[archie]

I just learned that the Treo 680 is to be sold at $425 with no commitment through Palm's site. I was actually considering getting this at $200 to tide me over a few months but this price is more than double what Ed Colligan insinuated.

BlackBerry Connect and Microsoft Direct Push is being pushed back to March 31, 2007 (which means July on Palm time) with a firmware upgrade. This would explain why they removed this information from their bullet point list on the website. It was there for the first day or two then quickly removed.

[Celf]

here's another link with some price information. 680 "entry level"....think not

http://www.clieuk.co.uk/forum/showth...?threadid=8357

[jaytee]

That's the _tentative_ pricing that is listed in the Cingular PPT doc that's floating around for no commitment. I've seen nothing about Palm's pricing.

The price for a 2 year commitment with an unlimited data plan and a $39.99 or higher voice plan is $174.99, well below the $200 mark. This is all pretty wild speculation anyway. If you want to pay less, I'd suggest waiting 6 months for the customary drop in prices.

[MrDs10e]

Right now, Verizon is offering the Motorola Q for $99.00 with a two-year agreement. Just when I was warming up to the 680 as an entry-level phone, Palm brings it in at a price point way too high.

[XistBoi]

If that is what they consider an 'entry level phone' - Palm needs to SERIOUSLY rethink what is accessible price point is in a nation where the middles class makes less then $50,000 on average.

[aureatenova]

what about people who are already in a contract? these prices are rediculous for the 680.

[LoganT]

425 dollars for a Treo without a contract is a great price. Let's look at phones that do less and are more expensive without a contract:

MOTORAZR V3i with iTunes= $449.99
Cingular 3125=$449.99

And the Treo can do a lot more.

[Antoine of MMM]

As others have pointed out, the price BEFORE contract is $424. Carrier cost usually knocks 200-250$ off of that. That would put the price at the oft noticed $150-200 range. That is right where other phones are that are this capable, and just fine.

Now, if you think that you can get a *cheap* $99 unlocked phone, then please share that place, there are people both here and in general that would want that price - and a few carriers that would jack that up faster than you can ringback.

[Antoine of MMM]

what about people who are already in a contract? these prices are rediculous for the 680.

Cingular will be offering an upgrade discount if you are eligible. However, you get off better with the upgrade if you go for two years plus unlimited data via PDA Connect (the $40 per month plan).

[stroths]

Plus you have to take into account resellers like Amazon who will knock even more off the price. If the $425 price is accurate, thats not bad for Palm with their history of pricing.

If you are on the palm plugged in program, you will likely be able to knock another $100 off the price. That's what I did with my 700p. However, its pricing is nothing like the deal I got my wx for.

[whatever7]

Right now, Verizon is offering the Motorola Q for $99.00 with a two-year agreement. Just when I was warming up to the 680 as an entry-level phone, Palm brings it in at a price point way too high.

Q require at least 40/m data and another 40 for voice, that's why it's not selling.

And the Q introductory price was $199 exactly the same as 680. What were you guys expecting?

[taylorh]

$425 no-commitment is significantly cheaper than $600 was for the Treo 650. But I agree it's still a bit pricy for such an antiquated design. Especially since there are more powerful 3G PDAs out there for the $600 range (but all
I assume Palm will sell unlocked for $525, where the 650 was $700.
I was expecting about 1/2 the price of the 650 at launch, not 1/3 less. Like $350 no-commitment. About $175~199 after contract and rebates.
If I was going to get one at a no-commmit price, I'd probabally just wait and get one directly from palm unlocked... at least that way you should be able to pick a color (but at a cost.)

[Jdoc]

$425 IS PRETTY STEEP for a phone that is supposed to be budget-priced.

Either $299 or $249 retail, $149 or $99 on contract would be WAY more acceptable than this.

Come on, is there any new breakthrough in technology on that phone?! It doesnt even have a 3G radio in it. This phone is ALL made with parts that are in the making for years. Their manufacturing prices have dropped signigicantly but palm has chosen to simply NOT pass it on to the consumer.

Thanks once again palm for a new innovative product like this. Hardly an upgrade.

[berdinkerdickle]

And yet millions will continue to buy into it.
Like us.

[mrjoec]

I agree that $425 with no commitment is a bit steep. And, if the unlocked version directly from Palm is even more ($500+), that really seems overpriced, especially since that's the only way to get the colors that Palm claims to have added to attract "feature phone", budget-conscious consumers.

One thing I noticed in the PowerPoint is that $50 of that $100 rebate Cingular is offering from now until January comes from Palm. Perhaps they would offer the same $50 to direct Palm customers for that time period, too. That may help a little. They could offer the unlocked version for the same price as the Cingular no commitment, as they do now with the 650.

I really hope that Palm considers all of this "introductory". Drop the prices sometime early next year, or at least offer the colors to the carriers, like Moto did with the RAZR, and maybe $174 would get some new users. Otherwise, adding colors was a useless and expensive gesture. Maybe they just want to grab all the cash they can from the early adopters, as usual, before trying to gain marketshare though a price drop later on. That could easily backfire, though, if people end up equating "Treo 680" with "expensive."

I really can't consider committing to a $40/month data plan just to get a few hundred dollars off the 680. Since I now only pay $20/month for data, and I'm grandfathered into a good voice plan that they no longer offer, I'd end up paying more in the long run for a locked phone.

The unlocked or non-commitment are really the only two options for me. So I'll have to wait and see how much more the unlocked is, and how long I'll have to wait for Palm to release it.

[archie]

That's the _tentative_ pricing that is listed in the Cingular PPT doc that's floating around for no commitment. I've seen nothing about Palm's pricing.

The price for a 2 year commitment with an unlimited data plan and a $39.99 or higher voice plan is $174.99, well below the $200 mark. This is all pretty wild speculation anyway. If you want to pay less, I'd suggest waiting 6 months for the customary drop in prices.

You've got to be kidding. That's a $2000 commitment just to get a couple hundred dollars knocked off the phone.

[AnteL0pe]

You've got to be kidding. That's a $2000 commitment just to get a couple hundred dollars knocked off the phone.

True, but its money you would spend anyway. Would you use this phone without unlimited data or a voice plan?

[mrjoec]

True, but its money you would spend anyway. Would you use this phone without unlimited data or a voice plan?

No, but I would use it with the $20 unlimited data plan I already have, instead of the $40 they want me to shell out if I sign up now. And I'd like the option to leave six months from now, if something better comes along, as opposed to being stuck with them for 2 more years.

The bottom line is that the subsidized phones always cost more in the long run. Which is fine, as long as you consider that up front.

[aureatenova]

Cingular will be offering an upgrade discount if you are eligible. However, you get off better with the upgrade if you go for two years plus unlimited data via PDA Connect (the $40 per month plan).

thats true, but i dont really want to upgrade to the "pda connect" at $40/month when I can use my unlimited media net at $20/month and be able to do the exact same thing for cheaper *shrug*

[ScudB]

I did not expect 680 to be cheaper than $500, so this $425 rumour is kind of amusing.