Hasta La Gadget!

All signs are pointing toward an early June Pre launch at this point; of course, we know it’ll launch in the first half of the year — and we’re quickly running out of first half — but we’ve heard increased chatter the past few weeks suggesting that June 5 or June 7 are particularly likely targets for bringing Palm’s (and Sprint’s) would-be savior to market. The latest evidence comes once again from our friends at Best Buy, where the recently-added Touchstone inventory stub has already been updated to reflect an “In Stock Date” of — you guessed it — June 7. As we’ve noted before, that’s a Sunday, which is Sprint’s traditional launch day; not to say there’s anything traditional about the Pre or the hype surrounding its appearance, but it’s something to chew on. Worst case, we figure you’ll be able to swing by your favorite big box on the 7th and pick up a cool, pricey inductive dock even if you can’t pick up a phone.

[Thanks, Mark]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Palm Touchstone date changed to June 7 in Best Buy’s system; stars aligning for Pre launch? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 May 2009 01:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

There’s really not much meat to these ultra-short videos highlighting major features of the Pre, but they do suggest that Sprint employees are already being actively trained, likely on final or near-final hardware and software. Painless for the reps that have to sit through them, yes, granted — but if this is really all the help in-store peeps are getting prior to the phone’s launch, we sense trouble. Perhaps more interesting than the videos themselves, PreCentral forum members have astutely observed that Documents To Go and Adobe Reader icons make quick cameos — two apps that many, many productivity-minded Pre owners will be taking interest in. Check the videos after the break.

[Via PreCentral]

Read – Email
Read – Gestures

Continue reading Palm Pre training dude accosted by giant hand in internal Sprint training vids, new apps spotted

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Palm Pre training dude accosted by giant hand in internal Sprint training vids, new apps spotted originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 May 2009 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Another possible Pre launch date is precisely the last thing the world needs, but that’s what we’re getting, so check it: a Boy Genius Report-leaked slide of some sort seems to indicate that Sprint employees will be participating in a Pre “launch lunch” Friday, June 5 at noon, which raises a few interesting possibilities. First, it could mean that they’re prepping for a June 7 retail launch, which would line up with the Best Buy rumor and fall into line with Sprint’s common policy of launching on Sundays. Second, it could mean that Sprint’s trying to really go for broke with a riot-inducing evening launch on June 5. Third, this could be totally bogus; the typo in “Employee Benfits” trips us up a bit, though we’ve seen typos in legit documents before. Fourth, it’s still entirely possible that neither Sprint nor Palm know the exact date — we’re guessing the firmware still hasn’t gone gold, and until it has, they can’t be putting an immutable stake in the ground. It’s interesting to note that Palm’s Jon Rubenstein will be speaking at All Things D the week before this — which we’ll be at live, coincidentally — so that’d certainly make an apropos place to announce something spectacular like this, wouldn’t it? Stay tuned, friends.

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Sprint holding Pre “launch lunch” on June 5? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 May 2009 12:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

What the CEO wants, the CEO gets — right? Evidently so, as just four months after Ed Colligan proudly stated that he wanted the Pre in Canadian hands, Palm has revealed that the to-be launched handset will indeed grace the cellular airwaves in the Great North. Canucks will have to rely on Bell Mobility (a CDMA carrier, for those unaware) for service, and they’ll have to wait until “the second half of 2009” to indulge. Check the read link to get yourself signed up for notifications, and feel free to start the countdown until 11:59PM on December 31st, 2009.

Filed under: Cellphones

Palm Pre definitely coming to Canada on Bell Mobility: 2H 2009 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 May 2009 09:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

If this latest bit of Pre intel scored by Boy Genius Report is to be believed, it looks like you might be able to pick up one of 4,500 of Palm’s latest and greatest as early as June 7. According to a tip from a supposed Best Buy insider, the venerable retailer could be gearing up to launch the hotly anticipated handset in just over a month’s time, though it’s not clear whether this’ll coincide with Sprint’s full-scale launch or come before or after. Oh, and if that wasn’t enough, they’ve got some possible numbers on what this beauty will run you: $199.99 for new customers with a 2-year plan, $299.99 for upgrades, and a cool $999.99 contract-free — though in our experience, Best Buy Mobile frequently has its pricing wrong ahead of launch, so these are definitely subject to change.

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Best Buy Mobile to get some Pre stock on June 7th? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 May 2009 18:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments