Best Buy to trial launch Palm Pre on June 7th
Well lookie here. This one isn’t 100% confirmed just yet but a ninja hit us up with what could be some pretty juicy launch details for the rumor mill’s favorite handset du jour, the Palm Pre. Here we go — according to our ninja, Best Buy will be getting its hands on a limited inventory of Pre handsets for a trial launch on June 7th. Sprint will be direct-shipping the lot to arrive on the 6th and in total, about 4,500 units will be spread throughout Best Buy Mobile locations across the country. That might not seem like a lot, well, because it isn’t, but each and every Best Buy Mobile will be getting at least one Pre to hawk. Speaking of hawking, our ninja has some numbers to report as well. Pricing is supposedly still being discussed but the probable points are as follows: New customers with a 2-year contract, $199.99. Existing customer upgrades, $299.99. Outright, $999.99. Yes, seriously.
The limited release is because the Sprint network can’t handle the influx of data.
That’s way off base JakeyBoy, the limited release is to build more anticipation to meet thier expected/hoped for sales. You can’t complain about the CDMA network
I am guessing Sprint had a deal with Best Buy and Palm has left them in the lurch so Best Buy get an early token shipment. Perhaps June 7 was Best Buy’s date before Palm slipped on yield and cost.
Dan Hesse and Orson Welles agree “we will ship no wine (or phone) before its time”
@JakeyBoy
Sorry man we are not talking about AT&T. Most bars with the most dropped calls and slow 3g!!!
This rep in Best Buy Mobile @ Downers Grove, IL said he had a hands on and gave it two thumbs down. I beleive none of that and gave his attentiveness two thumbs down
Does the gen 3 iPhone launch or is it just scheduled to be revealed? There’s a big difference.
Even at $999 contract free, who would want it? It won’t work on Verizon or AT&T, so what’s the point. You have to go with Sprint anyway so you might as well sign up for the service.
I think a June 7 launch is a brilliant idea. First, the Pre gets mondo pub anyway as soon as it actually launches. Then, if the gen 3 iPhone is revealed the next day, it gets even more pub as sites like this start the inevitable comparisons. No way the next iPhone is a revolutionary as the first, so I don’t think that the Pre will really suffer by comparison no mattter what Apple does (except for the lack of a really good music player)
jakeyboy my friend, sprints network will be able to handle the traffic because they have excess bandwidth, (ya know freed up from bleeding customers over the years
Also I KNOW that at at&t new customers and loyal customers pay the same price for the same phone. If you don’t get the same pricing go to a different store…
why the hell would anyone pay full price for this phone. Just open up a new line, and cancel the service. That will only cost you like about 400-500 dollars. 999.99 dollars for a phone is just plain crazy in this economy.
isnt the $999.00 price just a speculation?
actually arn’t all these prices a speculation. nothing is in stone till they actually post it on their web site.
http://insidesprintnow.wordpress.com/2009/05/03/boy-genuis-not-so-smart-palm-pre-best-buy-launch/
@ Tony….You are joking. Best Buy Mobile beats EVERYBODIES pricing hands down and beats if with instant rebates. No Mail-In BS and no bill credits, and if by chance they are more expensive they will price match at post Mail In rebate prices. Before bashing Best Buy Mobile check them out and compare. Never seen them out priced.
a thousand is about right.. best buy always overcharges no contract phones a touch pro is like almost 800.. but they beat the carriers contract price i got that same touch pro for 199 when it was still brand new on contract..
WHAT THE ****!? $999!? Well there goes any premeditated plans to buy one outright and put it on Verizon’s Network. It would be Cheaper to sign up for a new sprint plan get the phone for $199 and then cancel and pay the Early Termination fees. that would be closer to $400. I might do that…
dam this site has an over abundance of idiocy.. some guy said multi tasking wasnt important.. another clown said palm os which is the most stable os ever made was known for crashing.. lmao i just got my morning laughs.. the pre will be a great phone among many other great phones..
