Palm's
In its bumbling wisdom, Sprint-Nextel
Sprint took the offer down a few hours later. The official explanation is that the deal was "put into the system in error."
This is the second close call with the $99 price point. Best Buy
Well, now Sprint is willing to split the difference. As of this morning, the Pre has been marked down to $149. I wonder whether that price point will last, or if that, too, was "put into the system in error." It's a good deal, but it may not be good enough.
Of course, it's just a matter of time before we begin seeing $99 Pre phones in the wild. At least one analyst believes that Pre sales are fading after the initial buzz behind Palm's June launch. Sprint will also be busy promoting Google's
Pricing isn't entirely up to Palm. Keep in mind that dropping the Pre from $199 to $99 doesn't mean Pre will be making half as much as it used to. Carriers subsidize the hottest Apple
This morning's price is a start.
Apple stole the Pre's thunder when it began offering a $99 3G iPhone. The latest entry-level iPhone 3GS sets AT&T
Sprint has tried to position the Pre as a more cost-effective choice, given the carrier's cheaper data plan, but it can just migrate the same campaign to market its Android smartphones next month.
Palm can't let it come to this, even as it lines up new carriers and gears up to this the market with new smartphones, such as the smaller Pixi, which was announced this morning.
If it's too late to strike while the iron is hot, it may as well make a move while the Pre is still at least lukewarm. Inertia is pulling Palm to the $99 price point. It had better get there before the Android-backed HTC Hero takes a call next month.
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