We're still not 100 percent clear what Apple's next move is, but we do know they're a little more than nonplussed about Pre's ad hoc iTunes syncing methods. Despite Cupertino's update to its support site last night, Palm seems unconcerned, as relayed by a spokesperson to Digital Daily. In a statement, the company said disabling the sync "will be a direct blow to their users who will be deprived of a seamless synchronization experience" and that "there are other third-party applications we could consider." In other word, it'd be Apple's loss. We're not quite sure we agree there, nor would we really think "stay with the iTunes version that works to sync their music on their Pre" method is really the best suggestion, but hey, we're not the multimillion dollar phone manufacturer here. We anxiously await to see if and when this cold war is turned up a few notches.
Showing posts with label Palm Pre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Palm Pre. Show all posts
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Total cost and feature chart: iPhone 3G S vs. Palm Pre vs. Android G1
Many original iPhone adopters have their contracts ending this summer and many others are simply looking to take the plunge on a new smartphone. There’s never been as many solid choices in smartphone market than there are right now with the new Palm Pre and iPhone 3G S, plus the Google Android G1, the Nokia N97, the BlackBerry Bold, and the BlackBerry Curve 8900.
BillShrink.com, which runs a Web site dedicated to helping consumers save money on their every day bills, has put together an excellent chart (see below) comparing the features and total cost of the iPhone 3G S, Palm Pre, and Google Android G1.
This comparison is based on unlimited data, unlimited voice, and unlimited text messaging. The iPhone comes in as the most costly device at $3800 over two years. The Palm Pre was the cheapest at $2600, with the G1 falling in the middle at $3150.
It should be noted that the Palm Pre really shines because of Sprint’s All-Everything plan, as Sam Diaz recently noted. If you don’t need unlimited voice or texting, but just unlimited data, the wireless costs of the three phones (and the different carriers) are actually pretty close in cost.
IT departments that buy any of these phones in bulk will get better pricing on both hardware and group plans, but this chart is still useful for individuals and small businesses that purchase smartphones at retail.
See Chart Inside...
Click to Enlarge
[Originally Posted at blogs.zdnet.com]
BillShrink.com, which runs a Web site dedicated to helping consumers save money on their every day bills, has put together an excellent chart (see below) comparing the features and total cost of the iPhone 3G S, Palm Pre, and Google Android G1.
This comparison is based on unlimited data, unlimited voice, and unlimited text messaging. The iPhone comes in as the most costly device at $3800 over two years. The Palm Pre was the cheapest at $2600, with the G1 falling in the middle at $3150.
It should be noted that the Palm Pre really shines because of Sprint’s All-Everything plan, as Sam Diaz recently noted. If you don’t need unlimited voice or texting, but just unlimited data, the wireless costs of the three phones (and the different carriers) are actually pretty close in cost.
IT departments that buy any of these phones in bulk will get better pricing on both hardware and group plans, but this chart is still useful for individuals and small businesses that purchase smartphones at retail.
See Chart Inside...
Click to Enlarge
[Originally Posted at blogs.zdnet.com]
My top 5 wish list for the Palm Pre
For a first-generation device, the Palm Pre is quite impressive. Palm has developed a strong operating system in WebOS, beating the competition in certain areas and laying a solid foundation for future devices. However, as with any product, there's always room for improvement.
Earlier this week, I listed five of my favorite things about the Palm Pre and as promised at the end of that post, here are five things that I dislike about the smartphone or would like to see in future updates/devices. Fortunately, some of these issues, as well as others not mentioned here (voice dialing, video recording, Bluetooth tethering), can be resolved through over-the-air updates, but here's my Top 5 wish list based on the smartphone as it is now.
Improved battery life: While the overall reviews (from both tech journalists and Pre owners) have been positive, there's been one universal complaint about the Pre and that's battery life. Palm has already identified a bug with the AIM client that is sucking more power than it should be and has promised a fix for it. There are also ways to optimize the battery life and the smartphone has a user-replaceable battery, so you can always carry an extra with you. However, it's not a completely unlikely scenario that I might be using the device heavily and have no access to an outlet or perhaps forgot an extra battery and inevitably end up with a dead Pre on my hands. Again, an issue that can be dealt with, but from an out-of-the-experience, it's still a drag.
Enhanced contact management: As I said in my post from Tuesday, overall, I really like the Synergy feature of the Pre and how it seamlessly imports all my contacts and calendar appointments from my various accounts. However, as I also pointed out, there needs to be a better way to filter or group contacts. This really became an issue when I synced my Facebook account, since I don't necessarily know every "friend" or keep in constant contact with them, so it'd be nice to assign them to have some sort of filter or easier way to manage them. Universal Search helps when you've got a specific contact, but if you're simply viewing your address book and have to sort through a long list, it can get pretty unwieldy.
Better Universal Search: The Pre's universal search works well, but right now, it's limited to just contacts, applications, the Web, Google Maps, and Twitter. The Palm Pre holds a lot of information, especially with the Synergy function, and its incapability to search e-mails and calendar entries is a bit of a head-scratcher for me.
Soft keyboard: As I've said many times before, a physical keyboard is a must for me (just a personal preference), but that doesn't mean I think a soft keyboard is completely useless. In fact, the Pre needs one. When viewing Web sites in landscape mode, there's no way to enter text into search fields without having to flip the smartphone back to portrait mode and using the physical keyboard. Does it take a huge amount of effort? No, but it's still inconvenient. We had similar issues with the T-Mobile G1, RIM BlackBerry Storm (lacked portrait keyboard), and Apple iPhone (lacked landscape), all of which eventually resolved the problem with updates, and hopefully Palm will do so sooner rather than later.
More memory: This can't be fixed on the current Pre, but hopefully something Palm considers for its future WebOS smartphones. It might be that 8GB of memory is enough for some people, but I would still like the option of an expansion slot. If not that, then higher-capacity devices. I happen to think that the Pre has a pretty decent-sounding media player and a beautiful screen for viewing videos, so I'd like to load up the phone with a bunch of media without having to worry about the remaining storage. Plus, I like what I've seen so far in terms of applications, and as more become available, I imagine I'll download more. Not that apps take up a lot of memory, but still.
Those are my big-ticket items. Now, once again, it's your turn. I've already received a number of e-mails with wish list items and other issues, such as limited Microsoft Exchange support (specifically PIN service and remote wipe), soft ringtones, limited copy/paste, and not being able to forward text messages, but if you've got the same concerns or new ones, share them below.
[Originally Posted at news.cnet.com]
Earlier this week, I listed five of my favorite things about the Palm Pre and as promised at the end of that post, here are five things that I dislike about the smartphone or would like to see in future updates/devices. Fortunately, some of these issues, as well as others not mentioned here (voice dialing, video recording, Bluetooth tethering), can be resolved through over-the-air updates, but here's my Top 5 wish list based on the smartphone as it is now.
Improved battery life: While the overall reviews (from both tech journalists and Pre owners) have been positive, there's been one universal complaint about the Pre and that's battery life. Palm has already identified a bug with the AIM client that is sucking more power than it should be and has promised a fix for it. There are also ways to optimize the battery life and the smartphone has a user-replaceable battery, so you can always carry an extra with you. However, it's not a completely unlikely scenario that I might be using the device heavily and have no access to an outlet or perhaps forgot an extra battery and inevitably end up with a dead Pre on my hands. Again, an issue that can be dealt with, but from an out-of-the-experience, it's still a drag.
Enhanced contact management: As I said in my post from Tuesday, overall, I really like the Synergy feature of the Pre and how it seamlessly imports all my contacts and calendar appointments from my various accounts. However, as I also pointed out, there needs to be a better way to filter or group contacts. This really became an issue when I synced my Facebook account, since I don't necessarily know every "friend" or keep in constant contact with them, so it'd be nice to assign them to have some sort of filter or easier way to manage them. Universal Search helps when you've got a specific contact, but if you're simply viewing your address book and have to sort through a long list, it can get pretty unwieldy.
Better Universal Search: The Pre's universal search works well, but right now, it's limited to just contacts, applications, the Web, Google Maps, and Twitter. The Palm Pre holds a lot of information, especially with the Synergy function, and its incapability to search e-mails and calendar entries is a bit of a head-scratcher for me.
Soft keyboard: As I've said many times before, a physical keyboard is a must for me (just a personal preference), but that doesn't mean I think a soft keyboard is completely useless. In fact, the Pre needs one. When viewing Web sites in landscape mode, there's no way to enter text into search fields without having to flip the smartphone back to portrait mode and using the physical keyboard. Does it take a huge amount of effort? No, but it's still inconvenient. We had similar issues with the T-Mobile G1, RIM BlackBerry Storm (lacked portrait keyboard), and Apple iPhone (lacked landscape), all of which eventually resolved the problem with updates, and hopefully Palm will do so sooner rather than later.
