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Telefonica companies will have Pre rights in Britain, Ireland, Germany, and Spain

The smartphone market is hot with consumers spending money on high-end models despite the poor economy. The smartphone market is expected to continue growing in the face of the global recession as other segments of the mobile market see declines.

Palm launched its Pre smartphone officially last month in the U.S. and so far, analysts think that Palm has sold about 300,000 of the devices during June in America. The Pre has now been officially announced for Europe and the providers that will be offering the Pre have been unveiled.

O2 and Movistar parent company Telefonica has announced that it has now secured the exclusive rights to distribute the Pre in Britain, Ireland, Germany, and Spain. Palm also announced on Tuesday that O2 will be the exclusive carrier of the Pre in the UK, meaning that O2 will be the exclusive provider for both the Pre and the iPhone 3G S for the UK.

In Spain, Movistar is the exclusive iPhone 3GS provider and will offer the Pre meaning that Germany is the only European nation where the Pre and iPhone will be offered by different carriers. Reuters reports that shares in Telefonica rose 0.2% in trading to outperform a fall in the European Telecoms index of 0.4%.

One analyst from CCS Insight called the exclusive Pre deal for O2 a "coup" for the provider. Palm maintains that the Pre will be available in Europe in time for Christmas shopping, but didn’t specify a date or pricing for the device.

Pre hopefuls in Canada will be able to get the phone form Bell Mobility.

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GSM Pre?
By 3minence on 7/7/2009 11:17:25 AM , Rating: 2
Isn't Europe all GSM? Plus phones have to be unlocked? I wonder if I can get somebody in Europe to buy and ship one to me so I can use it on AT&T? My family all use AT&T so we get free cell-to-cell calls which means my wife won't let me switch carriers. I refuse to buy an iPhone because I want to run whatever apps I want to run, and use it the way I want to use it.




RE: GSM Pre?
By Brandon Hill (blog) on 7/7/2009 11:19:52 AM , Rating: 1
Why don't you just get an iPhone and jailbreak/unlock it?


RE: GSM Pre?
By 3minence on 7/7/2009 12:27:41 PM , Rating: 4
Jailbraking is a hack that may or may not have unforseen effects. It may also be undone with the next upgrade, or worse, brick the phone. I would rather have it unlocked in a "supported" manner.

Additionally, I have happily used Palm Treo's for quite a while and want the company to do well. I am not so pleased with Apple's business practices and do not wish to give them my money. Consider it voting with my wallet.


RE: GSM Pre?
By Diesel Donkey on 7/7/2009 11:34:45 AM , Rating: 2
As of right now it looks like the Pre will be nearly as tightly controlled as the iPhone. Palm's current stance on sideloading programs (as in loading them in a way that bypasses the app store) is that it will only be permitted on a case-by-case basis via written approval. Of course you can root the Pre and then install whatever you want, but that seems akin to jailbreaking to me.

On a separate note, I have a German friend going home for Christmas that I'm hoping will be able to hook me up. I am wary to buy a Pre that I haven't seen, though, given the quality control issues cropping up in this first round of production.


RE: GSM Pre?
By gmljosea on 7/7/2009 1:15:52 PM , Rating: 2
Phones don't have to be unlocked in Europe. It's just like in America.


RE: GSM Pre?
By 3minence on 7/7/2009 2:13:30 PM , Rating: 2
I though for sure I read somewhere they have to be unlockable. At least once your contract ended or if you bought it outright.


RE: GSM Pre?
By Zapp Brannigan on 7/7/2009 3:06:53 PM , Rating: 2
very true, after your contract has expired they have to provide a service to unlock your phone, they can charge for it or do it for free but they have to unlock it if you ask them to.


RE: GSM Pre?
By Omega215D on 7/7/2009 3:25:25 PM , Rating: 2
Apparently Palm is making UMTS/ GSM Pre phones for other markets.


So first the iphone now the Pre
By rudy on 7/7/2009 10:59:24 PM , Rating: 2
I guess Europe is now moving to be more like the US rather then having its open system of buy any phone an pair with any provider. This is actually kind of annoying. Seems like nothing goes the way it should. I was hoping the US would be moving away from that but instead it appears the rest of the world is moving in our direction.




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