webOS Developers get $200 off unlocked Pre 2 122
by Jonathan I Ezor Thu, 18 Nov 2010 1:23 pm EST
Palm has followed up this morning's availability of the unlocked GSM Pre 2 in the U.S. for $449.99 with an even bigger bombshell: webOS developers can receive a $200 coupon to purchase one! According to the Palm Developer Center site:
The Palm Pre 2 is now available, and if you've been wanting to get your hands on one to use as a developer device, HP wants to help. We're excited to announce that developers will be able to purchase an unlocked UMTS Palm Pre 2 smartphone online in the United States at a $200 discount. Just send an email to pdc@palm.com to request a coupon!
What a nice lead-in to Developer Day!
Source: Palm Developer Center
122 Comments
wow that's not cool for the loyal ones with the pre minus
What are you crying about?
It is quite simple. To date HP has done nothing to 'reward' the customers who have loyally stuck with their original Pre handset. If I was a Sprint customer I would be feeling pretty left out at the moment.
What are they supposed to do, give you a free phone? Can you see any other phone manufacturer doing that? Hell no! Apple would laugh in your face. In all seriousness, wtf is HP supposed to do to 'reward' people? And WHY!?!? Oh my God, you might 'have' to go more than 12 or 18 months between getting a brand new cell phone! O' cruel fate! O' hard, hard world!
You want to know what HP has done? They've taken an attitude to homebrew that is above and beyond what other OS's do. They've continued to roll out OS updates to hardware that's well over a year old, something you won't see on any Android device. There was also that nifty 50% off apps sale.
HP put out the Pre2, Sprint doesn't want it, that's not HP's fault, it's Sprint's call. You can't sell unlocked CDMA phones, it doesn't work that way.
They dont have to give a free phone, but i'll take one if offered!!! lol
"Apple would laugh in your face"
They have been laughing all this time... :)
I agree with you completely! If they keep this OS as open as it has been since day 1. Along with the discounts they have been giving on Apps, as far as I am concerned they can take their time on new hardware and deliver when it is ready to be delivered.
I am satisfied.
+ 100%
agreed
I've certainly considered moving on from my original Pre, but to what? iOS or Android? Both bother me for different reasons.
The fact is that WebOS is fucking awesome and I don't want to have to use anything else. And when I think about that I can calm down and be grateful that HP rescued WebOS so it'll see another generation of devices.
Just 1.5 months till CES
I thought about leaving too, BUT there is NOTHING better than webOS, period...
Ignoring the few customers who actually support your platform is never good for business. Ignoring customers outside of the US (such as the nifty sale you mentioned) is bad enough. As I said below people are not asking for handouts but HP needs to do a lot more to support their existing customer base. Selling the Pre 2 for that amount and expecting customers on contracts to pay a premium to go sim-free is hardly ideal. Unfortunately when it comes to Palm 'it could and should have been done better' is the phrase that immediately springs to mind.
ah the sense of entitlement from people. Thank you for speaking up with some common sense
to all who aren't happy and feel like they should receive some reward for being a first time webos user: stop it. Hp and palm are working hard. Your reward will be their next device. If you can't realize that leave because you will never be happy over something as simple as a CELL PHONE. Its just a phone
well atleast you capatlized God while using his name in vain.
Agreed, would have been better if they would have omitted the name all to gether in that context.
Keep your delusions to yourself.
They've rolled out OS updates?!?! Where was I?... and where can I get them!...?!?
You should've gotten a bunch already, that is, if you're not on Telcel...
"They've continued to roll out OS updates to hardware that's well over a year old"....it's the only hardware they have out there, this one year old they countinued to update, there was nothing else to update if not this!!!
HP continues to keep this Palm attitude of being just US centric or 2-3 countries-centric. apparently they don't care of getting to a big market!! some european websites still have the homepage with the palm pre pic saying "coming soon, put ur email to get soon informed when it will arrive"!!! COME ON!!!!
now, they sell a new phone and they keep the same locks of the old one. the os can be open as much as u want, i agree on that. but still, it's so absurd that once u activate a phone in a country u can't do anything to give it full access to another country app market! if u're out of an official country u still end up with no marked, unless u activate it in an official country. and once u lost the full access to the market, u're just out, ur product is half-market access, and even if u move to an official country u're just the same. no other OS has such a stupid limitation, and in case they have something limited geographically, it's not set once and for all, it depends on the country u are living, it changes with ur movements and new sim cards, and there are tricks to solve the limitation in any case.