More memory: This can't be fixed on the current Pre, but hopefully something Palm considers for its future WebOS smartphones. It might be that 8GB of memory is enough for some people, but I would still like the option of an expansion slot. If not that, then higher-capacity devices. I happen to think that the Pre has a pretty decent-sounding media player and a beautiful screen for viewing videos, so I'd like to load up the phone with a bunch of media without having to worry about the remaining storage. Plus, I like what I've seen so far in terms of applications, and as more become available, I imagine I'll download more. Not that apps take up a lot of memory, but still.
Those are my big-ticket items. Now, once again, it's your turn. I've already received a number of e-mails with wish list items and other issues, such as limited Microsoft Exchange support (specifically PIN service and remote wipe), soft ringtones, limited copy/paste, and not being able to forward text messages, but if you've got the same concerns or new ones, share them below.
[Originally Posted at news.cnet.com]
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Palm's Pre goes head-to-head with newest iPhone
The smart phone wars have heated up over the past few days with the release of Palm's new Pre and Apple's announcements of a new iPhone, a cheaper price for its existing phone and a new operating system for users of all iPhones.
The Palm Pre, which hit stores on Saturday for $199 after rebate (and a two-year contract with Sprint) is a worthy competitor for Apple. Unlike the iPhone, it has a physical keyboard which, while small, is quite good. The Pre also has a touch-screen that you can use to launch programs, zoom, shrink or move windows and dial the phone, although there's no virtual keyboard for entering text.
One of the things I like best about the Pre is that you can wirelessly synchronize it. Rather than physically connecting it to a PC or Mac to move over contacts and calendar items, you sign into existing accounts through the Sprint network. It works with Google's calendar and Gmail, Yahoo and other Web-based services as well as for businesses with Microsoft Exchange servers. Apple does this through its MobileMe service for a annual fee of $99, but Palm does it for free with a variety of services.
Like the iPhone, the Pre has a media player for video and music and comes with a cable to move files. But rather than write their own synchronization software, Palm encourages users to synch their media files with Apple's free iTunes software. When a Pre is connected, iTunes thinks it's an iPod or iPhone. I'm not sure what Apple's legal department will have to say about that, but if Palm can get away with it, it makes life easier.
I also like the way Palm organizes programs. The device's Web OS operating system is multitasking, so you can run several programs at once. To make the most out of the Pre's small screen, each program runs in a "card," and all the cards become visible when you press the Pre's physical button below the screen. You use your finger to flick from card to card and just touch the card you want to make full-screen.
You can dial the Pre's phone by punching numbers on the on-screen keypad or typing them from the physical keyboard. However, you're more likely to just start typing the name of the person you want to call so the phone can look up and dial the number for you.
I like the Pre a lot but I do have a few complaints. It's a little sluggish, and it's not as user-friendly as the iPhone. I find myself having to think about what to do and occasionally having to type "help" to bring up the cheat sheet. I don't recall any learning curve with the iPhone, aside from getting used to the virtual keyboard, which I'm still not comfortable with.
Both the Pre and iPhone have pros and cons. If you had to buy a smart phone today, the Pre and the iPhone are pretty much neck and neck.
But wait — Apple isn't sitting still. Not only did the company on Monday announce a new iPhone, it also announced free software that'll be released on June 17 to upgrade existing models.
The iPhone 3G S (which I haven't yet tested) is said to be faster than the existing 3G, have much better battery life and come with a 3 megapixel camera that can also record video. It will come with twice the memory for the same price: $199 for 16 GB and $299 for 32 GB, up from 8 and 16. The Palm Pre comes with only 8 GB. Also, Apple announced that the price of its existing 3G phone would be now $99.
Apple says that the phone will load applications faster and take advantage of upcoming planned speed improvements in AT&T's 3G network. Apple also says the new phone will have better battery life — up to 5 hours of 3G talk time or 12 hours if you're on the 2G network.
Based on memory configuration, the iPhone hardware is now less expensive than the Pre, but it might cost you more to use it. Sprint has aggressive pricing, including a $99 "Simply Everything" plan to covers unlimited voice, data and texting. AT&T has a $99 "Nation Unlimited" plan for voice and a mandatory $30 fee for the data plan and an optional $20 plan for unlimited texts.
The new iPhone will be available June 19. Expect long lines at Apple and AT&T stores. The Palm Pre is available now, and retailers are experiencing shortages but no long lines.
[Originally Posted at mercurynews.com]
The Palm Pre, which hit stores on Saturday for $199 after rebate (and a two-year contract with Sprint) is a worthy competitor for Apple. Unlike the iPhone, it has a physical keyboard which, while small, is quite good. The Pre also has a touch-screen that you can use to launch programs, zoom, shrink or move windows and dial the phone, although there's no virtual keyboard for entering text.
One of the things I like best about the Pre is that you can wirelessly synchronize it. Rather than physically connecting it to a PC or Mac to move over contacts and calendar items, you sign into existing accounts through the Sprint network. It works with Google's calendar and Gmail, Yahoo and other Web-based services as well as for businesses with Microsoft Exchange servers. Apple does this through its MobileMe service for a annual fee of $99, but Palm does it for free with a variety of services.
Like the iPhone, the Pre has a media player for video and music and comes with a cable to move files. But rather than write their own synchronization software, Palm encourages users to synch their media files with Apple's free iTunes software. When a Pre is connected, iTunes thinks it's an iPod or iPhone. I'm not sure what Apple's legal department will have to say about that, but if Palm can get away with it, it makes life easier.
I also like the way Palm organizes programs. The device's Web OS operating system is multitasking, so you can run several programs at once. To make the most out of the Pre's small screen, each program runs in a "card," and all the cards become visible when you press the Pre's physical button below the screen. You use your finger to flick from card to card and just touch the card you want to make full-screen.
You can dial the Pre's phone by punching numbers on the on-screen keypad or typing them from the physical keyboard. However, you're more likely to just start typing the name of the person you want to call so the phone can look up and dial the number for you.
I like the Pre a lot but I do have a few complaints. It's a little sluggish, and it's not as user-friendly as the iPhone. I find myself having to think about what to do and occasionally having to type "help" to bring up the cheat sheet. I don't recall any learning curve with the iPhone, aside from getting used to the virtual keyboard, which I'm still not comfortable with.
Both the Pre and iPhone have pros and cons. If you had to buy a smart phone today, the Pre and the iPhone are pretty much neck and neck.
But wait — Apple isn't sitting still. Not only did the company on Monday announce a new iPhone, it also announced free software that'll be released on June 17 to upgrade existing models.
The iPhone 3G S (which I haven't yet tested) is said to be faster than the existing 3G, have much better battery life and come with a 3 megapixel camera that can also record video. It will come with twice the memory for the same price: $199 for 16 GB and $299 for 32 GB, up from 8 and 16. The Palm Pre comes with only 8 GB. Also, Apple announced that the price of its existing 3G phone would be now $99.
Apple says that the phone will load applications faster and take advantage of upcoming planned speed improvements in AT&T's 3G network. Apple also says the new phone will have better battery life — up to 5 hours of 3G talk time or 12 hours if you're on the 2G network.
Based on memory configuration, the iPhone hardware is now less expensive than the Pre, but it might cost you more to use it. Sprint has aggressive pricing, including a $99 "Simply Everything" plan to covers unlimited voice, data and texting. AT&T has a $99 "Nation Unlimited" plan for voice and a mandatory $30 fee for the data plan and an optional $20 plan for unlimited texts.
The new iPhone will be available June 19. Expect long lines at Apple and AT&T stores. The Palm Pre is available now, and retailers are experiencing shortages but no long lines.
[Originally Posted at mercurynews.com]
Five of my favorite things about the Palm Pre
On Monday, I asked readers to tell me about their experience with the Palm Pre, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Not surprisingly, the Palm WebOS received most of the accolades for its multitasking abilities and integration of contacts and calendars from various accounts. Others mentioned good call quality, fast performance, and sleek user interface, and the list goes on.
It's been almost a week since I've been using the Pre and some of the newness has worn off. Yet, there are still times where I say "wow" and see where the smartphone stands out from the crowd, so I've rounded up five of my favorite things about the Pre. These are features that I personally find the most useful. Obviously, everyone has different uses and needs for their smartphone, so I'll be asking you to share your list at the end of the post but for now, here's my top five.
Multitasking: This is an obvious one, but really, how can you not mention the multitasking abilities of the Pre? While there are ways to switch between apps on other devices, such as Windows Mobile and Google Android smartphones, it's not as sophisticated or as easy as the Pre. Having programs running in the background while working in another and being able to easily switch between them is huge and the Pre's killer feature. It just comes down to a better user experience and smarter device management.
