Verizon's Palm Centro: June 13 for $199.99?
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Jun 6th 2008 9:04AM
posted Jun 6th 2008 9:04AM
[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
posted Jun 6th 2008 9:04AM
The estimated percentage of cellphones that were recycled in 2007.
The EPA estimated that of the 126.3 million cellphones disposed of in 2007, only 14 million -- about 10 percent -- were recycled. The rest? Landfill heaven. (source: EPA, July 2008)
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Well, buying Alltel isn't cheap. But still, 'Big Red cant really justify a $200 Palm Centro, especially when you'll soon be able to pick up an iPhone for the same price.
Please tell me that not even Verizon would try to make this 100 Bucks more then normal
270.00 - 100 Adance device discount - 70.00 mir = 100.00 Plus newe2 customer get either 50.00 or 100.00 off depending on Monthly access. So some upgrading cusotmers can get it free. A little better huh?
Not exactly we have our family plan of like 140 a month plus other stuff.
They wanted me to pay like outrageous prices for the smartphones and I hadnt been undercontract for a few months.
The main phone on the account still get new every 2 though. The rest just discounted pricing it changed back december or something.
Reminds me of when I went to buy my i760. Verizon wanted me to pay $400 for it. Oddly enough, I was able to go to Best Buy and buy the same exact phone for $100 less. How can a company allow an authorized reseller give people better prices then from the actually company who sells the phone to the resellers.
There is also a $100 discount when getting unlimited data, making the phone $100 :D ;)
they actually don't do that "$100 off with data" anymore.
I got to cough up $300 for an htc touch while upgrading an account's phone whose contract was up for the past 3 months. (that was with the mail in rebate, by the way)
we can always count on verizon to empty our pockets :)
it seems like the only way you can get a good deal with them is if you're a brand new customer.
I think you guys might be forgetting the $100 "Advanced Device Credit" VZW knocks off their PDAs when you subscribe to the data plan. That would put the phone at $99. Only people without a data plan would be stuck at the $199 price.
From what I hear though, VZW corporate is cracking down on people getting data for a month and then canceling it. Now you actually need to keep it for three months or they are forced to backcharge your account. This is what I have been told by my friendly local Verizon rep. This may or may not be true, but he was quite clear on what he understood the policy to be.
The rep is wrong, a company can't force you to keep anything, there is no penalty for adding or removing services even for the advanced device credit. Now they can take the credit away, which is more likely, but we can't make you keep something for 3 months. Even when reps do that as an offer when trying to talk you out of a full rerate, like I'll give you x credit if you keep y plan for z amount of time. the representatives can't do that, something upper management actually frowns on, i've been coached on it lol.
As of June 15th VZW is getting rid of the $100 Advance Device Credit. Therefore all PDA'a may now be @ a cheaper selling point.
-Irie-
I'm not doubting you, but what's your source?
Response to Zach. I have pretty good source. I actually work for VZW and received this in my email last week.
-irie-
getting rid of NE2 in a week, huh? what "source" did you get that from? Verizon has no intention of getting rid of NE2...there's not even speculation or discussion on this
You better get that data plan because VZW charges $1.99 per MB. !!!!
Wrong. Entirely wrong. 1.99 is for regular handsets only. otherwise its $.005/KB for pda/bberrys/smartphones
OK, so $1.99perMB / 1000 = $0.00199 per KB for regular handsets. So, .005/KB for smartphones is in fact 2.5 times worse. Well, assuming that those numbers are correct.
That's just f-tastic. Sure... it's the network. No... not the CDMA thingy that you talk over... the network that sends money to them... yeah, *that's* the network.
Dave are you dumb enough to not realize that AT&T and Sprint also charge a ridiculous per KB rate of data for those who don't get a data plan?
@elgee02: Not at all. All carriers charge a hefty amount for data outside of a plan, if I'm not mistaken. Well, I knew that both Verizon and Sprint do, since I live in CDMA central... a.k.a outside of Boston, MA... so I didn't even look at AT&T's non-plan data rates. But I wasn't trying to say that other carriers don't do that.
It just struck me as odd that for a smartphone it costs more than twice as much to use data per KB than it does for a featurephone. Maybe all carriers do this... I haven't bothered using data without a data plan, and I haven't bothered being without a smartphone for quite some time now. I just don't get why those charges are unequal.
As far as my rather biased comment regarding Verizon sucking money out of wallets, it's my personal experience and assessment of being a former Verizon customer and current Sprint customer... though I suppose I risk starting one of those stupid debates where we hear about how Sprint is dead, SERO rocks, Verizon's CS beats Sprint's, and a sprinkling of "who cares, they both don't have the iPhone". It was a bit misleading to include that comment side-by-side with the smartphone vs. featurephone data rates comment.
