Available in 29 languages, the updated Google News for mobile features “the same richness and personalization” that Google News offers on your desktop PC. There are now more stories and images displayed on the homepage, and users can easily access their favorite sections, play videos, find articles and so on.

To try out the new Google News for Android, iPhone and WebOS, just point your mobile browser to http://news.google.com

Google News for Blackberry, Windows Mobile and Symbian S60 will also be updated in the near future.

Via the Google Mobile Blog

• Flash 10.1 to Offer Full Mobile Flash Support with HD Video
• Gmail and Google Calendar for iPhone and Android updated
• Google Search Options now available for mobile
• Google Voice apps available for Android, BlackBerry
• Google Fast Flip launched for Android, iPhone

At least that’s what Adobe says to WebOS users who are currently trying to access Flash-based content on their handsets.

And in case you’re wondering, there’s still no word on when Apple’s iPhone will get Flash support. However, it would be somewhat funny if WebOS (which has been around for less than a year) gets Flash support before the iPhone does.

Until now, Palm announced only two WebOS devices – the Pre and the Pixi – but we’ll probably see more of them next year.

Via PreCentral

• Palm announces Q1 FY 2010 results, says goodbye to Windows Mobile
• Palm gives away 25 free Pixi smartphones
• Palm Pre and the webOS platform will support Flash
• Palm Pixi to be launched in Europe and Canada too
• Palm WebOS 1.1 available – major update

The price of Palm Pixi will be a rather attractive one: $99.99 with a 2-yr contract agreement, after a $50 instant rebate and a $100 mail-in rebate.

Customers will be able to buy the Pixi online, in Sprint stores, via telesales (at 1-800-SPRINT1), or from Best Buy, Wal-Mart and RadioShack.

As you probably already know, the Pixi features a full QWERTY keyboard, a 2.63 inches, 320 x 400 pixels touchscreen display, Palm Synergy, GPS, 3.5mm headset jack, 2MP camera and 8GB of internal memory.

Well, now let’s wait for the release date of the GSM (European) Pixi to be announced.

Via Press release

• Palm Pixi to be launched in Europe and Canada too
• Palm Pixi now official, comes to Sprint later this year without Wi-Fi
• Palm gives away 25 free Pixi smartphones
• Bell Canada launching the Palm Pre on August 27
• GSM Palm Pixi confirmed, still not official

To enter the Pixi contest (as well as to find out when the handset will become available), just sign up on Palm’s website.

Note that we’re talking here about Sprint’s CDMA Palm Pixi, so if you’re not in the US you won’t be able to win anything (not in this particular contest, anyway).

The Palm Pixi can be seen as the Pre’s little brother. It’s thinner and has a smaller display (2.63 inches, 320 x 400 pixels), not to mention the fact that it does not feature Wi-Fi. Palm and Sprint have not announced the smartphone’s price yet.

Via The Official Palm Blog

• Palm Pixi to be launched in Europe and Canada too
• Sprint Palm Pixi price and release date announced: $99.99 starting November 15
• Rumor: Palm Pixi Hits Sprint October 20
• GSM Palm Pixi confirmed, still not official
• Palm Pixi now official, comes to Sprint later this year without Wi-Fi

Depending on the data plan you choose, you can get Movistar’s Palm Pre even for free.

The Pre (Palm’s first webOS handset) features a HVGA touchscreen display, Palm Synergy, sliding QWERTY keyboard, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS, 3MP camera with flash, and 8GB of internal memory.

Telefonica will also launch the Palm Pre via O2 in the UK (on October 16), Ireland and Germany.

Via the Official Palm Blog

• Bell Canada launching the Palm Pre on August 27
• Palm launches webOS 1.2
• Palm announces the webOS platform and the good-looking Palm Pre smartphone
• Sprint Palm Pixi price and release date announced: $99.99 starting November 15
• O2, Movistar officially launching the GSM Palm Pre in Europe

Spotted over at Tinhte, the GSM Pixi obviously has a SIM slot, and it looks like it runs on an EDGE network (hopefully, it has 3G as well).

Unsurprisingly, the design of the GSM Palm Pixi is similar to the one of the CDMA version. The unit appearing in the leaked photos only has 4GB of internal memory, unlike the officially announced Pixi, which has 8GB.

Most probably, the other features of the GSM Pixi are similar to the ones found in the CDMA edition: 320 x 400 pixels multi-touch display, accelerometer, GPS, 3.5mm headset jack and 2MP camera.

The Palm Pixi with GSM connectivity will probably be released in Europe (via O2, maybe) and Canada in early 2010.

Via Engadget

• Palm Pixi to be launched in Europe and Canada too
• Palm Pixi now official, comes to Sprint later this year without Wi-Fi
• Palm gives away 25 free Pixi smartphones
• Sprint Palm Pixi price and release date announced: $99.99 starting November 15
• Palm Pre officially announced for Bell Canada

Unfortunately, we have almost no other details about the handset, except for the fact that, according to the Bluetooth SIG, it features Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP and EDR. However, the Palm Ring P is almost certainly a webOS smartphone, since Palm announced that it’s through with Windows Mobile.

The Bluetooth SIG has also unveiled three upcoming Samsung handsets: F839, C6112 and E1390B.

Samsung F839 is a touchscreen phone that appears with China Telecom’s logo on it:

The features of Samsung F839 include:

• WQVGA touchscreen display
• CDMA / EVDO Rev. A connectivity
• GPS
• 3MP camera
• Full Web browser
• FM radio

Samsung C6112 is currently just a model name, as we only know about this device that it has Bluetooth. The phone might be similar to the Samsung C6620 and C6625.

And finally, the Samsung E1390B is an entry-level candybar with a design reminiscent of the Samsung E1410.

The E1390B is already official in Romania and features a 1.63 inch screen with 128 x 128 pixels, dual-band GSM/GPRS connectivity (900/1800), dual speaker, music dedicated keys, FM radio, email and MicroSD card support. No word yet on the price of Samsung E1390, but it should be a low one.

We’ve also learned that Samsung CorbyPRO will be called B5310B and B5310L in Latin America.

