What Happened To The Palm Pre?

[greygray]

The Pre was never anything. Just another POS released. I called it well before release.. no one would give half a **** about it and it would disappear faster than the unworthy accolades came. 1/3 of them returned or replaced. Expected sells of 117k per week.. only selling 25k per week. I'd say it's a complete failure.

Oh come on. Please. The Pre is so good, along with its engineers. I mean, look at their return rate! They have got higher return rate than the 3GS! And look, their software engineers have the ability to make the Pre work like an iPod to sync with iTunes! Isn't that good for Palm?

PALM FAILS HERE, especially when they try to leech off others' work.

 

[nehunte]

You do realize that palm has had a smartphone/mobile phone/pdas out long before apple has (other then its ill fated attempt w/ newton).

you cannot say that apple has a headstart in the market, quite the contrary palm owned the market but couldn't develop an OS that was up to the task. They finally gave up and put linux on the device.

He was CLEARLY joking.

1/3 of them returned or replaced.

1/3 of them returned huh? You have no idea what you're talking about. Just shut it.

The Palm Pre is a really cool device. The multi-tasking is a lot of fun and I've never personally had it bog down while running multiple apps. The gestures are very nice and make it easy to navigate, sometimes easier than the iPhone. The keyboard is the worst part about the phone.

So keep this in mind, in less than a year's time the WebOS has over 50 apps while the iPhone had zero in the same time. A phone isn't going to just hit the market and have a million apps just waiting. Come on, let's be serious. Any phone/OS that comes out will have to take time to honestly compete with the iPhone. So when we look at this in that perspective, I really like WebOS and what it has to offer. I've played a little with Android on the HTC Hero and haven't been blown away with it yet. But like it's been said in this thread before, I don't know if it's the software or the hardware. This once again makes me think WebOS will do better as it's only palm devices that use their software.

Look at the Windows Mobile experience. There are some phones that run it great and Windows Mobile may seem like one of the best OS out on the market. Then pick up another device running WM, and you may think it's the worst OS out there.

Finally, the Palm Pre is handy in the kitchen. Let's see the iPhone pull this off:

 

[riotstar42]

i think the pre is a good device, very fluid to use. But when i was playing with one in a phone shop it really slowed down with more then two apps open at the same time.

 

[thetexan]

I love my Pre, I dropped my iPhone 3G to get one on Sprint and I haven't looked back. My biggest beef was more with AT&T's craptastic service as I enjoyed my iPhone experience for the most part.

The Pre is simply Palm's first WebOS device, the Pixie comes out in a month and there are at least four more hardware types in the works. Palm is pulling the RIM method of dealing with phones where they make many different types of hardware powered by one OS. I might pick up the Pixie just because I like the way the hardware looks minus the stupid name.

Also Palm never marketed the Pre as an iPhone killer. They don't need to as both devices can be successful on their own.

 

[Consultant]

All those "press" are just mostly paid advertisement or from the those who regurgitate press releases.

INSTEAD of real customer satisfaction, like that for iPhone.
http://obamapacman.com/2009/10/stud...ction-for-consumer-business-smartphone-users/

I carried a Pre for 2.5 months. Its an awful device. The keyboard is down right unusable, the screen is way to small, the OS lags like crazy, the battery is terrible. The card system was neat, but I would choose an iPhone, Blackberry, or Android device any day over the Pre.

Pre can do things the iPhone can only dream of... Cutting cheese
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qocp-1HvFc8
At least you can cut cheese with the sharp edge of the pre.

 

[FSMBP]

I'm all about bashing the so-called iPhone killers (ex. LG Voyager, BB Storm) however, the Palm Pre is the only one that is in the same league as the iPhone.

If Palm had the advertisting $ as Apple and was on Verizon or AT&T, it would be doing a lot better. It's honestly a solid phone with a great OS.

It's OS, webOS, is a great mix of eye-candy and functionality (aka Apple's formula). I suggest doubters to check review on YouTube. Sure, The Pre doesn't have apps galore (yet), and has its own problems (ex. How iPhone didn't get Cut, Copy, and Paste til June) but if you can't see the potential then you're the next Steve Ballmer.