I expected HP to solve some of these things and to be more active right away in commercializing...but apparently there's still a long way to go.
Oh, and I am a Sprint customer. I have been for 7 years, I had a Centro before my Pre (which I love). I love WebOS. But there is nothing the Pre2 does that would cause me to abandon my current phone, which works great, for it even if it was available on Sprint for ten bucks. Why waste the money when the phone I have right now is great?
I know you were just throwing a random number out there but if it was only for $10 I would buy it and probably swap it out with my current phone. (I think I like the roundness of my original Pre better than the new, but then again I have not touched the new one yet)
Thats only After I find out what webOS internals does with the overclocking :)
I wouldn't, if only because I don't want to use my annual upgrade on it.
Hmmm after i read your post the 2nd time and know now you were meaning using an upgrade... Little more understandable :)
But me personally I have been pretty happy with what I have now. No hardware issues at all...
My God, could you all please stop with the "loyal" and "reward" stuff already? It's getting really old... Do you expect every company to reward you because you buy their products? Hey Coca-Cola, I've been drinking your soda since I was like 3 years old, and I hate Pepsi, so why the crap don't you send me a couple bottles of your drink for free? Thanks.
Amen.
Every company? No.
A struggling company with next to no market share who should be thankful to their loyal customers for keeping them in business? Yes.
People are not asking for handouts. They just want to be given a reasonable chance to continue supporting the platform.
A struggling company was Palm before HP. Now they are far from struggling. Next to no market Share, I would not be surprised if this changes course and they start getting more ground over the next year.
I am sure they are thankful, but they are not here to hold our hands like Mom and Dad use to and give us things for nothing after all they (HP) are here to conduct business. Who can argue with the fact that HP isn't conducting business correctly? No one can, clearly they a large well established company.
Thanks enough is what they have already done.. The have applauded the webOS community, they have given discounts on all apps, they are giving our devs and other devs discounts on new devices, they have left this wonderful OS open for our community to tweek and modify for our enjoyment and benefit.
I just have to ask... How much are you wanting from them? We honestly are and have been spoiled compared to the others.
HP webOS is still struggling and will continue to do so until HP can increase market share. In order to increase market share you need to do two things: (1) retain existing customers, and (2) attract new customers. You simply cannot do that without carrier subsidies and with the expectation that everyone is going to happily go out and buy an expensive sim-free device that is a minor revision of the original Pre. Hopefully things change at CES. At the moment there is little incentive for new customers and the price point is making existing customers think twice as well. Unfortunately the Pre 2 is effectively D.O.A.
As for homebrew support it is the bare minimum HP can do. It would be platform suicide for them to do otherwise as homebrew is the only thing keeping the platform going at present.
The Pre2 is not an HP phone. It's a Palm remnant that was probably released under the banner of "Why not?".
HP doesn't really care about 'right now'. Unlike Palm, they can take a longer term view. They're not going to rush a new phone or leak news just because a very, very small portion of their target user base is anxiety-ridden and feels self-entitled. And they shouldn't. They should take their time, refine the Os, perfect the hardware design ad release only when the product is ready. With news and announcements timed to maximize exposure and hype.
Homebrew is keeping the Pre afloat? Most Pre owners don't homebrew. They bought their phone and they don't tinker with it. The tinkering set is a very small minority. Vocal, yes, but still a minority.
Considering it is a 'why not' upgrade then why price it as they have? HP should know that sans carrier and at that price range it is not going to sell well at all. The Pre 2 is a stopgap phone that will only sell if the price drops and when we know the HP roadmap for the platform. You are not going to get people to pay big money for a sim-free stopgap if they know something better is just around the corner.
Would it not have made better sense, both short and medium term, for HP to turn to the users (including the developers) and effectively say 'thanks for your continued support, we have big plans for the future but in the mean time we have this upgrade to tide you over' then price it competitively to make it appeal to everyone? HP would gain a lot of support from the community instead of the lukewarm, at best, response thus far and they would also have far less devices sitting in a warehouse.