• 8 new Samsung phones leaked – S5050, C5212, S3310 and E2210 included
• Mivvy intros three affordable dual SIM phones
• LG GM310 music slider shows up, together with LG GB250, GB220, GB130 and GB102
• Samsung M3310 dual slider coming soon
• Samsung a167 GoPhone launched by AT&T, only $70

For example, you can now purchase app from the App Catalog by entering your credit card info via the Preferences & Accounts menu. Also, previously purchased but deleted apps can be downloaded and reinstalled for free.

webOS 1.2 further offers: Amazon MP3 downloads via either Wi-Fi or the phone’s network; email filtering by search term; LinkedIn contact syncing included in Palm Synergy; files can be downloaded in the browser; you can cut & paste web pages and emails.

Palm says that webOS 1.2 should be available as an automatic update in the next few weeks. The full list of new things and bug fixes included in webOS 1.2 can be found here.

Obviously, webOS 1.2 can currently be seen only on the Palm Pre, but it will be available on the Palm Pixi too – as soon as this is launched.

Via the Official Palm Blog

• Palm Pixi now official, comes to Sprint later this year without Wi-Fi
• Sprint Palm Pixi price and release date announced: $99.99 starting November 15
• Palm gives away 25 free Pixi smartphones
• GSM Palm Pixi confirmed, still not official
• WebOS 1.0.4 available for the Palm Pre

Already on sale in the US and Canada, the webOS smartphone will be available directly from O2 (in stores or online), as well as from Carphone Warehouse, Phones4U and various O2 partners.

O2 subscribers who opt for a 24-month contract, or an 18-month contract at £44.05 or £73.41 per month, can get the Palm Pre for free.

The Pre is also free to business customers who hold business tariffs of at least £30.91 per month on 24 or 36-month contracts.

O2 (which plans to launch a new MVNO called Giffgaff) will offer the Palm Touchstone Charging Dock too, for £44.11.

Via Press release

• O2 to offer free iPhone 3G in UK
• Palm Pre officially coming on June 6 for $199 with a Sprint contract
• O2 UK intros cheaper 24 month iPhone 3G tariffs
• O2 Rumored to Slash iPhone Prices This Summer
• Bell Canada launching the Palm Pre on August 27

Palm expects to receive net proceeds of about $313.1 from the shares’ sale. The Sunnyvale-based smartphone maker says that it wants to use the money “for working capital and general corporate purposes”.

Interestingly, according to Bloomberg, some analysts believe that Nokia could be interested in buying shares from Palm (which recently unveiled its new Pixi smartphone).

Of course, at the moment there’s nothing official about Nokia’s intention to buy Palm stock. But things can surely become interesting if, say, Nokia would buy Palm for good – although this will probably never happen.

Via Palm

• Palm Pixi to be launched in Europe and Canada too
• Palm gives away 25 free Pixi smartphones
• Palm needs money for launching the Pre, developing other products
• Palm cashes in $83.9 million from share sale; will survive until Pre hits the market
• Palm Pixi now official, comes to Sprint later this year without Wi-Fi

However, on a GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) basis, the company reported a net loss of $164.5 million for the quarter in question.

The Sunnyvale-based handset maker sold 823,000 smartphones during Q1 FY 2010 – probably mostly Palm Pres.

According to PreCentral, Palm will no longer make Windows Mobile smartphones and the company will concentrate solely on webOS.

“Due to importance of webOS to our overall strategy, we’ve made the decision to dedicate all future develoment resources to the evolution of webOS. Which means that going forward, our roadmap will include only Palm webOS-based devices”, said Palm’s CEO Jon Rubinstein.

So it looks like the Palm Treo Pro (pictured above) is the last Windows Mobile Palm handset. But that’s probably a good thing, as the new webOS is pretty cool, and both the Palm Pre and Palm Pixi (unavailable yet) are nice devices.

Via Press release

• Palm to kill PalmOS and focus on webOS, Windows Mobile
• HTC’s earnings grow over 33% on year in August
• WebOS SDK to be out by the end of the summer. WebOS 1.0.3 out now
• Palm needs money for launching the Pre, developing other products
• Ultra-thin Palm Eos coming to AT&T for just $99?

Well, if you’re eager to get your hands on the Pre and want to have it unlocked, some UK retailers have started to take pre-orders for it.

For example, Handtec asks £517.49 ($860) for an unlocked Palm Pre. The smartphone is slightly cheaper at mPhone – £449.98 ($748).

Unfortunately, neither of the retailers mention when they will be able to ship the Palm Pre. But at least we know that it shouldn’t be long until this happens.

Palm’s second WebOS smartphone, the Pixi, will also be launched in Europe (and the UK), but this will probably happen next year.

Via RegHardware

• Palm Pixi to be launched in Europe and Canada too
• Palm gives away 25 free Pixi smartphones
• Palm Eos may come in Q4 2009 after all; CDMA version ready in 2010?
• Palm to kill PalmOS and focus on webOS, Windows Mobile
• Palm Pixi now official, comes to Sprint later this year without Wi-Fi

However, the Pixi will most probably reach Europe and Canada too – especially since, according to Pocket-lint, a Palm spokesperson declared that the company “does plan to bring Palm Pixi to both regions as soon as it can and will announce more when appropriate”.

Well, a Pixi release outside the US is unlikely to happen this year – after all, Europe is still waiting for the Pre to arrive.

O2 is probably the first European carrier that will offer the Pixi.

Coming as Palm’s second WebOS smartphone, the Pixi features a 320 x 400 pixels multi-touch display, full QWERTY keypad, GPS, 3.5mm headset jack, 2MP camera, and 8GB of internal memory. The price of Palm Pixi is not known at the moment, but it will probably be lower than Pre’s price.

• GSM Palm Pixi confirmed, still not official
• Sprint Palm Pixi price and release date announced: $99.99 starting November 15
• Palm Pixi now official, comes to Sprint later this year without Wi-Fi
• Palm gives away 25 free Pixi smartphones
• Ultra-thin Palm Eos coming to AT&T for just $99?

The Pixi is a candybar with a touchscreen display and a full QWERTY keypad.

