More on the Potentially Epic Battle of Silicon Valley Innovators... 23
On Monday, Ryan Kim of the San Francisco Chronicle, wrote a story which appeared on the front page of the Business section, about the upcoming "potentially epic battle" between Palm and Apple. In it, he rounded up opinions from a number of folks including Jack Gold of J. Gold Associates ("This is a must-win for Palm..."), J. Gerry Purdy, the chief analyst for mobile and wireless at Frost & Sullivan ("They've leapfrogged the competition..."), and Charles Golvin of Forrester Research (From what I've seen, this looks like the closest competitor to the iPhone...).
He also talked to Sprint's Kevin Packingham, senior vice president for product and technology development, who said Palm and Sprint have a lot to prove with the Pre.
And no Pre story is complete without some words from a developer. Again, Pandora has stepped up with their chief technology officer, Tom Conrad, stating, "To me the Pre is the first post-iPhone example that gets the formula right. The hardware is extremely compelling and feels great. And it also has a really great operating system with a fantastic user experience."
Ryan's story also compares the Palm Pre with the anticipated Apple iPhone 3.0, noting "it is rumored that a new iPhone will be announced at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference June 8-12."
Here's our question: Palm at least initially seemed to hope that they could make the message of the Palm Pre something other than "iPhone killer" or "Pre vs. iPhone," but that's definitely now how it's panning out in the larger media and the fact that they're releasing right before WWDC also cuts against that message. We still think that the two can certainly live together in harmony -- but how would you frame this "Pre vs. iPhone" stuff?
The Pre release buzz continues...
23 Comments
OK, so quite possibly there will be a significant iPhone announcement June 8th or so. Pre stock is supposedly limited. What will happen to Palm if they run out of Pres on June 6th, and cannot restock? Will most people say screw it and be so impressed with the iPhone anouncement that they will not wait for Palm to produce more units, and go with Apple?
I think the 2 can live side by side. There are always going to be apple fanboys out there that don't care about anything that doesn't have an apple logo on it. Then there are those, like myself that actually care to associate ourselves with real innovation like what the Pre will bring us.
I have been waiting a very long time for a very well implemented touch screen phone that isn't an apple product. I am very excited about getting it when it comes out.
I am already a sprint customer and never, and I mean never will buy an apple product. So i could care less what apple brings to the table. I am just glad to see that apple finally has some competition like the old days.
Just like the old days, who came out on top in the PDA market? Palm did, and they will win again.
palm dosent need to dethrone iphone to win. but I think that eventually, just because palm is exclusively devoted to the mobil market, we will see webos devices with a bigger marketshare than apple
I agree with totally agree with you.
I agree with both of you. We are few, but we are strong! LOL I dont' see this as much as a battle of devices as a battle of O/S's. Pre has the ability to make Apple change. Eos will have the ability to make Apple change too by drawing in a Centro-type user. And if WebOS develops funcitionally faster than Iphone, then Palm could be a threat in a couple years. But Apple will always have a core (play on words accidental), but the challenge will become can they expand that core going forward. iPod lifted Apple, time will tell if iPhone can lift apple too.
But, as several have pointed out, why are we looking at second place. RIMM is top dog. Curve is #1. RIMM is simple, with cheap hardware and high expense. Apple is better developed, but high expense as well. Palm just needs to be a little better and Sprint just needs to be cheaper and reliable. Big things can happen, dont mess it up. iphone and Storm were evolutionary, Pre looks revolutionary.
I think the pre is just the tip of the iceberg for palm. I strongly doubt they will put much dent in Apple's market share off of one phone that will have limited supplies. Im sure we'll see webos integrated in many different forms that will collectively erode away at other smart phone companies, not just apple.
agreed with beyonce!! oh and tell J I said hello from Shrute Farms!!
1) I think Palm's "fat middle" bleeds over into Apple's region, somewhat. So that has to be addressed with innovation, timing, and marketing.
2) I think Barack Obama, as a presidential candidate, didn't HAVE to talk about sticky topic of race because every picture of him spoke a thousand words. Similarly, Palm doesn't HAVE to be too direct in its iPhone strategies because what he represents is already loud and clear - an iPhone alternative, if not an out-right threat.
