Palm Pre drops to $99 for new Sprint customers - Not

[Jos]

Update: Only hours after we reported about Sprint's Palm Pre promotion, the company backtracked and called it a mistake. As of right now, the Palm Pre can still be purchased at a discount ($300 instant savings, plus a $100 mail-in rebate with a 2-year contract) which comes to a total of $150.

Reportedly, Sprint will grant the $99 pricing to those who signed up during the time the promotion was available on their website.

Original story is below.
Looking to spur sales and help sign new customers, Sprint Nextel is offering a $100 service credit to Palm Pre buyers who switch their line from another carrier and commit to a 2-year contract. The credit will be spread out over a three month period on users' bills, essentially halving the price of Palm's smartphone to $99.

The move has been met with mixed reactions around the web. Some believe the offer will cause discontent among loyal Sprint customers who will have to pay the full price while others are given VIP treatment, whereas others see this as a sign of desperation on Sprint's part amid lower than expected sales. Whether or not this is the case, Sprint is clearly trying to grab some additional market share while they still have exclusivity on the Pre.

Both Verizon and AT&T have hinted at plans to start selling the device early next year.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/36137-palm-pre-drops-to-99-for-new-sprint-customers-not.html

 

[Peking Duck]

do u have to switch from another company or can you just open a new line as a new costumer?

 

[levar]

fly_guy said:
do u have to switch from another company or can you just open a new line as a new costumer?

I'm pretty sure you have to.

 

[9Nails]

Competition is good! I had early plans to pick one of these up, but I held back waiting for the HTC Hero. But the Hero isn't as powerful as the Pre. This makes the choice even easier.

 

[Spoofork]

"others see this as a sign of desperation"

Are you serious? I see this move as smart. They have been talking of a price drop for a while and many assumed to see one occur in September or when the Storm 2 came out. I would actually have preffered them to drop it to $99. I want the Pre but I am going to wait until it is below $100 or Ill just get the Pixi. Yes Palm is not doing so well financially so it makes sense to try to get as many customers as they can. They needed to provide an incentive for people to get the Pre instead of an iPhone (as if ATT wasnt a reason enough to never touch the iPhone). They have an up hill battle so I dont think making their product more attractive financially is an act of desperation.