Weighing only 99.5 grams (3.51 ounces) and measuring 111 x 55 x 10.85 mm (4.37 x 2.17 x 0.43 inches), the new Pixi is the thinnest Palm smartphone ever.

Since it runs on WebOS, Palm Pixi comes with Palm Synergy, which links your information from Google, Exchange ActiveSync, Facebook, Yahoo! and LinkedIn.

The new smartphone also comes with access to the Palm Beta App Catalog, which includes entertainment and social networking applications like Yelp and Local Concerts by iLike.

The back cover of Palm Pixi is rubberized, thus being scratch-resistant and durable.

Here are the main features of Palm Pixi:

• 2.63 inch multi-touch screen with 320 x 400 pixels
• A gesture area below the display, enabling intuitive gestures for navigation
• Accelerometer
• Proximity sensor, light sensor
• EVDO Rev. A connectivity
• GPS
• Desktop-class web browser
• 2MP fixed-focus camera with LED flash
• 3.5mm headset jack
• Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR and A2DP
• MicroUSB connector
• Qualcomm MSM7627 chipset
• 8GB of internal memory
• 1150 mAh battery

As you can see, the Pixi does not have Wi-Fi.

A video preview of Palm Pixi can be watched below:

Like the Palm Pre, Palm Pixi will be first available exclusively via Sprint, “in time for the holidays”, for a price that should be announced later this year. There will also be a Palm Pixi Artist Series, coming with limited-edition back covers designed by various artists:

The Palm Pixi and the Palm Pixi Artist Series will be showcased in New York, during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week (10 – 17 September).

Following the Pixi’s announcement, as of today Sprint is offering the Palm Pre for only $149.99 (after a $150 instant rebate, a $100 mail-in rebate and with a 2-yr contract agreement).

Via Palm

• Sprint Palm Pixi price and release date announced: $99.99 starting November 15
• Palm Pixi to be launched in Europe and Canada too
• GSM Palm Pixi confirmed, still not official
• Palm gives away 25 free Pixi smartphones
• Rumor: Palm Pixi Hits Sprint October 20

Other two seem to have recently appeared in Sprint’s inventory management system, codenamed Palm 120 and Palm C40.

The mysterious smartphones appear next to the Palm 100, which is actually the Palm Pre. While the Palm 120 could be a variation of the Pre, the C40 seems to be a totally different device – maybe the Eos, which should come to replace the Palm Centro?

As seen last week, Verizon has two upcoming Palm smartphones too: the P101 and P121 – the first one probably being Verizon’s own version of the Pre.

Sure, these assumptions might be wrong, so let’s hope that Palm will soon make an announcement to clear things up.

Via Pre Central

• Palm Centro to Verizon Tomorrow
• Palm Pre and Eos included in Verizon’s inventory database?
• Palm Pre to be announced in the UK next week?
• Next-gen Palm Centro with WebOS leaked
• Smaller Palm Pre coming in late 2009?

Since Sprint’s Palm Pre is the P100, this P101 may be Verizon’s version of the smartphone. After all, Verizon did say that it plans to launch the Pre sometime in early 2010.

As for the Palm P121, this might be the unannounced Palm Eos (aka Pixie). We’ve already heard about a CDMA edition of it, which should come next year, so it looks like Verizon will carry it.

Other handsets that are included in Verizon’s inventory database: BlackBerry Storm 2, HTC Touch Pro2, Samsung Omnia II, and Samsung Convoy U640. Well, we already knew that Verizon would carry all these phones. The sad part is that we still don’t know when exactly they will be launched.

Via Phone Arena

• Verizon to launch Nokia Twist 7705, LG Chocolate Touch VX8575 and more
• Verizon to sell the Palm Pre, Android phones, new BlackBerries
• BlackBerry Storm 2 (9520) for Vodafone – pictures leaked
• New Palm smartphones (P120, C40) coming soon to Sprint?
• Samsung announces TouchWiz powerful phones for the US, Omnia likely to be included

Apparently, Compal Communications (the company which will manufacture the Eos for Palm) is ready to ship the entry-level smartphone as soon as October – so AT&T should be ready to launch it before the year’s end.

Initially, only a GSM/UMTS version of the Palm Eos will be produced – about 400,000 – 500,000 units.

(image via Engadget)

Starting the first quarter of 2010, a CDMA Eos will be shipped too, probably for Sprint or Verizon (or both?). Unless some other smartphone shows up in the meantime, the Eos will be Palm’s second device to run on webOS (after the Palm Pre, of course).

Via DigiTimes

• Gartner: cell phone sales declined 6% in Q2 2009, smartphone sales grew 27%
• Ultra-thin Palm Eos coming to AT&T for just $99?
• Palm makes the Mojo SDK available to everyone
• Palm WebOS 1.1 available – major update
• Palm Eos (Pixie) not coming this year?

When we first heard about it, the Eos was rumored to come via AT&T sometime in the second half of 2009.

According to All Things Digital, Analyst Ilya Grozovsky from Morgan Joseph believes that the smartphone will “not likely to be available for the 2009 holiday season.” However, when it will come, the new Palm handset should have a low price on contract, in order to be competitive with AT&T’s other smartphones (like the $99 iPhone 3G).

(rendering of what the Palm Eos should look like; via Engadget)

Palm hasn’t announced anything about the Eos / Pixie yet.

In related news, it’s said that the Palm Pre was sold in only 100,000 units in July. Sales may fall even further in August – although that’s unlikely, since the Pre will reach Canada this month, and there are probably many customers who want to buy it there.

• New Palm smartphones (P120, C40) coming soon to Sprint?
• WebOS 1.0.4 available for the Palm Pre
• Palm Pre officially coming to O2 UK on October 16
• Ultra-thin Palm Eos coming to AT&T for just $99?
• Bell Canada launching the Palm Pre on August 27

The long-awaited webOS smartphone will cost $199.95 with a 3-yr agreement, or $599.95 free of contract (a minimum 500 MB data plan is required).

As you can see, the pricing is similar to Sprint’s offering in the US – of course, the main difference is that Sprint has 2-yr contracts instead of 3-yr ones.

Canadian customers can already preorder the Palm Pre, via Bell’s official website.