I would wager that the Pre owners who do not homebrew have either already left or are in the process (i.e. waiting on upgrade or device release) of leaving for other platforms. HP webOS market share has been steadily dwindling despite the smartphone market increasing. I would also wager that one of the main reasons for platform loyalty is homebrew and the community aspect of things. Homebrew has been fixing errors, adding missing features, adding much needed applications and helping to 'patch up' the device to make it competitive and last this long. HP webOS is a niche platform as it is with homebrew playing a key role.
How is $450 not a good price for a new, unlocked smartphone? It may have the smaller screen and lower pixel count that many complain about, but besides that the Pre 2 is thoroughly modern device and deserves some respect in terms of pricing.
By Christ but you're stupid.
HP still has to make money. They're a business, not a charity. The price on the unlocked, non-contract GSM Pre2 is not far out of line with other non-contract phones with similar specs here in the US.
Sprint didn't want the phone. ATT doesn't seem to want the phone. Verizon wants it, but will release it when it suits them and fits in their release schedule. No one knows how much it will be on VZW.
You would wager eh? So, in other words, you have absolutely no idea, you're just guessing. I've known 5 WebOS users personally since getting my Pre (including myself). Of those 5, one switched from a Pixi to an Evo. The others still have their Pres, enjoy their Pres and I'm the only one who homebrews. It's a wholly unscientific survey but I'll take it over your completely unimformed guess. Most recent estimates put WebOS users at about 3million. Even if that's been halved since then the few thousand homebrewers would still make up a very small fragment of that population. Even if there were 100,000 Homebrewers, which I would bet there are not, that would still be well under a tenth of webos users.
Please, keep posting, I'm having a quiet day at work and I'm highly amused by your sheer lack of knowledge and common sense.
Resorting to personal insults does you no favours whatsoever.
Put simply smartphone users who opt to go sim-free instead of a contract with a subsidised handset are a very small minority (at least over here). It simply makes no sense to pay ~
Sorry, pal...but ur dead wrong on all accounts. Especially those existing customers that homebrew. It is very large portion of the community. I, and many I know, have never tinked w/ our phones until WebOS, because it is so easy on this platform a monkey can do it. Obviously developing and coding is still a science, but once it is done and distributed publicly (thanx Preware) it's easy as hell.
You said "struggling company" not struggling OS.
As a company they are not struggling.
If you said a "struggling OS" then yes that would be a more accurate.
He's just one of a unique breed of "experts", people who give their opinion and take it as 100% fact, and expect everyone else to agree.
Actually, not really unique, since so many people have shown they want to be "experts" too, but you know what they say, "you're as unique as everyone else."
If his opinion on how to "save" webOS really mattered, he would've been hired already.
What? I'm not stickin' up for anyone, but that made no sense at all.
Please, please, please.... Wake up!
Palm is dead. HP owns WebOS now and there is nothing 'struggling' about HP. They're the proverbial 'masters of their domain'. They've owned Palm for less than 6 months at this point, they have certain things they want done and they will do them before they release new hardware. They can wait another year if they want to and with their branding, marketing and financial muscle still be a colossus in the smartphone industry.
Palm HAD to release an unfinished product. Their existence depended on it. HP does not. HP seems inclined to wait as long as it takes to produce a high quality product and then release it when it's ready, not before that. This is a good thing.
Palm is dead and HP owes you nothing. You bought a Pre +/-, they built it, sold it to you and have supported it longer than many tech firms would. No one owes you anything.
See above.
One other thing... You do know that you CAN'T do an unlocked CDMA phone, right? And that CDMA is all Sprint does? And that Sprint turned down the Pre2? If Sprint users are feeling left out, it's not anything HP can do anything about. Sprint said No so direct your ire and sense of entitlement at Sprint.
