Pre3 probably isn't coming to Sprint. We know, it hurts. 371
Fri, 08 Jul 2011 7:34 pm EDT 
Ah, the mystical Sprint HP Pre3. How thee keeps us up late at night. Yeah, it’s just a phone, but it’s one that we want so badly. For us and for you. And, well, there might be a problem with that. We’ve said it before and it bears repeating: there’s no evidence to say that the Pre3 is coming to Sprint, but there’s no evidence that says it isn’t. The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence.
Today the folks over at This Is My Next cited a “trusted source” in saying that the Pre3 - or any other webOS device - will not be coming to Sprint. We know a lot of you just died a little bit inside, and that’s not the news you wanted to hear today. On the flipside of the same coin, we’ve heard from plenty of “I talked to an HP rep” crowd that have heard that the Pre3 is coming to Sprint, along with Verizon and AT&T. You can hold out hope if you want, but trusted sources trump chatter in our book.
Here’s the thing: while the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence and there’s nothing concrete we’ve seen that says the Pre3 isn’t coming to Sprint, we’ve seen real-world snippets about the Pre3 coming to AT&T and Verizon and precisely zero about it on Sprint.
Sprint was burned by webOS. The Pre was a poorly executed launch by both Palm and Sprint and we wouldn’t blame Sprint for not wanting to carry the Pre3 (while we’re sure HP would love to sell the Pre3 on whatever network would take it), but we know there are plenty of disappointed webOS fans who are going to have to make the hard choice between carrier and platform.
Source: This Is My Next
371 Comments
Good-bye WebOS. Sprint has more palm users than anyone... not for long.
Good-bye webos indeed. It's just not worth switching out of Sprint, paying $30 more a month for a lesser plan on Verizon or AT&T. :(
I'll come back when someone at webos internals can hack the verizon pre3 to work on Sprint.
I left webos last week. My launch day 2 year old pre couldn't take it any more. Got me an EVO 3D from amazon for $179 last week. Hello Android Central!!!
I switched to a evo 3d last week and am loving it so far. quite a change from the laggy pre. plus the battery on the evo 3d puts the pre to shame (can make it through a whole day with moderate use while the pre would need 2 full recharges)...sad considering most people consider the eov 3d to have poor battery life!
I also switched to an EVO 3D last week but I feel that the battery life is about the same as my Pre. Plus I miss having a physical keyboard aND without the Touchstone charger, I now have to fiddle with micro-USB cables like some animal.
On the other hand, the EVO is incredibly fast and has tons of apps. That's a pretty strong hand....
I also switched to the Evo and after a week of carrying a tv around in my pocket I returned it. I was actually more excited to go back to my pre minus than I was when I initially bought the Evo 3d.
I'm right there with you. Got mine Tuesday. Android certainly lacks the ease and simplicity of WebOS but I'll have to say the EVO 3D is a nice phone. I'm still tweaking and customzing it (there's so many options). Everything is so responsive and fast.
I hope the Pre3 becomes a huge success on VZ or ATT and makes Sprint reconsider in the mean time. Android obviously has a lot of developer support which really makes it nice and that is where WebOS needs the most help. A successful launch on the other carriers will help that.
As feature rich and solid as the EVO is, I would still go back to WebOS if they ever get the apps like Android has and have the solid hardware like HTC is putting out.
Wave Launcher is a must from the market. Plus Perfect Task Switcher.
Wave Launcher is awesome, Perfect Task Switcher by comparison feels kind of clunky. I'm actually enjoying the customization that HTC does with Android. The row of recent apps, quick settings, and integrated task killer in the notifications really helped me get over losing webOS.
My pre died on tuesday and I went and got the Evo...The reason this is so sad is because we all waited an extra year.
I need to know immediately who can mod a Pre 2 to work with Sprint and how much they charge for mod-service. Or I could wait and hope that the Pre 3 will be easily mod-able.
But do I want to swim against the current, really? Not really. I'd like to feel happy when an OS update is released.
Here's what Sprint customers need to hope for: That Pre 3 is a huge hit with the other networks. And then that Sprint gets the Pre 3+ soon.
http://www.webosworld.com offers this service. I recommend them.
-- Rod
Note that you will never be able to use a Pre/Pre+ comms board in a Pre3. Physically and electrically incompatible.
-- Rod
You can do it yourself! It's not hard.
If you have a working Pre- on a Sprint account, all you need is a Pre2 (GSM or VZW), a Torx T5 bit, and a computer.
I did this last month and I really like the results. I did have some frustration and a bit of troubleshooting with the MetaDoctor to install the OS, but it did eventually work.