Synergy: In one of my previous blogs, one reader commented about how the name Synergy is complete marketing speak. Agreed (and it's one word that makes me particularly cringe when used in the corporate world), but damn if I don't love this feature. I always thought of myself as an organized person, but turns out, I'm not really. Over the years, I've created numerous e-mail accounts so I have contacts all over the place. The Pre helps me bring them all together in a couple of easy steps, gets rid of duplicates, and imports contacts photos.
I understand there are some who don't want this type of mass integration (I ran into this problem myself when syncing my Facebook contacts), and I think Palm needs to find a better way to filter or "unlink" contacts, but overall, I found more value in this feature than not. Plus, I think Synergy is most useful in calendar synchronization. I don't put personal appointments in my Outlook calendar so having my Google and Outlook calendars merged into one and color-coded by account has been wonderful.
Camera: Despite the lack of editing options and video recording, the Pre's 3-megapixel camera is really impressive. I've tested numerous camera phones with 3.2-megapixel cameras or higher and have been disappointed by the image quality. Either the colors are washed out or there's some orange hue or hazy effect that softens the sharpness. However, I have none of those complaints with the Pre. Images were sharp and colors were vibrant; plus there's very little shutter lag.
Taken with the Palm Pre
Web browser: I don't own an iPhone, and until Apple adds a physical keyboard, I will never own an iPhone. That said, I'd be lying if I said I haven't been envious of the Safari browser. The easy navigation and page management and the benefits of the multitouch screen made the iPhone stand apart from the competition, but guess what? The Palm Pre's browser does that now too. You lose a bit in screen size, but I experienced better browsing speeds on Sprint's 3G network than AT&T's and I'll take that over a few tenths of an inch anytime.
GPS: I don't drive much during the week, but on weekends, I like to head out of town. Lately, I've had to travel to some unfamiliar places for various events and whatnot, so the Pre's GPS capabilities and Sprint Navigation have really come in handy. I was impressed by its speed and accuracy, and I also like how the location services are integrated into some of the applications, such as Citysearch and Fandango. The fact that real-time turn-by-turn navigation is native to the Pre and the use of Sprint Navigation is included in the data plan is a bonus.
So those are just a few of my favorite things. What are yours? Also, in the next couple of days, I'll write about five things I dislike about the Pre, or features I would like to see pushed out in an update or in future Palm WebOS devices. So think about your list for that as well.
[Originally Posted at news.cnet.com]
It's been almost a week since I've been using the Pre and some of the newness has worn off. Yet, there are still times where I say "wow" and see where the smartphone stands out from the crowd, so I've rounded up five of my favorite things about the Pre. These are features that I personally find the most useful. Obviously, everyone has different uses and needs for their smartphone, so I'll be asking you to share your list at the end of the post but for now, here's my top five.
Multitasking: This is an obvious one, but really, how can you not mention the multitasking abilities of the Pre? While there are ways to switch between apps on other devices, such as Windows Mobile and Google Android smartphones, it's not as sophisticated or as easy as the Pre. Having programs running in the background while working in another and being able to easily switch between them is huge and the Pre's killer feature. It just comes down to a better user experience and smarter device management.
Synergy: In one of my previous blogs, one reader commented about how the name Synergy is complete marketing speak. Agreed (and it's one word that makes me particularly cringe when used in the corporate world), but damn if I don't love this feature. I always thought of myself as an organized person, but turns out, I'm not really. Over the years, I've created numerous e-mail accounts so I have contacts all over the place. The Pre helps me bring them all together in a couple of easy steps, gets rid of duplicates, and imports contacts photos.
I understand there are some who don't want this type of mass integration (I ran into this problem myself when syncing my Facebook contacts), and I think Palm needs to find a better way to filter or "unlink" contacts, but overall, I found more value in this feature than not. Plus, I think Synergy is most useful in calendar synchronization. I don't put personal appointments in my Outlook calendar so having my Google and Outlook calendars merged into one and color-coded by account has been wonderful.
Camera: Despite the lack of editing options and video recording, the Pre's 3-megapixel camera is really impressive. I've tested numerous camera phones with 3.2-megapixel cameras or higher and have been disappointed by the image quality. Either the colors are washed out or there's some orange hue or hazy effect that softens the sharpness. However, I have none of those complaints with the Pre. Images were sharp and colors were vibrant; plus there's very little shutter lag.
Taken with the Palm Pre
Web browser: I don't own an iPhone, and until Apple adds a physical keyboard, I will never own an iPhone. That said, I'd be lying if I said I haven't been envious of the Safari browser. The easy navigation and page management and the benefits of the multitouch screen made the iPhone stand apart from the competition, but guess what? The Palm Pre's browser does that now too. You lose a bit in screen size, but I experienced better browsing speeds on Sprint's 3G network than AT&T's and I'll take that over a few tenths of an inch anytime.
GPS: I don't drive much during the week, but on weekends, I like to head out of town. Lately, I've had to travel to some unfamiliar places for various events and whatnot, so the Pre's GPS capabilities and Sprint Navigation have really come in handy. I was impressed by its speed and accuracy, and I also like how the location services are integrated into some of the applications, such as Citysearch and Fandango. The fact that real-time turn-by-turn navigation is native to the Pre and the use of Sprint Navigation is included in the data plan is a bonus.
So those are just a few of my favorite things. What are yours? Also, in the next couple of days, I'll write about five things I dislike about the Pre, or features I would like to see pushed out in an update or in future Palm WebOS devices. So think about your list for that as well.
[Originally Posted at news.cnet.com]
Sprint achieves weekend record sales of the Palm Pre
The most awaited smartphone received a humungous response within hours after its release in the market. Sprint introduced the Simply Everything plan with the Pre, enabling users to save $1200 as compared to AT&T’s plan and save even more as against Verizon’s smartphone and PDA.
Pre brought about an important breakthrough for Sprint by redefining wireless crossover devices. The device is designed for business and consumers and is offered by Sprint’s Now Network. Pre makes most out of Sprint’s 3G network by providing faster and more reliable downloads.
Dan Hesse, president and chief executive officer remarks, “Sprint is a very different company than it was 12 months ago. Palm Pre is the coming out party for the new Sprint. It is the perfect device that highlights all of the positive changes in our company, including our revolutionary Ready Now retail store experience, greatly improved customer care, unmatched value pricing plans and America’s most dependable 3G network.”
Pre is apparently exceptional in delivering wireless services. Geared with multitouch functionalities, support for collection of contacts and calendars being organized in one place, it claims to be a must have for any multi tasker. Moreover it has a handy keyboard and is supported by the latest operating system, webOS. With this system users can open many applications at once similar to a PC.
The Ready Now capability is the latest feature of Sprint provided an impetus to the sales of the Pre. This feature is designed so that the Sprint retail stores connect with consumers and provide them with services that personalize their phones.
The Pre launch provided a platform to move ahead with Sprint’s perception of positive customer experience. Call resolution and customer satisfaction on the whole with Sprint’s customer care experience has enhanced for 15 consecutive months. The Pre launch epitomizes the improvements that have take occurred at Sprint which was represented by customers’ happiness with the product.
Sprint is now gearing up to make ways for Pre to reach the far and wide markets as fast it can.
[Originally Posted at mobiletor.com]
Pre brought about an important breakthrough for Sprint by redefining wireless crossover devices. The device is designed for business and consumers and is offered by Sprint’s Now Network. Pre makes most out of Sprint’s 3G network by providing faster and more reliable downloads.
Dan Hesse, president and chief executive officer remarks, “Sprint is a very different company than it was 12 months ago. Palm Pre is the coming out party for the new Sprint. It is the perfect device that highlights all of the positive changes in our company, including our revolutionary Ready Now retail store experience, greatly improved customer care, unmatched value pricing plans and America’s most dependable 3G network.”
Pre is apparently exceptional in delivering wireless services. Geared with multitouch functionalities, support for collection of contacts and calendars being organized in one place, it claims to be a must have for any multi tasker. Moreover it has a handy keyboard and is supported by the latest operating system, webOS. With this system users can open many applications at once similar to a PC.
The Ready Now capability is the latest feature of Sprint provided an impetus to the sales of the Pre. This feature is designed so that the Sprint retail stores connect with consumers and provide them with services that personalize their phones.
The Pre launch provided a platform to move ahead with Sprint’s perception of positive customer experience. Call resolution and customer satisfaction on the whole with Sprint’s customer care experience has enhanced for 15 consecutive months. The Pre launch epitomizes the improvements that have take occurred at Sprint which was represented by customers’ happiness with the product.