You do know that I am not in the US, right? I was using Sprint as an example of day one Pre owners who have been left behind. I am sure Sprint are more than happy to have a few disgruntled HP webOS users if it means they do not need to pay whatever subsidy HP expected for a stopgap device. Would Sprint have really said no if HP made it cost effective for them to supply the Pre 2 stopgap to their customers while waiting on the HP roadmap to be revealed? I'm frankly not surprised that carriers have turned their backs on the platform at present. Regardless of the exact details it has not been managed well at all from a customer perspective. Everyone is in limbo.
Your example is flawed beyond being illogical and you are an idiot.
And you're accusing other people of crying? Dude, go outside and...I don't know, make a call on your cell phone or something.
As I said above it is merely an example. Feel free to use your right hand to count the number of carriers that are carrying the Pre 2 and therefore providing loyal Palm customers with an upgrade route to continue using HP webOS.
The money Palm has generated and will make in the near future is neglible to HP. HP bought webOS to own and control a modern OS to power its products so it wouldn't be controlled by Google or Apple or Microsoft. Doing well in the smartphone market would be a bonus for HP but more of a bet for the future. HP needs time to execute its multipronged strategy. HP cares more about the netbook/laptop market right now than the smartphone market since it has done well in the former for the years and wants a piece of the tablet market that Apple opened up. If the Palmpad does well, that will help webOS phones with more developers. The smartphone is a big growing market but HP knows it will take years to create a sustainable position. Think about the smartphone market from a business perspective- it's hugely volatile and depends on the whims of the consumer. Android surges hugely in 1 year. Rim starts losing its new consumer appeal and falls back to enterprise. Even Apple is starting to lose some ground. Nokia fell off the map. HP doesn't want to go in half-way. It wants to attack on all fronts simultaneously to make a impression. The Pre2 is just a apace-saver (functional but not buzz-worthy) until the new devices come out.
Too bad people often fail to see the bigger picture when all they ask is, "what's in it for me?"
That was well said.
well said... HP can and will wait until they can blow everyones minds with the best platform and powerhouse hardware to support it... When HP gets rollin next year they are going to steam roll the competition.. Hitting the industry with heavy marketing.. Can't wait
Actually, they'd be stupid to wait, what w/ RIM and others ripping off the OS and technology, by the time they come out w/ something, it'll be a failure. Then when they decide to scrap the whole OS all together for lack of sales, then Palm will be dead, and all of us S.O.L.
I don't think we feel we're "owed" anything. Just disappointed in a great product going no where fast.
You got your device because you wanted to. Not to do Palm a favor.
Likewise Palm didn't try to do you any favors by selling you a phone (or rather indirectly via a carrier). They did it for the money you paid them.
Sure - to some degree we get invested in a particular tech - but that's our choice.
I'm sure Palm would love to sell you you many more devices. The more often the better.
But development and certification takes time. And if the carrier is not interested in offering a certain device then that's that.
Ugh... seems to me like you need a little history lesson before you continue rambling on about webOS's imminent death.
Flash back to 2005. A little company named Android Inc. was bought out by Google. This was way before anyone knew what a smartphone was (in the current sense, OK Blackberry was a smartphone, but it doesn't even compare to iOS, Android, and webOS), so I would classify them as having no marketshare. None, because there was no market.
Google took their time with Android. It wasn't until 2007 that people started hearing about smartphones, let alone that Google might be working on one. The Open Handset Alliance, with Google at the head, continued working on Android though 2008, releasing Android phones at the end of '08. By that time, iPhone had been out for almost two years, and was THE market for smartphones.
Through 2009, more and more Android phones came out, and Android started snapping up more and more marketshare. Android proliferates across all carriers with an army of phones, and 2010 sees the rise of Android phones that rival, even exceed, iOS and indeed take away the market dominance held by iOS.
So, what can be learned here? Android was acquired by a tech giant, just like Palm was. Google took their time to make Android a great OS. HP is taking their time with Palm. Fast forward a few years later and Android is the phone everyone wants. We won't have to wait a few years with webOS because it already established itself as a premiere mobile OS, unlike Android at point of acquisition. HP can take its time, but it's not starting from scratch.
Anyway, the main takeaway point is how, in the span of one year (2009-2010), Android came out of nowhere to take the lead in the smartphone market. This is a market that is still very young and growing exponentially. The window is not closed for webOS. Indeed, when HP releases their next generation webOS equipped phone, webOS stands a good chance of explosively growing along the line of Android a year and a half ago.