Here are the instructions:
http://www.webos-internals.org/wiki/Sprint_Pre_2
Too bad, but I just don't care anymore. Sprint is foolish to turn its back on an emerging system with a gigantic company like HP. Neither Palm or Sprint did a very good launch with Pre- but that was then, this is now.
Sprint will miss out on the Touch Pad and anything else that HP has to offer, and Sprint will lose my 9 numbers all ported over to AT&T.
My three kids all have Pre- phones and they will all follow the Pre3 wherever it goes too.
But really, I'm tired of the whole thing, I'm a WebOS guy, so is my business and I'm not changing that, I'll change carriers if Sprint dosen't get over their hurt feelings and tend to business, and the needs of their customers. Almost from day one with Pre- every Sprint rep has tried to sell me Android without even listening to my needs, very frustrating... But soon I'll be done with them if they don't pick up Pre3, and I won't look back.
Veer happy for over a week now, ATT ain't all that bad ;)
Just you wait. I've had service with all Carriers. Customer service, call reliability and monthly plans on AT&T ARE THE WORST.
There are many people that are tied to an OS or hardware brand, but from Sprint's perspective I understand the decision. Even large corporations that make billions of dollars have finite resources, and I can imagine the costs associated with rolling out new products, training agents in the store and in call centers, along with any other costs for launching new WebOS products is probably very high. They also probably forecast a low return and adoption rate given the low success of the first launch and the fact WebOS has roughly less than 1% market share. I think they are taking a wait and see approach. See how it sells on other carriers and then add it to their product list. I would also imagine you are in the minority of people that will change carriers to get a new WebOS phone.
I had my Pre- shortly after launch and after three replacements I gave up on it a year and a half later. I switched to Android (Nexus S 4G) and probably will never go back. I miss some things with WebOS, but have quickly found there are adequate solutions in Android, and since they have an app for essentially everything I miss it less and less all the time.
Lastly with the continued rumors the iPhone 5 will launch on Sprint along with the other national US carriers, I would expect Sprint to put their eggs in the Apple basket rather than HP’s. With arguably one of the most sought after devices on Sprint with their unlimited plans, that is marketing that writes itself. They can show savings for customers and how new customers could use every feature for as long as they want. I am not a fan of the iPhone, but understand how big it could be for Sprint. When I ask friends and family almost everyone has heard of or used an iPhone. Other than my wife I have yet to actually meet someone that owns a Pre. I tried to get people to try WebOS out, and still tell people it is one of the best OS’s out there, HP just needs to upgrade the hardware.
Sorry for my rant, just wanted to throw my thoughts out there. Completely understand you wanting to find the carrier that has the phone you want.
I kind of doubt that will happen. The reason it's possible with the Pre 2 now is because hardware wise, the Pre and Pre 2 are mostly the same. A Sprint Pre radio is not going to fit in a VZN or ATT Pre 3. Sure it might be possible to hack it despite this, but it will be MUCH more difficult.
I used to say the same thing about Sprint vs. Verizon & AT&T until I did the math recently. With Sprint's new $10/mo "smartphone fee" the plans are closer in price than you think. Do the math yourself for your particular situation (indv. vs. family plan) and see what comes out.
I've been a Sprint user since 1998, I'd hate to leave Sprint, but slowly they are raising their prices to almost the same as the competition and you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't do the comparison (warning, spreadsheets may be necessary!)
Are you getting your 10% Sprint EVP Discount just for having an AOL account? Self employed discount is 18%. Big company employees get up to 25% off. Link:
http://forums.precentral.net/2780116-post1.html
Add in costs for texting at VZ, navigation and what not, if anyone thinks they're so close, let them learn the hard way.
exactly. 27% discount + free navigator on both lines. Plus unlimited data. Hello iPhone 5 (4S).
Most big companies, like the one I work at, get similar discounts on all carriers. I have also done the math and other than it isn't unlimited & you lose Sprint Navigation, ATT is virtually the same. I haven't changed yet, but I have worked w/Reps of both companies. Less than $10/mo difference for me & the plan I want.
I have been w/Sprint a long time, but webOS is more important. For those of you who won't change, do what is right for you, but it puts no pressure on Sprint to get a webOS phone if you give them your $$$ anyway. All those letters written to Dan, they mean nothing if you don't back up your passion for webOS.
WERD WERD WERD WERD!!!! ATT is a break even or cheaper for us, and the Veer's will go nicely with some touchpads.
I get a 25% discount with Sprint because of the company I work for. I would get 15% with Verizon or 22% with AT&T if I switched to either of them.
Sprint prices are great but everyone can get the Sprint EVP Discount for at least 10% is you have a free AOL email account or are in a credit union. If you work for a big corporartion it may be over 25%. Link:
http://forums.precentral.net/2780116-post1.html
I agree. Who else can give me true unlimited mobile to mobile, text & GPS for only $70 a month? I hate Android, but I can't keep buying Pre- off of Ebay forever!
