Palm Frees “GSM” Pre, Cuts Exclusive Deal With UK Operator O2

July 2, 2009
The GSM version of Palms Pre has surfaced in Vietnam. Next, the UK?

The GSM version of Palm's Pre has surfaced in Vietnam. Next, the UK?

Palm Pre second act is set to begin in Europe, a month after its launch in the U.S.

According to British daily newspaper The Guardian, the Sunnyvale, Calif.-company chose O2 as the exclusive operator for the U.K. market. A press conference will be held next week to unveil the news.

O2 is also the sole distributor in the UK for the iPhone 3GS which comes free with an 18-months contract (for the 16GB version), spurring rumours that the Pre will also be available for free with an 18-months contract.

Palm GSM Pre has been ready since February

Palm first showed the “world” version (or GSM) of its smartphone last February at the Mobile World Congress last February in Barcelona.

Indicative of an imminent launch – presumably in September – Palm’s GSM Pre has recently been seen “in the wild” in Vietnam and reviewed by a local reseller.

However it first appears that Palm’s Pre data transmission speed will not match that of the iPhone 3GS.

Here’s the video excerpt of the Palm GSM Pre review from a local Vietnamese reseller:

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Posted by TechPulse 360

iPhone 3G: Inventory Clearance In UK, Germany, Japan, Austria; U.S.?

March 13, 2009
Carriers are clearing out their iPhone 3G inventory in expectation of a new device this Summer

Carriers are clearing out their iPhone 3G inventory in expectation of a new device this Summer

The entry-level iPhone 3G (with 8 GB memory) has been steadily dropping in price around the world with carriers clearing their inventory, ahead of a new device expected this Summer.

As reported earlier, O2 was giving away the iPhone 8 GB for free to its U.K. customers for a mere $63 per month plan, when AT&T in the U.S. is asking $199 for the same phone and a minimum of $80 per month.

The iPhone is now free in Austria, Japan and in the U.K. and 1 euro in Germany!

Now O2 is reported to lower the bar again next month, with the same free iPhone deal but this time for just a $50 monthly bill.

In Japan, Softbank has just started offering about the same deal than O2. Ditto in Austria, through T-Mobile.

In Germany, the iPhone is a bit more expensive, at 1 euro!

No doubt, that the latest price drops are related to the imminent launch of the third generation iPhone.

Now will it be a “nano” iPhone as rumors seem to point to? What do you think?

1 Comment | hardware, news, wireless | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by TechPulse 360

UK Telecoms Said To Be Fuming At Nokia For Adding Skype To Phones

February 27, 2009

Two mobile service providers in the U.K. are apparently smoking mad over Nokia’s decision to install Skype on its flagship Nseries phones.

Mobile operator Orange said to be turning red over Nokia decision

Mobile operator Orange said to be turning red over Nokia decision

Nokia said earlier this month the N97 would be the first handset out the door with the Internet calling software in the third quarter.

Several published stories, including one on Mobile Today in the U.K., said mobile carriers Orange and O2 may refuse to stock the phones.

Service providers fear users will favor making free calls over the Internet with Skype, which is owned by eBay, instead of paid calls on the cellular network.

“This is another example of them trying to build an ecosystem that is all about Nokia and reduced the operator to a dumb pipe,” according to one anonymous source.

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Posted by Mark Boslet

A $99 iPhone At Walmart? It’s Free In Europe!

December 8, 2008
You get a free 8GB iPhone3G if you sign up with British wireless carrier O2 for 2-years

You get a free 8GB iPhone3G if you sign up with British wireless carrier O2 2-years $70 plan

Again rumours about a $99 iPhone 3G resurfaced over the weekend.

This time Bloomberg News is reporting that Walmart will begin selling Apple’s smartphones this month. The Arkansas-based discounter will be the second bix-box retailer – after Best Buy last month – to carry iPhones.

Speculations abound that Walmart will carry a cheaper and lower memory – 4GB instead of 8GB or 16GB – model of Apple’s smartphone at $99 with a 2-year subscription, compared with $199 and $299 for the 8GB and 16GB, respectively.

A year ago in July, the first generation 4GB iPhone cost a whopping $500! But was discontinued 3 months later because consumers found it didn’t have enough storage capacity.

So I’m not sure why this time around a 4GB model will be enough to store people’s music, videos and applications that they will accumulate during their iPhone’s lifetime.

But then, I think $99 is still too expensive. Like I wrote last month, I think the iPhone should be free! Like it is in the U.K. or not more than 1 euro (or $2) like in Germany. And despite these heavily discounted prices, consumers in Europe get the 8GB model not a cheapo 4GB and an equivalent cell plan!

So if Apple is serious about spurring adoption for its device, there’s only one way: make it FREE!

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Posted by TechPulse 360

A $99 iPhone3G For Thanksgiving? Too Expensive, Make It Free Like In The U.K.!

November 14, 2008
You get a free iPhone3G if you sign up with British wireless carrier O2

You get a free iPhone3G if you sign up with British wireless carrier O2

Several websites were reporting rumours about the possibility to see the iPhone3G down to $149 at Costco or even $99 maybe on Apple’s website. Some say it would be for one day after Thanksgiving, others for the rest of the holiday season.

In any case, I want to scream… SO WHAT!!!! It should be free!

Yes, FREE, just like in the U.K., which is not the cheapest region on earth, but where the national wireless carrier O2 is giving away the 8MB iPhone3G if you sign up for a mere 18 months (versus 24 with AT&T) to their £45 (~$70) a month plan. But if you go for the £75 ($112) plan, then you get the 16MB version for free!

In Germany, another rather expensive region, you can get an iPhone3G 8MB for 1 euro (or ~$1.3) at T-Mobile if you sign up for 2 years to their 69 euros (~$90) a month plan.

Now compare that to AT&T who’s charging in the U.S. $199 for the iPhone3G 8MB with a minimum of $70 a month for the 2 year contract.

So with that in mind, I hope you understand why I think a $99 iPhone3G is still tooooo expensive!

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Posted by TechPulse 360

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