MacDailyNews Take: Now, is this because Pre units fall apart in users’ hands, they have no apps, the device’s antique mechanical keyboard is permanently stuck in vertical position, the company’s run by unethical moochers, and Pre is just not selling very well, or for some other reason(s)?
Mortiz continues, “The move would be a dramatic setback for the up-from-the-ashes Palm story. The company desperately needs to secure more telco partners to sell its flagship phone… Reached for comment on Verizon, a Palm representative says the company has never named Verizon as one of its partners.”
MacDailyNews Take: Sounds like an admission to us.
Moritz continues, “If the snub is true, the move would also be a reversal of Verizon’s position in May, when wireless chief Lowell McAdam told investors the Pre was coming in six months. Sources did say that Verizon could be more delicate about the decision and order just a small amount of Pre phones with no intention of lending much marketing support.”
Mortiz reports, “The reason for Verizon’s change of heart on Palm has to do with several factors, say these sources. The fact that the Palm Pre has not been the blockbuster in sales that it was expected to be is one problem… Another snag is Verizon’s VCast, its applications and mobile media download service, …is in direct conflict with Palm’s app store.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: We’ve learned and struggled for a few years here figuring out how to make a decent phone. PC guys are not going to just figure this out. They’re not going to just walk in. – Palm CEO Ed Colligan, commenting on then-rumored Apple iPhone, Nov. 16, 2006
Bloodbath.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dale S.” for the heads up.]
lol ouch.. that has to sting.
Verizon sucks tho.
I use to work for VZW they have everything dissabled so u have to pay for everything in their horrible vcast store. Palm pre would actually gave been one of the best phones they could have had besides the iPhone
Articles quotes the original Vz quote: “a phone like the Pre”. So who knows what, if any, Palm product they will end up with.
“Another snag is Verizon’s VCast, its applications and mobile media download service, …is in direct conflict with Palm’s app store.”
Wireless providers should be nothing more than conduits (i.e.: ISP’s) for information & data, but no, they want to be nickel & dime their customers to death (by 1000 cuts).
Like the music cartels, they want to extract every penny they possibly can while their current business model is still viable.
Earth to Verizon, the ‘jig’ is up. Good luck in the future.
Verizon, you stupid sons of bitches. This has nothing to do with sales of the Pre, it’s about the fact that Palm wouldn’t make a customized version of webOS in ugly red where everything is purchased through the VCast store. It’s the same reason why they foolishly rejected the iPhone.
If Verizon hasn’t changed their ways then all hope is lost of ever seeing an iPhone on their network. Damn them to hell.
That is the first honest article from Moritz. How about that!
Hey Earl wanna try T-Mobile? Or maybe Metro?
I love how MDN has a huge KICK-ARSE ARCHIVE of quotes from these executives (that seem to know it all) ready to unload at any given opportune moment! ….such as this one!
BOO-YAAA!
MDN = FTW!
More likely because Verizon wouldn’t be allowed complete and total control over the OS, Apps and cherry picking of what functionality they wanted it to provide.
PC guys won’t just walk in. Mac guys, however …
“or for some other reason(s)?”
It could be that Verizon is afraid that an iPhone look-a-like might put a strain on their fragile data network. Not that it could, but Verizon doesn’t know that.
Remember Verizon is the one that passed on the iPhone, they’re not very good at predicting the future.
It’s mostly about control – Verizon does not want to be “just the pipes.” Therefore, people hoping for a Verizon iPhone will continue to be disappointed. And Apple will continue to do just fine without Verizon.
LOL, it’s all good. Verizon wants crap phones that it can control, aka limit, completely. Palm is stuck with Sprint. People don’t realize how before the iPhone, the carriers had all the control. They told the mfrs what to put on and in the phones. And, it seems Verizon still wants to.
The 2nd paragraph was just LOL!
thank you!
The pre interface in inefficient to say the least, it makes me sick! And I was hoping for something good from palm it’s been a long time coming, they have obviously lost sight of what’s important, I would rather use a zune than a pre that’s saying alot
Birdbath.
B…b…b…but MULTITASKING!!!
Pre: Before but finished.
So much for the iPhone on Verizon rumors. Aside from Verizon’s obsolescent cellular technology, I imagine iTunes and App Store might just be, um, competition, for their, what is it?, VCast.
Since Palm aren’t in a strong bargaining position, Verizon isn’t about to give up their obsolete VCast idea for the likes of a Pre which isn’t doing so well.
