Pondering Palm's Pre Prep Plans - Page 2

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At the same time, two other unconfirmed reports are circulating that a lower-cost version of the Pre, dubbed Pixie and priced at $100, would be out a few months after the Pre. Another unit, the EOS, could be priced at $349 excluding any carrier rebates, is also rumored to be on tap.

The GSM/HSDPA EOS phone, seen as the successor to the Pre, also runs on the new Palm webOS and reportedly features a 2.6-inch, 320 x 400 display, 2-megapixel camera, cellular video and 4GB of storage, according to the blog Engadget Mobile.

Palm execs have said they intend to roll out a whole ecosystem based on its new mobile operating system, webOS, so it's not surprising that one or two other handsets are in the queue for release this year to cover different price points.

Still, Dulaney said successful roll out for Palm really depends on carriers and apps. "If they want more operators in the U.S. they will have to have more models. Operators wont take the same exact model. They want differentiation. The rebate price is what matters, and it better be close to the iPhone. And then it comes down to applications. What has Palm got? They should have announced something by now," said Dulaney.

Palm has not announced much in terms of new apps, though it did announce an OS emulator, that will allow the Pre to run most applications designed for Palm's earlier operating system, called Palm OS. Palm has said it's positioning the emulator as a tool to facilitate the switch to its new webOS mobile platform, saying "it gives users peace of mind as they transition."

Palm declined to comment on any Pre or EOS reports, except to say it is happy with the response it got when inviting people on the company blog to sign on as reviewers. "Eos reporting has all been based on rumors, and Palm doesn't comment on rumors or speculation." The same goes for the Pre release date. All Palm has confirmed is that Pre's on track for the first half of 2009.

"The Real Reviewers program has indeed received a great response, not only on Palm's blog, Facebook and Twitter channels, but also in the blogosphere at large. The survey closed last Friday, and Palm will be contacting the chosen participants this Friday, May 8," a Palm spokesperson told InternetNews.com.