3) Until and unless Palm shows that the Pre has the multimedia chops to take a bite out of the Apple, it will never topple the iPhone. The iPod became THE music player, so wrapping it in a phone helped make that THE featurephone.
Palm just has to represent a viable and compelling alternative that expands the market.
Hm. That rant comes across much more confidently than it should, but... oh well.
More precisely, Obama didn't have to talk about race *often*--he did have to address it when the controversy over Jeremiah Wright came to the fore, though. In his standard stump speeches, by contrast, he was able to be much more subtle that Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton before him.
As for how this compares to Palm vs. Apple, exhibit A is this thread: http://forums.precentral.net/palm-pre/180973-fortune-palm-fights-back-ag...
Apple's market is bigger. They have the hip market, Palm has the geek market. Apple has the artists and most of the musicians. Palm won't get them. Palm can get productivity-minded people who want a simple, powerful Swiss army knife that doesn't require much upkeep.
That will be a huge market as smartphones grow. Most adults have little time for watching movies and listening to music on their phone. Ipods made this a multimedia issue when Palm will win only if it's a productivity issue.
WebOS is more about productivity than multimedia and that's as it should be.
"WebOS is more about productivity than multimedia and that's as it should be."
Define "it"
I agree with others who feel that the Pre doesn't have to "dethrone" the iPhone. The Pre just has to come out of the gate strong - no bugs or issues that will bring it bad press, and it will win the hearts of many a smartphone user.
Actually, it's difficult to imagine a world where one size smartphone fits all. And there will always be some diehard brand loyalists on both sides. Personally, I won't buy an Apple product on principle, but I understand that the iPhone is all that and a bag of chips.
I'm just ready for a serious smartphone outside the iTunes ecosystem... but I want more than a blackberry. I'm banking on the Pre, and on the positive experience I've had with Palm stuff in the past - enough to leave ATT for Sprint. Here's to hoping that Palm finds it mojo again with the Pre and webOS.
I've read the Pre needs to sell 5 million units to be considered "a big hit."
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601110&sid=aXkaV43qbehs
"Surprisingly for some, the 7.2 million units sales of the BlackBerry-maker RIM outpaced the 3.9 million iPhones sales of Apple [in Q1 2009]."
http://topnews.us/content/25293-q1-smartphone-sales-increase-apple-rim-d...
Why aren't we asking about RIM-device coexistential questions?
Because RIM is a successful company with successful products and a current robust market niche.
The Pre is not the iPhone killer, its the anti-iPhone!
A great option of all those people who dont want an iPhone.
Winmo and Rimm need to worry more than Apple, however, due to the fact the Pre will out function and be on a better network than the iphone, do not be surprised to hear that a lot of current iphone owners made the switch to the Pre. Just about everyone I know who has the iphone will be switching to the Pre. The fact that the Pre will have The Missing Sync and Slingplayer (just to name a few), is BIG. I believe it will take several days for the Pre to sellout, there are more Palm Pre's sitting in the warehouse than people think. ;)
How do you know how many units will be available and how fast they will sell out?
From what I am told, the launch will be similar to the Instinct, larger populated areas will have more units, lessor populated areas might sell out quicker because those areas will have less inventory. Unlike the Instinct, Sprint stores in the larger Metropolitan areas will have more units on hand. Keep in mind, Sprint stores had normal business hours for the Instincts launch, the Pre will launch at 8AM on June 6th.
What are you saying? Are all Sprint stores opening at 8AM? How many units will be available? Where are you getting this information?
I agree that RIM and WinMo have more to worry about with the Pre. I think Apple will continue to innovate, although they have slipped of late ("voice" nano which precludes use of own headphones? Fail. Lack of development in Apple TV (where is Netflix and Hulu, unless you hack it?)
ok i just checked ebay and i see that somone is selling it along with the touchstone and they guarantee delivery of the pre and touchstone!!!! wow
I think the comparison between the iPhone and the Pre is a natural one.. the look and feel is pretty similar.
For techies/geeks who want to upgrade they are the 2 main choices...
i hope palm can bite into that fat middle and 'hip' crowd... It seems to have already won over the techies even before launching :)