O2 UK pulls Pre Plus from shelves; Update: SFR France too 71
An anonymous tipster let us know yesterday that O2 UK would be pulling the Pre Plus from stores and cease selling the phone. Sure enough, several people have emailed us today noting that O2 UK's website no longer offers the Pre Plus, although the Pixi Plus is still available.
We don't know if this is a temporary thing, the end of the Pre on O2 UK, or preparation for that Palm Pre 2, the P102UEU we saw pass the FCC. We'd like to think it's the latter, of course, because even though most of our readers aren't super-pumped about a minorly-spec-bumped, 1GHz Pre Plus, it is certainly better than nothing.
Update: Pierre notes that SFR France also is no longer offering the Palm Pre Plus on their website, though they are still in stores. This is looking more and more like the P102UEU is coming sooner rather than later. Thanks Pierre!
Thanks Anonymous and everybody who sent in the tip on the site!
71 Comments
though we are not sure that the bump for this next device is a minor one yet. To me it looks to be the PC40 that was scrapped before the buyout, if so and the screen is larger, then a jump from 500 to 1ghz (better battery from what we assume the chipset being used),a better design, a better cameria, screen size larger (again if this is the same rumored phone for the past 6 months) higher resolution, more internal storage, or microSB, and better optimized to run webos 2.0. If these are the specs for this rumored device, Id say this a nice jump in specs. Really the only thing that would make this look pale in comparison is a retna display, and a higher clocked cpu(though currently all the phones have only 1ghz cpu's). Either way Ill take it.
+1
I wouldn't buy this phone. I need a webOS phone that has at least a 3.6 in screen and a better keyboard. If I didn't already have a Pre then this would be nice but it's just too much of the same. By the way, has anybody submitted their concept Palm phone to PreCentral for the competition? Wait.... I just realized that the winner of that competition would get this phone when it comes out. Damn, I'm on Sprint and I wouldn't even be able to use this phone. Well, I will still submit what I've done so far on photoshop.
I'm down. No problem with a 1ghz Pre 2. It'll be a nice transition device for the Palm super phone.
I think what's making people mad is that the back plate is the same as the pre plus, thus no one's expecting much... Esp after the post which presentral posted stating what things weren't going to happen (high res screen, front facing camera, autofocus) so it doesn't seem like much considering we know something better is coming out.
I was thinking maybe it's only the back plate that is attached to the back cover for the touchstone and not the whole cover itself.
yes. How do we know the entire back is exactly the same and not just the cool and magnets that make it Touchstone compliant? Does the data uncovered from the FCC actually have the diminsions of the backplate itself?
It's same part number as the current backplate.
I honestly have no idea what HP is planning, but I wouldn't be surprised if they're sticking with the pre format since it resonates with older audiences and business types. If the keyboard is improved, along with the build quality and battery life. We get WebOS 2, and it launches on a few carriers, it could be a fairly decent hit.
Well O2 has never really pushed the Pre in the UK they are still obsessed with the iPhone. SO what I would prefer to see if HP/Palm to go to a different Carrier, one that will maybe advertise it.
As we are usually tied into 18 month contracts in the UK I would like to wait and see what they come up with in Feburary. But I dont see a problem with a spec bump phone comming out as it might keep Palm in the public eye.
Could't agree any more. O2 has been idiotic when coming to Pre's and Pixi's. I do hope that HP/Palm gets the next phone with Vodafone or someone who can deliver a better support and are more open to other manufacturers apart from Apple. I never understood why Palm did an exclusivity with O2 in the first place. Vaoda always had all Palm phones in the past.
Oh dear no. Vodafone are horrendous - worst customer service I've experienced at any company. And they always wreck phones by modifying them, restricting functionality and forcing their own bloatware onto it. They'd ruin the Pre experience...
No, given a choice, I'd much rather stick with O2, even though it is true that they obsess about the iPhone far too much and were poor at pushing the Pre.
Vodafone are owners of Verizon. Notice any similarities?
(And yes, I am on the Big Red with a GPS-neutered Pre Plus)
They aren't the owners, they own part of it. Big difference, but they apparently have similarities in the CS department.
sounds like a carrier we got out here. Hint ryhmes with horizon.
Voda aren't perfect either. Worst customer service? Have you been with 3 or Orange? lol I don't think any of the Treos or Centros were modified...I could be wrong. Tbh I want my next HP/Palm phone unlocked and without any carrier modifications too.
even if it is coming to O2 i am going to wait it out, i rushed to buy the pre before only to find a month later the pre+ came out which also had a minor spec bump.. This time round i am going to be a bit cautious because it sounds similar to the current pre design..
O2 have definitely let Palm down with their so-called support for the device over the last year. I wonder what this will mean for people who require a replacement device.
Why buy the Pre Plus Plus and get locked in a contract when the real upgraded phone is coming out early next year?
Maybe because many of us don't want an oversized slab phone? We like the Pre's form factor and size. There isn't a form factor on the market that I would that I would take over the Pre.
Agrees, I'd just prefer a screen closer to 4".
If it does get to the US, I'm not wasting my upgrade on spec bumped Pre.
