Palm Pre to run $549 off-contract
By Nilay Patel 
posted May 19th 2009 4:54PM
posted May 19th 2009 4:54PM
[Thanks, Dustin]
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Now the big deal in this is what's the lowest pricing for the data plan for the unsubsidized phone?
IE: That's what makes my $350 Nokia substantially cheaper than a $200 iPhone 3G.
Looks like a reasonable price range for non-contract, IMO. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
My post wasn't supposed to be a reply anyone, my bad...
LIVE FREE OR DIE!
Just talked to a sales rep earlier this morning, lowest plan is $69.99 for 450 mins, and sprints unlimited data. nights and weekends from 7p to 7a.
450 mins $69.99
900 mins $89.99
all unlim $99.99
facepalm
(sorry, had to :) )
@ImaYam.
No. You didn't. Go away.
I had swine flu for breakfast
The Pre can fix that.
There's an app for that.
Had to read that a good few times to distinguish between $49 and 549
me too
Chester City?
Chester City indeed :)
Wow so it's $50 cheaper than an un-contracted iPhone 3G...
I thought this thing was just going to pwn the iPhone utterly in all aspects?
I'm actually excited to play with one, competition is good and it'll hopefully up Apple and Blackberry's game, but I feel like we've been hyped just as much as Apple does.
You do realize that the iPhone has been out for almost two years right?
1. http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/21/t-mobile-responds-to-vodafone-iphone-injunction/ - November 2007 - Unlocked iPhone from Europe 999 Euros. Quite a bit more than $550.
2. http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/26/apple-now-selling-iphone-3g-unlocked-in-hong-kong/ - September 2008 - As Apple does not sell the iPhone in the U.S. unlocked, here is your next option to get one officially from Apple. $694/$797. Still quite a bit more than $550.
The Pre is $550, at LAUNCH, and it can only go down from here. Let me know if the iPhone hits $500 unlocked next year, when the Pre will most likely be under $450.
That uncontracted iPhone price isnt unlocked ->a unlocked costs a bit more, 749€ from orange france for example.
like buying an engagement ring
You sir, are a cheap som-ma-a bitch if you get your girl a toy of an engagement ring like that.
I meant buying an off-contract phone is like buying an engagement ring-- no commitments LOL
Well if you end up marrying just to save on taxes and car insurance... aslo for convenient sex... Why bother get the skank an expensive ring?
I read that as "Engadget ring"... And thought that would be really weird.
I'd sign a 5 year contract if they would let me get the Pre and keep my $30 SERO plan.
Me too! I'll sign a 10 year contract if I can just keep my SERO!
No kidding! I'll be off-contract soon since you can get an HTC Touch pro on eBay for $340 and an upgrade would run me $300 after a $100 MIR...not like I'm going to leave Sprint but I'd readily sign a Canada-sized contract (3 years FTL) to use the Pre on SERO.
I'm not on SERO, but I do have a 6 year old plan that I'd like to keep and be able to be a Pre user. Guess I may have to shell out $550 if I want to do that, unless the Pre really is tied to only newer plans. That would be sad if that were the case.
Bah. Who cares. I'm much more interested in Schmidt's following question!
iPhone 3G up for sale...
And yet, nobody wants it...
LOL. No, it will make a nice iPod Touch
The more I hear about this phone the less I care.
Palm should've made the pre off contract be less than $400, would sell more
By Jove he's right...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demand_curve
Good point. Also, if they sold it at $700 they would sell less
and if they were $0, they wouldn't sell any!
i enjoyed this little lesson in economics.
I also enjoyed this little lesson in engadget sarcasm =]
they did. You buy it, under contract, for $199. You then go to Sprint and say, "hello Mr. Sprint, I would Like to cancel my contract." After a few questions and attempts at getting you to change your mind, they will reply, "your contract is canceled, that will be $175."
You just bought the Pre for less than $400.
I live in India and I don't know how this whole "contract" system in the US functions. In India almost all phones are unlocked (except...hold your breath....the iphone). So are they actually that stupid? do they terminate your contract for 175 USD? then what happens? how much more would it cost you to have it unlocked?
What's up with that may 6th in there? Was that the original release date?
It's a typo -- I have the rest of the conversation and Sprint responds that the Pre will be available in stores and on Sprint.com June 6.
Stop lying, Nilay!
We all know it came out on the 6th, but you and your conspiracy of Engadget bloggers are hiding them for a month so you can buy them all before anyone else!
... I'm ON to yooooou....
It's cheaper to buy it on contract and cancel later if needed. People who insist on getting a PDA or anything in that range without a contract seem to miss this most of the time.
That's less than I thought... considering the iPhone went for $700 off contract.
