We’ve got a lot of sources out there. For the past five years, we’ve dominated coverage of all the carriers. Sprint was the first.
So when Sprint decided to finally ship a somewhat open, Linux-driven, modern Palm phone… it wasn’t a question of who was going to review it first.
And now, for the first (full) review of the (final) Palm Pre.
Palm hasn’t been known for Sprint integration. Most of Sprint’s Palm phones come somewhat desolate of Sprint service integration. This is a major reason why Sprint gets a bad reputation in the wireless industry. Tech-savvy people grab a Treo, turn it on, and don’t find Sprint Navigation. They don’t find Sprint TV. They don’t find a Music Store. And while niche devices like the Treo 800w and Pro finally checked the boxes… the implementation fell silent. Everyone was already waiting for the Pre.
Thankfully, the Pre does Sprint integration right. Sprint TV excels on the Palm Pre. It’s not clear if the Pre is using a newer, higher-resolution H.264 connection… or if Palm’s playback software has hardware acceleration. But, it’s great. And, unlike SlingPlayer… doesn’t “harm the AT&T Sprint network.” Unlike AT&T, Sprint doesn’t violate FCC rulings and limit what you can do with your device.
And that shows with the Pre. Sprint Navigation is just the beginning… the app portfolio service on the Pre appears more extensible than iPhone. However, Palm didn’t let too much slip out about it; all apps have been removed from the store. Palm says they’ll add the service back on launch day, so we can’t put their app store to the test… yet.
Probably the worst feature that we had experience with, was USB mode. Copying to the device was slow… slower than ActiveSync was over USB 2.0. It almost reminded us of iPhone OS 2.0, before Apple updated the sync process to, well, work.
Amazon MP3 does work already… and it’s a welcomed relief from the Sprint Outsourced Music Store. Palm put their foot down, and it paid off here. Having a music store on-par with the iPhone is key for a device like Pre… and while iPhone’s iPod software makes iPhone better for controlling music… we were happy with the shopping experience.
And yes, music does play in the background.
Surprisingly, nobody on the team was happy with YouTube. While Sprint TV was a treat, YouTube was limited to searching. It’s not clear if this is going to be quickly updated, but the player software is minimalistic at best.
Facebook integration also appears to suffer from first-instance issues. The application supports a minimal set of the Facebook API, limiting users to a 2007-style interface, with only profile and contact information. Chat is nowhere to be found.
Other Sprint apps, such as Nascar Mobile, were also surprises… in that they weren’t terrible. Usually these outsourced apps run slowly and don’t update properly. Not so on the Pre.
Messaging is a delicate subject for many. The Pre not only has a capacitive display (which yes, is very much capacitive… unlike the Touch Pro, it loves a human’s touch)… but it also has a keyboard. Typing on the Pre, like any smartphone, is sure to be the subject of many arguments. Some will say that iPhone’s multi-touch approach is better… others will say the Pre is better.
We really love how the debate puts Apple’s Steve Jobs, and (formerly) Apple’s John Rubenstein at odds. When asked if Apple thought about adding a physical keyboard to iPhone, Jobs dismissed the idea flatly, citing the team’s unified decision to move ahead with multi-touch. The first device with Rubenstein (the “father of the iPod and iPhone”) as chairman of Palm… has a physical keyboard. It cauterizes rumors that he stood out as the most major opposition to the lack of a physical keyboard on iPhone.
Still, we aren’t alone in thinking it takes some acquiring to get acquainted to typing and messaging on the Pre. Every early user we’ve talked to agreed that the interface requires jumping through menus in an odd manner… especially when toggling between windows and apps.
Lingering Questions for Palm
We’re still left with some questions. With the webOS SDK still not fully unveiled… we’re left asking Palm what they’ll let people do with the device.
iPhone limits software to what they can do with background apps.
Android limits software to not run Linux software directly.
BlackBerry limits software all over the place.
Palm Pre? Well, we don’t know what limits will be there.
Obviously, for webOS software, a lot of apps are breaking the rules internally. A lot of these apps are Linux-coded from the bottom to the top. Will Palm let other developers have the same level of access? We think it’s going to be a deal-breaker if they don’t. As Apple learned with iPhone, limiting all the toys to their own software, leaves everyone else taking their toys elsewhere.
Lingering Questions for Sprint
Unfortunately, we’re pointing the most anger here at Sprint.
Once again, Sprint proclaims that another device requires Everything Plans. That is misinformation, plain and simple. The Palm Pre, like the Samsung Instinct, could run on any modern Sprint plan. Sprint simply would need to require the presence of a Power Vision Pack, in order to activate the device.
Even the hard of hearing, and data-only customers, are simply told to chose another phone. It makes us sick… and here’s why.
Instead, Sprint is requiring people to buy a top-revenue Everything Plan. Our memo to Sprint: It may just kill Palm, thanks.
Why might it kill Palm? Tech-savvy people like their old plans. They hate when people try to kick them off… and they’ll respond by going elsewhere.
With most of the tech savvy people refusing to get the Pre, on Everything Plan hostage terms, there won’t be many people rallying the success of the Pre.
Now, you might respond that while Sprint is in the wrong for deceiving people, that the Palm Eos will be coming to AT&T. We’re just left wondering if the Pre will fail because of these hostage-terms plan requirements, and if anyone will buy a Pre in the interim? Will Palm live long enough to ship the Eos?
Sprint, wise up and drop this ridiculous plan requirement. The Pre is an excellent device, but isn’t worth higher per-month pricing. Those customers can, and will, get a Wi-Fi enabled Windows phone, and sling Wi-Fi to the iPod touch. Such a shame too, because the Pre is Sprint’s converged solution. Only those on Everything plans will be able to use it.
Closing Thoughts
Barring any last-minute snags, which seem unlikely at this point, we’ve reviewed the final version of the Pre. There is the potential, as previously reported, that Sprint could pull their escrow of the firmware if they find anything show-stopping. We doubt that will happen at this point, and expect the device to be sold in early June.
Minor Update: Hours after posting this review, Sprint confirmed the June 6th launch date for the Pre.
We are holding off on casting judgment on a few areas, which we outlined previously. Palm’s App Catalog is not open yet, and we won’t touch the sync servers for calendars and contacts until they go live. MechaWorks is intimately familiar with cloud computing, and we understand that it is in an active state of development still. We aren’t even using those apps yet, so we don’t get any first impressions from servers that aren’t final.
The Pre is a beautiful device. We love it, we love to hold it, we love to use it. Sprint, please don’t kill the golden goose (for Sprint, or for Palm). Let everyone with an unlimited data plan use the Pre… it’s better, but not enough to fork over an additional $20 to $40 per month. For an extra $960 (over the course of two years), we’d rather have an iPod touch, plus a couple of netbooks (sipping Wi-Fi from any old Windows phone).
I am on the same boat. I would love to get the Pre but I refuse to pay for an everything plan for it. I really do hope Sprint surprises us all by not requiring it.
Ugh….Nice review. Sounds more like a crack at Sprint and AT&T. Where in the article do you talk about the call quality? The picture quality? And everything else that more reputable tech-blog sites put in their reviews?
Thank You for your Review!
I really want to get the PRE (actually 3 for the whole Family), BUT as your article so Perfectly spelled it out I CAN’T because of their ridiculous and shameful Everything Plan Requirement. I am a SERO Plan Holder and even though my account already comes with Unlimited Data and everything I need minus the GPS/TV which I care less about I would pay $10 extra for that happily. NO Can’t do that because Sprint won’t allow it for us or for all those millions of F&F Plan users.
Does Sprint not understand that this will make their numbers bleed even faster, and do the Stock Holders, & Board of Directors not see how this affects the bottom line when you piss off your core constituency?
Wasn’t it just back on July 2nd, 2008 that Sprint Media Relations Stated: “More importantly, Sprint also clarified that they will not implement such a change in the future. Per Sprint media relations: “SERO customers continue to be able to purchase PDAs and Smart Phones and a variety of SERO rate plans continue to be compatible with these devices.â€
WHY Sprint, WHY are you trying to end your business using tactics such as this?
Give your Customers EQUAL and FAIR Treatement allow us the option to just add what we need to make these Beautiful Phones like the Palm Pre Work!
P.S. PALM GIVE SPRINT HELL ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THEY ARE COSTING YOU DEARLY!
I entirely agree with the reviews comment regarding the data plan. Its not worth doubling my 30 dollars a month sero plan ( I have eight lines) just to get the Pre. I am already slinging my winblows mobile phone via wifi to my ipod touch.
Let me reiterate. There is no way on Gods earth that I will ever leave my Sero plan, no matter if its a jesus phone or not.
Scott, like keyboards, we tend to stay away from call quality and performance. There are many different factors that make that a local thing, just as much as a personal preference on if you like keyboards versus T9 versus multi-touch.
Perhaps you should ask those “more reputable tech-blogs” if they even know how many network vendors each carrier uses for cell sites? Or where their Pre review is? I’d appreciate a response when you hear back from them.
In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve pulled back reviewing devices as stores have increased their return periods. With so many different network vendors, we really suggest you pick up the phone and try it out in your area… and return it if you aren’t satisfied.
This is a bit of a new review style, but it is something that we’ve tested out and look forward applying to other devices.
The screen was great, on-par with iPhone, but consistent with the size of the device. It’s a small device, but unlike Windows Mobile’s 3.2-inch me-too form-factors… the Pre’s display fits the device. And the resolution works at 3.1 inches. But, like the keyboard, we don’t inject our personal preferences… it’s something people will have to decide on their own about.
Camera… similar story. We didn’t do a lot of stress testing, it’s a better camera than what Apple neglected to improve. But, it’s still the same CMOS camera technology that we don’t even bother to post photos about. Call us crazy, but we miss when camera makers were actually spending money on compacting CCD technology into phones.
Dubs29, you are quite correct that Sprint made such a statement. We pressed them to provide that statement at the time.
Unfortunately, every Sprint retail point of presence has been told to require an Everything plan… no exception for SERO has been given as of yet.
Hopefully Sprint will wise up.
(And yes, for those unaware, SERO plans were low-revenue plans that Sprint sold mostly to tech-savvy customers… they include unlimited data, and would work just fine with the Palm Pre… just like Sprint promised they would a year ago).
[...] Review: Palm Pre (Sprint) – PhoneNews.com Trackback | Permalink | [...]
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Nice review, Chris. I like that it wasn’t “fluff.” I’m been waiting for this phone. I am a Sprint stockholder and a Palm stockholder, but I will not switch my plan for the Pre. A Sprint rep told me a couple months ago that I could still get the Pre, but would not be allowed to get the rebate if I did not switch to an Everything Plan. Is that not the case. I would pay $500 for this phone to keep my plan.
I believe what you’re saying, and I’ve listened to Sprint reps speak on the requirement of an “Everything Plan,” but I’ve also heard Cooligan say that the “Everything Plan” was recommended. Even in footnote 1 of Sprint’s official press release, it states:
(1)Use of this device requires providing a valid e-mail address, mobile phone number, and related information for account setup and activation. Unlimited usage data plan strongly recommended; additional data charges may apply. Within wireless coverage area only. Number of applications and actual performance will vary depending on applications used and actions performed.
Are you 100% sure that an Everything Plan will be required and where did you get that info?
Once again, we have confirmed numerous times that the Pre will require an Everything plan.
If that changes, it changes in response to this article. We even confirmed that niche plans like the Relay and Data Only plans had not been cleared for the Pre.
Yes, it does directly contradict what Sprint promised about smartphones and SERO. But, it is the policy as things stand right now.
According to the official release: “The Palm Pre phone will be available from Sprint on June 6 for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year service agreement on an Everything Data plan or Business Essentials with Messaging and Data plan.” Business Essential plans start at around $70 a month. Are you sure about Sprint requiring the $100 Everything plan for a $199 with $100 rebate purchase of the Pre?
The Everything Plans are great (even if they are much more expensive than older plans). I think Sprint should simply end SERO so we don’t have to listen to all the SERO prima donnas. Sprint needs higher prices to stay alive; if you don’t like it, find another carrier.
Again, this is the information that we, along with numerous other media outlets have been informed of, both via official and unofficial channels.
Sprint has had this review since we ran it. If they want to do an about-face, we’d be more than happy to report it. But it is accurate as of when we went to press.
And no, we’re not going to email Sprint every five minutes… they have all our numbers if they want to wise up and change course.
The next wave of rumors will almost certainly be that Everything plans will only be required until after supply meets demand. Ask those still waiting to activate an Instinct how that’s going.
Jeff, this certainly isn’t limited to SERO. In fact, most legacy customers aren’t on SERO at all. From Friends & Family, to low-overage plans, to even the Sprint Basic 200, Data-only, and Relay customers… this isn’t a SERO-only issue.
However, SERO customers do have a legitimate complaint, being that Sprint did assure them that Instinct was a one-time situation, and that smartphones would not be affected. If Sprint wanted SERO to just go away, they shouldn’t have made commitments to Sprint customers.
(For those keeping score, nobody at MechaWorks, as far as I am aware has a SERO plan… we’re just keeping Sprint honest here).
Edit: We did not include Business plans in our analysis. We’ve asked Sprint to provide a full list of corporate-liable plans, we’ll update when we get that.
I am another who will not be dropping my Centro for the Pre due to the Everything plan rule as it stands. The Pre will function just fine with my current plan setup which includes unlimited data. I understand Sprint wanting to increase their bottom line. Do they not see that just maybe this phone will bring back lost subs if they allow a power vision plan or the everything plan to work. I am a long time Sprint customer and would love to be able to show everyone my cool new phone. Guess I will just point to a website since I won’t have one in my pocket. Wake up Gary you have a good thing make it the best by removing the current plan restriction.
Chris please compare the G1, Iphone, and Storm plans to Sprints 69.99-99.99 everything data plans..
There have been millions of those phones sold that all have more costly plans than what sprint will require fron Day one on the Pre?
If you compare apples to apples Sprint plans are way way cheaper.
Just wanted to keep MechaWorks Honest
Other, we’re not here to debate plans. We never attacked the Everything plan, I strongly suggest you re-read the entire article before posting further.
Please do not turn this into a debate thread. The G1 and iPhone, for example, even work on prepaid.
Everything plans are fair for what they offer. But, for consumers that don’t want “everything”… it’s a hard sell.
Please show us where we attacked Everything plans as not being a good offer, for customers that want everything it includes.
All we pointed out was that Sprint was spreading misinformation by requiring them for all customers (using the baseless claim that they were specially-coded, versus any typical plan with a Power Vision add-on).
im in agreement with everyone here … i will not go to an everything plan that will be 100+ a month when my sero plan is 55 a month and fits all my needs … Sprint should not forget that its because of people like us on these plans that they are still in business … when sprint was a crappy network and had no customers and were begging for anyone to leave tmobile or at&t / cing or verizon .. we were the ones that came .. and suffered through all the horrible customer service experiences and horrible spoty service … its those legacy customers that are being made to suffer now instead of sprint rewarding them for their commitment to the company through growing pains .. just my 2 cents but i hope someone at or invloved with sprint reads this … if they opened this phone up it would blow away sales of everything else ..
for now ill stick with my custom windows 6.5 touch and just run my slingplayer on it which runs fine.. that along with my spb keyboard … works fantastic … its not the fastest by far .. but it does the job and every few months i get a new phone when i rebuild and upgrade the software ..
I am one who is interested in the Pre. I have no problem dropping AT&T for this phone. I also don’t see what’s wrong with the Everyything Data plans. Compare them to AT&T, Verizon & T-Mobile and Sprint wins hands down. I honestly don’t see the reason for the complaints. AT&T requires a data plan for the iPhone, Verizon requires a data plan for their smartphone/PDAs. I know people on both networks with old plans and if they wanted a smartphone, guess what they have to get a new plan.
To me there is nothing wrong with Sprint doing this. AT&T and Verizon are doing it and you know what, Sprint needs to do what it has to do so it stays competitive. If you have a SERO plan, then wait til the Touch Pro2 or the BB Tour late this summer.
That’s very excellent advice! I was a SERO customer waiting….and waiting….and waiting for sprint to come out with a great phone to use with my SERO plan and it never happened so I found another carrier and I have absolutely no regrets. I wish sprint would also get rid of their SERO plan and finish commiting suicide and that would DEFINATELY do it.