Just because YOU are dissatisfied with your product as it is now, does not mean HP/Palm are in danger.
One thing you said was wrong. Palm actually made one of if not the first smartphone. The TREO 90 ring a bell?
Otherwise, I agree with most of your comment.
I will say that while PALM is now HP/Palm, I am tired of the "Palm is dead" comments... PalmOS? dead! Palm is now an HP product. Or will be. Anyone ever heard of Walther hand guns? Now owned by Smith and Wesson, but still a viable brand.
Palm made webOS and HP bought it. You don't spend 1.2 Thousand Million dollars just to let it go to waste... unless you're with the gubment. [lol]
Actually, companies will send free product. I remember back in school they would have classes send letters to like Snapple & they would send back free drinks!
Smartphone... Soda... Yeah, completely different things.
Just had a brainstorm...
Customer ask for a reward of a free soda
Company gives free soda to customer
Customer receives free soda
Soda gets opened by customer
Customer reads P|C for webOS updates
Updates says something not liked by Customer
Customer chokes on soda and spits out the mouth
Soda lands on Customers "old" Pre
"Old" Pre no longer works for Customer
Customer wonders why they demanded to be "rewarded"
Point of the story... Don't complain about not being "rewarded" You may not like the ending result after all.
+1000
agreed
no I don't want a free phone! Just some info on whether or not to keep waiting for a WebOS phone if on Sprint! I don't know if I should wait, or just get something else. Cuz for all I know, Nothing may be coming my (Sprints) way!
It comes to this (and I know I say this all the time). Does your phone do everything you need it to? If yes, why are you complaining? If no, then get a phone that does.
For me, the Palm Pre is STILL the best phone on the market for what I want. 1. Open to homebrew development. 2. Graceful, well-designed GUI. 3. Physical keyboard. 4. An assortment of apps that do what I need.
If the Pre isn't the best phone for you, then go get the phone that is. HP isn't going to announce anything before CES.
what is everyone's deal with their sense of entitlement around here, personally I bought a Pre because it was a great device not because I thought in the end Palm would owe me something for being "loyal"
So, become a developer.
Dude use your upgrade for either the epic or evo. I just got the epic recently and wow. Finally a phone than can do everything I want.
Large bricks with hideous GUI's. Oh, plus a premium for 4g which doesn't exist in my are. That's not a 'no', that a 'hell-frakking-no'.
That's what I don't get. People who don't live in 4G areas have to subsidize coverage for people who do? That's BS.
If you care so much about getting a cheap phone for $200, why don't you become a developer and start making apps to actually have the right to get phones for so cheap. Don't ask what Palm can do for you. Ask what you can do for Palm.
'nuff said
All I want is the ability to make a FrankenPre with one of these GSM Pre2's and the radio module out of my Sprint Pre Minus.
Seriously. I complain alot,but that seems like an awesome deal.
congrats to you developers you deserve it
only in america? Shame on you hp
Just register as a dev? Will they actually check or just send an email?
I bet you could do that.
Registering for the Developers Program itself is free, remember:
http://developer.palm.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1...
{Jonathan}
Thanks! Yay, I'm a developer now.
Me too! Feels nice to be a developer. :)
Update: I just read this on the Developer Center page
"....HP reserves the right to qualify purchasers as developers."
They check (they require your dev. id) and while it's free to join, they probably also have certain requirements for accepting and rejecting developer registrations.
It was pretty easy to register. They did require me to log into PayPal for the $0 yearly fee.
What are you guys upset aboutt? Developers are the ones that need to be courted in order to get apps on webOS which in turn bring in more customers but then again, it goes the other way also. Relax til CES, you'll be ok.
I really wish I could purchase this for CDMA. Could it honestly be that hard to make Verizon and Sprint support that?
that would be sweet. I'm still wondering if you can have an unlock cdma phone? Anyone got an answer?
It is honestly hard for a weak carrier (Sprint) to support any mega-smartphone that will compete with another mega-smartphone of the carrier.
