Palm Pre to arrive June 6 for $200
(Credit:
Bonnie Cha/CNET)
Sprint Nextel and Palm announced on Tuesday an official release date and pricing for the Palm Pre.
The Pre will be available nationwide on June 6 for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate and with a two-year contract on Sprint's Everything Data plan or Business Essentials with Messaging and Data plan. In addition to Sprint stores, the Pre will be sold online and at Best Buy, RadioShack, and some Wal-Mart Stores.
Accessories for Palm's Web OS-based smartphone will also be available June 6, including the Touchstone Charging Kit (Touchstone dock and Touchstone back cover), which will retail for $69.99. Alternatively, you can buy the dock and back cover separately for $49.99 and $19.99, respectively. (A regular charger will be included in the sales package.) The Pre will provide access to such Sprint content as Sprint Navigation, Sprint TV, and Nascar Sprint Cup Mobile Live.
Interestingly, the release date is a Saturday, which in some ways is a good move since it allows for weekend sales. Making the Pre available at other retailers is also a nice move. However, June 6 is two days before the start of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, where we'll most likely see a new iPhone announcement. Currently, the 8GB iPhone 3G goes for $199 with a two-year contract and AT&T offers a range of voice and text messaging plans on top of the required $30 a month data plan. You can check out our comparison chart here.
That said, I'm curious: will you wait to hear about the new iPhone before making a purchase? What do you think about the Pre's pricing? Are you like me and just happy to finally know the price and release date? Please share your thoughts.
Bonnie Cha is a senior editor for CNET, covering smartphones and GPS. When she's not testing the latest gadgets, you can find her chasing after her crazy lab or surfing in the chilly waters of Northern California. E-mail Bonnie. 
I wish I lived in your area. In mine (NYC area) Sprints Everything plan is a flat out $99; no up to anything, and certainly does not start at anywhere near $49.99. You want it? It's a hundred bucks; period.
At $30.00 a month more than the AT&T iPhone plan the Pre is going to be a hard sell in one of the largest markets in the U.S.
This part of the country is already Verizon country (you even think anything bad about the big V and people will chase you with sticks) number 2 is AT&T because of the iPhone (NYC is still in love with the iPod and iPhone). With a perceived overpriced plan the Pre will be dead before the Sprint stores close for the day.
Sprint - $99. Includes EVERYTHING. GPS, Unlimited Talk, Unlimited Text Messaging, Unlimited Data, Mobile TV, etc. EVERYTHING.
Sprint - $69.99. 450 minutes but includes everything else from the "simply everything" plan above.
iPhone - $69.99 - 450 Minutes. Unlimited Data.
iPhone - $20.00 - Unlimited text
$69.99 < $89.99.
Palm Pre is going to cost me $500 less to own over the course of the contract than the iPhone. I hope Apple manages to convince its customers that it is $500 better than the competition.
I love sprint and I can't wait to get the pre on the same plan :)
*Shakes fist*
The mail-in rebate is a sign of *************.
On the other hand, some savvy shoppers sneak in and are able to get amazing deals. These people are the minority though.
So now Sprint can advertise the Pre as $200 even though you'll have to pay $300 out of pocket to get one.
Rebates are a major FAIL in my opinion. Just me though.
I normally pass on anything with a rebate unless I feel it is worth the upfront cost. If I get the rebate back, then so be it. That said, the whole process diminishes the reputation of the company offering the rebates. Palm should know better.
"the only thing window mobile does well is crash !"
It also brings out the best in people like you... Not really much more that can be said about that.
The pre has the iPhone beat in many areas
Now it's time for Apple to play catchup
Not really and that's coming from a Apple fan like me
The pre has the iPhone beat in many areas
Now it's time for Apple to play catchup"
I too am an AppleFanMan, but we will have to wait and see if there will be a cage match. Apple may be playing catchup or they will leap ahead.
Please, the iPhone was yesterday's news from day one. It's been a pathetic device. About time Palm blew Apple out of the water, again..."
You DO watch the news, right? If it's such a pathetic device, why is it such a massive hit? And also, if you go out on a street, just about anyone knows what an iPhone is. How many know what a Pre is?
any windows mobile = bad software, clunky interface, displeasure to use.
any iPhone = beauty to use, simple UI, best for you
I hope Sprint isn't pulling a round 2 with the Pre. Palm has a lot more at stake with this phone than Samsung did with the Instinct. The Pre looks to be like a very nice phone, but I think I am going to drop Sprint and go with the iPhone 3.0 when it comes out.
start with the sprint store, though?
i know i work for them
http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/commentary/trading_floor_blog.aspx?ID=92511
The most recent estimate is that 34% of the stock is short sold. See here:
http://www.forbes.com/2009/05/08/research-in-motion-personal-finance-guru-insight-iphone-blackberry.html
For those who don't know, short selling means you make money when the stock goes down. Thus, wall street is really expecting that Palm stock will plummet soon. Articles on this state that they think the hype of the Pre is overinflated, and that the Pre will severely underwhelm. Considering Palm is hiding the true details about it, I don't doubt this to be true.
The iPhone *never* ran WebOS applications because WebOS is proprietary and never existed before the Pre. To say the iPhone was slammed for running only WebOS apps is ridiculous.
The stock market isn't a reliable indicator for the success of something that hasn't even come out yet.
The fanboys act as if the iPhone 3.0 announcement will bring some heretofore unknown feature when we already know what's coming: a software revamp (adding copy & paste, finally, after two years) and a faster CPU for the phone (goodbye battery life) and probably a better camera. Woohoo. *ahem* That Apple is suddenly trying to add in background app support after two years of telling their cultists that they didn't need it - shades of Sony and the rumble-less Sixaxis controller - show they're worried about what the Pre is bringing to market.
