Palm short one device this quarter, isn't telling what

Palm is blaming a shortage of revenue in its upcoming financial results on some unnamed product that they couldn't manage to get out the door this quarter. We asked Palm to fess up to the device (with our fingers crossed for a non-lame new Treo), but all they'd say is that they'll be discussing it later this month. Palm says they failed to get a "key product certified for delivery," so take that for what you will -- though we're not expecting anything too terribly flashy or unexpected, this is Palm after all. Which means we'd better start praying they're not trying to bring back the Foleo.

[Via News.com]

[brad @ Dec 7th 2007 6:36PM]

couldnt get it certified? Im thinking its the verizon 755p, verizon is known to be a stickler about aproving new devices...me thinks

[MegaZone @ Dec 8th 2007 12:16AM]

Yeah, that's what most people think it is since it is known that the 755p is supposed to be coming to Verizon, and Verizon is notorious about slow certification.

[Jonathan Bergeron @ Dec 7th 2007 6:39PM]

Maybe Palm went out and hired a person who does design for a living, instead of having one of their engineers design the product; and that's what their gonna release. A newly designed Treo that doesn't look as though it should belong back in the 90s.

[EnigmaPlus @ Dec 7th 2007 6:52PM]

I know what it is. It's the GSM Centro for AT&T and T-Mobile networks. Don't ask me how I know because I am not at liberty to discuss. All we were told is that it has been delayed until sometime next year......

[Jonathan Keim @ Dec 7th 2007 7:00PM]

Aren't you discussing it now???

Please, continue :-)

[austin @ Dec 7th 2007 7:01PM]

and your source is?

[Robert @ Dec 7th 2007 7:09PM]

No matter if this guy is legit or not, that does actually seem likely.

[Paul @ Dec 7th 2007 7:33PM]

Oh, BS! (I hate people who try and pretend to be in the know)

Sprint has a 90 day exclusive on the Centro which was released in mid-October. No other carrier could or would have access to a GSM Centro until January at the earliest. Even if FCC certification had somehow been delayed on such a device (which we don't even know for sure will see the light of day), it couldn't possibly affect their Q2 numbers.

It is likely VZ's 755p certification as stated above. I wish it was the 800w, though. At least that would only be about two years behind the state of the art...

[Anthony @ Dec 7th 2007 7:55PM]

I must say my wife would love the Centro but being on T-Mobile (& loyal to the company- "Go Team T-Mobile!"- cycling sponsorships) we don't want to jump ship. But the Shadow, Pearl & Dash are not to her liking.

[Richard Cartwright @ Dec 7th 2007 8:29PM]

I suspet he is right because I think the Sprint exclusivity is up around the 15th of December. I suspect that if he was really under NDA but felt compelled to spill his guts he would have passed it along to the Engadget staff.

[robinsmad @ Dec 7th 2007 10:14PM]

Sprint exclusivity ends in mid-January, not December. Paul is on the money.

[NHAnimator @ Dec 7th 2007 7:34PM]

"they'll be discussing it later this month"

Hmmm. December 25th would be a good day for an announcement like that.

[Alex McKenna @ Dec 7th 2007 7:42PM]

If they had made the Foleo a little smaller and lighter, and a little cheaper, they'd have the eee-pc, and wouldn't be able to make them fast enough!

[Arthur Nonamiss @ Dec 7th 2007 11:56PM]

I believed at first, and I still believe, that in some form, the Foleo could be an astonishingly successful device. That being said, canning it was the right move for Palm. They still haven't got the Treo right, so it made no sense that they would try to break into another market. There is no logic in making a device to compliment an already deeply flawed product. I've been a 700P user for over a year, and while I love everything that it could be, practically speaking, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I live with the flaws, because I can make it (more or less) do what I need it to do, but to the typical user, the problems far outweigh the benefits.

I believe in Palm. I think the editorial written here regarding their future was dead-on. But as good as the Foleo might have been, it would have been a business disaster.

