[NBENZ]

yeah i think they need to keep the price under $199, something like $149 or $169 would be awesome but it doubt we will see it that low...only time will tell.

[Banger]

One thing I wonder and not sure if any provider does this but have it so you are billed for the phone each month. Say 5 payments of 40$, I doubt it but I think I will call sprint and ask if they would have payment plan for phones which would be cool.

[zionixi#AC]

If I was an Apple fanboy I would make some stupid joke about Windows and how it crashes but I am not one so sorry to hear that

@Captain Hair +1

actually... It's my MBP that acted up haha. but I think it was combination of my internet, and also Safari 4 Beta... lol

[patchs]

How about $179?
And if you're eligible for $150 off because your Sprint contract is up, that means Pre for $29?
Nah, they wouldn't let me do that, would they?

[PikkonX]

One thing I wonder and not sure if any provider does this but have it so you are billed for the phone each month. Say 5 payments of 40$, I doubt it but I think I will call sprint and ask if they would have payment plan for phones which would be cool.

I'm not 100% sure on how it works, but I believe there's a way you can do this with T-Mobile. My co-worker just recently got a G1 and she's paying the phone off in monthly payments to T-Mobile.

[ThePoisonBerry]

Oh, yeah, a $199 phone could never compete with the iPhone. That's why the $199 Storm and the $199 Instinct never sold well.

I hope you are not being sarcastic. Apple earnings just came in today. Go look up the number of iPhones sold. If you compare the number of units moved of Storm or Instinct against the iPhone. It's no comparison.

Pre must be priced below $199...

[B-model#CB]

I heard it was "fre" with a 10 year contract...

awefull ... just awefull

[Derek Kessler]

How about $179?
And if you're eligible for $150 off because your Sprint contract is up, that means Pre for $29?
Nah, they wouldn't let me do that, would they?

They let me do it with my 755p.

I hope you are not being sarcastic. Apple earnings just came in today. Go look up the number of iPhones sold. If you compare the number of units moved of Storm or Instinct against the iPhone. It's no comparison.

Pre must be priced below $199...

Uh, yeah, definitely being sarcastic.

You're making the mistake of thinking that Palm has to beat the iPhone to win. There's an enormous and ever-expanding market for smartphones out there, and Palm only has to capture a small portion of that to be successful. Considering that RIM has sold millions of Blackberries at $199 and higher even since the iPhone's release, I fail to see why the PrPrPr&#$275$; $must$ $absolutely$ $be$ $below$ $$199$.

[freeridstylee]

I think the price will have a much greater effect on Sprint then Palm. Palm can survive just fine w/a 250 price, but at that price I feel a lot of people who want a pre will just hold out for it to come to GSM, instead of switching to Sprint. If they price it at 99 I think they'll start getting a lot of their waining customer base back, at 149 I think every Joe Blow consumer would rather pay the extra $50 for the pretty glass/metal Iphone.

[dbpaddler]

wouldn't the $150 off bring it down to the $179 or whatever the discounted price would be?

How about $179?
And if you're eligible for $150 off because your Sprint contract is up, that means Pre for $29?
Nah, they wouldn't let me do that, would they?

And I don't see why the Pre has to be cheaper than the iphone. You'll make up the cost difference after three months of paying for service. Have to look at the complete package, not just the price of the phone.

[freeridstylee]

And I don't see why the Pre has to be cheaper than the iphone. You'll make up the cost difference after three months of paying for service. Have to look at the complete package, not just the price of the phone.

Won't finding out how long it'll take to make up the cost difference require math? Because most people aren't too fond of math.


But really Sprint could use that logic and get away a higher initial price if they advertised how much cheaper it would be to own the pre over the Iphone. But if they don't make long run costs prevalent to the masses (through marketing and advertising), the initial price is a very big deal to consumers.

[prereferee]

wouldn't the $150 off bring it down to the $179 or whatever the discounted price would be?


And I don't see why the Pre has to be cheaper than the iphone. You'll make up the cost difference after three months of paying for service. Have to look at the complete package, not just the price of the phone.

I agree with you about the overall long term costs, but very few people factor that into the cost of buying a phone, it is often an afterthought. People will see a Pre for $250 and think "i can get an iPhone for $199" rather than "this Pre is more expensive but over 2 years it will be $500 cheaper" or "I can make up that price difference after 1 month of service" (I am just making up a numbers here for examples).

Barring a significant ad blitz by Sprint about total cost of ownership, including signs in stores showing a comparison of long term costs, I think it will be hard for Pre to generate massive sales above the iPhone price point. And even with such an effort it still could be for naught; people will still only see iPhone $199 and Pre $250. Yes, most of us might be willing to pay $250 for it, but you get better mass market appeal at the iPhone price level and below.

I will hope for $150, I will be happy with $199, I would probably pay $250, but I think the device will be a hard sell above $199.

[sir_mycroft]

This is what I see happening:

Sprint will have a varying price structure -

1) New to Sprint - Pre for $149 with two year contract, instant and mail-in rebates.