PL, to be clear, AT&T and Verizon require customers to change plan add-ons. The vast majority of customers on those carriers do not need to change their voice plans, when selecting a new smartphone.
(To be more specific, some Verizon dumb phones do require a Nationwide voice plan, but smartphones are exempted due to the aforementioned add-on scheme… and yes, we keep track of all of this stuff in our heads).
Sprint is the only carrier mandating smart devices on particular voice plans (first with Instinct, now with the Pre). If you’re new to Sprint, you’re certainly going to be less impacted by that issue.
I want to inject at least a little hope for people wanting the Pre … but I must say that I don’t have any documentation to back this up right now … I work for a Business Solutions Partner of Sprint, and we are a master distributor of their hardware. I have heard a couple times from different Sprint business channel managers that there is a possibility that Sprint will not force you to a Simply Everything plan if you are doing an ESN swap, aka an upgrade. If a Pre is being used for a new activation, then that will require the Simply Everything plan.
I’ve been looking for documentation to back this up, but nothing yet ….
@Ray
You realize you do not need the $99 Simply Everything plan. The $69.99 Everything Data will work. $15 more a month and if you are already on Sero you may qualify for the “new” Sero plans that are just a $10 discount on the Everything Plans. So if that is the case you could get the 450 Everything Data for $59.99 and you end up pay an extra $6/month to have the Pre.
Christopher, I hear what you are saying and yes I know they are addons. I am looking at it in a total monthly bill, addons or not. The price of as low as $70 a month on the everything data is excellent. They offer are SO much more than what AT&T and Verizon. Sorry I don’t want to turn this into a debate. Hopefully Sprint will change their minds making this work on SERO. All I know is I’m excited and those I told about the Pre and the plans on Sprint, they are excited too! They see what I see, how Sprint offers you more.
.
Doesn’t AT&T gouge their customers that purchase the iPhone? Isn’t their total plan cost (with added, unlimited texts and data) somewhere in the $130′s/month? How is paying $100 for unlimited everything (actually there is a $69.99 version as well) highway robbery?
SERO plan holders (myself included) should be willing to pay more to ensure that the company that employs your friends and family members can financially operate. Plain and simple.
Christopher, whether or not Sprint “should-have” told SERO plan holders something different a year ago is mute at this point. It is a business and no business is going to shoot itself in the foot and then just watch it bleed. Sprint has a new CEO and is taking new steps (which will definitely piss some people off) in order to ensure the solvency of this company going forward.
If only we lived in a world where Sprint hadn’t turned down the iPhone. Then everyone would be belly-aching about every other carrier. Tragic.
Jason, once again, if you want an Everything plan, it’s a fair plan. Please show us where we attacked the Everything plan for being a raw deal.
I will ask that anyone who thinks we’re attacking Everything plans, to actually read the article in full.
And, as I’ve said about four times in this commentary… this plan limitation is not isolated to SERO plan holders. It affects about nine other plan types which greatly dwarf the SERO install base.
SERO plan holders are one of the smaller groups affected by the Pre limitation. Hard of hearing customers I’d say are (ethically speaking) the most put out (again, Relay and Data-Only plans are also barred)… but Fair & Flexible (or possibly Free & Clear) plan holders probably are the most affected in terms of total customers.
The piece of info I’m still trying to figure out it, does the Pre have visual voicemail? That is the one feature keeping me on my Instinct, it’s truly indispensable for me.
Spot on with the comments on the “Everything Plan” I’ve been on a grandfathered “SERO” plan for several years, using various smart phones. I wanted a Pre, but it would have cost me another $480 a year in plan costs to switch to Pre frendly plan, even though I already have more talk time than I can use and unlimited data and texting. So, I’m on a new Touch Pro. Anybody got a spare battery?
Chris,
I 100% agree with you about the plans. I have been a sprint customer for 8 years now and have stuck with them through network problems and many different phones. Since I got my first phone with a camera I have had the same data plan, which has allowed me to tether to my computer, send unlimited texts, photos and do whatever I want. The only reason I have held off getting an iphone is the thought that I would have to change my plan and increase my monthly fee for less service, besides the pain of changing services. Now since I would have to change my plan anyway, I see no reason to stay with sprint for a new device vs an established one. I will let other people debug this beast!
Greg
Chris
This comment alone proves what i was saying
Sprint, wise up and drop this ridiculous plan requirement. The Pre is an excellent device, but isn’t worth higher per-month pricing. Those customers can, and will, get a Wi-Fi enabled Windows phone, and sling Wi-Fi to the iPod touch. Such a shame too, because the Pre is Sprint’s converged solution. Only those on Everything plans will be able to use it.
Considering all of the millions of iphones and storms and ext out there ….
I have sprint and have had sprint for 8 years — the everything plan is the best plan out there for people who want use the latest hi-tech phones. For a time, i was thinking about going to at&t just to get the i-phone, but the price was completely ridiculous compared to sprint. T-mobile’s, G1 or Sidekick, and Verizon’s, pick one of their stupid phones, couldn’t touch sprint’s prices at all. For those that have grandfathered plans that are extremely cheap, not trying to be rude, but i don’t think sprint cares if you don’t get the pre, you are not going to leave and go to another carrier and pay their prices-so why do they need to appease you?
You realize you do not need the $99 Simply Everything plan. The $69.99 Everything Data will work. $15 more a month and if you are already on Sero you may qualify
I call BS in this “review”. There is no mention of call quality, battery life, wi-fi ease of use, email, profiles (Synergy), and myriad other things that would make themselves apparent with any quality time spent with the device.
I got with sprint because of the fair and flexible plans. If you go over you don’t pay 40 cents per minute. it’s either 10 or 20 cents. I have one of those and one sero plan.
Now, sprint does not offer Fair or Flexible plans. they require Everything, even if I have a gps, they require me to buy gps plan, I don’t watch tv on my phone but am required to buy it….EVERYMONTH.
I won’t do it. If I had to, it would be an Iphone. I’m a apple guy. I control around 14 lines of service, everyone follows my lead in the family. I’d rather have a friend get a t’mobile unlimited for 50 bucks and transfer liability and get the family on that if I’m required to pay more. Get and Iphone and use it unlimited.
Too bad sprint won’t offer older plans and sero plans decent phones. I’d like the pre or the eos, don’t care for the instinct.
But regardless, they won’t let me have it unless I double my monthly bill and pay EXTREME penalty for going over. 40 plus dollars for 100 minutes? I don’t go over everymonth, but I don’t go over enough to pay 30 bucks more each month.
Here is a break down of all the plans that the Pre can be on including NVP (if the company you work for receives any discounts from Sprint) discount.
http://insidesprintnow.wordpress.com/2009/05/06/palm-pre-nvp-discounted-plan-choices/
Like other have said, Sprint needs to get rid of Sero. Problem being they can’t just kick people off their current plan unless they want more lawsuites. What they can do is try to entice you into switching by launching flagship phones (Instinct and now Pre) that require plans that are much higher that you are currently paying. Is it the right move? I don’t think so but the only other option I see is to require a BB like data only plan for $30 a moth that does not include text, talk, or GPS. You can then add what you want a la cart style. In the end you end up right arount $65 to $70 or more depending on if you go with unlimited text or say 1000 text instead as well as the minutes. You are still missing Nav and I know not eveyone will use it but the GPS is used in more than just the Nav app (not counting any apps that may be release that use GPS to function) but the assistant fuction that will send out emails when the phone can tell you are going to be late to a meeting due to your calander and where you are currently at.
PS Sorry if this was hard to read….at work now and typing on a minmized browser.
say what you will about the Everything plan, they’re priced $69 – $99, but the Instinct was far from a failure because of the price plan. Sprint couldn’t keep enough in stock! Instinct sold well and so will the Pre.
[...] PhoneNews hacen una breve review de una Palm Pre que Sprint (la operadora que tendrá en exclusiva la Pre en Estados Unidos) les ha [...]
Enough complaining about the plan. I want phone details. Hows the battery life so far? and how customizable is the phone in terms of ringers?
I already have the Simply Everything plan which is great and i am a user of the Palm 755p. Just curious to know whether or not information like calendars, contacts, memo’s etc. would be able to be simply sync’ed from a device like the 755, 750, 650 to the new palm pre. I have alot of memos and wouldnt wanna lose them
The SERO plan is now called the Everything Plus Referral Plan and to use it you must be referred by an employee. On the website:
“The Sprint Exclusive Referral Offer/SERO program has been retired, but a new Sprint employee program is now live! You must be invited by a Sprint employee to receive special savings through Everything Plus Referral Program.”
http://delivery.sprint.com/m/p/sprint/epc/epclanding.asp?id9=vanity:everythingplus
Here’s my question to you: Why wouldn’t a smart company drop a plan that did not make any profitable revenue? Assuming that is the reason Sprint is tight fisted with it.
I agree with JAZZYJOC–That was a weak review — GIVE US DETAILS OF THE PHONE!! The review above reveals nothing new that hasn’t been stated in prior articles.
Woo Woo – Great Job Palm!
I have been using Palm since 1997 and love their devices. Plus have been waiting for the Pre since last year, but as I just learned Sprint requires a Simply Everything Plan in order to use the phone. I really hope they change their mind because I don’t plan on droping my unlimited data plan and hop onto paying an extra $30-40/month for Simply Everything Plan. I will wait until June 6, if that still the case. I will finally get an IPhone.
I really think this device is the re-making of both Palm and Sprint, but Sprint cannot see that. By forcing subscribers to get Simply Everything Plan is a recipe for disaster. No wonder Sprint keeps on losing subscribers as other carriers keeps on gaining.
As a long time subscriber to Sprint (since 1996) this is their chance from me.
Harry
you don’t have to pay an extra $30 or $40/month — you can just get the Everything Plan (69.99/month)– Not the SIMPLY Everything Plan (99.99)
I have the Everything plan already, use a Mogul and sling the WiFi to my iPod Touch. I have been with Sprint for about 9 years but am awaiting Apple’s announcement regarding the next iPhone details. I LOVE the iPod Touch and plan to move to an iPhone because no one seems to get the media sync as well as iTunes/iPod combo. Hate to leave Sprint because I think they have the best pricing. Just tired of carrying multiple devices. Shame the Pre doens’t seem to get it either.
First I would like to take moment, and on behalf of the educated consumers’s of this Site, thank Christopher Price, for his tireless effort, in this day and age, his work ethics are commendable!
An Open Letter
“The reasoning behind the requirement was the same reasoning given for the Instinct, that is, the company did not want people buying voice only plans and end up surprised by potential data usage charges.”
PhoneNews March 16th, 2009
Data is Data, if you have “unlimited Data” on your account, it should not be “limited to 5 GB Data” or select cherry picked devices, i.e. Instinct, or Pre or any other future devices.
The Industry has executed a Coup d’etat against the consumer, by perhaps conspiring and enforcing, hence implementing the following two main steps:
1.The term “unlimited” has been forced silently modified to a “limited 5GB”, with no legal challenge by the consumer, first by Verizone… now by Sprint. That is in lieu with the ever-expanding technical capacity!
2.Next they limited the consumer’s choice of hardware, by concocting a new plan, which allows them to discriminate against any prior agreement, which they breached again, without any legal challenge. Limiting it to a specific device i.e. iPhone by AT&T and Instinct by Sprint, “reverse discrimination” against the rest of the accounts.
The oldest trick in commerce, known as “bait and switch”.
They always want the customer to pay more…its called greed, with one exception, that is when they are just establishing themselves and starting up, when they need customers to lay the foundation for the new company.
To be fair, this is an Industry wide pattern, Sprint is not the sole violator, Verizone started with step 1, AT&T took it to step 2 with the iPhone and its plans, and Sprint is building on step 2 by adding “other devices” to the industry trend, Pre as a second additional device after Instinct cleared the path and established the pattern of step 2 for the customers of Sprint.
The Cellular Industry in the U.S., arguably lead by Verizone, has been gauging the consumer, by charging the consumer for incoming calls, not allowing you the consumer to have the same controls as with landline, i.e. toll free calls, select blocking, limited caller id with no matching name, out of control incoming charges form text or calls e.t.c, unlike the rest of the consumer’s in the advanced free market.
Sprint is just the lesser evil/expensive actor in this Industry, grasping for more of a slice of the cake, the motto is “it is never enough”! Just like children in a candy store with no parental control.
Summary for current customers:
The “Everything Plansâ€, are at best, beneficial for new converts of other carriers, not loyal, established long-term customers!
You have no choice, but to sign up with the “Everything Plans” and hence give up your grand fathered/established plan, that is if you would like to buy the latest high end new phone, like an Instinct or the new S30, the Pre,….!
Solution
1. Congress, at some point in not so distant future, has to create “the Cell Phone Consumer Bill of rights” for this Industry, which is ran like the “Wild Wild West”.
2. Class action lawsuit on behalf of the millions of consumers, with complains in common, to maybe bring some real change to this abuse pattern.
In conclusion, if you are an established customer, this “bonus” is in addition to the forced, unchallenged “Administrative Fees”, that are shoved down the consumer’s throat on every monthly statement.
The timing on this new policy, demonstrates the desperateness of Sprint, this is surely not going to stop the account losses, by not only lacking gratitude or appreciation for current or long-term customers, in addition completely disregarding the economic state of the country, how patriotic, completely in line with the cancellation letters send to the Marines not too long ago, due to “excessive roaming” in the middle of wartime service to the country!
Sincerely:F1
Consumer Experience: Airtouch / Verizone, Tmobile, Sprint Spectrum/PCS
Sprint: Since 1997
Plan: modified Fair & Flex 700 with unlimited Data
Device: m610 since Dec 2006.
Thank You
A easy reply to F1
How man Millions of Iphones have sold with plans that cost over hundreths more a year…
Sprints current plans and prices are giving current and “loyal” customers great prices
The Pre and Sprint will do just fine..
It will sell out and sell millions by year end…
Listen to yourselves. I want this great device but I dont want to do anything on it…. Get a corvette, you need to buy premium gas to drive it. Sprints everything plans are far from ridiculous. Verizon makes you take vcast when you buy a phone and makes you take high end data plans when you buy pdas. Not too mention the plan that is REQUIRED for the IPHONE before you knock Sprint for staying competitve at the same time being far less expensive for more features than any other carrier and any other device, you should do some research and stop being whiney consumers that want everything for free. Do you not realize that with out these fees the carriers would not be able to maintain network coverage and come out with cool devices???? I mean I am not a doctor, but you know what I am saying right????
Hey Mark GARY has been gone for a long time, glad to see you know so much about Sprint
I hate to say it folks, but Sprint and Palm are both companies that have great technology, but very poor business acumen and a great deal of disinterest in the customer. They also are businesses in capital-intensive industries that think cutting operating expenses can somehow make up for not investing capital in their businesses. They’re both kinda like General Motors that way.
The way Palm has handled PR for the Pre since it was announced has been a total amateur hour. I can’t believe that Palm (and Sprint) released a new Palm widget in March two months after basically announcing the death of that entire legacy platform. It is only the anticipated quality of the webOS platform that has kept interest up, not some deft messaging technique of Palm. They’re definitely not Apple in that respect.
The fact that both those companies were plowing comparatively scarce capital into a device (the last Treo Pro) with a shelf-life of three months is just absurd business sense. Every dime that went into the Epic Fail that is the last Treo should have gone into making the Pre better and sooner. Its like if Apple was released a new Newton (now its in COLOR!) platform a month before the iPhone came out…just stupid.
And ever since Sprint bought Nextel they just have not been able to get it together. Their best asset is their network, which now they are apparently kicking around the idea of outsourcing their network to save money! You outsource business-common tasks, not the business itself! Its like UPS hiring FedEx for shipping because they’re cheaper, just doesn’t make any sense…and kinda makes the existence of UPS redundant by their own admission.
Talked to Sprint CS, you can use an existing Power Vision $15 a mo. plan with the Pre.
Sounds like it doesn’t live up to the hype, but competition is good and will drive down data plan prices.
ERIC: Big deal. So I got the names mixed up, go by what I meant not what I said.
Well, the fact of the matter is, that sprint allowed the sero plan and made a promise and now is not keeping that promise. If a plan includes unlimited data (SERO PLAN) it does not matter what phone it is it WILL WORK with it.