But it's pointless to talk about an off contract Pre when there is no sign of a GSM version, yet.
There is going to be a GSM version, Palm just doesn't want to talk about it right now because they want all attention on this launch. Trust me, a few months after launch, we'll hear about the GSM version and maybe even other WebOS phones.
Is there any particular reason why one wouldn't buy it on contract and then pay the $175 cancellation fee? Seems like it would be cheaper, even with an activation fee. Or is there something in the contract that prevents you from doing so?
you have to have service for before you can get your $100 mail in rebate. it takes 10-14 weeks to get it and you have to have service when they process your check so that puts you just a little above off contract price.
But $300 + $175 = $475, which is still less than $549, right?
And in the case of the iPhone, $475 is less than $600.
I have to be missing something (other than the hassle).
What you're missing is they can take back the phone if you cancel too soon.
That would do it. I'll have to read over the contract terms more carefully.
For the record, I haven't done this and don't plan to in the future, but I always wondered how a carrier could charge more than $175 over the subsidized price.
@rollins
you're also missing the fact that you have to actually pay for your contract while you wait for the rebate, or pay for that one month. THat's at least $69, $300 + $175 + $70 = $545. You're paying 4 dollars less for a bunch of hassle and risk.
If you choose to take the rebate, then you're waiting, say, three months.... $200 + $175 + (3*$70) = a big fat $685.
Even the best case scenario barely saves you any money, and you've got the risk of them pulling the phone and leaving you down $545
Kayla sounds hot.
@raging_hamsterx
That's a pretty cheap ring...
DAMN IT! I cannot upgrade yet!
i wish they had 1 or 1.5 year contracts for mid range prices. 2 year contracts are just a hint too long and 550 is just a hint to expensive to skimp out on that.
I don't care how much. I expect this bugger to make me moniez.
Yeah sorry about the May 6th typo, I am just so pumped that we finally have a date for the PRE!!!!!!
What is the Sprint cancellation fee? That is the real question when comparing the two prices.
$200 for the first six months, starts going down by $10 every month until hitting $50.
Well, it's not locked, in the GSM sense of the word. Sprint/VZW phones aren't really locked; the carriers just won't let outside devices on to their networks, but they could. You could use it on VZW if you can convince them to activate it. Perhaps under their new open-network program, they might let you on after a year of hassle.
Well, Verizon will allow any device to be activated on it's network, they changed that a while ago.
http://news.vzw.com/news/2007/11/pr2007-11-27.html (old but relevant)
It's more a matter of if all the advanced features will actually work on Verizon's network (data, gps, etc.)
I don't know about "any device." I think it still has to be approved, and I have heard of this being a hassle, especially with finding the right tech to do it for you.
Regardless, the Pre will not properly work on Verizon. There are specific app's features that need access to the net without restrictions. The Pre will not only be talking to Sprint servers, it will be talking to Palm servers as well. Couple of examples of app's that will not work on Verizon, Amazon, TeleNav, probably all of the GPS based app's.
What about Metro PCS? Don't they operate on Sprint's network?
No, but they use CDMA technology like Sprint and Verizon so yes in theory if you can get Metro to unlock it for you. Might be a while before they are able to use their MetroFlash thing or whatever they call it.
Nilay Patel, just freaking write 550, not 449. Don't be silly.
Yeah, if he'd had 101 dollars difference it would have been silly.
Possible to get the phone at $199 and then pay the $200 early termination fee making it cheaper than $549?
Except you wouldn't be able to take this phone to any other carriers. So what would be the point in canceling the contract if you are still going to use it on Sprint?
The phone is $200 after the mail in rebate on contract. Sprint prorates contracts now, so after 6 months the termination fee goes down $10 a month until it bottoms out at $50 I believe (and then no ETF after contract is up obviously). So even buying the phone under contract and then canceling it after a year ends up running you what, less than $350? Why is everyone so concerned about contracts? Do you all jump carries that much that you are constantly buying phones at regular price? And if so, why are you complaining about how much things cost when you're the one that is causing the issue of having to buy new phones every time something new and flashy comes out?
Keep in mind, yes it would be cheaper to buy with a plan and pay the $175...but if you buy the Pre Outright, you lose your $150 Off upgrade eligibility. So your stuck. Plus, with the Tour and Pro 2 Coming out, if you wanted those youd have to extend your contract or pay full price for those phones and theyll probably cost close to 600 or 650.
I was going to Buy the Snap/Cedar or watever they want to call it outright because the Rep said it would be $300 Off contract and $149 after rebate and use the $150 upgrade ive had since last april on a new Blackberry in the September....Fortunately, my contract is up in August so i can probably get them to give me the $150 Off anyway when i want either of those phones.
