O2 confirms UK Pré launch date
Rolls out iPhone-style contracts
O2 has finally confirmed a UK launch date for the Palm Pré smartphone.
O2 will release the Palm Pré across Blighty from 16 October
The network operator will release the must-have device, both in stores and online, to panting punters on 16 October.
O2 has exclusive UK distribution rights for the Pré, but will also allow Carphone Warehouse and Phones4U to sell the smartphone from the same date.
Unsurprisingly, O2 has drawn up iPhone 3GS-style contractual agreements for the device – which you’ll be required to sign into before the network operator will hand over a Palm Pré.
The smartphone will be free to customers willing to sign a 24-month contract costing £34.26 ($56.05/€37.97) per month. This will include 600 UK minutes, 500 UK text messages and unlimited downloads.
Alternatively, an 18-month contract - priced at £73.41 ($120.10/€81.36) per month – will still see you get a free Pré, but also a whopping 3000 UK minutes. The contract will include 500 UK text messages and unlimited downloads.
The cheapest and shortest monthly tariff available will cost £29.38 ($48.06/€32.56) per month and last for 18 months. However, the Pré will then cost you £96.89 ($158.52/€107.38).
Much noise has been made about the Pré’s wireless charging dock – known as Touchstone. O2 said it will sell Touchstone, and the necessary back cover, for £44.11 ($72.16/€48.88).
Business tariffs lasting either 24 or 36 months will also be available. O2 hasn’t mentioned anything about buying the Pré on pay-as-you-go, yet. ®
COMMENTS
Are they fucking insane?
One contract is nearly £1400 at maturation and the other is nearly £900. That's assuming none of the limits are busted incurring even more cost. I paid less than that for some cars when I was in my early 20's!
It's on O2 as well; no chance I'll be buying this. A real shame because I admire Palm as a company. They should have done their homework before they agreed the deal with those clowns, though.
Balls to that.
Let's see, £75 for 18 months or £35 for 24 months and I get a free phone? You've got to be kidding me. I barely want a handset for 12 months before I want to upgrade, especially with new operating systems like this. Wouldn't get a Pre on this, wouldn't get an iPhone on this, wouldn't get any bloody phone on this.
Passing on this one
As a current O2 customer I was interested in this or a 3GS.
After speaking to the upgrade people at O2 as my contract is nearing an end about this I was told, I could upgrade early if I paid off the remaining couple of months on my contract but,I would have to pay full price rather than the discounted amount I got at my last renewal and the 30 day early upgrade that the amount I pay entitles me to wouldn't be allowed on the pay off.
If I did that then they would quite happily allow me the privilidge of owning a 3GS (32Gb only, others out of stock) and that it would cost me approx £100 for the phone and there was no discounts on iPhone tariffs. I was offered the option of waiting for a 16Gb one to come in.
The discussion ended shortly thereafter when I pointed out that it was a a worse deal than I already had and got the reply that there was a credit crunch.
As I no longer have any interest in being an O2 customer after about 10 years, would anybody like to suggest an upgrade from my current XDA Stellar (HTC Tytn2) to something similar with another UK operator ?
Tariffs...
... are actually pretty much the same for other phones too, if you go and browse on their Online Shop...
A BlackBerry Bold for example... 18 months, 600 mins 1000 texts (doubled for using the online shop) and 1 free bolt on, which could be unlimited internet OR unlimited Wi-Fi etc is.... (drumroll) - £34.26, same as the Pre, except the Pre tariff says unlimited data AND Wi-Fi.
So they are no more of a rip-off than O2's other tariffs really, and about the same as the iPhone, which is a shame... no lower end deals on these phones - too pricey.
And what about Tethering, because that's what makes the iPhone truly a rip off, an extra £14 to use it with my laptop again? I need that - killer feature for me and I can get it for free with a Nokia N series.
Shame you can get better deals on other networks, I like the look of the Pre but I might end up with an N900 or Android handset... (as soon as someone launches an Android set with the same more powerful CPUs etc as the Pre/3GS)
Just as bad in Germany
Surprisingly good Pre-prices on O2 im Germany, and less than ten bucks for unlimited surfing! Well, "Unlimited**" apparently means 200MB via 3G, then it's back to GPRS, and… awww, fugget it.