For those who say that the SERO should be canceled, please stop your crying and being mad that you couldn’t get a great plan like that. Not everyone can afford an everything plan and that is why they took advantage of the sero plan which INCLUDES UNLIMITED DATA NO MATTER WHAT PHONE.
At this point forcing people on to more expensive cell phone plans is not going to help sprint gain revenue. There are a lot of customers who can’t afford or just won’t pay anymore when they have a plan that works just as good as the everything plan. What sprint needs to do is allow anyone with a data plan to use the pre and focus on getting better coverage and customer service, and then maybe start raising prices. But as of now they have no leverage in raising prices.
I guess we will all see what happens. I will just stick with my Touch Diamond if they are forcing a plan change for using the pre.
Good Luck Sprint!
@other
“A easy reply to F1″
“How man Millions of Iphones have sold with plans that cost over hundreths more a year…”
response:
Comparing the 3rd Generation, (July release) of the well established Iphone, to the yet unproven, potentialy buggy first Generation (June release) of the Palm Pre WebOS, is comparing Apples to Oranges (Palms)!
“Sprints current plans and prices are giving current and “loyal†customers great prices”
response:
Care to back it up with factual data, examples please ?
I am a current, 11.5 year, some might say, “loyal” customer !
I can not get what I want, unless I give up my “Fair & Flexible 700″, even Retention “can not offer any help” !
The Consumer ultimately has to have the final say and choice, forcing people into any “Everything Plan”, almost sounds like the foundation of potential “price fixing”,and it will most certainly backfire, you want proof??
Take a look at millions of lost accounts at Sprint!
Thank You!
All these comments are going in circles! At the end of the day–sprints plans are cheaper and give more than att, verizon, and tmobile. those people with the old grandfathered plans want their cake and eat it too (stupid saying, but you know what i mean) So…………is there any other sites out there that can give an actual review of the phone or is this it? Because this review tells me nothing!
@F1
This is kind of Sprint’s customer-disconnect problem. They don’t see potential in this Pre widget as an avenue to a Second Chance with a lot of lost customers – and maybe some new ones – by differentiating themselves with the Pre as the company with the cool phone AND the cool phone company. Instead, they see potential in this Pre widget as an avenue where they can be indifferent and greedy with their customers and get away with it…just like AT&T! Hmmm….
Sprint could really pull a fast one on the competition by jumping the gun on the future…namely voice as a separate revenue stream is dead, VOIP is the future. LTE or WiMAX, everything’s going to be packet-switched in 60 months or so, including voice. Sprint has the biggest pure digital network of anyone, they are the company poised to be the wireless data company instead of the cellphone company. If they wanted to play hard-ball (real grab’em by the curlies hard-ball) for customers against the other carriers they would already have a VOIP app for the Pre, charge small connection fees a’la Skype, and sell plans by the gigabyte Something like $30 base access + first two gigabytes, eight bucks per-gig after unless of course you get the Endless Pipe Plan for like $100, bits-for-voice count against the data limits. Pricing for wireless data is something else that’s coming for wireless infrastructure, for very practical and fair reasons frankly, and no one wants to admit it yet. Of course, to get in on these plans you need to get a Sprint-provisioned Smartphone (Palm Pre = launch flagship for this revamped service model) and get at least the one-year contract.
They would blow the iPhone/AT&T deal out of the water in so much as value is concerned with a scheme like that, and scare the holy living **** out of all the wireless telcos who dine out on suckers paying for SMS messages and voice-plans. What would Verizon’s answer to that be? They don’t have one. Instead, Sprint is content to have an excuse to take advantage of customers who are willing to put up with them because of device-lust (hello, iPhoners). Sprint’s stupid.
The Pre looks great! The Everything data plans starting at $70 is good. For all you loyal SERO customers, I am sure there has to be a way around it. I have heard of plenty of Sprint customers who worked around ALL rules by Sprint. Can’t say that for AT&T or Verizon. I know plenty who could not get around their policies. I’m pulling for Sprint and will sign up with them.
@mike
You can not sustain your clientle, if you change the rules mid game for your existing accounts, 90 to 5 was today’s vote on the Consumer’s Bill of right on Credit Cards in the U.S. Senate, you might want to take a closer look at it.
TheZeitgeist, JJ ,Ray are examples of the fact that the era of consumer ignorance has expired!
Let them market these policies/plans to the new accounts,as you said it yourself: “At the end of the day–sprints plans are cheaper and give more than att, verizon, and tmobile” !
Bait and switch is what “those people with the old grandfathered plans want their cake and eat it too”, are experiencing!
However I do agree that this review was more editorial, than technical, you might want to just google “Palm Pre review” and pick your choice!
Thank You
@ TheZeitgeist
They are simply lacking the vision, to have an out of the box marketing plan, just simply shortsighted greed!
Although I do not solely blame CEO D.H.,
he has come a long way (regarding Customer service),with what he was handed to by Forsee’s legacy of distruction,but still, as I said before:
“The timing on this new policy, demonstrates the desperateness of Sprint, this is surely not going to stop the account losses, by not only lacking gratitude or appreciation for current or long-term customers, in addition completely disregarding the economic state of the country,
how patriotic,…!
Thank You
-alli can say, is if you really are loyal customers to sprint, you know, sprint changes plans before other carrier does and also sprint has a lot much more to offer than some other carriers.. just look back 1 year ago and power packs were cheap and worth. i know sprint is gonna’ think about this and will introduce something new with this at the time.
-plus, yeah, i agree we all like to read a more technical review, like camera features, music players and video play, more specifically.
TheZeitgeist, it appears Palm may not shut down Windows Mobile development completely… making devices like the Treo Pro relevant to their device portfolio.
While Palm has confirmed Garnet OS is done for, they haven’t made similar comments about Windows Mobile.
I suspect Palm is taking a wait-and-see approach. It’s smart… if webOS fails, Palm doesn’t want to say Windows Mobile is useless… and then have to switch to Symbian or Android just because they attacked every other option.
What isn’t clear is which way Palm is leaning. With only the Eos and Pre running webOS, I could see Palm continue the Treo line with Windows Mobile… tapping into the hardware advances Palm has made with the Pre/Eos as well.
[...] threads yet for the day though, so if this has been posted feel free to merge/delete this mods. Review: Palm Pre (Sprint) | PhoneNews.com They make sure to take a few jabs at some of Sprint’s competitors for recent items in the news as [...]
@ TheZeitgeist
You are right.
One thing I notice on this board it seems like many of us/you here keep on getting it wrong as Sprint does. Of course Sprint has better pricing in many comparable plans than AT&T, Verizon, and Tmo, but Sprint neglect its customers for too long and refuse to be innovated. 2 simple things can help Sprint:
1. Take care of customers, price will not matter. (I used debated family and friends on why Sprint is better than the rest, but now – Heck no – won’t do – no sir/ma’am.)
2. Be innovative (They have the technologies, but don’t know how to put them to use. stop out-of-the-box marketing, outsourcing won’t solve the problem, think harder and more competitive)
- aww
Let me make restate some things for folks and maybe a clarification or two.
1. Chris and I and many others have stated and has been certified by SPRINT – Fair & Flexible, SERO and all other NON EVP/ BIZ + plans are Exempt from getting the PRE Without Upgrading PERIOD! There is no work around just like on the Instinct.
2. Some have said have Pointed at SERO Plan holders as a bunch of Cry Babies that just want it all for nothing. Hey Sure I want what I Pay Monthly for. I have a $50 and 2 $30 Sero plans. They include Unlimited Data, Text, M2M, everything except GPS & TV which I don’t Want. If I wanted it I would have added it and that is where Sprint Makes Money is Add Ons. EVP for what I get is $20-30 more a month per phone = $60 min to $90 Max before taxes. NOT Worth it for GPS and TV – Thats why I have a Real GPS, cause I have seen idiots holding their phone while driving and try to following directions. Don’t tell me it does not happen. Wait till the police give you your ticket, it won’t be pretty. I watch TV on my Laptop, or on a real friggin TV, Not a Phone – Neither do most I bet.
3. All those complaining its because SPRINT is losing all this money on SERO plans and us cheap users.
Have you forgotten a company SPRINT OWNS – Called BOOST – Hello $50 Unlimited Talk, Text, Web, Walkie Talkie NO CONTRACT- Thats better than my SERO gives me but they are pouring tons of advertising dollars into this deal to get everyone on a NO Contract EVP for Boost. So is SPRINT Really Losing because of us or themselves?
SERO and Fair & Flexible or older plans are not the Enemy folks!
Sprint Made Promises and Broke Them. Sprint also is profusely bleeding customers and cash. I for One really want them to stay around….. I love Sprint, though I would love them a lot more if they treated everyone EQUALLY!
My Biggest Gripe beside being treated like a step child is this: SPRINT ONLY GETS THE PRE FOR SIX MONTHS AS AN EXCLUSIVE. Then Everybody will get the PRE. Is it really worth Sprint Screwing over their most adamant followers and longest running patrons over a 6 Month Fling?
SPRINT Needs to make up it’s mind if they really want to be in business and do right by their customers or try to do a quick screw over hoping that 20 million people will flood them in 6 months to save their company and those 1-3 million they lose will be a minor inconvenience!
Think about it folks. We all want the same thing here. Equal Treatment by a company that seems to have lost its way!
3.
@Chris Price
It may or may not be Palm’s intention to support Windows Mobile indefinitely, but the Windows Mobile business has been a big banana-chocolate-sundae of bleeding money for Palm. The Treo Pro is the cherry on top of that sundae. The last thing Palm needs frankly is a Balkanized distribution of resources in their platform development…especially given how relatively scarce those resources are at this point for Palm.
Throw in the fact that Windows Mobile at this time is a market-share-shrinking loser in the high-margin smartphone biz, does not differentiate Palm (or Sprint) from a slew of competitors, and is another cost (gotta pay MSFT for each copy of that outdated OS) on the platform, I just don’t get it.
I think proprietary platforms like Symbian, Blackberry, iPhone OS, and webOS – with their respective value-adds and tight hardware integration – can survive and prosper just fine going forward. But there is only room for one cross-platform OS for multiple hardware vendors (read: Taiwan and Korean companies) in the licensing-to-vendor model. And I think that OS is going to be Android, and Android’s rise will come almost exclusively at the expense of Windows Mobile. Microsoft is dead in mobile computing platforms that way. Hardware advances in things like capacitive touch-screens on the Pre are useless with Windows Mobile, which doesn’t support such advances and is not built to take advantage of their benefits at all. Given that Android is free on top of all that, Doze is done in mobile.
This is what I mean by Palm having great engineers but some pretty low-wattage business people. I think Palm is going to poorly execute business-wise on their great webOS platform along with Sprint, stay barely above water financially, and get snapped up by a company with the business acumen to actually make some money on all that cool tech. I’m thinking Dell here. Dell specializes in the business of tech, not the creation of it, it would be match made in heaven that way and Dell could pick up Palm for what-for-them is chump change. That is the vision in my Crystal Ball.
This review uses the English language in the most tortuous fashion possible.
Was it translated from Ukrainian by Babelfish ?
I cant wait for the Pre to come out. When the Instinct came out, i got it right away and had to upgrade. The phone sucked, but the plan is great.
All the SERO broke a$$es keep your cheap plan, and your cheap PHONE.
If you want a high end phone with great features, but dont care to use them so you dont want to pay for them, stay with a usless phone.
TheZeitgeist, Microsoft appears poised to launch Windows Mobile 7 using a real Windows 7 kernel. All indications are that was the cause for the WM7 delay (plus it gives MS a path to x86 mobile devices).
Windows Mobile has been down for years (you heard that here first, circa 2004). But it’s not out. And corporate customers usually take years to embrace new platforms… Windows Mobile remains a staple of the corporate world.
Someone asked about Visual Voicemail on the Pre. We didn’t see it. Of course, we use Google Voice, so we might have missed it… since our voicemails go elsewhere. Tapping the voicemail icon… just calls up voicemail.
There was one Palm press photo that everyone typically points to, claiming that is evidence of visual voicemail. I’m sorry, but it isn’t. The dialer app, like all others can have a running feed of “notification events.” What you see in that photo was an incoming message, not a visual voicemail.
@Chris Price,
That’s nifty and all that Windows Mobile 7 will be a stripped down version of Windows 7, which is itself a hasty improvised build because Vista laid an egg. Windows Mobile 6.5 I think is supposed to be out…when, Q3? Q4? WM7 is slated for I think first half of next year. That’s eons in this biz. Android is already being compiled and developed to run on Atom processors for netbooks. x86 is no advantage in the mobile space, ARM is currently the way, and if x86 takes off, I can legally as a developer compile my own Android distro to run on it instead of wait for someone else (MSFT) to do it.
Capacitive touch-screens are a good example. Windows Mobile didn’t support them when Apple came out with the iPhone waaay back in 2007. Here we are in 2009…still no capacitive touch-screen support in DozeMobile. If Android had been around in 2007 and I was a device manufacturer, I’d just write my own driver support for cap-screens into my Android build and release my new cap-screen widget. Its this precise shortcoming in Doze Mobile that led the Instinct to being a non-MS phone (and I did some pre-release work on that thing at Sprint’s HQ in Kansas back in 2008). I’ve dealt with the Windows Mobile group in Redmond a lot in the past two years, and most those guys at the management level are outsourced chumps with marketing degrees and no technical background who don’t know the difference between screen-types, among many, many, other things that are critically relevant to their business. If that’s the coach running the team, my bets are on the other guys.
Think about it. Every new initiative Microsoft has undertaken since Steve Ballmer took over has been a loser from a financial perspective: Zune, Windows Mobile, Windows Live, Xboxes. Vista was the most botched and lampooned OS release Microsoft has ever had…and it was more than a year late. Outside of the very good Office and Exchange products, Microsoft is a stagnant business that plays catch-up.
SPRINT REMEMBER UR A CDMA CARRIER. PHONES ALWAYS TAKE 6MONTHS TO BECOME CDMA FORM GSM. PEOPLE WILL FLOCK 2 T-MOBILE SO THEY CAN HAVE CHOICES LIKE AN IPHONE OR TOUCH PRO2. WAKE UP SPRINT. DONT DO THE SAME TO THE TOUCH PRO2 OR YOU’LL LOSE ME TOO. GIVE PEOPLE CHOICES.
Here’s a question for those with SERO, if you all feel this strongly, why don’t you all do something about it? Email like crazy to Sprint! Bombard their inbox to no end. Make them see your point. Do something about it. I am sure if most or all SERO, Fair & Flexible, or whatever plan, you might change their mind.
Make them see they are making a mistake. Just don’t sit here and bitch and moan, poor me, poor me.
You didn’t really get a Pre, did you. How are people going to take you seriously if you keep posting pseudo reveiws?
Thats right. Its all about choices. You can chose to stay with sprint or go with someone else. But when you have a great plan, wether it be sero or a fair and flexible with power vision add on, you don’t want to give it up.
Isn’t it in everybody’s interest for sprint to stay in business? The more cell phone competition the better the pricing will be for all the consumers. If sprint keeps picking at their scab and making it bleed customers then sprint wont be around and verizon and att will raise their prices.
Look what happend with satellite radio. They said prices would go down once the merger went through and now they are raising their prices across the board. The same will happen with cell phone companies.
The sero customers are only a small amount compared to all the fair and flexible plans that are out there. My mother in law just canceled her account with sprint because of their customer service and who knows how many people are going to continue doing the same thing. Sprint should focus on strengthening their weaknesses and keep their current customers happy especially the tech savvy ones who stay with the company through thick and thin. (SERO!!!!)
Sero customers might have a low monthly plan but they add on a lot other stuff in the end which in turn gives sprint more money.
LETS ALL JUST HOPE THAT SPRINT DOES THE RIGHT THING AND KEEPS THEIR CUSTOMERS HAPPY. IN THE END, ISN’T THAT WERE THE MONEY COMES FROM?
CMON SPRINT DO THE RIGHT THING FOR ONCE!
In the end sprint might just kill the PRE due to their ignorance.
But we will all see on June 6th. Sprint might surprise us all!
