Palm Pre definitely coming to Canada on Bell Mobility: 2H 2009
What the CEO wants, the CEO gets -- right? Evidently so, as just four months after Ed Colligan proudly stated that he wanted the Pre in Canadian hands, Palm has revealed that the to-be launched handset will indeed grace the cellular airwaves in the Great North. Canucks will have to rely on Bell Mobility (a CDMA carrier, for those unaware) for service, and they'll have to wait until "the second half of 2009" to indulge. Check the read link to get yourself signed up for notifications, and feel free to start the countdown until 11:59PM on December 31st, 2009.























Ugh.. Have you ever tried dealing with Bell customer support? I'd rather poke my eye out with a needle sometimes.
Bell doesn't get the the iPhone, Rogers does. It would be nice to see the two top guys fight it out with these phones.
Don't even bother with a low rank. Just click the report button.
colin, i agree. sadly i must use bell for work... stupid me just bought a storm though, would have waited had i known. 'it's no iphone' blah blah, that may be, but i dislike my storm so very much, the pre has to be better than that.
Yo Darren, we (Bell) also have a 3G network we're launching in tandem with TELUS the 2nd half of this year so we are not just a CDMA carrier. The Pre will use our new 3G network and rumour has it we are making a push to land the iPhone when the exclusivity deal ends with Rogers.
Just a quick fact update for you from the source my man.
eJ
Wow, great job palm. Let's chalk this one up on the big mistakes board. After problems with Bell, everyone in Canada knows rogers is where it's at.
And Rogers charges a fortune with the iPhone, so your pretty much screwed with whoever u go with...
Come to Telus with my unlimted data plan...come to Telus!
I'll just have to buy one in Hong Kong, or wherever they're most likely to sell an unlocked version.
hmm.. wonder how long it'll take for them to launch in Europe.
this is nice!
Talking about USA...only if it were coming to AT&T.
who will be the first to insist that "Canuck" is a racist slur? Will it be you? or you? or YOU?
I think you just implied that Canadians are a different RACE than Americans.
Does that make you a complete moron? Probably.
You.
you might want to tell the Vancouver CANUCKS that.
http://canucks.nhl.com/
There are no racist slurs for sports teams.... Now back to my Cleveland Indians game with that lovable Chief Wahoo.
touché
Man this sucks, no rogers?.
What were you thinking? iPhone is with Rogers.
I was desperately hoping Telus would get it. I like them (compared to the other carriers here) and I pay $15 a month for unlimited data on my smartphone. I have a sinking feeling in my heart right now.
Telus will most probably get the phone as well. I don't think that well will get exclusivity in Canada since they only deal in the eastern half of Canada.
I'm sure it will come with at least a $200 price tag on a mandatory 3 year contract.
Not sure I can do that, I've never owned a phone for three years in my life. Plus the new Globalive GSM carrier is debuting in the first quarter of 2010, I don't want to be locked into a contract when the increased competition starts dragging down prices and contract lengths.
Hey, if I can keep my contract (currently $10/m unlimited data), I might consider this. At the same time, I'd wait till there's a good tethering app for the Pre... tethering my current phone has been a life saver too often to give it up.
AT&T Please!
AT&T doesn't have the 3g coverage/bandwidth to handle a Pre, for now. Go ask a iphone user =D
At least 5 dropped calls per week :o( uh yeah you want the pre on ATT. Sprint has worst customer services but their network is far superior than ATT's.
3G, dropped calls, customer service, blah blah blah
its all irrelevant if Palm sticks with a CDMA only device.
wow. you know, we Canadians complain about telco prices, but I've NEVER had a dropped call on rogers or virgin. I'll take a higher price if it means the product doesn't blow chunks.
I'll be honest, I don't understand this dropped call issue you guys are having south of the border. I don't think this issue is occurring in Canada. I have never had that issue here, unless I am mistaken.
Why do I think this phone will be used by huge assholes like DUDE I'LL JUST BOOK TICKETS ON MAH PRE
HEY PALM
Why don't you work on finalizing a release date and price and letting your first market know before working on and announcing all these other markets.
This is uncalled for. Information, now!
May 30th. $199 w/contract. There.
This is an OUTRAGE! How DARE they use the term canuck! The proper term for us is little America! LOL. (Sorry, had to.)
