Verizon confirms: Palm Pre hitting Big Red "early next year"
Oftentimes a picture shouts a thousand words. Other times it belts out precisely a dozen. Straight from Verizon Wireless' official Twitter account comes this, a confirmation that the Palm Pre we knew was coming to Big Red, well, is coming to Big Red. If you can hold off through the tempting holiday rush, you'll find Palm's first-ever webOS device on VZW "early next year." Huzzah!
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What was missing from tweet was actually: "Additionally...Palm's WebOS will be replaced by Verizon's fantastic, simplified standard phone UI. Bluetooth will be disabled, wifi limited to Verizon access points only, and GPS will be $15/month."
Plus, access to internal memory will cost $5/gb. I don't understand why smart people even use Verizon. Overpriced, dumbed-down, shady POS company.
When's it coming to AT&T? We have a family plan, wife's got an iPhone, so I'm stuck where I am.
1) I've never had a dropped call with Verizon.
2) Verizon Mifi + Jailbroken iPod Touch + Skype = Best Phone Ever
@Brian
I did not say anything about dropping calls. No dispute there.
Meh... Verizon voice quality depends on the phone as well. My friends has the LG whatever with touchscreen and inside screen with full qwerty and her call quality is lame. Yet she pays $130 a month for only voice unlimited and texts.
What a stupid comment. So...you're judging the Verizon from 5 years ago to the Verizon today....seriously?
They've come a long way in the past few years. I have a BB Curve right now...just had/returned a TP2 and neither of them is crippled. Would have kept the TP2 but the imminent launch of the Droid convinced me to return it.
Yes they've been lagging in getting 'state of the art' phones, but it appears that's about to change as well....besides...I appreciate the fact that they've put more energy into providing the best network and coverage. I'd much rather have a phone that's maybe 6-8 months behind the technology that WORKS EVERYWHERE than a fancy-schmancy state of the art phone that I can't connect in all places!
"the verizon of 5 years ago"?
their phones have been crippled as recently as less that 1 year ago with the touch pro 1. Whacky keyboard, less ram, no tf3d.
I've had simply amazing coverage with Verizon. I've never had a dropped call over the past 5-6 years I've been with Verizon, their network goes places AT&T or Sprint hasn't even thought about going. For me, that's what matters for a cell phone company.
I know VZ has crippled many phones, but haven't they been pretty good with Palms? What do the ATT or Sprint Centros have that my VZ Centro doesn't have?
also a much slower processor in the phone and reduced ram!
really? boooo
I was super pumped for the Pre, but now with Droid coming (at some point) it's a tough call...
I agree...the upcoming 2.0 Android Empenada update really shows that Android has come a very long way. It's good to hear that Verizon is finally gonna have quality smart phones!
Blackberry Storm 2
2 Android Phones
Palm Pre
Omnia 2
I really hope that price pressure from competitors will force Verizon to drop prices soon. I live in the LA area and Verizon has by far the best, most reliable service out here.
No, Bobo! Don't take that seriously lol I was kidding about Empanada XD The name of 2.0 is Éclair. (Although I think Empanada was a cooler name :P)
I agree Moto Droid > Pre, sorry, no offense Palm Lovers.
I'm a Pre owner and I admit that the Droid is a really nice phone. Of course, it is exclusive to VZW, and I will not switch for it. It is also a pretty hefty device, so I'm not sure how practical it will be to carry around compared to the Pre. The HD2 I think has the same problem, and so does the N900. Nice phones, but I don't want them in my pocket all day.
Anyway, it is good to see the Pre expanding out. Hopefully this means more apps and more motivation for Palm to support it into the future. Hopefully they will deliver on Flash and Video Recording by the end of the year.
Same here, wasn't too impressed with Android until I saw the 'leaked' 2.0 shots.
Yay!
