Thursday, April 30, 2009

Palm Pre Release Date Quickie

Don't get all excited(yet). I just wanted to remind folks that are going bananas over the release date of the Palm Pre, and whether it's too close to 'this date' or 'that event' or all of the other similar things that are spreading around the world... take a look back at the history of Sprint device releases, and i'm sure you'll see a pattern, and it's certainly not by chance that it happens that way. The launch date for devices is generally on a Sunday for retail - but you must also remember that these devices are always available via direct ship channels (i.e. Telesales) on the Thursday before.

I am NOT saying the device will launch on a Sunday, but only if it was to be a standard Sunday launch process, then you could order the device at 6 o'clock Thursday morning, and have it in your hands by Friday afternoon. So keep that in mind when you're attempting to rule particular days in or out just because some event is either too close or too far away from whatever date you've picked.

What I CAN say is that all of our retail stores were assigned product ambassadors who will not only receive a Pre that they will get to keep, but in the email they received, it detailed how many weeks before launch certain things would happen (like being selected as an ambassador, phone shipped, begin demo'ing, etc...) .. so if you know anyone that got one of those emails, then you will come much closer to narrowing down the date :)

32 comments:

  1. [...] date woes From: Palm Pre Release Date Quickie « Inside Sprint Now [...]

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  3. This is my new favorite blog :) Pre news, Sprint news, and even brain teasers!

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  4. [...] be camping out... I'll already have my Pre! Check out the Inside Sprint Now blog for more --> Palm Pre Release Date Quickie Inside Sprint Now __________________ Palm Pre Wallpapers Check out the FREE Palm Pre Wallpaper gallery on Flickr [...]

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  5. [...] Palm Pre Release Date Quickie « Inside Sprint Now [...]

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  6. I'm a current Verizon customer, who may switch to Sprint for the Pre. I wanted to go ahead and find the local ambassador to learn about the phone and have a contact at release.

    Calling the local Sprint store, I asked for the person who was going to be their 'Pre expert'. I was forwarded to him, and the following conversation ensued.

    "Sprint, this is Earl" (bored voice)
    Hello, I wanted to ask some questions about the upcoming Palm Pre and your plans for it. Have you had a chance to use one?
    "No."
    Ah, ok. Do you know when you're going to get one in?
    "No."
    I'm currently on Verizon, and depend on a feature there where our network monitoring systems send pages to me through a modem. Does Sprint support that?
    "I dunno. I haven't had any training on the Pre. I'm just the Pre Advocate."
    Ok. Do you know when you're going to get the training?
    "No."
    Ah. Ok, thanks for your time.

    All of this in the most disinterested tone you can imagine. If this is an 'Advocate', I'd hate to see a regular salesperson.

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  7. I have just a quick question and it might server others as well. Is the Palm Pre going to be covered by insurance through Sprint? I know when ATT released the Iphone that there was no insurance on it from them or anyone else but that's changed now. I don't plan on dropping it but things do happen.

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  8. ok, i have a question regarding the sprint contracts. i currently am on the sprint simply everything family plan, and the account is under my dad's name. however, we have been sprint customers for about 10 years now, and we have been off the contract for about 5 years. my dad does not want to renew his contract. BUT i want to get the palm pre, and i really would much rather pay the contract price, vs the unsubsidized price. If i were to get a contract, would the rest of my family also have to get the contract? If not, and i could just get a contract myself, what would happen if my dad decided he wanted to leave sprint? would he be allowed, or would he have to have to pay a fee, because i would be on a contract? could he change the account holder to me?

    i'm not quite sure if this makes sense, but it would be really good to know! and since you are the sprint insider, i figured you would be the best person to ask.

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  9. The contract is on each individual subscriber's line. If he left sprint he would not be charged anything, and as you're on a family plan (1)your line would default to the main one on the plan (assuming it was the only one left, if not the oldest line would default to the primary one as far as the plan is concerned) and (2)If it was only your line left, you'd want to call and change your plan to an individual one.

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  10. Very Very good info here! So you say a thursday before a sunday. My question is what if I am one of the premier customers? Still thursday? I am down for two BTW!

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  11. Yep, totally covered as all other devices are

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  12. Been following your blog for a while and I just wanted to say THANK YOU for your response to sarah's question. Not that the answer was applicable to me, but just the fact that you would take the time to answer a question so thoroughly and clearly. I wish every time I called in to Sprint I could speak to someone of your caliber!

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  13. Hi, I just want to know what to expect on battery life. How many hours are we looking at? I'm expecting the worst right now so any answer will be better than what I'm thinking it likely is.

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  14. What kind of roam options does the Pre have. I am in Flagstaff, AZ, and I don't have EV here on the Sprint network. I have to force roam to get EV data.

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  15. I work for Sprint as a manager and this story is not true!

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  16. I welcome you to email me from your @sprint address, Mike and tell me exactly what part isn't true :) inside.sprint.now@gmail.com

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  17. I agree it is not true at all because of the comment on "weeks" Pre shipped to advocates before launch. Anyone who is also an advocate (ambassador in this case) know exactly what I am talking about. :)

    And I will be happy to send the blog owner my sprint email address if they first send me to me an email: 2345anon234aon@gmail.com from and only from their Sprint address.

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  18. and you think you are special because???? Seriously, the advocate probably knows absolutely nothing at this point about the Pre. Why don't you wait until the release and then take a look?

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  19. I was suggesting that you might want to choose people who are enthused about the Pre as 'Advocates'. Sprint is hemorrhaging customers, and the Pre is their big hope. When a customer calls in that is potentially interested in switching from another carrier, you really shouldn't pass him to an advocate whose attitude is "I know nothing about the Pre, and I don't care."

    As a long-time Palm user, I want the Pre to succeed. So, no, I don't think I'm special - I expect this is the sort of response most callers are getting. And that's not good for Sprint or the Pre.

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  20. He said "how many weeks before launch certain things would happen." Not that the advocates were getting Pres weeks ahead of time.

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  21. I would try calling a few other stores in your area. There is likely one person in each store who will be the 'advocate' for that stores employees. My guess would be it is likely one of the shift managers or even the store manager. So yeah, try maybe just asking for the manager first.

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  22. You idiots claiming to be management with Sprint calling out the author and claiming that he is lying is poor class! This is an awesome website and I am quite thankful for his/her expertise in all areas of Sprint! How many other bloggers reply personally like this site owner does, especially in a personal and kind way? Insidesprintnow keep up the good work!

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  23. So given that it will be released on the 6th, does the same logic apply and we can order on Wednesday morning (instead of Thursday)? Would that be 6AM eastern or pacific? Please tell us o' wise one! Thanks for a great site!

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  24. Forgot the link: http://www.precentral.net/pre-not-available-sprint-web-or-telesales-launch

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  25. So a report just released on Precentral.net claims that there is an internal memo stating that in fact the Pre will NOT be available via Telesales or the web on launch day. Can you comment on this??? I was COUNTING on telesales since I work all day on June 6th!

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  26. Just talked to a telesales rep who confirmed this. This is becoming an absolute nightmare!

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  27. This is making me totally discouraged about the prospects of finding this phone anytime soon... with the rumors production problems on the Pre and of Radio Shacks getting 2-4 per store, Best Buys not actually carrying the phone and dropping Sprint in many locations around me, and all the Wal-Marts in Central California that I went to and called don't even carry Sprint either!!! I don't know, but this is making me wonder if this is a disaster in the making!??!?!?

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