Verizon Palm Pre Plus drops to $30 on contract
By Nilay Patel 
posted May 3rd 2010 10:19AM
posted May 3rd 2010 10:19AM
posted May 3rd 2010 10:19AM
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but the monthly fee is still $90+ if you want unltd texts etc... So actually it's cheaper on Sprint ($70+). Although the Pre Plus IS better hardware.
@tacovsgrilledcheese
Well, it's getting up there in age. $30 is awfully cheap though.
@tacovsgrilledcheese
don't forget the ridiculous 375 etf
I'd be afraid to switch to vzw.
webos web browser blows.. sorry.
@soobin WebOS browser blows? So that means the iPhone, Android browsers blow as well? They are built on webKit...... Now if this story was about Blackberry, then I can see your point.
This is sad for Palm...it's worth more than that...
It aint no iPhone...but 30$?!! hmmm...kinds sad.
.
@daving313
yes, it does. have u actually used them both?
the webos browser cannot handle scrolling as well and as smoothly as the iPhone.
i guess if u don't mind choppy screen with gray and white squares everytime u scroll, it's perfectly fine.
@soobin Not sure how to reply objectively to your incredibly subjective comment about my "everytime" scrolling experience. Ehh. Do you read the screen while you're scrolling? (That's the best I can do)
@Bakerdk
Overpriced. It should be free with a two-year contract. Better yet, they should give you $30 just for using it.
They need to stop pushing this thing and launch a Pre 2 with all the bells and whistles.
How old is this design now and hardware now?
@Hussain Rahim
I really like the design. Feels nice to hold in your hand. What they need is better internals, eg. faster processor, more memory, etc.
@Hussain Rahim
While I agree with you, it's still a badass phone.
I would have liked a bigger screen and TV out \ better camera with SD card support but it's speed, ram, and software make up for not having those features.
As old as my old iPhone 2G, poor lil fella, it was just a boy
@Hussain Rahim
Meh, I'd be happy enough if the original Pre "Coming soon!" claim on Palm's European site wasn't such a joke.
@albinomexi
It's not even close to being as old as an iPhone 2G. The Pre on Sprint became available in June 2009 (iPhone 2G was a 2007 era phone). The internals for the original Pre are comparable to an iPhone 3GS. The Pre Plus discussed here has double the memory and storage space of the original Pre making it even more capable. Twenty-nine bucks for a great smartphone like the Pre Plus is just a steal especially with free mobile hotspot!
@DoctarPeppar
The internals (CPU/RAM) on the Pre Plus are very high end. 512 MB RAM, fast CPU. Trumps the iPhone 3GS and is very slightly behind the high end Android handsets (Nexus One + Incredible have slightly faster CPU but same RAM).
WebOS is really good, the Pre Plus hardware is great, but given the choice, the new Android handsets seem to have more exciting features.
I can't believe Sprint is still stuck with the non-Plus Pre.
@giesen
Yeah, its far better then the iPhone 3gs, btw how many did they sell, and just whats the difference in cpu?? And almost as fast as the N1 and other snapdragon Android phones? You're kidding right?
Damn, I am not due for an upgrade though but I'd still like to get this baby....how much is it without a new contract...probably the same, around 500 or so? Meh..
@DoctarPeppar you could try craigslist, I think I saw 1 for around $125 or so... you never know
Verizon needs to realize that not all potential Pre customers are ready to upgrade. The REAL price is still $550. Still too expensive for what it is.
$599.99 once or $719.76 for that...what a doozie. No wonder they are so well o...oh...
Smartphone with amazing WebOS for $30? Wow, very tempting. I think I'll just stick with the EVO though!
@Physicsguy89
Just to clarify, I don't have the EVO *yet*
@Physicsguy89 Sure, sure....just make it so "I don't have an Evo *yet*" too and I'm sure we can make this little slip up disappear from the internets.
@Physicsguy89 HTC police gonna hunt you down!!!!