Bye WebOS.
I won't switch from Sprint either. I had hoped HP would "make things right" and convince me to to give a Pre3 a try despite how scr3w3d I felt by HP's broken promises to us Pre- users.
The saddest part is that many of the most devoted WebOS users are Sprint customers still (such as myself) and we most likely will not be leaving Sprint. I know I most likely will not leave, so it means my FrankenPre2 holds me over until...
Yep, HP lost many, many advocates when they lost the Pre 3 on Sprint.
My wife and I will leave.
yeah but even a franken pre 2, you still get the small 3.1" screen and a fat phone :(
the pre 3 is appealing because of the large screen and it's thin.
If HP is really serious about going after the tablet market and puts out some smaller, cheaper tablets, you might see a lot of people toting an Android phone and a WiFi tablet....It's not going to happen with the Touchpad. There's little reason to choose it over the iPad 2. But maybe a smaller seven inch tablet like the rumored Opal which sells for something $300 or less and talks to your cell phone while tethering off its data connection might be a tempting phone accessory.
Quite true. Could def roll that way.
And what better phone to use as a mobile hotspot than the Veer?
any phone. The veer is a phone Hpalm thought up of when they were stoned.
Ya, I saw also the source now... they give credit to the same link I posted.
Ya, I saw also the source now... they give credit to the same link I posted.
i hope everyone leaves sprint and they melt away. they are dumb for not supporting us first time webos users. in addition, most webos users are probably on sprint. blah.
How big do people think the Pre/Palm install base is over at Sprint. Just because most legacy Palm users are on Sprint... can't mean a whole lot of people. Look at the WebOS install base. Losing Pre users won't cause Sprint to "melt away".
Between February and May, WebOS market share fell by another .4% so apparently, quite a few WebOS users did "think beyond" WebOS.
Nah, Sprint has played straight with us. Not perfect, but honest and straight shooting and they're not hurting for decent phones and don't have to worry about servicing six or more WebOS fragments with less than a million customers to support.
What statements by Sprint have been honest and straight-shooting regarding their support (or lack thereof) of HP webOS offerings?
I think you have to say something to be honest and straight-shooting.
They said they have no information about future WebOS products. They were very frank about HTC's success and the disappointment of Pre and the difficulty it caused Sprint.
Sprint never told us they were going to do something, and then decided not to.
If everyone of the current Sprint webOS userbase left Sprint tomorrow, Sprint wouldn't even notice it. We are a tiny fraction of their userbase. Why are they dumb? We want them to support us, but this is obviously a business decision and one that could be argued both ways.
They will notice the Premiere customers with 12 or more years with Sprint. It's not just the number of customers that leave, but the TYPE of customers. I have had three or more lines with Sprint for 12 years. And while I despise AT&T & Verizon's prices & nickel & diming, this is the first time in my life that I fell in love with an OS - webOS. I currently have my launch day Pre & an HTC EVO 4G, in which I use both of them daily. I've had my EVO for 7 months (replaced my Palm Centro.) I love the hardware but do not like Android. Each day I like it less and less. It is so far behind webOS. I still use my Pre for many things over my EVO.
Sprint should share some of the blame for the failure of the Pre as well. They're ads were horrible. As a business, they know "Huge HP" is not "little Palm". They know the build quality of webOS devices under HP is just as good or even better than any device they sell. So I'm not buying that "We were burned by webOS" stuff anymore.
And now that I have a Touchpad, I do not want any other mobile OS. There is nothing close to webOS. So if Sprint does not carry the Pre 3, bye bye Sprint. I'll just have to eat however much is left on my 2 yr agreement...
The vast majority of long-term Sprint customers are probably not webOS users.
Even if your "they know the build quality..." statement were true, there would still be another question to be answered; "does Sprint believe that CUSTOMERS believe this?" If this "trusted source" is correct, then the answer is likely "No".
I also have 3 lines & will be leaving if this article is true. It may not make a difference to Sprint, but I know if many stay on Sprint, then Mr Hesse really knows the loyalty lies of all those webOS users were who wrote to him.
then leave and where are you going to go...you are going to get tiered a new one no matter where you go.
Agree with DJ 100%. I've been with Sprint since '01, I have 3 lines. If this is in fact true, I will be migrating over to Verizon with it's much larger coverage and faster 4G. I will pay more but so be it, you get what you pay for. Up to now I've been satisfied with Sprint and all it's deficiencies because the price has been right. No webOS support is one deficiency that I cannot be satisfied with.
