Sprint affirms Palm Pre exclusivity "through 2009"
By Darren Murph 
posted May 29th 2009 10:01AM
posted May 29th 2009 10:01AM
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Makes sense... sucks those of you not in sprint regions have to wait that long. Hopefully by then they would have updated it a little to give users a incentive.
It's ok.. half of 2009 is over already.
"Sprint was the one network that decided to risk it with the Pre." Does that mean Palm shopped the Pre to other US carriers? If that's the case, screw Verizon and ATT, I have no doubt Sprint will extend the contract, especially if the Pre does well. Yesterday Rubenstien said there aren't any relationships between Verizon and ATT regarding the Pre. Other words, Palm is not even working on a network branding for Verizon and ATT, so even if Sprint doesn't extend the contract it could be another 3 to 6 months after the 6 month exclusive before any other US carrier gets the Pre.
Does anyone know if I'm allowed to get this phone with a plan other than the Simply Everything Plan, like my family's, more or less, simple Family Plan. Or do you have to get a Simply Everything Plan?
It's not as bad as having to wait over a year. I was actually considering one of these, but being on Sprint was a big turn off for me.
Why, is sprint bad? I was considering moving from t-mobile to sprint because all i've heard is how great sprint has become.
I've been on Sprint about a year now and so far have no complaints. Their customer service is quite good, the signal is strong, data is quick and the plans are good. What's not to love?
I've been a Sprint customer for 9 years. I really haven't had the customer support issues others have had. That being said, support and service has gotten much better in the past year, devices are much better now, and I get signal where my friends on other networks do not.
I second and third what they said. I've been a sprint customer for maybe 10 years or so with a SERO plan which I will not let even the Pre pry from my cold dead hands. Sprint has other good phones coming up, but besides that it has the best and cheapest plans.
I just left sprint recently because of the iPhone, but I really, really loved Sprint. Their customer service was second to none, when I lost my job, they let me go an absurdly long time without paying my bill (about 3 months I think.) My phone never dropped calls (except for one particular place, like clockwork) and my data rates were pretty speedy, about 1.2MBit down when tethering.
I moved into a brand new large building and complained about the signal. Within a day and a half I went from 2 bars to 5.
I guess Sprint bashing is still in vogue.
Count me in as another satisfied Sprint customer, going on 10 years now without a problem.
Honestly, I've had no issues with their service overall. My main gripe is that they don't use sim cards (back when I was with em') so I had to call them up to get a different phone provisioned, rather than simply switching sim cards.
@mikey,
it all depends where you're located. i'm in northern va/washington dc metro area, and sprint/nextel is the suck here; probably the worst of the top carriers. however, i've heard sprint rocks the socks off other areas. just ask around your area!!
Yeah, Sprint is the worst of the large 4 carriers to get here in Western New York. The second you start heading upstate, the connection is non-existant.
Negative, Ghostrider.
Why exactly does Verizon reduce specs on their versions of phones? I've never read an explanation for this.
I don't get it, if Verison is so suck, why is it your largest carrier?
Derry, I've always wondered the same...
@Derry
My guess would be a mixture of customer service and marketing.
Because they swallowed Alltel. Until they took Alltel over, they weren't the largest. In other words, they paid their way to the top in terms of customer base size.
Not sure. I never had any problems while I was with them. My dad's got Verizon now. But do this day I have yet to see a group of people with laptops and stuff following his every move to make sure his signal is good.....
@Derry -- Verizon was one of the companies to come out after the regulation adjustments of the 1990s with a working network and they really innovated with great cell phone coverage early on. Verizon has, generally, the best service around the country... their customer service sucks like anybody else and they commonly nerf all of their phones with shitty specs and Verizon branding/software.
I freaking hate how they ticker the VZ logo all over the place too. Giant red, ugly brand.