Still happy about my Droid Incredible purchase. No regrets.
What's that Steve? It's cheaper than the iPhone? Well of course it is, it's not made by you. What? You dont want me to get it? Tough, because I am.
The Palm Pre Plus was free with contract a couple weeks ago on the website.
Need a new flagship device HPalm....at least give me a rumor or some type of timeline....
The Big Red has had this phone at 49.99 with two year contract for a while now, they just lowered the price 15 bucks.
so... yea
@thescreensavers
*20
@thescreensavers And the Moment is 79.99 from Sprint on a 2 year, not really a shocking price drop. Smart phones just keep getting cheaper and cheaper on contract, especially those that are a little long in the tooth like the Pre. Now if they could just get those off contract prices to drop we would all be a lot happier.
They should have done this at the beginning, i mean does anyone know how much it is for there services!? at least they learned a little from the droid when they took it down to $100
This is becoming worth it just to use as a mobile hotspot if you already have a verizon family plan. $30 up front and then $10/mo for an extra phone and 5gb/mo....not too bad at all.
@nickershocker
well its 40/mo because you are looking at 10 for the line and 30 for the data. But 40/mo isnt bad at all for that i agree.
@schultz
Nope, mobile hotspot is free on a palm pre plus or pixi plus!
See:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/verizon-mobile-hotspot-on-webos-devices-now-free/
@nickershocker
right... but you still have to pay 10 for the line and 30 for the data fee... You just don't have to pay for hotspot anymore.
@schultz
I see. I am wrong. Not as good of a deal as I thought, but still pretty good.
But it still boggles the mind that the no-contract price is $599, more expensive than even the Incredible. This is what happens with subsidy, no real downward force for the actual price to come down.
@pika2000
Sadly, the markup is only about 50 bucks or so on most of these smartphones for the outright price. For the retailers that is. So if Verizon pays 550 for the phone they will charge 599 for the outright typically.
@schultz
Nope, mobile hotspot is free on a palm pre plus or pixi plus!
See:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/verizon-mobile-hotspot-on-webos-devices-now-free/
Through a third party I can get a Pre on Sprint for $44.99. With Sprint's unlimited Data/text plan being so much cheaper than the equivalent on Verizon I'll be going to Sprint when my current contract is up in June.
The Mobile Hotspot on this thing for free is amazing.
But a $375 ETF....not so much.
@daving313
what's "ETF"? What if I buy a Pre Plus off Craigslist, do you know if I'm still looking at the same monthly VZN charges?
@andreb Early Termination Fee... If you activate a new line from Verizon and supply your own device, and do not sign a contract (since you would be month to month), you are not subject to the ETF.
no matter how u slice it their data is TOOOOO expensive...i'll stick with Sprint...EVO 4G BABY
@TheEdge um... There data plans are the same price($30). It's the other stuff they rip you on. Verizon: $70, 450minutes, no texting, unlimited data. Sprint: $70, 450 minutes to landlines, unlimited to mobiles, unlimited texting, unlimited data, free GPS.
However, for those of us who don't talk a lot, and are broke, there is a verizon plan that sprint doesn't have: $55 a month for unlimited data and texting, with no voice minutes. Best you can do with sprint is the $10 SERO discount of the above sprint plan, so that's $60 a month. Which doesn't seem like a lot but even $5 over the course of 2 years builds up.
@iCello
Sprint has better plans than any other carrier PERIOD. Oh did I mention that Premiere customers can get upgrades every year instead of every 2 years....no thanks Verizon...I'll stick with Sprint.
I am so close to getting this. I would love Sprint but would end up with a lot of roaming in VT and ME from what I hear, so tethering wouldn't work. Could anyone confirm?
Must be because I'm French that I chuckled here... Pre Plus sounds like "prepuce", which is foreskin in French.
@Crsh Prepuce is foreskin in English too, it's just a medical term.