Geez, the sense of entitlement is quite thick in here. You can’t seriously think that the Palm/Sprint and the Pre will be that seriously hampered by the lack of SERO, an old program that was never advertised in the first place and has been discontinued for a year, when Sprint currently holds by far the cheapest data plan for PDA/Smartphones in the US, can you?
Sprint. Is. A. Business.
Sprint needs to make money and to do that, they need to sign up more customers with better margins. I don’t know if you all noticed this, but PHONES, not plans, is how you win on-contract wireless customers to your carrier. Phones. AT&T proved that. Twice. Sprint is fixing the phone problem slowly but surely, but this SERO nonsense that you all keep whining about is ridiculous and totally inconsequential. And seriously, I note again that they still have the best on-contract plans in the US.
For you people who want to grandfather a new hot **** phone into your SERO plan, Touch Pro 2 is coming soon and you’ll probably be able to do it with that. Meanwhile, Sprint and Palm will have no problem selling this device only to new customers/non hard-core loyalists such as yourselves who don’t care (or probably haven’t even heard) about getting a $30/month plan.
Bottom line is that the phone is cheap. They make their profits on the plans. If you don’t like that model, then put your own cell network up and charge what you want.
As a former employee of sprint, I had the chance to see the palm pre and how it works waaaaaay before the public got to see it, and sprint is making everyone switch to the simply everything, or a everything plan….so sorry hate to burst your bubble. The phone is AWESOME…. it makes the Samsung Instinct, look like a toy. This is the phone to buy…….It is a Must Buy….
Hey Sprint employee, you make it sound like this phone is going to save Sprint from bleeding hundreds of customers a day. Maybe it will. But from past examples, verizon has stayed on top even with mediocre phones. Do you know how they did it and are still doing it-GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE AND A GREAT TECHNICAL SUPPORT SYSTEM. If sprint manages to improve on these levels then maybe you might have something.
@ those who say that the plan is what makes a company money, you are 100% correct. But who stays on those plans and keeps paying them, HAPPY CUSTOMERS. How are customers happy? When a company treats them right and fair and not change their terms midway.
Don’t get me wrong. I love sprint and their plans. But when your loosing customers left and right something must be wrong, that’s just my opinion though.
In this economy, smarts will get you through. Lets hope we never hear that sprint is asking for a bailout.
Like some have said before, Only time will tell if sprint will gain more customers or keep loosing them by the buckets.
As for me, I love my sero plan and if sprint does require an everything plan for the PRE, no big deal. I’ll stick with my great plan a windows mobile phone and be happy. If forcing people to everything plans is going to keep Sprint in business then so be it. I am more than happy to see sprint prosper.
LOL
@Chip:
Chipster, I was working with proto-Pre’s way back in November (BTW, I’m not under NDA anymore, internal Palm codename for Pre = “Nova”). They’re neat devices…and that’s about it. Fact of the matter is, the iPhone defined what a capacitive touchscreen mobile widget is supposed to be. Its like the old Sony Walkman. Everyone and their dog came out with a portable music player after Sony, but they were forever known as “Walkmen” even if they weren’t Sony widgets. That’s how big of a mindshare Apple has with these devices.
Also, there is a potential weak point in the webOS that could be a problem short of a slew of API-type packages from Palm: All the cool software dev that makes it so easy to develop for Pre – stuff like Webkit and css – doesn’t benefit from or is able to access hardware acceleration. The Pre is running pretty heavy duty TI-OMAP proc that can do some snazzy 3D effects, but developers can’t hook into it in the current SDK. Given how games have become kind of the killer app for the iPhone platform, the Pre is going to need similar interactive eye candy to build as compelling an application “ecosystem” as exists on the iPhone and right now a 3rd party developer can’t use the hardware to make that happen.
Another problem for the Pre and high-power apps ironically is multitasking. Aside from a DMA pool reserved exclusively for a small process set on the iPhone, any app that launches by the single-thread nature of the OS has all the silicon resources to itself. That makes it way, way easier for developers to anticipate the user environment they are developing for, much like developing an app for a console vs. a PC, and they don’t have to worry about uglies like illegal ops with some dork-TSR they’ve never heard of. The Pre will be like a Windows computer in that regards, and trying to minimize a hard-core game on the Pre – to answer a phone call for instance – is going to be a much more, ahem, interesting process. It also means the more stuff you launch and play with, the smaller the resource pool gets for other apps launched. Multitasking is a double-edged sword that way. I wouldn’t be so quick on Must Buy.
Stop attacking Chris he’s right Sprint is ridiculous for requiring a plan even if the plan is still good.. Apple loses Iphone sales all day everyday because of the higher plan.. The ONLY reason Apple can get away with it is because the Iphone IS AN IPOD.. So that makes it more identifiable, more desirable, with a bigger marketing budget.. I refuse to pay more than 100 dollars a month for a cell phone.. I need over 1000 mins, unl data, unl text, and ins.. That means the Pre barely makes it on the Everything unl.. One Problem… on Sero I have TWO PHONES for less than that.. I have a Touch Pro which is very arguably better than Iphone or the Pre.. So I have to give up the luxury of having two phones for a phone that isnt clearly better than the one I have now.. Lol Cant see that happening
LOL,
I just want the money.
Show me the money.
Yes,the money……
Chip,
Sorry to burst your bubble , the pre is not a Must Buy.
I have two sero lines. I can do everything I need with a Palm Centro.
So, Spring won’t let me put a Pre on my plans.
How is that any different from the Pre comming out on ATT.
I won’t switch plans for a phone. That would be nuts.
[...] PhoneNews was able to get their hands on a Palm Pre and have provided a full review of it. They like the fact that the Pre comes loaded with Sprint TV and Music Store and other Sprint customizations (the things we generally call ‘bloat’ and try to remove from AT&T). They note that copying to the device over USB was slow. Otherwise, the pre-installed apps were either neutered or will be updated before a final release as the YouTube app doesn’t play videos and Facebook had limited functionality. And regarding the keyboard and general operations Still, we aren’t alone in thinking it takes some acquiring to get acquainted to typing and messaging on the Pre. Every early user we’ve talked to agreed that the interface requires jumping through menus in an odd manner… especially when toggling between windows and apps. [...]
How does the Palm Pre compare to the Instinct? Battery on the intinct sucks. No aps (compared to the iPhone). Any improvements here?
Ok how many people exactly are on this damn SERO plan geez…by the way isn’t it called WEBOS….meaning you are constantly on the web to adhere to the phones purpose….I mean I honestly do not see the purpose of buying the phone knowing all of what it can do….just using it to talk or some text too…..I mean seriously…..as for the F&F plans….if you add everything else like text and data to a plan like that you end up paying the same thing or even more believe me I would know…..as for that stupid idiotic comment about hard of hearing….you can pick whatever phone you want and still be put on a special plan….a couple of my friends have an instinct and a curve which are both required on everything data plans but she is still able to use those phone because she is hard of hearing on that special plan….i mean if people are gonna seriously complain about it….get a nokia 6000 series phone….a tom tom….an itouch….and a palm zire….that way the only thing you are paying monthly for is a old nokia phone on some 10 year old 39.99 a month plan
OK so the Palm PRE is $300 bucks – $100 mail in rebate is for Sprint Credit only, NO Cash Back so still $300 bucks!
No Fair & Flexible, Grandfathered, SERO or other plans other than the EVP plans will be able to purchase and activate.
Last Year Sprint according to multiple sources had roughly 49 million subscribers. WSJ and others now state Sprint only has 35 million subscribers currently.
So Sprint again I ask, knowing that less than 5 million of that 35 million subscibers is currently on an EVP plan, you SERIOUSLY Want to Dismiss 30 Million people by requiring an EVP Plan for your Savior Phone? Do you really think that is wise in this current economic state and knowing you only have enough cash on hand to make a run of this till Mid 2010? Does the possibility of losing 10 million more offset by the 2 million you may gain really make sense?
Again – 6 Month Exclusive then everybody gets your lifeline phone. Are you that ready to be gobbled up by Verizon or ATT Sprint?
Another year like the last one and your done!
Me,
I assume there are a lot of folks on the damn SERO plan. (it was one great deal)
The Eos will come out later to replace the Centro and it is WEBOS based. (probably won’t be plan restricted)
10 year old plan for 39.99 ! I don’t think so.
Sero is 30.00/mo (some pay less) for 500 min, unlimited text, unlimited data, Free roaming, Free M2M, ect.
Yes, good attitude about monthly fees. Use a garmin for GPS. way better.
Curve does not require special plans, the relay site promotes the curve.
@ Dubs29 Even if the $100 rebate is Sprint Credit only (which I don’t think is the case), you can usually use that credit towards your plan. And, if it upsets you so much you can go to your local Best Buy where you get an instant rebate.
This is a full review? There’s no mention of *any* of the most rudimentary functions found in most *basic* reviews for any phone anywhere. Battery life? Call quality? Display quality? Speed tests? What a joke!
M-Jym, asked and answered. We already addressed why those factors are local issues that vary widely between users and locations. We maintain our long standing policy to encourage people to take advantage of return policies… and actually try the device out themselves.
Please read the existing comments before posting further, so that you can see if any of your future questions are already answered.
I never saw so much debate over rate plans. I mean seriously this is sad. All I hear is sprint should do this, Sprint should do that. And Verizon & AT&T’s names are being brought ino this article. Did all of you know that on AT&T your perks on your next phone depends how much your montly rate plan is?
And for Verizon, I know co-workers who looked at the Curve and the price of the Curve was different for each of them. One had a more expensive plan so they got it cheaper.
Bottom line is you spend more, you get more as set examples by VZW & AT&T, you get more perks. That’s how it works and I honestly don’t see a problem with that. If people are going to spend more money, they should get more.
I am not an iPhone fan by no means BUT I don’t have a problem for devices being exclusive. if you want the iPhone go to AT&T. You want the Storm go to VZW. You want the G1 go to TMO. ALL can put plan requirements which I think is fine. Those certain devices are just fine to require special plans.
Sprint needs to follow suit as both VZW & AT&T. From I read they improved their CS & tech support greatly! If that’s true then they needs to follow both VZW & AT&T business model. Aparently their subs don’t have a problem with their policies. Sprint needs to keep up with the times. Times change and you have to keep up with the trend or they will be gone or bought out.
@M-Jym @Des @Xyg Word. No pics or video either?
Hey Me, webos doesn’t mean that the phone needs internet to work to its full potential. All it means is that the applications are built in javascript. This makes it easier for all types of developers to make their own apps and so much more. Before posting please do a little research. Thank You.
Great News!
Another example of Inventory preperation, for a key product launch by a Bankrupt Company run by an incompetent C.E.O:
Sprint’s Hesse: Pre Shortages Likely (Phone Scoop)
Yesterday, 2:14 PM by Eric M. Zeman
“Sprint CEO Dan Hesse said that there is a high likelihood that there will be shortages of the Palm Pre. He said, “We don’t intend to advertise [the Pre] heavily early on because we think we are going to have shortages for a while. We won’t be able to keep up with demand for the device in the early period of time.” Hesse didn’t elaborate on how long the shortages would last.”
Wow. in a “review” you really just told folks to buy the thing for themselves to see what they think?
do you pick up a game magazine and read, “the game is neat and all but you should go rent it for yourself and see for yourself if it’s any good or not.” …no, because reviewers REVIEW products, not refer products. if you really reviewed the pre, how ’bout some details of the actual phone, the os, the ui? anything? no? ok.
besides, i’m sprint’s ceo and i know for a fact we didn’t get you a pre to review. now quick, make a scummy comment, it’s about the only honest thing you’ve done on this post
I agree with Cell Dude. All this plan debate is crazy. If Sprint changed your pricing in the midst of a contract that’s one thing. Maybe I’m missing something, but if your contract has expired where is Sprint’s legal obligation to honor your current plan when you upgrade your phone. It’s a business which is driven by the current market. The plans that sprint offered in the past made sense at that time. In this day, there are very few things priced at the same point they were a few years ago. I think it’s unfair to expect Sprint to honor grandfathered plans forever, just as it would be unfair of an employer to expect one to accept the market salary that was offered for a position years ago. How can one stay afloat if the cost of living has increased? We manage ourselves if we were a business, by making the choices that best suit our needs without putting ourselves in a bind. At some point I think everyone gets caught up in thinking what’s best for us is best for a company. The beauty is that you have a choice to either keep your current device and plan or move to another carrier; whatever works for you. Those who want Pre will get it with the plan requirements. If you’re unwilling to pay the new prices, that’s your right. No one is forcing you to change or upgrade anything. I would love to get a BMW, but am I willing to pay the price for it? NO, not when I’m satisfied with my current car and it gets me where I need to be minus all the luxuries. At the end of the day Sprint is a business and like any other it needs to make money to survive. In a perfect world a business would make every customer happy, but that’s just not possible. Yes, the Pre seems to have some potential from what I’ve seen on the net. If it’s a hit (they could use one) I think it would be good things for Sprint ,but on the other hand if it turns out to be a complete failure it won’t force them out of business.
“We maintain our long standing policy to encourage people to take advantage of return policies… and actually try the device out themselves”
So basically this isnt a review. Its a recommendation to try out the phone and see if you like it ?
“And now, for the first (full) review of the (final) Palm Pre.” not what I would call ‘FULL review’
You say that things vary by region but Battery life, Display quality, and Speed test should at least be mentioned somewhat.
I agree. That was not a “full” review. What about MMS? Is it smooth? How about movie playback? Do they have to be MP4′s or AVI? What about texting? Is it tetherd like an IM? If so does it look good? What about ringtones? Can you make your own like on my Treo 755p or do you have to purchase them like the Iphone? Does the speaker sound good with music and movie playback?
I appreciate you guys checking the thing out and telling us about it. I really do. I don’t think you should call it a “full” review when you didn’t even mention the above things I’m wondering about.
If you don’t like our review style (which again, we have used many times in the past), we encourage you to read other site’s reviews of the final device.
Everyone has 100 questions. We’ll take them as we have time, but many of them are way too open to interpretation. Some love watching full length movies on Windows Mobile… others think it’s a deplorable experience.
Again, we have always encourage Buy It and Try It, versus giving qualitative assessments. We held iPhone to the same standard when reviewing it.
P.S. Speaker sounds fine volume-wise. This isn’t a first-gen iPhone (or a second-gen iPod touch, for that matter).
IMO it would be better classified as a hands-on impression rather than a Full review… i could be wrong.
any word on if and when this hit other providers (ie verizon)???
Danny,
It hits all the other Cell companies in 6 Months!
god damn screw sprint….. i wont be able to get this phone because they are so god damn greedy about their everything plan. Are they even thinking about the econmony right now and how bad it is. I couldn’t get the instinct because of their stupid requirement for their everything plan. i hope sprint loses so much money that they go broke this year and my dad (who pays the bills) will have to be forced to move to another phone company). SCREW YOU SPRINT YOU ARE MAKING A BAD MOVE
JJ i did my damn research….i could say more about my business position towards the phone but id rather not even go there…..i know what it means….believe me i am one of the ones getting the SDK that palm is making for the phone….im simply saying stop crying like a baby and either get the damn phone or not…..dont go crying about the price plan….im pretty sure sprint pitched it to palm of how they are going to handle this phone….and if palm didnt want to have it that way…..believe me…someone would of said something….tech3 makes some valid points to the defense….so just go read up on that…..
@flower_power im talking 10 year old free and clear plan….oh yeah 40 bucks….with retention free web and text haha
Chris, I guess I just don’t get it. Buy it and then try it? Thats your answer? I guess I should not rely on this site to give “full” reviews. I’m sure everyone wonders about the same questions I asked. How hard would it have been to give info on MMS and if it tehthers or not? More importantly movie and music playback. Those things should be a given. Why would I want to buy and try right off the bat? That makes no sense at all. I guess I will go to another site that actually reviews the phone in FULL. I’m not dumb enough to go out and buy something without knowing all the in’s and out’s. I can’t believe this site encourages people to do this.
“Don’t shoot the messanger” !
“Freedom of Speech for the Sprint Customer’s”
To an observer, It becomes obvious that there is 2 types of Pro Sprint comments on here:
1.Recent converts to Sprint, who find it less expensive compared to their old Carrier plans.We understand where you are coming from, give it some time,and you will also understand us!
2.Some Sprint employees, who are somewhat understandably defensive and bias, are acting as agents, in support of the failing Corporate policies.
