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Palm Pre & 3G-S to go head-to-head in the UK on o2.
- Thread starter BergerFan
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I find it difficult to understand how these exclusive deals benefit manufacturers who like apple and to all extents and purposes Palm (in the UK at least) only have the single model on the market.
Such deals work well for companies such as Nokia and Samsung because they have such a wide portfolio if handsets available. Had Palm offered the Pre in the UK on all the major networks from day 1, then just perhaps we might have seen a true challenger to the iPhone, which may in turn have forced down prices across the board.
Instead we see Palm siding with O2 and therefore competing directly with the iPhone.
Such deals work well for companies such as Nokia and Samsung because they have such a wide portfolio if handsets available. Had Palm offered the Pre in the UK on all the major networks from day 1, then just perhaps we might have seen a true challenger to the iPhone, which may in turn have forced down prices across the board.
Instead we see Palm siding with O2 and therefore competing directly with the iPhone.
having the two phones on o2 doesn't create competition, as o2 can keep their prices high for both phones. if another network had been given the pre it would be MUCH better for consumers.
So if I walk into an O2 store and tell them I'm interested in a smart phone, which will they recommend?
Well, I think the Pre will benefit from O2's experience of selling the iPhone in the UK, plus there has to be a good chance that we'll see similar tariffs (i.e. truly unlimited data and free WiFi).
However, I can't see O2 pushing the Pre as hard as other networks, wanting to compete with the iPhone, would. I think it'll play second fiddle to the iPhone, though possibly at a much lower selling price, which may eat into some of the lower end iPhone sales.
O2 probably feels that the Pre will really flesh out its flagship handset range at all price points.
However, I can't see O2 pushing the Pre as hard as other networks, wanting to compete with the iPhone, would. I think it'll play second fiddle to the iPhone, though possibly at a much lower selling price, which may eat into some of the lower end iPhone sales.
O2 probably feels that the Pre will really flesh out its flagship handset range at all price points.
Exclusivity sucks if you want one particular handset you have to change contracts, get pac codes etc
Personally I am getting a factory unlocked 3GS so I can use my phone abroad without paying stupid roaming charges!
I wonder if the pre will come locked to O2 seems its exclusive to them like with the iphone?
Personally I am getting a factory unlocked 3GS so I can use my phone abroad without paying stupid roaming charges!
I wonder if the pre will come locked to O2 seems its exclusive to them like with the iphone?
This is bad news for consumers in the UK.
It wouldn't be so bad if OFCOM grew some balls and forced networks to unlock handsets, especially on PAYG.
It wouldn't be so bad if OFCOM grew some balls and forced networks to unlock handsets, especially on PAYG.
I would have liked to have seen how the Pre would have done on Vodafone; having the two exclusives on O2 is just stupid, it doesn't give the consumer a bargaining chip.
Then again, the phone manufacturers will go with the networks that offer the most money, maybe O2 are going to lose the exclusivity of the iPhone next year so they wanted another exclusive under their belt.
Then again, the phone manufacturers will go with the networks that offer the most money, maybe O2 are going to lose the exclusivity of the iPhone next year so they wanted another exclusive under their belt.
don't forget that the iphone and pre aren't the only 2 phones on the market. blackberry handsets, nokia n97 etc are all competitors so the consumer does have this "bargaining chip" that you speak of.
Why don't you try it and find out?
I've already got an iPhone and.... ummm.... I'm a really bad liar.
The handsets you listed are, technically, competitors. However, when you truly look at the impact those handsets have had vs. that of the iPhone, they pale in comparison. We don't have a bargaining chip so much as an option to buy a poorer phone (in many people's eyes).
The Pre has generated a lot of excitement and it is a shame that Palm opted to go with O2. Now, O2 have a monopoly on high-end, excitement generating smart-phones. Shame.
that has nothing to do with the "bargaining chip". if you walk into an o2 shop and try to haggle a better deal by using the n97 or a blackberry to bargain with, the person in the shop won't say, "But the Pre is probably the closest comparison to the iPhone and therefore likely to grab the same type of consumer."
If the pre was offered by say Vodafone, and their tariff offered the same minutes, data and texts but was £5 cheaper a month than the equivalent iPhone tariff then would that not make some people think twice, and in a perfect world make O2 reconsider their pricing.
Forget I said bargaining chip for a minute, you've obviously got some sort of problem with that term, what I'm trying to say is that if O2 have arguably the two best phones on the market then they can charge what they want because people will pay it, that is not good for the consumer.
I think this means that o2 may be losing their iphone exclusivity soon. This is good news as o2 3g is not good in camden where I live. My iphone keeps picking up the edge/gprs signal since upgrading to 3.0 software. I redsnowed/ultrasnowed and tried vodafone which was worse. 3 uk was good but speedtest were 50% of the o2 speed if you can get a 3g signal. Maybe 3.1 will be as good as 2.2.1 was.
Maybe not. ATT in the USA also says they'd like to pick up both Pre models (original and Eos).
What I don't understand is why Palm is doing exclusive deals at all. Think of the sales if they were universally available right now.
It will be good to see where O2 place this in regards to the iphone with pricing and tariffs
I am a bit surprised Palm have gone with an exclusive deal here in the UK as surely they would need to shift as many as possible which will be hard right after the 3GS got launched here.
Good luck Palm I think you will need ot
I am a bit surprised Palm have gone with an exclusive deal here in the UK as surely they would need to shift as many as possible which will be hard right after the 3GS got launched here.
Good luck Palm I think you will need ot
It's great for O2. But I don't think it's a good move for Palm limiting their possible customers. I hope it's a short-term exclusivity like their previous tie ups with Orange (treo 650) and Vodafone (was it treo 800?), after a while you could buy the phones unlocked. And people will pay £100-200 more for an unlocked phone.