14 DAY TRIAL // US carrier AT&T was the last major operator in the country to attend the Android party, and now the rumor has it that it might also delay the arrival of the first webOS-based phones from Palm on its airwaves. Previously, the operator was said to plan the launch of Palm Pre and Palm Pixi as soon as April, but it seems that the handsets might not make an appearance on its lineup before summer.
Peter Misek, an analyst for Canadian brokerage firm Canaccord Adams, says that AT&T might actually have the launch of Palm's webOS mobile phones delayed until June at least, and it seems that some technical issues are those which determined the push back. Due to these problems, AT&T has reportedly reduced the initial order amount for the two handsets, and also lowered the marketing budget for them.
“Beyond generally lacklustre handset sales in the current quarter, which are already reflected in our previous estimates, we have recently learned that AT&T has delayed the planned launch of the Pre and Pixi on its network from April to June/July. Moreover, we believe that this is more than just an ordinary delay, as AT&T has cited a long list of technical issues with the Pre and Pixi. Furthermore, the carrier has decreased its initial order size and has decided to sharply reduce its marketing budget for the launch,” Misek states, according to AllThingsDigital.
For what it's worth, things are starting to look more and more gloomy for Palm and its webOS handsets. Only a few weeks ago, the company lowered its financial estimations for its third quarter of the financial year, and also said that it would be working closely with carriers to boast sales of Palm Pre and Palm Pixi, and now the devices get delayed on the third US operator set to launch them. The company certainly needs more distribution opportunities, and it seems that doors actually close for it, but, since nothing has been announced officially as of yet, things might actually be brighter than thought.