Apple releases iPhone 3G in Vancouver
iPhone's Canadian launch in 2008 left thousands in awe of the new multitasking technology
Apple announced its new iPhone 7 this week, with features that have garnered kudos and criticism in equal parts.
Smartphone users have become used to powerful tools available in the palm of their hand, but it wasn't that long ago that the iPhone was heralded as a revolutionary new device that left thousands in awe.
The first iPhone was launched in Canada in 2008, a year after its release in the U.S. The 3G was the first of its kind to combine a phone, internet access, the iTunes platform, and a multitude of apps to choose from.
That year in Vancouver, thousands lined up for hours and slept in the streets to purchase one of the new devices — as they continue to do today.
Other aspects of the launch also appear to have remained the same — not surprisingly, one of the biggest stories to come out of the launch of the device was the cost of a phone plan.
Rogers was the only carrier offering the device eight years ago. The company first listed the cost of its three-year plan at $100 per month, but it eventually responded to public outcry and dropped the price to $30 for six gigabytes of data.
Rogers' software was so overloaded with the demand, it took the first Vancouver customer more than an hour to get his device activated.