New from Sprint: The $99 Palm Pre [UPDATED]
by John Paczkowski
Posted on September 8, 2009 at 10:02 AM PT
UPDATE:Well, that was fast. Sprint has cancelled the offer.
Sprint effectively lowered the price of the Palm Pre today to $99 for new customers only, offering a $100 service credit to those who port their numbers over from another carrier. To be eligible for the promotion, first noted by Pali Research, customers must purchase the Pre along with a two-year service agreement and abandon their current carriers. Agree to that and Sprint will apply a $100 credit to your monthly bill over a three-month period.
The offer, which begins today and runs through Oct. 10 (or Oct. 31, depending on which page of Sprint’s site you’re looking at), should goose sales, if only a bit–assuming Sprint (S) advertises the Palm (PALM) Pre offering.
“We believe sales of the Pre have been fairly stable over the past month but a price cut to $99 should stimulate sales into the end of Q3, as it would for any popular phone,” Pali Research analyst Walter Piecyk told Digital Daily. “Operators have been getting more aggressive on phone subsidies in Q3, which is likely a reflection of the maturity of the wireless industry in the United States, which is at 90 percent penetration.” (Click on image below to enlarge.)
UPDATE: Here’s the official explanation from Sprint, which seems to have resolved its internal confusion over the offer’s expiration date.
“Starting today, customers can get a $100 service credit when they move their number from another wireless carrier to a Palm Pre from Sprint and activate a new line of service with a two-year agreement. The $100 service credit will be applied to the customer’s Sprint bill within three invoices. This offer is available in to consumers and individual-liable business customers in all channels except WalMart. The offer expires Oct. 10, 2009.”
UPDATE: Sprint has cancelled the offer. You’ll find further details, here.
