Pre on Bell: August 27, Future Shop pre-orders start 25
Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:28 am EDT 
In recent weeks our tip box has been practically overflowing with hints of when the Palm Pre would launch on Bell Mobility in Canada. Unfortunately, just about every tip we’ve received was a different date, and those contradictions make it hard to run (for the record, the same thing happened for six months with Sprint as well). Thankfully, it looks like my northern friends can now rest, as MobileSyrup has discovered that the folks over at Future Shop have announced that the Bell Pre will be available on Thursday, August 27. Future Shop is currently accepting in-store pre-orders, so if anybody feels like dropping by their local Canadian electronics mega-store, let us know what you find!
Update: Hugues points us to Bell's own site, which also now lists the August 27th date. You can also pre-order directly from Bell.
Update 2: and Palm chimes in with the same on their official blog, clearing up pricing details: $199.95 Canadian with a three year contract, minimum 500mb data plan. Ouch?
So, our Canadian friends, now that the day is near (just over three weeks), do you find yourself wanting the Pre on Bell, or would you rather wait for it on Telus or Rogers?
Thanks to John for the tip!
25 Comments
ewww, traditionally, Futureshop is very overpriced. Hopefully BestBuy gets it too
lol, did not know that. I wonder why prices (at least seem) higher at Futureshop than BestBuy
CDMA. We'll let you know when GSM comes. :D
Before christmas. Unlocked GSM.
Bell has exclusivity on the device for 6 months as of launch.
OK good news for Canada and is it just me or is the advert above way better than any of those creepy TV ads that Palm have been running !? I know it wouldn't be hard to better those ads but lets hope Canada gets a better set of ads.
However my real concern used to be "GSM when GSM?"..... now my concern is "Apps, where are the Palm Apps?". Not homebrew, but from the App store for core (non geek) users.
What I am concerned about is that Palm try to move into the GSM market (which is far larger than the CDMA market) without a headline grabbing set of apps.
In fact it would be a MAJOR error. One that can be forgiven in the initial release market (US) due to the SDK infancy. However it will go down like a fart in a spacesuit in Europe. The way this phone will win in Europe is through compelling Apps. Imagine the advert for Palm if they have most of the popular apps out there plus a few games for those who need to see eye candy.
What is more worrying is that we have heard precious little about apps "about to come" onto the Palm App store. Not hearing anything about what "will" come (is being worked on) suggests there is not much being worked on.
Now this could more easily be fixed by moving the homebrew apps over (I hear there are over 100) but even that is not enough.
I am an avid Palm Pre fan and desperately want to see a GSM model released but I want Palm to succeed more than I need to get my hands on one. I didn't believe the experts when they said the Palm Pre success will be largely built on Apps but I am now convinced.
So Palm PLEASE PLEASE hold off releasing a GSM version till you have those top headline grabbing apps. You don't need 50,000 apps just several hundred. So of the value will be in the number of apps (i.e. not quality - people like novelty fart/beer apps) and the rest of the headline will be grabbed by the top type of Apps available on the Apple App store.
Apple have made it easy for you, just look at the top 50 in each category.
You could almost show an advert where there are apps on the PRE and state
"The PRE is so advanced that in less than 3 months it has this (X) and can do this (Y) and after three years Apple can't"
"The PRE is so advanced that in less than 3 months it has this (X) and can do this (Y) and after three years Apple can't"
"The PRE is so advanced that in less than 3 months it has this (X) and can do this (Y) and after three years Apple can't"
You can then sow the OS features that are available and again state "Apple can't do this"....you get the picture
Loading applications on your phone from the devs website, an app store site, via USB from your PC, of by IR/Bt is the normal way. A manufacturer censored app store as single source is the sick modern(?) way.
Why is everyone so keen on having no choice and beeing 'incapacitated'...
There is no desire for the WebOS platform to be incapacitated. However, I think you HIGHLY over estimate the number of users of the Pre that know how to or are willing to load on apps via means other than the App Catalog. For effective purposes, the number or App in the App Catalog ARE what is available, in most peoples eyes. This is why having apps available THERE is so important.
I totally agree with you, and I also really want the mass user to become educated and be able to look further than the app-cat. And Palm needs to officially open this door.
This is one of the places where people can learn and discover what a smartphone is and can do.
I really appreciate how the normal way of installing apps (which, since some time now, is labelled as something strange > 'sideloading'...) is featured on this site.
Might have something to do with the background of many people here ;-)
Okay I agree with you but I am curious, we don't know as of now that palm has rejected any apps, so would there be a really high demand for third party installation if palm just accepts every app submission? I know this sounds far fetched but as of now we don't know for sure what they are willing to allow or not allow.
I would hope that they reject apps on UI quality and compliance with Design Standards for the WebOS. i.e. get a common user experience. But that is the only reason.
I don't think a ported web app with no changes should be allowed into the Catalog.
It is the question of having cell signal / wanting to pay roaming fees (if you are elsewhere). Just beeing flexible and always have a 'plan B'. I rely on a functional smartphone for busines. I don't rely on a 'single source'. That's always bad.
The question whether something may be rejected is not so much of interest for me. Though I hate what Apple did to the mobile industrie! Main reason why I'd never buy their products. I'm not into this totalitarian behaviour.
I generally have quite an ammount of 3rd apps on my mobiles. So it`s also very much a 'convenience factor' not to re-install all of them ota after a hard reset. There is still a back up programm missing. Having the back-up file copied back to the pre via usb, re-installing the back up program thru the app-cat, and restoreing everything. Bad if you dont have signal by the way.
Other thing is updates. For shure convenient thru the app-cat, but I got used to rely on de devs and the service comming from their servers. Usually much earlier than thru the retailers (whatever store it is).
It's quite a mixture in my case. Having no other way then the app-cat to get apps installed could be the showstopper for me.
because it's quick and easy. basically two clicks. pick app and install. And most people are not techies. they want things to work quick and easy. That's a big reason why ipods are successful quick simple interface.
I used to work for futureshop, the prices for the most part were competitive, just haggle more with futureshop for prices.
I like a pre like device, but not switching to bell, i want the pre to do well, so it can spread the wealth to other carriers.
That is part of the iphone's problem that the exclusive deal gives the carrier too much power. so if palm releases multiple webOS devices across multiple carriers, it would be a win -win for everybody except the carriers( i want them fighting hard for my money and not colluding to harm consumers)