What would you like, a new form factor?
I hope I get a Preform factor, higher red screen, 1 ghz processor, and 32 gigs of space. Oh and 1 gig ram too..
Yes, I'd love that keyboard-less one. If I get a spec bumped Pre I'm waiting an entire year longer or I pay full for the upgrade early next year. A slightly better Pre is not worth that much to me. I don't think the screen will be higher res, and as long as they have a microSD slot I don't care how much memory they put in there. as for the RAM I really hope they go the 1gb route.
@anus1220
"Spec bumped" Oh, you mean like the iPhone 2G, 3G, & 3GS?
Yep, terrible strategy there...
/facepalm
Rumors and speculations. Thats all we got.
Actually I got a little more then rumors myself...
welllll then... do tell
Haha. Im just saying in general. All the articles coming out about a new device. This article that even says "We don't know if this is a temporary thing, the end of the Pre on O2 UK, or preparation for that Palm Pre 2, the P102UEU we saw pass the FCC." Everything is so unsure right now. I think we are all dying of anticipation.
I'll never tell... seriously thoe, I won't.
i was so hoping palm will get out of this exclusivity with O2 they need to start selling them on all the UK networks, all of them are gsm so its not like they need to build a different phone like they do for the US market.. i think this exclusivity is damaging because O2 is hardly promoted the Pre
anything better than the Sprint Pre... I'm in!! But, gotta come out on Sprint first though.
I worry that we'll see an improved Pre in February and then a gaming-spec phone in August or September. Don't you think that Palm would announce and advertise a Pre upgrade at least a few months in advance?
Anyway, I would be *very* happy if an improved Pre comes out in the next couple months (as long as it has a micro SD slot or at least 32GB of storage). Maybe with WebOS 2.0? :)
you won't see an announcement woth specs from hpalm more than 4-6 weeks before a phone is released.
The Spec bump is fine for those that really like the form factor, and perhaps to win some new customers who want a smart phone with a portrait hard keyboard and up to date processor.
But for those of us that want a device that competes with the iP, Droid, EVO, or Galaxy family devices a 1gz Pre++ won't make me happy or keep me a Palm customer.
@bankerdanny
Yeah, because a little bigger screen and a FF camera *really* make those other phones fly! Lacking 2 specs out of 10 is the deal breaker for you?
/sarcastic facepalm
man....i don't care... If somethin comes out that's a few steps better than the pre plus, that will be almost like a whole new phone over this little crappy little pre.. So gemme somethin to replace this now (on sprint)... Lemme buy it on craigslist so I don't use my upgrade...and I'll be at peace till the next super palm phone comes out
you ever think maybe your pre is little and crappy cause you talk about it like that. I mean come on a pre has feelings too!
OK, dumb question here. The speculation in the article is that it is being pulled because of "preparation for that Palm Pre 2".
Why would you pull your current device before the replacement device is available? Wouldn't you instead see price slashing, free offers, etc. instead of a straight pull of the old device?
correct me if I'm wrong, but the article says that they "would be" pullin the current one and stop seling it.. Not that they already have...so whos to say that they won't be puling the old heardware and gettin new at the same time??
I thought that too, but I can't think of any other reason to pull the Pre. You don't pull a phone unless it's obsolete, and by itself, it's definitely competitive.
Also, why wouldn't you pull the pixi too? It would stand to reason, that only the Pre is getting replaced (which we've been seeing.)
If o2 don't replace Pre+ with new palm hardware then what kind of replacement handset would they offer in the event of damaged Pre? Just wondering as i'm less than a year into a two year contract. Have to wait and see i guess. Anyone got any bubblewrap for sale in the meantime?
All prices are O2-Online Prices:
In Germany the Pre Plus costs 500 $ now, when it first came out it costed 700 $.
The Pre costed 668 $ with Touchstone, now 334 $!!!!!!!
I hope that this massive rebate is because there will be soon a NEW great Palm device!
Worst case scenario: Palm only wants to sell all the Devices they have on hand and then stop working on new phones, coz they only work for HP's Slates and printers in future.
haha i sure hope that isnt the case. Palm is turned into a company that doesnt even make anything that fists i your palm... now that would be histerical
I have my doubts that a new device will be comming already as I'm sure it won't come out before webos2 is released, though maybe webos2 is comming sooner then I was thinking. I was thinking more in the December timeframe, but maybe it's comming sooner then that.
hey the did say somthing about new api or whatever yu call it comin in the fall ...i have yet to see anything so maybe....
i have a feeling we will hear about this new phone at the end of the month and will b on sale soon after like how Mr. Jobs like to do it. this is definetely a phone that corrisponds with the release of 2.0 I CAN FEEL IT
please hp/palm please fast FAST FAST!! release this as fast as possible. just release anything a terd dog on a stick and ill buy it. I had my friend just leave work and was like "i want a new android phone" he had about 10 phones to choose from where as we are frozen in time waiting for a new phone to buy. The longer this goes the more people jump ship everyday. screw reloading and just release whatever you got now.. we can't wait any longer. the iphone 5 will be here by then.
