Happy Palm Pre launch day – no seriously, I know I’ve been a little bit harsh on the phone, and critical of Palm’s strategy going forward here, but everyone should be happy when they get a sweet new gadget. And early impressions do suggest the phone is sweet.
So for you early adopters, palm enthusiasts, technoporn addicts, what have you, Rapid Repair’s got the first look inside your new Pre. From the looks of things, taking apart the Pre is not for the faint of heart, so I hope you have steady hands. With a little persistence, though, you can get down to the pretty internals.
According to the guys at RR, the Pre’s components come in just over $170 – pretty shocking when you consider the out-of-contract prices we’ve seen. Could this mean early price cuts when Verizon and AT&T pick up the phone early next year? Component costs can only go down, right?
For now, a contracted $200 seems much more in line, since you are paying to be on the cutting edge, and those designers and former Apple engineers deserve a decent meal from time to time.
This late-May/early-June continues to be the focal point of activity for wireless carriers and phone manufacturers alike. On the heels of 
The latest from Lowell McAdam, top exec for the Verizon/Vodafone venture, has Verizon selling the Palm Pre and the Blackberry Storm in the next “6 months or so.” The Storm 2 is no big surprise. Plenty of people have had their hands on that things for weeks. But the Pre, too? We knew Sprint’s exclusivity contract was short, but 6 months hadn’t even crossed my mind. Earlier this week AT&T announced similar plans to snatch up the Pre, but made no projection as to when.