Palm Pre stock levels for launch day at Best Buy leaked?

We don't want to incite panic in big box parking lots from coast to coast or anything (or do we?), but from the looks of things, Best Buy's Pre stock for launch day is meager at best -- and distribution is a little weird. A poster over on everythingpre's forums threw up a bunch of alleged inventory screen shots, suggesting that Florida and Texas stores are particularly well-off -- many stores are expected to get 18, 20 or more -- while Illinois stores appear to be getting hosed (a trip to the Hancock location downtown, for example, will result in success for just two people). The way we see it, this could be fake -- but it might just have to do with how close each store is to Best Buy's distro centers or a balancing act with proximity to Sprint locations in the area. Worst case scenario, we figure, you can just riot.

Update: A tipster tells us these "On Order" numbers are actually the number of Pres each store's manager has requested, which doesn't necessarily correlate to the number they'll actually receive. Of course, that still doesn't explain why downtown Chicago's Best Buy would request just two -- there have to be some other constraints involved that we're not privy to -- but it's an interesting tidbit nonetheless.

[Buis @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:26PM]

Those numbers better be thousands...

[Fatima @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:34PM]

Why? No need to keep thousands when no one wants one.

[grull27 @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:31PM]

The numbers are there, and they're not even hundreds.

Oh wait this is that joke isn't it? I fell for it again -_-

[Lee @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:39PM]

Nope. That's the actual number they have on order. It's a legitimate screenshot of RSS, which is BB's internal inventory system.

[Ryan Trevisol @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:44PM]

Couldn't that be cases? It sounds funky that they would send 3 phones to any one store, but 3 cases of 10 phones, or 3 palettes of phones makes more sense.

[iphonerulez @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:00PM]

Thousands? Are you insane? We're talking Palm here. Full of bravado and little cash. The day after the release I'll bet half the members of the Engadget Palm Lovers Club will be swearing they got their sweaty little hands on one. Cities of millions of inhabitants will be fighting over five or six available Pres. The Pre will be in short supply for a couple of months. This Pre rollout will go down in infamy as the world's lowest number smartphone release in history. This is how Palm intends to kill the iPhone with the Pre. The number of Pre units available is totally absurd. Ed Colligan better stay in hiding from the news media.

Anyone that reports on Engadget of securing a Pre, please let us know what city you were in so we can catch you in your blatant lie.

In case you forget what a real release is about, keep your eye on the iPhone 3 release with lines stretching around the block and each store in Manhattan having about 10,000 units available. In one day Apple will be able to sell more iPhones from one store than the Pre can sell in the entire U.S.

Palm is pathetic after puking up all that hype for weeks. Anyone that didn't live in a fantasy world could see this one coming a mile away.

[iphonerulez @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:09PM]

I can picture the headlines now.

Holy shyte! Extra, extra! Pre sells out across the U.S.
Total of 1,000 satisfied customers.

This is a disgrace to the whole smartphone sector.

[Landon @ Jun 2nd 2009 2:06PM]

Thank goodness I live in San Antonio...

[p3t3b2 @ Jun 2nd 2009 2:30PM]

Its clear some of you comment just to flame, Bestbuy is one entity selling the Pre on June 6th. As someone mentioned, this inventory may not be final. Bestbuy could have many more Palm Pre's by launch date. Sprint will be selling the vast majority of the Pre's, last I checked, the iphone wasn't carried at Bestbuy or Radioshack when either of the iphones first launched.

[--Ed @ Jun 2nd 2009 3:19PM]

@Buis ..Those numbers better be thousands...

I doubt it. The pre is just being over hyped. Just not a lot of interest in it on the Sprint network. I don't even know any one who uses Sprint.

[puppetworx @ Jun 2nd 2009 3:26PM]

Keeping the supply low for the early adopters allows you to keep the price high - which is a win, plus it might instil some Pre camp-out mania which grabs so much free publicity - which is another win. It makes complete sense unless you are a consumer in which case your attitude will be "I want it now!" - as it should be.

[chris @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:29PM]

No, those are not thousands or hundreds. Have you been to a best buy lately?

So Harlem gets none?

[Warbrain @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:37PM]

HIP sucks. No one goes to that mall for anything.

[Unknown @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:21PM]

Harlem is a street in Chicago. Harlem and Irving Park is a poor part of town. I can see why they wouldn't stock much there.

[jrc2687 @ Jun 2nd 2009 2:07PM]

actually the hip is getting better. i rember going there and seeing a footlocker next to champs next an adidas store. now there's a claires and a damn hot topic

[pathfinda @ Jun 2nd 2009 3:42PM]

I thought the Harlem\Irving Park store wasn't that bad.

Technically, the "downtown store: in the Hancock would be considered to be the Mag Mile. I would why only 2??? And 8 at the store on 87th?? Why not more at the south Loop (12th St.)

[dp @ Jun 2nd 2009 5:24PM]

HIP? I went there once. Never again. Felt I was at a bazaar. Don't even get me started on trying to get into the parking garage in the rain at night.

[rob thero @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:30PM]

three days from now we will all be talking about new iphone rumors

[Look_Around_You @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:30PM]

Any kid with Paint Shop Pro can turn these things out.