This could also apply to O2 ireland and Explain why its taken A GOD DAMN MONTH FOR PALM TO RETURN MY PRE AFTER IT WAS SENT FOR REPAIR. Eh hem fix my pre palm i pay over the odds for it as.
At this point I'll take anything. My phone is seriously on its last legs: the power button doesn't work (I have to turn it on by plugging it in or putting it on the touchstone), the earpiece is refusing to work (it's that hopeless headphone recognition bug and i'm forced to use speakerphone), and the headphone jack only works if you jiggle it just so.
Nevertheless, I must have webOS. I've tried using Android and multitasking is a horrible, torturous affair.
Bring on the upgraded Pre! It'll be better than buying a replacement current-gen Pre.
If the upgrade is only to a 1 ghz processor, my overclocked pre+ is already doing that... Must have more IMO.
If I'm not mistaken, a processor clocked @ 1 gHz already can be overclocked to go faster so potential speeds are even greater than that of the Pre & Pre Plus...
Seems like that new phone is coming sooner than we all think. Watch for an announcement right around the day after Thanksgiving. I'm not due for an upgrade until February anyway. If they send out a WebOS 2.0 update for the current Pre Plus, I'm just going to wait.
on a side note, anyone notice how cool the pre plus looks in the picture? almost looks like a ultra-slim, keyboardless pre plus. iphone4-like, but more curvy. i like. :)
edit: it's pretty darn side that i'm so stuck on palm releasing new hardware, that i'm seeing things now. :(
As a user of an original, almost release day, Sprint Pre, I won't complain about the rumored spec bump. If Palm re-engineered the slider, and TI's claims that the OMAP 36XX halves battery usage and doubles performance are true, webOS 2.0 should sing beautifully on this device. Of course, this assumes Sprint carries it. To those who complain, there will always be a better, faster widget next quarter. Welcome to the consumer market.
Next quarter? Try next month!
I too have an original Sprint Pre-, so all I care about is getting whatever comes out first! B4 all you ATT n Verizon guys =P
well if it's like any of palms previos methods, we will continue to get only minor spec bumps for every phone hereafter.
not much changed for treo 600 to the 650 to the 755 to the 800. All damn little spec bumps. I hated the company for this but still couldn't get rid of my damn treo.
Lets hope this phone is a spec bump but the real winner comes 1st quarter and not 3rd or 4th because I will leave to an android phone. I'm tired of waiting for the next big thing from Palm for over 5 yrs now.
So WebOS was a minor spec bump up from PalmOS?
I just spent a lot of time and money changing an ATT+ into a Sprint+ because I was stuck with an agonizing wait of another 8 months like the rest of the launch day users before I can upgrade to something else. With nothing tangible on the near horizon and the soap opera that has been Palm over the last year I plunked down the extra dough, time & effort to use the best webOS device I can manage to provide myself because I LOVE WEBOS! My wife is on her 5th handset since launch, has hated the exp & will never buy Palm again. She has been plagued by gremlins. New hardware won't even bring her back, I just wonder how many more stories like ours exist...? Night and day differences in exp.
I'm just keeping both fingers cross. :-D
wow,last week I posted in one of the threads that I was in my local sprint store,looking for a certain charger I bought there before,manager said they don't sell them anymore,,i said why not,,,he said 'getting ready for new phone wink,wink'. Guess he was telling the truth.
wow,last week I posted in one of the threads that I was in my local sprint store,looking for a certain charger I bought there before,manager said they don't sell them anymore,,i said why not,,,he said 'getting ready for new phone wink,wink'. Guess he was telling the truth.
I'm not doubting your experience, but why would they clear out stock of the charger for a new phone? The micro-USB charger cables would likely work with whatever Palm releases next.
okay so hopfully they drop this month and maybe drop it in us before the holidays that what i was really looking forward to i still have faith
Palm needs to fix the cheapo slider mechanism, move the keyboard down a hair and use a higher quality plastic. Oh, and fix the cheese-cutter effect and redesign the power button not to stick.
I don't see why they wouldn't fix all of these things for the next Pre, but that's what I thought before and we got the Pre Plus with an added double-type flaw.
Add full GPU support, a faster processor, and a larger display and you have a perfect phone. I don't care that it's not "new."
What happened to the GPU support? If Palm can't make old technology work the way it was designed my faith is blown already! I remember reading how fast the Pre COULD be if it was enabled...here I am a year and a half out and nothing's new! So I'm debating on spending more money on empty promises. At least with Droid you know what you're getting...a phone that will be out of date yesterday. I thought the Pre was going to grow with me!
aint the games using that?
Say it with me...
"Web-oh-ess-two-point-oh"
Again...
"WebOS 2.0"
Lesson over. ;)
hello everyone,im wholesale supplier online
Welcome to our website
===== http://www.linecheckout.com/ =======
accept paypal or credit card and free shipping
We need your support and trust!!!
Dear friends, please temporarily stop your footsteps
To our website Walk around A look at
Maybe you'll find happiness in your sight shopping heaven and earth
You'll find our price is more suitable for you.
===== http://www.linecheckout.com/ ========
Wow, you're really cool. I'm glad we got a robot posting on this blog.