The principle is that a group (such as a Corporation) needs to consolidate efforts to compete with other focused, group efforts. Like an independent candidate in a political election--the indy candidate hurts one candidate more than the other often times. The GOP isn't going to run 10 candidates versus Obama in 2012. The GOP is going to spend all the money and goodwill it has on one candidate.
In a feeding-frenzy smartphone market, which involves a 2-year commitment--especially when only a few nerds demand webOS, a company cannot be expected to shoot itself in the foot before marching 1000 miles. The iPhone/Android/webOS market is an election in the free market; the people vote with dollars. Obama of 2008 is a little like the iPhone, Android is a little like John McCain, and webOS a little like Ron Paul.
I love webOS; but, as was demonstrated by the original Pre, webOS does NOT sell itself. The nature of humanity is to blame.
I am interested to know whether this will apply elsewhere or if this is yet another bonus to those in the great United States of America only.
For the record I think it is great that developers get this incentive to continue (or start) webOS development but I hope it applies to all developers and not just a select few.
I ordered one before the coupon was available this morning, but the HP site is already showing it as out of stock.
Indeed if it were CDMA my credit card would be warming up.
I'm just waiting for the headlines at Engadget: "HP Gets Desperate, Heavily Discounts Pre 2"
I see that happening only through whatever carrier that does accept this phone IMO.
It's not bad but really, they should have made it $99 for developers, not $250. Seriously.
you know people always seem to bitch and moan. I'm a pre minus user from get go and I don't feel left out. You guys spew so much negative energy no wonder webOS is behind the pack.
congrats developers you desrve it. Anxiously but positively waiting for awesome hardware coming 2011 to go with the best mobile OS out there. Develop away so we can kick the app catalog into high gear.
LOL. You = fail. webOS is behind due to Palm and carrier inadequacies and shortcomings, not because of the fan base (who in the past promoted the Pre word of mouth better than Palm/carriers) is becoming disillusioned. That's hilarious. Let's blame the consumer for venting on mostly understandable frustration.
Actually, I understand the frustration of a lot of people, Sprint users in particular. These are the people who love WebOS, are seeing terrific hardware they could certainly use popping up all around and still have no clear indication that a WebOS phone will come to their carrier (either by choice or by contract).
I wouldn't be surprised if they've cycled through the various emotions including anger, depression, indifference, etc. And yes, it's all because of a phone. Heck, they wouldn't be spending as much time as they do refreshing precentral.net or going through the forums looking for a sign from Sprint if they didn't feel that invested in a phone.
mmm... I'll start saving, this is really tempting since Telcel hasn't announced anything yet :)
So does the fact that HP isn't also selling a CDMA version prove that Verizon has an exclusivity agreement for the Pre2?
I'd say it proves that CDMA carriers don't allow unlocked phones on their networks, so it would be pointless to sell one.
Bingo.
Ah. Thanks y'all.
This discount is JUST for the purpose of purchasing a product for the purpose to make apps and to benefit HPalm. Devs at least have prepaid SIMs for their testing purposes. This discount is not meant to get a personal phone cheap. Even If they offered unbranded CDMA one in the states, Verizon and Sprint would not activate it anyways so you'd be stuck with MetroPCS so please stop using this dev release as an outlet for some slap in the face for Sprint customers please.
So, I can't put my SIM card in model UMTS?
What about CDMA version for pre-2?
Hey - what about non-US developers!?! :-)
Does anyone know if this GSM is compatible with European networks?
it isnt
There is already an unbranded GSM Pre2 for Europe, just a bit more expensive that the North American one.
Guys, guys, I have the perfect solution. Anyone who wants the discount, just make a developer account, set up a soundboard/e-book app quickly using Ares, submit that to the catalog, and bingo, $200 off.
Easy as pie.
Everyone, head on over to webosroundup for a thorough review of the pre2...
http://www.webosroundup.com/2010/11/palm-pre-2-review/
I was expecting more of the "I wish I didn't have to switch to Android/iPhone/WinMo" that you typically get in the webosroundup articles, but this article was actually a nice read.
So can the Sprint comm board be swapped into into one of these and make it work?
We are hoping! Waiting for news of someone doing this first. Well, I'm already going to order a dev device in hopes.
