Dan Hesse: Pre supply still constrained, Android coming to Sprint 11
Mon, 27 Jul 2009 9:55 am EDT 
Sprint CEO Dan Hesse sat down at the Fortune-sponsored Brainstorm: Tech conference in Pasadena, California this week to talk about the future of mobile computing. And of course, the Palm Pre came up (would we be talking about it if it didn’t?). On the device, Hesse said that the launch was a success, but sales numbers were until recently very constrained by supply issues, not a lack of demand. And because of the initial limited launch, it’s going to take a while before they can declare the Pre a smash hit or not: “You won't know if we have a real hit on our hands until its been out three months, four months, five months ... It's too early to tell.”
Hesse also took up the defensive against claims of inordinately high return rates, taking the analysts to task for their speculation, “Most of the speculation I read is wrong.”
Lastly, there’s that other Linux-based mobile phone operating system: Android. Hesse commented that Android was not ready for prime time when it was released, and it’s taken to the latest 1.5 iteration and HTC’s fancy new UI for it to be up to snuff for Sprint. At least one new Android model will land on Sprint this year.
11 Comments
Actually that is right. Usability for the average consumer was much different.
WebOS is pretty darn usable right now.
WTF are you talking about GSM only? Companies are trying to get Android on to netbooks and MIDS. Why would you think that?
Do you know what you're talking about?
Android is the name of an operating system, like webOS is palm's new operating system.
So the phone, "My Touch, is the newest phone running the Android.
Supply issues for sure. I recently cracked my screen and via Sprints insurance program with Asurion they've told me 5 business days, because the Pre is back-ordered...sweet. It's been 4 days now and my claim is still "being processed" according to the status on the site.
Not stoked. I want my Pre!!!