The Pre launch continues to befuddle -- sure, we finally know that
June 6 is when the magic happens, but the mechanics of actually snagging Palm's baby on that day are still pretty mysterious, and that's leaving a lot of room open for misinformation. Today's cloudy tea-reading comes courtesy of an ever-changing list of stores on Sprint.com that are marked as having June 5 "special hours," which some are reading to mean that only those stores will be blessed. We don't buy it. First, we've been told specifically that all stores will have Pre stock, even if it's minimal, and second, the special hours distribution just doesn't seem right to us if it's really correlated with Pre stocks: New York, Chicago, LA, and San Francisco are each currently showing just one store within 50 miles as having special hours, and Philly, Atlanta, and Houston have none listed at all. That's a way different list than when our friends at
jkOnTheRun checked earlier, and it's a recipe for total launch chaos if it's true -- but we're guessing the real deal is that all stores will get stock, but only one flagship store in each major metro area will be going all out on launch day with special hours.
Oh, and if you're planning on avoiding all the drama and just rolling into Best Buy on the 7th, we'd say think again:
Boy Genius Report says that the Blue will go "weeks after launch with little or no replenishment." Ouch -- guess Sprint CEO Dan Hesse wasn't
kidding around about shortages. Bottom line? Keep calling your local Sprint store to see if they get any information about the Pre, and keep it locked right here as we lead in -- we'll be working hard to let you know exactly when and where your best bet'll be.
Read - Sprint Store Locator
Read - Boy Genius Report on Best Buy stock
Read - jkOnTheRun post
posted May 22nd 2009 1:06PM
"That anti-Apple nerds can now buy a phone almost as good as an iphone - minus itunes, the app store and perfect UI?"
Why would an "anti-Apple nerd" want itunes, the app store, or the iPhone's UI?
minus perfect ui. Uh, have you even seen any screenshots or videos of the pre? Looks gorgeous!
PREACH!!!!!
But you're forgetting about the "ZOMG, IT DOES TRUE MULTI-TASKING" argument.
We'll see how good it actually is.
Let's see how well youtube vids play while you're signed into AIM, and then you get a phone call, and hang up. You're high off your ass if you don't think this is probably going to be buggy as shit at launch. I wouldn't be surprised if they end up crippling it in the future.
God I can't wait until this thing isn't nearly as awesome as you Anti-Apple fanbois are convinced it will be.
sysphus, my point was that they really do want an iphone, but probably can't afford one. But now they have something that's not quite as usefel but might give them some cred on tech blogs for a few weeks
Well, it's not like an announcement of a new iPhone at AT&T will keep 200.000 other phones to be bought, anyway.
Not everybody cares about iPhone;
Not everybody cares about Apple;
Not everybody wat to move to AT&T;
Not everybody hates or want to leave Sprint.
There's a plenty of marketshare to be taken despite the iPhone.
Yep, this is really a mystery. June 6th release...show up at a sprint store.
I knew that in South Texas not a single Radio Shack store will have it.
thats really odd especially since radioshack is based in texas....
o well my radioshack is getting the Pre...although ill probably only get 3-4
I use an iPhone but I'm still excited to see this thing. Although switching to Spring isn't an option since their service sucks in my area, and yet I'm still excited for its launch.
Is that assumption recent? You could always go buy the phone and if they coverage isn't as good as you think, return it within 30 days.
Closet Palm fanboy. Are you sure you really have an iPhone or is it a KIRF to be saying something like that? If you have an iPhone you should worship it and condemn all other smartphones. There's a war going on out here and only the loyal will win. Join in with the chant. Down with the Pre!
I just got off the phone with a local "official" sprint store who doesn't have that marked on the website, and they are indeed opening early, which must indicate they are getting some stock in.
So is it better to an iPhone fsnboy or pre fanboy?
Guru, you might as well just yelled FIRE. Here comes the fight... :0
Best.
