Pre on iPCS to drop mail-in-rebate, Pixi MSRP $400? 11

If you recall, back in September we heard from an anonymous tipster that the price of the Palm Pre would be dropping to $149.99, but only at iPCS dealers (a company that services Sprint customers in parts of the Midwest). Less than a week later, the price of the Pre dropped $50 to match on Sprint proper. Well, we’ve been hit again with another tip, this time about that silly mail-in-rebate: Pre phones sold at iPCS stores will no longer be saddled with a mail-in-rebate. Instead, the new-contract Pre buyers will receive a $100 instant rebate to replace the mail-in and keep the price at $149.99. Customers upgrading to a Pre will still be stuck with the mail-in-rebate.

Judging by the information we’ve received this time around and how the price cut proceeded last time, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the rebate disappearing from Sprint corporate stores in the near future. We know the sheet above is a touch on the confusing side; our tipster has assured us that the out-the-door pricing for the Pre (at iPCS locations) will be $149.99 with customers not having to worry about the mail-in-rebate. Death to mail-in-rebates!

The dropping of the mail-in-rebate from the Pre isn’t the only thing we have learned from this document. Up until now all we were sure of was the price of the Palm Pixi: $99.99 after a $100 mail-in-rebate (le sigh). So $200 out the door, but how much would it cost if you were to get a Pixi off-contract? $399.99. If you're upgrading on-contract or purchasing new, the $50 difference between the Pre and the Pixi can be a bit confusing, but for a customer who has to pay full price the difference jumps to $150. As an aside, new customers purchasing the Pixi at an iPCS store will also be treated to a mail-in-rebate-free experience.

Thanks to anonymous tipster!