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Best Buy kicks off Motorola Devour pre-sale, no rebate required
You'll still have to wait until February 25th to actually get your hands on one, but those not wanting to take any chances on missing out on the Motorola Devour can now head down to their local Best Buy or Best Buy Mobile store and reserve one starting today. The only catch is that you'll have to buy a $50 Best Buy gift card to hold your spot for the phone, but the good news is that you won't have to deal with any of those pesky mail-in rebates -- just a simple instant discount at the check-out. Curiously though, while Best Buy will gladly sell you a $50 gift card, it's still not saying exactly much the phone itself will actually cost -- here''s hoping we hear more about that before you actually wind up in the check-out line.
Nokia Booklet 3G slips to $199 on contract 'through the holidays'
Few people were debating that the $299 on contract price for Nokia's Atom-powered Booklet 3G was a bit steep, but now it has fallen more in line with its closest competition thanks to a price drop at Best Buy Mobile. From December 13th "through the holidays," the Windows 7-packin' machine (which we just recently reviewed) will be available for $199.99 with a two-year AT&T Data Connect plan. Of course, there's a good chance you'll regret the decision to jump on this when the next-generation Atom hits at CES (which is happening, right Intel?), but hey, Santa's got to do what Santa's got to do. [Thanks, Hary]
HTC Hero, Samsung Moment now $100 on Sprint courtesy of Best Buy
Leaning back and forth between the $100 HTC Eris on Verizon and the $179 HTC Hero on Sprint? Well, your decision just got a bit more difficult, as Best Buy has now kicked off a new holiday promotion that'll net you a chin-less Sprint Hero for the same hundred bucks as Verizon's Eris. If you prefer, you can also now snag a Samsung Moment for the same price, but each will of course have to be paired with a new two-year activation, and you'll have to take the plunge before the end of December -- although there's at least a decent chance there will be another discount / price drop by the time this one ends. [Thanks, Daniel]
Motorola DROID goes on sale a little early at Best Buy Mobile
Looks like the DROID invasion is starting a little early -- we were just sent these pics of Motorola's beastly Android slider on sale at an unspecified Best Buy Mobile somewhere deep within America's heartland. Or perhaps it's lurking around the fringe of our nation's coasts. In either case, we're told BBM reps can sell you a DROID as of today, so it might be worth checking out if you're not psyched to hit up your local Verizon store at 7AM tomorrow. And do let us know if the DROID ERIS is available, will you? P.S.- Just got a tip that Wal-Mart is now selling 'em early too. The DROIDs are loose, people. Gather your valuables. P.P.S.- Target Mobile Solutions, which operates kiosks in California Target stores, has opened the floodgates too -- but the catch is that you'll be paying $249.99 for a new activation, $50 more than Verizon after rebate. Thanks, Tony! (Update: we're hearing it's back down to $199.87 now -- nice!) [Thanks, Mike and Jesse]
Best Buy offering DROID pre-orders as of today, automates the mail-in rebate
In the best sort of tradition, Best Buy Mobile has gone for a repeat of its Palm Pre offering and is offering the $299 Motorola DROID at $199 thanks to the automation of a mail-in rebate you'd have to actually "mail in" if you were to purchase the handset straight from the carrier. Best Buy also seems to be the first place to offer pre-orders of the phone, so if you're worried about a sell out or just generally averse to affixing stamps to things, Best Buy appears to have you covered.
Motorola Droid already getting accessorized
If there's one thing that's sure to break a new Droid owner's heart, it's scratching the hell out of it -- or worse yet, dropping it to its untimely death. Wouldn't that be a tragedy? Of course, one quick and dirty way to avoid a lot of that heartache is to equip your phone with a beefy protective case, and from what we're seeing here, it looks like there won't be any problem whatsoever finding such cases on day one of the Droid's availability (whenever that happens to be). What we've got here is a third-party case (excuse us -- "carrying solution") that's popped up over at Best Buy Mobile, though interestingly, the Droid's model number of A855 is being featured far more prominently than the catchy name itself. Given the look of this thing, we think you'll need to have an extreme dedication to preserving your phone's rugged handsomeness to actually equip it, but hey, more power to you -- meanwhile, we'll carry on with letting our phones rustle around with coins, keys, pens, and switchblades in our pockets. [Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Motorola Sholes to launch by holidays, along with the BlackBerry Storm 2 and Nokia Booklet 3G
Well well, it looks like the Android-powered Motorola Sholes will be out on Verizon by the holidays. That's at least the impression we're getting from a bunch of leaked Verizon retailer documents posted up by Boy Genius Report, which also indicate the BlackBerry Storm 2, Curve 2 and LG Chocolate Touch will hit Big Red in time for eggnog, along with an unspecified netbook -- we're guessing this Gateway number. Speaking of netbooks, a similar document from Best Buy Mobile also leaked over the weekend, and it looks like the Nokia Booklet 3G will be exclusive to Best Buy and compatible with AT&T 3G. Oh, and the Pixi is coming, but you already knew that. Here's the real mystery, though: "There are multiple Android launches across multiple carriers, along with some new technology that doesn't exist today." That's certainly open for interpretation, so we leave it to you -- is Best Buy Mobile about to start selling teleporters, or what? Read - Sam's Club and Target Verizon docs Read - Best Buy Mobile docs
BlackBerry Storm 2 dummies coming to Best Buy around October 25?