The main features of Palm Pre include: 320 x 480 pixels touchscreen display, sliding QWERTY keyboard, Palm Synergy, Wi-Fi, GPS, 3.2MP camera, 3.5mm headset jack and 8GB of internal memory.

Via Press release

• Palm Centro outed by Bell in Canada, $49.95 on contract
• Sprint Palm Pixi price and release date announced: $99.99 starting November 15
• Palm Pixi to be launched in Europe and Canada too
• Palm Pre to debut in Spain on October 14 through Movistar
• Palm Pre officially announced for Bell Canada

Less than one month after introducing WebOS 1.0.4, the smartphone maker has now announced the availability of WebOS 1.1.0.

Perhaps the most important thing WebOS 1.1 brings is the fact that it re-enables access to iTunes’ latest version (8.2.1) via your Palm Pre.

There are also loads of other improvements and additions, including enhanced Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) support, emoticons support, messaging & Web enhancements, and a new application (Sprint’s NFL Mobile Live).

You can view the full WebOS 1.1 changelog at Palm’s website.

Via the Official Palm Blog

• Palm makes the Mojo SDK available to everyone
• WebOS SDK to be out by the end of the summer. WebOS 1.0.3 out now
• Palm gives away 25 free Pixi smartphones
• WebOS 1.0.4 available for the Palm Pre
• Palm Pre to debut in Spain on October 14 through Movistar

In consequence, anyone who’s interested can register to the Palm Developer website and download the SDK, plus the related documentation.

The Mojo SDK availability will most probably result in a huge number of new applications for Palm’s WebOS platform – however, App Catalog submissions will be accepted only starting this fall.

(Pandora on the WebOS)

Palm’s App Catalog is already hugely successful – reportedly, more than 1.8 million WebOS applications have been downloaded since June 6 (when the Palm Pre was launched in the US by Sprint).

Via the Official Palm Blog

• Palm launches webOS 1.2
• WebOS SDK to be out by the end of the summer. WebOS 1.0.3 out now
• Keyboardless Palm Centro 2 with webOS in the making?
• Palm WebOS 1.1 available – major update
• Palm to kill PalmOS and focus on webOS, Windows Mobile

More exactly, O2 will sell the Pre in the UK, Ireland and Germany, while Movistar will offer it in Spain.

This confirms all the rumors that we’ve heard until now regarding O2 UK’s Pre exclusivity.

Palm didn’t say when exactly the Pre will hit Europe, but this should happen “in time for the holidays”. Most probably, that means sometime in the fourth quarter of 2009, so it looks like there won’t be any GSM Pre released this summer.

No word yet about the launch of Palm Pre in other European markets than the ones mentioned above. However, it’s highly probable that the WebOS smartphone will reach most of Europe’s countries before the end of 2009.

Source: Palm via Engadget

• Telefónica wins the Palm Pre for Spain, UK and Latin America?
• Sprint to have US exclusivity on Palm Pre until 2010
• Palm Eos may come in Q4 2009 after all; CDMA version ready in 2010?
• Palm Pre to debut in Spain on October 14 through Movistar
• Unlocked Palm Pre on pre-order in the UK

According to The Guardian, O2 fought for the GSM Pre with Orange, and eventually won – it probably promised Palm a higher revenue share. Or something like that.

For the moment, it’s not clear yet what price O2 will ask for the Pre, but the carrier probably wants to offer it even for free, on select and expensive plans.

O2 is also the exclusive iPhone 3G S carrier for the UK, and the launch of Palm Pre should consolidate its position as the leading British mobile operator.

• Samsung Galaxy i7500 from O2 UK in August
• T-Mobile and Orange in talks for the iPhone 3G in the UK
• Vodafone UK launches the HTC HD2, free on select plans
• Orange UK launching the HTC Hero tomorrow
• O2 UK’s Palm Pre exclusivity confirmed?

Sure, the Pre is already on sale in the US, via Sprint, but Palm said nothing yet about its GSM version and its release date.

Well, it looks like the GSM Pre will be announced next week in the UK. Which doesn’t mean it will be available starting next week, but at least you’ll know when the smartphone hits the stores. Let’s hope it won’t be long until this happens.

O2 might be the first carrier to offer the Palm Pre in the UK, although Vodafone could also launch it at about the same time. No word yet on the price of the GSM Pre.

Via T3

• Palm Pre to be exclusively sold by O2 in the UK
• Palm Pre shows up on European websites
• Palm Pre’s hardware costs only about $138
• Vodafone UK launches the HTC HD2, free on select plans
• Affordable Nokia N97 Mini to be launched by Vodafone?

Unlike the previous update, WebOS 1.0.4 doesn’t bring enhanced applications, but it “addresses several security issues with Palm webOS software”.

Also, it looks like you can no longer install homebrew apps (i.e. unsigned apps) after you’ve updated your Pre to WebOS 1.0.4.

The firmware update should be downloaded automatically, over the air, but users can also check for it manually, “by opening Updates.”

For the moment, Palm Pre is available only in the US and only from Sprint. The smartphone should be soon released in Canada (by Bell) and across Europe.

Source: Palm via Engadget

• WebOS SDK to be out by the end of the summer. WebOS 1.0.3 out now
• Palm launches webOS 1.2
• Palm Pre officially announced for Bell Canada
• Palm Pre to hit Bell Canada this month?
• Palm Pre now available from Sprint, $550 off-contract

However, Palm said that the SDK might be available by the end of the summer.

Once the WebOS SKD is out, developers will be able to create applications for the Palm Pre, as well as for all the upcoming Palm smartphones – assuming that they’ll all use WebOS.

Palm has also announced that WebOS 1.0.3 is now available for all Pre owners. The software update brings stuff like enhanced Google calendar syncing, enhanced email capabilities and updates to several applications.

Here you can read more about how to update WebOS on your Palm Pre.

Via Palm Developer Network Blog

• WebOS 1.0.4 available for the Palm Pre
• Palm launches webOS 1.2
• Palm WebOS 1.1 available – major update
• Palm makes the Mojo SDK available to everyone
• iPhone 2.2 firmware released – brings Google Street View, Safari improvements and more

Reportedly, the Nokia N97 Mini will come to Vodafone Ireland “later this year”.