Let me just say that Bell Canada is everything that is wrong with the mobile communication industry (as well as TV, Home Phone and internet). Bell Canada is nothing but a vampirical corporation that has only their bottom line in interest at the complete and absolute expense of their own customers. Believe me, I was with Bell Mobility for over a year and it perhaps is the worst decision I have ever made. Giving Bell exclusive rights to sell the Pre in Canada is a terrible idea!
And I agree with Colin, Bell customer support is as pathetic and their rate plans, "most expensive in the world".
Don't blame me. Blame these guys: http://canucks.nhl.com/
Don't blame hockey, BLAME CANADA!
GO Canucks GO!
Here come the hawks, the mighty BLACKHAWKS.
Noooo not on Bell... this is the worst company.
Why are carriers called carriers anyways? People should be able to use the device of their choice without unlocking... this way manufacturers could make great phones, customers could buy the ones that fits best their interests and carriers could... carry.
Sad
I was hoping for anybody ( in Canada that means Telus as they are the only CDMA network operators ) but Bell mobility as a Canadian provider. These people are terrible, no kidding.
There are so many departments in that huge company (Bell Canada) that nobody knows anything when you require specific questions. It's like a capharnaüm. The only way to speak to a human there is to not answer to "Emilie" who is Bell's robot answering the phone and trying to direct you to the right department. I say "trying" as it never works or almost as you endup spending very frustrating quality time ( my time ) repeating your answer to that robot's questions as their voice analysis software is underperforming to say the least. I just now wait, not touching any numbers on my phone, for a human to speak to. It takes a while but it is shorter that that crucifying Emilie process.
I'm 46 and have been with them most of that time. I was about to switch to Telus but love my Palm Treo. Reading about the Pre, I was waiting to know who would be the Pre's carrier. I'm disapointed.
Any chance, in your opinion, that Telus or Vidéotron could end up with the later versions of the WebOS devices that will follow the Pre or is it most likely Bell Mobility that will also be the sole provider of these future devices?
Some people complain about Sprint but I have the feeling that these are people who don't even have Sprint since I also hear very good things.
I'm in Canada so I was hoping that the same would be true for Bell, but it's not looking that way.
I really want this phone. I don't want to wait until the second half of 09. Also, I would be really disappointed if they tried forcing a 3-year contract. A 3-year contract might actually push me to keeping my Treo 650 forever.
Oh I have had Bell. I have managed now to be Bell-free for three years or so and it has been decent. I am on Rogers now and it has been alright. What I am really hoping for is the market to open up here with the idea of companies like Globalive launching a new GSM service next year. In the mean time I would maintain my anyone-but-Bell stance but this is going to make it hard to watch. Telus would have been a better choice than Bell IMHO.
just want you to be aware of this, as my company did not look into things, just signed with the prettier sales girl.
bell's unlimited voice plan - $80, similar to rogers (iphone carrier in canada)
with that, data is included... a whole 4mb, same plan on rogers - 500mb (that is not a typo)
max data plan upgrade on bell - 100mb for $100 (yes it's ridiculous)
max data plan on rogers - 4gb for $60
is rogers too cheap... no, still more than at&t... is bell to expensive, imho they will kill their own cell phone market as smartphones become more and more popular if they don't smarten up.
these prices are corporate rates, so personal may be different. but needless to say i was very upset to find out my new storm which does not have wifi would cost me $100 a month for only 1/5th the amount of data that comes standard with rogers.
@ EMoShunz
Bell offers a plan for their current smart phones that runs $70/month.
I don't know if it's available for businesses but I know it's available for the end consumer.
I think it has 400 weekday minutes, unlimited evenings (with 5pm start) and weekends and unlimited web/email/text etc.
That's pretty much as good as it gets here in the Great White North.
I'm on a similar plan with Virgin and I'm don't pay the $10/month for 911 and SAF.
we are not neither in Canada nor USA. what about Europe release date for Vodofone or Turkcell?
bell makes rogers look competent. and less evil.
I was in a Telus store the other day, and a guy who works there is pretty sure Telus is getting the Pre. When I asked him about Android he just looked confused.
You know palm regularly releases their GSM phones unlocked directly from their site right? When this happens I'll likely buy two, I strongly believe in a backup phone (I carry a bold and a jav usually)
What about Telus? Telus better carry the Pre
Down with BELL! Down with ROGERS! Down with TELUS!
CANADIAN PHONE COMPANIES ARE TERRIBLE!