Report: No Palm Pre for Verizon Wireless
The Palm Pre may not be coming to Verizon Wireless after all.
According to a report from TheStreet.com, Verizon Wireless execs are reconsidering whether to begin offering Palm's touch screen smartphone in January as many have anticipated.
Palm Pre
(Credit: Sprint Nextel)The Pre was announced at CES in January amid much fanfare. And after months of anticipation, Palm launched the device in June exclusively on Sprint Nextel's network. Shortly before the device was launched on Sprint's network, Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam said it would offer the Pre on the Verizon Wireless network within six months.
Sprint's CEO Dan Hesse said the device was exclusive to Sprint through 2009, which left many market watchers expecting a Verizon version to land sometime in January 2010. Hopes for a Verizon version of the Pre were bolstered recently when Palm's new CEO Jon Rubinstein said he expects the device to be offered on other networks very soon.
But now it looks like Verizon is having a change of heart. The Street.com said its sources have cited several reasons why Verizon execs may be getting cold feet. For one, the Palm Pre has had modest sales compared to sales of competing devices such as Apple's iPhone or Research In Motion's BlackBerry devices. According to story, Sprint has not sold more than a million Pre phones so far, which has spooked the Verizon execs.
Another issue is that Verizon supposedly wants its VCast application and download store to be featured on the phone. But this will compete directly with Palm's own app store. Yet another reason why Verizon might be balking at a deal is that the company plans to put most of its marketing might behind new RIM BlackBerry devices and the Motorola Google Android devices that will be launched later this year.
Supporting the Pre would not only require Verizon to invest in more marketing to push the device, but it would also require the company put resources into supporting Palm's WebOS operating system.
If TheStreet.com story is true and Verizon does not sell the Pre, it will be a major blow to Palm, which needs to expand its sales channels for the device. The company has already announced a few other deals for the Pre. Bell Mobility in Canada and Telefonica's O@ in the U.K. and Germany are also exclusive partners.
Palm representatives were unable to be reached, but they declined to comment in TheStreet.com story. And Verizon Wireless representatives declined to comment.
Marguerite Reardon has been a CNET News reporter since 2004, covering cell phone services, broadband, citywide Wi-Fi, the Net neutrality debate, as well as the ongoing consolidation of the phone companies. E-mail Maggie. 
Palm jumped 15%, did it? It's selling at $16. Apple is selling at $183 which is around 250% of what it was in the last year.
I don't agree with The Happy Switcher, but you're just spewing garbage.
In the past year Palm is up 128% to Apple's 43%. Since the beginning of 2008 Palm is up 211% to Apple's 14%.
You can go on Google Finance and cherry pick time frames to make either one look like the better buy, but with the election crash last fall it's really more a matter of where you got in. You're also talking about two very different sized firms.
Of course none of that matters as CONSUMERS as long as both are in business because stock price doesn't affect how well the product works. The iPhone was most certainly disruptive technology that changed the game. The Pre is an equally excellent piece of hardware and webOS is a game changer (if not as disruptive due to Palm's smaller footprint).
For me the keyboard, intuitive software, and open platform were enough to leave AT&T for Sprint (which is borderline desperate for customers right now). I don't expect it to have the reach of the iPhone, but I also don't care because I use my phone, not a hundred or a thousand other people's.
Cheering on a company as "evidence" of your product's superiority is fanboyism at its worst. Toyota's market cap won't make your drive any less snooze inducing if you choose a Camry-appliance over a Corvette, and GM's seizure by the government doesn't take away from what a lean machine your Vette is.
verizon seriously needs a reality check, everyone knows they have ****** phones, they were idiots not take the iphone offer, and now one of the few phones that can truly compete with the iphone and they won't sell it because it has a better app store than their sure-to-be-grossly-overpriced one
personally i was probably going to get the motorola sholes anyway but the pre was my backup in case verizon really screwed it up, which unfortunately looks more likely now since their reasoning on the pre means verizon will probably remove (and possibly block) the android app store on the phone
i 'm also really disappointed for palm, they're a great company and came out with a great phone and if this happens it will be a huge blow to their potential sales
My contract has expired with V and I'm ready to jump ship. My target is Sprint; their unlimited plan is hard to beat. I'm on the fence between the Pre and Hero. I'm tired of their Black Berries and wanna be "smart" phone selection.
The GPS fiasco with the Omnia really rubbed me the wrong way. The Omnia shipped with a GPS in it, but VZW disabled it. When I bought my phone in December, word was that an unlock was coming Q1 2009. The Verizon Store rep confirmed this as well. The fix didn't come until last month.
Unless they have something real good to offer when it comes time to switch, I might be jumping ship. I've been hearing less horror stories about AT&T around the DC Metro area, so maybe an iPhone may be the ticket if it finally gets flash support. My Omnia does have flash support, which I really like.