If you like WebOS, you'll not have any faster 4G anytime soon at VZ, just higher fees and tiered data. We're not even to the rumor stages for Palm embracing LTE. Heck, we're not even to the rumor stage for a release date on Palm's latest EVDO release on VZ. Can you believe that? People are waiting in desperation for a 3G device that doesn't even have a release date or carrier acknowledgement. It's 2000 freakin' 11!!!
I hope the Pre3 releases with an instructional VHS tape to show off how to use those 2006 radios inside the HP latest greatest.
Sprint actually had some ok adds, it was the original Palm adds (the creapy girl) that were atrocious. Look, Sprint is making a business decision here, they've obviously weighed the risks and know that some of us will stay and some will go. It's not just about lack of sales for the original Pre, which were lacking, but also all the issues with phones breaking, which they had to spend additional money to replace or fix. The other issue is that Sprint is small compared to VZN and ATT, so they are less apt to risk their shelf space on products that have a questionable reputation (or just aren't well known by the general public). They want to give them impression of carrying the hottest, most popular items available, in order to show that VZN and ATT customers have popular items to choose from if they switch.
The whole thing about Android is apparently very subjective one. I love webOS - I used it for 2 years. Yet, I've had no problems switching to Android and feel perfectly functional with an Android phone. There are certainly things that are better and more intuitive about webOS, but there are a lot of benefits to Android that have nothing to do with the hardware. I guess what I've decided is that as much of a fanboy as I was, I realize that modern phone OS's are at a level that you can do more or less the same things on them, and that being repulsed or in love with one vs. the other is... well, maybe fun on one level, but also probably not the most effective use of your time. ;-)
Sprint is going to melt away no matter what webOS fans do. Even since the justly acclaimed Evo arrived, they have continued to lose customers. Verizon, with the highest prices, continues to gain customers. Most people pick networks because of coverage, not price. And Sprints coverage is just not very good.
This actually an underrated opinion. Sprint is heavily dependent on Verizon for roaming and their roaming agreement has gotten worse recently. And with AT&T poised to swallow up T-Mobile, Sprint will fall even farther behind into third place.
I don't particularly wish Sprint ill, they still have better prices than either Verizon or AT&T but it's hard see Sprint surviving as an independent company over the long term. And life under a Verizon/AT&T duopoly will likely be unpleasant.
Agree. I'm rooting for Sprint to survive and thrive, even though I'm switching to Verizon. Competition is good.
my decision is made. i'll be taking my 200 bucks to the sprint store, or more likely best buy, and getting the evo 3d and disregarding the ridic 3d gimmick. great phone + great support. pre3 = great OS - hardware - support (aside from the great devs and community here of course!).
i want simple things like an app from my bank and words with friends... and i want hardware that i lust after lol. maybe the next webOs device will bring me back, but for now... i'll just keep reading precentral faithfully...
I've had the Evo 3D for a couple weeks now and very happy with it. Very functional and I'm not having trouble adjusting to Android. There's so much available for it and I'm not met with constant dissapointments. Still, I wish HP and Palm the best and hope they get webOS back into the limelight and make it a real contender again, since it has lots of potential... As for 3D, I find it actually pretty interesting. May not have the support yet to be incredibly useful, but I'm sure that will change in time.
I've read nasty comments from people in here plenty of times. So in order to avoid that let me preface my question by stating that I am asking because I don't know, not to start an argument. OK?
Why do people want apps for their bank?
There is no app for my bank (US Bank) so I just added the website to my launcher.
What is the difference?
On a tablet using a website is fine. On a phone especially the size of the pre-. It can be problematic. If you are later 30's to early 40's, that text can be mighty hard to read. Usually a decent bank app will show what you need in a pleasant format.
See no reason to flame was an honest question.
Hope that helps.
LOL, Once I went to the wellsfargo mobile site instead of using the wellsfargo app I downloaded on my pre- and noticed they were the EXACT SAME thing. So I agree no difference ^_^ (except you can't count it as an "app" for the OS for banks that don't have an app! :-p )
Just an FYI, I switched from the Pre to the Evo 3D and it is the best phone I have ever used, so fast it is a bit sickening.
Actually, the 3d pictures on those phones are pretty cool. You can also save and send them as 2d and those look pretty good as well. It makes sense to pass on a phone for crappy hardware. No sense because a phone can shoot in 3D.
Dear Sprint, after 11 years its time to say goodbye. Refusing to sell every phone available to you is quite laughable. Is making money not in your business plan? Carriers are failing to adapt to the smartphone revolution. Customer's loyalties to carriers are fading fast, their hard earned dollars are focused on supporting a mobile platform. Your days are numbered & soon you will cease to function as you do now.