The Android phones coming are exciting but I think the non tech consumers are going to have a field day with the Palm Pre launch. Not saying one is better than the other, just saying I think the Palm Pre launch is far more anticipated on Verizon than Android. Just my opinion.
I think Android has caused even greater expectation and excitement than the Pre.
To start, we already know the Pre from Sprint. The only thing changing will be the UI and the crippling from Big Red. Also, Verizon has had Treo's before, so Palm is not new to Verizon.
Instead, Android is totally new to Verizon customers. The Motorola Droid is a totally new phone to Verizon and the whole world. The Droid is supposed to pack Android 2.0 which increases even more the expectation of the smartphone. Plus, Android would be to Verizon what Mac OS X is to AT&T. On the other hand, the HTC Desire, despite being the HTC Hero version for Verizon, also adds the non-physical keyboard variety to the mix.
You will see Android getting full trumpets on the Big Red.
@Yankees368: Were you one of Verizon's first human test cases?
That's eleven words. not "precisely twelve". Who it's addressed to isn't part of the announcement.
12 is the new 11 :D
Then turn it up to twelve, bitch. \m/
Now I'm conflicted... do I get android or webOS? All in all I'm glad to see Verizon getting new phones actually worth purchasing.
Android for the win. I think the Droid has a WAY WAY superior keyboard than the Pre. I think the Pee gives carpal tunnel and thumb fractures - unless you have Pixi fingers.
The Pre blows Android out of the water. Once you use the slick multi-tasking UI then interacting with all other phones seems downright primitive. It is no gimmick, believe you me. WebOS updates and new apps have been coming fast and furious. Now that Palm has completely opened up its app catalog to anyone and changed its terms of service to allow anyone to publish an app without any Palm approval process -- the floodgates are wide open.
get the android... there are over 20 phones planned to be released with this os.... where do you think the developers are going to flock to?
Yeah, we all know how reliable tweets from corporations have been in the past.
:D Agree
Bottom line comment. Pre on verizon will fail due to 2 reasons.
1)u can find pre on sprint for $49 amazon etc. N verizon will ask $200 for it.
2)iPhone 3g only $49. Think about it people are willing to pay as much as $400 for jus an iPod touch. But for $350 less u can get iPhone. That has to do with extreme record breaking global success of iPhone midst a global depression.
Well, the Pre can use subscription music from Rhapsody and Napster, so you can play high quality, legal music on your phone. On the iPhone people eiteh pay per track or go the dark way (Lamewire, etc.)
Now, it being on Sprint. Well, that is relative, some people may live in areas were Sprint has a very crappy reception and Verizon excels. So, even if Sprint has the Pre for Free, they would go the Verizon way.
To be honest, even though I don't like the Pre that much (keyboard and plastic feel) I would take it over an iPhone without a doubt. I just think WebOs is much much more flexible and less tyrannical than Mac OS X. There is just something about Apple that screams "Communism" to me and gives me reflux.
@ Truth
Why are you marketing Iphones to Pre users?
SP
Isn't the Pre dead though? Palm has been bleeding money ever since it was released.
The Pre is not dead, but I just think is not such a big contender. The problem is that WebOS is not pervasive as Android. Android now has like 10 handsets while WebOS has 1 and 1 on mystery (the horrid Pixi).
I think marrying one OS to a particular phone is not a good idea ( yes Mac OS X may have triumphed but that is due to the religious vocation of Apple fan base towards jobs).
Joining forces with Google would have been better, I think. With 1.6, Donut, yummy, Android is getting Universal Search, which was one of the "Market Pitches" of the Pre. web presence is already incorporated. I don't want to see Palm Dead, but they just need to play it bigger, better, more globally.
Yeah, the Pre is literally on life-support - injections of cash to keep it coming.
The Pixi, however, is ready to be revealed!