 

[Goona]

I love my Pre, I dropped my iPhone 3G to get one on Sprint and I haven't looked back. My biggest beef was more with AT&T's craptastic service as I enjoyed my iPhone experience for the most part.

The Pre is simply Palm's first WebOS device, the Pixie comes out in a month and there are at least four more hardware types in the works. Palm is pulling the RIM method of dealing with phones where they make many different types of hardware powered by one OS. I might pick up the Pixie just because I like the way the hardware looks minus the stupid name.

Also Palm never marketed the Pre as an iPhone killer. They don't need to as both devices can be successful on their own.

They never marketed it, are you kidding me. You didn't see those commercials by Sprint taking shots at the iphone or the print ads. What about the Palm investor spewing all the crap on tv about iphone users switching, what about them hacking into itunes. Yeah they never meant it as an iphone killer alright.

 

[brendu]

as a pre user, i will say palm did drop the ball big time with the whole itunes synching fiasco... but do i care. NOPE... i dont use my pre as an ipod, i use my ipod. I wouldnt use my iphone as an ipod either so i dont care about that. someday when apple ends this maddening exclusivity with att i will happily buy an iphone, until then i love my pre...

 

[nateo200]

The Pre's big savior was going to be getting on Verizon in 2010. (And on ATT as well.)

Now it looks like the Androids are getting the press instead.

I have no idea what possessed Palm to do an exclusive with Sprint. Giant mistake. Should've tried to launch on all carriers.

However, it'll be interesting to see how well the Pre sells overseas.

that exclusive contract was stupid...maybe sprint came up with the idea and told palm about it to make the bleeding stop? Also any news on when or if a GSM pre is coming out anytime soon? A gsm version would sell better.

 

[firewood]

Um... because Apple has been in the mobile phone / pda business so much longer than Palm?

Just a little history for people who don't recognize the irony here.

Palm started out in the handheld software business in 1992, shipped 10's of millions of mobile devices starting in 1996, and got into the smartphone business in 2002 (through the same people temporarily away at Handspring), around the same time that Apple killed their smart handheld device group.

PalmGear even once hosted 10's of thousand of PalmOS apps. It was the huge App store a just a very few years ago.

 

[ajohnson253]

I was honestly thinking the same thing about pre. What happened to it? Well I know it's out there but I just haven't heard too much about it. Like all the hype just suddenly died down and the Palm pre became another smartphone in the past.
I do know that if I didn't have the iPhone most likely I'd get the N97 or the pre. The UI is pretty slick. That keyboard is terrible though. Yup N97 it would be.

 

[kdarling]

Also any news on when or if a GSM pre is coming out anytime soon? A gsm version would sell better.

An unlocked GSM Pre version is on sale in Germany, with a German keyboard.

A GSM model is also on sale in the UK and Ireland.

There might be other countries that I haven't heard about.

 

[KnightWRX]

I was honestly thinking the same thing about pre. What happened to it? Well I know it's out there but I just haven't heard too much about it. Like all the hype just suddenly died down and the Palm pre became another smartphone in the past.

You don't watch much TV do you ? I see Pre commercials more than I see iPhone commercials these days.

 

[nateo200]

An unlocked GSM Pre version is on sale in Germany, with a German keyboard.

A GSM model is also on sale in the UK and Ireland.

There might be other countries that I haven't heard about.

Hmm no US release for T-Mobile or something? Interesting...

 

[1Zach1]

The biggest drawback for me with the Pre is the physical format of it, but after playing with one for just a bit at the store I really do enjoy the OS. I can't wait to see what other devices Palm has up their sleeve with the OS.

 

[QCassidy352]

He was CLEARLY joking.

Um yes. Yes I was. I thought nobody could possibly miss that, but...

Just a little history for people who don't recognize the irony here.

Palm started out in the handheld software business in 1992, shipped 10's of millions of mobile devices starting in 1996, and got into the smartphone business in 2002 (through the same people temporarily away at Handspring), around the same time that Apple killed their smart handheld device group.

PalmGear even once hosted 10's of thousand of PalmOS apps. It was the huge App store a just a very few years ago.