[g00n @ Dec 7th 2007 8:01PM]

Its the Treo 800w you dolts! Should be out Q1 2008.

[Mark Richardson @ Dec 7th 2007 8:14PM]

Except the device was supposed to come out this Q4 07, not Q1 08. I'm betting it's the 755p, like brad said. You dolt.

[Charles Hamilton @ Dec 7th 2007 8:39PM]

I still don't get how the EEE-PC is the greatest thing since sliced bread, and the Foleo is the biggest turd ever.

[intheknow. @ Dec 7th 2007 10:30PM]

Maybe because the EEEPC actually shipped and worked, the Foleo never made it to market. Mainly because Palm is loosing the smartphone battle, they have allowed themselves to fall WAY behind and had to pull all of their resources off all other projects to try to save their core business.

[Charles Hamilton @ Dec 7th 2007 11:01PM]

It never shipped because it was dumped on by every major gadget blog and tech writer around. I understand the eeepc has a stronger processor, but the Foleo had a nicer keyboard and a bigger screen. Perfect for what the majority of people who buy the eee for, web browsing and email. I also understand that the eee is a better device, but not so much better as you might think from reading the gadget blogs.

[Drew @ Dec 9th 2007 4:40AM]

The Foleo had terrible software. It's email client would only work when tethered to a Palm Treo phone. You could not even send an email through WiFi. It's web browser could only have a single document open at a time. It could not play music or video.
The feature set of the Foleo was so limited that it was almost impossible to think of a user who would be happy with it.

[Delvis343 @ Dec 7th 2007 8:44PM]

Hopefully it is a completely redesigned UI or a new OS.

[robinsmad @ Dec 7th 2007 10:15PM]

Not for another year, unfortunately.

[benjamin.polzin @ Dec 7th 2007 9:12PM]

I talked to a Sprint rep over thanksgiving and when I asked about new smartphones he said they would be getting a Treo 800w around Jan-Feb. Wifi and GPS included. Not sure how reliable that was, but... take it with a grain of salt like everything else.

[intheknow. @ Dec 7th 2007 10:29PM]

It's the GSM version of the Centro that was supposed to ship on AT&T this month. Certification has slipped a few times and it has been pushed to early next year.

[Jim @ Dec 8th 2007 1:00AM]

Yes I think they are referring to the Windows Mobile GSM phone that looks like the Centro. Its the one that has the wide landscape display.

[kelake @ Dec 8th 2007 3:46AM]

Palm doesn't design inhouse and many of their oem/odm partners have very limited design teams.

[Mon-tucky biker @ Dec 8th 2007 11:03AM]

T-Mobile dropped its sponsorship for cycling due to doping...
Maybe Palm is on the EPO..

[Mark @ Dec 8th 2007 4:50PM]

No chance, but I wish it were the Foleo. If so, skip the pretentious open-letter crap. If you don't like it, just don't buy it.

[france.justin @ Dec 8th 2007 11:02PM]

C'mon, this is all smack talk to cover their Faileo arses. Surely.

(No, I jest, but I just don't care. Palm FAIL.)

[Dorian @ Dec 9th 2007 3:57PM]

"I know what it is. It's the GSM Centro for AT&T and T-Mobile networks. Don't ask me how I know because I am not at liberty to discuss. All we were told is that it has been delayed until sometime next year......"

He's correct I "think" we both have the same source.. but nonetheless he is correct...

[jay howard @ Dec 10th 2007 1:50AM]

Trashed my Treo 650 three months ago, and started using a Sony Ericsson K610i. Full access to gmail and Google calendars, Internet access, etc. Doesn't do as much as Treo 650 did, but also doesn't crash, doesn't weigh a ton (fits in pocket) and doesn't look like a relic from the beginning of the computer age. Am very happy with k610i, and have directed all email from Treonauts, etc. to spam. PALM is going to have to offer something spectacular or at least very appealing before I will use their phones again.