Just call ahead, like an adult, and get the info directly from the manager, and not from supposed inventory sheets or from posters on messageboards that knows a guy that knows a guy that used to work for Best Buy, that knows all the answers

[Gi @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:38PM]

yeah really...I'm not getting mine from bb anyway so good luck to you all at the south loop location

[NickNick @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:36PM]

rofl Harlem, you aint got nuthin

[Mike Madigan @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:38PM]

Why aren't they advertising this thing? I for one am very excited about getting up early and running to a Sprint store where I am "supposedly" on a waiting list to get a Pre...but no one but tech heads knows about this thing...Advertising Fail...I think so

[gareth @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:42PM]

palm have no money to advertise

[Templarian @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:50PM]

and their supply lines as you can see are quite limited.

[Jonathan @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:57PM]

Why advertise when you don't have enough to sell to the people who already know about it?

They said they'll start advertising later. A commercial is debuting on Facebook on Wednesday.

[p3t3b2 @ Jun 2nd 2009 2:41PM]

Just about every website dedicated to technology has a Palm Pre AD with that count down calendar. Even sites dedicated to Apple. There are AD's running on youtube as well. Sprint ran AD's in major News papers, as well as on the sites of those News organizations. Sprint usually does not start running TV AD's until after a product is launched. To put it in perspective, the Samsung Instinct hardly had any website AD's running prior to launch, come launch day there was a huge turnout. I believe the turnout for the Pre is going to be massive.

[ED @ Jun 2nd 2009 7:14PM]

Why advertise when you have Engadget?

[snowglyder @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:39PM]

So they still show an $850 w/o contract price? Way to go Best Buy...

[Landon @ Jun 2nd 2009 2:10PM]

Yeah...they said that's to deter people from buying it out-right until there is more stock to go around....

[gareth @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:40PM]

publicity stunt

[Gad Get @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:40PM]

Yeah, that's quite the publicity stunt: "Look how few of the Palm Pre will be available at Best Buy stores on launch day! Yay!" Way to build hype. Your theory makes so much sense.

[SARCASM, as if you couldn't tell]

[TRS @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:46PM]

actually it does build hype...cuz now ppl will rush to the store even more trying to get one. if palm was smart they'd stock up the stores with a LOT more than just 2 or 5 pres...we'll see how it all plays out on release day.

[Gad Get @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:55PM]

Actually, it builds resentment and frustration when people camp out overnight at Best buy, waiting for the Pre to launch, only to find that they never had a chance because their location only had two in stock.

[oghowie @ Jun 2nd 2009 2:05PM]

Yeah, like it built resentment during the 360, PS3 and Wii launches?

There was definite resentment towards eBayers, but that was about it.

But I'll agree it's just foolish to not have enough inventory, when the new iPhone is just around the corner.

[Doug @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:42PM]

FYI: The Palm Pre won't show in inventory as Available On Hand until the night before launch date, we aren't supposed to officially "receive" them in inventory until then, so the screenshots are legit, but not accurate. For instance, I know that the store I work at has 10 in stock right now, but our system shows 0, with 5 on order and 0 in transit.

[oghowie @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:43PM]

Thanks for clearing that up for us.

[jawlz @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:59PM]

Thanks for the info; makes me feel a bit better! Kinda strange way of doing things, though, isn't it?

[Steven @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:38PM]

My store has 8 Palm Pres in stock. I'm going to try and buy mine online at Sprint.com considering we Bestbuy employees can't buy them yet.

[oghowie @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:43PM]

No wonder my Palm stock started sliding. Freaking Engadget. :)

[digitallysick @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:47PM]

If plam doesn't release enough, the new Iphone will drop and wipe out all the converts to the Pre/sprint.

I'm not an iphone fan boy, but you would think when you have customers begging for a product you should make sure you have the stock.

After all if something else similar to the pre came out a week later, would you still want a pre, keeping in mind this involves converting to sprint.

And thats like having sex with a hooker without a condom

[Eric @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:55PM]

This is exactly what I think as well. Personally, I really want a palm pre. If I go to best buy, or a sprint store on June 6th, and they are "out of stock", there is about a 95% chance I will be buying the new iphone instead.

Sprint, Palm: sell me a phone, or apple gets my money.

[Lee @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:51PM]

@ Ryan Trevisol

BB's inventory is done a per-item basis. It's not done per box, case or whatever else. IE: Say they got 4 boxes of Guitar Hero, which have two games per box. RSS (the inventory system pictured) would read 8, and not 4.

[Ryan Trevisol @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:53PM]

Wow, that's interesting.

Well if this is true, that's really sad for Best Buy.

I guess Sprint is planning on having the majority of stock in their stores.

[sterling @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:53PM]

Palm I'm sure is making sure they will sell out everywhere. They need to guarantee launch hype. If they don't have lines and waits they can't brag about how much better they are than the iPhone.

[Unknown @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:28PM]

Of course they could. What a fanboyish thing to say. Some people actually buy products based on informed decisions and what they need, as opposed to what best fits the current hipster poser template.

[ChrisM @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:44PM]

or to guarantee launch hype they could, you know, actually outsell the iPhone at launch... but that goal may be too lofty.

[To: Hell @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:55PM]

PALMAGEDDON

[iphonerulez @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:04PM]

That's a beautiful term and very fitting. So is Pre-destined to failure.

[jawlz @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:56PM]

My portfolio could seriously use a nice, successful launch here, palm. Don't screw this up!!!!

[Dennis @ Jun 2nd 2009 12:58PM]

Seriously, I don't think there are that many people using Sprint that the Pre will be selling out anywhere anytime soon. I've seen a ton of information on the Pre, there is nothing particularly innovating that other cell phone companies haven't already done.