I don't know. Depends on what a fsnboy is.
Better to be an iPhone fanboy in Manhattan, NYC. Most people have at least heard of an iPhone. A Pre could be just about anything that no one has ever heard of. Even dogs on the streets of New York know what an iPhone is. If you just hold up an iPhone in front of them, they start wagging their tails. Try that with a BlackBerry and they'll chew your hand off.
Two days ago, I saw at least 4 locations near me in the DC area listed with special hours on the 6th, but now I don't see a single one.
18th st NW?
Palm doesnt have much money. If the pre fails palm will fail. They probably dont have the funds for a proper launch therefore it wont sell good as it could on day one and that spells trouble for palm. Does it matter than the phone wont sell anywhere near good as an iphone. You might think it might not matter but if you use common knowledge it means the palm app store wont have much offerings in comparison to apples store therefore less you can do with the palm as well. I for one cant wait to come in here and gloat about it in a few months when my predictions become reality. Im not trying to change anyones opinion on this phone, if you want it go buy it. But be aware of the facts and what is very possible to happen when there isnt much in the palm app store.
@johnny, funds for launch are not an issue - if they needed money they could easily get a short term bridge loan; Palm had 6 months to manufacture handsets, and for whatever reason, didn't (this is nothing more than poor management/execution).
Alternatively (and quite possibly), manufacturing is not an issue and this is a 'false shortage' strategy to heighten perceived demand (this is a common business strategy these days) because even if Palm/Sprint sold 10 million units in one day, if there were any"left over" units on the shelf at the end of the day/weekend, every single tech blogger in the world would jump on the bandwagon and report that the unit is a "flop because it did not sell out.
In contrast, a blogger who put an ounce of thought into it would instead report: "Hey, 10 million Pres sold on day one, so even though there is excess inventory, the Pre is a blowout success and Sprint/Palm did a spectacular job meeting huge demand."
One other thing, im amazed how if you like a company like apple or the iphone or any other company that you are a fanboy. If you like a singer you get called a d*** rider. Just like what you like and what works for you and if you go around calling everyone a fanboy or whatever it just proves you have nothing of value or intelligence to say and are resorting to just name calling. People like apple because the products work great and are easy to use, plus the fact that it is so popular is a good thing. more electronics work with it that way. i can take my iphone in my car and plug it into my pioneer f7000 and play the ipod directly on it. I can take it home and plug it into my speaker dock, most accessories are made for it and work great. If it makes me a fanboy because i like a product that works and doesnt get viruses or crash every day then so be it. i just like what works sue me
*cues the violins*
I've used pcs as well as macs and both have had issues, neither are perfect.
and making generalizations such as "....viruses or crash every day" helps your case greatly.
So let me get this straight: Palm/Sprint has announced that the Pre will be released on June 6th......but they're selling all the available launch phones to repeat customers on the 5th.......so people who show up on the announced June 6th will be turned away. Do I have this correct?
No.
This reminds me of the PS3/360/Wii battle before release. Every discussion revolved about the unbeatable Sony team, every pundit and analyst prediction was that the PS3 would be by far the dominant console of this generation, with the 360 running second and the Wii a distant third due to the lack of high-horsepower hardware. Flash forward to today, the Wii is mega-profitable and with a ridiculous lead, followed by the fanboy 360, and finally the PS3. Dynasties inevitable fail and only time will tell how these phones work out.
ya, except none of those started off with a 50,000 app lead lol
I just called my local Sprint store and they put my name on their Palm Pre list. Didn't seem like they were going to run out of stock anytime soon because the rep told me that they'd hold it for all of June 6. He had no clue about the June 5 pre-release.
I'd sure like if all these folks who "called their Sprint store" would say how many Pres each store is going to get...
