Update: More information on the Palm Pixie
Update #2: This story is breaking incredibly fast – we’ve already got even more details, including the name and hardware specs.
I came across some very interesting news today. I was mostly minding my own business, hammering away at our various sources in the hardware industry and trying to dig up some sort of information on exactly when the Palm Pre (pictured right) might be launching, and how many of them will be available. Rumors are flying about both of those issues over the last couple of days.
And then, wham! A whole new rabbit hole to jump down. One of our better sources indicated to us that Palm is “very far along” on a second Pre-like device and currently has plans to put it on the market in the late part of 2009, possibly as early as the Fall.
This is too soon for a second generation device (Apple releases new generation iPhones yearly). and Palm won’t be expecting people to upgrade their Palm Pre to this new device just a few months after buying a Pre. It’s addressing a different part of the market.
The details are still slim – it’s a smaller device (and hopefully that means slimmer), but it will run Palm’s new WebOS operating system that everyone is raving about. We’re trying to determine if the device has a physical keyboard – no word on that yet.
There have been lots of rumors about Apple releasing an iPhone Nano (or alternatively iPhone Mini) in the past, none of which have turned out to be true (and many of which were very funny). It may be that Palm, seeing all that user excitement over a small form iPhone, decided to jump ahead and create a mini Pre of their own. So until we hear otherwise, we’re calling this new phone the Mini-Pre.
And just like when we broke the news of the Palm Pre on CrunchGear, you heard it here first.
Ok, I can get back to digging up those Palm Pre build numbers and launch date now.
Mini-Pre. Way to think on your feet Mike.
Rounded corner for screen looks puzzling. They are gone with tv.
Love the Austin Powers reference. Palm would be smart to bring a cheaper alternative to the market, unless by making things smaller it just means they’ll charge an even higher premium for it…
Good find, though I hope they make sure the pre they have already announced is launched on time and with the right developer support. Wife has iPhone and it’s a great browser and handheld but I’m still a blackberry user because I need to feel the keys. The pre looks to me to have all the right stuff and it’s that or the Nokia N97 this fall. @retrevo_robb
The fact that this news is out there could be disastrous for Palm, since it may make people who would otherwise be interested in the Pre wait until the next device is released.
Typo Mike:
“you heard it hear first”
should be “here”
Shouldn’t it be the Post?
Pre-quel?
Nice!
@retrevo_robb
That would be so hot, a thinner pre. Excellent. just give me a virtual keyboard with vibrating feedback and that’s all i need anyway. that being said, i’m so getting the first Pre on day 1.
Well it looks cool, but that’s half the battle.
I like Lam-Pre (like lamprey) which will suck the life essence (top line revenue) out of other fish (vendors) in the lake (market).. which is exactly what another entrant will do — i.e. a iPhone, WM, Nokia, BB, etc. won’t be in the pocket of a mobile subscriber.
kool
Bring on all this non-existent, unproven, lame tin-can-on-a-string crap. iPhonies have a whole new phone to compete with come June.
iPhones are great but price for an unlocked is pretty stiff.
…word was out about a smaller webos product back in January.
http://www.palm...s-in-the-works/
The Palm Pre looks very promising, but it’s success will be tied to how soon its available on other carriers besides Sprint.
I plan on switching to Sprint for the Palm Pre. I currently have the original iPhone on AT&T and my contract is up in June.
One Pre rumor at a time please
I’ve never read so much about any product that has absolutely no buzz among my technophile friends. None. Nada. As in…crickets.
Reason: we like our iPhones and Blackberries. All of us have one or the other, or in many cases both. Neither are perfect, but…we still like em. No matter what the Pre does, it isn’t such a revolutionary product. At best its incremental. Or its better in some ways, worse in others. And since we’re generally happy with what we have, we simply don’t care.
I know the media needs stuff to buzz about at the moment, and that’s fine. But don’t mistake your interest for ours.