I was being facetious. I thought glaringly so, but next time I'll cover my post in winking smilies so there's no mistake.

Also Palm never marketed the Pre as an iPhone killer. They don't need to as both devices can be successful on their own.

uh yeah, they did. They even had ads with pictures of chewed up apples. And Palm's CEO (or other top exec?) said something like not a single 2G iphone owner would still be with apple after their contracts were up and the pre launched.

 

[nateo200]

Originally Posted by firewood
Just a little history for people who don't recognize the irony here.

Palm started out in the handheld software business in 1992, shipped 10's of millions of mobile devices starting in 1996, and got into the smartphone business in 2002 (through the same people temporarily away at Handspring), around the same time that Apple killed their smart handheld device group.

PalmGear even once hosted 10's of thousand of PalmOS apps. It was the huge App store a just a very few years ago.

This is actually not only ironic but embarrasing. It would be like me loosing to a 5 year old in a 800 meter sprint with a head start then trying to redeam myself. Apple being the 5 year old and palm being me...palm needs to get there act together. Why can't other companys figure out that a candybar style touchscreen phone with a great OS is so simple yet so effective?

 

[STEVESKI07]

This is actually not only ironic but embarrasing. It would be like me loosing to a 5 year old in a 800 meter sprint with a head start then trying to redeam myself. Apple being the 5 year old and palm being me...palm needs to get there act together. Why can't other companys figure out that a candybar style touchscreen phone with a great OS is so simple yet so effective?

So it's kind of like when I was a little kid, every computer was a Mac. Shortly after PC's took over and now Mac is trying to come back?

 

[nateo200]

The phone market is easy to divide:

1) Free mobile phone

2) Feature phone/low end smartphone

3) Smartphone/mobile computing

The iPhone is a success because it reached into 2 and 3 to pull customers instead of focusing on competing with existing products.

You will never convince some people to spend the money for a Motorla Droid, Palm Pre, or iPhone. They're just happy receiving a few text messages and making phone calls. The rest of the market is where the iPhone killers will "duke it out".

---

The future of phones is going to be the continued targeting of segments 2 and 3 for more and more mass market mobile phones that border on mobile computers. Prices will fall and more people will purchase a wider array of these devices.

Solid post. Ive noticed this lately. Many of the "Feature phones" as you call them are trying to act like smart phones, though there is a major difference (wifi for one); the OS will never EVER rival that of a full pledged smart phone. Most of the feature phone's out don't even compared to smart phones and never will, there just a free phone with a cooler aesthetic appearance, a full keyboard and loaded with the same craptastic OS as the free phone.

I can see smart phones breaking up into several camps, the iPhone camp, the Android camp, pre camp, RIM camp, etc, with major changes only coming along when one vendor either stagnates (like Palm did with PalmOS), or doesn't handle upgrades well (Microsoft was that way. Too many variations in hardware platforms, OS levels, etc). Apple hasn't stagnated yet, and they have, in the only 2+ years they have sold phones so far, maintained a pretty consistant platform. Would the iPhone have been a success today if you HAD to buy a new iPhone to get App Store access?

That's the thing. When the smart phone industry breaks like this which it will I'm sure most of us on here will want to be on the iPhone wagon, I know I do because we've all seen promising OS's fail and have the company not support it. At least with apple I KNOW they will support there hardware/OS for a long time. I really want to believe Palm and Droid will be a hit but I have many doubts (the latter however seams more plausible) just because there have been many times where a phone has been endorsed and has been nothing...but I would love to be proved wrong I'm in the market for a new phone.

at&t is the iphone killer. I wanted one but refuse to deal with att and their complete rip off pricing. I have 3 pres on sprint with unlimited EVERYTHING and i pay less than one iphone with unlimited everything. I wont say the pre is a better phone than the iphone, the build quality is not as good no way around it. But webos is nicer than the iphone os, just not as many or as complex apps... but for what most users will use a smartphone for the pre does everything the iphone does and costs a lot less... its not going to fade away, and once it hits VZ it will only get bigger and more apps will come...

