Palm Pre Voice Plans Unveiled

Spring has announced their plans for the Palm Pre. 

• $70 - 450 minutes
• $90 - 900 minutes
• $100 - unlimited
• family plan:  $130 gives Pre folks 1,500 minutes, $170 comes with 3,000 minutes, $190 with unlimited

Unfortuately, the two key pieces of information that most users (maybe switchers from the first gen iPhone) want to know was not unveiled:  availability and how much the Pre will cost.  But judging from the pricing of the device, I have to believe that it's possbile it'll remain competitive with current mobile offerings from competing device makers and wireless providers.  

How did I come to this conclusion?  While the Computerworld article deemed the pricing to be competitive, this is a recession.  Which leads me to believe that Sprint is going to try red in an effort to hook subscribers and return to the black with the standard two-year contracts.  We can be looking at a tiered Pre pricing:  From $199 to $299.  (There is an outside chance this may go as low as $99.  It's what some analysts and bloggers have pointed out.  I merely want the readers to know that.  Personally, I doubt it.)

For folks looking for a side-by-side comparison with the iPhone plans, stop there.  The iPhone plan is crazy high compared to the Pre today (Sprint plan comes loaded with many features not available on the iPhone).  But nothing to get exited over for either camp.  The iPhone is still one of the best mobile devices on the market that is constantly being compared to smartphones, which is a slap in the face.  The Pre isn't out yet.  First half of 2009 is all we know.  Until then, we won't really know more about the plans.

Folks on Gizmodo likes this plan but no one is sure if Sprint is saying these are the only plans you're allowed to use with the Pre.  

Impact On Mobile Warriors:  Outside of the "he said, she said" word war on patents, we won't known where the mobile market stands until Palm lets loose the Pre.  And everyone is judging Pre with last year's iPhone, not the one it'll have to go up with in a matter of months (weeks?).  

I want to believe that in the end, we'll benefit because of competition.  And we will.  I am sure Apple has woken up to the possibility that someone else can come up with a very cool new phone.  Advantage is still to Apple but I'm hoping Palm's reentry into the mobile market will force a reset on voice and data plans.  I've always considered Sprint to be the leader when it comes to introducing new voice or data products.  

And in this recession, mobile warriors, regardless of their choice of mobile weapons, can get all the help we need.

Via Computerworld