Sprint puts a vacation blackout on May -- Palm Pre launch likely?

Well, we're circling in, folks. Hot on the heels of learning that Sprint employees have the Palm Pre in hand for training, there's word from all sides that Sprint has put a vacation blackout on the month of May for retail employees, which would seem to imply that the Pre will be launched sometime in there. We saw similar vacation freezes on AT&T's end for both iPhone launches, and those ended up fairly accurate. We haven't seen this memo personally, or threatened any Sprint employees for confirmation with shivs fashioned out of Samsung Instincts yet, so we'll keep an eye out for any other information to confirm or deny. Meanwhile, check out this Pre holster!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 10th 2009 10:08PM]

ok...let me edit what i've said ... I guess the main thing I want to know is if I could use the Sprint Pre on the GSM900/1800 bands over in Europe. I know the BB8830 from sprint works like that ... so it won't be stupid to assume the same for the pre

[Perspective Posted Apr 10th 2009 10:24PM]

I'm guessing it's not the Pre launch at all, but rather MASSIVE LAYOFFS Sprint has planned since the fact that its total number of employees outnumber its total number of customers is now exerting a downward pressure on the stock price.

[Wesscoast Posted Apr 10th 2009 10:44PM]

hardly. it was just USA, right? they didn't have many other countries until around iPhone 2.0.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 10th 2009 11:03PM]

I would love to say I will be there on day one buying one... but I bought the G1 a few months back.. I don't have the money to cancel with tmobile and buy the Pre... Plus if I get the Pre I would want unlimited everything, and that will make my monthly bill even more expensive than it is now.... I need another job lol.

[jonshipman Posted Apr 11th 2009 11:33AM]

Sell the G1 (Call T-Mobile and have them unlock it first).

Buy a Pre unlocked GSM (import from Europe)

Bask in Pre-ness

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 10th 2009 11:34PM]

cost arm&leg!?

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 10th 2009 11:47PM]

http://palmgoon.com/?p=613

I found this that talks about the release date, I don't really know how accurate it is but it seems to go along with what's been said so far.

[GHoler Posted Apr 11th 2009 5:13AM]

Man, Palm sure knows how to stir the pot! Just hope they don't shoot themselves in the foot by releasing too close to June 30th and iPhone OS 3.0. Still I'm of the opinion that ongoing competition between Palm and Apple will only result in a better phone for users, maybe Apple can learn a lesson in openness and basic phone functionality. That, or Palm will fail and Apple will continue to rise spreading it's proprietary nonsense... So I really want Palm to succeed with this and I'm an iPhone user. So anyway.... when is this going to be released Palm?

[LloydChiro Posted Apr 11th 2009 11:42AM]

Just like with Josh, it would be awesome if I had some coffee right now.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 12th 2009 1:22AM]

The sprint guy that I talked to on Wed. Said that they had one at the headquarters...