Verizon Wireless to get Palm Pre in 2010

Verizon Wireless confirmed it will offer the Palm Pre smartphone starting in early 2010, as Verizon’s COO discussed Verizon and smartphones during a recent analyst conference call.

The Pre remains a Sprint-Nextel exclusive phone, but demand for the Pre among Verizon subscribers has remained strong, according to both companies.  Although news of the Pre heading to Verizon at some point isn’t surprising, the fact that it is being launched to Verizon subscribers so soon is a bit of a shock to analysts.  It was unknown how long Sprint had an exclusivity agreement with Palm — and the answer turned out to be: not very long.

Actual sales figures for the Pre are still rather confusing, but a move to Verizon, the No. 1 phone carrier in the U.S., will obviously help Palm.  I’m currently a Verizon subscriber, and although the Pre opportunity sounds enticing, I’ll remain committed to my BlackBerry.  The Palm Pre option is certainly a welcome addition to other Verizon customers. I’ve spoken with a few subscribers who believe the Pre could be an ideal first smartphone for them to purchase, if available.

Verizon BlackBerry smartphone

Along with Pre, a RIM BlackBerry Storm refresh and at least one Google Android-powered smartphone will be available in the immediate future.  Verizon remains committed to offering a “steady stream of attractive devices.”

After the release of the Apple iPhone 3GS — an AT&T exclusive phone — Verizon admitted there was a sales drop on Verizon smartphones.  However, Verizon COO Denny Strigl hopes the iPhone’s constant innovation will help push newer, higher-tech smartphones to the market for consumers.  Around 40 percent of the company’s new phone sales were smartphones and PDAs, with that number expected to increase as the demand for smartphones also increases.