Sprint is now gearing up to make ways for Pre to reach the far and wide markets as fast it can.
[Originally Posted at mobiletor.com]
Monday, June 8, 2009
Sprint Says Palm Pre is Exclusive to Sprint for Longer Than 6 Months
At the Palm Pre launch event in New York on Friday, CNET editor Maggie Reardon interviewed Sprint CEO Dan Hesse, who explained that the Palm Pre is exclusive to Sprint for longer than the six months recently reported. Hesse also talked about what Sprint thinks makes the Pre a unique product and answered the question of whether Sprint will ever get the iPhone.
[Originally Posted at prethinking.com]
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Sprint CEO:We're A Different Company From 12 Months Ago
Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) is a "very, very different" company from a year ago, according to Chief Executive Dan Hesse.
While the Overland Park, Kan., wireless carrier continues to improve its customer service, Hesse acknowledged at a conference on Friday that there remains a gap between perception and reality.
Hesse noted that customer care resolution has improved for 15 straight months. Existing customers talk about the better experience, although people who haven't been on Sprint's network for a while continue to have a negative view of the company.
Hesse was speaking at a conference ahead of the launch of the Palm Inc. (PALM) Pre on Saturday. The device is touted as the toughest competitor to Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) iPhone. But one of the knocks on the Pre has been whether Sprint's reputation may affect sales.
Tim Donahue, a marketing executive for Sprint, said he believes the "positive momentum" at the company will offset any customer service concerns. The company has eliminated 60% to 70% of the negative perception, he said.
Hesse was adamant in touting the company's improvement, citing its "Most Dependable" claim three times during his speech.
The event was held to discuss the Pre's fit in the business world. Hesse said the Pre has been the only device that he has used in the past six weeks.
One of the early criticisms of the Pre has been the lack of applications. Dave Whalen, senior vice president of global sales for Palm, said he was aware of the issue, and noted that older Palm applications would work on the device through its "Classic" program.
Sprint executives expect "thousands" of programs to become available. The carrier's open network and ease of the WebOS operating system will mean a short development time for programs, Donahue said.
Sprint's stock has also outperformed the Standard & Poor's 500 index, he said.
Looking ahead, Hesse said he expects to have four markets with 4G WiMax technology, and 10 markets by the end of the year.
[Originally Posted at money.cnn.com]
While the Overland Park, Kan., wireless carrier continues to improve its customer service, Hesse acknowledged at a conference on Friday that there remains a gap between perception and reality.
Hesse noted that customer care resolution has improved for 15 straight months. Existing customers talk about the better experience, although people who haven't been on Sprint's network for a while continue to have a negative view of the company.
Hesse was speaking at a conference ahead of the launch of the Palm Inc. (PALM) Pre on Saturday. The device is touted as the toughest competitor to Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) iPhone. But one of the knocks on the Pre has been whether Sprint's reputation may affect sales.
Tim Donahue, a marketing executive for Sprint, said he believes the "positive momentum" at the company will offset any customer service concerns. The company has eliminated 60% to 70% of the negative perception, he said.
Hesse was adamant in touting the company's improvement, citing its "Most Dependable" claim three times during his speech.
The event was held to discuss the Pre's fit in the business world. Hesse said the Pre has been the only device that he has used in the past six weeks.
One of the early criticisms of the Pre has been the lack of applications. Dave Whalen, senior vice president of global sales for Palm, said he was aware of the issue, and noted that older Palm applications would work on the device through its "Classic" program.
Sprint executives expect "thousands" of programs to become available. The carrier's open network and ease of the WebOS operating system will mean a short development time for programs, Donahue said.
Sprint's stock has also outperformed the Standard & Poor's 500 index, he said.
Looking ahead, Hesse said he expects to have four markets with 4G WiMax technology, and 10 markets by the end of the year.
[Originally Posted at money.cnn.com]
Friday, June 5, 2009
Palm’s Pre Already Wins the Wallet Wars
When it comes to choosing a smartphone, there’s one feature in particular that can trump all others: Cost.
According to BillShrink, a start-up which offers free analysis of consumers’ cellphone bills and recommends cheaper plans based on calling patterns, that’s where the Palm Pre could have a leg up on the competition.
The company calculated the monthly bills for the Palm Pre (Sprint), iPhone 3G (AT&T), the Android-powered G1 (T-Mobile) and the BlackBerry Storm (Verizon).
Of the four, the Palm Pre incurred the lowest monthly cost. Assuming the handsets were operating under two-year contracts with unlimited data and voice plans, the Palm Pre cost just $100 each month. The G1 trailed the Pre with a monthly usage bill of $135 per month, but the BlackBerry Storm and iPhone were the biggest drains on the bank account, with each plan costing $150 per month.
In addition, BillShrink has set up a dedicated Web page to allow the Pre-curious to compare Sprint’s plan to AT&T’s for the iPhone.
The site asks users to type in usage habits — such as number of text messages sent each month and voice minutes used each month — before spitting out an estimation of cost savings. My own calculation came out to a savings of $30 per month, or close to the equivalent of my electric bill.
It remains to be seen whether the Pre is worth the hassles of swapping handsets, carriers and losing my current high score on Flight Control (78!), but it certainly raises an interesting question: In a down economy, how much does monthly cost factor in the decision-making of smartphone owners?
[Originally posted at gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com]
According to BillShrink, a start-up which offers free analysis of consumers’ cellphone bills and recommends cheaper plans based on calling patterns, that’s where the Palm Pre could have a leg up on the competition.
The company calculated the monthly bills for the Palm Pre (Sprint), iPhone 3G (AT&T), the Android-powered G1 (T-Mobile) and the BlackBerry Storm (Verizon).
Of the four, the Palm Pre incurred the lowest monthly cost. Assuming the handsets were operating under two-year contracts with unlimited data and voice plans, the Palm Pre cost just $100 each month. The G1 trailed the Pre with a monthly usage bill of $135 per month, but the BlackBerry Storm and iPhone were the biggest drains on the bank account, with each plan costing $150 per month.
In addition, BillShrink has set up a dedicated Web page to allow the Pre-curious to compare Sprint’s plan to AT&T’s for the iPhone.
The site asks users to type in usage habits — such as number of text messages sent each month and voice minutes used each month — before spitting out an estimation of cost savings. My own calculation came out to a savings of $30 per month, or close to the equivalent of my electric bill.
It remains to be seen whether the Pre is worth the hassles of swapping handsets, carriers and losing my current high score on Flight Control (78!), but it certainly raises an interesting question: In a down economy, how much does monthly cost factor in the decision-making of smartphone owners?
[Originally posted at gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com]
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Dueling opinions: five reasons why the Pre will succeed, or was that fail?
Pre week is here, so that means its time for all the tech pundits to strap on their thinking caps can come up with provocative things to write about the Palm Pre. There are two camps that these writers can jump into that will be sure to rile the masses: the Pre will succeed and prove a worthy challenge to Apple and RIM, or the Pre will fail and Palm will see its last days. Over at ZDNet they’re expecting a homerun, and PC World doesn’t anticipate much success for Palm.
We’ll try our best to play the reasonable devil’s advocate along the way, and we’ll start with the bad: PC World. To boil it down, their five points are as follow...
5. Despite successes of the past, Palm of today is not the same Palm that brought us the Palm Pilot or even the Treo. PC World says, “Palm is effectively, a start-up.” Things can go wrong, despite all the fresh blood. Of course, the fresh blood is what has brought us a device as revolutionary as the Pre (and it was fresh blood that brought us the Palm Pilot and the Treo), so despite the missteps that fresh blood can bring, it was needed.
4. Users today won’t think much of multi-tasking on their phones. While everybody but the iPhone supports multi-tasking, without having been able to truly leverage its full capabilities people just won’t be able to fully comprehend what to do with it. This assumes that users are not smart enough to fully leverage the capabilities of webOS, and with how dead simple Palm has made it, it’s hard do believe that would be the case.
3. On a similar note to #5, the new blood in Palm does not have the same experience with developers that Old Palm or even Apple today has. Without a strong developer base there won’t be enough applications to justify getting the Pre over something like an iPhone of Blackberry.
2. In a stretch, the slide-out keyboard was a bad call. Apparently people don’t want a compact device with the best of both the iPhone and BlackBerry/Treo hardware worlds. Whodathunk?
1. The biggest and most relevant point of all: Palm just doesn’t have the cash to compete. The assumption is that even if Palm makes all the Pre phones they possibly can, but still can’t meet demand (that’s bad?) and can’t capture market share to gain third-party developers.
So, that’s PC World’s take. Ready for ZDNet’s positive spin?
