Analyst: AT&T webOS launch delayed 78
Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:40 am EDT 
We haven’t been hearing much about when webOS will make its way to AT&T, but one analyst believes that the launch (which was never announced or dated) has been delayed and that Ma Bell isn’t so hot on webOS anymore. As noted at Barron’s, Peter Misek of Canadian bank Canaccord Adams has both cut his forecasts for Palm’s impending earnings release (no surprise there) and no claims that AT&T has delayed the launch of the Pre and Pixi (no clarification on Plus variants here, but we have no reason to believe they’re not).
Not only is Misek claiming that AT&T is pushing the date back, possibly to June or July, but he also says that AT&T has slashed order numbers for the handsets. The most obvious headwind to Palm at this point is the lackluster performance on Verizon, but Misek also claims that AT&T trepidation has been amplified by “a long list of technical issues” with the phones. Additionally, he says that AT&T is cutting their planned marketing budget for the Palm devices, which would make sense if there are going to be fewer to go around.
All around, not good news, though we should note that this is all from one analyst, so you should be setting aside some obligatory salt to take with your next meal. Misek did have one ominous statement that we found to be particularly chilling (but not at all surprising): Palm’s weak sales and continuing technical issues “are starting to impact its relationship with carriers.”
[via: Palm InfoCenter]
78 Comments
I too take one analyst with a grain of salt but lets take note...
He was the first analyst to cut numbers substantially just days before Palm announced reduced guidance. He was dead right!
c'mon Palm! Give us some good news to counter all this crap!
Palm PR just twittered that the analyst is wrong and this is a misunderstanding. The AT&T launch isn't being delayed - it's being pushed back because of Chinese Spring Break.
Very clever!!!!
OH MY GOSH YOU HAVE ME ROLLING UntidyGuy!!!!!!! I have to admit that was hilarious.
Anyway, here are my two cents. I love my Pre Plus, and I am sure I will enjoy it for as long as I own it (hopefully for at least 2-3 years. I hold onto phones until they die not just at the end of a contract. Treo 650 lastest 4 years). Anyway, I honestly believe this is the last Palm device that I will ever own. Not out of choice, but because I truly believe Palm is not going to be around in 2-3 years.
They have made too many mistakes, thrown out too many fibs that have hurt their credibility(i.e. the Chinese new year crap), and with all that combined, including weak hardware, they're done.
Being a former Iphone 3G user I truly believe WebOS is the best OS out there. But, much like the old Dodge Ram trucks. You can have a great engine, but if the body is falling apart around it, nobody is going to buy your product.
I work for a company that about 50% of our business is to/from China. Chinese companies will order a ton before their new year, because all these businesses shut down during their new year. So we usually have a week or two where we don't have anything going in or out of China.
Whether this is true of what happened with Palm, I don't know. I do believe it's very plausible though.
You're right, Palm invented Chineses New Year. They've got these Palm Pre Squareds that have a time machine app so they could go back in time and mess around with the location of the Chinese new year on the calendar.
That's why it's different from when the rest of us celebrate the New Year.
The new advert may help get it noticed and they need to try and put this advert up in all countries they sell WebOS phones. Will the phone being released in France help, thats all down to how SFR advertise it and one way not to advertise the phone is to do it how o2uk did it but if Palm can get the big developers to write apps it can be turned around. .
A guy i was chatting to who works for o2uk and he said it's the apps that are killing the Pre. People like it but with the lack of any decent apps and apps relevant to the UK user people aren't interested in it, instead they get an iPhone or Android phone. He has ben asked by lots and lots of people if there are travel apps such as a the London Underground, traffic news and train journey planners etc etc and he has to say no and people walk away from it. People want to buy it but there aren't any decent apps for it here and in turn developers won't write them because people aren't buying them, The way to fix that, approach the developers and ask them to write the apps?
No Tube app for Palm? Not smart. Many phone designers failed to comprehend the importance of an exploding iPhone app store. WebOS is fine but fails why-because app writers wish to chase users in the biggest venue/store.
