RSSPalm Pre a hit at special event for top Sprint customers
By Nate Mook | Published June 6, 2009, 12:41 AM
The Palm Pre officially goes on sale via Sprint at 8am Saturday morning, but the carrier held special invite-only events in 10 cities Friday evening, giving selected Sprint Premier customers early access to the iPhone rival. Only those eligible to upgrade were invited, with around 120 RSVPs at Sprint's Washington, DC store we visited.
Sprint has prepared all of its nationwide stores for the Palm Pre launch tomorrow, with actual phones available for customers to play with and video screens detailing the features. Through its "Ready Now" program it launched last September, Sprint will make sure all buyers have their phones fully setup by the time they leave the store -- a marked difference from the iPhone launch.
At the Friday night event, traffic at the Washington DC store was brisk but not overwhelming (rain may have kept away some), and Sprint Chief Service Officer Bob Johnson didn't expect huge lines to form overnight. However, he acknowledged that the device could sell out over the weekend, and said stores will take names if that happens and contact customers as shipments arrive.
Sprint has stocked the majority of Pres at its retail stores (no specific numbers were given, but estimates are in the 100 per-store range), with smaller numbers going to Best Buy and Radio Shack. After the initial demand wanes, the Palm Pre will be available from Sprint resellers and other stores.
The cost of the Pre is $299 with 2-year service agreement, but customers receive a $100 mail-in rebate, bringing the total cost down to the same as the iPhone. Some expressed their displeasure about the rebate scheme, but it didn't seem like enough of a barrier to change the minds of potential buyers.
6 accessories are available for the Palm Pre at launch: a magnetic charging dock called the "Touchstone," vehicle charger, holster, travel charger, leather pouch, and phone covers. Sprint employees said that other micro-USB chargers will not work with the Pre, although we haven't tested that out.
So what did the invitees think of the Pre? After spending some time with the phone and learning how to use WebOS, most were impressed and went on to buy the device. Some were overwhelmed with the Pre's complexity, like loading the app launcher and dragging up to close apps. Others had problems manipulating the touch screen. But plenty of Sprint employees were on hand to walk customers through the functionality -- something that may lead to long wait times on Saturday.
Are you planning to pick up a Palm Pre this weekend? Let us know why or why not in the comments!
Other people couldn't wait in line: http://www.nbcchicago.co...umet-Park-Illinois.html
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|Hey, I am a sprint employee. And sorry dkratter. But yes, the 150 discount will come off the retail price of the phone. And unlike how best buy advertises it as 800 retail, in actuality, its 549.99. But after your 2 year upgrade discount (150) and all other in store (instant rebates) and mail in rebates, is what brings your total. 199.99 after mail in. Also to mention that the phone, like the instinct, will require one of the new everything plans. Ranging from 69.99 to 99.99 for individual plans and from 129.99-169.99 for family. Pending on how many minutes you would need. Sprint does have a buy back program. But to be frank, if you have a phone, like the instinct, you will make more off it from private sells than what sprint offers you. Max offer for buy back is only 50.00. And the instinct is still a popular phone and can get much more. Now as for laptopmixer. No offense. But your bias and not looking at anything else. The pre out matches the "3g Iphone" in almost every department. The user interface is far easier. The new WebOS is a dominant OS. Not to mention. The Pre is open to developers. Soon to be done on your own PC. If you know how to use HTML and Java. In what all the apps are made from. And to top it off, you don't have to have Palm permission to do it. What was the Apple? I need your permission to make a grocery store shopping app? Not on Palm. The abilty to run several apps at one given time and NEVER lose your spot, even if someone calls? The call will not interupt what your doing. The ability to have all your contacts from Twitter to personal under one name. Not to mention, when you set up your Pre, you will never be without if someone steels it, lose it, or destroy it. When your replacement Pre arrives, you log on your Palm profile, and all your settings, apps, contacts, ring tones, and Mp3 (so-on) will be back on your new phone like your never missed a beat. Plus you have the ability to remote earase your old device. You can also remove the battery. What about your iphone? Cant take battery out. Only apple can insure it. Any joe shmoe can steel your device, place their sim card in it. And they have a new phone. Thats not very comforting there, now is it. The list will go on.Would you like a challenge. bring your Iphone to a corporate store. Challenge the device. Bet your iphone on it that the Pre will surpass it. I heard ebay gets a pretty penny for the iphone there. I'm not bias. I am very open to other products. Have to be. But I think the Pre is the best device yet so far. And our plans are by far better than anyone. You guys have a great day. Even the Iphone fans :)
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|My wife purchased the Pre this morning, to a whopping total of $445, which included the Touchstone, a car charger, and an extra case. She has been very pleases with it, and I will most likely be purchasing one in the near future. Clarity of calls in areas with background noise is slightly diminished, but other than that, it appears to be an outstanding phone.
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|sshhh...get an iPhone people. Geez...want a REAL handheld computer with the REAL internet, google maps with GPS that follows you whereever you go...i could go on...i've had my iphone since the first version (i'm on my second with 3g)...never-ending fun with endless youtube videos, did I mention the REAL internet that you can zoom in and out QUICKLY! Pics load quickly, everything is FAST! Plus it's super slim and fits in your pocket.
-anywho...
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|"REAL handheld computer with the REAL internet"
That's funny, the UK banned the iPhone commercial that said it was capable of the whole Internet, because it isn't.
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|Ha!
I like my iPod touch a lot but trying to convince people to buy an iPhone in the U.S.A. because of the 3G service is ridiculous since AT&T doesn't have the service in most areas. Sprint is far more advanced.
Oh, and that real internet? Why can't I see Flash or Java bits in Safari? Safari is a better mobile browser but it's difficult to claim the real internet when a good portion is missing from the web page.
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|Why not ? IM DROPPING AT&T ! I JUST RECENTLY PURCHASED THE iPHONEY ,AND THEN I HEAR THEY'RE GOING TO SELL IT FOR $200 DOLLARS CHEAPER AT AT&T !! WHAT A SCAM I FEEL RIPPED OFF BY COMPLETELY !! IM GOING TO DROP AT&T IMMEDIATELY SPRINTS PLAN IS BETTER AND CHEAPER !!!! IN THESE HARD ECONOMIC TIMES ITS THE THING TO DO !!!! ADDIOS AT&T !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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|I think you need to check your Caps Lock key, it appears to be stuck.
But yes, Sprint's Simply Everything plan blows everyone else's plans out of the water. That's one of the primary reasons I stick with Sprint.
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|I'm tempted, but haven't made up my mind yet. I'm eligible for $150 off my next phone from Sprint, so all told it would cost me $49 minus however much I would get for selling my Instinct back to Sprint. It could wind up being free.
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|Sorry to rain on your parade but Sprint, in my experience, does not deduct the $150 upgrade discount from the $199 after-rebate price. The $199 already reflects your discount for the upgrade. Basically, you pay the same or close to the same price a new customer gets when signing a new 2 year agreement.
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|Well that would suck. I'll have to look into it.
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