Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: Palm, Pre, Launch, Date, april | Themes: Smartphones, 3GSM
With all the excitement brewing in anticipation of the Pre, Palm and Sprint have kept its launch date under tight wraps. That is, until yesterday when things may or may not have gone a bit pear-shaped for the company.
ComputerWorld reports that rumors doing the rounds on Palm forums suggest that the smartphone will be available on Tax Day, April 15. A posting on the Everything Treo by a user going by the screen name of by "Inittowinit” claimed that a Sprint customer-service rep told him on Saturday that the Pre would be available on the 15th or 16th of this month on a two year agreement. Most interesting, we found, was that the Pre would cost $300, after discounts.
While Palm has yet to comment on any whispering about the Pre date, such as this, ComputerWorld cites a spokesman for Sprint as saying only that the device would ship in the first half of the year. Basically, not a no but not a yes.
Alright, so Palm would be really smart to hit the market before the new iPhone is launched in June. That said, is $300 really worth it? Yes, the Pre is a beautiful piece of kit and the UI is extremely impressive, but with a price like that, on a two year contract, the only people you’ll attract right off the bat are those who are die-hard Sprint and/or Palm loyalists.
I reckon what’s likely to happen is those in the market for a smartphone (ahem, me), will wait for the iPhone launch, check out what Apple has to offer and then, depending on the price decide which is more economical, the Pre or the Palm. That said if the iPhone is a similar price and doesn’t tickle my fancy, I’ll more than likely backpedal and get an iPhone 3G.
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Rumor!! Just like March 15th.....April 30th.....Now April 15th......The list goes on....... But if this is true......I will be super excited!! I can't wait!
I really wish Palm hadn't gone with Sprint. My first phone was a Sprint and the service was horrible. I'll never ever go back regardless of how awesome of a device they've convinced some poor manufacturer to go exclusive with.
Sell your stock in Palm now. Their current market has dried up and their first forray into the cell phone business is doomed for failure. I predict a bankruptcy within 2 years, perhaps less.
Man I hate Sprint.
The price of the phone is a red herring. 2 years times $70 / month (the lowest price for voice and data on both AT&T and Sprint) is $1680. Looks like unlimited text messaging for the iPhone is (!) $20/month, or $480 over the life of the contract. The difference in price of the phone should be nearly the last thing on a long list of considerations.
Sell your stock in Palm now. Their current market has dried up and their first forray into the cell phone business is doomed for failure. I predict a bankruptcy within 2 years, perhaps less.
You realize this is not the first cell from Palm. Ever hear of a Treo? They've been doing cells for years. The first Palm Treo was out in 2002, and they're still around. They may die with competition from Samsung, Apple, etc, but not because their first cell failed. And honestly, this is the most competitive device they've had yet.
The price of the phone is a red herring. 2 years times $70 / month (the lowest price for voice and data on both ATT and Sprint) is $1680.
Not true. I have Sprint with a Palm Treo 755p, 450 nationwide minutes, unlimited nights/weekends at 7:00PM, unlimited data plan, all for $60/month. Not a large difference, but considering I could have gone with 200 minutes for $50, I can safely say that $70 is not the cheapest plan, even with a data plan.
$70 is the cheapest plan that Sprint will allow with the Pre (it requires unlimited text as well as data).
Not true. Palm said they recommended the everything plans,you had to listen to what they said in the video carefully.They said any other palns you might go way over so that is why they do not push any of those,they never said you couldn't use one of them like the 200 minute one with data at $50!!!.YOU CAN use them or the cheaper plans some of us have that are better then the $70 everything plan but cost us $30 =)..It doesn't require unlimited text as wel as data,their plan comes with that and so much more,many of the things lacking on ATT $70 plan. ATT would cost you over 99.99 for the things in Sprint's $69.99 plan BTW...PRE FTW!!!!!
Say what you want about Sprint service but their rate plans for the Pre are very nice when you compare them to other companies. For $70 (I think it is) you get 450 minutes, unlimited data, and unlimited MMS/SMS plus Sprint has early nights and weekends (7pm). Plan like that from AT&T or Verizon going to run you at least $100 ($45 for voice, $30 for data, $20 for unlimited txt, $7 for early nights and weekends).
Not to mention the Pre itself looks like it is going to be a great little device. Every qualm I have had about my iPhone "seems" to have been solved with the Pre. I put seems in quotations because not many people used the device and usability claims and specs on paper don't always match up to the real device. That said multi-tasking, pull out keyboard, multi-touch, bluetooth profiles, MMS, video recording, etc. Looks like a great phone!
Any phone that can put the pressure on RIM, Nokia, and Apple is great for everyone. If the Storm and Pre don't launch how many people think the iPhone 3.0 update includes MMS? I don't. Competition is a great thing.
Here's the forum thread that has caused such a stir.
http://www.everythingpre.com/forum [...] 17838.html
The GPS app looks great too tayb. Did you see it? I am just estatic I can keep my $30 plan and get an awesome phone and hopefully some of the special rebates and credits Sprint is well known for that make all us happy users.
Yes, please, everyone keep complaining about Sprint...keep saying you will wait for the iPhone...or that if you don't get a release date fom Sprint soon, you'll go elsewhere...that will mean more available Pre's for us "loyalists!" Yesssss.
My brother-in-law is a high up in Sprint. He just told me it's launching on April 19, not the 15th. It's a Sunday launch, just like every other.
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