2) Off contract - $549

3) Upgrade eligibility will be based on off contract price, so either $474 or $399 for existing Sprint customers.

Best Buy will also offer the Pre at or near Sprint's release -

1) New and existing Sprint customers with full upgrade - $199, with instant an mail-in rebates.

2) One year upgrade eligible Sprint users - $274

3) Off contract, same as Sprint - $549

[cardfan]

I think the price will have a much greater effect on Sprint then Palm. Palm can survive just fine w/a 250 price, but at that price I feel a lot of people who want a pre will just hold out for it to come to GSM, instead of switching to Sprint. If they price it at 99 I think they'll start getting a lot of their waining customer base back, at 149 I think every Joe Blow consumer would rather pay the extra $50 for the pretty glass/metal Iphone.

Depends on what Palm gets per phone with Sprint. Sprint can only sub it so much.

I think it goes 249-299 given that supply isn't likely to be that high and given the demand.

Sprint is also subsidizing its plans (vs competitors) and if they can't market that in the right way to get that point across then they should raise em and simply lower the price of every phone they have. I bet ya if you gave a survey to SMARTPHONE buyers and asked them who they thought offered the best value in plans, it'd be all over the place.

Having the cheapest plans and then only marketing the 99 dollar plan is stupid. They should announce Employee Pricing Plans (fits with the recession) and go with 59, 79, and 99 (basically current SERO) and hammer that 59 a month to death. Make text a 10 dollar addon or not...but stress 59 to people. The term "everything" confuses people if that term is in all your plans...its should be reserved for the 99 plan only.

[dbpaddler]

I don't really care about the opinions of dumb people. If someone can't figure out paying $20 less a month will make up the cost differential in less than three months, then shame on them. And shame on the salesperson who can't make that point clear.

Won't finding out how long it'll take to make up the cost difference require math? Because most people aren't too fond of math.

Why do people automatically assume you mean it'll be priced higher when you say something doesn't have to cost less than another product? If both the iPhone and the Pre are priced at $199, the people that automatically go to the iphone probably weren't very open to begin with.

The single reason I wouldn't sell it for less is I don't want the perception that the Pre is a cheaper product and therefore lesser quality than the iphone. Apple is already on their higher priced/better quality quick. And right off the back just from a 2 second visual you see a real keyboard. If I'm a customer, and I see a real keyboard as opposed to a virtual one for the same price, I'm definitely going to check out the one with the real keyboard.

[CJDynasty]

POINT BLANK, If I have to pay more that 199.99 as an existing PREMIER Sprint customer (who is eligible for full upgrade), then I will not get it. I am in love with the phone like the next man/woman, but there are way better deals out there. Especially since the price will do nothing but tank months after the official release.

[mike5]

"Pre must be priced below $199"

Today I ended up sharing a van ride to a hotel in NYC w/a family in town for a wedding. In the last few minutes of the ride, the 4 yr old son recognized my Palm Treo. When I showed my surprise, the Dad said his son knew his phones. I said I was holding out for a new phone. The Father asked if it was the Palm Pre. When I said yes, he said he worked for Sprint.

We briefly talked about possible release dates & pricing. No inside knowledge to be gained in the last two minutes of the ride, except we both agreed Sprint would be making a HUGE mistake if they priced the Pre over $199. He was confident those involved understood this.

Hoping to find out soon.

Cheers

[MaxLaw]

150 would seriously rock and do mega sales for Palm and Sprint. Heck, I might by 10 at 150

Yeah...but would you or I go with Sprint (CDMA network) for that kind of money? Or AT&T (where cell service in NYC is a challenge)? Now, if it was a T-Mobile, then count me in. Of course, I would pay double that (well, almost) for an Unlocked GSM!

[bulls96]

i think SPrint should be agressive...

sell the Pre for $99 if you sign up for the Simply Everything Plan...

i see that benefiting both Palm and Sprint

[Aero]

Oh, yeah, a $199 phone could never compete with the iPhone. That's why the $199 Storm and the $199 Instinct never sold well.

I hope you are not being sarcastic. Apple earnings just came in today. Go look up the number of iPhones sold. If you compare the number of units moved of Storm or Instinct against the iPhone. It's no comparison. Pre must be priced below $199...

Instinct launched in a hot market. the economy is trash and the phone prices have come down with Best buy having iphone as low as $99 and newest instinct at $50.

I dont think it need to be below $199 but I don't think it will be above it. I think $200 is the sweet-spot for the Pre.

This is what I see happening:
Sprint will have a varying price structure -
1) New to Sprint - Pre for $149 with two year contract, instant and mail-in rebates.
2) Off contract - $549
3) Upgrade eligibility will be based on off contract price, so either $474 or $399 for existing Sprint customers.

Best Buy will also offer the Pre at or near Sprint's release -

1) New and existing Sprint customers with full upgrade - $199, with instant an mail-in rebates.
2) One year upgrade eligible Sprint users - $274
3) Off contract, same as Sprint - $549

I think that the off contract price will be very high, perhaps $650 for the purpose of prestige.