this article doesn't make sence, as the Ipod touch is currently available in Canada, and uses the same multi-touch interface. I would also think using an ipod touch outside, rather than an Iphone, would subject it to more extreme temperatures, since it is not pressed up against a warm human cheek.

John,

Thanks for your comment -- iPod Touch is not someting I've really considered, though (admittedly) I should have.

However, I stand by my findings -- namely, that the multitouch does not function well in extreme cold.

As such, I do see this inability to deal with cold as a major problem -- whether you agree with me or not.

It's just that shipping a product to a country where it won't work 1/3 of the time is not something good to be remembered for, for the company that did it.

Dennis

P.S. For talking on my iPhone I use either the included "default" headset+mic combo, or my Bluetooth iPhone headset. As such, no "cheek pressing" ever occures.

Dennis

I totally disagree with you.

New York is probably the largest iPhone market. They are near or below the freezing 3 months of the year.

Detroit: Well below freezing 3 months out of the year.

Now what about Canada?
- Vancouver just hovering above freezing.
- Toronto a couple degrees below freezing.

It's easy to find a stat if you want to. You can judge based on the AVERAGE MINIMUM temperature or you can pick on the coldest part of the country and thing that all the country is like that.

Guess what. There are cold parts of the US to.

Hi Shayne,

I can concede to Northern USA having "almost similar temperatures" as we do here in Southern Canada.

However, as someone that permanently lives in Montreal (= only 2 hours drive from Vermont, USA), I can *assure you* that we get much colder temperatures than they do in NYC. This winter we had temperatures of -20 to -30 on a daily basis for weeks == that's much more than NYC could claim.

As well, I am calculating the "cold level" from my own point of view = Montreal. If iPhone stops working on the cold days in *Montreal*, can you imagine what kind of temperatures people in Nunavut, Northrn Quebec, Northern Ontario, Northern Alberta, and Northern BC will have to deal with...

Considering my iPhone stopped working at -22, what will the folks that live a few hours drive to the North do 4 months a year?

LOL Hmmm... Sad.. I still want the iPhone.

With all respect, I can honestly say that I had a phone like an iPhone, it wouldn't be exposed to -30 degree weather that we get here in Caglary, or if it did, it wouldn't be for long. Let's not forget that when it starts dipping down below -20 degrees, most Canadian's (although there are some die-hards) aren't outside froliking around. We're inside where it's warm. If we needed to use our phone, we'd most likely be taking it out from our inside pocket for a quick phone call and back it would go. I just couldn't see myself walking around in -20 degree (or worse) weather talking on my iPhone. Who does that for prolonged periods of time in the cold? Perhaps a few out of requirement, but very few I assure you. People in Canada don't LOVE the cold I assure you.

This post is simply ridiculous and for many reasons. First of all like we don't have any other season than winter ? PLEASE!!, also as far as I know at least in my town we have buildings, some of us even own houses. My house even stays warm sometimes. Before I start ranting and becoming less than professional Im gonna end this here.

In your article you are assuming that all other mobile phones (touch & non-touch) sold in Canada work in sub-zero temperatures. They don't. So the logic behind this being the reason why iPhones aren't sold here is invalid.

This must be a joke. If not - it is not below freezing for 4 solid months of the year. It is below freezing for some portion of those 4 months and sometimes only for some portiion of those days, like nighttime. At least that's how it is in Calgary.

I've enjoyed using my iPhone in Canada throughout this entire winter in, arguably, one of the colder parts of the country and I've never had any issues with the touch screen failing to work because the phone was too cold. When I'm not talking on the phone, it's in my pocket or on my belt where it's very close to body temperature. I think most Canadians learn early in life that moist body parts do not get along well with freezing cold metal surfaces. IMO, the iPhone does not need the operating temperature range of a piece of military electronics. Instead, a little common sense will ensure that the phone is always usable. Just keep it in your pocket.

Rustbuster said it perfectly!

I would say that the most annoying thing is the inability to make/answer a call without taking your glove off first.