Palm needs to brainstorm the solution and that happen because the company can't wait for some sort of tipping point. The company has to make it rain those wished-for webOS apps.
iPad: another game changer, so without a new larger screen in 2010 the game is over EOL for any and all smallish screen smartphones.
I know t-mobile does not have much user base, but atleast role it out there if AT/T is delaying the release.
The pre, unfortunately, has not taken off liked they hoped, and if people are choosing the "Hero" over it on Sprint, I don't have high hopes for it on ATT with the iphone to contend with. If the pre does come to ATT it has to be at $99 if they hope to contend at all. What they really need is a new Flagship device, not a pre II or ++, and a real strong marketing campaign to raise brand awareness. That would help sales of all their devices. Like the "droid" ads have helped all android phones. New hardware, bigger sreen, = more sales.
Totally off topic, but the post got me wondering about "with a grain of salt" and where it came from. Here's what I found:
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/take-with-a-grain-of-salt.html
I had no idea how long this particular phrase has been around.
Let's not forget Google's G1 came out and everyone dismissed Android. Palm is working on WebOS 2.0 , once it is released, then we'll have a good idea about Palm's long term future.
WebOS 2.0, no matter how nice, won't change anything if it doesn't come with spectacular new hardware. The difference between Android and WebOS is, google has numerous manufacturing partners so they can quickly get fresh new gadgets into the hands of consumers. With Windows Mobile 7 coming along with a crazy amount of developers and manufacturers already on board, a new Iphone, and the flood of android devices on the way, palm has to do a lot more with a lot less.
Agreed. I still think that, with solid hardware, and solid 2.0 software, Palm could still be one of the top 5. Let's hope that a year ago, when they started working on the 2.0 device they had that in mind.
I used to think that we would have to worry about Win Phone 7. But with no multitasking, no cut/paste, almost nothing of the capabilities of previous WinMo phones, it will need some help.
To not have copy/paste is, frankly, unconscionable. Taking 3 years to get it on the iPhone is what convinced me that Apple was far more interested in style than in substance.
I hope Palm stays away from AT&T
I was with them for 18 months. I couldn't take it any more and paid the ETF. Voice quality on the calls sucked. 20% of my calls were dropped. Prices were ridiculous.
Nobody want a year old Pre + in June on AT&T whose going to have a 4th Iphone. If the Iphone was on Sprint than I'm All in!
Palm should sell an unlocked Pre on GSM.
Unfortunate news. webOS devices need to be launched on as many carriers as possible. I hope Palm makes it. I'm sitting here thinking what I would get to replace my Pre if Palm were no longer around and nothing sounds appealing to me. Just can't get amped up about using an iPhone or and Android device.
Fact or fiction, the bottom line any kind of delay of an ATT deployment will VASTLY look more bad for Palm's next quarter. Time to make the big decision and release the GSM version as an unbranded device with big discounts/rebates like 299.00 USD and throw in some perks like 5 free app downloads from the app catalog and/or touchstone. They gotta get these devices into customer's hands somehow NOW!
In palms case I don't think they can afford to take a loss like that in order to make sales. Remember the name of the game is to make mony, not get market share.
Yes and no. Greater market share gets you more attention and more developers. More developers and attention means even more sales, so even more money.
It's the chicken or the egg argument.
I've been saying all along... Even if it means paying full price at 600 I'll buy an unlocked Pre with US UMTS. Problem is they don't sell one.
Palm, here's money you desperately need right here. Why aren't you coming to get it?
Can anyone give details as to the statement: amplified by
I have all sorts of little problems with my Pre, as do a couple friends. The video capture feature is terrible on my Pre, as the video lags several seconds behind the sound (sound is 30 seconds ahead of video on a 2 minute video). My screen also reverts to maximum brightness every few times I unlock it. My friend's Pre locks up the volume control when he opens the keypad. It is a good device, but there are a lot of little flaws that hurt the overall experience. Palm really needs a new handset that can keep up with the webOS updates before they expand. It's not that it's a piece of junk, just that it doesn't do everything it should and is really frustrating at times.