And then we will all fall in love with the iphone again and live happier ever after....oh wait....Easy with that kind of talk in here because everyone who's been here for a while will counter that argument aggressively with trillions of facts against that are well known amongst the posters here. I really don't want to explain it.

 

[QCassidy352]

And then we will all fall in love with the iphone again and live happier ever after....oh wait....Easy with that kind of talk in here because everyone who's been here for a while will counter that argument aggressively with trillions of facts against that are well known amongst the posters here. I really don't want to explain it.

I think he's saying the pre, not the iphone, will be on VZN. If so: that certainly was the plan, but I'm not sure it's still the plan. I think VZN dropped plans to get the Pre based on its lackluster sales and a desire to focus on other phones, like the droid and the storm 2.

 

[nateo200]

I think he's saying the pre, not the iphone, will be on VZN. If so: that certainly was the plan, but I'm not sure it's still the plan. I think VZN dropped plans to get the Pre based on its lackluster sales and a desire to focus on other phones, like the droid and the storm 2.

Which was stupid because anything Sprint isn't going to sell as well as anything verizon. Anything blackberry is GOING to be boring and while I have hopes set on android it's stupid to put all your bets on two phones that aren't even out....they could have EASILY adopted the pre idk why they didn't, carriers have adopted phones for much lesser reasons.

 

[kdarling]

Not to worry. There was a rumor that Verizon wasn't getting the Pre, but it turned out to be false.

Verizon's still getting the Pre, and possibly the Pixi as well. Same for AT&T.

 

[nateo200]

Not to worry. There was a rumor that Verizon wasn't getting the Pre, but it turned out to be false.

Verizon's still getting the Pre, and possibly the Pixi as well. Same for AT&T.

Really? That's good to hear. The pixi actually looks good somewhat of a quick release after the palm pre though.

 

[DaveF]

So keep this in mind, in less than a year's time the WebOS has over 50 apps while the iPhone had zero in the same time. A phone isn't going to just hit the market and have a million apps just waiting. Come on, let's be serious. Any phone/OS that comes out will have to take time to honestly compete with the iPhone. So when we look at this in that perspective, I really like WebOS and what it has to offer. I've played a little with Android on the HTC Hero and haven't been blown away with it yet. But like it's been said in this thread before, I don't know if it's the software or the hardware. This once again makes me think WebOS will do better as it's only palm devices that use their software.

I used a Palm PDA for the past seven years; my Zire 72 just died. I was hoping the Pre would succeed. But the problem is that this defense, this apology, is irrelevant, meaningless.

Today is all the matters. And today, while Pre is burning up their first year with 50 apps. the iPhone has 50,000. The Pre may need time, but it's not clear they have time. They have to succeed now; they may not have two years to straighten this out.

And as for not having an app store on day one: that's the new ground rules. You either need to match the iPhone one day one, or have the deep, deep pockets to carry you until you do. Google / Verizon have those deep pockets. Palm? Remains to be seen.

 

[nehunte]

I used a Palm PDA for the past seven years; my Zire 72 just died. I was hoping the Pre would succeed. But the problem is that this defense, this apology, is irrelevant, meaningless.

Today is all the matters. And today, while Pre is burning up their first year with 50 apps. the iPhone has 50,000. The Pre may need time, but it's not clear they have time. They have to succeed now; they may not have two years to straighten this out.

And as for not having an app store on day one: that's the new ground rules. You either need to match the iPhone one day one, or have the deep, deep pockets to carry you until you do. Google / Verizon have those deep pockets. Palm? Remains to be seen.

Really, you actually read my post and thought I was making an apology for Palm? That's sad. Real sad.

Second, you are COMPLETELY out of your mind if you think a new OS is going to hit the market with as many apps as the iPhoneOS. By the way, the iPhone has over 85,000 apps.

Imagine this pitch: "Hey there Mr. Developer, I was wondering if you would mind making apps for this cool new OS that I'm developing. I think it's gonna be huge and should sell a ton of phones. If that happens, you'll get rich from all the advertising money." Yup, Mr. Developer is going to spend his hard earned money and time to develop an app for an OS that may do nothing. That doesn't make sense to me. That would explain why every new OS that has hit the market has had little to no apps to start.