5. Palm has experience building the ecosystem of software. Much more so than any other mobile platform, Palm has worked with third-party developers until the cows came home. Only problem is, we’re working with a whole new platform right now and the SDK hasn’t even been made public.
4. The Pre is not the iPhone, and carriers like that. We all know that AT&T has (at least for now) the exclusive in the states on the iPhone, and everybody else is looking for a phone to compete. Moreso than any phone in the last two years, the Pre has been hailed by the media as that phone, and Sprint is pleased as punch to be the exclusive launch partner. So excited is the mobile industry by the Pre that even Verizon (despite the BlackBerry Storm) and AT&T (despite the iPhone) both want the Pre and other webOS devices on their networks.
3. webOS development is easy as pie, and developers like pie. With the SDK application development environment centered around HTML, JavaScript, and CSS, developing for the Pre will not only be easy, but it will be easy for the tens of thousands of experience web developers already out there. Unlike the iPhone (Objective C) and Android (Java), very little specialized experience will be needed to develop a lean and powerful application. There are, of course, two problems. The first is that there’s only so much you can do with HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. Developers are going to want deeper native access so they can code more powerful applications. Second is the limited deployment of the Mojo SDK. Eventually it will go public, but for now only approved developers are getting it, which means there will be fewer applications in the App Catalog.
2. Standing in stark contrast to PC World’s #2, ZDNet thinks that the combination slide-out QWERTY keypad and the full touchscreen is 100% win. The full screen is great for reading and web browsing, whereas the physical keyboard is great for entering text with ease. While the sliding design is a compromise between the two, all compromises come with parts that people are bound to not like: it makes the device thicker and generally results in a smaller screen and keyboard (or a relatively large device, like the G1).
1. Multi-tasking. Sure, all of the Pre’s competitors (iPhone excluded) support multi-tasking out of the box, but none have found so elegant a solution to managing multiple applications. The cards metaphor utilized so effectively by webOS combined with the unobtrusive notifications are so reminiscent of desktop applications that users will feel right at home.
There you have it, five points against and five points for the Palm Pre. Give it a few months and we’ll have an idea of which side was right. But you know who we’re pulling for.
[Originally posted at precentral.net]
We’ll try our best to play the reasonable devil’s advocate along the way, and we’ll start with the bad: PC World. To boil it down, their five points are as follow...
5. Despite successes of the past, Palm of today is not the same Palm that brought us the Palm Pilot or even the Treo. PC World says, “Palm is effectively, a start-up.” Things can go wrong, despite all the fresh blood. Of course, the fresh blood is what has brought us a device as revolutionary as the Pre (and it was fresh blood that brought us the Palm Pilot and the Treo), so despite the missteps that fresh blood can bring, it was needed.
4. Users today won’t think much of multi-tasking on their phones. While everybody but the iPhone supports multi-tasking, without having been able to truly leverage its full capabilities people just won’t be able to fully comprehend what to do with it. This assumes that users are not smart enough to fully leverage the capabilities of webOS, and with how dead simple Palm has made it, it’s hard do believe that would be the case.
3. On a similar note to #5, the new blood in Palm does not have the same experience with developers that Old Palm or even Apple today has. Without a strong developer base there won’t be enough applications to justify getting the Pre over something like an iPhone of Blackberry.
2. In a stretch, the slide-out keyboard was a bad call. Apparently people don’t want a compact device with the best of both the iPhone and BlackBerry/Treo hardware worlds. Whodathunk?
1. The biggest and most relevant point of all: Palm just doesn’t have the cash to compete. The assumption is that even if Palm makes all the Pre phones they possibly can, but still can’t meet demand (that’s bad?) and can’t capture market share to gain third-party developers.
So, that’s PC World’s take. Ready for ZDNet’s positive spin?
5. Palm has experience building the ecosystem of software. Much more so than any other mobile platform, Palm has worked with third-party developers until the cows came home. Only problem is, we’re working with a whole new platform right now and the SDK hasn’t even been made public.
4. The Pre is not the iPhone, and carriers like that. We all know that AT&T has (at least for now) the exclusive in the states on the iPhone, and everybody else is looking for a phone to compete. Moreso than any phone in the last two years, the Pre has been hailed by the media as that phone, and Sprint is pleased as punch to be the exclusive launch partner. So excited is the mobile industry by the Pre that even Verizon (despite the BlackBerry Storm) and AT&T (despite the iPhone) both want the Pre and other webOS devices on their networks.
3. webOS development is easy as pie, and developers like pie. With the SDK application development environment centered around HTML, JavaScript, and CSS, developing for the Pre will not only be easy, but it will be easy for the tens of thousands of experience web developers already out there. Unlike the iPhone (Objective C) and Android (Java), very little specialized experience will be needed to develop a lean and powerful application. There are, of course, two problems. The first is that there’s only so much you can do with HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. Developers are going to want deeper native access so they can code more powerful applications. Second is the limited deployment of the Mojo SDK. Eventually it will go public, but for now only approved developers are getting it, which means there will be fewer applications in the App Catalog.
2. Standing in stark contrast to PC World’s #2, ZDNet thinks that the combination slide-out QWERTY keypad and the full touchscreen is 100% win. The full screen is great for reading and web browsing, whereas the physical keyboard is great for entering text with ease. While the sliding design is a compromise between the two, all compromises come with parts that people are bound to not like: it makes the device thicker and generally results in a smaller screen and keyboard (or a relatively large device, like the G1).
1. Multi-tasking. Sure, all of the Pre’s competitors (iPhone excluded) support multi-tasking out of the box, but none have found so elegant a solution to managing multiple applications. The cards metaphor utilized so effectively by webOS combined with the unobtrusive notifications are so reminiscent of desktop applications that users will feel right at home.
There you have it, five points against and five points for the Palm Pre. Give it a few months and we’ll have an idea of which side was right. But you know who we’re pulling for.
[Originally posted at precentral.net]
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Sprint Looks to Palm Pre for Turnaround Help
Sprint's turnaround plan so far has featured three main components: improved customer satisfaction, WiMAX deployment and a smartphone that can go toe-to-toe with the iPhone.
In the latter category, Sprint is hoping that it will finally achieve big-time smartphone success when the Palm Pre is released later this week. Following in the footsteps of the Apple iPhone and the BlackBerry Storm, the Palm Pre will be sold for $200 provided customers sign a two-year service agreement with Sprint and mail in a $100 rebate. During J.P. Morgan's recent Global Technology, Media and Telecom Conference in Boston, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse talked about how important it has become for carriers to have a flagship device that they can market their network around.
"What the iPhone has shown is that if you really do have a compelling device that is revolutionary … then customers will switch to your service," he said. "We think the Palm Pre stacks up very well against the iPhone, especially its operating system and the ability it gives you to multitask and to integrate with business and consumer applications."
During demonstrations of the device, Palm representatives have touted the features of the Pre's operating system, known as the Palm webOS, as a main differentiator from other smartphones. The webOS was designed to make developing applications for the operating system simple, as it is based on familiar Web standards such as CSS, XHTML and Javascript. The idea behind using well-known standards, the company says, is to make it easier for applications to integrate with each other. Additionally, the webOS is layered to allow users to keep several applications open at once and to let them flip between them.
During his talk at the J.P. Morgan conference, Hesse emphasized that Sprint's first priority still has to be improving its reputation for customer service, which has suffered ever since Sprint's acquisition of Nextel in 2005. The company seemingly hit bottom in 2008, when it lost 4 million wireless customers and hit its lowest-ever customer satisfaction score in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), a quarterly study published by the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business.
Hints of Progress
However, the latest ACSI released last month suggests that Sprint's mission to improve its customer satisfaction could be starting to pay off. Overall, the study found that that Sprint's customer satisfaction rating has surged upward by 12.5% over its customer satisfaction rating last year. And although Sprint's improvement in customer satisfaction still leaves it last among major U.S. wireless carriers, it does place the carrier within striking distance of AT&T for third place on the survey. The ACSI says that while the improvement in customer satisfaction is good news for Sprint, it also speculates that a good portion of Sprint's higher rating is "probably due to the fact that many dissatisfied customers have defected" to other carriers.
Hesse said Sprint has also detected an improvement in its customer satisfaction, as its own internal numbers have gone up for 15 consecutive months. He cautioned, though, that it could take a long time to rebuild Sprint's reputation for customer service. Hesse likened the company's current situation to that of Japanese car manufacturers when they first tried to penetrate the American market and said that the company's quality was not being reflected in its public perception.
"You have to be patient when you have a brand that took some shots as our company did when it was focusing on integration issues with Nextel back in 2006 and 2007," said Hesse, who also claimed that "people who've experienced Sprint in the last 12 months have had a favorable experience."