Canada's Northwest neighbor Alaska has had iPhones since around Christmas. We're often just as cold, with Fairbanks hitting -50 degrees F or colder.

No Canada's not too cold for the iPhone, just Roger's apparently....

speculation like this, which only furthers the stereotypes Americans have about Canada, does nothing to dispel the Canadian believe that most 'Mericans have they heads firmly entrenched up their own behinds.

Utter B.S.! and if you were here I'd feed you to my pet Polar Bear.

I doubt that is the reason. The iPhone is available in Alaska. I don't have one yet (5 more months on this contract then the switch is on!), but friends of mine do. Here in Fairbanks, the temperature stays below 0 (F) for weeks at a time, and the lows in Jan-Feb are regularly in the -35 to -45 F range. No one I know has had any issue with their iPhone, though I am also sure no one has just left their iPhone laying out in the cold then tried to use it. Apple's specs do sound about right. If I leave my iPod in the trunk in this weather, I have to let it warm up before I can use it.

While I agree that parts of Canada can get extremely cold, especially during the winter, that is no reason to say the iPhone is not compatible specifically with Canadian winter. Weather temperatures all over the world are getting worse and to generalize your "cold temperatures" in Montreal to all of Canada seems short sighted. Temperatures in other countries that do carry the iPhone like the USA, France, UK, Ireland and Germany all face temperatures that are both below and above the specified iPhone temperatures. In cases where temperatures are below the standards, most people carry their iPhone in their pockets or bags where the temperature is much warmer than outside.

that cold temprature stuff is a bunch of bullshit I live in fort mcmurray and it is a lot colder than -20 it gets down lower than -40 for weeks and I have had my phone since October with no problem. It is colder than -20 in the morning were I live right now and its spring

Dennis,

I use a MacBook Pro, an iPod Touch and a crappy Motorola cell phone. All 3 have the same operating temperature range. I use them in remote locations in the Canadian oil patch. I see - 40° temps almost every year.

You just keep the electronics close close to your body and use a wired headset that can withstand the cold. You keep the laptop warm and in sleep mode and expose it for very brief periods in a sheltered spot or in the truck. Never been without communications or lost a LCD display due to freezing.

Suck it up man, we're Canadians.

Folks, thanks for all your comments -- I really did not expect that many of them :-)

To start with, I was theorizing, I did not say it's for certain :-) A "maybe" is a "maybe".

But let's just stop for a second and consider that not everyone works indoors.

There's loads of people that have jobs that require them to work outside.

Since Al wrote the last, oil field workers in Alberta come to mind right away, and you can fill that list with many other professions.

The whole point is that YES, you can keep the iPhone in your pocket. YES, you can use it as a phone still (I did mention that tapping still works).

But the iPhone is not only a phone. What if you'll try to use any of the scrolling features? Coverflow, internet browsing, even switching from one springboard page to another, etc... All of that requires scrolling.

I described to you a concrete 100% real situation that occurred to me - scrolling simply stops working in low temperatures.

So that means that the person in question will NOT be able to make use of these functions. That's what I was trying to make a point about.

And if you cannot use all its functions while you're working outdoors -- internet is a rather important one, no? - doesn't it mean that the device cannot function at 100%?

Something like this can never occur with your regular phones with only buttons, that don't include the scrolling feature. There's lots of Windows Mobile, Symbian, etc... internet-enabled mobiles out there which you could still use no matter what temperature it is outside.

Please do not think that I am ripping on the iPhone -- if I was, I wouldn't own one, nor work for this site. I am simply explaining my concerns, and I do think that they're valid. I mean, for god's sake, what if you're working outside, with no way to get inside and warm up before your shift is over and you want to check your e-mail... Please tell me how would you scroll through your inbox?

Your thoughts and responses to my questions are much appreciated.

Cheers!

Dennis

P.S. Great point about Alaska by the way, but it's only one of America's 50 states, you know... While Canada, ALL of it is very cold in the winter.

iPhone is currently available in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. The article doesn't make any sence.

It would've made sense if you were to notice the date of this post - March 15th, 2008 :)