Sprint Nextel has exclusive U.S. rights to sell Palm’s Pre smartphone until the end of 2009, according to news reports. CNBC cited an anonymous source.
The Palm Pre, which would offer Sprint a chance to better compete in the smartphone market, is set to go on sale before June. Neither Sprint nor Palm was immediately available for comment.
The Pre features a rounded ergonomic design and a physical keyboard that slides out only when needed. Palm said it engineered the phone to feel natural in the hand and comfortably small in the pocket. The phone offers Web browsing, music, photos and videos, e-mail and text messaging. It has a curved slider and gesture-controlled touch interface.
Is it Really Exclusive?
Despite the CNBC story, Michael Gartenberg, vice president of strategy and analysis for Interpret, is not ready to confirm the report. Sprint does have an exclusive on the Palm Pre for some period of time, he said, but what that period is remains to be seen.
To Gartenberg’s point, Palm has said the Pre will support a variety of Sprint services, including Sprint TV. Sprint Navigation will provide GPS-enabled audio and visual turn-by-turn driving directions, one-click traffic rerouting, and more than 10 million local listings. Sprint will also offer more than a dozen streaming-radio applications, including Sprint Radio, with more than 150 channels.
“The Pre is great for Sprint. Clearly, each carrier wants to offer an iconic device that represents their differentiation in the market,” Gartenberg said. “For Verizon it’s the BlackBerry Storm. For AT&T it’s the Apple iPhone. For T-Mobile it’s the G1. So for Sprint to have some period of exclusivity with the Palm Pre is very good for them.”
The exclusive deal means consumers who want the Pre will have to do business with Sprint. Sprint has enjoyed other exclusive deals with Palm in the…