I'm tired of peple complaing about new hardware! Just face the fact that nothing is coming out until next year! I don't care if sprint doesn't get or want a pre 2. Why would they do that? They are clearly making a statement that they won't settle for less and that they want a better phone.So people should be happy that they are not just going to sell us anything. My phone is overclocked just like many others and 2.0 is coming to all webos devices. I'm happy about that and not to mention flash is coming with it..Now I can save my money for something better. Sprint will get a palm phone next year. Hell if you want to help make that happen go to there page a tell them that you want a future webos device.
And what is about that point of view? :
I don't mind in the moment about new hardware. But as a webOS-user from the first day on I am absolutely angry about the fact that Palm already sells the pre2 with webOS2.0 on it and there is no word, absolutely no word about when the update will be provided. Standard is "coming months" - this is an unbounded cheek.
All this although Palm and everyone knows that webOS 1.4.5 still has several bugs and problems and all users wait for improvement.
And by the way: I wait since one year now (!!!) for an office app with which I would be able to edit excel and word on my pre. webOS2.0 seems to have the solution....but no update...I have to wait while this software is already installed on the pre2.
And all this after I have paid 500,- Euro for this smartphone. A price that premium for a smartphone.
It's nice to see a discount for developers. As a developer that is committed to WebOS I'd love to do some testing on a shiny new Pre 2. The reality is, though, that my Sprint Palm Pre is more than adequate. It's not like I'm testing soundboards either, I'm talking about native OpenGL apps. When something better comes along I'll go there. But until then the fact thay I'm on Sprint is not stopping me from moving forward as a developer.
Side note: Got some great games in the works. Consider them "coming soon"... with no more details than that... :P
+ infinity!
/.
I've been here at precentral for a long time now, recentley I hate even reading comments because all you see is crying complaining comments that have nothing to do with the article even. I can't believe how many spoiled brats seem to be here just to whine and complain. They don't do this, they don't do this, blah blah blah. My goodness. It's a fricking phone! When HP does something well, looky there more complaining bllshttrs who expect to be catered to. Get over it. They could care less if you have a day one pre. It's money talks. So you want new shit, then pay the man and STFU!
Money speaks louder than words. If they were serious, they would've gone out and spent money on a new phone. If they weren't serious, they're just trolls.
i'll be ready for a palm phone next year... starting now every paycheck i make i am putting 20 bucks in an envelope for my new pre 2011 fund.... hopefully by whenever it comes out ill have more than enough
"Thank you for your interest in the HP Palm Developer Device Program. Your request for a discount coupon code has been received and you will hear from us shortly."
Yay!
it's crazy cuz so many people would buy the pre 2 from sprint and all they had to do is add a radio
it's crazy cuz so many people would buy the pre 2 from sprint and all they had to do is add a radio
No, they wouldnt.
The Radio in the Verizon Pre 2's would work flawlessly with Sprint.
Sprint
a) Declined to sell the Pre
b) Will not allow you to use a Verizon Pre 2 on Sprint.
Technically and from a hardware standpoint, it would work fine.
This is nothing to do with Palm, and everything to do with Sprint.
NOTE: This is NOT going to get you a GSM unlocked phone that can use a SIM card. This is an unlocked CDMA phone. :)
These comments are great. lol
Registered dev here... ON SPRINT!!!!!!!
Does this mean at&t won't be getting it in stores?
it's crazy cuz so many people would buy the pre 2 from sprint and all they had to do is add a radio
So now I guess it's fingers crossed for an amazing CES device on a CDMA network.
you either buy it or not. for me 450 bucks is too much for a phone that is not much of an upgrade. im in no hurry and im pretty sure that the price will drop.
i wonder what new apps can be devoloped on the pre2 that coulnd be developed for the pre or plus.
Seems like we have a flame war between two groups of people in the same Palm camp:
Group1- Mostly Sprint customers and Pre early adopters who feel that HP isn't doing anything to retain the installed base of users who were early adopters of the platform and arguably, the largest group of WebOS users.
Group2- Palm supporters (some would say fan boys)who consider group one to be crybabies and recommend the they just shut up and wait to see what HPalm will do with the platform and products to be introduced in the future.