If the iPhone were to come to Verizon, however, Apple would have enough clout to at least get Verizon to reconsider, maybe. Though from their current attitude this doesn’t seem likely to happen.
Verizon should get those new Microsoft girlie diaphragm case Turtle phones!
Now if ATT would just commit to a crash program to build a better pipeline, they could push Verizon down to Palm’s level. Expensive, but ultimately worth it.
HAHAHah! Sorry, I just can’t help but laugh. I had the chance to play with a Pre last week and though, I have to say it blows WinMo out of the water software-wise. But the whole phone feels like some cheap plastic toy you would trade tickets for at a Dave and Busters.
Has anyone ever seen anyone actually use VCast? I didn’t even know it was still around . . . .
The Other Steve said: “. . . they’re [Verizon] not very good at predicting the future.”
Actually, they’re seeing it perfectly – it’s a future where wireless carriers are wireless pipes, and companies like Apple control the content. That’s why VW doesn’t want anyone to be able to do anything on its network.
That, and all the extra fees they’re charging right now. Gotta get those fees while they still can, because one fee unlimited use is coming.
I have to agree with the general sentiment of the commenters. It has nothing to do with the Pre specifically, its verizon’s desire to control every little aspect of the device. They just don’t get it
OK, so it used to annoy the heck out of me when everyone got on the forum and bashed the crap out of ATandT.
With the way Verizon just got an @$$wooping on this post, I have to say the ATandT bashing will not bother me so much anymore. Y’all hate equally.
The Pre isn’t doing so well because it’s not on Verizon.
iPhone-starved Verizon customers would have snapped them up.
But the Pre wouldn’t have brought a lot of new customers to Verizon and therefore couldn’t justify the effort to bring them on board.
Then again, if Verizon knows something we don’t, like they are getting the iPhone down the road . . . nah, they just don’t want to give up control.
It’s because VZW are in secret talks to get the iPhone.
One of Steve’s conditions is that Verizon doesn’t touch the Pre…
Steve uses an iPhone, and like the rest of us, get’s very pissed off when he drops a call or misses a voice mail.
Isn’t it funny that when Scott Moritz reports on Apple, he’s labeled [correctly] a hack and an idiot. However when he talks about an Apple competitor, there’s not even a mention of how bad his track record is about getting facts correct.
Verizon snubs Palm, but nowhere in the article is it explicitly stated that Verizon chooses Apple.
@Jerry T: “Steve uses an iPhone, and like the rest of us, get’s very pissed off when he drops a call or misses a voice mail.”
I don’t know anyone who likes dropped calls or missed voice mails. But on ATT, I have almost none. They are far away the best carrier I have had from a quality perspective. I’ve been on all the providers except Metro at one time or another, and have friends spread around on them as well. They ALL drop calls and have calls go straight to VM. In my particular neighborhood, there is no Verizon signal, so even if Verizon got the iPhone, and ATT dropped cancellation fees, and there was a rebate for signing up, I would not go to Verizon. No one cell carrier is a panacea. Ideally, we need the iPhone on multiple carriers. That way, people can choose the voice & data networs that works best for them, and hopefully, the competition would cause data network improvements for everyone.
@ cogitoergomac
as everyone else agrees here, Verizon is a pain. However, I wouldn’t place ATT much higher. Both leave much to be desired from the consumer’s standpoint.
The only wireless provider that seems to offer good prices, customer service, and decent quality service is T-Mobile. This is probably because T-Mobile is a smaller company and therefore, with limited budget, it chooses to differentiate itself via quality rather than huge advertising campaigns.
Legions of potential iPhone customers still await the day when T-Mobile is allowed to sell it.
@ Mike
And your comments on T-Mobile’s network capacity?
@ Paul –
Yes, T-Mobile has been slow in their 3G rollout, no question. They don’t offer the iPhone, so they figured they didn’t need to rush. But is there a wireless carrier that isn’t challenged with capacity limitations?
The bigger problem with T-Mobile is their limited coverage area — again, AT&T;is the gorilla.
I like T-Mobile because it still has among the lowest rates for voice and data plans in the USA. It doesn’t even require a data plan for smartphones. And you can actually talk to a polite English-speaking person if you need any customer service. Quite a difference from AT&T;.
@Paul,
most of us don’t live in the wilderness so network is not an issue. It’s a GSM company so it has more flexibility on the phone selections, and I’m very happy with my Nokia N82. Besides it got good pricing and plan selection than ATT.