They probably looked at the current Palm install base and realized there isn't a lot of money there.
There is a huge difference between "how many current WebOS users" they have, and how many they could potentially have with the Pre 3 if the build quality really is very good and it has proper backing from HP.
Think about it, there have been TV commercials for the Touchpad, and I'd expect for the Pre 3 once it finally launches. Not lame "what the **** was THAT?" type commercials, but good ones that would make people look at the device and at the commercials. So, build quality looks to be good, proper advertising, proper backing. Sprint could EASILY have negotiated an extra $50 off the price that AT&T and Verizon are getting, just to "settle" the poor build quality of the original Pre and make that history.
So, how many WebOS devices will be in use a month or two after the Pre 3 comes out(with the Touchpad adding some extra incentives)? That is the question, not "how many users there CURRENTLY are".
The problem is webOS marketshare peaked back in late 2009/early 2010 and has been declining ever since. So while it's possible for things to turn around, you can't expect companies to simply continue ignoring the current trend.
I believe that this is because it was never sold world-wide & has had app catalog restrictions. It was never offered over here in Australia and most people over here have never heard of it. They have heard of Palm and HP, but not seen any webOS phones. If HP release them here now & actually advertise on our TV stations, then they will gain traction and people will think it is brand new.
Perhaps. But the thing has failed on every carrier in every country where it has been available (and it's not all due to "app catalog restrictions").
Again, it may be possible to make webOS a success, but this does not mean that companies will all turn a blind eye to its current state or its history.
It actually sold quite well here in Germany and even the commercials were OK.
But here it got sold (thanks to the Sprint-Agreement) 6 months later and after the Pre Plus no other phone appeared officially on the market (except of some people buying their Pre 2 for almost 500 € = around $ 700 in the UK-HP shop). What do you expect to happen in such a constellation? Even the iPhone would be a flop if Apple would have stopped providing new iPhones after the iPhone 3G.
Just now HP is really trying to sell their phones again (Veer is officially launched, as is the Touchpad, no commercials so far but I guess there will be some).
That "trend" was established by lack of new high-end hardware since mid 2009. It would be illogical to reject the solution, new high-end hardware, because of the problem.
That's like refusing food because you are extremely hungry.
They are not refusing food, they are simply eating at a different restaurant where [in their mind] they are getting better value.
Your argument would hold water if webOS were the only meal in town. It is not.
Sprint, for whatever reason, has ignored *every* webOS device since the Pre and Pixi. Why do you think this has happened?
I'm guessing HP treats carriers as poorly as they treat users and developers.
The original Pre did launch with at least SOME advertising, as horrible as those ads may have been. Since then, Verizon...they were PUSHING Droid branded devices, and even when people looked at the Pre Plus, the sales people intentionally drove sales to Android.
Then you have AT&T...no advertising, and it was very quietly added to the list of devices sold. The sales people from AT&T also did not try to sell the phone, so of course sales were not very good.
If sales people don't try to sell something and actually push people to buy something else(Droid or iPhone), then of course a device won't sell well.
It did not help that AT&T and Verizon also got a device with the same processor 7+ months after the original device launched, and due to the smaller screen size, if it sits in a display case turned off and the slider closed, it just wouldn't sell.
The Pet Rock sold well back in the 1970s, and it was only a rock...good marketing and HYPE sold it. The WebOS devices with the Plus versions had decent build quality, but were not marketed at all. Apple hypes the iPhone and iPad, Verizon hypes the Droid branded devices, and with advertising by HP(carriers won't advertise a non-exclusive device), there IS a chance. The Touchpad advertisements are good, so lets hope the Pre 3 advertisements are just as good. HP could even hype the "tiny", medium, and large device infrastructure as "a device for everyone".
Now, if they really want to push the Pre 3 vs. slab phones, they could easily show a web page with someone blogging or responding to a post on a web page, and show how with the slide-out keyboard, you can see on the screen what you are responding to, without the on-screen keyboard getting in the way, plus the Touch to Share, notification system, etc.
HP also needs to correct the false impression that there are only 300 apps for the Touchpad, since the vast majority of apps for the Pre/Pixi/Veer will run on the Touchpad.
I will get iphone on sprint this fall. in two more years, if WebOS is still around, I'll take a look at it then. It will take at least that long for webOS to really establish itself if it is going to happen at all.
HP is way behind right now and it's not going to be an easy road back.
Can you stop it with the GlennBeck name already? You are no Glenn Beck!
I don't understand why you hate me? We both fight the fanboys. I thought we were on the same team? I love your posts, There is no need to fight me when we are on the same side to expose and take down fanboys.
LOL @ you 2!
There are some people in the world that are hated, so using the name of one of them will always get you some negative reactions, no matter what you say or how you say it.