This is to the second group:
This website is one of a handful of sites,providing a forum for the actual customer’s of Sprint to freely express themselves!
Attempts to silence our voices, in however tasteless fashion, only makes you appear more desperate, the fact is that without us the paying customer’s, it will not be long before you will be out of a job.
Acknowledge the fact that we provide a invaluable chance for Sprint to listen, to learn first hand constructive feedback and for Sprint maybe to adjust accordingly, should it opt to do so!
Otherwise, shooting the messanger, before we join the ranks of the now silent former tens of millions of Sprint customer’s who have left the company over the past decade, will surely not help Sprint!
Thank You!
Did you actually have the Pre in your possession and physically use it for your review?
I ask because there was really nothing in the review that was not already discussed by Palm. Did you test data speeds? Call quality? BlueTooth connections? Speaker phone? Multi-tasking ability? How well did it hold a signal? What was the battery life like?
Own up to it…either you did not really test the Pre hands on or you totally blew a great chance to set yourselves apart.
Me, Thats what I thought too. I bet they did not have their hands on it. How else do you explain the poor review that tells us NOTHING!!!!!
It appears many want to set up scenarios where we’re damned if we do, and damned if we don’t.
Qualitative things like call quality, and data speed, require nationwide use. There’s no way we can test every Sprint network cell site configuration… there are many different CDMA hardware vendors. Same with iPhone on AT&T… which is why we treated the original iPhone with a similarly-styled review. This is the third or fourth time I have had to repeat that.
Read the comments people… we’ve addressed this quite a few times. This is the last.
If we pass judgement now on things like voice and data signal/quality, those same people would be back next week to say how wrong we were (even if we were pretty much right). We’re not stupid, and we’re not going to play that game… for all the reasons we’ve already stated.
Further baseless comments that somehow doubt we reviewed the Pre will be removed. Read the review, read our follow-up comments… it’s clear we reviewed the final Pre.
Continuing with such junk discussions simply is not productive, and a waste of both our time, and other reader’s time.
what about battery time chris? Does that require nationwide use??
How is it a junk discussion Chris? How is telling us what the MMS and SMS is like a junk discussion? How is telling is about movie and music play back a junk discussion? These are things everyone wants to know. How can you not see that? The movie and music playback is something everyone and I mean everyone enjoys. Some might not like to watch full movies ok I get that,but some do. Why not throw us a bone? You can delete this if you want,but come on man I’m not the only one intrested in these things. I found your site through a google search and I thought great a site dedicated to phone news and reviews. Was I wrong? I’m not trying to bust your balls man. I appreciate the fact you have a great site. I was just shocked when you didn’t mention some of the things about this phone that make it special. MMS,movie and music play back should be a given and not opent to interpretation. How hard is that?
Messaging – We touched on SMS… MMS backend servers were not assured to be online, so we didn’t want to cast judgement on it yet.
Movies & Music – Sorry, answered in a previous comment. This is taking a lot of time with little benefit (to those that actually read the comments).
Battery Life – Mike, it does. It requires multiple charge cycles and network utilization. Same with iPhone until significant firmware revisions (and GSM doesn’t have breathing effect issues with power). Even drive-by sites like Engadget will tell you that.
I read through all comments and I saw nothing on movies and music? So do they have to be MP4′S for movies? Can I just use it in AVI format? What about ring tones? MP3 or not?
I called Sprint yesterday to see if my Free & Clear Family Plan that currently has all the minutes and data that I need can be used with the Palm Pre and was told it would not. I can understand Sprint wanting to upgrade me to a new more expensive plan and even though I would really like to get the PRE it is just not worth the additional monthly cost. I was planning on extending early to get the PRE but will probably just wait now to see if I can work a deal with Sprint upon expiration of my contract in November. I lost my excitement over the PRE!!!!
I have SERO with extras/discounts & Treo 755P, I love WebOS and want to make it better, a happy place like in the ATT/APPLE corner. Productivity is abundant, life is quick, easy and entertaining…no crash & things just, WORK! (Shock) Everything I say below means NOTHING unless Palm’s Pre is exactly as they advrtise, & as I expect it to be. I, like others have reservations about the battery life, app store & general success of this new platform. A simple mistake like a inadiquit battery could ruin the ENTIRE experience and make it essentially worthless. It can NOT be any less than an iphone (but multitasking, so improvement!).
No one understands the problem caused when taking Istincts route and tying specific plans to the Pre. I have SERO but I will eventually give it up (if not right away), I might negotiate NEW discounts on the necessary plan. Whatever happens, I will break down eventually – but it’s not ME, Sprint and everybody else (all Pre lovers) need to worry about. I live in NYC and make a decent living freelancing (running around with my laptop from person to person, office to office – I basically get paid shit in a lot of places 8). I need this AND I have money to buy it & pay a little more for a plan. I would also pay for & upgrade to Sprint TV and GPS, though I doubt I will use that often.
I’m very familiar with people who’s lives revolve around computers/cells, these are the people with SERO like accounts. Those that do research and just FIND information & those that always buy in bulk (only 15% of college students are expected to get JOBS when they graduate this year, supposedly the biggest # of graduates in HISTORY). These are students and low income programers and enthusiasts,, single parents – those just out of school will not spring for the “Pre” or the plan price that is forced. Essentially suffocating the Pre itself & the OS, shunning old accounts, those who will DEVELOPE the Apps for the WebOS. These are usually young adults who have smaller budgets and take the time to do things “on their own” (like tinker on their comps). If we don’t have hundreds of HS/College (SERO, fair and flexible,etc) students running around thrilled with their Pres, who will create these programs/apps to grasp interest EVERYWHERE, so the WebOS world can be MORE beautiful & 3Dimentional for US all?
This even further complicates the problem, and could backfire for Sprint – I honestly hope not. If Sprint does not allow to use grandfathered plans, a HUGE chunk of customers will not adapt right away – some inevitably are the developers that will make WebOS tick. Now a few months, Apps are showing up very slowly & those with the phone become restless and angered. People are furious with Sprint, now 6 months & a new WebOS phone comes out on Verizon – Sprint loses another 5 million customers. Basically the entire OS fails and becomes 1/4 of what it could have been, perhaps rescued when it comes to other carriers & renewed vigor is seen – though never the same.
You know why I have SERO? I’m 26, grew up in NYC and have had a cell for a long time (no one in family had it before, I was 14). I learned quickly how Mobile companies worked, charges would magically show up – “I didn’t sign up for this”. Tricks galore, after many bills for months- hundreds of dollars each. I’m with Sprint but this was an experience on a different carrier, however Sprint is no angel either. As a resourceful teenager, I took to the internet to see the countries view & if I can find something better. I stumbled onto SERO and is HOW I became a customer (I’d prolly be with an iPhone otherwise, heh). ALL carriers suck, I don’t understnad why the Mobile industry here is so viscious/dishonest? The bills NEVER made sense, they have and continue to get away with a lot of things…though I’m thankful Sprint cut it out.
I NEVER post but I feel pretty strong about the Pre and more importantly, about WebOS. I read, a lot – especially things that interest me (technology). Most of my close friends are Mac users/iPhone, while I generally work with PCs. Between my group of friends and many here online, I’ve noticed many who complain about ATT’s service – though not EVERYONE is effected. One must understand that the ATT exodus over the iPhone is stressing their network – they’re bursting & are not equiped to handle such volume in certain areas (especially if your precious iPhone is hot commodity where you live). I can vouch Sprint has a wonderful network, as they have PLENTY of room now, sorry bad joke! heh. I’ve been with them for over 8 years and they USED to be terrible, only in the customer service department (I was always pleased with network). I’m very impressed in the last year as I believe I’ve never had to call about a major issue, now they actually call you back to follow up too!
CONCLUSION:
I see things are getting out of hand but lets summarize. SERO was not a simple task to achieve, I and others have spent DAYS on the phone, negotiating and argueing about customer service problems (in total, I kid you not). Many of us have EARNED these accounts, when others went to other carriers…we resolved because out plans were ‘cheaper’. Truth is I became bitter with Sprint for always trying to ‘stick it to me’, so I stuck it to them! I called about everything, & I certainly had problems – I beat them at their own game, this was my test to be the ‘better’ negotiater and I achieved. However, I will get the Pre regardless, & many SERO accounts will as well. But, I have a strong feeling those that will NOT switch will be those that will actuallly GIVE BACK to WebOS, develope our new Apps (I don’t care for old Palm OS Apps!), & even most likely to USE/Purchase them as well.
If Palm fails, I will personally be saddened as I believe we have something really beautiful here. Now much improved customer service. This is specifically in regards to billing, bills are clear, taxes are low, no surprises. Also, their excellent network, cheaper plans and a fantastic phone/OS! Those that have been with Sprint for years and years will be the ones developing and testing, everybody else will be satisfied with the regular, cheaper Sprint plans AND a well developed App Store!
Sprint, do NOT stifle the energy that you have here with the Pre and WebOS. You need these broke, young and bright individuals to start things well for YOU, remember – only 6 months exclusive. You block out your core userbase & leave bitter taste at the same time. Then you fail to support the OS enough and the entire thing blows up in your face. Angry customer base (AGAIN) & half assed product! LET IT FREE AND YOU WILL COME OUT AHEAD! I know you are a business & money talks, so keep in mind the revenue you will miss from the APP STORE by cutting out hundreds of thousands of people who will CREATE these apps! Do you want to follow Apples long term iPhone community plan or make higher, temporary profits but then still slowly die out anyway?
SIGN NEW CUSTOMERS TO EVERYTHING PLANS, LET UNLIMITED DATA ACCOUNTS USE PRE!!! If you MUST upgrade SERO, upgrade it to the new SERO PLUS but leave the few ‘reasonable’ discounts. You will have everybody on the accounts you want (everything works the same) and everybody is happy with their few discounts also. Apps are abound, Pre’s are seen everywhere – everybody is happy.
PS. I’m an inventor, entreprenuer and technology enthusiast, lets make WebOS a brighter world for us to enjoy! 8) hahaha
Best to you all,
LJ – OMG this is long…
I am a long time Sprint customer and I don’t have a SERO plan.
If Sprint offered all SERO or any other legacy customer the opportunity to keep their current plan if they were willing to pay $ 400.00 for the PRE would you think this would be a reasonable compromise.
Yes you would have to pay more for the phone but in the long term you would save with your lower cost plan.
This could be a win – win. Get the Pre and Sprint get a little extra cash to help them survive.
@SMOG – Yes, I think the higher price for the phone would be reasonable. However…
Sprints operational mode of offering deals for new customers is nothing new.
When I got my sero plans, they were to lure new customers.
Existing customers had to jump through hoops to get the better plans.
I believe a watershed event happened (the iPhone) and sprint decided to play along.
They want to boost money they get from each customer and are using the instinct/pre
to both lure new customers and get existing customers off the cheaper plans.
I am a happy sprint customer with my legacy sero plan. Given the choice of cheaper plan
or wow phone (iPhone/instinct/pre), I am happy to stick with the cheaper plan.
Who knows what the future holds. Time moves on and there may be a future watershed
event in these tough economic times that causes sprint to change their thinking (better or worse).
@ LJ & SMOG and all the other well meaning, account holders!
Unfortunately, history has proven to us over and over again, that “GREED” and “REASON” do not cooperate, case and point the mortgage & banking crisis of 1929 and 2008, the same pattern,hence the saying :
“History repeats it self”!
These people @ SPRINT don’t think about “longterm relationships”, to them longterm is a rip off 2 year contract, that is why they can not keep a position for long, they come in for “the kill” like former CEO Forsee, CEO Dan Hesse made as much as or over $14,000,000 in 2008!
What for?
The value of the Company??
Just about everything they could is outsourced or sold or leased out!!
Just a couple of years ago you could not buy a share for $20, now a days you can get between 5 to 10 shares, (a couple of months ago a share was under $2,depending on when you get in !) for the same $20!!!
Before they used to call a customer a “Lifer”, that is how much they used to value and care in keeping happy longterm “relationships”,
not forced “Contracts” and “Plans”!!!
When the “Pre” fails (all eggs in one basket), it will force them to vote him off! You know why?
Because they are bleeding accounts by the millions, as the guy in “TOPGUN” said:
” Son,you are writing checks your body can not cash”!!
I could care less for the “Pre”:
1. No Microsd (good luck saving your files, when it crashes or dies!
2.Poor Camera
3.Unproven “WebOs”
4.Not backwards Compatible with “PalmOs” i.e “Garnet (meaning sc… you loyal Palm customer!
5.Keyboard Vertical versus Horizontal design
6.The slippery,smudge/scratch magnet finish, instead of rubberized
7.Forced “EverythingPlans”
However, obviously many do not mind my preferences, why would a smart CEO, in this economy mind you, put the potential of millions of dollars in additional income at risk??
Simply put miss management, lack of inventory, due to lack of funding, due to loss of millions of good solid accounts,buying Nextell,signing up poor credit non paying accounts by the millions,laying of 1000s in staff…
because of incoherent policies and greedy schemes, the pattern repeats itself,in summary the creation of “the Perfect Storm”!
The only difference, this time is that they are running out of life boats, a couple of more mistakes like these, and they are out for good, too bad for the consumers, one less choice to consider, but don’t worry life cycles tend to start anew, a brand new company will be born,
after all it is not the end for all!! lol
Thank You!
We’re waiting for the App Catalog to really see what the Pre can do with video.
Unfortunately, this starts to step into areas we cannot comment on. webOS took a lot of lessons from Palm on multimedia areas, and Palm’s cloud computing services will certainly help in this area.
F1, the Pre is actually backwards compatible with Garnet OS, via add-on (created with assistance from Palm themselves). It is similar to Apple’s Mac OS Classic mode (and more recently, XP Mode in Windows 7).
In fact, thanks to webOS not being very good for gaming (yet), Palm is actually pointing to Garnet OS backwards-compatibility as enabling first-version webOS devices to have a reasonable gaming presence.
Christopher,
I’ve followed with interest your comments on the Sprint calling/data plans that will accompany the Palm Pre offering. You describe them as “hostage plans” in that Sprint will require expensive monthly plans called “Everything Plans.” As I understand Sprint’s policy on this, a customer can activate their Pre with an Everything Data Plan starting at $70/month for 450 call minutes or a Business Essentials Plan starting at $70. Those plans with 900 call minutes come in at $90/month.
Then there is the “Simply Everything” Plan at $100/month.
Just so I’m clear, are you calling ALL the “Everything Plans” onerously expensive and likely to hurt Palm Pre sales, even the ones starting at $70/month….or were you specifically referring only to the Simply Everything plan at $100/month as onerously expensive and likely to hurt Palm Pre sales?
I’m writing about the coming Pre on my blog and want toy link to yours.
Thanks
Robert Mullins
San Jose Gadget Examiner
Robert, yes were referring to the entire set of Everything set of plans. Here’s why.
Sprint has said they do not discriminate between smart device plan pricing (Windows Mobile, earlier Palm devices, etc). While Palm’s using newer (Linux-driven) software, the data consumption and speeds are identical. The only thing new, is the added utility of Palm’s interface and accessibility.
Sprint refuses to address how the Palm Pre is any different from a high-end Windows Mobile phone. When iPhone 3G went to $30 for data pricing, AT&T explained that it was the same data pricing for other smartphones on their 3G network. Palm has informed us that there is nothing in the device that would require an Everything plan. Hence, this requirement is artificial.
Further, Sprint assured certain customers (on legacy plans) that they would continue to activate new smartphones, even though their plan was no longer offered. Sprint is clearly backtracking on that promise.
And finally, many customers are left in the cold. The hard of hearing (on the Sprint Relay Plan) and on the data-only plans (those who use the device for web, email, and messaging only)… are told they can’t get the Pre at all.
With iPhone and the T-Mobile G1, customers simply have to add a more expensive add-on, but can keep their voice plan regardless of age or configuration. Both also have options for the hard of hearing, and data-only users. Sprint and the Pre lack all of those options.
Based on all of those reasons, we think it’s more than apt to call these requirements “hostage terms.” Even if your plan could use a smartphone already (with data included), your bill could rise as much as $40 per month, just to get the Pre.