So THINK before you do this....Buying Off Contract Resets your Upgrade Time.
Buying off of contract does NOT reset your upgrade eligibility. The only thing resetting your upgrade eligibility is using it. Purchasing a phone outright doesn't renew your agreement or penalize you in anyway. The phone is simply swapped on your account.
That is utter bullshit. Buying off contract keeps you upgrade intact on Sprint. I dunno what provider you're talking about, but when you change phones they don't extend your upgrade date. Stop spreading total misinformation pls.
@miguel
That was true a few years back on their old billing system. It was something weird with the way the billing system worked. When it happened to me I was able to get them to manually give me the new phone pricing. Now on the current billing system, my date wasn't reset when I bought a Touch Diamond through Ebay and activated it. BTW I just had a chat with Sprint about this. My rep probably was completely wrong about this part but he claims as a current customer I'd get my discount on top of the $199.99 price. He also said that I could go from my old SERO plan to the new Everything referral plan which saves me a good deal of money especially when I convert it to a family plan.
i want to know the answer to that final question
So if you buy this phone for the $549, you are contract free..... could you technically keep your same plan you have now.... buy the phone for full price..... then swap out your current phone with the Pre and live happily ever after on your current plan that you have?
they have to be under one of the everything data plans or simply everything plans. So you can either run with 450, 900 or unlimited minutes on a single line, or 1500 or 3000 on a family (for standard consumer plans). You can't activate it under an older plan like free and clear or fair and flex, has to be one of the current data plans.
@James You are incorrect. The OP is correct. Sprint will let you put any of the devices you supposedly can't have on a non-unlimited plan on your old plan if you buy the device outright. I konw cause I have a Touch Pro on a SERO plan :)
No, not true call Sprint they are not allowing the Pre to be activated on any older plan. They want to squeeze everyone for $99 like ATT is doing with the Iphone.
@jayzee77 That's weak. I called them up and you're correct. Well, I wasn't going to buy one anyway. Maybe after they force me off of SERO. Sorry. Damn. :(
That's a ($) sign, you dope!
My wife is currently a Sprint customer, we should be able to convert that to family plan if I get a pre, no?
Yeah, as long as it is one of the "everything" variety of family plans.
... As long as I have the SPC in hand when I buy the thing, I'd sure as hell be able to port it to Pageplus, a Verizon MVNO... hell, I have a Sprint Diamond on it and it works fine, although without EV/1X data.
Im elegible for the $150 upgrade credit, how much will this phone cost me? I haven't been able to get an answer to this question yet.
If you're due for the $150 upgrade, you'll be eligible for the mail-in rebate and everything, so $200, as long as you renew your contract for another 2 years.
But if the price is $549 off contract, minus my $150 upgrade, thats $400. Plus the mail in rebate brings it down to $300. I would like to be able to get the phone for $199 after rebates like everyone else.
These guys answered my question:
http://www.precentral.net/
Any plan that has the word "everything" in it is compatible with this phone.
incorrect info. For example, the 1500 and 3000 minute plans that just include text messaging and not data are called "Everything Messaging" family plans.
I have Sprint...so if I cancel take:
$200 [early termination fee]
+ $300 [sign back up with Sprint for 2 year deal]
- $100 [mail in rebate
_____
Puts me at $400 instead of just buying this outright at $550
That makes plenty of sense...
You forgot paying for the phone and paying for the month's service you'll need.
Well you're right...I forgot activation fee which is usually $25
The phone is the sign back up $300 - 100 mail in rebate.
I have the Simply Everything Plan right now anyway so that wouldn't change.
http://www.isyougeekedup.com/confirmed-sprint-disallowing-palm-pre-activation-on-sero-plans/
I will be sticking with my centro and SERO, maybe eventually when sales drop they will start allowing the PRE to be used with Sero plans.
I was informed otherwise by Sprint Customer Solutions via email by a representative named Austin R. early this morning. He said "The retail price for the palm pre handset is $499.99." I also had another representative tell me the full price of the phone off-contract is not in the system yet, and all information given has been stated in the press release. Once again, I think we'll have to wait a bit longer before these CSRs can be trusted.
it DOES look like the guy was trying to type $499.99 and missed a nine and typed $49.99 instead doesn't it?
facepalm will have a completely different meaning
WTF is up with the screen resolution... 1080x1920??
great any ideas of launching it in India.
Excellent Images & Videos of Palm Pre
I'm anxiously awaiting the first reviews from engadget, brighthand, arstechnica, and 1src. Each has a somewhat different spin on what makes a phone/handheld device great and it's good to see the experience of each play a role in the review.