If you do actually get the iPhone on Sprint, you have my condolences for willingly buying such a restrictive and uninspired device, but I wish you luck.
He is no Glenn Beck!
"expose and take down fanboys" lol. You're at a website dedicated to all things related to webOS. It's not like you're exposing fanboys that are trolling Android and iOS news sites. This is the best place to be a webOS fanboy :)
if sprint gets and iphone it will destory webos on sprint and maybe spells the death of webos unless samsungs starts making iphony webos devices
Seriously, Sprint is in no position to be picky, especially when they have a partner like HP to work with.
And if they are picky, HP should be the one to bend and make the device more profitable for Sprint (by offering kickbacks or whatever is necessary).
It seems to me Sprint has simply been looking for competitive products and are taking chances when they think it's right. They tried with the Instinct, no so good. The tried with the Pre, not so good. They tried with the EVO brand, better and continuing. They are trying with the dual screen monstrosity; I think it will fail.
People act like Sprint didn't give webOS a fair shot. The Pre had flagship status for a while. It was the consumers that rejected webOS first.
Yeah, that they went with that dual-screen failure but refuse to touch the Pre 3 is beyond me.
While I think that dual-screen mess is a mistake, I can totally understand trying something new instead of "retrying" a product line that has failed you in the past. It takes a while to get over a bad reputation (something the Pre gifted to webOS).
Palm failed them in the past, this is HP they're working with (or not working with) now.
At "Think Beyond" the Pre3 brought groans when it was announced.
And that was BEFORE people knew it would lack modern radios, doc editing, Sprint service, or a release date, more than SIX MONTHS later.
That's what ya get when people were expecting better. Considering how badly the pre- was. We have HPalm doubling down on the same design. Everyone there that day expected a slab phone. To see the same then the lack luster components made people apoplectic.
What incentive would there be for Sprint to carry the Pre 3? There is little business sense at all. In the end, most WebOS fans on Sprint will simply adapt to another platform on Sprint and even those who leave would be less of a loss than carrying another plagued product. Palm would have had to come out with better hardware and many variations to have made it work. HP isn't capable of doing it either. This path is no different than when they were going to rule the digital camera market and then had to pull out in disgrace. HP will lose another 10 percent market share over the next 5 years even on their computers. Retailers and customers now make the decisions. WebOS has been rejected by all but a few.
Didn't make business sense to back the dual-screen failure, but they did it anyway.
And I think most webOS fans here show that, given the chance, they would rather stay on webOS than adapt to another platform. In the end they'll adapt only because they have no other choice.
But they gave webOS a fair shot. The Pre had flagship status guys. "Consumers" rejected it before Sprint did. In fact, Sprint paid the price for giving webOS that shot. It's not much of a stretch to understand why they are giving something else a shot at this point. They [wrongly] believed 2 screens would be better than one.
They passed on the much better Pre Plus, though. And Sprint didn't take all the damage in this. Their six-month exclusivity agreement gave Verizon no choice other than Droid to push, and the rest is history.
Three things:
1. Palm was stupid enough to allow Verizon to brag about the fact that they would be getting the Pre the following January (sort of throws a wrench in the benefits Sprint would get from exclusivity).
2. The problems with the Pre didn't start six months after the device was released, it was immediate. Can you really blame them for taking a pass on "round 2" after taking such a beating in the first round?
3. Not all of the complaints were due to hardware. Many of the software issues still exist on the Plus versions.
I've had Sprint reps tell me, quite simply "Palm is not where it's at". I've had Sprint store managers tell me "The Pre was just bad for business". I've had a store manager ask me "I notice you have a Pre; how much do you *hate* it?"
They took a gamble with webOS, got less sales than they hoped for and way more returns and complaints than they planned for and you're here suggesting they should have taken another gamble on the same product line; selling to the same users that have been beating them up over the Pre.
Did anyone notice they passed on 1st generation W7 as well? They did not want to take a flier on another unpolished OS launch after they felt that the launch of WeBOS really hurt them, so they waited until they were comfortable that W7 was going to be well supported before they jumped on. Yes, they flopped with the Echo, but it shows they are willing to still take chances. But Sprint has learned from their mistakes. If HP shows promise with WeBOS, Sprint will come back.
Besides, with every launch of a premium Droid device, Sprint cuts into the big two and their fan bases a little. They have had close to 6 straight quarters of growth. It is hard to fault them. They are looking at LTE deployment, dumping the Nextel anchor, generally improving their product.
By the way, I am willing to bet Kyrocera will not get much love from Sprint after the Echo flop. Like I said, they seem to learn.
This!
