Palm Pre, iPhone Ready To Rumble

Palm Pre has been dubbed the next iPhone killer since anyone can remember. There is a whole lot of hype around the device and some of it is justifiable too. Palm Pre is certainly a capable device and can hold up its own against any phone. And it is more affordable than iPhone. One of the oldest tricks in the book is by giving the consumer the impression that they are getting practically a comparable set of features with your gadget for less money than your competitors are asking. Palm and Sprint are doing just that with Palm Pre.

Palm Pre’s pricing model is very similar to iPhone. For an unlocked device, you are going to have to pay out $550 whereas the subsidized version will cost you $199. The Sprint’s wireless plans do seem to be a whole lot cheaper than that of at&t which gives Palm Pre a price advantage over iPhone. On an unlimited wireless plan, the consumers are going to save close to $50 a month, which adds up to a significant amount over 2 years. But is this a decisive edge for Palm Pre?

I am still not convinced that Palm Pre is actually a better device than iPhone. And we are still waiting for Apple’s next plan. In essence, Palm Pre is going to compete with a device that is going to get a major upgrade in the next few months. Can Pre effectively compete with iPhone 3.0? I am not sure. But before that happens, lets see how Palm Pre holds up in real world in the hands of real consumers.

Your take: what excites you the most about Palm Pre?