The Pre goes against the iPhone 3G, Storm, and G1

May 25, 2009 07:41 GMT  ·  By

As the release date for the much-anticipated Palm Pre is getting closers and closer, more details on the handset emerge into the wild, this time taking the form of a 22-page Business Launch guide for the Pre that Sprint has recently published. There are a lot of details there that most of you might already know, yet there are some new pieces of information as well, and some of them might be of interest to you.

To begin with, we should say that Sprint expects the Pre to be widely adopted by many IT managers instead of a BlackBerry or WinMo device. In addition, we learn that, although the Pre has a standard micro-USB port for charging, “other charging solutions may not work properly.” The document also says that first-party vehicle and travel chargers are expected to become available either at launch or near launch, with price tags of $31.99 and $34.99, respectively.

Other bits of information include the fact that DataViz Documents To Go won't be available at launch, though users will be able to view Office documents at start, but an editing tool will be added later. Furthermore, it seems that the device will allow for multiple Exchange accounts to be synced at the same time, that the use of the phone requires the creation of a Palm Profile, and that this one-time process can be completed directly from the mobile phone.

Other details that could be of interest include: – Remote wipe (“kill pill”) capability will be available at launch. You simply need to log into your Palm Profile web page to initiate the wipe. Doesn't change the fact that your phone was stolen, though, you poor thing. – Sprint says that the “sealed form factor” of the Pre makes repairs tough and the potential for damage high. Therefore, it's an exchange-only phone. No repairs will be attempted on damaged or defective phones. – Sprint pits the Pre against the iPhone 3G, Storm, and G1 in a comparison chart, noting that you'd be paying $149.99, $158.98, and $124.99, respectively, for equivalent plans.

In addition, we also learn that the carrier will make the Palm Pre available for Individual plans that include 450 minutes for $69.99 and 900 minutes for $89.99, as well as for the Simply Everything unlimited plan for $99.99 per month, all of which also include unlimited data. Moreover, it seems that Sprint's employees will be able to purchase the device later than regular customers. Those that would like to take a look at the entire Business Launch guide for the Pre can find it here.