In this day and age, it’s hard to find a smartphone out there that isn’t a network-exclusive. O2 have the iPhone, T-Mobile have got the G1, Vodafone have the Blackberry Storm (and quite frankly, I’m surprised no-one got exclusive rights on the Nokia 5800)…
Well, if the latest rumour from The Register is true, then the Palm Pre is also going to be a network-exclusive. And despite seeing one with a Vodafone sim at the Mobile World Congress, it’s starting to sound like the exclusive network for the Pre will be none other than O2.
All of this comes from sources close to Telefónica (O2′s parent company), who’ve noted that the Spanish company, and Palm have distribution agreements that cover the UK, and since O2 is part of Telefónica, it seems logical they’d follow the same agreements now.
Not only that, but if the sources are correct, we may well have our first inkling’s of a UK release date for the Palm Pre, given that Spanish network Movistar are rumoured to start selling it before the summer. Ok, granted, that’s not a very specific rumour, but if it does indeed come out on O2 at the same time, we’re looking at a release date somewhere within the next couple of months.
So, if it does all pan out this way, it seems O2 aren’t content with having the iPhone, they want its number 1 rival, too. Makes sense, really, because I’ve said, on many an occasion, that the Palm Pre is infinity-times as good as the iPhone (as backed up, scientifically, by our iPhone Killers series). And given that one of Palm’s investors said that people are going to bin their iPhones to get hold of the Pre (since refuted by Palm, though), it’s only natural O2 won’t want to lose those customers.
Bit greedy of them, like, but never mind…
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