(and those “accidental” sightings are so obviously staged)
Sarah, I think the key issue here is that despite it SEEMING like “everyone” has an iPhone…they don’t. Believe me, I hate being out-technologied (?) by everyone…and I *do* have an iPod Touch, had to get it…but I’m locked into Sprint for a variety of reasons.
And the buzz in my circle is actually rather palpable – I’m not the only one. Even among those with iPhones, they’re at least curious – they’ve been the technology leaders, and now they’re worried that their lofty status may be threatened.
I can’t wait. Well, I can, and I will, but I’d rather not.
>But don’t mistake your interest for ours.
Funny comment when you are clearly mistaking your lack of interest for others. The web hits that Pre posts generate and the growth in traffic at Palm make it clear that your anecdotal evidence falls flat in the face of the larger picture.
A lot of times I’ve wondered about a smaller Iphone/Pre. A while ago I wanted a smaller phone than an iphone but at the same time, for a lot of stuff, you can’t make the screen much smaller or it’s useless for all the cool stuff. I’m still using the smallest plain vanilla phone I could find waiting for a smaller iphone/pre!
Great. Let’s forget something that’s not even out yet
I like the comment. The palm WebOS that everyone is raving about. Really How many people have even got their hands on to try WebOS? Everyone? Lets all take a deep breath and stand back from the super hype about this vapourware till we actually get to use one in the real world. I was kind of disappointed to learn you need web access most of the time to use apps except a few core ones. Thats a killer for me and alot of my friends. We like the idea of a web independant device. I still use my iphone on prepay so no data contract and just hook into wifi as needed but if I had to rely on a web connection that is a deal killer. iPhone apps that came out originally where web based and it made it a pain in the butt so I was always scanning the apps in the app store before I bought to make sure they didnt need a web connection. I hope Palm has a nice device and it sells well for them but I sure get the feeling that the super duper hype machine is well in action and cant help but feel it may not live up to peoples expectations. Just because they seem so high.
“I was kind of disappointed to learn you need web access most of the time to use apps except a few core ones.”
This is simply not true. The apps for WebOS are built using “web2.0 coding” i.e. HTML & Java script but they run natively on the device with no connection required. Synergy Palm’s new sync technology automatically keeps you up to date with numerous online sorces but that data is stored on the phone. If you have a contact from Facebook on your Pre you will still have access to it if you drop out of coverage.
This is a misconception that continues to float around even after Palm has answered direct questions that all data is backed up on the device.
Or the Pre Nano?
Arrington made me click like on this. Heh.
Scoble!!! Don’t become a tool!
Wait, Scoble isn’t already a tool?! J/K.
Hey, Hand me that Scoble Wrench…
And if Arrington told you to click on the fire would you do that too? Huh?
Kevin- Haha well I like to think not… What standards are we talking about? Does a tool have to be helpful and productive? If so, then Scoble fails! (jk Robert!)
This great palm mobile and that would be so hot, a thinner pre. Excellent. just give me a virtual keyboard with vibrating feedback and that’s all i need anyway. that being said, i’m so getting the first Pre on day 1.
I get to touch before you. I’m a phone advocate. I get it before you.
Can I watch you touch it?
Palm MiniPre? No…
How about The Palm PreMe instead?
We are not sure whether the comments are true, but it certainly makes sense for Palm to have another device that targets a different segment of the market. Palm’s challenge with Pre isn’t so much features on the phone; it is overcoming Apple’s huge and growing ecosystem of 3rd party software & hardware ecosystem. Having another device to broaden their addressable market will also mean increasing the addressable market for their 3rd party developers, thus attracting more of them.
- SkratchBoard.com
http://www.pock...kberry_bold.jpg
Very Exciting stuff. Cant wait.
Michael: I have to say TC is always a good read. I get some news, and a few laughs. Ever read William Burroughs? String all the comments your articles generate together, it makes an incredible stream of consciousness read. Surreal.