We've long suspected that the Storm 2 would be bowing in the next couple months, within earshot of the original Storm's one-year anniversary -- and new evidence suggests that even if we can't get an actual device in October, we'll at least be able to make clicking sounds with our mouths as we amble around a non-functional display unit (you laugh, but it's our idea of a good Saturday night). Boy Genius Report has been slipped a Best Buy inventory screen -- a familiar sight in the phone scooping world -- that reports an in-stock date for Storm 2 dummies of October 25. Those dummy units can end up arriving before or after the actual phones, and considering that we've seen other evidence pointing to an October launch, this could be the real deal. Tao envy might be a problem by the time this hits, but we're sure there'll be a few folks willing to give RIM a mulligan on its touchscreen dealings. [Via PhoneArena]
Sprint's HTC Hero getting Best Buy presale on September 13?
Alright, look, we seriously have enough evidence here on our desk to put Sprint away for life convince even the most jaded naysayer that Sprint's got a Hero on the way. It's happening, end of story -- but when, where, and how much? We don't have the complete picture yet beyond suggestions of an October window, but we've just been tipped off here that Best Buy Mobile locations will be taking $50 deposits for the phone starting on September 13 with an SKU of 9510013. Whether the phone will be popular enough to warrant relieving yourself of $50 a month (or more) ahead of time is unclear -- especially with the InstinctQ in the pipe -- but at least it looks like you'll have the option. [Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Palm Pre drops to $99 at Best Buy (update: "error is being corrected," says Best Buy)
Interesting -- just a couple days after Sprint CEO Dan Hesse told a conference that "it's too early to tell" if the Pre's a hit while talking about Android, the latest Best Buy ad shows Palm's baby on sale for just $99 on a two-year contract. That ought to spike some sales, but we'll see if its just a one-week special or a permanent drop before we start trying to read any tea leaves here -- anyone running out to grab one?Update: Best Buy marketing manager John Bernier has chimed in via his Twitter account to say that the Pre is $199 and that the "error is being corrected." It'll be interesting to see if any lucky customers managed to nab the device for less than a Benjamin.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Read - Hesse's comments Read - $99 Pre at Best Buy
Best Buy-sponsored survey shows that Americans want smartphones even though they don't understand them
Do you understand your smartphone... really understand it? Know its moods, its wants, its desires? A survey hosted by Best Buy Mobile shows that half of people don't, with 47 percent saying the things confuse the heck out of them, while 60 percent of those aged 35 - 49 feel that people with smartphones spend too much time working and not enough time playing Wii Sports Bowling. Those feelings of confusion and ire doesn't stop a "sizable segment" of the rest of the 1,000 people surveyed from wanting a handset with brains, with most desiring access to the sort of apps you can't get on dumbphones, and 14 percent of women saying that playing games was "very important" -- only nine percent of men said the same. Sadly, there was no figure indicating how many people enjoy paying too much for text messages and signing their lives away on lengthy contracts.
Best Buy lists unsubsidized "regular price" for Palm Pre at $850; punch in the face is no extra charge
While subsidies, long-term contracts and unbecoming groveling are all part of the game when it comes to getting a hot new phone for a reasonable price, we'd say Best Buy's listed "regular price" for the Palm Pre is a little extreme: $849.99 will buy you a lot of Palm shares these days. That's miles away from Sprint's supposed $550 off-contract price, and it sounds like somebody along the chain doesn't want just anyone walking out of a Best Buy with Pre in their pocket and no "Simply Everything" plan hanging around their neck.[Thanks, Fredrick C]
Palm Pre available at a single store in NYC on launch day? Unlikely.