Are you smoking crack? The Pre is doing fantastic! Just under 800,000 units sold in the first quarter of its release alone. Launched in the UK and Germany last week. Spain is next. Pixie is on the horizon. App catalog has been opened up to ANYONE by Palm -- no draconian approval process like Apple. Linux OS under the covers with the slickest UI on any smartphone bar none. Easy to develop apps using JavaScript, HTML and CSS. Stock is up over 400%, with the last earnings call meeting or beating every single wall street analyst naysayer's expectations. Even Jim Cramer of Mad Money recently reversed his position on Palm.
I can just see this tweet coming out any time now from a certain well-known Sprint exec:
@VZWOffers Incorrect. Our exclusive on the Palm Pre is until mid-2010.
-about 5 minutes ago from danhesse in reply to VZWOffers
No, Bobo! Don't take that seriously lol I was kidding about Empanada XD The name of 2.0 is Éclair. (Although I think Empanada was a cooler name :P)
I agree Moto Droid > Pre, sorry, no offense Palm Lovers.
Verizon crippling of cells will be another major reason of pre failure on vzw.
Does verizon think it will revolutionize cell phone industry by releasing pre. Yeah right Global cell phone revolution occurred on June 27. 2007.
Even verizon loyalists will not get a wifi less pre with inboard vz navigator crapware.
Actually, even if people low rank me, you are right. The iPhone did revolutionized the mobile world. Also, thanks to Apple is that we have Windows 7 now.
This is why competition is healthy. I honestly don't like the Pre. The interface looks very cool, but I've always hated Palm Keyboards. The built of the Pre is cheap as well. It feels like a plastic soap box.
My heart is set on Android, but not with Verizon. GSM = Freedom.
Verizon doesnt cripple smart phones, Blackberrys, HTC smart phones they are not cripple and the only sign of verizon on these phones is a few apps they install.
Very Good News...
I just hope that Verizon's Palm Pre is revised so as to include a microSDHC expansion slot.
That has not happened for the O2 release of the Pre... So I doubt that Verizon will have that either.
If SDHC comes to ANY of the WebOS phones... It will not be till the next generation of phone at the SOONEST.
I agree with Tavis. It would be the same hardware as on the Sprint Pre. I don't really see how hardware to include it since the beginning. If they wanted to keep the seamless pebble effect, they could have at least included the slot by the battery zone - less efficient, but at least effective.
We are a happy Verizon family (using dumb-phones) and I just jumped ship for the iPhone but my wife is waiting to check out the Pre. I am interested in the difference between the two.
... and I just ditched both my iPhone and AT&T for an HTC Imagio and Verizon service.
I bought the iPhone the day it came out, and upgraded to the iPhone 3G when it surfaced.
I was never pleased with AT&T's network or (overall) service, and my iPhone experience has also been far less than favorable e.g. poor battery life, non-expandable storage, mediocre audio quality (iPod function), washed-out/awkward/low screen resolution, etc.
My new HTC Imagio may not have 85,000 (dubiously useful) apps available, but in the week that I have owned it, it has yet to drop a single call, the sound/call quality is impeccable, and a simple installation of KINOMA PLAY provides a media player experience far superior to either of my iPhones.
I'll see if this pleasant experience continues, and if so, then there's definitely a Verizon Palm Pre in my family's future.
@DaHarder: You can also try Core player for media playback - it is excellent. Skyfire browser let's you see Flash content in real time. I love that browser.
When iPhone users play me the "85,000" apps card, that just really slips. I don't really care to have so many apps, when in fact the majority are not relevant or useful, and when my phone is not really my Phone. I think Android and Windows really give you a full smartphone experience with the modding and the more PC-like flexible applications.
I am glad you are enjoying the Imagio. It is a cool phone. The 3.5 mm is a relief and the stand-leg is a plus to listen to music or watch some videos. Enjoy it.
unless its a "new" palm pre, idk if its worth it because it would be out dated if it wasnt new...
Somehow I agree with you. It is like seeing a "new" shirt on Macy's that has been on sale on JC Penney for the past 2 months.