There are basically no details about the handset, save for the fact that it will have a competitive price.

Well, if it features a touchscreen and a QWERTY keyboard, I guess it can’t be too different from the N97, right?

In addition to the Nokia N97 Mini, Vodafone Ireland will also launch the BlackBerry Storm 2. However, it will not carry the Palm Pre, since “another operator has exclusivity” on it – probably O2.

Now, if Vodafone Ireland indeed readies a Mini N97, it means that Vodafone markets around the globe might also get the new smartphone. Of course, that’s pure speculation, so until something official comes from Vodafone or Nokia, we shouldn’t put too much trust in all this.

Via MobileBurn

• BlackBerry Storm 2 (9520) for Vodafone – pictures leaked
• BlackBerry Tour may have a touchscreen display
• Vodafone’s BlackBerry Storm2 9520 officially coming on October 26
• BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 hits India via Airtel
• Blackberry Storm 2 to add “new way of typing” and lose carrier exclusivity in Europe in late 2009

Now it looks like the Pre might be launched earlier, meaning before the end of June – so in the first half of the year.

According to Mobile Syrup, a Bell representative said that the exact release date of Palm Pre is not known yet, but it “will be released within this month for sure.”

Pricing details are also unknown, but since Sprint offers the Pre for as low as $200, Bell will probably sell it for a similar price (on contract).

Anyway, until Bell or Palm officially confirm Pre’s June release, it would probably be better if we file this in the rumor category.

• Palm Pre officially announced for Bell Canada
• Sprint debuts Palm Pre sweepstakes, might release the handset before June
• Palm Pre to hit Australia in August via Telstra
• Palm Pre appears in the wild again; might be released on June 9
• Bell Canada launching the Palm Pre on August 27

If you’re willing to sign a 2-yr contract agreement with Sprint, the new and much-talked-about smartphone can be yours for the price of $199.99, after a $100 mail-in rebate. Off-contract, the Pre costs $549.99 – a reasonable price, I think.

Although it is featured on Sprint’s website, the Palm Pre is not yet available online, so you’ll have to look for it at Sprint’s retailers across the US (including BestBuy, Radio Shack and WallMart). It’s said that initial Pre stocks are low, so if you really want the device now, you should hurry up and get one.

The Pre is offered with the following accessories: Standard Li-Ion battery, AC travel charger, 3.5mm stereo headset, USB cable and a carry pouch. So the Touchstone charging dock and the Touchstone back cover are sold separately, for $49.99 and $19.99, respectively.

Most of you already know this, but it’s worth re-mentioning it: the Palm Pre is a full touchscreen smartphone with a sliding QWERTY keyboard – without this keyboard, it wouldn’t have been a Palm handset, right?

The smartphone’s main attraction is not the hardware side, but the new WebOS, unveiled by Palm back in January. The new platform comes with Palm Synergy, a feature that includes linked contacts, layered calendars and combined messaging – so that your contacts, e-mail and personal/professional calendar are gathered into “one centralized view”.

WebOS also offers Activity Cards, which allow users to perform many activities at the same time. There’s also universal search – letting you search Google, Google Maps, Wikipedia and Twitter, all from one search box.

WebOS live previews can be found here and here.

Palm Pre was announced by Bell Canada too, and it should also be launched across Europe and in Australia sometime later this year.

Verizon and AT&T might get the Pre as well, but only after 2009 ends, since Sprint has exclusivity on the handset for more than 6 months.

• Palm Pre officially coming on June 6 for $199 with a Sprint contract
• Keyboardless Palm Centro 2 with webOS in the making?
• WebOS SDK to be out by the end of the summer. WebOS 1.0.3 out now
• WebOS 1.0.4 available for the Palm Pre
• Palm Pixi now official, comes to Sprint later this year without Wi-Fi

Dan Hesse, Sprint’s Chief Executive Officer, declared to CNET that their exclusivity agreement with Palm is longer than six months and that the folks over at Verizon “need to check their facts.”

So this means Verizon will probably not release the Pre this year, although many of its customers probably want that to happen.

AT&T also mentioned it wants to launch the Pre, but it didn’t say when.

As a reminder, the Palm Pre will be on sale via Sprint starting tomorrow, June 6, for as low as $199 – with a 2-yr contract agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate.

• Verizon to sell the Palm Pre, Android phones, new BlackBerries
• Bell Canada launching the Palm Pre on August 27
• Palm Eos (Pixie) not coming this year?
• Sprint employees starting Palm Pre training – release imminent?
• New Palm smartphones (P120, C40) coming soon to Sprint?

Just like AT&T, which also said it might sell the Pre, Verizon has to wait until Sprint’s exclusivity for the smartphone ends.

Sprint will release the Palm Pre on June 6, and, most probably, its exclusivity will be over in Q4 2009 or Q1 2010.

According to Reuters, Verizon will also start selling Android phones, as well as new handsets manufactured by Motorola. Now, we already saw the Moto Calgary, which supposedly runs on Android, so this is like a confirmation that the handset will indeed come to Verizon.

Verizon has also confirmed that it would release the BlackBerry Storm 2 and the BlackBerry Tour, most probably before 2010.

All in all, if you want a Palm Pre but don’t like Sprint, you should wait until the year ends and get it from Verizon or AT&T.

• AT&T might sell the Palm Pre too, after Sprint’s exclusivity ends
• Sprint CEO: Verizon won’t launch the Palm Pre this year
• Sprint debuts Palm Pre sweepstakes, might release the handset before June
• Sprint to have US exclusivity on Palm Pre until 2010
• BlackBerry 9630 Niagara in live pics

Well, AT&T wants it.

At least that’s what Chief Executive Randall Stephenson said during an interview for The Wall Street Journal.

More exactly, AT&T’s boss reportedly declared that “he sees AT&T selling the Pre after the exclusive arrangement with Sprint expires.”

Of course, if the carrier indeed gets the Pre, it would be its GSM version, not the CDMA one that Sprint will offer starting June 6.

AT&T, which has just announced it would upgrade its 3G network to HSPA, may also release the thin Palm Eos later this year – a more affordable smartphone that will make a nice pair with the mighty Pre.

