By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist
The enthusiastic response by techno nerds to the Palm Pre is an encouraging development for Sprint.
And, let's face it, it's also positive news for the entire Kansas City area, which still has a large Sprint workforce.
Sprint's financial feasibility is tied, at least in part, to the success of the new device.
So if Sprint has a hit on its hands with the Palm Pre, that could help the Overland-Park based phone company attract more customers. That keeps Sprint from having to lay off more people, which in turn would help the entire KC economy.
And so far, the Palm Pre reviews are generally positive.
The questions, as they always are for a new telecommunications product, will be rather simple.
How many people will want to add the Palm Pre to their arsenal of electronic devices?
And what will the competition -- notably Apple -- come up with next to dilute the potential of the Palm Pre becoming a dominant device that everyone has to have?
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Why does everyone release a
Why does everyone release a phone and call it an IPHONE killer?
Nothing reaches what the IPHONE does.
What Sprint needs to focus on is what the Pre is...an Amazingly great smart phone that has a ton of killer options. Is it the the IPHONE? NO...but it also has a better and cheaper plan associated with it.
I considered the IPHONE but after seeing it would cost me nearly $300 in cash up front to switch over from Sprint to ATT and then at least $100 more per month to get the same service plan benefits that I have now.
Sprint should not market this as the Mercedes of phones...it is more like a lexus for a cheaper price.
It's not the device, it's the delivery that will win the day
Here's hoping the following unfolds...
1) Everyone who wants a Pre should get one. The notion of an artifical pinching of the pipeline is bogus and means nothing. Sprint needs sales and customers. Duh..
2) Get behind it big time and stay there. Who remembers the Instinct today? It had promise and has flamed out for this very reason. The second iteration of the Instinct..what was that??
3) Apps are important, but the right ones will make the most difference. I personally know of a ton of Treo users that want to "port" their existing apps to the Pre. There's not much info on this to date or a plan openly discussed. This is an opportunity to display commitment to the platform. Better say something soon about this Sprint, Ok?
4) Allow the the voice of customer (VOC) to dominate the Pre. Sprint's past experience has been a profound mis-calculation of target market needs and expectations. The Pre is a chance to remedy this and build customer loyalty again.
Now do it.
iPhone vs Pre
A big portion of it is how fast can the folks at Palm and Sprint get the "apps" out for the Pre. If they can get them out quickly enough, they may be able to cut into the iPhone a bit.
Apple is poised to release a new iPhone here in the coming weeks and has a major software upgrade for the iPhone coming out this summer, so I still think the Pre has a huge hill to climb...