Palm: Pré to launch on 6 June
Firm finally names the date
The Pré smartphone will launch on 6 June, Palm has officially confirmed.
Palm's Pré will launch in the US next month
Palm said this morning that North American customers will be charged $200 (£129/€146) for the device – what you've paid after you've received the proceeds of a $100 mail-in rebate coupon. You'll also have to commit yourself to a two-year airtime contract with the phone’s exclusive US carrier, Sprint.
Unfortunately, Palm’s keeping mum for the time being about when the Pré will hit the UK and Europe.
A UK launch date's yet to be confirmed
The smartphone will ship with a charging cable, but the Touchstone wireless charger – unveiled at CES in January - and accompanying Touchstone back cover for the Pré will also be available in the US from the same date, priced at $50 (£32/€36) and $20 (£13/€15), respectively.
US stores Best Buy, Radio Shack and selected Wal-Mart shops will also sell the phone from 6 June. ®
Palm Pré Preview Videos
Universal search
Hardware hands-on
Synergy technology demo'd
WebOS in action
COMMENTS
Would Apple sue, or license?
I have my doubts about whether Apple would want to sue them into oblivion.
Palm as a company has a pretty strong following out there, despite its mis-steps over the years, and there's been quite a buzz around the Pre.
If Apple were to sue, given Palm's precarious position, about the only possible outcome is that Palm would fold, even if Apple's suit had little merit in end. And would Apple really, really want to be seen as the company that put the final nail in Palm's coffin?
Aside from being seen as a (possibly overdue, depending on your view) executioner for a long established brand that still has fans, wouldn't they also attract a lot of hostility for being seen to deliberately stop what many people see as a viable competitor to the iPhone?
Suing Palm has the potential to be a massive PR disaster for Apple. A deal on patent licensing, or perhaps buying the company, would seem more rational, and without the potential PR downsides (as long as they don't buy Palm just to kill the Pre)
@jai
Erm, where are you getting a *new* (not refurb) iPhone 3G for $100 ?
What if...
the day Palm launches the Pre, with its 2 year lock-in with Sprint, Apple starts selling unlocked iPhones? Even for $400?
Heres hoping
That they are as an earlier poster has mentioned on sound IP grounds and also that orange will be offering this too. The symbian run nokia im using here just doesnt cut it and the iphone and google phones are not even worth considering.
Oh Ya
Oh so looking forward to the UK release, my 680 is getting a ltl tatty. I still get the "Oh thats a nice phone what is it?" questions even though it is years old Palm Build quality FTW.
Come on Palm before i'm forced to get a G1 instead.
