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While we wait for the subsidized Verizon Palm Pre 2, HP has started offering the commitment free unlocked GSM Pre 2 through their online store. It will set you back a hefty $449, but for now that’s the only way you can get webOS 2.0 goodness in the states.
Anyone taking the jump?
via PreCentral
It comes out tomorrow, but join us today as we unbox the Palm Pre Plus for AT&T. Give us a few days to put it through the paces and expect a full review. If you have any questions, feel free to hit us up in our Palm Pre forums.
The Palm Pre Plus will be available on AT&T this Sunday, priced at $149.99 (with standard 2-year agreement and a $100 debit card). That left us scratching our head as to when it’s partner, the Palm Pixi Plus would be released. These two normally release as a pair, but the Palm Pixi Plus was noticeably missing from the social network announcement. Now comes word from EngadgetMobile, who tells us to expect the Palm Pixi Plus on June 6th. It will be priced at $49.99 after rebate.
We’re just going to say it. $150 out the door with a $100 MIR debit card isn’t going to help their efforts move phones when they have to compete against a $99 iPhone 3G, $199 iPhone 3GS or the forthcoming yet-to-be announced iPhone HD. Not to mention, you can pick up a Verizon Palm Pixi Plus for free and that comes with a free mobile hotspot. Nothing is official yet, but we’ll keep you updated as soon as we hear from Palm, AT&T or their respective Facebook walls.
According to Cellflare News PreCentral, GSM variants of the Palm Pre and Palm Pixi Plus have showed up on Industry Canada’s Certfication and Engineering pages. While we are not familiar with Industry Canada, we’re guessing it’s not different than FCC filings here in the US. Either way, it’s a good sign that GSM models are on their way to our northern neighbors. Could AT&T here in the US be for behind?
Those looking to unlock the GSM Palm Pre from O2 have a not-so-elegant option in the Rebel Simcard II. The accessory retails for £10.99 / $17.95 and slots between the Pre’s SIM slot and the carrier SIM. The unlock offers full access to voice and 3G data. The GSM Palm Pre does not have the radio to support 3G in the US, but this would with EDGE.
via Engadget
We’re just a few weeks away from the O2 launch in Europe and the first reviews are starting to trickle in. For those in the US, the GSM Palm Pre is virtually identical to the CDMA counterpart available on Sprint, albeit the GSM models have a SIM card slot. The GSM version will also run an older version of webOS, but Palm expects to bring parity to all models later this year.
The guys at Slashgear have put together a rather comprehensive review.
“There’s plenty to like about the Palm Pre. It’s a compact, attractive handset that doesn’t allow its relatively small display to get in the way of intuitive gestures and a visually-rich UI.”
Like so many, they are excited about webOS, but do question the limited storage and suggest users test drive the keyboard to determine “how well it suites their finger size”.
Times Online’s review reads more like a comparison of the Palm Pre vs the iPhone. In fact, the reviewer concludes his review stating he’ll be “hanging on to his iPhone”.
“This is the real deal, a worthy competitor for the iPhone. Beautiful, easy to use, yet able to do complex tasks, without mimicking Apple.”
The sticking point(s) for the author seems to be the storage size of the Pre and the lack of a huge App Store.
“But if you want to carry thousands of songs on your phone, the iPhone remains the better choice.”
“Its big failing is the lack of a huge “app” store.”
Apple took over a year to introduce their App Store. While Palm has been slow to add applications, the company is clearly taking steps to make it easier for developers to bring apps to the Pre. The expansion of Pre owners that will naturally occur with the release on O2 and Telefonica will certainly add to the growing list of reasons why developers will choose to create applications for webOS.
For those in the US, the GSM Palm Pre is locked to their respective carriers. We’ll have to wait for a GSM model to land in the US. Anyone looking for an AT&T model? If so, can we give it the much needed boost to 16GB?
A GSM (think AT&T in the US) has been spotted, photographed and videoed in Vietnam. The device shows only 4GB of internal memory and appears to be connecting via EDGE. The CDMA Sprint Palm Pixi will ship before the holidays and feature 8GB. We’re guessing hoping this is an early prototype. In any event, it’s a good sign for those looking for a GSM variant of the Palm Pixi.
[via Engadget]
According to Engadget, Palm has gone on record saying there will be a GSM model of the Palm Pre. The GSM 3G Palm Pre will be available in "other regions", so this most likely means regions where Sprint does not offer service. Given Palm’s relationship with Vodafone, it’s a safe bet they will be the first outside of Sprint to see the Palm Pre.
via Engadget