I'd be surprised if they took another gamble on something like an "Echo 2".
he was right, i did die a little inside
Getting the BlackBerry 9900 series. Hopefully that device Does come out for Sprint.
HAHAHA! You're not supposed to go backwards!
The choice isn't hard at all. Sprint has much cheaper plans, and thus has all the power here. And as much as I hate Sprint for this, if I switched my 5-line family plan to Verizon I'd be paying $105 more per-month than I do with Sprint, so switching carriers is out of the question.
I love WebOS but I don't love it enough to fork out $2500 more over two years. Man, this sucks...
go the Sprint Pre 2 route
I agree, Sprint has more power over HP in this situation. No one else even comes close to unlimted text/data/cell/tv/navigation for $70 a month.
Virgin Mobile has something pretty close for $25 a month. I don't know their TV/navigation options, but I'm going to be seriously looking at some of the mid-low end Android phones they offer.
Not saying that I don't understand the costs, but you are all giving them power by not switching to another carrier and showing them that it is webOS that matters. If everyone switched then Sprint might consider offering webOS phones again....so you are all in a catch-22 situation and giving Sprint the power by not switching.
If this had been pre 2007 then h3ll yeah we'd be outta here. It isn't and between the Current DEPRESSION and tight funds. People are voting with their wallets. So more people will bite that bullet and stay with Sprint.
Is it what I want? Ahh NO. Is it what I have to deal with YES!
It's simply not the way the world works. webOS (any OS) is not as important to users as we would like to believe.
A single change in/by a company is almost NEVER enough for them to lose ALL of the consumers affected by said change.
Did Sprint lose all of their high-end smartphone users when they introduced the $10 fee? No.
Did AT&T and Verizon lose all of their data users when they switched to tiered data plans? No.
Did HP lose all of its legacy webOS users when they flat out told them their devices would no longer be supported? No.
In the end, the market (for whatever reason people want to use to justify it) continues to show that webOS does not matter. Until that changes, the notion of "giving them the power" is a bit of an exaggeration.
If Sprint had all the power, they wouldn't be looking straight up at AT&T and Verizon...
Ten years with Sprint. Oh, well...that's enough!
Mommy and Daddy are getting divorced?! =( webOS will have custody of me then...
Too busy laughing to give you much more than a thumbs up. Line of the night.
Thank God you're back. seriously. Felt like the old guard had fully left.
After all these years on Sprint I never cared about what phone I had, but there is something about webOS that made me fall in love with it.
WebOS is my first choice of an OS. I have five lines and three just upgraded to the Evo 3D and one is still using a BB Tour. I'm on a Sprintified Pre 2. However, in the two months I've had it, its still in brand new condition. I'm going to use it until Homebrewers or webOS Internals can not provide OS updates anymore. I will probably keep using it until I accidentally break it and no other alternative is left. The thought of AT&T and Verizon just bugs me out.
Decisions Decisions Decisions!!!!!!!!!
You shouldn't need homebrewers for OS updates though. My Sprint Pre 2 updated from 2.0.1 to 2.1 OTA just fine.
HP can always make 100,000 special run units with Sprints 3g and CDMA frequencies and sell them directly to customers, who can then use them on Sprint.
What Sprint is saying is that they won't subsidize the phones...
But, if enough Sprint users pester HP, ....
Are you gonna pay full retail for the phone? I know I'm not.
Thats why only 100,000 or so.
:)
HP wont work that hard.
It would be working harder than they did for the Veer...
Australians have to pay full price since no carriers offer the device. I say that HP must get on board with an Australian carrier to get known over here & to have a chance with competing with the iPhone and Android phones.
Pretty much everyone except for Americans pay full price. Carriers have all the power in the US.
Unfortunately, HP could do that, and Sprint would then catagorically refuse to activate the phones.
Sprint will not, under any circumstances, activate a phone they have not approved.
Sprint sound as bad as any other carrier then, they sound awful to me, they are obviously not listening to what their customers want. You have all told them that you want the Pre 3, right?
I'd seriously go GSM over CDMA anyway, it's more universal and if you ever travel then you can throw in another SIM card.
They probably are as bad as any other carrier. However, their prices are much, much better, which is where the issue for is for most people.
No carrier will refuse to activate a phone for a customer if it can run on their network - they'd lose business.
I run a Pre+ on T-Mobile. T-Mobile doesnt carry or offer or support WebOS devices, at all, not to mention that I dont get 3G because the Pre+ is ATT's frequencies.
They will NOT support the device, but, they are quite happy to take my money...
Sprint would do exactly the same thing - they wouldnt support it, but, they'd let you run it.
This isn't like gsm. With gsm it's just a matter of switching chips. With CDMA you have to have that carrier activate it for you. That's where it gets sticky. They can and will refuse to put that phone on the network if they feels so. And guess what you don't have a recourse. Short of leaving. Now with LTE that might all change.