Actually, I quiet like the red-headed woman....
Verizon, get you act together. Otherwise I might have to go back to The Death Star or worse Sprint (which has absolutely NO CUSTOMER SERVICE at all).
A network that beats the pants off of all the other carriers is what people are looking for. If you can build the most robust, dependable wireless network for voice and data, that alone will have people knocking on your door.
I hope they wake up soon because if they get an Android device and completely castrate it, I'm going to Sprint for an Android phone. I love the iPhone, but I've had AT&T in the past and will not go back to them as their coverage in the NYC area is not dependable.
Please don't do this, I've loved my Verizon Service but I want a Palm WebOS phone and will take no other phone, so it's you guys get it or I go with Yuck Sprint. (empty sounding threat to loose one customer but there are many who feel the same)
I want a Pre. If it isn't offered by verizon, bye-bye verizon. My contract is expired, and will go to Sprint if Pre not offered in January. Period.
android sales reached several millions already worldwide and the really nice phones are not even released
I just purchased a smart phone this summer. If the Palm Pre was available at the time I would have gotten it for sure, even though it would have meant I would have had to switch carriers to Bell.
What's with the FCC and CRTC? Enough of these exclusive deals. I want to buy a phone and use it on any network I like. This model of business is insane.
As it is, if my carrier (Telus) starts selling the Palm Pre, I will trade in my current smart phone and get the pre, even if it means I have to pay another hundred bucks to do it. All the reviews I've read on the Pre are gushing. I'd love to get my hands on it.
Here's another problem with current business models. Why should a phone purchaser be restricted to one app store? What happened to the capitalist model where competition breeds choice?
http://techblips.dailyradar.com/story/review-palm-pre-review-electronista/
http://www.pcworld.com/article/156785/palms_pre_getting_good_reviews_so_far.html
that's the top three from a search of "Palm Pre Review," If you haven't read a good review of the Pre it is because you don't want to. Nice try though.
Dumb Sprint.
Since Hesse has taken over as CEO, the situation has improved. The coverage has gotten a lot better, and they're treating me *much* better as a customer. I think the only thing I worry about is whether they can turn the company around before they've bled too many subscribers to survive.
I think the Pre is an excellent phone. I like the iPhone, too, but AT&T's plan with the same features would be $35+ more per month.
In the end not bad for a first generation phone. I think Palm is gathering what people don't like about this phone and hopefully a second generation will be muched improved. I think if the pullout keyboard was done (may I say) in landscape mode vice portrait and\or with better buttons it would quiet most of the criticism it takes.
1. Sales are dismal, (like thats a shocker)
2. USB-IF hands Palmd them tehir own ***** by rejecting their claim with iTunes sync
3. and now this.
Said it before and I'll keep saying it, Pre = failure. bye bye Palm.
The iTunes sync doesn't really effect the uses of the device and in fact was nothing more than one of many ways to get music on to the phone.
I think in the end this might be a win for Sprint and other US Carriers. There has been a number of Verizon customers waiting for the Pre. Now that it isn't coming to the V, they are going to start jumping ship to Sprint, At&t, etc...
I think people who slam Sprint for bad coverage or customer service are living in the past. Times have changed and Sprint has improved. And NO ONE offers better value in their service plans.
VZ always gets the crappy phones (Take a look closely at their crappy LG phones)
But I wish the Palm Pre was on T-Mobile if it was people will really buy it...
So does that mean the iPhone is also NOT an option for Verizon because the App Store will not only compete with VCast app... NOBODY would ever go to VCast applications once they go to the App Store.
- by preloverbuthasverizon September 24, 2009 5:27 PM PDT
- maaan cmon verizon stop being scared and just add the pre already cmon now
- Like this Reply to this comment
-
-
- by rhemler220 September 24, 2009 6:02 PM PDT
- Verizon won't give you what you want, they'll give you what they want, Crappy phones that compress data so much that the youtube videos look like an explosive abstract painting. Believe it or not I actually had more dropped calls with verizon on my storm than my 3GS. And while I'm at it I loved how Verizon's customer service was so nice, but stupid. They had no idea what was what when I tried to have a problem fixed on my storm. I called a verizon blackberry support telling them that when I hold down the menu button and the running programs show up, it won't allow me to open them from that taskbar. The verizon rep told me she had no Idea there was a task bar and did not know thats what happened if you help down the menu button. She then proceeded to tell me that what ever third party app I downloaded "taskbar, a basic function on the storm" has caused some type of crash and wanted me to wipe my phone. I hung up.
- Like this
-
Showing 1 of 2 pages (72 Comments)i really want this phone