I have a serious Pre Jones myself, but unless Sprint can seriously undercut AT&T's voice and data plan pricing--and I mean SERIOUSLY--I don't see why the average user would choose the Pre over the iPhone. Availability questions are definitely not good news for Sprint/Palm, but if they aren't even going to throw their potential customers a bone on the month-to-month costs as an incentive to go with their product over Apple's, then it seems to me that the Pre-vs-iPhone battle will be won by Apple before it really even starts.
"but unless Sprint can seriously undercut AT&T's voice and data plan pricing--and I mean SERIOUSLY--I don't see why the average user would choose the Pre over the iPhone."
AT&T's Nation 450 with rollover minutes. $39.99
Obligatory Data Plan for the iPhone $30.00
Unlimited Text (currently no MMS until O/S 3.0) $20.00
They claim to have free nights and weekends starting at 9pm till 6am, but it also says 5000 night and weekend minutes (yeah, it looks that confusing). Monthly total before taxes= $89.99 This AT&T's cheapest iPhone plan.
Sprint's Everything Data plan w/450 minutes. $69.99
which includes Unlimited Data, Text messaging including MMS, nights and weekends FREE starting at 7p till 7am plus Premier Music & TV
If you go for a similar plan with 900 minutes, AT&T will cost you $109.99 while Sprint's Everything Data at 900 minutes is $89.99
Hope that clarifies things for you...
The 5th date is for the launch party the night before the 6th. They're doing it in L.A. as well. This is an event for premiere sprint customers.
I don't think that means one store will have the Pre. I think it means one store will be open earlier (Midnight? - ?) than the rest.
Yo hablo Español!
I just wanna say thanks to to Engadget. Seriously. As I freaked out over the release date, you guys keep us informed. Now i'm freaking out over this shortage and how I'm gonna get one, and you guys are on the HOT CASE! Keep the info coming, I'm dusting off the ole sleeping bag.
For those of you combing the comments for availability instead of at&t/sprint or apple/pre arguments, quite a few radioshacks will have the pre at launch, for some reason most of the stores in the miami district especially will have them on launch day (or more likely a day or two after, radioshack isnt exactly known for having ANYTHING at launch)
Engadget, June 5th is not the launch day.
Why are you such a mess.
Why is this news?!?!? The fact that only one store is opening early isn't a problem and it doesn't point to the rest of them not getting the phone at all.
every store should have the pre on launch day but some stores are opening at 8am for "preferred customers"
Apple sold 12.7m Iphones in the last 4 quarters. They sold 6m first generation Iphones in the first year of launch. Palm will need to sell at least 6m Pre in its first year - lets assume they cost $200 to build and ship to the US that's $1.2bn Palm needs to provide over the course of the year. Currently they have $215m? on their balance sheet - so Palm biggest concern is cash flow.
They have little or nothing for a major ad campaign.
and... it looks like Palm has ... one model?
Apple's probably going to come out with some low-end (read:8gig, sub-100 bucks) iPhone/iPod pricepoint ... Palm doesn't really have a chance.
Why exactly would Palm have to sell 6 million Pre's? You don't HAVE to sell as many phones as Apple did to be successful....
If Palm sells 6m pre thats about $600m gross assuming ($100 per phone) - last quarter Q12009 net income was -$106.15 so four quarters of that is going to near $425. Palm needs the Pre to be a bit hit or Palm are in trouble unless someone is interested in buying them out.
Their share price has already priced success in - now its time for Palm and Sprint to deliver. Most estimates are looking at 8m sales of the Pre but I suspect 6m is the minimum number Palm would like to reach.
wow they not even gonna offer the phone in my city, thats just lovely
Oh man, I work in the office building like 3 stores away from that Sprint store where the Pre is... my god that is going to be insane there.... I think I should leave for work like 30 mins early that day....
My local sprint store here in Bentonville, Arkansas says there should be no problem with me getting a phone on release day as long as I show up early....this is after he wouldn't add me to the waiting list last month because there were so many people on it. I think they are getting more stock then once thought.