Doesn't Sprint still have to approve them though?
Canada's experiencing the same thing with Bell - my faithfulness to the brand is greater than my faithfulness to the carrier - be gentle, Big Red...
In the land of three year contracts, we still have the blessing of HSPA. Unlock your phone and go to whichever carrier is cheapest.
At this rate Rogers is not getting my business at all even if they are exclusive on webOS phones. Not with that stupid GRRF when EVERY CARRIER got rid of SAF.
My Bell plan with the Pre discount isn't bad, but Koodo's new plans look promising.
Phones don't often last 3 years....we may not have webOS in Australia, but at least our contracts are usually only 2 years. My last one was a 1 year iPhone contract.
Yes, but in a lot of cases, not going on 3-year isn't even an option. None of the manufacturers sell unlocked (at least at a reasonable price), and they price it in a way taking out the 1 year or 2 year doesn't make any sense.
e.g. Pre back then was 599.99 retail, 1 year was 549.99 and 2 year was 499.99, and 3 year was 199.99.
You can blame Robbers Wireless for that. They started this entire trend about 8-9 years ago.
My decision is mostly based on what my soon-to-be next employer will support. Right now they seem to support iOS and BlackBerry. So I was probably going to need to jump ship anyway since I'm not a Blackberry fan. This makes me wonder about all those Sprint iPhone rumors...
If my employer will support WebOS, I will certainly switch carriers to stay with it though. Here's hoping.
Franken Pre 3 anyone?
webosinternals says its not possible. comm boards are too different.
I'm pretty sure other than HP there aren't any who will support webOS, at least at this point. Most companies out there are strictly BlackBerry, and only some are opening up to iPhone OS and Android Unless you work for smaller companies who allows any phone.
Yup. What a shame. I think WebOS would be a great platform from an IT/CTO perspective. Oh well.
If you have the choice between iOS and Blackberry, 100% iOS. You would be going backwards with Blackberry.
Oh sooo wrong. You obviously have not used a recent Berry
Recent Berry is just a spec bump over Berries that were selling two or three years ago. And seeing how small App World is, and how little it has grown in the past years, there probably are very little apps to take advantage of the spec bump in recent Berries, and you also get stuck with apps designed to take advantage of an old, backwards interface.
I feel the same way. I've never been a fan of Blackberry, although BB 6 seemed like an improvement. Blackberry always seems so old to me, and Android feels incomplete and thrown together. WebOS was the sweet spot, but I could survive iOS. Although I know I would miss the cards...
Maybe I'll get the iPhone on Sprint this Fall?
Time to SPAM their facebook page/message board/twitter... who's with me? Actually P|C link us in this story.
Yeah, that'll show them! :rolleyes
Have fun stormin the castle!
Storm Sprint's page, again? That's one of the things HP did initially to help piss Sprint off. Three dozen more vigorous whiners isn't gonna change their mind.
I was hearing pro-WebOS talk out of Sprint contacts. Then the PR attack, no more chatter. Hey, have at it. Might be able to at least coax a formal rejection out of Sprint to make people go away.
Bye WebOS - you'll be sorely missed, but financial considerations make it impossible for me to continue with you (I just did the math today for AT&T and Verizon and it would be a huge jump for us, both upfront and ongoing).
A friend had an Epic 4G to sell to me cheap and while it's no WebOS and infuriating in many ways, it'll have to do for a year or two while I hope HPalm pulls off their Hail Mary and drums up enough interest to get Sprint back to the table.
Been a great ride y'all.
(p.s. a hearty parting **** you to both sprint and hpalm for putting me through this)
How about HP launching an unlocked CDMA Pre3?
With CDMA phones, your carrier has to give approval before you can activate them. It's not like GSM phones on AT&T and T-Mobile.
If the ESN on the phone isn't in a valid range for that CDMA carrier, and not in use, there's no way you can activate the phone, and Sprint has had a long-standing policy to not, under any circumstances, activate a phone they have not approved.
CDMA phones have always been unlocked. It's the carriers enforcing a whitelist of phones they sell.
So....... Tell Sprint to stuff it and jump to Verizon for the love of webOS, or tell HP to stuff it, stay on Sprint and switch to Android? Unfortunately for all of us, we're not EVEN a speed bump on the road so neither of them care one bit. Thanks for this GREAT news to start the weekend on. :(
One of the problems now with switching to Verizon or AT&T is that there's no longer any unlimited data plans on either carrier. Sure, you can have your Pre3, but only at a significantly higher monthly cost.
Heh, how convenient that this news comes out the day after Verizon ends unlimited plans...