I suspect it has to do with market saturation and people's reluctance to change. For example: I know I can probably get a better rate on my car insurance and I see ads telling me that every day but it's such a PITA that I don't bother looking into changing. Verizon also does a pretty good job of convincing it's customers that they have the best network and that their V-"Feature" is better than anything they could get elsewhere. Marketing beats functionality almost every time.
They have the largest 3G network in the United States. Their 3G footprint totally blows away AT&T's tiny 3G footprint. (I don't know much about Sprint's. I think Sprint and VZW have roaming agreements.)
AT&T has just started to deploy 3G in smaller states where VZW has been for years which is why AT&T needs to hold on to the iPhone for a long time... Combine the most popular smartphone on the far superior voice/data network in the States and I think you are gonna see some numbers swing big time to VZW. I have several friends with iPhones that would go to VZW in a heartbeat due to no AT&T 3G in sight.
@Derry
Coverage.
Where I live in west-central Ohio, Verizon is the only viable option for most people. Town of about 10,000, and running across someone not on Verizon is quite rare. If I go a few miles north or east of town, I lose AT&T signal, and it's spotty at best in town anyway. Sprint is decent, but there are lots of small holes around the contryside, and going in metal buildings will often kill your signal. (When we have service reps come to our facility, they always have to go outside to get ATT or Sprint reception) T-Mobile is completely non-existant.
I have traveled a decent amount, and the only place I ever had trouble with signal is driving on I-70 through the Appalachians.
And to answer your question on why Verizon does it? Because they can get away with it because they know so many people are stuck with their network due to coverage. Sure, they're only saving $5-10 per unit or so in most cases, but add that up over tens or hundreds of thousands of phones, and it's a decent chunk of change.
@bob: They have grown aggressively through acquisitions, that is why: GTE, MCI, Alltel, and sundry others. Their 'organic' growth had been much smaller.
See http://investor.verizon.com/profile/history/
Marketing + Coverage.
I avoided Verizon like the plague due to their crippled phones, even when coverage for Cingular/T-Mobile was worse. Finally had to give in and use the big V when I moved to a new apartment that had no GSM. That's been remedied, I'm on AT&T and have coverage everywhere. Everyone's improved their footprint.
It was nice to kick Verizon to the curb. They illegally charged me the full $175 termination fee after 1 year, despite the fact that they had switched to a pro-rated model before I signed my contract. So I joined the class action suit. Don't get me wrong, I suspected I might pay the full amount, and it was worth it to get away from them. But if I see a few bucks from the suit I won't complain.
I hope vzw doesn't cripple the hell out of it.
For years Verizon has acted like the “Anne Marie Wilkes Dugan” of mobile operators! They rightly deserve ALL of the phone gimping criticism that they have received. And I’ll tell you what, if they think there going to bring this disturbing practice to LTE devices they have another thing coming.
PS They cripple/hobble/gimp/maim/bludgeon and some times outright murder functions like WiFi and bluetooth because they want to GOUGE YOU by having you only use their network for data and file transfers. Its cooperate GREED plain and simple. What was shocking and surprising about it when the started this practice was the blatant/obvious nature of it...
@Frankenstein Black: I'm with verizon and i got no problems....I agree they cripple their regular phones, but a lot of customers don't like to go through the pain of learning to use their new cellphones when they upgrade. So a kudos for VZW for having the same UI on all regular phones.
As for Wi-Fi on pda/smartphones, VZW requires you to add data plan no matter what and their 3G network is reliable and big. Most carriers that offer pda's with wi-fi does not have a reliable data network, that's why they have it included.
Anne Marie Wilkes Dugan, eh? A little inside?
Cripple the phone's hottest features... LMAO, that always sounds so funny.
Good thing I'm with Sprint, even if I'm not getting the Pre.
So just after christmas, everybody else can get one. Not that bad, at least you can let everybody else test drive it and work the kinks out.
Finally sprint has a phone worth getting.... Ive been with my Mogul for a time now..... touch pro 2 or Pre? Hmmmmm......