The final plank of Sprint's turnaround plan, its mobile WiMAX data services, will come more into the spotlight later in the year, when the company launches services in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Portland and Seattle. For 2010, Sprint plans to spread its WiMAX offerings to Boston, Houston, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
The key for Sprint over the next year will be to aggressively market its WiMAX offerings before Verizon comes to market with its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) services. Sprint's WiMAX division – which is now calling itself Sprint 4G – currently offers the fastest mobile broadband services on the market, offering peak downlink speeds of 12Mbps and average downlink speeds between 2Mbps and 4Mbps. For comparison, AT&T's 3G network is now undergoing an upgrade that it says will give users peak downlink speeds of 7.2Mbps by the end of the year. Once Sprint's WiMAX division launches more broadly throughout the country, it will have at least a year or so as the fastest mobile data service before Verizon's LTE launches commercially.
Wireless Alternatives
In the meantime, Sprint hopes that it can continue the success it has had during the recession in aggressively promoting low-cost prepaid wireless plans that have partially offset its postpaid wireless subscriber losses. In the first quarter of 2009, for instance, the carrier added 674,000 prepaid subscribers, which helped take the sting out of the 1.25 million postpaid customers who left the carrier over the same period.
Prepaid plans often prove attractive to consumers during a recession because they are less expensive than traditional postpaid wireless plans. However, prepaid plans also generate less money per subscriber than postpaid plans. In this past quarter, for instance, Sprint generated $56 in average revenue per user (ARPU) for its postpaid plans and $31 in ARPU for its prepaid plans. Hesse alluded to his company's success in prepaid services during his talk at J.P. Morgan and said that bringing customers in for non-contract low-rate services would not be enough to help the company turn around.
"One area we need to turn around is the decline in postpaid subscribers," he said. "Our problem is that we're not bringing in new customers and that's largely a brand issue."
[Originally posted at pcworld.com]
In the latter category, Sprint is hoping that it will finally achieve big-time smartphone success when the Palm Pre is released later this week. Following in the footsteps of the Apple iPhone and the BlackBerry Storm, the Palm Pre will be sold for $200 provided customers sign a two-year service agreement with Sprint and mail in a $100 rebate. During J.P. Morgan's recent Global Technology, Media and Telecom Conference in Boston, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse talked about how important it has become for carriers to have a flagship device that they can market their network around.
"What the iPhone has shown is that if you really do have a compelling device that is revolutionary … then customers will switch to your service," he said. "We think the Palm Pre stacks up very well against the iPhone, especially its operating system and the ability it gives you to multitask and to integrate with business and consumer applications."
During demonstrations of the device, Palm representatives have touted the features of the Pre's operating system, known as the Palm webOS, as a main differentiator from other smartphones. The webOS was designed to make developing applications for the operating system simple, as it is based on familiar Web standards such as CSS, XHTML and Javascript. The idea behind using well-known standards, the company says, is to make it easier for applications to integrate with each other. Additionally, the webOS is layered to allow users to keep several applications open at once and to let them flip between them.
During his talk at the J.P. Morgan conference, Hesse emphasized that Sprint's first priority still has to be improving its reputation for customer service, which has suffered ever since Sprint's acquisition of Nextel in 2005. The company seemingly hit bottom in 2008, when it lost 4 million wireless customers and hit its lowest-ever customer satisfaction score in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), a quarterly study published by the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business.
Hints of Progress
However, the latest ACSI released last month suggests that Sprint's mission to improve its customer satisfaction could be starting to pay off. Overall, the study found that that Sprint's customer satisfaction rating has surged upward by 12.5% over its customer satisfaction rating last year. And although Sprint's improvement in customer satisfaction still leaves it last among major U.S. wireless carriers, it does place the carrier within striking distance of AT&T for third place on the survey. The ACSI says that while the improvement in customer satisfaction is good news for Sprint, it also speculates that a good portion of Sprint's higher rating is "probably due to the fact that many dissatisfied customers have defected" to other carriers.
Hesse said Sprint has also detected an improvement in its customer satisfaction, as its own internal numbers have gone up for 15 consecutive months. He cautioned, though, that it could take a long time to rebuild Sprint's reputation for customer service. Hesse likened the company's current situation to that of Japanese car manufacturers when they first tried to penetrate the American market and said that the company's quality was not being reflected in its public perception.
"You have to be patient when you have a brand that took some shots as our company did when it was focusing on integration issues with Nextel back in 2006 and 2007," said Hesse, who also claimed that "people who've experienced Sprint in the last 12 months have had a favorable experience."
The final plank of Sprint's turnaround plan, its mobile WiMAX data services, will come more into the spotlight later in the year, when the company launches services in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Portland and Seattle. For 2010, Sprint plans to spread its WiMAX offerings to Boston, Houston, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
The key for Sprint over the next year will be to aggressively market its WiMAX offerings before Verizon comes to market with its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) services. Sprint's WiMAX division – which is now calling itself Sprint 4G – currently offers the fastest mobile broadband services on the market, offering peak downlink speeds of 12Mbps and average downlink speeds between 2Mbps and 4Mbps. For comparison, AT&T's 3G network is now undergoing an upgrade that it says will give users peak downlink speeds of 7.2Mbps by the end of the year. Once Sprint's WiMAX division launches more broadly throughout the country, it will have at least a year or so as the fastest mobile data service before Verizon's LTE launches commercially.
Wireless Alternatives
In the meantime, Sprint hopes that it can continue the success it has had during the recession in aggressively promoting low-cost prepaid wireless plans that have partially offset its postpaid wireless subscriber losses. In the first quarter of 2009, for instance, the carrier added 674,000 prepaid subscribers, which helped take the sting out of the 1.25 million postpaid customers who left the carrier over the same period.
Prepaid plans often prove attractive to consumers during a recession because they are less expensive than traditional postpaid wireless plans. However, prepaid plans also generate less money per subscriber than postpaid plans. In this past quarter, for instance, Sprint generated $56 in average revenue per user (ARPU) for its postpaid plans and $31 in ARPU for its prepaid plans. Hesse alluded to his company's success in prepaid services during his talk at J.P. Morgan and said that bringing customers in for non-contract low-rate services would not be enough to help the company turn around.
"One area we need to turn around is the decline in postpaid subscribers," he said. "Our problem is that we're not bringing in new customers and that's largely a brand issue."
[Originally posted at pcworld.com]
Sprint CEO looks ahead to upcoming Palm Pre, 4G
Dan Hesse, CEO of Sprint Nextel Corp., was in Atlanta on Friday to tout a new phone and assorted wireless technology. Recession notwithstanding, things are looking up for the Kansas-based wireless giant, which badly trails Verizon Wireless and Atlanta-based AT&T Mobility for customers.
During his 17-month tenure, Hesse has cut costs (partly by trimming 7,000 jobs, though few of Atlanta’s 1,800), improved customer service and positioned Sprint to do battle with the all-popular iPhone and BlackBerry smart phones.
Hesse, 55, spoke with the AJC. His comments are condensed for brevity.
Q: Next Saturday you’re rolling out the Palm Pre, Sprint’s answer to the iPhone and BlackBerry. Why should customers buy it?
A: The iPhone is a fantastic consumer device. The BlackBerry is a terrific business device. But if you want one phone that’s good at both, you’ll want a Pre. You can have multiple applications open at the same time. I can have the photo application open, check my contacts, look at the calendar and do e-mails when a phone call comes in.
Q: How will you gauge the phone’s success?
A: It will probably take about three months before we know. Early on, it will sell like crazy. The real issue is what kind of legs it will have after the initial euphoria.
Q: Won’t the recession keep customers away from the $200 Pre?
A: Customers are buying more and more expensive devices over time, even in a recession. But people are more budget-conscious and moving toward pre-paid contracts.
Q: You lost 1.25 million customers with long-term contracts during the first quarter this year. Yet you gained almost as many with no-contract, pre-paid plans and wholesale customers. Is that also a recessionary impact?
A: Yes, pre-paid plans are growing a lot faster than (long-term) plans. For the first quarter of 2009, we had more pre-paid than post-paid customers —- it was a landmark quarter. Will that trend remain once the economy improves? Do customers want to limit how much their kids spend each month to a $50 pre-pay? Do they not want to worry about a collection agency coming after them?
Q: Atlanta this summer will be one of a dozen cities to receive so-called 4G technology —- the next generation wireless broadband access —- from Sprint. What’s special about 4G?
A: The big difference is speed. Each generation is five times faster than the previous one. With 3G I can watch videos on my cellphone. With 4G, it’ll be just like watching TV and videos at home.
Q: You’ve got two kids. At what age did they get cellphones?
