I live in Canada, so I only wish I had the prices and plans available that AT&T offers. But even then, I note an interesting consequence to the way the new iPhone costs you money:

Assuming the Macalope’s numbers are right, sure, the iPhone 3G is $40 more expensive. But that’s over two years! On the day you sign the contract and leave the store with a nice, shiny box on your way to your “unboxing!” photo shoot, you’ve got an extra $300 in your pocket.

All of which begs the question of what you’re going to do with that extra $300 until then. I suggest that instead of blowing it on a Wii ((Because, let’s face it, you either already own one or are mocking the people who do.)) you consider how to turn it into $340 by the end of the contract. That’s only 13% over two years. I’m no financial whiz and I’m not even sure how to spell “whiz,” ((I guessed financial, too.)) but I bet even I could manage that one. If you don’t think you can, maybe you should step away from the computer long enough to think of something.

Sure, it isn’t cheaper. But if you play your cards correctly ((And odds are you won’t, but whose fault is that?)) it may turn out to be to your benefit anyway. For the record, I don’t give credit to Apple for that. I’m sure no one there said “Hey, let’s hike the price, but we’ll make them pay the extra over two years. Our customers will be able to invest the money they save on the initial purchase and end up ahead!” It’s just the way the numbers work. Hooray for math!

I called service a few days ago for an unrelated reason was surprised to hear “If you are calling about the iPhone, press 2.” ((The message has since been removed; I guess the rush died down.)) After completing that call, I tried 611 again and hit 2.

I was expecting “The iPhone will not be available to Fido customers,” but I was surprised. The iPhone will be available to Fido customers. Don’t believe me? There’s actually a news story on CBC. This seems to be a big turn-around by Rogers in offering Fido customers a good phone.

I don’t know how affordable the data plan will be, though.

What I do have a comment on is the last point of his article: The nomenclature of the iPhone.

I think Apple did users and developers a huge injustice calling the iPhone “iPhone.” Apple had a great product name in the iPod. iPod doesn’t mean “music player” — in fact, it doesn’t really mean anything. What was the point in calling the iPod something so meaningless if the name wasn’t going to grow? The iPhone easily could have been the “iPod phone.”

We all read about the Linksys incident and now Apple’s apparently having difficulty with the iPhone trademark in Canada ((To be blunt, though, I think Rogers’ horrible service and pricing is more likely to be what grounds the iPhone in Canada. Boo, hiss, boo.)). All for a product name that in the long run is going to confuse consumers.

Anyway, I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple called it the iPhone simply because it was the name everyone expected them to use.