I do not have a Palm Pre yet... waiting for AT&T contract to expire in April. I plan to get either the AT&T Pre or the Sprint Pre 2 - depending on plan cost/phone features.
BUT, I have four friends who all have Sprint Palm Pres. Two of them bought it because I kept going on and on (ad nauseum) about how cool the phone is. Showing them the demos/ads on Palm.com. One person even stood in line during a major company software installation to get her phone on June 5th.
All four (one in California and three in Texas) have had to replace their phones MORE THAN 3 times within a six month period for various 'technical issues'. I would consider them the average user... they were all former TREO 650/755p owners. All four having issues??? That's not good.
I have had five Palm devices over the last 10 years... and so have my friends... none of them have had a problem with the hardware before the Pre.
Maybe Palm used a Magic 8 ball to select the company that built the Sprint Palm Pres... but I think that they need to shake that Magic 8 ball again or use another method for selecting a hardware builder.
There are a LOT of people (more than what is represented at precentral.net) that have had hardware issues.
By the way, I'm a Palm-fan for life... but they really need to get their act together.
Note to Palm... I can lend you my voodoo doll if you want to pursuade DataViz to release Docs2Go for webOS now! Geez, its been over 9 months since Pre released.... what the heck is the hold up?
and I know for people who haven't had any problems at all. That's too small a sample size to make any conclusions. The people I know at sprint (techs, reps, and managers) say the failure rate of the palm devices is similar to other handsets.
Here is my list of problems.
1. USB Door broken off due to nothing more than opening it to charge or update media.
2. Screen Cracked @ USB port which is a known issue, yet Palm does not acknowledge it as a manufacturer defect.
3. Power button works about 70% of the time, otherwise you have to push it 3-4 times when trying to activate the phone.
Love WebOS, hate the hardware.
I'm sure AT&T take on this is this: If WebOS can't penetrate in comparison the the Iphone without competing on the same carrier, then it will do even worse when they share one.
Why has every rumor of an "anal-yst" to be posted over here? Desperate for attention? I don't give a rats ass for those rumors...instead of being focused on the positive thought this site jumps on any negative crap - pooed out by an "Anal-yst"...why?
Yes I agree, but then who knows what Precentral's policy is for new news information...I suspect though like most blogs and news portals it is good or bad...report it.
Actually, people don't really want good news because if they did they wouldn't even bother looking at today's headlines...locally for example:
Man on parole for grand theft auto charged again with theft 8:20 AM
State prison numbers drop for 1st time since 1972 8:07 AM
Beach jogger killed by plane likely never heard it
news up every day. I'm amazed people in my area of Gainesville actually pay for this so called news and information.
Journalist are in search of the super article that will gain them praise and the illustrious http://www.pulitzer.org/ award for news coverage. I'm pretty sure Precentral.net isn't searching for these awards, but as I've said previously...it all comes down to money and in their case subscribers. Sorli...
"Breakfast perfectly normal at area home"
"Local Man drives to work without crashing"
"Business operating normally, owner says."
"Current Palm users hopeful about company's continued existence"
"Guy says he's not having any problems with his Pre"
"Man reports seeing two separate people with Palm smartphones in one day"
"Dude went into the Verizon store and a salesperson recommended a Pre"
I'm with you. seems palm users are a fatalistic bunch.
Grain of salt or otherwise...everything comes down to Money and this so called analyst is simply speculating based on what they have invested in Palm's success or demise.
Perfect example, is Precentral.net...who are primarily tech journalist telling us the good and the bad when it comes to Palm news. Too be honest, reports like this need some Pre-screening (all puns intended) or at least some checks and balances from Palm directly before info like this is released online (sounds like the Chinese New Year Palm Demise Debunked http://www.precentral.net/palm-halts-production-pre-plus-and-pixi-plus released just months ago). Precentral's coverage was spot on and handled well.
I trust Precentral much more then the majority of analyst's in the tech field (can you say CNET) simply because of their background and equal coverage of so many different platforms.