After having a Mogul and a Touch Diamond, I'll have to say screw Windows Mobile, and go with a Pre. Sure Windows Mobile is highly customizable and has alot of programs out. It's also unreliable and archaic in alot of senses. I'm even running a custom 6.5 rom on my Touch Diamond right now. I may not even wait till August which is when my 22 month new customer pricing is up with Sprint.
I love Verizon's network quality, but hate pretty much everything else about the company, particularly the fact that they put their own crappy menu system on the phones they sell. And like Engadget has said before, their logo/branding is in desperate need of an overhaul.
...Whew, I feel better now.
Luckily on this phone, their logo doesn't show up anywhere (except over all their software).
We are talking about smartphones... not dumbphones.. they don't put their UI on smartphones.
Verizon Wireless is SHIT
Verizon FIOS is THE shit
I understand that it's not on smartphones, I never said it was. What I hate is having to find some feature on a parent's or friend's Verizon phone in the horribly designed Verizon menus. It's as if they let their marketing team design everything, while throwing away all the work on intuitiveness that engineers have already done and constantly improve upon.
Without starting a flame war, is Sprint really that bad? I have Verizon and am happy with the service, but getting any cheap smartphone plan for VZW is impossible.
With my company discount, I can get Sprint Everything Data Family 1500 for about $102 / month.
I also have ATT service for work and am not that happy with their coverage based on where I travel. (nothing horrible, but not as good as Verizon).
Sprint is very very dependent on your region. Michigan it's really good in most areas.
Yea, I would check out the reception map.
Nah, it's just the cool thing to hate on Sprint right now. They have an old reputation for not getting any cool phones and having crappy customer service. But honestly, since their new CEO took over like a year ago, they have really been turning around. I mean they are getting the Pre and other great phones so the 'shitty phones' argument is moot. And I would say their customer service has improved greatly. Hell I just called them last week and only had to sit on hold for like 10 seconds.
Reception map + testing the Pre with one of their 30 day trial deals would also be good (it's possible that if one of us had them in a given area 3 or 3 years ago that their coverage might have improved).
Reception map + testing the Pre with one of their 30 day trial deals would also be good (it's possible that if one of us had them in a given area 3 or 3 years ago that their coverage might have improved).
Yeah, Sprint's been great for me. I've had them for 3 years, and I've had maybe 3 dropped calls, EVER. And I travel a lot.
They're data is great, and they're plans really beat the competition.
No need to worry about starting a flame war with your comments. Engadget made sure to do that with their swipe at VZW in the last lines. They really don't cripple everything.
I wonder why the exclusivity is so short...
Palm probably wants to sell the phone and sprint really wanted it. Simple compromise.
I have a Centro through Verizon and I don't notice anything that Verizon did. What has Verizon done in the past to other phones to cripple them?
I want to find out as much as I can so I know if I should risk a penalty and get out of Verizon and over to Sprint.
Thanks.
I'm not technical enough to list the real stuff, but Verizon used to replace all of the built in browsers with VZWeb or whatever they called it, whcih was the worst web browser ever created, on earth. It still sucks and they still package it with a lot of their phones. Any product that they offer (like VZNav), they'll cut out the other product and stick in their own... remove GPS and put in VZNAv; remove the media player and put in VZ's Get It Now media player, etc.
I think the only phone on VZ's network that has Wifi is the Storm, right? Even though most of those other smartphones come with wifi built in, it's deactived? Could be wrong.
Well a big one is the HTC Touch Pro. They took out like half the RAM and put in a slower processor than the version that went to Sprint and all other carriers.
This should be enlightening for you:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verizon_Wireless#Controversy
Verizon removes the default mail client from all Palm OS based phones (ie VersaMail) in order to make you use their crappy email app, which they make you pay monthly for. If you take the phone into one of their stores you can force them to install it for you.
Pre on VZ is like putting lipstick on a pig, great network, shitty software implementation.