• Sprint to have US exclusivity on Palm Pre until 2010
• Palm Pre coming to Europe in early H2 for $500-550. $399 on Sprint
• Is the Palm Pre going to be a Best Buy exclusive?
• CDMA Palm Treo Pro now available from Sprint
• Sprint debuts Palm Pre sweepstakes, might release the handset before June

According to Guardian.co.uk, O2, one of the largest British mobile carriers, has “seen off fierce competition for the new handset from Vodafone and Orange”, but won the Pre exclusivity in the end.

It’s not clear yet when O2 UK will launch the GSM Palm Pre, but this will apparently happen many months after the smartphone becomes available in the US via Sprint (on June 6) – sometime before Christmas.

Interestingly, O2 is also the exclusive iPhone 3G carrier in the UK. If the company manages to keep this exclusivity for the third-gen iPhone as well, it will have two of this year’s hottest smartphones in its line-up, so Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange & co would have to come up with more than just one iPhone / Pre rival (the HTC Touch Pro 2, for example, is definitely a good alternative). 

Via Palm Info Center

• Sprint to have US exclusivity on Palm Pre until 2010
• Palm Pre to be exclusively sold by O2 in the UK
• T-Mobile and Orange in talks for the iPhone 3G in the UK
• O2, Movistar officially launching the GSM Palm Pre in Europe
• iPhone might be coming to Italy soon with 3G and a whole lot more

And we told you one more thing then – that due to the shortage of the custom displays there will be pretty few Palm Pres available in the beginning, so you should expect shortages for the first few months.

Well now this small detail has been confirmed by none other then Sprint CEO himself.

According to Reuters, during investor conference Sprint CEO Dan Hesse said:

“We don’t intend to advertise it heavily early on because we think we are going to have shortages for a while,” Hesse said according to a Thomson Reuters transcript. “We won’t be able to keep up with demand for the device in the early period of time.”

Well, since our source was correct in everything else,   he’s probably correct on how many Pres Palm has stocked for launch and Q3. And that’s 200K units.

Considering that some of them are likely to go to Europe and Canada for Q3 launch, there really won’t be too many Pres out there before the Christmas season shipments arrive.

So if you really want one soon, you better try and get it in the first few days.

• Initial Palm Pre stocks may be low. Expect “Sold Out” signs soon after launch
• Sprint CEO: Verizon won’t launch the Palm Pre this year
• Sprint to have US exclusivity on Palm Pre until 2010
• Possible release dates for Sprint’s Palm Pre: May 17 and June 29
• Sprint employees starting Palm Pre training – release imminent?

That’s right, starting June 6, the long-awaited smartphone will be available nationwide, not only via Sprint (both in stores and online), but also through Best Buy, Radio Shack and select Wal-Mart locations.

After a $100 rebate, the price of Palm Pre will be of $199 for all those who sign a new 2-yr contract agreement “on an Everything Data plan or Business Essentials with Messaging and Data plan”.

The webOS-powereed Pre will come with accessories as well: a Touchstone charging dock ($49.99) and a Touchstone back cover ($19.99), which can be bought together, included in the Touchstone Charging Kit ($69.99).

So now that you know when and for how much the Pre arrives, will you be waiting for that new iPhone which should be announced a few days after June 6?

Via Press release

• Sprint debuts Palm Pre sweepstakes, might release the handset before June
• Palm Pre officially coming to O2 UK on October 16
• Palm Pre now available from Sprint, $550 off-contract
• Palm Pre appears in the wild again; might be released on June 9
• Bell Canada launching the Palm Pre on August 27

And, well, there are.

First of all, Sprint is organizing a contest, officially called the “Live In Real Time Palm Pre Giveaway Sweepstakes”, which will allow two contestant to win a Pre, a Touchstone charging dock and 1 year of Sprint Simply Everything service. 
 
The Sweepstakes is open to US residents who are 18 years of age or older, and can be entered here. It ends on Monday, May 18, 2009, while the winners will be selected “on or about May 26, 2009.”

The above-mentioned dates might mean that Sprint will release the Palm Pre before the end of May, and not in June, as rumored several times. Well, that would be great. And it would give the Pre an advantage over the new iPhone, which should be announced in June.

• Palm is looking for Pre reviewers?
• Verizon to sell the Palm Pre, Android phones, new BlackBerries
• Sprint employees starting Palm Pre training – release imminent?
• Palm Pre appears in the wild again; might be released on June 9
• AT&T might sell the Palm Pre too, after Sprint’s exclusivity ends

According to a twitter post from Microsoft’s Office 2010 team, “June 2009 will be an important month for Zune lovers”.

Um, ok, but what does this have to do with the iPhone and the Pre? Well, it doesn’t, at first sight.

But another twitter post comes to clarify things a bit:

“New product launch, that’s all I’m allowed to say. Hold off from buying an iPhone/Pre”.

So it is a Zune phone after all? 

We’re not sure, but it’s almost certain that we’ve got three major products coming our way this June: new iPhone (or maybe iPhones?), the Palm Pre, and the new Zune something. Quite a hot summer, isn’t it?

Update: Nope, there will be no Zune in June, according to Microsoft.

Via Neowin.net

• No new Zune device in June after all
• Nokia IS NOT halting investment into Share on Ovi?
• Windows Mobile 7 to come with Zune?
• Ballmer: Zune is Coming to Next Windows Mobile
• Microsoft to unveil Zunephone at 2009 CES?

The carrier to offer the Pre will be Bell Mobility, Canada’s second largest mobile operator (well, it’s the first one if we’re talking about CDMA carriers only).

The Canadian Palm Pre will be similar to the one Sprint is getting ready to release, so it will bring features like EV-DO connectivity, a 320 x 480 pixels multi-touch display, GPS, Wi-Fi, a full QWERTY keyboard and the already-famous WebOS platform.

Sadly, neither Bell nor Palm has announced the price of Palm Pre. However, I don’t think the price will be too different from the Sprint-rumored one – thus Bell will probably sell its Pre for about 200 Canadian dollars on contract. 