Either way, if other analyst's didn't have something invested they wouldn't bother speculating. I'm still amazed on how simple it is for a group to say something positive or negative about any organization and magically thousands of people either win or lose Millions of Dollars in a heart beat.
Nothing negative against PalmInfocenter, but Barron's Tech Trader Daily...report is exactly what they are paid to provide their subscribers.
Sorli...
this is where palm should just get a GSM phone on rogers and fido and AT&T all at once. North americian launch. Or atleast with the new hardwear. go big or go home.
"Palm
What blows my mind about all of this is the Palm Pre won CES 2009's grand prize...GADGET OF THE YEAR! Palm shot themselves in the foot not releasing the Pre just weeks after CES.
The buzz was hot, it was the best phone at the time, and I truly believe if it had been released then, it would have taken off like they had hoped. Everyone wanted one ya know. BUT, within the 6 months it took to release it, a new Iphone had come out, Android had come out...it was too late.
Have too agree...but Palm could only do what Palm could do.
Not sure why they went from Super Announcement to crap in the media (Engadget and Precentral thankfully gets it right) in less then 1 year.
Actually, when it comes to CNET, they simply took a hit on ratings giving it so much high praise (the iPhone killer, Apple better wake up, etc) before the release and no one could of lived up to that calling. I still have problems seeing what is so special about iPhone's...okay the apps are convenient, but now that they're showing its age with no Multitasking, Device Restrictions, etc Apple better step up. Actually, who am I kidding...Apple will bring Multitasking, less restrictions, and slowly but sure open things up simply because these aspects are driving loses even on Apple's side. Not enough to worry about, but for Apple at least enough to wake up and smell the coffee.
The Palm Pre, Pixie, Plus or otherwise are great devices and I'm sad to see many people not enjoying what I can't live without.
The latest commercial mentioned her on Precentral http://www.precentral.net/new-palm-ad-live-moves-fast is exactly how I use my phone everyday...describes its usefulness perfectly. Sorli...
No matter how many haters think it will die.. webOS is not going anywhere for a long time. Its like Dr Gonzo. Too weird to live, too rare to die. lol. or something along those lines. But yeah don't read into any of this mumbo jumbo. Its his job to get us talking and he did it.
Pre is a great phone. Do not know what "technical issues" the analyst is speaking about. Mine runs rock solid. Personally I think all the missteps here are firmly pointed at the marketing departments who have totally screwed up for the past 10 months. There needed to be a much higher concentration of exposure of people actually USING the device to show what it can do. WebOS is a great platform, and none of the commercials (until just now) really showed how the phone and operating system worked. Just having the "palm" name is not enough to sustain sales.
I lay any fail here on the marketing depts of Palm, Sprint and Verizon.
well, it makes sense if the pre and pixi were delayed to the point where the new versions would be coming out as well that they would reduce their order knowing not many people would want the outdated hardware.
This royally sucks, I'm on at&t and still waiting for a web os phone, but if they are just going to release the original pre on at&t in july, the I might as well just wait and get the 4g iPhone.
There might be delays at ATT. At least one journalist (All things Digital guy) reported the this guy's claim of a delay but said he'd heard from his sources at ATT that there was no delay or technical issues.
Now - do a little research on the analyst reporting the delay. Same guy who claimed knowledge of Iphone 4.0 and Iphone Nano and Iphone Verizon. All were reported as sourced from Apple - all were wrong.
And - btw... he wasn't the only one discussing problems with slow sales at Palm. And certainly wasn't the first. Furthermore there were several analysts who said there were no significant slow downs at with Palm's sales.
Long story short - these analysts are wrong more than they are right. Their sources are suspect to say the least. His reporting is probably partially right and partially wrong. But what parts have more to do with broken clocks than actual information.
I know Palm doesn't want to, but they may have to start releasing WebOS to other phone manfactuers. I know the benefits of having everything in house and thus have great control over the user experience..(apples business model) but if WebOS is as great as ppl say (and I think it is), Palm need to get it out there. Same way Andorid is on various phones, or how Windows makes the OS but HP and the like make the comps. Maybe they could make enough money to get back to making as official Palm phone backed by expensive mktg and industry clout. I'd buy a WebOS phone made by HTC.