The Pre launch continues to befuddle -- sure, we finally know that June 6 is when the magic happens, but the mechanics of actually snagging Palm's baby on that day are still pretty mysterious, and that's leaving a lot of room open for misinformation. Today's cloudy tea-reading comes courtesy of an ever-changing list of stores on Sprint.com that are marked as having June 5 "special hours," which some are reading to mean that only those stores will be blessed. We don't buy it. First, we've been told specifically that all stores will have Pre stock, even if it's minimal, and second, the special hours distribution just doesn't seem right to us if it's really correlated with Pre stocks: New York, Chicago, LA, and San Francisco are each currently showing just one store within 50 miles as having special hours, and Philly, Atlanta, and Houston have none listed at all. That's a way different list than when our friends at jkOnTheRun checked earlier, and it's a recipe for total launch chaos if it's true -- but we're guessing the real deal is that all stores will get stock, but only one flagship store in each major metro area will be going all out on launch day with special hours.Oh, and if you're planning on avoiding all the drama and just rolling into Best Buy on the 7th, we'd say think again: Boy Genius Report says that the Blue will go "weeks after launch with little or no replenishment." Ouch -- guess Sprint CEO Dan Hesse wasn't kidding around about shortages. Bottom line? Keep calling your local Sprint store to see if they get any information about the Pre, and keep it locked right here as we lead in -- we'll be working hard to let you know exactly when and where your best bet'll be.Read - Sprint Store LocatorRead - Boy Genius Report on Best Buy stockRead - jkOnTheRun post
Best Buy Mobile to skip rebate, sell Palm Pre for $199.99 outright
Best Buy may not be launching the Pre exclusively, but it's probably the place to go if you're scouting one come June 6th. Why? Pretty simple, really -- you'll leave the joint with an extra Benjamin in your purse. You see, those who waltz into a Sprint store will be forced to pay $299.99 up front (with a two-year contract) and wait eons for a $100 mail-in rebate to return. Over at Best Buy Mobile, you'll pay $199.99 free and clear, sign your contract and proceed to send us loads of personal hands-on shots. Be honest -- which scenario sounds superior to you?[Via Brighthand]
Palm Pre banner hits Best Buy website, acts like a total tease
Given that Sprint and Palm are no stranger to Best Buy shelves, it was only natural that the Pre would be headed that way, and it looks like a sure thing now that a bright yellow Pre banner landed on Best Buy's website. Oddly, the banner only seems to show its face under specific searches for "pre" or "palm pre," and isn't linked to any further info -- like a super-convenient launch date and price or anything special like that. What it does suggest is that Palm may or may not be gearing up to reveal those very facts. Possibly.[Via Everything Pre; thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Best Buy Mobile to get some Pre stock on June 7th?
If this latest bit of Pre intel scored by Boy Genius Report is to be believed, it looks like you might be able to pick up one of 4,500 of Palm's latest and greatest as early as June 7. According to a tip from a supposed Best Buy insider, the venerable retailer could be gearing up to launch the hotly anticipated handset in just over a month's time, though it's not clear whether this'll coincide with Sprint's full-scale launch or come before or after. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, they've got some possible numbers on what this beauty will run you: $199.99 for new customers with a 2-year plan, $299.99 for upgrades, and a cool $999.99 contract-free -- though in our experience, Best Buy Mobile frequently has its pricing wrong ahead of launch, so these are definitely subject to change.
Samsung Instinct S30 coming to Best Buy at $49.99
You never really know what to expect when fishing for a new phone at Best Buy Mobile. Go in one week, and you'll see a strikingly pink Instinct for a strikingly large amount; go in next week, and you'll see the miniaturized version of the original Instinct for under 50 bones. If a new flyer is to be believed, the Samsung Instinct S30 will be offered up for just $49.99 on contract at Best Buy, which is a whopping $80 less than what Sprint itself will supposedly ask for it on April 19th. Too good to be true? We're hoping not.[Thanks, Kenny]
Palm "Pro" shows up in March Best Buy Mobile ad for $249
The fate of the Sprint Treo Pro has been up in the air ever since the announcement of the Pre, with units sent to stores called back for testing and reports of endless delays, but it looks like we'll finally be getting the HTC-built handset next month, since it's in Best Buy Mobile's March circular as the "Palm Pro" for the expected $249 on contract. That's certainly better than the off-contract $699 price Big Blue posted last month, but what's up with calling it the Palm Pro? Considering the tips we've already gotten confusing the Treo Pro with the Pre, we'd say truncating it down to just "Pro" is a disaster waiting to happen -- might want to straighten this out, Palm.[Thanks, Mike]
Nokia's N96 comes to Best Buy for upwards of $800
Man, Nokia sure is proud of its unlocked N96, huh? As with the HTC Touch Diamond in CompUSA and the BlackBerry Bold at Best Buy Mobile, the flagship N-series device won't run you cheap off-contract. The Boy Genius shows off a flyer advertising the 16GB, 5MP powerhouse for "just" $799.99 (as expected), but judging by the standard $899.99 price on the outfit's website, we're thinking the lower sticker may be for a limited time only. The question isn't how bad do you want it -- it's do you really want it more than 1.825 WiMAX-enabled N810s?[Via Boy Genius Report]
BlackBerry Bold up for pre-order at Best Buy: $680 smackers
We already knew RIM's BlackBerry Bold would sell for a stiff $299.99 on contract with AT&T, but if you're one of the many AT&T users who'd rather not sign a new agreement (or renew your current one), you've probably been patiently waiting to hear an unsubsidized price. Here is it, but we're warning you, you might want to sit down. The contract-free Bold is listed at $679.99 at Best Buy, and fittingly enough, the product page offers a convenient link for seeking financing. At any rate, it also tells us that pre-orders will typically ship out within one to two weeks, though we'd be hesitant to bet the farm on that. After waiting for, like, ever, for this handset to finally hit shelves, are you still so anxious to drop nearly seven bills to claim one as your own?[Thanks, Christen]
