Palm Pre to Launch June 6th Priced at $199.99

[alphatectz]

Ding ding ding, on this corner we have the palm pre (left), on this corner we have the iPhone (right). Fight!
That's all I have to say...
P.s. Apple wins by TKO

 

[Goona]

True.

Apple will benefit by having a couple of days to "adjust" their presentation, but unless the media perceives Pre to completely suck (which I highly doubt), comparisons are going to be inevitable. Apple would need to make Pre and its WebOS look worthless compared to Apple's iPhone OS to make this move work against Palm, but from what I've seen, WebOS might be the best competition Apple has at the moment.

They could lower the price of iphone to like 149.99, that would essentially kill it off, lol but who knows.

 

[WhySoSerious]

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/05/next-gen-iphone-specs-launch-date-revealed/

The New iPhone: (released on July 17th)

32GB and 16GB storage (up from the current 16GB and 8GB models)
$199 and $299 price points to be maintained
3.2-megapixel camera (up from the current 2-megapixel camera)
Video-recording and editing capabilities
Ability to send a picture & video via MMS
Discontinuation of the metal band surrounding the edge of the device
OLED screen
1.5 times the battery life of the current models
Double the RAM and processing power
Built-in FM transmitter
Apple logo on back will glow
Rubber-tread backing
Sleeker design
Built-in compass
The camera, GPS, compass and Google map combined will identify photo and inform about photo locations
Turn-by-turn directions

 

[bruinsrme]

Apple iPhone (ATT)
Blackberry Storm (Verizon)
Google Android (T-Mobile)
Palm Pre (Sprint)

Everyone is all lined up for this "battle" to win our $s.

Does anyone know if the PRE has a glass screen (as opposed to plastic)? Also, how can you browse in landscape mode....is there a touchscreen keyboard? It would not make sense to hold the phone in landscape mode while the keyboard is in portrait mode.

I think what this battle might come down to is the monthly cost.
As ATT nickles and dimes their subscribers, I expect Sprint and Verizon to introduce far more viable options for many people whom want internet, MMS and texting. ATT will continue trying to feed iPhone users full of crap saying the iPhones are not capable of doing things when ATT purposely prohibits certain functons.

 

[Small White Car]

but once the Pre was announced suddenly the hearing aids on the Apple folks were turned on.

That's BS. Yes, some companies get a successful product and then stop trying. It happens a lot. In that case, a good competitor is a great thing.

But it's been very clear that Apple has been working as fast and as hard as they can on the iPhone ever since they started on it.

If you read anything about what's going on behind the scenes, it's quite clear that features aren't missing because they don't care, but simply because they don't have TIME to do everything they want to all at once.

So they could have given us a very buggy iPhone that did everything, or a (reasonably) stable iPhone with fewer features and then build from there. That's what they're doing, and the Palm coming out has no affect on that.

Now, what the Palm WILL do is put preasure on AT&T to look at their plans. That's entirely up in the air.

But Apple can't just "work faster" than they already are. It doesn't work that way.

EDIT: Brooks' law is about software, but I think it applies to the iPhone too. Apple can't just add more people to get it done faster. It takes time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooks'_law

 

[patmcfar8]

If I had to guess... I'd say we'll be hearing some new iPhone 3.0 news about the same time as the Pre launch. Apple's pretty good about stealing other people's thunder. Maybe some leak specs or photos?

 

[reckless2k2]

The Pre has got some nice features that aren't present in the G1. When you couple the price point including service and overall supposed usability, you do have a real competitor. This could have been a REAL winner if it was in Verizon. I don't think it will really get too many people running to Sprint the way people have run to AT&T for the iPhone.

 

[xhambonex]

This is what happens when you are the one setting the bar.

I know that Apple took the market by storm, but I think that is just because they are apple and their marketing. I think the bar wasn't really set by apple as much as it was made visible to the average consumer.

That said, I don't think its an excuse for Apple.

 

[michaelvoigt]

Apple iPhone (ATT)
Blackberry Storm (Verizon)
Google Android (T-Mobile)
Palm Pre (Sprint)

Everyone is all lined up for this "battle" to win our $s.

Does anyone know if the PRE has a glass screen (as opposed to plastic)? Also, how can you browse in landscape mode....is there a touchscreen keyboard? It would not make sense to hold the phone in landscape mode while the keyboard is in portrait mode.

So, so many of us have already started a juicy 2-year contract and have spent our $$$ ..... There might just be less people then expected ready to line up to start a new contract and drop $200.

 

[Warbrain]

And I prepare to laugh when everyone realizes just how clunky of a device it will be.

The thing is thick. The OS is going to be a mess. It reportedly feels extremely cheap and creaks when you use it because it's all poorly constructed. And the MIR just makes it even more shady to purchase because most people won't get that 100 dollars back. It also doesn't help that Sprint has a terrible network and dying while Palm is a company with poor products and dying...

it is all set up for failure. I've been saying it from the start.

 

[knightlie]

$70 for wireless induction charging? Yup, that whole "plugging a cable into the phone" is just too hard.

And people accuse Apple of putting out overpriced crap that people don't need.

£50 for a wireless keyboard? Yup, that whole "plugging a cable into the USB hub" is just too hard.

And people accuse Palm of putting out overpriced crap that people don't need.


If you don't like the Pre, at least try and come up with a realistic criticism of it...

 

[theBB]

$100 mail-in-rebate. That is lousy. Not only they are going to sit on $100 for about 8 weeks, but you still have to go through the hassle of cutting boxes etc with possibility that they will somehow lose your application.