If there is even going to be a delay - it might be for a good purpose. Maybe Palm is working on new hardware and software and wants to make sure they are ready for the release. I am also happy to report my Pre Plus has no problems that I am aware of and I hope that this will become the norm.
I am so sick of these ANALysts crapping all over palm with stuff they pull from where the sun don't shine. People actually listen to them and buy/sell stock based on pure speculation and rumors.
What does it take to be an analyst anyway?
Analysts get paid if they publish reports and get Traffic goint to their websites (advertising, branding, etc.). When an analyst claims something is happening, people want to read more into what is going on. They way I see it, if they don't cause people to pay attention, they are not doing their jobs.
Really the best thing we can do, is when we see an article like this one: Do Not visit the site that published the report. Continue to support Palm and WebOS and get as many people you know interested in their products.
otherphone users are obnoxious loud mouths who speak from their rears...at least if we speak, we are knowledgable from both ends and can educate people. Let's educate and make Palm a bigger name.
I just got an android set and have been using it head to head with the pre and I gotta say, webos is light years ahead.
The only saving grace is the android apps, but it's so hard to find stuff (still trying to find google gesture search). I'm sorry but apps don't make up for the back-button hell that android can be.
also, complaints of webos lag are overblown. Android has its own issues with bogging down, especially in the browser where webos consistently outperforms it.
as for this anaylst, probably owns stock in nokia or blackberry.
It's not WebOS. It's the packaging of webOS. Palm have had nearly a year to correct all these problems.
Every review have said WebOS is the best, it's the hardware that is crap.
Barring something spectacular in the way of an elan release soon on ATT or all major carriers in the US weith humongous ad campaigns by the carriers and Palm I think they are in major trouble short term and probably long term as well. Carrier support by way of ad campaigns has paltry at best and the sales figures show it. The longer things stay the way they are now the less likely Palm's future is as well.
By the way...Launch Day Sprint Pre! It has taken some abuse and still ticking. Also thought I Bricked it, but it lives! WebOS 1.4 rules!!
I've been putting off buying a Pre because: 1) I didn't want to pay through the nose for Verizon's plans, 2) I didn't want the memory-deficient version on Sprint, and 3) I didn't want to deal with (albeit minor) hardware issues (I prefer my phones like my cars: reliable).
However, after this announcement, I decided that my objections were outweighed by the need to keep WebOS alive. So I put my money where my mouth is and went with the Pre Plus on Verizon! It was only $30 on Amazon.
If you're a fence sitter, now's the time to act. Buy a Pre and support Palm! In technological terms, this is the 21st century version of the assault on Normandy Beach!
Don't wait! Buy a Pre (or Pixi) now!
For me AT&T is the only realistic network solution b/c I travel quite a bit. My current phone (a Treo Pro) is on its last legs and I have been trying to nurse it along w/o spending too much until WebOS came out on AT&T. I don't know if it'll last another three or four months. Since Nexus One came out on AT&T yesterday, I may need to get an eval. model and see how it works out for me. Too bad there is no unlocked Pre Plus to buy ...
Honestly, I am in contract with sprint only because of my desire for the Palm Pre, not only has my carrier been less than acceptable but I am now starting to have serious doubts about my hardware choice as well. Dont get me wrong its not like I have I-phony envy, anyone who has any self respect for themselves would never purchase a product with so many restrictions and control issues. I do however, have Android envy, certainly WebOS is the more polished OS at the moment, but Google will only continue to improve on its OS, and they are now selling 60,000 units a day, in the end only cash flow can support Innovation, something Palm sorely lacks. My belief in Palm is starting to rapidly decline. They make to many mistakes, First they partner with Sprint and then they botch the most important aspect of success, Marketing, those original Ads were worse than terrible, the developer support is nowhere to be seen, I have less than 2000 apps (pathetic) while Android continues to grow at 3000 per week, I dont even have a true fantasy football app! If you can be honest with yourself the Hardware should not be mentioned in the same breath with the Nexus One and the Iphone, it hurts but its true. I love Palm and really threw my support behind them, only to start feeling like I backed the wrong horse, hope I'm wrong but I wont be drinking anymore Rubenstein Kool Aid till I see some real headway in app development and TRUE contending hardware. Still cant believe your about to botch one of the truly innovative phone concepts to hit the market.
