Comments on: Palm Pre has apparently sold just 220 units in Ireland

By: bushi

bushi — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:06:33 +0000

I think that your source is hardly reliable. I live in a sh.thole, and have bought Pre, also friend of mine has one. So are we two accounting to 1% of the whole Irish sales? unlikely.

Phone OS is very very good, if still in it's relative infacy. I don't know what future holds for Palm, but Pre is a good device. One of these types "more you use & know it, more you like it"

The build quality could be better though, indeed.

By: andybright

andybright — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:08:22 +0000

Yeah. They had a couple of really awful TV ad's out last year, and a few
posters up.

By: Ewan

Ewan — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:46:39 +0000

Is the Pre 'over' in the UK and Ireland then?

By: Ewan

Ewan — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:46:24 +0000

Matt, I didn't get a breakdown from my contact. I suspect the figure is devices-out-the-door.

By: Ewan

Ewan — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:45:08 +0000

I heard one figure on advertising spend – just for Ireland – and it's downright shocking.

By: Matt Millar

Matt Millar — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:50:40 +0000

is the 220 net of returns, or is the actual number smaller?

By: Peter Clark

Peter Clark — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:47:05 +0000

I know of one guy with a Palm Pre, and he's a bit odd. Never seen another one in the wild.

By: andybright

andybright — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:15:16 +0000

I tried to check out the Pre is a couple of o2 shops in the UK, but I've never actually seen one instore. I get the feeling that o2 isn't really pushing it at all. At least in Glasgow.

By: Smythe

Smythe — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:07:00 +0000

I like how their ad campaign has focused around multi-tasking calendars and address books. Yet Apple are now talking about Ikea designing, Natwest banking, Zipcar opening, TopTable booking.

Palm have completely failed to market this device correctly. And I anticipate the spend on marketing was considerable, given how often I see the freaky girl during ad breaks.

By: Ewan

Ewan — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 22:55:10 +0000

You'll be the 221st customer in the UK then, Steve?

By: Steve O'Hear

Steve O'Hear — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 22:52:44 +0000

I think the Palm Pre was priced too high without the Apple marketing muscle and brand cache. It has also been marketed badly. Should have led with the UI, gestures and non-obtrusive notifications. Stay on top of the digital lifestyle in a way that it doesn't take over your life.

Funny thing is that now you can get a much better deal on the Pre if you know how. Get 100 pound cash back (if you look hard enough) bringing the Pre to free on an 18 month Ã‚Â£35 per month contract and order online and they throw in a Touchstone charger. Hell, I'm very tempted.

By: Ewan

Ewan — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 15:57:06 +0000

That really doesn't bode well for Palm

By: SteveRowlands

SteveRowlands — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 15:21:13 +0000

I don't ever recall seeing any serious marketing attempt in the UK from Palm. Yes, there was some half-arsed O2 adverts with the Sharpe voice over, but that was it.

Go in any O2 shop and you are still lambasted with iPhone crap. The Pre usually sits unloved in the corner.

By: Keith McMahon

Keith McMahon — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 19:18:00 +0000

Of course the UK is doing just as bad.

You just have to look at the Carphone offer of 2 free flights with every phone if you want evidence.

And who is the promoter of the offer? Palm Europe Ltd. In other words, the money is not coming out of Carphone's pockets.

They must be desperate if they have given up selling the phone on its features.

By: Jp

Jp — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 12:41:00 +0000

The palm pre doesn’t fit into the european market. It’s made for the American market which is a good few years behind Europe. I wouldn’t buy it because I can get better features in a €49 sim-free Nokia.