I’m one of the many with a Fair & Flexible plan (family) for $70. I’ve got the $15 add-on Power Vision pack, and my wife has an older $5 Vision add-on. That’s $90 before taxes. In order for me to get this phone, here are my options. My wife and I can both switch to an Everything Data Shared plan, $130 before taxes, $40 more than we pay now. That’s a waste for her since she has an older phone and doesn’t really use it for anything other than making calls and maybe 5-10 texts a month. I can switch to an individual Everything Data plan, and leave her on the old shared F&F plan. That would be $70 plus $5 plus another $70, or $145. That would be kind of odd to keep her alone on a shared plan. The last option would be to put me on an Everything Data plan, have my wife switch over to one of the more basic plans (Basic = $30, Talk = $40), hopefully get to keep her add-ons ($5 Vision), and that would come to $105 or $115, which is still $15 or $25 more than we pay now.
I’ve been a Sprint customer a while now. I’m really looking forward to this phone. But they’re wrong if they don’t think I’ll jump ship if AT&T adds a lower tier plan like the rumors say they are, as long as the price is good. I’ve got a feeling that the reason more people didn’t jump to AT&T to get an iPhone is because of the cost of the data plan. That’s the biggest thing keeping me a Sprint customer. If that hurdle is lowered, I’m definitely more likely to leave Sprint than I am to stay.
What I’m hoping is for AT&T to introduce a lower tier plan, and for Sprint to be pressured into following suit.
@ Chris, I had read that programs like “Document to go” and others were not going to work with WebOS, what you are reporting would indeed be a plus!
FF vs EP
@ Robert Mullins
Maybe this real example helps you:
I have the Original Fair & Flexible (FF) 700 for $50 includes:
Every $5 = buys an extra 100 minutes
5 cents per minute when overage exceeds1000 minutes (1700minutes!!)
Nights starting @ 6PM I average 670 minutes a cycle:
1.Unlimited PCS to PCS ( average 5 minutes)
2.Unlimited America Roaming (never use)
3.Unlimited Pic & Video Mail (never use)
4.Unlimited SMS & Text messaging ( average 30)
5.Unlimited Night & Weekend ( average 600-1300 minutes)
6.Unlimited EVDO Data Pack basic mobile TV (Opera mini 3)(unspecified)
7.No GPS ( I use Free Google Map)
FF gets for:
$70 = $20 more 4X $5 = 4X 100min= Base700 + 400= 1100 minutes
$90 = $40 more 8X $5 = 8X 100min= Base700 + 800= 1500 minutes
$100= $50 more 10x$5=10X 100min=Base 700 +1000=1700 minutes
No GPS
Everything Plan (EP):
1. $70 —>FF (1100 minutes) less EP (450) = 650 minutes short!!
2. $90 —>FF (1500 minutes) less EP (900) = 600 minutes short!!
In other words only after I exceed 1700 minutes, do I break even with the
$100 Everything Plan!!
For the record I have never exceeded 800 minutes in a cycle over an eleven year period!
Hope this helped you can draw your own conclusion, why one would feel taken hostage when forced to give up a Plan to get an Instinct or Pre or S30!
Thank You
Thank You
I think Sprint is targeting a certain demographic with the Pre and the Instinct selling the phone and Everything Plans as a packaged deal. More than likely they have looked at the internal data from the Instinct sales and have come to a consensus that the majority will buy the Pre with its plan requirements. Regardless of the product and/or service there will always be complaints and dislikes. The key is to aim to satisfy the majority, and in this case I think those with grandfathered plans that are unwilling to switch are in the minority.
People tend buy and spend the money on things that they “valueâ€. As it has been stated before look at the IPHONE plans, people that truly want the device don’t mind paying for it. Then there is the argument that Palm is not Apple. This is true, but why do they have to be?
I can understand that there are people out there with plans at various prices that suit their needs. Is it not enough that they still honor grandfathered plan prices? If you are out of contract where are they obligated to do so? To my knowledge the wireless industry is one of the few that do this. The rates for TV, internet, and landline service often increase regardless of what you paid when you signed up. So as long they honor grandfathered plans and give multiple handset upgrade options that don’t require a plan change how is anyone being held hostage?
@Tech3
Your writing seems like a soft P.R. corporate response, don’t be offended, see consumers value their freedom of choice above all.
1.Clearly Sprint is targeting “a certain demographic”, just observing the Ads, clarifies that the target market is non Sprint customers, the goal is to recruit them away from the competition.
Nobody has an issue with that aspect of the plan, capitalism is still alive, the issue is greed versus freedom of choice for existing Customers.
2.Earlier you used the BMW analogy, ok let us agree that out of all the automotive vendors, i.e Audi,Ford,Honda,… you opt for the BMW, now you get to pick the 1 or 3 or 5 or 7 series, or maybe the X series is more your cup of tea, but BMW says keep driving your old 3 series, you can buy parts for it, or if you like to buy any other model that is ok, except for the X series that you want!
See the X series lease/purchase requires a contract with penalty option for exclusive usage, only the Freeway can be utilized, you can not drive on the surface streets!
Just as BMW would never prohibit your choice of vehicle or road, so should also the Sprint device and road access choice be free!
Never mind that some vendors have loyalty / upgrade programs in addition to other bonuses!
3.When I first signed up with Sprint, Weekends and Holidays were free, in addition to that, first incoming minutes were also free, so that you did not have to be forced to pay for wrong number incoming calls.
So please do your due diligence before you compare favorably your industry with other telecom in this country, for example, no selected incoming call blocking option, charges on all incoming calls, no toll free calling (except for*2 *3), caller id is none existend, no collect call option, no shut off on voice mail, might as well forget about an oversees Cell standard comparison!!
People are fed up with the Industry wide abuses,mind you that the economy, is on the side of the ones who have the freedom choice,
People can’t wait for a “Cell Consumer’s bill of rights”, just like with the Banks and Credit Cards.
It is the priciple of freedom of choice that has been taken hostage by the enforcement of these plans, what is the difference between new customers and the old, you ask?
Well let us see, without the primary customers there would be no Sprint!
How is that for Customer appreciation incentive?
Hope that helped put things into perspectiv.
Thank You
Someone mentioned its all about “new customers”…. and it is.
For all of you who feel we older customers are being stingy, or unreasonable, I have to remind you of a few things:
1) Some of us have free and clear plans we got when sprint was almost nothing. We joined due to them having the most advanced cellular devices in the country (cameras, color screens, polyphonic ring tones) and PUT UP with their limited coverage, not to mention being bound to the sprint network ONLY for coverage. Many of us were accustomed to paying a bit more for vision each month, some of us had it built in our plans. ALL OF US dealt with paying a bit more when power vision hit the market
2)Some of us came to sprint because “fair and flexible” plans worked for us…. and gave us piece of mind.
3) The majority of us not on everything plans ARE NOT SERO CUSTOMERS.
We’ve all stuck with sprint for longer than the average mobile customer stays with a company, and if sprint’s new direction is as such, we have out-stayed our value.
NEW CUSTOMERS AND EVERYTHING PLAN CUSTOMERS:
Just remember, what is new becomes old. You’ll eventually call sprint foolish. Maybe because they refuse to replace your malfunctioning Palm Pre even though you pay for insurance. Maybe they’ll bill you for text or data in error, and cause you grief.
One thing is certain…… They will roll out a device that has 4G internet, or a device even more advanced than the PRE. And when you call to get it, you will be told that your “everything” plan won’t work. And you’ll remember a time when you were “favored ” by sprint, and most of you won’t want to pay more. Maybe you’ll stay and put up with whatever they put you through? Maybe you’ll go. IF YOU DECIDE TO STAY WHEN THIS DAY COMES, you’ll have more in common with those of us complaining on this forum than if you decide to leave….
Some of you need to realize the initial PRE roll out is all about Sprint getting new customers.
Yes new customers who will generate more revenue, because without new customers Sprint will be gone from the market. For legacy customers just be patient. Come early November when x-mas shopping season comes and the Sprint -PRE exclusive period is winding down something will change. I would not be surprised if the price of the PRE with no contract will be in the 400-500 range and you will be allowed to connect it to any existing Sprint plan that has unlimited data.
As a side note I just was in a T-Mobile store where when they compare plans with other companies, they do not even acknowledge that Sprint is a competitor. I have also been with vzw and att both how have customer service that is worse than Sprint.
In many ways Sprint and Palm are where Apple was not so long ago or have many of you forgotten how close Apple came to going under before Steve Jobs came back.
I am not saying drink the Sprint kool aide but if you really are a Sprint customer you should be encouraging your friends to switch to Sprint if you are happy and if the only reason you are still with Sprint is because of price. Than make sure that is in the top of any post you make.
SMOG, people said that about Instinct. People said Sprint was only limiting the Instinct to Everything Plans, in order to control demand.
Again, as I’ve said this previously in this article… ask those people how that wait is going.
@ Christopher, what do you mean by the last comment? Maybe its just me but i have no idea what it means.
Okay..I have read a lot of the comments and I am still on Sprint’s side with this one.
Sprint is not worried about those customers with the old plans, who don’t want to upgrade their plan. You guys aren’t going to leave because you can’t get the Pre. Where you going to go?? All the other service plans will cost you a whole lot more. You can’t beat the price you pay at this time. But, just for fun, lets pretend you leave, just because you can’t get the Pre. Verizon is going to rake you over the coals to get the plan you have now. You aren’t going to go with Iphone because it will cost you way more for the plan and you get less than just going with the everything or simply everything plan. So you can be upset, but in the end what are you going to do, leave and pay more through another carrier? I don’t think so.
I upgraded my plan so i can get the instinct. I had the fair and flexible plan before, but I understood that it’s just business and if i want the latest phone they are not going to allow me to keep my same cheap plan. Any carrier would do the same.
@CR
What Chris is trying to say is that Instinct was thought to go to all existing unlimited data plan after a certain time, but that never happened. Which means that the Pre will most likely not go to all existing unlimited data plans after a certain time.
Mike, I don’t think most people in this forum are going to cancel their account if they can’t get the pre. They were just voicing their opinions on sprint making decisions that affect their current customers.
At this point Sprint does NOT have any room to piss off any customers. They are already loosing too many.
Your right that sprint has the best plans in the market but a phone company doesn’t just survive on plans. It also survives on Great Customer service(Sprint Doesn’t have) and great coverage (which sprint still isn’t there).
Sprint is working on fixing these problems but they have to fix it before they can start forcing changes like the pre issue.
Also how many people switched their plans to get the instinct just like you did? I really don’t know how many did it but it wasn’t enough to help their customers from leaving by the millions.
So Mike can this move really help sprint? Has it in the past? You tell me.
Sprint will start thinking right after other companies get the pre and they are no longer the only game in town with the pre. Sprint better hope Verizon doesn’t get it too quickly because then sprint better bring on the game.
I hope sprint does well though. The more cell phone companies out there the better it is for consumers.
Sprint, please think about what you are doing, for business sake! hehe
JJ
I agree that sprint HAD bad customer service (which cost them alot of customers), but it has gotten extremely better. As far as the coverage, I never had an issue with that. I think a big issue that sprint had was the phone catalog SUCKED. Verizon was coming out with a new phone every month and it was always some snazzy cool looking phone which attracted a lot of customers from sprint. ATT obtained the Iphone exclusively which gained a TON of customers from sprint (they almost got me!)–Sprint had no real answer to the Iphone and during that time many of people were flocking to the iphone, leaving sprint — Sprint tried (and failed) to compete with the instinct but fell flat on their face, still losing customers to carriers with snazzier phone catalogs. What sprint is trying to do is lure some new customers their way with the Palm Pre–I believe they are trying to entice new people and old to get this phone. They would be crazy to offer the PRE to those with Grandfathered plans, because they know they won’t leave, the plans they have are too cheap. So to answer your question — yes this plan will help them because I believe this phone will be the closest competitor to the iphone (but i have been mistaken before – INSTINCT). Now I do believe Sprint is going to have 1 major problem that they will need to address or they will be in a world of hurt…………..Sprint has this phone exclusively for a limited time and they will most likely not have a good followup phone – so what will entice people to comeback.
@ Sprint, just remember these words:
“NOBODY LIKES TO BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED”!
A true story:
I have an m610, after 2.5 years, the camera and microsd are not working, 40minutes max talk time,… still I really enjoyed this Phone, the rubberized finish, matt black, still the thinnest Flip, 2.2inch sharp screen, first 2 meg pix camera at Sprint, video would record till power would end, great pics!
Now after 11.5 years of service, for the past 8 months (@ $55), I have moved to a place, where signal is so poor, that the phone goes into something called “off Line mode”!
I had never seen that before, good luck getting it back to the “Now Network”!! It requires multiple hard resets, maybe a dose of roaming, and about 20 minutes of your time, that is of course after you find out that your phone has been, god nows for how long in “off Line mode”!!
As of right now, nothing in the current line up, is my cup of tea, maybe the “International Willow”, if it is matt and rubberized.
By the way as I stated earlier, I could care less for the “Preâ€:
1. No Microsd, good luck saving your files, when it crashes or dies !
2.Poor Camera
3.First Generation unproven, potentialy buggy “WebOsâ€
4.Keyboard Vertical versus Horizontal design
5.The slippery,smudge/scratch magnet finish, not rubberized
and of course, don’t forget the “bonus” enforced “EverythingPlansâ€!
I have been off contract, for 16 months, a year ago they were going to give me any phone of my choice for free, except for the m800/Instinct!
2 months ago they told me, “sorry we can no longer give you those deals anymore”, i.e the Palm Pro will cost me $199, same as new accounts,
“they took away all other discounts, sorry that is the best we can do”…
So, I have a disfunctional dying phone, the worst connection over the last decade, nobody I know uses Sprint anymore, guess what,
no matter how great my vintage, modified F&F 700 plan is, with the worst reception since 1997, I have come a full cycle!
At one point I even considered buying an Omnia from VZ and have them flash it on to Sprint, but VZ increased the off contract price from $349 plus Tax, to even higher, with no gurantees.
I do have unlimited roaming, which sometimes I have to switch over to,
so that I don’t drop an important call, multiple times!
For the first time I am excited over the 3rd Gen Apple iPhone, or maybe even the 3rd Gen iTouch, it will have a rubberized back, a video camera, many fun applications,although I hate the call quality of ATT, but it looks like the network is improving, in addition to international access, it provides the option to at will, switch various devices with ease by simply swaping the card, maybe I get myself one those 3rd Gen Apple products, as a second device till the faith of Sprint is sealed.
Yes, you guessed it, at this point I feel like I am taken for granted, I get the distinct feeling that I am not a minority in this aspect.
If my service is sub par, and the device element of excitement is none existent, why would I stay ?
Because of my F&F 700 ?
Sprint,simply can not afford greedy policies,it is disrespectful and it will back fire, if Sprint stays the course,it will cause it’s demise, guranteed!
Thank You
Cycle = Circle
Sorry!
All this talk is really sad! The fact that AT&T & VZW are being brought mentioned because their plans are “add ons” for data is partly true. Their voice plans are $40 for 450 mins, $60 for 900 mins, etc. There is no special voice plans floating around like Sprint. Any old AT&T (from the days of AT&T Wireless) were almost or completely converted to new voice plans. Or they just left. Which is correct, UPGRADE! That old AT&T is DEAD!!!
Same with Alltel. Alltel is bought out and when their contracts are up, I will almost be certain, Verizon will do whatever they can to get them to upgrade. Alltel is DEAD too.
My point is when something is discontinued or dead time for upgrade. Its part of the business.
My family has Verizon and when they wanted to upgrade their phones almost 2 yrs ago. A Verzion rep told them they had to upgrade their plan to get the phones at that price. If they wanted to keep their old plan, they had to pay full retail price. My family has been with VZW for 9 years. Yes the family plans when up since since they upgraded 2 yrs ago. You know what, I thought that was fair. That should be standard policy among ALL carriers!! You want to upgrade a phone, upgrade your plan both SHOULD GO hand in hand. Or pay FULL retail price for it. That’s how it should be. I don’t believe in Grandfathered honored plans. That’s BS. And from the looks of it, neither does AT&T & VZW. Sprint needs to follow suit as those carriers. Adapt or go under.
@F1 – If you have free roaming and have vz service in your area, you could set
the phone on “roam only” and at least be up to receive calls.