It would rock if Palm came out with the new hardware on AT&T and Sprint (and VZW?) later this summer, well worth a delay!
It's about the quality of the hardware. The pre hardware is crap. I'm not buying palm doesn't have lot of money to improve on quality. They keep putting crap products out on carriers.
The pre problems have been well documented: Dead pixels, Slider construction, screen bleeds, cracking from from the usb puts. All this was on the original pre. Guess what, these are also problems on the pre plus. This shows that palm doesn't care, or they have very poor quality control.
Carriers wants customer experience to be great on their network. The least interaction customers have with employees related to technical issues helps ensures better customer experience. So I support carriers here.
I really want palm to succeed. Both phones on my accounts are webos devices (pre and pixi). Hopefully when I add a third line in two years palm is around. But they just can't keep putting crap out and expect people to sell it.
Quality palm. Hardware quality. Want to succeed correct your quality problem.
AT&T won't launch a phone with hardware issues period! It will delay and delay till the hardware and software are flawless, and the phone is capable of delivering what consumers want. AT&T has delayed several of the RIMM devices for months (6 monhts for one model last yr.), due to marginal hardware/software as they do not want the bad press. I worked for AT&T for 2 years and this was not an option in the wireless division, to deliver marginal equipment. IPhone was launched with limited functionality, but it did work from hardware and software services, with the promise of updates and upgrades....
Also did you see Sprint announcement of new 4G phone to be the HTC.... Where is new Palm?
"Sprint Nextel Corp. is expected to unveil the first phone compatible with its fourth-generation mobile network at a wireless conference next week, according to people familiar with the matter. The device, made by HTC Corp. and dubbed the Supersonic, represents Sprint's latest and biggest bet that its WiMax network and promises of a speedier wireless connection will reverse the struggling carrier's fortunes..."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870474340457512757340516611...
Flawless? Their flagship device is a phone you can't even change the battery on! That's a pretty damn big flaw!
That's not even getting into the screen cracking issues that so many of the iCan't owners I know have had.
my gut says a new iphone will come out right around then with new form, new os, new notifications, and multitasking and it won't matter what palm does on At&T
If you think Apple will change their form factor in any way at all, then you really have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.
AT&T has alot of nerve to talk about technical issues...every time on a call with one of their customers the line goes dead at least once.
Maybe webOS is too advanced for their operator board based system.
AT&T has alot of nerve to talk about technical issues...every time on a call with one of their customers the line goes dead at least once.
Maybe webOS is too advanced for their operator board based system.
I guess the verizon mom commercials have really put a bad image on palm, and the faulty hardware is now an issue. ATT was planning on selling the pre as a business device, but the mom commerial pushes it as a consumer device, and it is not really needed in ATT's profile. The pre would be an awesome device on T-Mobile which only hasn't had any cool phones except the nexus one. T-Mobile would be a better carrier to put the pre on gsm then att.
Dammit! I've been waiting for a webOS phone on AT&T! My contract is up this month and I was okay with waiting another month or two for a Pre+......... But Mid-summer? I dunno. All I can say is either 1)Sprint better get an upgraded webOS phone before then, and I'll jump ship, or 2)whatever does come to AT&T had better be worth the wait!
Dammit this is terrible news. Better not be true.
Direct from the Big "A":
This report is nonsense. Its amazing that Barron
I lost faith when they released the Palm Pre Plus, basically screwing over all Sprint customers who had a 2 year contract already signed and publicly admitting the last 6 months on Sprint had been a glorified beta test.
Then the hardware issues continue to pile on. Sprint is apparently catching on and is increasingly denying warranty and insurance claims (unless you pay their deductible), while AT&T and Verizon seem to be backing away from Palm like some sort of leper-phone.
