Palm's AT&T launch pushed back to summer?
By Donald Melanson 
posted March 17th 2010 2:28PM
posted March 17th 2010 2:28PM
Palm might be able to use a bit of good news right about now, but it looks like it may not be able to count on that coming from AT&T. As AllThingsD's John Paczkowski reports, Canaccord Adams analyst Peter Misek is now saying that Palm's still as yet unconfirmed launch on AT&T has been pushed back from its rumored April debut to June or July. What's more, Misek says that the delay isn't one of the usual variety, with AT&T reportedly citing a "long list of technical issues with the Pre and Pixi," and even going so far as to decrease its initial order size and "sharply reduce" its marketing budget for the launch. Of course, we are still taking about a rumored delay to an unconfirmed launch, but we should be hearing directly from Palm soon enough -- it's scheduled to report its third-quarter earnings after Thursday's closing bell.
@techi25 Yes, they should make it a large phallus so it will be manly and have the added benefit of enlarging your pants bulge to impress all the women...
@technkl Really? Why such a stupid comment like that? Just because i want a larger phone so that my larger hands can use it means that i want it to bulk up my pants? Nice stupid comment but the fact is not everyone wants a small form factor phone. I've used the pre and i did not like the way the phone's keyboard was placed. There was not enough for my hands to type as easily. So that is why i would prefer a larger form to help with that issue. Not to impress women you fool.
they should have made a new phone not just port the same old phone to AT&T.
Given the timeline, couldn't ATT be just passing up the Pre for the Pre2?
Maybe the delay is due to them trying to shoehorn an Android OS instead of the WebOS. Just what I heard. Don't shoot the messenger.
The Palm Pre is the most underrated phone on the market. Such a pleasure to use but people are so ignorant that they don't even give it a try, they just pick up an iPhone because all their friends have one.
@laze I really like Palm, and have been hoping they would do well, but their performance the last few months has been anything but stellar. Bad sales on Verizon, even with buy one get one deals, and 1.4 was a decent update, but to be honest, it was mostly filling in features that should have been in there day one. But the software isn't the problem, it's the hardware, it feels cheap, it looks cheap, and seems to have lots of technical issues. I want an iphone with web os on it, not a pre running iphone OS, see the issue?
@laze I have an iPhone, but am def getting a Pre when it's available to ATT as my second device. My Tilt is FUGLY anymore and a bit heavy. I welcome it personally.
@nickyP I feel the opposite about the hardware. The iphone seems heavy and brick like whereas the pre fits nicely into my hand and pocket and feels light and portable, like a cell phone should.
@laze I had the iPhone first because i wanted one. I even tried the Palm Pre when it came out because i like the OS. It's a good phone but the form factor was not good for me. I'm still hoping that Palm comes out with a different model and i'll pick one up.
From prevail to prefail.
+1 @laze I wholeheartedly agree. It still won't stop me from jumping on a Nexus One, but my time with the Pre has been fantastic. I just wish Palm didn't seem so inevitably doomed. :(
I don't want a phone with nothing on the screen. They're just black.
While I like to bash AT&T whenever I have the chance, I am not sure they are the villain here.
First, the Pre and Pixi got approved by Verizon, the place where phones go to be tested to death, so I have to question "technical issues" especially as Palm has lots of GSM experience and no reported negative feedback from other GSM carriers. Second, AT&T has every incentive to gain leverage with other quality smartphones so as to get out of the position of being Steve Jobs cabana boy. Neither the Nexus One, nor the Motorola phones or even the Pre can do that alone. However, they could be together AT&Ts wolf pack that can at least corner the bull moose Apple. On the other hand maybe AT&T likes folding towels, but I think not.
So why would people say such things about Palm? I find it interesting that when you Google the company and the analyst in question you find the following:
1. The guy can't hype Apple any more without making Apple fan-boys blush.
2. They are quoted (and frankly appear to be the source) for most of the Palm negativity for the last few months.
3. The outfit is located in Canada, conveniently out of reach of the SEC.
Stock manipulation anyone? A lot of people don't realize the huge amount of IP that Palm is sitting on that relate to the mobile computer and smart phone. There is a reason why Apple didn't sue Palm, and its not because Steve Jobs thought Apple needed a break. Jobs has clearly indicated in the past that when he thinks of giving a competitor a break, its usually involves the kneecaps. Driving palm into the ground and then buying the IP for next to nothing could appeal to a lot of folks, RIM, Nokia, Apple and even Microsoft come to mind. Not to mention HTC.
I really hope Engadget follows up on this if for no other reason than to see if the rumor is true.
I wonder if AT&T will change the Palm Pre like VZW did?
Palm needs to come out with a new model pronto.
Any chance of unlocking one of these for T-Mobile? I know it won't have 3G but still, it's better then the POS I have now
@jroff It's more likely Sprint was hungry for a smartphone star and the ONLY carrier hungry for one so it was a synergy of hungers. Of course, it was definitely not the best long-term strategy for Palm, but they probably had no other options at that point.
If only they could've launched on T-Mobile or Verizon earlier.
I can't believe you guys a citing Peter Misek as a source for anything believable. This is the same guy who said Apple was going to release a 4G phone on the day it announced it's iPad. That prediction turned out not to be true and he used that to downgrade PALM. Here he is peddling another rumour knowing that ATT already completed testing
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@metaltorizo
wow, you waste more time than I do.
Where is the unlocked GSM Pre?
Should thank APPLE in this part. How are you AT&T going to make any more money is it because OF YOUR GREEDY CONTRACT WITH APPLE? YES I THINK SO. YOU JUST DON'T want to release any phones or ANDROID phones till your crappy iPhone 4G comes out that's the problem their cause you have a irresponsible marketing manger who is screwing lots of AT&T owners such as myself. By then you will be way behind in tech hardware that's what I SAY TO YOU AT&T. If you don't want to LOOSE LOOSER. JUST RELEASE SOME DAMN GOOD ASS PHONES FOR ONCE.