Source: Palm

• Bell Canada launching the Palm Pre on August 27
• Bell Canada to out the Palm Treo Pro on February 26, Samsung Omnia and Palm Pre later
• Palm Pre to hit Bell Canada this month?
• Eco-friendly Samsung Reclaim M560 to be launched by Bell Canada
• Palm Pixi to be launched in Europe and Canada too

Well, in Australia, for example, the mighty Pre might land in August, offered by Telstra – hence we’re talking about the handset’s GSM version.

According to Smarthouse.com.au, Palm Pre’s release via Telstra was officially confirmed by Brett Murray, Country Manager at Palm Australia.

A Telstra insider has also said that the mobile operator has three-month exclusivity on the smartphone, but this is not yet confirmed.

Like in the US, initial Palm Pre stocks might be low in Australia, because of  ”Telstra’s marketing machine.”

Reportedly, Palm wants to sell the Pre to Telstra for 400 AUD ($296) per unit, while the carrier will offer it for 299 AUD ($222) with a data plan, or for 899 AUD ($667) free of contract. These prices are probably not too different from the ones Sprint will offer the smartphone for.

Via PreCentral

• Telstra’s Australian iPhone prices revealed
• Palm Pre appears in the wild again; might be released on June 9
• Nokia 6720 classic launched by Telstra in Australia
• Telefónica wins the Palm Pre for Spain, UK and Latin America?
• Sprint employees starting Palm Pre training – release imminent?

Since it’s bound for AT&T, the Eos is obviously a GSM device – quad-band GSM, more exactly, with HSDPA. Which means it could be also launched in Canada (via Rogers), as well as across Europe.

According to Engadget, the image below shows what the Palm Eos supposedly looks like:

The handset does look like an upgraded Centro, and it’s probably the same device which appeared several hours ago in that blurry picture.

WebOS aside, the features of Palm Eos include:

• 2.63-inch capacitive touchscreen display with 320 x 400 pixels
• A-GPS
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, EDR
• Music & video players
• SMS, MMS, built-in IM client
• 2MP fixed-focus camera with flash and video recording
• 4GB of internal memory
• MicroUSB 2.0
• 1150 mAh battery for up to 4 hours of 3G talk time

It’s said that Palm Eos will be priced at $349 before rebates. According to TechCrunch, the smartphone’s price with an AT&T contract will be of only $99 – not bad at all.

No word yet if the Eos will be sold in the US exclusively by AT&T (like the Palm Pre via Sprint), so T-Mobile might get it too.

• WebOS 1.0.4 available for the Palm Pre
• Palm launches webOS 1.2
• Palm to kill PalmOS and focus on webOS, Windows Mobile
• Palm Eos (Pixie) not coming this year?
• New Palm smartphones (P120, C40) coming soon to Sprint?

The unnanounced smartphone runs on WebOS and, according to Boy Genius Report, it will be released this autumn.

This may or may not be related to the smaller Palm Pre that’s also rumored to come later in 2009.

What’s clear is that there’s a tiny and blurry image presenting the Centro-like device. Its QWERTY keyboard looks like the one featured by the Palm Pre, but the phone doesn’t seem to be a slider: 

No other details are available for the moment, but it looks like Palm is really hard at work to re-conquer its lost market share. And that’s a good thing, isn’t it?

• Keyboardless Palm Centro 2 with webOS in the making?
• Bell Canada to release the Palm Centro on February 2
• Palm Centro coming to Canada through Rogers Wireless
• Ultra-thin Palm Eos coming to AT&T for just $99?
• Palm Centro outed by Bell in Canada, $49.95 on contract

The smartphone maker announced some sort of contest that simply asks you to write stuff about its handsets – including the Palm Pre.

Winners will be given the “Real Reviewer” title, as well as a “current-model” Palm device, plus a six-month data-plan service.

Of course, this current-model device is likely to be the Palm Pre, especially since the contest ends on May 8 – and we all know the Pre should be launched in May or June.

To enter the review contest, you have to apply here. Unfortunately, you can be selected only if you’re a US resident of at least 18 years old. 

Via the Official Palm Blog

• Sprint debuts Palm Pre sweepstakes, might release the handset before June
• AT&T to sell the new iPhone with cheaper service plans
• Palm Pre coming to Europe in early H2 for $500-550. $399 on Sprint
• Palm gives away 25 free Pixi smartphones
• Bell Canada launching the Palm Pre on August 27

According to TechCrunch and one of their “better sources”, the Sunnyvale-based company plans to launch such a device later this year – a Mini Pre – possibly in the third quarter.

Sadly, there are no details about the new handset, other than the fact that it’s like a smaller Pre (with WebOS on board, of course).  

We’re not sure if this has anything to do with that rumored keyboardless Palm Centro 2, but it might.

Of course, this can’t be more than a rumor for the moment, but the idea of a smaller Palm Pre is surely nice (and I bet Angelina Jolie will like it). Verizon’s iPhone lite and/or the iPhone nano would have a competitor this way – assuming that these two iPhones will ever be released.

• Next-gen Palm Centro with WebOS leaked
• Keyboardless Palm Centro 2 with webOS in the making?
• Bell Canada to release the Palm Centro on February 2
• Rumor: Palm Pixi Hits Sprint October 20
• New Palm smartphones (P120, C40) coming soon to Sprint?

According to a BusinessWeek report, iSuppli says that the manufacturing cost of a Palm Pre is somewhere around $138 (€104).

Of course, the actual value of a Pre also implies R&D costs, software-related costs and others, but the $138 hardware cost is still surprisingly low.  For comparison, a BlackBerry Bold costs $169 to be made, while an iPhone costs $174. 

iSuppli estimates that Palm wants to charge Sprint $300 for a Pre, while the US carrier will “likely” sell the handset for $200 with a contract and a $100 rebate.

It’s said that Sprint plans to release the Pre in May or in June, so let’s better wait for this to happen before believing anything regarding the smartphone’s price.

Pricing aside, we’ve heard that initial Palm Pre stocks may be low – but let’s hope this won’t happen.

• Sprint Palm Pixi price and release date announced: $99.99 starting November 15
• Bell Canada launching the Palm Pre on August 27
• BlackBerry Bold costs $169 to be produced, Best Buy sells it for $660
• Sprint CEO: Verizon won’t launch the Palm Pre this year
• CDMA Palm Treo Pro now available from Sprint

Well, today Bloomberg confirms that initial Palm Pre stocks may be low (375K according to the median estimate of 6 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg).

