If this latest bit of
Pre intel scored by
Boy Genius Report is to be believed, it looks like you might be able to pick up one of 4,500 of Palm's latest and greatest as early as June 7. According to a tip from a supposed Best Buy insider, the venerable retailer
could be gearing up to launch the hotly anticipated handset in just over a month's time, though it's not clear whether this'll coincide with Sprint's full-scale launch or come before or after. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, they've got some possible numbers on what this beauty will run you: $199.99 for new customers with a 2-year plan, $299.99 for upgrades, and a cool $999.99 contract-free -- though in our experience, Best Buy Mobile frequently has its pricing wrong ahead of launch, so these are definitely subject to change.
posted May 3rd 2009 6:24PM
$999.99 contract free? dayum, and I thought the N97 was expensive.
Although I readily admit the price with contract is by far the most important. Here's to hoping they can lower it before launch and undercut the iphone just a little bit more...
If new customers can get one for $199, then im sure online auctions will have them for around $400-$500.
Did you not read the article? It said Best Buy usually has its pricing wrong before launch.
@Phi: Wrong doesn't mean the current price they leaked is too high.
Best Buy usually has the wrong price AFTER launch, too.
Bestbuy Mobile's no-contract price is always sky high, for example a Blackberry 8330 for Sprint is $749 w/o contract right now in store.
Bye Sprint if you charge me more than $199 to re-up my contract.
@haX0r
Have fun paying 10-20 bucks more a month then.
These prices are often placeholders until the real prices get confirmed.
And many times, yes, no-contract pricing is usually higher, but often times 2-year contract pricing is much cheaper than carrier stores (not to mention instant pricing and no mail-in rebates, which is great).
It's give and take, the vast majority of customers prefer to sign contracts for cheaper phone prices as opposed to a small minority who prefer no contract at a premium and so they're usually the ones that get the more competitive pricing (for example, I'd rather give a discount to a large group of people than a small one as the quantity usually makes up for the discount in the end).
Engadget, that's my brithday you know *hint hint*
mine too!
Are you the Re tard called "gollum", you worthless fooll?
nope his name is eddie and his name is jason
http://www.engadget.com/profile/2302078/
http://www.engadget.com/profile/2630536/
Hey! That is my birthday too. Good present that would be.
Same bday here as well. Can't wait for the Pre to launch.
Can't wait!
woah!
999.99$ free?
thats not free at all
@Daniesto
you don't speak english do you....?
There's too much wrong with this particular "rumor".
Only the contract-free pricing seems off, and frequently they price them so high because they discourage taking a supposedly "one-carrier-only" phone on another network. all of the rest seems competitive and reasonable.
I have a feeling that the off-contract price at least is just a filler till they get a real one in.
Buying the phone with a contract and then cancelling would be cheaper than $999.
That is true with most smartphones since the cancelation fee is usually the same across phones while the carrier subsidization is often higher since they usually get more money per contract due to data usage. Not always, but often.
release the bullshit already! Pre this and that.
Nobody cares about that fucking iphone rip-off!
Once that shit hit the streets, there will be tons of Pre knock offs,marginalizing Palm's lil iphone killer in the over crowded jesus phone market.
The heat is certainly decreasing as Palm is taking ages to get this phone stocked on the shelves. It is hurting the brand really badly and might hurt them even more if they fail to get the phone out into the shops before Apple unwraps an updated iPhone in June. If Palm don't want to run the risk of getting overshadowed by Apple or watching potential consumers go all ZOMGZZ over the new iPhone, then they better make the phone available in the next three weeks or else they will have missed a golden opportunity.
Did you skip your medication today?
0/10. You blew it too early, try more subtle trolling next time.
i care about this phone more than i care about having sex with my wife (im a panda you see, i dont really care for sex)
Yeah!
You tell 'em T!
You my hero and shit!
$300 upgrade and it requires an upgraded plan? Ugh!
See, I'm wondering what they consider 'upgrade' and what they consider 'new'
I am well past my 2 year contract for my specific line of my specific Sprint phone. Does that make me 'new'?
No matter what I'm getting it and dropping this Blackberry Pearl. As per the iPhone: Palm knows how to make products that have the battery life and processing power and memory to actually do more than one thing at once. Plus Sprint's 3G network outperforms AT&T by leaps and bounds.