They just need to stop screwing with the software. If you want to put your tab on the phone menu ATT style, fine, but why do they insist on overhauling the damn thing and making it red?
Ugh... that's why I switched to AT&T.
Oh god, not lipstick on a big. I thought we got over that already :(
My Verizon Blackberry Curve look like any other Curve. Verizon doesn't mess with smartphone UI.
Get a real smartphone... not an LG "Whatever" and you won't have to put up with a crappy menu system.
Is that even an accomplishment?
Ok, I swear this wasn't about the article, although I suppose it could fit as a response to it.
Someone had posted "2nd" as their comment and apparently Engadget deleted it.
Yea, I can't wait to see what features Verizon gonna change on the phone, specially the Amazon MP3 store vs. Vcast and the infamous lock down on the GPS. There's too many for me to list now, but of course time will tell. See you in six months Pre!
I have a blackberry on Verizon, the GPS isn't locked down at all.
@John
I had to load a custom firmware on my Blackberry before I could get the GPS unlocked... They really want you to pay for their Verizon Navigator service.
The Storm is unlocked w/o custom firmware. That's a step in the right direction at least.
You guys hit it right on the money. Cripple the phone. Probably diasble the gps and put in their VZ nav crap. I love my network...but damn i hate their ways of crippling phones.
Yeah... being a Verizon customer who is constantly disapointed by how Verizon nerfs features and replaces them with their own pointless crap, what do people think Verizon will cut off the Pre?
Probably the Amazon Music store replaced with their Get it Now crap, replace the included Sprint Navigation for an extra fee VZ Navigator.
Who's going to switch from Verizon to Sprint or AT&T to Sprint now for the Pre? Seems rather silly. Let the Sprint folks shake out the bugs, then get it on the carrier you want.
I think this is really the problem. I think that Verizon is viewed at #1 in coverage and AT&T as #2, rightly or wrongly. Sprint is considered a lesser carrier even if they're not. Now that everyone knows AT&T and Verizon will have them in early 2010, how many people will switch to Sprint just for the phone?
Does this mean an international GSM phone is out of the picture for 2009? Hmm... Guess the Pre is a no-go for me
Verizon always takes away functionality from phones. T-Mo is the only company I know that doesn't do it very much, and Sprint is right behind them.
Verizon does have the best network and call quality, but most techies find their phones to be boring and plain. However, as many should know, most people who own cell phones don't go for the uber-tech new gadgets. Most are regular users w/o a lot of techno-knowledge.
Wow! Danno, what are you doing? Why are you letting Verizon "Pre roll you?" Customers that were contemplating jumping the V ship will simply stay put for six months. You (Sprint - Dan) should LAUNCH A MASSIVE AD CAMPAIGN that points out that "unlike the V, Sprint doesn't gimp phones" Don't let them "Pre roll you" by holding onto would be churners that you could have picked up. Six months of Pre exclusive wont save you. FIGHT BACK!!
the pre is a horrible looking phone, and also looks like that screen push mech. will break fairly easy
Don't even pay attention to his reply. Feeding trolls is bad.
Fail. U did the very thing u are instructing other not do in "paying attention" to my post u blithering embicile. Seems I struck ur cream soft feelings by simply stating my opinion.
Man your carriers in the US must suck. Telus has outstanding Customer service. They found out I phoned to see if I could get a replacement for my phone on warranty, and their loyalty department phoned me to give me free data / phone plans to ensure that I'm happy, and if I wanted a new phone they could swing something.
Oh well, COME TO CANADA BABY!
Yeah, you may get good customer service and all, but you're still in Canada.
does anyone else know when AT&T will be getting Pre?
~this is from reading a recent engadget article
I have a palm 755p through Sprint and it is not crippled at all. It does have the stupid branding but aside from that it has not been crippled.
I went through several smart phones before I settled on the Palm because it was not gimped.