Palm’s challenge with Pre isn’t so much features on the phone; it is overcoming Apple’s huge and growing ecosystem of 3rd party software & hardware ecosystem
officialtech
Has anyone else noticed the name of this device sounds like what’s happening when you’re watching porn?
NOPE!
OK,………. after all of the comments.
Do you feel the Palm Pre will be a good or bad purchase?
Yes, No, Good or Bad?
I am a reasonably happy Sprint customer (because of their family plan and data plan cost structure) and longtime Palm aficionado. If I can get a Pre with the same plan that I now have then I will do so almost regardless of the cost of the phone. But I’m hearing that I will have to go to a different plan which would cost much more on a monthly basis. If so, I’ll just wait for some thing more competitive to come along.
I agree with Pete’s comment. I have a pretty good plan with sprint and as much as I want either the blackberry or palm pre, I don’t want to HAVE to increase my plan, rates, or costs. I get 1000 min. for $45/mth and $5/mth for text, why should I have to pay $99/mth plus all the ridiculous taxes (that I think they just make up as they go along, I mean no one can seam to explain the need or justification for all those extra surcharges and fees) so i’d actually end up paying more like $150 for their so called $99 everything plan. Not to mention that none of them give their loyal current customers good deals on the new phones as they do for brand new customers. I might as well just sign up for a new service every other year to the best deal, especially since they allow you to take you phone# with you no matter what service you decide to go with. NOT TO MENTION WITH METRO PCS AND BOOST TALK COMING OUT WITH THEIR EVERYTHING PLANS FOR $50, ALL THE OLD SERVICES MAY START TO LOSE THIS BIDDING BATTLE BETWEEN THE CELL PHONE PROVIDERS.
& I’D LOVE TO HEAR ANY COMMENTS OR RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT I JUST LISTED AS THE DOWNSIDES OR JUST BEING SCR-WED BY ALL THESE CELL COMPANIES.
i LOVE THIS BLOG
ChrisNBK – May 5th, 2009 at 2:01 am PDT
I agree with Pete’s comment. I have a pretty good plan with sprint and as much as I want either the blackberry or palm pre, I don’t want to HAVE to increase my plan, rates, or costs. I get 1000 min. for $45/mth and $5/mth for text, why should I have to pay $99/mth plus all the ridiculous taxes (that I think they just make up as they go along, I mean no one can seam to explain the need or justification for all those extra surcharges and fees) so i’d actually end up paying more like $150 for their so called $99 everything plan. Not to mention that none of them give their loyal current customers good deals on the new phones as they do for brand new customers. I might as well just sign up for a new service every other year to the best deal, especially since they allow you to take you phone# with you no matter what service you decide to go with. NOT TO MENTION WITH METRO PCS AND BOOST TALK COMING OUT WITH THEIR EVERYTHING PLANS FOR $50, ALL THE OLD SERVICES MAY START TO LOSE THIS BIDDING BATTLE BETWEEN THE CELL PHONE PROVIDERS.
& I’D LOVE TO HEAR ANY COMMENTS OR RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT I JUST LISTED AS THE DOWNSIDES OR JUST BEING SCR-WED BY ALL THESE CELL COMPANIES.
have something to say about both phones iphone and pre…I was waiting for the pre like crazy, in the mean time I upgraded my phone n was put on waiting list, I have been checking the pre in the sprint store and let me tell you “I had a dream/fantasy with it but once I tried just for ten minutes , I got lil dissapointed, no video! Ok who likes the quality of 3gpp videos? Noone does but also the phone looks like a toy and too fragile.=( .on the other hand my brother just got an iphone and damn man it rocks , I can see thinks better and its easier to navigate …the price of their plan for a family plan is too expensive and the screen could have been better not like a square . For now I’m just using a blacberry and I’m surprised it is so cool and u cab download many apps n they work fine!. Conclusion I think iphones are more user friendly than the so confusing pre system. The pre should have better casing.