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Home » Smartphones

It’s not looking so good for the Pre

Posted by Keisha Barwise on January 26, 2009 – 1:23 pm  Share
closeThis post was published 9 months 26 days ago.
It\'s is possible that the information within this article is now out of date or updated.

1-26-09-best-buy-treo-pro2

If the pricing of Palm’s Treo Pro on the Sprint network is any indication, the Palm Pre has no hope of being released at a reasonable price. Engadget has located pricing on Best Buy’s website for $699 off contract.You can get the device in store if you are so inclined, but they are backordered for 1-2 weeks if you want it shipped to you.

The Treo Pro will be available cheaper with contract but it lends to the question, why are smartphones costing the same as laptops? We tolerate the prices to get the devices we want, but are the prices we pay to have  a new device really justifiable? (Also taking into consideration breaking and renewing contracts to get a new device.)

Source Engadget

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Keisha Barwise (9 Posts) - Website | Twitter | Facebook

Former associate editor @ Techie Diva's Guide to Gagdets, and current Moderator at Tablet PC Review. I'm a final year medical student who loves technology. It's a huge part of my life, and i'm always on the search for new & emerging technologies and how we can harvest them to make our lives more efficient. Though i can definitely appreciate the cool factor:)


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  • Msliberty
    It gets worse today:

    "U.S. Patent Office deals Apple an ace against Palm Top
    The shoving match between Apple and Palm just got a new wrinkle: Turns out the U.S. Patent Office has gone ahead and awarded Apple a patent covering its "multitouch" technology, including gestures such as "pinching" and "swiping."

    I, for one, will stand behind Palm for this one. Touch screens have been around for a while, I can't wait to see how lawyers differentiate between swiping, scrolling and tapping and pinching.... Once again, the lawyers get rich. We'll suffer if we lose the Pre.
    Msliberty
  • Keisha Barwise
    @ Ed Hardy i wasn't expecting any company to give you the on contract price twice in such short succession, I wanted to know what the spending scenario would be like if you decided to change phones as a contract customer.
  • @Ed Hardy:

    I think some carriers let you have a grace period with a phone, though. So you might be able to have 14-30 days to ensure you like it.

    With Verizon, I think if you keep the phone a year, you get the subsidized price on your next phone; if you keep it two years, you get the subsidized price plus their New Every 2 discount ($50 or $100 off).

    Steve
  • Keisha, if you just got a phone from Sprint with a big subsidy, you can't turn around and get a second one with a subsidy just a couple of months later. You'll have to wait a year or more before you qualify for your next subsidy. Sprint and its competitors aren't in business to give products away, so choose carefully.
  • Keisha Barwise
    so here's my q, i'm completely out of the loop on contract buying. I normally buy my devices unlocked (b/c of where i live), which means there's some period of time between upgrades.

    But lets say you just got the HTC Touch Pro on contract from Sprint and you now decide that the Pre would be a better device for you....what kind of costs would you be looking at, estimating that the Pre is going to be $200 on contract?
  • The price for the Treo Pro without a contract may be a bit high, but the price with a two-year contract will be $200. That's not a guess; that's the price Sprint was asking when it accidentally posted the Treo Pro on its web site last week.

    My information on the Palm Pre's price is much less reliable, but I'd be surprised if it was higher than $200 with contract.
  • fromamerica
    I agree with all considered, but I would think it depends on the market out there. I would assume that they believe there is a group of people that want what they consider a "windows" experience in a small form factor, ie the Palm Pro. You get the same functions as a laptop, but you can carry it in your pocket. The $700 price seems high compared to a netbook, but you can't put a netbook in your pocket, take pictures with it, use it as a music device, etc.
  • heybhouse
    i think smartphone prices are a joke. it's ridiculous to charge $500-$900 for a phone but as long as we keep buying them, there's no reason for them to bring the price down. it'd be interesting to see what they cost in china to know what is costs to make. probably $20.
  • pricing like this will not sell many phones in this economy. someone needs to knock some heads together.

    maybe palm really won't make it even though they have winning software on their hands.

    seems to me there is some head in the sand denial going on here...
  • msliberty
    I think Palm is shooting down the chance to get back in the game with a high price point. I suggest a very low opening price so word of mouth by users can spread the word. Times are not the same anymore. I'd love to try this phone, but changing providers or obscene price would keep me away. Nice going, Palm.
    Msliberty
  • Keisha Barwise
    reading around, i’m not even sure the Treo Pro is going to be offered with contract…I really think OEM’s charge these prices because we allow them.

    Case in point the HTC Touch HD, a nice device i will admit (screen size & resolution are amazing for browsing)…but $800+ nice i’m not so sure.
  • doogald
    If this is any more than $199 with contract, then it will be obvious that the good old, clueless Palm is still with us.
  • warthog
    I'd LOVE to get my hands on a Pre, but I'd rather keep my hands on $700 clams right now, thank you.....

    $200 maybe. $100-$150 would be my personal price-point right now.....
  • Steve Laser
    Great point Keisha! There are too many good choices to pay $700 for a phone. Even $200 is too high. And while we're at it, let's lower the cost of phone services too!
  • Neil
    @Noah

    Keep in mind the iPhone's $199 is on contract, the Palm Treo Pro Bestbuy is selling is contract free. So the question is what will the Palm Pre cost without a contract (unsubsidized)?
  • Noah Kronemeyer
    If Apple can push the iPhone down to $199, I have no doubt Palm would be so stupid to release their "competition" at a higher price point.
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