I am pretty much fed up with VZ I am paying the termination fee and switching to Sprint when this phone comes out.
edit:
I have a 755p through Verizon
Isn't it coming out sooner in Canada, hence this is US only exclusivity, hence we could have a GSM version long before then?
It'll be in Canada on a CDMA network. The GSM versions coming out this year will be quad band GSM but only have 3G on foreign bands making it crippled to uselessness here.
I'm in the UK. I WANT our bands. That's why I talked about it only being US exclusive
What's worse
Having to wait 6 months for pre or 4 years for iPhone ,?
troll
Wow 6 months
So much for exclusivity
Doesn't sound thy exclusive
So much for sprint staying alive
Only 6 months that won't save sprint
They doomed
Only iPhone can save sprint
Troll
Wonder if pre better off on att
Noncrippling.
Don't forget, just because Verizon says it will get it doesn't mean it's true. First of all, Palm has to give them the Pre to work with and then Verizon has to do it's thing to get it to work on their network. Palm may not give it to them until after Sprint's exclusivity is up. Then it could take time for Verizon to work with it and then it has to be manufactured/programmed. It could be another year or more before Verizon gets it. It took that long for Verizon to get the Centro too.
I think this is Verizon and AT$T's way of trying to keep people from switching to Sprint to get the Pre.
Can't wait to see who sells more pres
Crippling vzw or confirmed fastest 3g att?
I have also been with sprint for quite sometime as well, 7years, and I just put my iphone for sell on ebay, I didn't know what a drop call was or a bad signal until I joined at&t, their reception it's horrible, I have no issues with sprint at all their service it's top notch and their signal one of the best.
I wonder what wouldve happened if iPhone only had 6 month exclusivity.,.????
Good or bad.,
this battle is gon be funnn
People vote with their wallets. So, having the PRE and having it succeed is crucial for SPRINT
Here;'s the losses for 1Q09
Sprint lost about 182,000 wireless customers in the first quarter, with net losses of about 1.25 million contract customers and 90,000 prepaid customers from its Sprint network. But the company added 394,000 wholesale and affiliate subscribers, and 764,000 prepaid customers on its Nextel network through its $50 unlimited, no-contract Boost plan.
In just the 1st quarter of this year, 1.25 million people left Sprint , and this has been happening for the past 8 quarters. This was actually their best quarter in 2 years.
http://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2009/05/04/daily1.html
If you read the report , you'll see Sprint still has $4,5B, so they are not in any cash danger, just stock price danger.
The $50 unlimited Boost plan has overwhelemed their SMS capability. Maybe bthat has been fixed?
If you have Sprint and it works for you, great. Maybe the the Halo ofn the Pre will turn things around.
i wonder if Sprint agreed to have exclusivity through 2009 back in the day, before they knew it'd take so long for Palm to finally finish it and have it ready to finally go one sale.
Probably because the people in charge of this at verizon are homos.
worth the risk!
I cant say enough awesome things about sprint really. Service is great, never a problem, rates are awesome, just doesnt have the Iphone.
Really thats the biggest drawback for me. I have an instinct that i tether all the time (never been charged a cent, but you DO have to work some MSL magic for it to play nice) love the upgradable memory feauture 8 gig card on new eg was like 12 bucks,
and it does the job pretty well
I LOVE the fact that sprint gives you the phones without it crippled beyound all hell. I once had us cellular whic is like the AOL equvilent of the 'INTERNETS" and never again will i get their shady knock off pos service or phones.
but again if there was someeway to get an iphone to work on sprints network i would nerd all over that stuff.
And BOO on verizon. BOO XL.
From the very beginning it was shady the way it was setting up shop, and kept buying lines and towers with debt. Sure they do well enough now, but long haul, i don't think they can survive.
Been with Sprint 10 years a no real issues to date. I skimmed through the online users guide and found some neat features, but it's also missing some that i don't use maybe you do. No visual voice mail, video capture (coming latter) and no voice activation. Here is the link to the guide www.scribd.com/doc/15851822/SG-Pre-UserGuide