The scarcity and “Sold out” signs in shops  may create a buzz and stimulate future demand for Palm Pre a few months down the road.

And it might be a smart marketing tactic on behalf of Palm and Sprint.

Only it probably isn’t a conscious decision  on Palm’s part to have low number of Pres. As we reported back in January:

It seems that the initial production run of Palm Pre devices for Q3 will be limited to 200 000 units. That is because only a limited amount of non-standard display panels for Palm Pre is available for now.  Palm expects to start ramping up the production volumes heading into Q4 and holiday season. With the expectation that a very positive reception of the handset, combined with the shortages will fuel the demand as production volumes increase.

Well, no matter what the reason is, if you really want to get your hands on Pre soon, you’d better act quick when it finally ships.

And if the stocks are that low in U.S., I wonder what that will do to the Pre’s European lauch date?

• Palm Pre Sprint’s pricing update and sales volumes
• Palm Pre’s hardware costs only about $138
• Palm Pres are in short supply. Probably only 200K in Q3
• Palm Pre to hit Australia in August via Telstra
• Palm offers more shares for sale; Nokia interested in buying?

The latest rumors about Pre’s launch come from Sprint Gurus. Reportedly, there are two release windows for the WebOS-based smartphone (yeah, we’ve heard that before).

One window is around June/July 9, 2009. The date of the second one was not unveiled.

So, basically, there’s still nothing confirmed, save for the fact that, as Palm and Sprint have announced at the beginning of the year, the Pre would be available sometime in the first half of 2009.

One thing’s clear: Sprint and Palm should come up with the smartphone as soon as possible. Because, well, the competition isn’t sleeping.

This above is a new picture that apparently presents the Palm Pre in the wild (found via PreThinking). If the picture’s real, I guess it won’t be long until the handset gets released.

• Treo 800w Coming to Sprint July 13
• Sprint to have the Palm Pre ready on May 16?
• Sprint debuts Palm Pre sweepstakes, might release the handset before June
• Sprint employees starting Palm Pre training – release imminent?
• Palm Pre to hit Bell Canada this month?

According to Examiner, the famous actress talked about the Pre while filming Salt, a new movie due in theaters in 2010. 

Reportedly, one of Salt’s production assistants said about Jolie:

“I asked her how she likes the phone. She went on about it for about two minutes. She basically said she likes the software better than the iPhone, she likes the thumboard for texting (although the keys aren’t big enough), and thinks the screen is beautiful but can be too easily scratched.”

(this is not a real photo, it’s just a photoshopped one)

It’s not clear yet how Angelina Jolie managed to get a Palm Pre, or if she actually has one. Anyway, I guess that when you’re a diva you have some privileges.

As for the release of Palm Pre, neither Sprint nor Palm gave any exact date for it, but the smartphone might be available starting May. 

Via Pre Central

• Smaller Palm Pre coming in late 2009?
• Palm Pre to be exclusively sold by O2 in the UK
• Palm Pre appears in the wild again; might be released on June 9
• O2 UK’s Palm Pre exclusivity confirmed?
• Palm’s first Nova-based smartphone to have a large touchscreen and slide-down QWERTY keyboard

Now a new leaked Sprint document suggests that the first date is probably closer to the truth.

According to said document, unveiled by Engadget, the Palm Pre will be ready for launch on May 16.

Of course, this doesn’t mean Sprint will actually release it that day, but it’s highly probable for the new smartphone to hit the market shortly after.

And to further feed your hopes, we must report that the Palm Pre has been caught in the wild, during the annual Bring Your Own Big Wheel race held in San Francisco. Even more, there are two Pre handsets in these images (which seem to be legit):

(photo credits:  bananachunks via BGR)

I guess there’s not much else to do now than wait for an official confirmation regarding the Pre May release.

• Sprint to have US exclusivity on Palm Pre until 2010
• Sprint employees starting Palm Pre training – release imminent?
• Sprint debuts Palm Pre sweepstakes, might release the handset before June
• Palm Pre appears in the wild again; might be released on June 9
• Sprint Palm Treo Pro finally coming on March 15 for $199

Now we’re hearing the US carrier enforced a vacation freeze during May for its employees, and, according to Phone News, it has scheduled two launch dates for the new handset.

The first one is May 17 – the Palm Pre will be released that day if Sprint receives enough retail units until early May.

In case the received units are “deemed too low to begin initial sales in May”, Sprint will push the Pre release to June 29.

So it looks like it all depends on Palm and whether or not it can supply enough Pre smartphones in time. Hopefully, the Sunnyvale company will be able to do that.

• Palm Pre Sprint’s pricing update and sales volumes
• Sprint employees starting Palm Pre training – release imminent?
• Is the Palm Pre going to be a Best Buy exclusive?
• Sprint debuts Palm Pre sweepstakes, might release the handset before June
• Gartner: cell phone sales declined 6% in Q2 2009, smartphone sales grew 27%

However, according to PreThinking, Sprint is now training employees, making them ready to teach customers everything about the Palm Pre.  

Reportedly, a Palm rep. said: “I would like to inform that Sprint is in the process of providing the training for the new Palm Pre. Once it’s launched, Sprint will be ready to serve their valued customers regarding the Palm Pre.”

Sure, that doesn’t mean the new handset is ready to be released, but it does bring it closer to hitting the market – we could even speculate it will comes this month, or maybe in May.

All in all, Sprint should definitely hurry up with the Pre. After all, the new iPhone is (probably) coming in June and it might steal many possible Pre customers. And neither Sprint nor Palm want that, right?

Meanwhile, you can watch the latest Sprint commercial featuring the Pre:

Via Phone Arena

• Possible release dates for Sprint’s Palm Pre: May 17 and June 29
• Palm Pre coming to Europe in early H2 for $500-550. $399 on Sprint
• Treo 800w Coming to Sprint July 13
• Sprint to have the Palm Pre ready on May 16?
• WebOS 1.0.4 available for the Palm Pre