With all the anticipation surrounding the Palm Pre smartphone, which is scheduled to be launched exclusively through Sprint Nextel on June 6, other carriers are scrambling to let potential smartphone buyers know they will eventually have the Palm Pre on hand.
Verizon Wireless this week said it will soon offer several new smartphones, including the Palm Pre, the next-generation BlackBerry Storm, and several Android-based phones. On Wednesday, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said his company would like to see the Palm Pre added to its lineup, which includes Apple’s iPhone, the BlackBerry Bold, and the HTC Fuze.
The announcement by Stephenson during the D: All Things Digital conference and by Verizon executive Lowell McAdam during a conference call has prompted Sprint to provide more details about its exclusive agreement with Palm.
Sprint’s deal is short in comparison to Apple and AT&T’s deal for the iPhone. The agreement with Palm that lets Sprint offer the Palm Pre for $199 with a rebate and a two-year contract is over at the end of this year. That gives the carrier a six-month jump on selling the device, and Sprint has increased its marketing. Callers to Sprint are greeted with a message that says: “Sprint is proud to announce it will be the launch partner for the new Palm Pre.”
Since last fall, there has been a buzz about the Palm Pre and its new webOS. Some analysts have predicted Palm’s failure, while others have said the Pre will put Palm back on the competitive map.
While the analysts have been debating, Palm has focused on getting the device and its OS right the first time and out the door with the best features and a lot of marketing. The Pre will give users a mix of features that can be used for professional and personal…