Without resorting to personal insults that serve no useful purpose, I submit that both groups make valid points:
Group1- Anyone who bought an original Pre on Sprint will view the Pre 2 as just a spec bumped phone and it's release overseas first rather than debut on US carriers, as the vendor showing no loyalty to the installed base. Group 1 is justified in feeling slighted, but has to keep in mind that Sprint didn't want the Pre2 (probably in part to it not being a 4G phone) and that Sprint is likely under a non-disclosure agreement to comment on what they know HP will release through them in 2011. Since Sprint customers can't get a Pre2 anyway, it's a mute point and they should indeed wait to see what HP will do for them in 2011. If HPalm doesn't release a Sprint WebOS Super phone in 2011, then there is justification for Sprint customers to feel slighted by Palm for not supporting the biggest installed base of Web OS users. It isn't HPalm's fault that Sprint didn't want the Pre2.
Group2- While you may not agree with the opinions of Group1, your statements and opinions can be taken more seriously if you introduce facts or at a minimum, logic, rather than resort to name calling and insults of people you don't personally know, on an internet forum. There is nothing positive in name calling and insults of opinions that differ from yours. Are we adults here or a bunch of 10 year olds? That being said, group two makes valid points in that Sprint Customers can't get a Pre2 at any price, so a wait and see approach to what Palm releases in 2011 makes sense rather than jumping platforms. We may find that super hardware plus WebOS2.0 and beyond, kills Android, iOS, WP7 and Nokia in functionality and user experience. The fact is that the carriers that HPalm releases their WebOS phones on in the USA and worldwide, will determine who gets one. In the case of T-Mobile (which I'm moving to next year), if T-Mobile doesn't get a WebOS phone then I wont have one when I move to T-Mobile. My particular needs include the ability to go on tour in Europe and be able to use my phone without it crushing my wallet. AT&T can't do that for me but T-Mobile can and that is a fact that no amount of name calling or argument, can change. My needs are less device based than carrier based. I'm not moving to T-Mobile because they have a particular phone I'm lusting after. I'm moving to T-Mobile because the carrier's service offerings and prices, meet my needs more than AT&T. Some folks are willing to move to a new carrier just to get a particular phone. Some people need the features that a particular carrier has over others. Some people can't use a certain carrier due to them being CDMA and not able to use their phones at a decent cost in Europe. So before we bash someone for having an opinion that differs from our own, it might be useful to calm down, take a switch to Decaf (take your meds if you're on medication for some issue you have), take a deep breath, and perhaps try to see the other person's point of view before commenting with a personal attack that serves no useful purpose at all.
It doesn't help HPalm's appearance in the eyes of some, when executives are jumping ship and software vendors are dropping support for the platform, but it is possible that HPalm has made alliances with new software vendors for new apps that will run on the new devices that could be released in 2011 (anyone who knows for sure, isn't talking about it). At the moment, all there is to develop for are the original Pixi (and plus) Pre , Pre Plus, and the Pre 2. Perhaps Pre Central should take a poll of developers who intend to develop for the Pre 2? Also, it might be interesting to see some Pre2 sales figures from HPalm. We know that WP7 sold 40,000 devices on launch day. It might be interesting to see how many HPalm sold on launch day. That would tell us more about how the platform is fairing in the market place with the introduction of the Pre2, than bantering and insulting each other on an internet forum with no concrete facts to show how the platform is actually doing.
Thanks.
One other thing and correct me if I'm wrong about this, but if you take an unlocked Pre2 and activate it in a region, it becomes locked in that region activated on, correct? Doesn't that approach depart from the usual unlocked phone approach of an unlocked phone being able to swap out sims anywhere and be used on any carrier? For someone who never travels to any other region or never moves out of one region and into another, this may never be a problem, but for someone who travels, this would be a nightmare. If this is the case (locked to region activated in), an unlocked phone at any price is a waste of money if it becomes locked to the region activated and there is no app store access there.
Long post, but good. :)
The first place an unlocked phone is activated only has bearing on the app catalog. If you activate a phone in the U.S. with a U.S. sim card, you get the U.S. app catalog, no matter where you take the phone and what other sim cards you put in it.
I'm not sure about, say, using a U.S. sim card in another country first.