A: Around 9 or 10. They also get to see the devices before production. My older son is a real techno-geek. He didn’t like one of our phones because it didn’t have a back-lit keyboard. I asked him why that was important, and he said, ‘Because we all text at night under the covers.’
Q: So keyboards are now back-lit?
A: Yes.
[Originally posted at ajc.com]
During his 17-month tenure, Hesse has cut costs (partly by trimming 7,000 jobs, though few of Atlanta’s 1,800), improved customer service and positioned Sprint to do battle with the all-popular iPhone and BlackBerry smart phones.
Hesse, 55, spoke with the AJC. His comments are condensed for brevity.
Q: Next Saturday you’re rolling out the Palm Pre, Sprint’s answer to the iPhone and BlackBerry. Why should customers buy it?
A: The iPhone is a fantastic consumer device. The BlackBerry is a terrific business device. But if you want one phone that’s good at both, you’ll want a Pre. You can have multiple applications open at the same time. I can have the photo application open, check my contacts, look at the calendar and do e-mails when a phone call comes in.
Q: How will you gauge the phone’s success?
A: It will probably take about three months before we know. Early on, it will sell like crazy. The real issue is what kind of legs it will have after the initial euphoria.
Q: Won’t the recession keep customers away from the $200 Pre?
A: Customers are buying more and more expensive devices over time, even in a recession. But people are more budget-conscious and moving toward pre-paid contracts.
Q: You lost 1.25 million customers with long-term contracts during the first quarter this year. Yet you gained almost as many with no-contract, pre-paid plans and wholesale customers. Is that also a recessionary impact?
A: Yes, pre-paid plans are growing a lot faster than (long-term) plans. For the first quarter of 2009, we had more pre-paid than post-paid customers —- it was a landmark quarter. Will that trend remain once the economy improves? Do customers want to limit how much their kids spend each month to a $50 pre-pay? Do they not want to worry about a collection agency coming after them?
Q: Atlanta this summer will be one of a dozen cities to receive so-called 4G technology —- the next generation wireless broadband access —- from Sprint. What’s special about 4G?
A: The big difference is speed. Each generation is five times faster than the previous one. With 3G I can watch videos on my cellphone. With 4G, it’ll be just like watching TV and videos at home.
Q: You’ve got two kids. At what age did they get cellphones?
A: Around 9 or 10. They also get to see the devices before production. My older son is a real techno-geek. He didn’t like one of our phones because it didn’t have a back-lit keyboard. I asked him why that was important, and he said, ‘Because we all text at night under the covers.’
Q: So keyboards are now back-lit?
A: Yes.
[Originally posted at ajc.com]
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Verizon: Expect Palm Pre, BlackBerry Storm 2 within six months
During an investor conference Webcast on Thursday, Verizon Wireless executive Lowell McAdam revealed that the carrier has big plans for device launches for the rest of 2009. Launches that include the Palm Pre and RIM BlackBerry Storm 2.
"Over the next six months or so, you will see devices like Palm Pre and a second-generation Storm," Lowell said. He added that Verizon will also support Android phones, but was less specific about the time frame, only saying that they would be available later this year.
Verizon plans for the Pre comes just a day after AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said announced that it, too, will go after the Pre once Sprint's exclusivity is up on the smartphone. The terms of Sprint's exclusivity has been in question, but given today's news, it looks like six months is when the carrier's hold runs out.
So which are you more excited about? The Pre, BlackBerry Storm 2 or Android devices on Verizon?
[Orginally posted at precentral.net]
"Over the next six months or so, you will see devices like Palm Pre and a second-generation Storm," Lowell said. He added that Verizon will also support Android phones, but was less specific about the time frame, only saying that they would be available later this year.
Verizon plans for the Pre comes just a day after AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said announced that it, too, will go after the Pre once Sprint's exclusivity is up on the smartphone. The terms of Sprint's exclusivity has been in question, but given today's news, it looks like six months is when the carrier's hold runs out.
So which are you more excited about? The Pre, BlackBerry Storm 2 or Android devices on Verizon?
[Orginally posted at precentral.net]
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Palm Pre Listed on Best Buy's Site for a Whopping $850
The Palm Pre will cost $199 with contract or about $549 (from Sprint) without a contract. So why is BestBuy.com listing the phone itself for EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY FREAKING DOLLARS?? We'll assume it's a misprinted placeholder price and carry on with our day. We'll also assume that no one will pay an extra $300 to buy the Pre at Best Buy rather than just breaking their contract with Sprint.
[Originally posted at gizmodo.com[Best Buy via BGR]]
Palm Pre Users Already Viewing Ads—Even Before The Launch
Despite the fact that the Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Pre won’t go on sale until June 6, initial users running around in the wild have already started viewing ads on the phone, according to Millennial Media, which released its second-ever monthly mobile advertising report today. While Millennial’s report only represents a portion of the overall mobile ad traffic in the U.S., it’s worth looking at its results given that it is one of the largest mobile ad networks in the U.S. Release.
Besides, the Palm Pre, the company reported that the number of ads served to iPhone and iPod Touch jumped by 8 percent compared to the prior month, helping Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) edge out LG (SEO: 066570) as the No. 2 device manufacturer. At that level of ad impressions, Millennial said the iPhone/Touch set an all-time record for company when it comes to most ads served to a single device during a given month. For the second month in a row, Samsung’s plethora of devices continued to hold on to the No. 1 spot when it comes to the number of ads served to a given handset manufacturer.
Other findings:
—The BlackBerry Storm entered the company’s top 20 list at No. 15.
—Qwerty keyboards surpassed the traditional keypad as the top input method.
—The number of Millennial customers interested in targeting very specific audiences vs. certain demographics grew by four times. That means, rather than targeting users based on simple “meta data,” like gender, a very specific audience was crafted based on information collected on an opt-in basis (for instance, a person’s preferred movie genre).
[Originally posted at moconews.net]
Besides, the Palm Pre, the company reported that the number of ads served to iPhone and iPod Touch jumped by 8 percent compared to the prior month, helping Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) edge out LG (SEO: 066570) as the No. 2 device manufacturer. At that level of ad impressions, Millennial said the iPhone/Touch set an all-time record for company when it comes to most ads served to a single device during a given month. For the second month in a row, Samsung’s plethora of devices continued to hold on to the No. 1 spot when it comes to the number of ads served to a given handset manufacturer.
Other findings:
—The BlackBerry Storm entered the company’s top 20 list at No. 15.
—Qwerty keyboards surpassed the traditional keypad as the top input method.
—The number of Millennial customers interested in targeting very specific audiences vs. certain demographics grew by four times. That means, rather than targeting users based on simple “meta data,” like gender, a very specific audience was crafted based on information collected on an opt-in basis (for instance, a person’s preferred movie genre).
[Originally posted at moconews.net]
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Success Of the Palm Pre May Depend On Developers
There is an old computer industry adage that "software sells hardware." On June 6, the Palm Pre may again prove the truth in those words. Applications, or the lack of them, are likely to plan an important role in the Pre's relative success, or failure.
Apple, meanwhile, is expected to introduce new iPhones running its 3.0 operating system, perhaps only two days after the Pre's launch. Developers are already building applications for the new iPhone OS, diverting energy that Palm might otherwise harness.
Palm, with its rocky history, has a bad reputation in some circles. That could also slow developer support for the Pre, as those with limited resources bet on other companies' offerings.
If you were a developer, which smartphone would you create applications for? Apple's iPhone is a given as it offers a powerful platform and comes with an easy way for apps to be sold to customers. All other smartphones pale in comparison to Apple's work.
As for the others:
It's widely presumed that devices based on the Google Android operating system will become more common and that Google will figure out how to sell them online.
RIM doesn't have as advanced an applications platform among its smartphones, but can be expected to catch-up. RIM has sold plenty of BlackBerrys and sheer volume makes them interesting to developers.
Microsoft is the ugly duckling of the smartphone business. Its Windows Mobile has limited developer support and has never really caught on in the marketplace, despite years of attempts. My thought is that cellular carriers are skeptical enough of Microsoft that wide adoption of the company's mobile OS isn't likely.
It will be months before it will be possible to assess developer support for the Pre. While the June 6 launch of the Palm Pre will give the device needed momentum, it could be short-lived if Apple announces two days later at its developer conference.
The excitement surrounding iPhone 3.0 applications is likely to overshadow anything else that happens in smartphone development this summer. The Palm Pre, though exciting, is starting at a considerable disadvantage that will be difficult to overcome.
If software really does sell hardware, the momentum will be with Apple and not with Palm.
[Originally posted at pcworld.com]
Apple, meanwhile, is expected to introduce new iPhones running its 3.0 operating system, perhaps only two days after the Pre's launch. Developers are already building applications for the new iPhone OS, diverting energy that Palm might otherwise harness.