As for the dire predictions of the analysts: remember, you can't spell analyst without the anal. These lazy schmucks are totally in thrall to the meme that Apple is invincible and nothing, nay, NOTHING could ever challenge Lord Jobs fully operational battle station. Yeah, right. And AOL would rule online forever, like Yahoo ruled search and Friendster ruled social networking. That Google can't seem to get Android rolling shows that having advantages means nothing without execution.
Things change and the Pre is the change we've been waiting for. The iPhone is played out - everyone's got one now and no one oooohs or aaahs over them anymore - and passe. People want the new hotness and the Pre may be just the ticket. Maybe it'll be just another G1 or Storm, a pretender. Who knows? With former Apple design gurus on the case, I doubt it, and that's what frightens fanboys and Apple the most. Confident people don't act scared. Apple and their minions are acting very, very scared.
Also, whether you like wall street or not, they have an excellent track record for these things (look it up), mostly because we tend to have inside information you don't. Bet on Palm if you want, but you will lose.
For you to mention Wall Street's infallible crystal balls in the wake of the utter collapse of the major chunks of our economy and the nationalization under our Dear Leader's command shows how detached from reality you are. When the PlayStation 3 came out, your sage analysts predicted it was a slamdunk winner since Sony ruled the previous videogame generation. How'd that turn out, hmmm? From first to worst, that's how!!!
No one is even implying that the Palm will slay Apple with the Pre or Eos. All that open-minded folks are pointing out is that there now appears to be a viable alternative to Jesus Phone for those who don't want to be mindless herd followers.
Rule #1 of Being a Fanboy: When called out for your fanboyism, deny being a fanboy! (I hate how fanboys never own their fanboyism. We see what you are, so why not own it!)
You've spewed nothing but fanboyspeak, beclowning yourself with easily smacked-down remarks about the iPhone running WebOS (wow, Apple is waaay ahead of Palm to the point of having Palm's OS first!) and trolling comments like, "the hype of the Pre is overinflated, and that the Pre will severely underwhelm. Considering Palm is hiding the true details about it, I don't doubt this to be true."
Hiding the true details? What true details is Palm hiding? You act as if Sprint/Palm are going to foist a million useless units out there on June 6th and then do a Nelson Muntz laugh at their customers as they realize they got stuck with little more than Tamagotchis. What color is the sky of your home world where you think something like that could happen here? If anyone can slipshod their way around, it's Apple because they know they could box up plastic-coated guano and the sheep will line up for days to get their own iGuano.
Android is suffering because Google doesn't really need it to survive. The BB Storm could be half-arsed because RIM has a zillion other workhorse models to sell. But Palm and Sprint are in dire straits like a batter coming up in the bottom of the ninth, two out, bases loaded, and three runs down on the scoreboard. They have to hit a home run for both of their survivals, so doesn't it go to figure they'd take their best cut at it? They may strike out, but at least they're trying to do something whereas Apple just has to keep treading water because they know their uncritical customers will take anything they're given.
The timing of the launch looks like this to me: Palm is throwing down the gauntlet and daring Apple to beat the Pre. Most people will wait a couple of days after its launch to see what Apple's bid is, look at the reviews, and then decide what looks best. If the iFone is more same-old with pricier service plans (the fact AT&T is rumored to be offering gimped "budget" plans shows their sensitivity to costs in a bad economy), then the Pre should do well. This isn't Highlander and "there can be only one!" I'm sure Palm/Sprint will gladly take a strong #2 position behind the Apple herd.
The difference between those interested in the Pre vs. the iFone fanboys is that the Pre people are interested in the facts while the fanboys are merely awaiting Lord Jobs orders to assemble at the Apple stores and hand over their money. If the next iPhone is superior to the Pre, the Pre people will admit it; Apple cultists will never reciprocate. It's not in their belief system to consider anything but their Chosen One to be King.
So what if the new iPhone is out, that?s two product to review (and read).
While waiting for the GSM version?s international release date.
I easily spend upwards of 90% of my day in a wi-fi area and I don't even live in a major metropolitan city. I just think it's frustrating that Sprint, as well as Palm, have chosen to leave out those unable to shell out the $100's, or even $1000's a year to afford such a nice phone that would be able to function without a simply everything plan.
What I'm against is requiring using a data plan when most of anyone's given day (or anyone who'd be interested in this slick device, anyway) is spent in a wi-fi cloud, which last time I checked was faster than any 3G network and, best of all, free. Why even bother throwing a wi-fi feature in if the data plan is required?
It's all quite depressing. Maybe I'm excessively poor, but if the phone is going to require the pricey plan, I'm unfortunately not going to be able to purchase it purely because of that.
If all Apple does is some minor tweeks, and perhaps offer the iPhone in new fruity colors, them it's safe to say that the iPhone has "jumped the shark".
Applications for one
Plus I prefer the virtual keyboard over a small plastic qwerty
But I'm still exited about the pre because of the web o.s
- by bluelight421 May 19, 2009 6:15 AM PDT
- I think it's a good move for Sprint and Palm however I still wonder whether or not the Pre will gain enough momentum to pull people from other carriers as the iPhone did. I personally would switch to try out the Pre if I didn't have the iPhone, but I don't think I would be willing to terminate my contract as so many people have to switch to the iPhone. The phone definately has the potential to put the iPhone in its place, but who knows what Mr. Schiller has up his sleve for WWDC.
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