It's very sad. I was so excited about having this phone when I first got it. It was my first smartphone, and I wouldn't shut up about it being much better than the iPhone and being much more dynamic than the Droid. However, now I can't help but recommend Droid because I know of all the software AND hardware flaws this phone has. Your normal user can barely download apps correctly (just see any review in the catalog), and you expect them to fix battery/USB cover/Power switch problems or pay Sprint MORE money?
The memory problem is the worst, though. I'm lucky if I can open 5 mid-range apps at a time. God forbid if I try to read an email while playing a 3D game.
Luckily for Palm, I have another 1.5 years left on my contract. If it isn't fixed by then, you can kiss my ass good-bye forever, Palm.
Well said ushmel! Although I do believe the phone is much more advanced than the I-phone I frequently recommend the Droid or Nexus One over the Pre, and I own a Pre!
After seeing what AT&T did to Android on the Motorola Backflip, I'm not sure we'd recognize WebOS after they got through with it.
Found this article:
http://moneycentral.msn.com/inc/news/tickerredir.asp?Feed=Bcom&Date=2010...
Sounds as if Sprint will do a hardware refresh in May. It would be great, but I don't know whether we'll see a new Palm handset at this time. More likely is the end of the original Pre and Pixi. That's probably why there have been fire sale prices at Radio Shack (inventory reduction). As Premier members (unlimited data), all Sprint Pre/Pixi users can upgrade their phone once a year. (My June 2009 vintage Pre is beginning to act its age, so I'll be one of them.)
Palm needs to sell one or more unlocked GSM phones to replace the Treo Pro. Given market softness, AT&T and Palm probably couldn't come to terms on an exclusive arrangement. Apple may also be putting pressure on AT&T to keep Palm out of their lineup.
Interesting times ...
"Apple may also be putting pressure on AT&T to keep Palm out of their lineup."
You can bet on that. Not because Apple sees Palm in particular as a threat, but because they will protect their exclusivity rabidly. Right now they're the only real smartphone on one of the two largest networks in the country, they won't give that up easily.
And yet an Android device is making it's way to AT&T...
I have a feeling Apple barely even thinks about the Pre at this point.
Yeah, the Backflip right? *snicker* A better name for that phone would have been "Hamstrung". If you think Apple didn't have a hand in that...
You can bet Steve Jobs certainly thinks about the Pre. He thinks about all of his competitors (usually with disdain, regardless of the product's quality), especially ones that employ his old cohorts.
Which mobile OS is a bigger threat to iPhone OS: Android or WebOS? The Backflip may blow but any Android penetration on AT&T is more disconcerting to Apple than the arrival of the Pre.
You know, AT&T could be pushing it out because Palm hasn't "fixed" WebOS so that it will only use Yahoo Search.
Not a problem for me, mind you, but AT&T simply won't have something that uses something other than Yahoo Search. I do seem to recall that WebOS only uses Google and Bing by default?
I might have to go with an N1 at this rate...Windows Mobile is driving me up a wall...
To all you Palm lovers out there, me too. There is one way we can all help Palm. At the now low price of $4.00 per share, put your money were your mouth is and BUY 100 shares. If all us Palm lover did this, as I did. You would help put Palm back on top and receive a nice return on your investment within a year.
I'd been waiting to upgrade from my Treo, but there are too many hardware complaints for me to get the Pre just yet. I don't think Palm needs a new phone to succeed. There's enough positive hype on WebOS to supply the desire for people like me to buy, but the hardware issues and 1.4 bugs have to be cleaned up. Verizon is plagued by customers returning their units because of those issues.
The faster they fix up the software glitches and hardware problems (keys sticking making the keyboard useless) people like me, who are just waiting to jump in, will do so. (It doesn't have to perfect, just usable.)
I agree with you, though, on everyone buying Palm shares. At the worst case, Palm will be bought by a larger company, so the stock will always have a value, but if enough people buy the stock and hold, it will prop up the price to give management the confidence that the stockholders believe in the company.