(the problem comes if you use more than half of your monthly minutes roaming)
@Cell Dude “Adapt or go under”???
Ok, so next “Price fixing”, would be ok too?
Just because others jump off the cliff wih their policies, all should follow?
Let us say you are a Vendor selling two products, the device and service plans.2 seperate products,as long as customers are using you (the same vendor), you should be happy, give people the freedom of choice, forcing anybody into anything will sooner or later backfire!
Being a contrarian to those policies, will bring people to you, at will and by choice, would that not be a healthier policy, creating happier customers for the long run? More happy accounts, translates to more $$$!
Besides once, “device portability” will follow “number portability”, the rules of the game will change, and you will see who is going to be left standing, holding an empty bag.
Greed, is what brought Wallstreet down, case and point 1929-1932, September 2008-20??
Thank You!
@flower_power
Thank you flower_power for your advice, that is exactly what I do when I am making important calls,keeping it at a minimum, but I have to start doing it for incoming calls, because, I am told that it “rings forever”, or “does not ring at all”, missing important calls, sometimes it takes several hours for me to get a VM/Text message. Taking it off “Auto” helped because before it used to switch in an out of the 2 Networks, VZ roaming is much clearer, but far from perfect.
Tier2 has agreed, that it could be because of closeness to a major banking hub, and potential system overload in the area,I might have to move again!
Thank You
@F1,
Okay so the fact that VZW & AT&T have not seen negative net adds speaks that the current policy or business model works. Until that fails or proves that it does not, then I can see your point. They both have been adding new customers speaks for itself. Both of these companies have customers who are very satisfied with their policies or they would have opted out. Both have very low churn rate.
You say its greed, I say its business. Companies raise their prices for whatever reason. You want to compare Wallstreet to the wireless industry, then to me its apples to oranges. I don’t see how if they offered these devices to you at your SERO plan that it equals $$$$. Where is the revenue going to come from? Oh thats right new subs. But that can only go so far as long as you have unrealistic price plans on Sprint. You can only hope for new subs to keep Sprint afloat, barely hanging on due to piss poor management by Ex CEO Forsee!
Standing with an empy bag? Sorry fail to see your point. If all you need to look at is the iPhone and VZW smartphone plans. All don’t seem to have a problem paying those prices. Owning certain devices to go along with certain plans will not change. Sorry but that is reality. So far the economy has not hit the 2 big carriers. The wireless industry is changing and plans plan restrictions on certain devices is here to stay. It’s a part of owning that device they market. You like the device but not the plan, you don’t have to get it. Choose another one. If you really want it, then get the plan that goes with it.
@Cell Dude
A couple of points:
1. I do not have a SERO plan, I have Fair & Flexible 700, I don’t care for the Pre, I am saying it is the principle of freedom of choice that is at stake.Yesterday it was the “Instinct”, today it is the “Pre”, and next it is….!
2.I agree 100% on Forsee, but that was the past, sadly D.H. is not doing too good either. Greed is universal and very unforgiving, Wallstreet is to jours problem, hence my example of what is to come, there is good business and bad business practices, you decide.
3. ATT, “focuses on the hardware”, they are milking that cash cow, hence it will have its 3rd exclusive iPhone with its own following, coming from the 2 CDMA Carriers, mostly from Sprint and some Tmobile.
4. VZ, “focuses on service”, runs a tight ship and is selling better service then ATT, a vastly improved selection of various hardware,i.e. Storm, Omnia, the Hub…versus in the past, and add to that very smart strategic takeovers such as ALLTEL,… unlike the Sprint and Nextell nightmare,they are serious about maintaining #1 status, also low turnover, mostly financialy well to do customers who do not care so much about temporary cheaper or “value” plans.
5. Soon all 4 majors will have versions of “Everything Plans”, at that point the real horse race will start, who can “dump” more for less and faster, hence solidifying their positions, who will win? The ones with the deepest pocket, and the market will pick its choice of winners!
6.Sprint simply can not afford, alienating millions of none “Everything PLan” holders, Sprint is in poor finacial shape comparatively speaking, they have a small window to correct their policy, before the flood gates open for millions of the so called lower revenue accounts to leave, remember some money is always better then no money!
Thank You!
@celldude
What your saying is right. Companies have change their policies and you have to either accept them or leave.
But your missing the point. Sprint is not forcing everyone to switch to an everything plan. Just the people that want the pre. This is what everyone is talking about.
It is nothing compared to what att or verizon did.
The reason your family had to change is because verizon switched to a different plans overall. Most of their new phones require you to have the nationwide plans if you haven’t switched already.
What sprint is doing is saying that different power vision plans work with different phones. They are saying that the internet is different on the pre than any other phone. That is what is wrong with this change that they are forcing.
The reason people are still getting the iPhone even with the need for their special overpriced phone is because it is an APPLE phone and apple is a great company. So lets hope that sprint is a hit with the pre or make it available to anyone because this will help them keep the customers they currently have and get more new customers.
So celldude, do a little more research before you start comparing cell phone companies and stating incorrect information.
Great point f1. That is the whole point here. Companies alienating customers. That is what sprint is going to do and they can’t afford to do that. If sprint made the pre available to anyone, especially in the first six months before everyone else gets the pre, they will gain so many customers and have a chance to a competition to verizon again.
It is all about keeping current customers happy and gaining new ones. Again and I don’t know how many more times we have to say this, Sprint has to keep current customers happy or they will keep loosing customers by the hundreds.
But I guess celldude and all the other people who agree with price hikes and forced changes are right and this is what everyone needs in this economy. Higher prices and bad customer service. wooohoo.
Iphone requires a ridiculous costly plan.
Verizon requires a $30 data plan on any smartphone.
Why can’t Sprint make a “demand”, if you can even call it that.
The everything plan is the fairest plan out there.
P.S. I didn’t read the whole comments thread, I apologize for possibly regurgitating.
To all the Pre fans!!
http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/24/sprints-pre-business-launch-guide-leaked-in-its-entirety/#comments
Thank You
@JJ
The part about my family, yes they did have nationwide plans. They were told they still had to upgrade. I was fine with that. I could have been a pain and complained but why? They went with the current price plan with the same minutes as the old. Yes it was expensive but hey that’s what was current. That was just an example of what I personally believe. Sorry I always upgrade to current plans. As I stated I am not a fan of grandfathered plans. Never have, never will. We all have choices and I am not loyal to any cell phone carrier.
If you are stating that I did not do my research on the pre and how it uses the internet different? Yes maybe I didn’t research that. But my point is each company has a right to charge what they want and what price plan goes with that phone. You want to call Apple phone overpriced fine. I don’t see a problem with their phone price or data plan pricing either. You want that phone, that’s the price you have to pay to own it. Like you said, Apple is a great company.
My whole point is all I kept reading here is how some want to pre but don’t want to give up their plans.
@F1
Is D.H. doing a good job? It’s been nothing to write home about. I do think whatever CEO is in charge, they have their work cut out for them.
Sorry but I am in the minority here in this thread that I don’t see a problem with exclusive price plans for certain devices. To me it’s part of that carriers marketing, attraction to that company.
I do agree with your view on AT&T and VZW. Both descriptions seem to be what I think as well. Off topic for second, personally I don’t think Apple is going anywhere. I think AT&T will give Apple whatever they ask to keep them exclusive. Apple has the edge and sales numbers to get what they want.
I do give VZW credit on the point that yes they maybe expensive but you know where your money is going. They spend a large amount of money constantly maintaining their network. And I do agree, THEY WANT THE #1 slot in the US.
At the end, let this phone get released. Hopefully Sprint will do well for this phone.
@ tiggr
Events in the Middle East, Darfur or today’s North Korean estimated Hiroshima size Nuclear Bomb underground test, Madoff, Djingis Khan, Ivan the terrible, Stalin, Hitler could make one “question faith in humanity”, greed is one of the original sins, some confuse it with ambition, others say some level of greed is needed….but I don’t think any event, could ever be strong enough to eradicate “Hope” and by default “lose faith in humanity”, it is wrong to surrender to wrong & evil, because every step back for good, is the step forward evil.
No matter where you are, there is always an example of “faith in humanity”, just look at the unconditional love of a mother for a child, a teacher’s sacrifice and care for the students, on this day the observance of memorial day of counless sacrifices of men and women and their families. The freedom of expression we have, in the U.S alone is hope for so many nations in the world, in short don’t give up!
Thank You!
@ Cell Dude
My position regarding $14 million CEO D.H., relative to Forsee, he is an improvement, that is all, remember he came from ATT.
I agree that “whatever CEO is in charge, they have their work cut out for them” but that is precisely their job.
Customer service has improved…, their style of delivery has changed, they are polite, instead of rude, but not much in substance, the unchallenged “Administrative Fees” with no end in sight, errors in billing, false charges, Sprint DRM songs that you can not dowload, yet the cost is the same, they charge your minutes from when it starts ringing before the call connects, until you hang up after the call is completed!
In other words the only time they will not charge you is if the call does not connect.
They are stealing minutes everyday, so lets say you make a call, and it rings 30 seconds before pick up, they answer, you talk for 58 seconds and the party hangs up, it will stop the count not instantly but seconds later.
Meaning 30 seconds (before) + 58 seconds (the call) + minimum 2-3 seconds (after the end), putting you squarely into 2minutes, instead of 58 seconds —> 1 minute!!
Now multiply that extra minute by 49 million (minutes/customers), that translates into over 816,666 hours a day,
That is if everyone only made one call @ only 1 minute a call per account, in just a 24hour period alone!!
If you recall, years ago at the beginning of the Cell history,they used to have a time log in the phone, which would tell keep track of the lengh of the call, this way you could keep track of your minutes, which I used to log daily so I would not exceed my minutes, and at the end of the month I would do a side by side, and discover the rip off charges!
At that time they would say, “we charge by minutes, not by seconds”, but add to that the above practise, and will not take long to see the size of this scam!
Maybe someday the FCC will halt these abuses, not every carrier practises this. Like a Ponzi sceam, not everybody catches these practises, and that is exactly what they count on.
Thank You
After Palm dropped sync support for OSX, leaving all of my data bound and gagged in several non-functional Palm devices, and a proprietary database on a Mac I swore I would never buy another Palm device. Then Sprint STOLE $175.00 from me. Just charged a credit card they weren’t authorized to, but since I had had a Sprint account MasterCard refused to backcharge them and they got away with larceny. I’d been a Sprint customer for over a decade, had lots of technical problems, billing problems (always in Sprint’s favor), etc. But violating our contract and then stealing from me was the last straw.
Palm + Sprint = the worst possible combination.
Much as I hate to admit it, AT&T + Apple pretty much just works. And I know where my data is now. I may be getting wallet raped now, but at least it’s something I agreed to up front and haven’t had any shady charges appearing on my AT&T bills.
Your mileage may vary, but my advice is to be wary.
Would you pay $30 for a Pro Pack? That’s the equivalent of what ATT is doing with the iPhone. Suppose they let grandfathered subs keep thier plan only if you get the re-named Pre-mium Pack, I would’ve jumped on it
@ Don Louie
Any option that provides “fair equal access”, would be a positive step,
the question is if and when, Sprint sees the light, and changes policy!
Thank You
@ Chris: someone stole your review – http://www.palluxo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=385:review-palm-pre-from-sprint&catid=90:blogs&Itemid=284
[...] The review has been stolen from PhoneNews – Review: Palm Pre (Sprint) | PhoneNews.com [...]
F1, is that a yes or no? This should have been the option within weeks/months of the Everything plans coming out as a percussor to the Instinct
@Don Louie
I hope this is not wishful thinking, but, in reading the leaked palm pre document that F1
showed above. I believe there will be a SOC (some data pack code) available at a later
data that can be added to some business plans giving pre access.
It also stated that employees could get the pre at a later date.
It remains to be seen which plans could get such a SOC added or how much it may cost.
I’ve been hoping they do this since the Instinct came out. I usually adopted the new plans whenever it saved me money or gave me more minutes, preferably both but when the instinct came I out I had already switched becase of the savings, lost minutes which I think I need now. Had a Power Pack 2100 (3 lines), Ultimate Pack, Nav Pack, Vision and unlimited fam text so I can see where the grandfathered plans complaining comes from because2 of phones covered any device they would ever come out with but switched anyway. Maybe they will wise up and let the old plans get the new phones, only if you get the Pro data pack
@ Don Louie
Any option that provides “fair equal accessâ€, would be a positive step,
the question is if and when, Sprint sees the light, and changes policy!
Would I like letting people keep their legacy plan, and add a “Data Pack” as an option, so they can at least buy the phone they want?
Well, yes!
Although in these rough economic times, it is not wise to raise prices,
also remember 4G is supposed to be coming, which will use far more Data!
Which is why, I rather keep my Fair & Flexible 700, until 4G makes it to L.A.!
Thank You
Good one f1. I will pay more when technology warrants the upgrade. Hence when they start the 4g network. As of now I don’t wish to pay more for a service that is exactly the same as what I have.
I would love the pre but the internet on it is the same as the internet on my touch diamond. I will just wait till the pro 2 or diamond 2 if they are forcing the plan on the pre.
This is actually going to hurt palm more than sprint. Sprint has other phones that will keep customers happy. Palm doesn’t have that much to work with.
Lets hope that whatever sprint does is a smart move. In the end customers will have the last word since they are the ones who pay the money.
GOOD LUCK SPRINT!
As of now I am still happy with my diamond and my sero plan.
Chris: Hook a brother up. I read what you said about trying it out and taking it back but I don’t think its to much to ask if it does its main function well. Its a phone. What is the voice quality like? We understand it is subjective. Its not the only subjective thing you will have said. You don’t have to get too technical. Good, bad or average. Compare it to another sprint phone making a call from the same place or something. Come on man!
Thanks
Juan, we’ve been around the block a lot on stuff like that. Subjectively saying YouTube lacks features is one thing… but we still remember the Sanyo VM4500 debates that raged on the our Sprint forum, for months. Half the people said the call quality was the worst ever, and the other half loved it.
And, the obligatory iPhone reference… same deal there. Half the people say the earpiece is terrible, the other half found it exceptional.
It just isn’t that simple, it’s a personal decision. And while half the people out there hate that we won’t be like the drive-bys, the other have have been applauding us for doing the right thing, and not taking personal biases into the review.
We’ll continue to call out the drive-by reviewers that add filler, and inject their personal preferences into their reviews. They may get adorned by their fellow drive-by’ers… but readers of PhoneNews.com are too smart to waste time listening to that background noise.
So Boy Genius Report (BGR) is trying to steal your thunder claiming to be the first to review the Palm Pre. They have posted up yesterday that they are the first blog to post about the phone. But I know that in fact you guys have posted last week about the phone. Can you believe the nerve of those guys…LOL
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/05/28/palm-pre-first-hands-on/#more-26233
they might not have the first review on the web
…they’re just the only ones who can actually prove it.
I wonder which one will be more of a ” full ” review…
[...] may claim to have the first review of the Palm Pre, but remember, you read on PhoneNews.com first… Trackback | Permalink [...]
First these companies force you in a contract to make money, now they want to force you to pay $100+ a month on a plan just because you want a decent phone. Pretty soon every phone is going to require $100+ plan. In the beginning people would spend hundreds, even thousands on outrages fees from overages. These companies were making out like fat cats! At the same time people were raising hell about the fees and they got a clue and started showing constraint to overages. These companies are fighting back with a forced more expensive plan to make up for it. Pretty soon everything that comes out is going to require higher monthly fees for stuff you really don’t need. The Industry has already brainwashed us into thinking that you have to have a contract on everything you purchase, now some people are already brainwashed about these forced plans. Some brainwashed bloggers here, are sticking up for the cell phone companies by saying we shouldn’t complain. Sprint owes us a decent phone, why should people with comfortable plans have to pay a higher monthly fee just to get it?
Nice, balanced review. Just twitted it.
I am one of those Sprint Free & Clear Plan holders from way back in the day. I was not happy with the Instinct plan requirements and I am very unhappy about the same plan requirements being pushed on the Palm Pre. A data add on package for the Palm Pre would be a better option for Sprint because…legacy plan holders are happy about keeping their calling plan and Sprint is happy because of revenue coming from Palm Pre data add ons. Both sides happy…Sprint….I hope you are listening!!!