Lets just hope they don't launch this thing alongside the new iPhone. You don't want the 3rd generation iPhone up against your 1st generation (awesome) smartphone.
I just tried to find that out what ever you do do not try and use that chat thing. Those people just copy and paste the same messages. They can't really answer questions.
I would guess it's Upgrade Phone Price($300) - Discount for 2 Years with Sprint Contract ($150) = $150 Palm Pre.
wat?
They better not offer the PRE cheaper to new costumers, i have been with sprint for 6 years, and i'll be damned if some wanker wants to sign-up with sprint just to test the PRE and get it for cheaper!
They wrote it wrong. it's the lower price to new customer and current customers not under contract. The higher price is for those wishing to cancel a contract that they are under to get a new phone contract. The reason for this is that you may not have paid off the previous phone's subsidization, but since you are sticking with the company and going under for a new contract it's lower than canceling your contract on your own. This is standard among US carriers.
I agree. I've stuck with Palm and Sprint through all the hard long years. Over 9 years with Sprint now and mostly palm phones. If either of them let new customers get it cheaper they will have lost one of their most loyal customers.
Sprint doesn't normally offer and "upgrade" price. Anytime I've tried to do that I've had to pitch a fit and threaten to cancel before they would give me any kind of discount.
I'm sick of so many people constantly misunderstanding phone subsidies...
The carrier offers you a discounted phone if you agree to a multi-month (usually 18 or 24) contract. During this period, you are basically paying back that subsidy in the form of monthly service. You cannot get another new discounted phone until that contract period is up; after the contact expires then they'll usually offer you a discounted phone upgrade to get you to re-sign another x-month contract.
So in the case of the Pre, if you are eligible for an upgrade you'll get the same price as the new customer --- if you are not eligible for an upgrade, you'll pay a higher price. This is fair assuming you already got a discounted phone when your current contract was initiated..
@loosely_coupled
I could'nt have explained it better myself. + for you...
Let me get this straight: I got my LG Rumor this past December by signing a new 2 year contract. When the Pre comes out, because I am already under contract, and not eligible for an Upgrade, I would have to pay the off contract price to get the Pre???
What if I changed my current plan to one of the Everything Data/Simply Everything plans...would I then qualify for upgrade pricing? I'm curious to know if I can get my hands on a Pre at a reasonable price (between $200-400).
@loosely_coupled
While that may be the case through Sprint directly that is not the case for Bestbuy Mobile you will NOT necessarily get the same price as a new customer if you are upgrading at a Bestbuy Mobile. In many cases there are two completely different prices even if you are totally out of contract. And any mail in rebates do not apply at BBYM.
I used to work at CompUSA before it tanked, and when there was a new product being announced, we would have it in our server listings, but it would be priced rediculously high. I think these prices are to either throw off snitchers or prevent people from pre-ordering.
I see what you did there. ;)
you are right no way off contract will it cost 999.00 , problem is Only sprint will be carrying this phone so what does it matter, might as well just get the contract. Its not like you can put a sim card in it
Because you can activate it on Verizon since it's CDMA
I still don't see how people get this confused all the time. Sure you can switch sim cards in and out of your phone all you want, but the only other GSM network in the US is not 3G compatible with the other network...so you still can't use your phone on the other network even if you wanted to.
With CDMA you can switch your phone to any other CDMA network with full compatibility...no need for SIM cards. All it takes is a quick call to your cell provider and they can get it switched over within minutes.
Good luck getting VZW to activate a non-Verizon phone.
You cannot activate a Sprint phone on Verizon, or vice-versa, without some incredible efforts. Typically this only possible on Windows Mobile phones, and is done by spoofing your ESN, essentially. Each carrier KNOWS what phone belongs on their network.
Despite the fact that Verizon claims to now have an "open network," they have not allowed any true Sprint -> Verizon swaps, as far as I can tell.
Have you guys even tried? My parents have been switching non carrier branded phones to Verizon for years. When I finally got a phone I did the same thing. They told me they weren't supposed to do it but they did it anyway. Perhaps it's because they've been customers for so long, but I just assumed everybody was able to do it.
Contract-free it's $999! 0_0