Will the Pre and its shiny new webOS be enough to save Palm?
There you have it folks, the mystery Palm phone and OS are no longer a mystery and the world has now received its first glimpse at Palm’s hopeful savior. First impressions mean everything and for the time being it’s safe to say we were supremely wowed. Seriously, did you ever imagine you’d see the day when Palm would release a handset and OS combo so perfectly evolutionary and well designed? Once the initial high wears off however, we’re all brought back down to reality – a reality where Palm is a company on the verge of falling apart and the Pre represents what is likely the first in a series of handsets that will make or break it, literally. Is this sharp little piece of kit up to the task?
In another world, the Pre might very well devastate competitive offerings. Without having held the device of course, the hardware looks gorgeous and the new OS looks like it could just be the closest thing to a masterpiece we’ll see in 2009. What’s more, any web developer with a few 101 classes under his/her belt will be able to develop apps for Palm’s new OS with little or nothing new to be learned. The biggest wild card now however, might just be Sprint. By tying itself to a struggling carrier, Palm placed all of its eggs into a very, very fragile basket. Sure, there are pros and cons; an obvious pro is that the Pre will become a huge tool for Sprint. Sprint will invest tons of time, money and other resources into launching and marketing the Pre because, well, what else does it have going on? A WiMAX launch in Podunk, Iowa (calm down, that was a joke)? The Pre will be Sprint’s golden boy and it will get all of the love and attention Palm could ever imagine. Ok, so what’s the problem?
The major con, which is equally as obvious as the benefits mentioned above, is that Sprint is hemorrhaging subscribers and struggling more than any other US carrier to stay afloat. It is losing money like a Lions fan who can’t stop betting on the home team and short of recent layoffs, it is showing no signs of turning the ship around. By partnering with Sprint on this launch, Palm has basically created a relationship where each major player is standing on shaky ground. Does Sprint have a good network? Of course it does – blazing data speeds are nothing new to Sprint subscribers. There are tons of other factors however, such as customer service woes, spotty coverage and a Vista-like stigma that will prevent many from even considering the Pre when it is launched later this year. No, the Pre will certainly not result in a tremendous surge of business funneling through from competing carriers as the iPhone did for AT&T. Last time we checked, Palm fans are hardly as cult-like and fanatical as Apple fans and Joe the Plumber simply doesn’t care that much – that’s why he carries a RAZR.
We want the Pre to be a success, there’s no question. In fact, you can be sure you’ll find a few of these bad boys roaming the halls of BGR HQ. We also want Sprint to figure out how to plug all of the cracks in its dam. The issue here is that there may just be too many hurdles blocking Palm’s path to success and in its current state, Palm is most definitely no Dayron Robles. We can only hope that Palm managed to ink a good deal with Sprint that will allow them to bring its new handset to other carriers before it’s too late and upcoming competitive handsets make Joe the Plumber forget all about the Pre.
I see this giving them some more market share overseas, buddy has a valid point in saying red and blue subs need to be converted but won’t make it a failure if enough don’t. If even a 3rd of the 50M subs get it that’s plenty, there are some that have the same loyalty to Sprint that others have to blue and red. Will it help is the question, only time will tell but the buzz generated leads me to ere on the side of optimism
^Quite the Yellow dog, aren’t you, shill?
This toy has no chance of being purchased by 1/3 of Sprint’s subscribers, not even remotely close. No single phone will command that marketshare in these shaky economic times with a carrier on such shaky ground.
In what world do you have such fairydust and rainbow dreams of an uber-iPhone scenario for Sprint? Thanks for the chuckle.
Absolutely certifiable, you are.
I base this theory on how the Centro sold/sells, Palm has a market with Sprint. There are plenty of people with Sprint since the 1st Palm davice and got all of them since, it’s been at least 7 in the last 6 years
The Centro is the loss-leader carrier’s [Sprint] loss-leading Palm OS device. Unfortunately for your faulty “theory”, you haven’t thought this thru to its logical conclusion. Sprint will have to price the Pre at $49-$99 on 2-Year contracts in order to come anywhere the Centro’s numbers [which are not impressive].
Who supplied you with your market data research results where the bottom-line showed you that 33% of Sprint’s subscribers have purchased a Centro?
Seek therapy.
I don’t know what market value the phone has but I know there is one within contact everywhere I go across the country, being a know-it-all again marketing genius
No. A “know-it-all marketing genius” would make universal assumptions based upon fairy-dust dreams and assumptions.
Idiot.
Backbeat my dearest. Go open your own blog.
^Who said I haven’t already, Precious?
Where is it, I would love to contribute. I will only buy a Sprint and this is the 3rd Palm to interest me and may be my 1st smartphone purchase for me
The Pre is _not_ a smartphone. It’s a visual playtoy … In the same way the Centro is a mechanical Fisher-Price playtoy.
If you have anything to contribute, I’ll let you know, Sweetness.
What’s the address? Is it http://www.theboygeniusreport,com ? If so, everything would make sense. BG needs a nick to insult everyone.
^As opposed to nicks that insult every reader’s intelligence with condescending shilling?
@ backbeat
Condescending???
You personify it!!!
^In the face of shameless shills? Thank you.
I actually found it in my thesaurus. It’s missing your picture. Care to post it?
^Bite me, bitch.
mmmmm…. Tasty!
^Such a waste of a life. (shakes head)
After winning CES’s best in show, I’ll say it’s on the way
^And how does this cure your cancer?
Tasteless, the Pre will the new what’s hot when it comes out. The thing that will hold it back is the current blackeye Sprint in the court of opinion
When does Jesus come again?
When this phone comes out it is going to be carrying a lot of buzz with it
The Palm Jesus-phone that demands an overpriced Simply Everything plan?
Only one phone is tied to that plan, that smartphone will be available w/o SE but no rebate if those plans or at least a $25 data pack isn’t on it. That’s not fact backdoor