If one more idiot posts that insidesprint now blog I will piss my pants laughing. All it is is a regurgitation of existing info published often month ago on other sites. The author (someone at Sprints marketing trying to make fake an “Insider” blog) doesn’t even know how Bestbuy works. Half of what is on that blog is laughable incorrect as well!
I give a lot of credence to BoyGenius’ ninja, they have been spot on time and time again.
Hey tell everyone u know that oprah just bought the whole country lunch from kfc u only have 24 hours to download your coupon. Go to oprah.com/kfc. Pass it along!
Because this post was old and this was on CNN…lol…
Rumor: Oprah will buy Apple!
^ Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery
Hyperbole/Spin/BS or whatever you wish to call it, unless you hear it from the horses mouth it is nothing other than a rumour, plain and simple, for the ulterior motives of a few who wish to influence their cause, Short or Long on the stock. Remember, “information is as good as the pedigree of its source.” When Palm or Sprint decide to launch the Pre, you can rest assured that it will be done with much fanfare and publicity. Folks, I have to admit that up to the moment before I saw the Pre in motion I was more than content with my iPhone. Since then I have felt that my iPhone is outdated. Apple has a major problem with ATT as its sole wireless provider in that ATT will not have a fully functioning 4G platform until 2012, hence a 4G iPhone will be useless. On the other hand Sprint already has a functioning 4G platform that will extend from Honolulu and Portland on the West Coast to New York on the East Coast by the end of 2009. If 4G is 10 times faster than 3G and the Pre’s innards and WebOS are also faster then Apple and ATT will no doubt be hamstrung when the Pre’s superiority is patently manifested on its launch.
Imitation is truly the best form of flatery, however I beg to differ with you on who is doing the imitation. Palm came out with a PDA way before Apple and the iPod is nothing other than a better version of Sony’s. Just because Apple’s timing and execution was better is not an indication of innovation. Nevertheless, Apple’s timing and execution were impecable.
Patience is bitter but its fruits are sweet. Who cares if it is released on June 7th or June 29th? The fact is that it will be released before the end of June. On another note it would be wise for Sprint to launch the Pre at the beginning of June, this would definately cause a positive churn rate and another earnings surprise. Believe me I have spoken to many people, like myself, who would happily pay a premium to guarantee themselves a Pre on its launch day. I could sell 1000 Pre’s today at $1,000 dollars without any problems, and believe me this is not hyperbole.
This report is a good bit inaccurate, as everyone has pointed out. The Sprint is looking at new/renewed contract prices at $300-$400. (Think about it. The Touch Pro was $300.) The reported cost for this device, out of contract, is $849.99. Yes, this is still high, but it is reasonable for a device of this caliber.
Another note to add, at Sprint, new devices are delivered to corporate accounts FIRST. This includes Sprint corporate stores, and high-profit retailers, such as Best Buy. After these markets are supplied, the devices are sent to affiliate stores (which is what your local “Sprint” store most likely is). This means that, even though they say Sprint on the door, the store is actually owned and operated by another business.
James, that is total hyperbole, and you are the only one who believes anything you have written. This is a blog of people who know consumer technology. Go sell you BS to the naive.
Your 4G comment is the funniest since Sprint promised to have 4G from coat to coast by mid 2007. Sprint is out of money to build out its 4G and just had to sell off and outsource completely the department handling it.
They also apparently fired everyone competent int heir PR department if you are an example.
If you think Palm was the first with a PDA (only a retard or paid Palm hack would say that), why don’t you look up the term PDA on wikipedia.
CASIO invented what is considered the first PDA. APPLE coined the term PDA and was the first mass marketed powerful PDA. NOKIA first merged PDA with a phone creating the first Smartphone. and PALM was merely a a copycat and late comer.
Your entire set of thee posts is moronic.
Sprint is looking at the $200 range for Pre. That is clear and matches perfectly for renewals and new contracts.