Palm Pre set for European launch

O2 will be the exclusive carrier of the Palm Pre in the U.K., Palm announced Tuesday.

The operator already has U.K. exclusivity for the iPhone. It is also set to bring out an Android phone soon, in the shape of the Samsung i7500, but that may not be an exclusive release.

The Palm Pre.

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)

"We are fast becoming the home of the smartphone with the addition of the hotly anticipated Palm Pre to our already extensive portfolio," Telefonica Europe chief executive Matthew Key said in a statement. "Our customers will be the first outside of North America to experience one of the most successful mobile devices of the year."

The phone was launched in North America at the start of June, and today's Europe-wide exclusivity contract with O2 parent Telefonica marks the first foray for the Pre into the rest of the world.

The Pre is also coming to Ireland and Germany via O2, and to Spain via the Movistar network. Palm has already said that the phone will arrive in Canada in the second half of the year.

O2's pricing for the Pre has not been revealed, nor has the handset's precise release date. The operator will only say that the Pre will be out before Christmas.

The Pre is a crucial handset for Palm, as it is the first to use the new WebOS software, Palm's first new operating system since 2002. The phone is notable for its multitasking ability, which allows applications to run concurrently.

Palm is hoping to attract developers with the fact that WebOS applications use Web standards such as HTML and CSS.

David Meyer of ZDNet UK reported from London. CNET News' Jonathan Skillings contributed to this story.

[codynews]

Yawn. Such a pile of a phone. I guess if you're locked to Sprint (in the US) it's the phone to get but it's no iphone.

[jjg-713]

@codynews
"...it's no iphone"....that's exactly why people buy the pre...what a troll.
Furthermore , this article has nothing to do with sprint...I forgive you though, most ifanboys aren't very smart

[belawrence]

Funny statement, considering one of the main weaknesses of the iSheepPhone is at&t's horrible network.

[kelmon]

@codynews & belawrence

You guys do know that other places exist outside the US, yes? Only this article is discussing the Pre's launch in Europe on European carriers and you both seem to be stuck talking about US carriers. Is there are reason for this or are you just feeling the urge to whinge?

[monkeyfun14]

Exclusivity deals are horrible and allow unfair advantages over the competition. Especially when that deal holder owns exclusivity contracts to the 2 hottest phones in the marketplace...

[Perry_Clease]

Exclusivity can breed popularity, consider Smokey and the Bandit smuggling a truck load Coors beer into a region where better beers are available. Of course the wide availability of a product can sell more it because the customer base is larger. Anyway, I am thinking that the process of selling your cell phone out of a particular carrier is not so cut and dry. The carrier has to consider servicing, quality of the device that may affect their reputation and other factors.

This morning I read an interesting post at http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/a_closer_look_at_apple_antitrust/

"But the iPhone wouldn?t have come into existence without an exclusive agreement. If Apple had come to a phone carrier and said, ?We want this unproven device on your network. Users won?t purchase applications from you, and they won?t be required to pay usage fees to email photos to their family and friends. We?re not going to let you install your own OS or cripple the phones features. Oh, and we?re going to provide the phone to your competitors, too,? that carrier would have laughed Apple out of the building."

That is just an excerpt, I recommend you read jimothy's entire post. it is the first comment on the story

[jaguar717]

Bingo. I'm no Apple fanboy, but the AT&T agreement was clearly their foot in the door, so to speak. Putting aside whatever you consider "fair" versus "unfair" advantages, the fact is that Apple (and any other new innovative device, like the Pre) wants to use someone's existing infrastructure to pass a ton of data.

Initial exclusivity gives AT&T (Sprint, whomever) an incentive. It also allows for huge subsidies that put these mini computers in the hands of consumers for dirt cheap. I love hearing the America-last types whining about how in Europe you buy your phone separately, as if having fewer options is somehow a benefit.

Most Europeans pay a ton for their fancy phone, then buy barebones minute plans and use their phone as a glorified pager since everything but texting is pricier. Furthermore, you COULD do the same thing they do here: pay the full 6-700 bucks for your phone without a commitment, then take it elsewhere for service.

Most people just consider their network to be good enough to sign on for two years and get the phone at over 50% off.

[hafenbrack]

I think the main point of this story. It shows that a GSM version of the Pre will soon be available. Which means it could be available to other networks in the States as well (At&t and T-Mobile). Palm may be doing a very smart thing here and making the Pre available on EVERY network, since Verizon has alrady announced it will have it sooner rather than later. I just hope it works out for them.

[sevort]

Yep. It's strange that this story doesn't mention that the european Pre is a GSM phone. This means that people will be able to re-import it to the US for use on GSM carriers unless of course Sprint's exclusivity will run out before then.

[dabincciman]

hi, any ideas when they will ralease the pre in asia? or Philippines to be exact? thanks!