[...] Eric Lin publicly made a foul-four-letter-word-strewn commentary about our PhoneNews.com nabbing the first review of the Palm Pre, we realized animosity was alive and well in the mobile [...]
I read the article, I understand your frustration — but you have to understand ours. 1. your didn’t produce any new photos of the pre you were reviewing. 2. your review didn’t reveal anything that was known months ago 3. The purpose of a review is to get that person’s thought on whatever they are reviewing. Your review was very uninformative. That’s like reading a review for a movie and only getting “the movie was had special effects and a lot of action — there was some points in the movie that had drama, but if you really want to know about the movie go see it” — that review gave no information of what the person that of the movie — when people see the word review they want to know if the reviewer liked or disliked what they are reviewing and why!
Mike, obviously you didn’t read the review fully. Your claims aren’t correct, and as we noted on our blog, we posted the photos previously.
Please re-read the article before posting further.
I have read and re-read your review and obviously you guys didn’t do something right if you got shafted by BOYGENIUS as they are the site that is getting recognized as the 1st Palm Pre Review.
Mike, if your argument is that we didn’t shut down the site, and turn it into an announcement that BGR lied… that’s about all we could have done further.
Oh, wait, we did that: http://www.phonenews.com/blog/hello-we-arent-walt-mossberg…-492.html
Boy Genius Report lied, it’s that simple. The argument in your last post is a terrible false premise in logic.
If we lied all the time about getting first-reports, people would give us credit for them too. Problem is, our morals and ethics are a bit to high to “win” that way.
I happen to agree with MOST of this review. I think the Pre is a great device for several of the reasons chris pointed out. Sprint TV, Apps store, and the touchscreen ( Which I must say IS THE BEST out there) are great. But what about the email Wow its fast! Camera and Music playing abilities amazing! But as for the phone not being brought – forget about it…
I love the UI and OS. I love the way it looks. I said the same thing about the HTC Touch. I guess I don’t have to tell you how that turned out. So PLEASE stay here and write about what you experience with this phone ASAP. I want to hear everything. Had I been smart enough to read the blogs for a couple of weeks after that disaster I’d have saved myself some bucks. I’ll be here hanging on your every word (for at LEAST a month). Good luck.
got mine!!! my WONDERFUL hubby didnt want me there by myself & my 8 yr old did NOT want to get up at 5 am & go, so he went by himself. I was surprised cuz he told me Monday he was soooo sick of hearing me talk about that effin phone!! lol – he got there at 6am there were 2 cars in the lot but nobody in line.
at 7:30 i told him to go start the line – sure enough a few more people followed. Our BB had 10 & I (technically my husband) was first in line.
BB rep came out at 9 and gave “line tix” and started the paperwork.
The first one they tried to activate was defective so sorry to the person who was #10 and didnt get a pre!!
I got mine and will be playing with it for the rest of the day (at least)!!!! Talk more at http://www.PalmPreForum.org see ya there.
[...] Sprint Despite the complaints of a vocal minority to our world-first Palm Pre review, Sprint appears to have [...]
[...] able to use the device as a modem, though in practice it is slower than a dedicated aircard. In the world-first review of the Pre, my editor in chief at PhoneNews blasted Sprint for excluding relay customers [...]
Got mine on release day and boy…..**SPEECHLESS**…..went from in-stink to this phone. I don’t think there anything i don’t like…other than i can’t change the notification alert, but an update will come out to change that (hopefully)
<<<<<*****Talk more at see ya there.*****>>>>>
I totally agree about the plans. Get this I HAVE a DATA PAK on 3 of my 5 phones – my plan is the FAMILY 1400 – just like the FAMILY 1500 – the 100 mintues. I PAY a total with fees taxes etc 168.00 per mos. I pay 9.99 for each of my extra three phones – the 2 main phones and one of the 3 have unltd text, web browsing, email, pic mail and THEY WILL NOT let me upgrade to the PRE. I am looking for a new carrier. UGH!
wow complain complain complain. no one is forcing anyone to get the pre and no one is forcing anyone to change their plans. If you dont wanna change your plan then the Pre is not for you. Good luck finding another carrier with a comparable price plan that gives you all the features that the sprint price plans give you. oh and fyi you could get the $129.99 everything data share 1500 and 1 extra line for $20.00. hmm 149.99 or 168.00? maybe someone should start doing math classes again?
oh and edit on above post with taxes your still only looking at around 180.00 ish
I purchased the Pre on June 12th…. While I am pleased with the the phone itself, battery life is AWFUL! I charge my phone overnight & the phone is dead by 2pm… Ridiculous. I am considering exchanging the phone for a treo simply for battery life. Who wants to carry a charger around everywhere they go?
Dude – I can do math. I pay 168 TOTAL now. They want me to Pay 129.99 just for the plan and then 19.99 for each addtl line – I have 3 extra lines. 19.99 x 3 = 59.97 + 129.99 =189.96 of course you’ll have to add on about $40 for taxes and fees which leaves me a new gand total of 229.96. I will have gained 100 extra shared minutes is all. As I stated earlier I already have unltd text, email, web browsing, sprint tv, on demand, sprint music. Of course as you stated no one is forcing me to get the Pre – I was just excited that sprint finally got a phone that seems really cool and because I am a long time customer with 5 phones I was going to get it, but now I’m not. I was also happy to see that others shared the frustration with their DATA PLANS and that I wasn’t misunderstanding what Sprint is telling me. I’m not sure why you’re on the forum, but it’s a free country : )
Patty, if you talk to the stor manager I’m sure they give you a 15%-20% discount and if they won’t if you calmly exlpain this to Account Services, they will. Bite thebullet or move on
Like Don said if you have been with sprint for a long time then you are probably eligible for some sort of discount. you should also see if your company participates in their discounts program usually you can get good discounts. I get irritated by comments like “I am looking for a new carrier. UGH!” simply because you cant have it your way. you are right its a free country and you can go somewhere else however you wont be staying at $168 with 5 lines with all of the features that you currently have.
oh and by the way unless you have one of the 30 dollar data packs you are not getting free sprint nav, or Sprint TV premier those are 2 extra stand alone $10.00 per month per feature subscriptions that are included with the $129.99 price plan. Look at it this way if all 5 phones are capable of sprint tv and sprint nav you are getting $100.00 per month free included with the price plan
@Patty – The discount is a red herring. You can probably get a 25% discount on your current plan.
The is Allient Credit Union where sprint gives a 25% discount to members of that credit union.
That Credit Union is open to a lot of people including anyone that belongs to the PTA.
Whith 5 lines, you may have kids and may be a member of a PTA.
So, to compare a plan with no discount to a plan with a discount is like comparing apples
to oranges.
I was just on a ridiculously long phone call with customer retention regarding my contract with Sprint and the new Pre. I have been a Sprint customer for almost 4 years. I have since then added 2 lines on to my phone (2 new customers for them!). I used my full upgrade in December for the Centro (previously having the Treo) – obviously not knowing the Pre would be coming out. Knowing that new Sprint customers can buy the phone for $199 – I called wondering what kind of deal I could get on this phone – even with the willingness to sign ANOTHER 2 year agreement… Bottom line? I am SOL. According to the representative I spoke with it is a “contract Sprint has with Palm” stating the only deal an existing customer will get is through their upgrade.. Otherwise I’m paying over $500 for a phone through a company I’ve been loyal to for this long? More than disappointing. What I’m hearing from this employee is that the company cares more about signing new people up than keeping the ones who have been with them for years.
I could cancel my Sprint account, sign up with AT&T and buy an I-Phone for cheaper. Two thumbs down, Sprint.
Why is it sprints fault that YOU used your upgraded elligibillity? Why blame a company who has SET rules and guidelines? Do you think AT&T would let you go from the Iphone 3G to the I Phone 3G S even if you have been with them for years? Nope and go read their forums there are a bunch of people mad because they wont let them upgrade for the cheap price.
Just for the record:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/17/atandt-relents-a-little-lets-iphone-3g-customers-with-upcoming-up/
Fact: Over the 1st weekend of release:
Sprint sold 50.000 units of Pre while,
AT&T sold 1.000.000 units of iPhones!
As I said many times before, this is part of the broader “smart” marketing strategy of Sprint, by eliminating it’s own base of none “Everything Plan” accounts, getting the fraction of the $ possible!
Sheer genius!
Thank You
Hmm lets see I phone sold WORLD wide, Pre sold in US Only…….. apples to oranges buddy…
@ Dan
I sent you a reply about 40 minutes ago on my Sprint phone, I hit reply and it said it sent it to cprice@phonenews!!!!
I don’t understand why a “reply” has to go somewhere else, I am curious how long it will take for the message to get trans/posted on here! Why sent people an email notification, if the response goes somewhere else??
I am sending this via a EeePC 900, direct input on this blog.
Thank You
@ Dan
Here is the copy of my response to you, originaly sent one hour ago:
Agreed, on that you have a valid point, however, was that Apple’s fault, or Palm’s marketing decision? Still, if any one has the breakdown of the sales figures, kindly share it with us.
How many units were sold in the U.S. alone? This way we get “them” Apples and Oranges straight !
P.S.
On a different subject,I don’t now why, but Yahoo and Opera 9.6 combined become a complete nightmare, it took over 20 minutes, for me to log in into the Yahoo account, get to my sent folder, copy the above message, any other page loads in seconds, but not so Yahoo email, loading speed drops to 5-6kbs!
Thank You
It was more Palm decision i think. the choice to only produce $50,000 units and distribute them is decided by the manufacturer.
Actually, I went to the sprint store yesterday and you don’t have to get the everything plan. I share a plan w/ my mom (don’t judge) and i could get 1500 minutes plus unlimited messaging PLUS umlimited data for 129.99 a month for 2 people. that 189.99 if it was the everything plan…. just saying.
@lilly
Are you sure you got the Palm Pre? I know my wife and I had to upgrade to everything plan just to get the Pre.
If you go to sprint.com and look at the list of phones, under the pre it says “about plans for this phone”. click there and you will see that you can use it with the $99.99 everything plan, everything Data plan 900 for $89.99, Everything Data 450 for $69.99, Simply everything family $189.99 for 2 and $89.99meach added phone, everything data family 3000 for $169.99 for 2 phones $20 each added phone, everything data family 1500 for $129.99 for 2 phones $20 each added phone, and a business essentials plan also. So those of you paying for the everything plan need to look at sprints website, then call and change your plans. I asked before the pre came out what plans were required to have this phone and I was NEVER told ONLY the everything plan $99.99. They told me the family data plans would be fine with this phone. Like I said, the info I just posted here I got from the sprint site just now as I typed. So please go take a look and change things around to save yourselves some money.
Just wanted to add my comments/2cents to this discussion.
I have been a Sprint Subscriber for close to 20 years, ya Im OLD. The customer service maize you have to work thru to get ANY satisfaction with those people is mind numbing, but IF you can hold your ground and get to what is called the Retention Department, they sometimes CAN go above and beyond what the front line CS idiots can do.
That said, I have been a Palm user for about as long, going from just plain palm, to Treo, to now Centro, and having interest in the new Pre.
It was very interesting to read here that there so called “requirement of new plan” is just their own greed/marketing. What they tell people, is that the Pre wont WORK on the old Power Vision network, which did not make sense to me, but so be it.
To learn/confirm now, that all that is , is pure GREED angers me further and sure makes me rethink my whole Sprint loyalty thing.
My thoughts run with one poster here, to maybe buy the phone independent of their so called discount (I can get it on ebay for about 340) , change the plan, but do NOT sign up for another 2 year agreement, so IF after changing plans, and getting the Pre, I am not just over the moon happy with it all, I am NOT at their mercy for another 2 years. The phone itself would have decent resale numbers, and I would be free to to to ATT for an iPhone.
Just makes ya shake your head huh?
I work for Sprint. The Palm Pre does not require you to have the Everything Plan. The Palm Pre works just fine with any of the minute plans you choose plus unlimited message / data plan which includes sprint tv, sprint music, navigation, and unlimited data use. If you want you can have the most basic plan we have on the phone but we just suggest to get the best use/all feature use out of the phone is to have an everything plan. Looking at the plan price wise its great at only 99.99 compared to verizon unlimited plans. Another nice feature is it can run 4 applications at once vs an I-phone can not! AT & T ‘s I-phone is a great phone don’t take me wrong. The palm pre is a great phone too but you can get it on a less expensive plan.
What you are saying “pappa2″ sounds kool with a new customer who just switched to get a better deal, but for someone like me who has been with sprint for 10 years and was content of spending $80 a month for 3 lines, to spending $150 a month for 3 lines just because you get a new phone(which is turning out to be crap). It ain’t about sprint trying to give you the best experience, it’s about the cartel getting more money out of you by forcing you to pay for more stuff that you do not want or need.
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And here’s yet another voice against Sprint’s clearly commercial tactics to raise revenue on the back of those who’ve been feeding it for ages.
The Pre *can* work on the Vision plans; not at full throttle, but still good enough for those of us who aren’t used to watch streaming video on our phones. Heck it should be my decision if I want crappy service on a modern phone or same crappy service on once modern and now old phone (like the Treo 650 for example).
While I know all carriers are the same in this regard , the fact that I am not appreciated as a customer combined with the fact that for some strange reason Spring delivers mostly voice mails when I’m speaking from my home AND with the fact that whenever I leave US I have to carry a different phone with me, well all of those combined, but starting with the fact that Sprint wouldn’t let me use Pre, BlackBery or Moment without changing my plan to a more expensive one…makes me say GOODBYE SPRINT..WELCOME T-MOBILE OR AT&T!
For everyone who might be bummed about the fact that verizon wireless is getting an “updated version” of the palm pre, sprint still has a little trick up their sleeve, wait June 2010 and you will see whats next from palm.
@malcolm
You seem to be very optimistic about that one. I have been a Sprint customer since 1996 and I have never seen a better opportunity as the Palm Pre, but somehow Palm and Sprint managed to screw it up as much as they possibly could. Don’t get me wrong, I personally like Sprint services and hadn’t really have much problem with them. The problem with Sprint is that they have the worst PR (that goes to Palm too) and they still have some very bad customer representatives to get rid off.
I really hope someday that Sprint will smell the coffee and do better by the customers and push their partners to do better by them.
Good Luck.
I have had a total of 3 Palm Pre’s. The first 2 mysteriously died, but Palm/Sprint quickly replaced with no charge. Other than the hassle of going to the store and waiting a day, they have worked flawlessly. Personally, having worked with an iPhone and Blackberry, I think the Palm flawlessly integrates the functionality of both and provides the best interface. Unfortunately, the Apps still aren’t up to speed (compared to iPhone or even Android), but I hope developers jump in. I’m waiting for a basecamp app!
Zach
@ Harry – amen. I have a Centro, want to upgrade to the Pre. I am not a SERO, but being w Sprint for 10 years, I like my plan, I want to keep my plan, and I already have data. Can’t get the Pre w/o spending $45 more a month. WTF, Sprint.
How about an update to this review? There have been a lot of changes to what was described here.
We’ll likely roll that into a review of another Palm device. Stay tuned.
yeeh an update nice
I have this phone and it is fabulous! I found out some interesting information today, has anyone heard about Sprint’s new Assurance Program? Well as devoted Sprint customers, we can get extra 200 minutes/month for just $10! All you do is email the President of Sprint, Mr.Hesse, and tell him you want the 200 minutes/month for $10 that is being offered through the Assurance program. Even though it is for low income supported customers, we as devoted customers deserve the same treatment! Give it a shot
Heres the President of Sprint’s email address:
http://assurancewireless.webs.com/
I am in the Sprint/Nextel boat of having only 1 smartphone out of 3 phones, yet being required to upgrade to the everything data family plan to run my Blackberry because I want to switch over to the sprint side for data speed (right now have the Nextel Blackberry). Since the other 2 phones do zero texting/messaging/anything but make calls, I wanted to get the basic talk plan and add the BIS on for whatever they’re charging nowadays and they will not allow me to do this. Right now on the ancient fair and flex 700 plan with all my BB items as add-ons. I’d drop the BB but I need it for work. Arg….
I’m gone to say to my little brother, that he should also pay a visit this webpage on regular basis to obtain updated from newest reports.