Palm, with its rocky history, has a bad reputation in some circles. That could also slow developer support for the Pre, as those with limited resources bet on other companies' offerings.
If you were a developer, which smartphone would you create applications for? Apple's iPhone is a given as it offers a powerful platform and comes with an easy way for apps to be sold to customers. All other smartphones pale in comparison to Apple's work.
As for the others:
It's widely presumed that devices based on the Google Android operating system will become more common and that Google will figure out how to sell them online.
RIM doesn't have as advanced an applications platform among its smartphones, but can be expected to catch-up. RIM has sold plenty of BlackBerrys and sheer volume makes them interesting to developers.
Microsoft is the ugly duckling of the smartphone business. Its Windows Mobile has limited developer support and has never really caught on in the marketplace, despite years of attempts. My thought is that cellular carriers are skeptical enough of Microsoft that wide adoption of the company's mobile OS isn't likely.
It will be months before it will be possible to assess developer support for the Pre. While the June 6 launch of the Palm Pre will give the device needed momentum, it could be short-lived if Apple announces two days later at its developer conference.
The excitement surrounding iPhone 3.0 applications is likely to overshadow anything else that happens in smartphone development this summer. The Palm Pre, though exciting, is starting at a considerable disadvantage that will be difficult to overcome.
If software really does sell hardware, the momentum will be with Apple and not with Palm.
[Originally posted at pcworld.com]
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Sprint To Offer Palm Pre Smartphone On June 6
Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Palm Inc. (PALM) are poised to rumble in early June.
Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) and Palm confirmed that their eagerly anticipated smartphone, Pre, will hit stores on June 6. That's just a few days before Apple is expected to unveil its next iPhone, which is sold exclusively through AT&T Inc. (T).
The stakes are high for Sprint and Palm. Palm badly needs a hit device to turn its fortunes around, while Sprint continues to see an exodus of subscribers. Both view the smartphone as the key to their turnarounds. The Pre, meanwhile, has a lot to prove as it seeks to capture some of the success that the iPhone has had over the past two years.
Sprint Chief Executive Dan Hesse stoked the hype early Tuesday, saying he expects high demand.
"We'll have shortages for a while," Hesse told analysts during an industry conference on Tuesday.
The Pre will cost $199.99 with a two-year service agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate. Collins Stewart analyst Ashok Kumar said earlier this month the Pre could be a huge flop if Sprint wasn't able to match or price below the $199 price tag on the iPhone.
Kevin Packingham, who runs product and technology development for Sprint, said the Pre is "extremely competitively priced."
Of course, the next iPhone could come out at a lower price, which would effectively halt any consumers looking to jump carriers for the Pre. Apple and AT&T slashed the price of the device by $200 a year ago. There's also the risk that the phone's launch could get drowned out by the hype surrounding the iPhone.
A spokesman for Apple couldn't be reached for comment.
Sprint shares recently rose 8 cents to $5.40.
Palm shares fell nearly 5.1% to $11.45, partly on concern that the Pre could face quick competition from the iPhone, but also on fears that the early shortage Hesse hinted at suggests lower unit sales.
Palm marketing head Brodie Keast declined to comment on the stock movement.
Both Palm and Sprint said the iPhone didn't factor into the timing of the launch.
"We really didn't look for any outside influence," Packingham said.
On the iPhone, he said: "We want customers to compare each device."
Palm's Keast said, "Ultimately, it was Sprint's call.... We just wanted to ship this thing when it was ready."
Macquarie Securities analyst Philip Cusick estimates that Palm could sell 100, 000 units in its fiscal fourth quarter ending this month, up from a prior estimate of 50,000. He was a bit less optimistic about the Palm's early success after Hesse's comments.
Sprint said Tuesday the phone would be sold at Best Buy Co. (BBY), RadioShack Corp. (RSH) and some Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) stores. It will also be available through Sprint's Web site.
Sprint hopes the Pre will act as a strong retention tool for the company. The carrier has lost more than 6 million subscribers in the last six quarters.
The Pre should blunt some of the losses, according to Cusick. He estimated that Sprint would lose 1.1 million contract customers in the second quarter, narrower than the loss of 1.25 million in the first quarter.
[Originally posted by Kerry Grace at money.cnn.com]
Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) and Palm confirmed that their eagerly anticipated smartphone, Pre, will hit stores on June 6. That's just a few days before Apple is expected to unveil its next iPhone, which is sold exclusively through AT&T Inc. (T).
The stakes are high for Sprint and Palm. Palm badly needs a hit device to turn its fortunes around, while Sprint continues to see an exodus of subscribers. Both view the smartphone as the key to their turnarounds. The Pre, meanwhile, has a lot to prove as it seeks to capture some of the success that the iPhone has had over the past two years.
Sprint Chief Executive Dan Hesse stoked the hype early Tuesday, saying he expects high demand.
"We'll have shortages for a while," Hesse told analysts during an industry conference on Tuesday.
The Pre will cost $199.99 with a two-year service agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate. Collins Stewart analyst Ashok Kumar said earlier this month the Pre could be a huge flop if Sprint wasn't able to match or price below the $199 price tag on the iPhone.
Kevin Packingham, who runs product and technology development for Sprint, said the Pre is "extremely competitively priced."
Of course, the next iPhone could come out at a lower price, which would effectively halt any consumers looking to jump carriers for the Pre. Apple and AT&T slashed the price of the device by $200 a year ago. There's also the risk that the phone's launch could get drowned out by the hype surrounding the iPhone.
A spokesman for Apple couldn't be reached for comment.
Sprint shares recently rose 8 cents to $5.40.
Palm shares fell nearly 5.1% to $11.45, partly on concern that the Pre could face quick competition from the iPhone, but also on fears that the early shortage Hesse hinted at suggests lower unit sales.
Palm marketing head Brodie Keast declined to comment on the stock movement.
Both Palm and Sprint said the iPhone didn't factor into the timing of the launch.
"We really didn't look for any outside influence," Packingham said.
On the iPhone, he said: "We want customers to compare each device."
Palm's Keast said, "Ultimately, it was Sprint's call.... We just wanted to ship this thing when it was ready."
Macquarie Securities analyst Philip Cusick estimates that Palm could sell 100, 000 units in its fiscal fourth quarter ending this month, up from a prior estimate of 50,000. He was a bit less optimistic about the Palm's early success after Hesse's comments.
Sprint said Tuesday the phone would be sold at Best Buy Co. (BBY), RadioShack Corp. (RSH) and some Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) stores. It will also be available through Sprint's Web site.
Sprint hopes the Pre will act as a strong retention tool for the company. The carrier has lost more than 6 million subscribers in the last six quarters.
The Pre should blunt some of the losses, according to Cusick. He estimated that Sprint would lose 1.1 million contract customers in the second quarter, narrower than the loss of 1.25 million in the first quarter.
[Originally posted by Kerry Grace at money.cnn.com]
Monday, May 18, 2009
The summer of the smartphone; Release Date First Week of June?
A new piece in the New York Times is out to lay the foundation of what they say “could be potentially the most exciting time in [the mobile phone] market.” This summer is indeed shaping up to be an interesting one in the smartphone market, with at the very least a new iPhone, a handful of Android phones, probably a few new BlackBerries, and of course, the Palm Pre, set to land in the hands of users between Memorial Day (next Monday) and Labor Day (September 7).
While much of the article goes over things that we already know (Palm’s losing buckets of money every quarter, Sprint’s not in a great position either, the smartphone market is ripe for expansion, etc), they did lend some credence to the current strongest release date rumor:
As in June 5th or 7th, the two dates we've been hearing fairly consistently lately. Hopefully we’ll be getting some sort of confirmation from Sprint and Palm on that very soon...
[Originally posted at precentral.net]
While much of the article goes over things that we already know (Palm’s losing buckets of money every quarter, Sprint’s not in a great position either, the smartphone market is ripe for expansion, etc), they did lend some credence to the current strongest release date rumor:
"But the season’s most compelling phone drama will start the first week in June, when Sprint will begin selling the Palm Pre, people briefed on the company’s plans said."
As in June 5th or 7th, the two dates we've been hearing fairly consistently lately. Hopefully we’ll be getting some sort of confirmation from Sprint and Palm on that very soon...
[Originally posted at precentral.net]
Buy Now Button appears for Palm Pre?
A New Image Spotted in Wild with Buy Now Button of Palm Pre.
Have a Look....
Have a Look....
Sprint Palm Pre Page Now Up and running!!
Hi all Sprint Palm Pre Page Now Up an running!!
SO expecting Pre Sooooon. Cant Wait!!!!
Please find the Link Here
SO expecting Pre Sooooon. Cant Wait!!!!
Please find the Link Here
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