This is not a stand alone electronic gadget that gets sold in many different stores where the manufacturer can claim to be "worried" that not all of the discount may be given to the customer. Both Sprint and Palm knows who you are thanks to the contract requirement. If they deducted that amount from your phone bill, that would be something else. They are counting on many unpaid rebates. I really dislike these kinds of shenanigans.

 

[flopticalcube]

Its nice to see induction charging on more and more devices. Now if we had some sort of standard (there probably is one already) we could have generic induction charging surfaces.

 

[Goona]

Agreed. The Pre maybe rejected by the vast majority of MR fans but the Pre is probably the best thing to happen to the iPhone. Heck the Pre may be the biggest piece of crap (doubtful) but once the Pre was announced suddenly the hearing aids on the Apple folks were turned on.

Yeah just like the hearing aids on the Apple folks turned on after all those iphone killers, lol.

 

[kas23]

It also doesn't help that Sprint has a terrible network and dying while Palm is a company with poor products and dying...

You obviously have not been on the Sprint network in the last 5 years. It runs circles around AT&T's subpar, amateur network.

 

[mrtune]

450 min anytime, unlimted everything for $70? That's a good deal. That's $20 cheaper than I pay on AT&T for my iPhone for the same plan. And I only get 5000 weekend and nights.

Good deal in my eyes.

 

[bruinsrme]

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/05/next-gen-iphone-specs-launch-date-revealed/

The New iPhone: (released on July 17th)

32GB and 16GB storage (up from the current 16GB and 8GB models) $199 and $299 price points to be maintained
3.2-megapixel camera (up from the current 2-megapixel camera) that sounds good
Video-recording and editing capabilities yawn
Ability to send a picture & video via MMS OOOOOMMMMMMGGGGGG say it isn't so, so was it apple or ATT that didn't want to support this antiquated but effective service
Discontinuation of the metal band surrounding the edge of the device
OLED screen Ok don't think I wil miss it
1.5 times the battery life of the current models I like
Double the RAM and processing power I like
Built-in FM transmitter
Apple logo on back will glow I surely hope I can turn this feature off
Rubber-tread backing
Sleeker design ootooh that are they removing from the body
Built-in compass isn't their an app for that?
The camera, GPS, compass and Google map combined will identify photo and inform about photo locations Sounds cool
Turn-by-turn directions

I have that now

Well maybe over the new couple weeks we wil have a more definite timeline

 

[ob81]

The plan does it for me. I really think I am going Pre. I had an iPhone, and my wife still has her iphone. I had the Sprint simply everything plan with a sprint instinct, and it was fair pricing. The apps in the app store for the most part seem like time wasters to me, except for a few. I need to see some Pre apps in action.

 

[talkingfuture]

I'm all for competition but I really don't understand why people were getting so excited about the pre. It seems like it is technically an equal of the iPhone without the beautiful design and Apple experience. So I won't be wanting one of these instead of an iPhone.

Fair play to anyone who does want/buy one.

 

[dejo]

450 min anytime, unlimted everything for $70?

I think the fact you are limited to 450 minutes indicates the unlimited is not for "everything". 😉

 

[kas23]

I wouldn't call this a bad move for Palm, I'd call it a bold move. Apple's WWDC is gonna be like a free marketing campaign for the Pre. With excitement still high from the Pre release on June 6th, whatever comes out of Apple on June 8th, will automatically start being compared to the Pre. And in case Apple doesn't introduce a new phone as rumored on that date, Pre will look even better. Since there haven't been many (up until now, not one) hands-on reviews on the Pre by third parties, Palm can potentially make as many claims as they want about the potential of their new phone when its released; and it won't matter if they are exaggerated or not, they'll leave it up to the press and the public to decide, but that will happen after WWDC.

I like Apple and my iPhone, but that's one smart move Palm.

This is all very true. Whenever the media is going to mention the iPhone, they're likely going to mention the Pre too. The average customer will then go to the cellphone stores, will compare prices, and the Pre may win this battle as Sprint has better priced plans. I think this phone will be great for Sprint. It may not gain them customers, but it will likely stop their subscriber hemorrhage.

Assuming this is not a stinker like the Instinct, I probably would have stayed with Sprint for this phone. When I changed carriers to AT&T, it was like Sprint was begging me to change from them, since they had zero decent phones to pick from.

 

[bruinsrme]

Yeah just like the hearing aids on the Apple folks turned on after all those iphone killers, lol.

never said there were iPhone killers.

I beleive it was fear of Apple seeing something from a tech site saying something to the effect that iPhone features don't measure up to _____ fill in the blank.

 

[Warbrain]

You obviously have not been on the Sprint network in the last 5 years. It runs circles around AT&T's subpar, amateur network.

I deal with it every day at work. We use it and it is constantly inaudible, dropping calls, and worthless. This is in downtown Chicago.

 

[gloss]

You obviously have not been on the Sprint network in the last 5 years. It runs circles around AT&T's subpar, amateur network.

At least in the places where they have coverage.

 

[diamond.g]

I deal with it every day at work. We use it and it is constantly inaudible, dropping calls, and worthless. This is in downtown Chicago.

Sprint has always had problems since they are on the 1900mhz band. It is part of the reason why most in HoFo are excited about AT&T moving 3G to the 850Mhz band. Better building penetration.

At least in the places where they have coverage.

I was under the impression that Sprint has roaming agreements with Verizon in most if not all markets.