillingness to make their data as cheap as possible, or as Grant puts it, “plans that aren’t ridiculous.”

iPhone Bringing Data Prices Down in Canada is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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