The column that was the first to report that Verizon will indeed get the Palm Pre in early 2010 despite rumors to the contrary, reports that the same source that gave them this exclusive information more or less confirmed that Verizon will get the iPhone in 2010 – most likely in late June or early July

android · Apple · Handhelds · iPhone · PalmPre · Smartphone · Verizon · Verizon Communications

Still not Verizon, but Pre Central reports that the Pixi is coming to At&t:

Now we have heard from a very reliable source that an AT&T-branded Palm Pixi has been spotted out there on San Francisco mass transit.

Verizon – still waiting…

at&t · California · Metro Areas · Public transport · San Francisco · San Francisco Bay Area · United States · Verizon

Every year, Consumer Reports magazine asks readers what they like and don’t like about their cell phone service.

This year’s survey of more than 50,000 readers is in the January issue.

The Best:
Verizon: The largest wireless carrier, after its acquisition of Alltel last year, it had the highest user rating. Verizon was above all in overall summary ratings. Including: customer service, voice connectivity, and data services.

Problem: It is expensive, called “the Cadillac” if cell phone services.

Another problem – not having the Palm Pre…

[source: CBS news]

Alltel · Cadillac · cellphones · Consumer Reports · Customer service · Mobile network operator · Mobile phone · Verizon

Palm may prove to be Verizon’s best hope if the Droid line doesn’t bear fruit, Kaufman Bros analyst Shaw Wu said in a note today. He points to contacts within the cell industry and supply chain that suggest Verizon will carry one or more of Palm’s webOS phones, such as the Pre or Pixi, sometime in 2010. Sales of both the Motorola Droid and HTC’s Droid Eris have purportedly been “somewhat disappointing” and may lead to Verizon using Palm to bolster its smartphone catalog.
Adoption of the smartphones could happen as early as the first half of the year as Sprint’s exclusive isn’t expected to last past 2009. Verizon’s wireless chief Lowell McAdam has also signaled a desire to attach Palm’s new devices to the network.

Wu adds that Palm has advantages that can’t necessarily be matched by Android. Although Google’s platform has multi-manufacturer support, Palm can directly tie software to new hardware features and supports full multi-touch where Android 2.0 only has limited recognition. Accordingly, Palm can produce a more cohesive experience even with more limited resources.

Claims of sub-par Droid sales are new and may partly contradict rough predictions that more than a quarter million have bought the Droid in its first week. While a fraction of Apple’s iPhone 3GS launch numbers even in the US, the Droid is thought to have had a better launch than the Pre and T-Mobile’s myTouch 3G, both of which are estimated to have moved about 60,000 units each in their opening weekends.

Barclays Capital analyst Amir Rozwadowski partly backed Wu’s analysis in his own note today. He warns that demand for the Pre is “tempered” this fall and that Palm’s limited recognition in Europe won’t help the company but stresses that the smartphone designer is in a stable position with little immediate risk. Rozwadowski also expects Palm to reach Verizon and says it could be a “critical part” of the company’s strategy to branch out to Verizon, possibly with a launch for the Pre in February.

[Source: Electronista]

Apple · Google · HTC Corporation · iPhone · Lowell McAdam · Smartphone · T-Mobile · Verizon

Online phone retailer Wirefly is launching the Palm Pixi at a price lower than you’ll find anywhere else: $24.95 for new contract customers. Current Sprint customers won’t left out in the cold either – they’ll be able to pick up the Pixi from Wirefly for a mere $99.99 with a renewed contract. Both new customers and current Sprint subscribers will be treated to a rebate-free experience.

[Source: Pre Central]

Handhelds · Palm · Palm OS · palm pixi · Sprint · Sprint Nextel · Unix and Linux · Verizon

While we are still waiting for the Pre and the Pixi to come to Verizon, here is the Pixi ad:

Advertising · cellphones · Content Filtering · iPhone · Proxying and Filtering · Servers · Verizon · Verizon Communications

The Pixi, the Palm Pre’s diminutive smart-phone sibling, arrives at market a few days from now (Nov. 15), and despite some potential pricing confusion with the Pre, analysts expect it to be another catalyst for the company’s comeback. In a note to clients today, Bank of America/Merrill Lynch (BAC) analyst Vivek Arya said Palm (PALM) is well-poised for growth in 2010.

“Despite increasing smartphone competition, Palm can maintain differentiation and remains well-positioned to launch its products with multiple new Tier-1 carriers in early 2010 by which time it should have a robust apps catalog,” Arya wrote. “While we expect the stock to remain volatile, the recent sell-off creates an interesting buying opportunity, in our opinion, for a company with an attractive platform, selling into a high-growth market, and at a compelling valuation.”

Interestingly, Arya notes that Palm’s webOS application ecosystem, initially something of a disappointment, is growing a bit more rapidly these days with between 50 and 100 apps being added to Palm’s App Catalog each week. He expects growth to continue with the debut of a new feature enabling customers to download apps simply by clicking on a URL. Arya believes this will dramatically improve discovery of apps and attract more attention from developers. His conclusion: With a more robust App Catalog and two attractive handsets, Palm is well-positioned to launch its webOS line with multiple new Tier-1 carriers like Verizon (VZ) in early 2010.

[Source: All Things Digital]

Verizon · WebOS

Verizon will soon release the latest BlackBerry smartphone, the BlackBerry Storm 2, and the Telegraph poses the question, given the option of the new BlackBerry Storm 2, iPhone and Palm Pre, which should you choose?

Check their BlackBerry Storm 2 review video:

PalmPre · Verizon

Last week we heard that we won’t get the Palm Pre at Verizon. Now the Examiner says that Verizon may be carrying an updated version of the Pre: one that has more memory (or a micro-sd slot), has a slightly bigger screen, and one that fixes the screen bleed problem.
Great news!

PalmPre · Verizon

Verizon