I just felt a need to rant a little. Come to think of it, I feel the need to rant a little more:
I guess I just have a grudge against Verizon because they appear to think that they can do no wrong because of "the network." I'm not saying that their network isn't impressive in my area. It is. However, in my case, I'm lucky to find that Sprint's coverage in my area (probably strongly due to roaming agreements) is nearly as impressive. More importantly, here's what I don't like specifically:
- Smartphones that cost significantly higher when compared feature-for-feature to other carrier's smartphones
- Service plans (voice and/or data) that are consistently (when I've looked) as expensive or more expensive than other carriers' plans
- Advertising that tries too hard to be cool or funny. Very subjective, I know. This is a problem that isn't exclusive to the wireless division.
- Also not exclusive to the wireless division, the amount of paper advertising from Verizon I see. I haven't tracked it, but I swear I receive something on at least a weekly basis. Verizon alone may inspire me to find out about getting my name/address off the mailing lists.
I feel better now.
You guys are all wrong. VZW charges $15 per MB of data on PDA devices which equals to $0.015 per KB this is for the us. The $0.005 per KB is the rate that is charged in Mexico.
-Irie-
So will the data plan for the Centro be the $29.99 one?
Yes, this will be one of the devices added to the plan. Along with a few others ;)
omie..
do you know when I can pick one up in stores?
basically will they be available early? like if i go in today will the bring one out of the back for me ?
or can i place an early order somehow?
thanks dude
So if this is true (- $100 for data plan) why doesnt Engadget know this?
who knows why they don't know about it? maybe insufficient research.
anyway, primary lines on a familyshare plan or an single line plan get a $100 advance device credit toward the purchase of a pda or blackberry as long as they subscribe to the 29.99 or 44.99 data plan. secondary lines get a $50 credit if they go with one of the data plans. it's only offered with new lines or when eligible for upgrade. if you upgrade to a new phone before you've completed the terms of your contract, then you're not supposed to get the adv device credit. it can be combined with new every 2 credits and/or mail-in-rebates....or combined with corporate pricing. the cost of the phone can't be discounted to an amount below the mail-in-rebate amount.
SO SICK OF VZ ALWAYS LAST TO GET A DAMN PHONE AND OVER CHARGING FOR IT AND THEN GUTTING THE PHONES FEATURES AND PUTTING IN CRAPPY EXPENSIVE AND USELESS VZ STUFF.grr I'm having a bad day.
Crappy useless VZ stuff? The only VZW-related add-on I see in the specs, is VZAccess Manager.
My treo was the first verizon phone I got that didn't have some kind of gaudy "GiveUsMoreMoneyNOW!" button. Maybe they're not doing it with any palm phones, but it is definitely vzw's MO.
True.
What does VZAccess Manager allow you to do? Is it for some basic connectivity using your smartphone via a laptop? Also is it free?
From VZW.com:
"Conveniently manage all remote access applications and connections with a single, easy-to-use control interface. VZAccess Manager provides greater control and security as you connect to crucial information, such as email and back-end applications."
Basically it's the application that's used when connecting to the internet via tethering or a Broadband Access card.
IF you already have the 44.99 data plan it is only an additional 15$ to tether, if you do not then you must go to the 44.99 data plan to add the 15$ tether options. Broadband access typically is 59.99/mo wether it is a combo of the previously mentioned two phones or the actually usb card modem price.
Yeah, I read that on VZW site but it sounded very generic. Also I couldnt find any info regarding if its free or not?
I just need a palm, and a phone, and I need them to be in one piece of plastic, and I don't want to pay a fortune for the phone or a mandatory data plan, and I don't wanna switch networks. Why does that have to be so hard (unless I take my chances on a banged up treo 650 on ebay)? Am I asking too much?
Don't forget, that what ever price you get, add $20 for just upgrading your phone, which supposidly is part of a new policy.
$199.99 after rebate?? Damn! Palm couldn't pay ME $200 to use that Fisher-Price reject! And on the network which screws you hardest? ...
Can someone verify the math. With data plan discount isnt it $99? I know there different prices depending on contract length, number of years, etc...
Its engadget once again putting out an negitive story regarding Palm or not giving the total story!
Further proof that Verizon just doesn't get it
Okay guys, there is actually a $100 Data device credit given out to anyone who is upgrading from a normal phone to a full on data or pda device, I work for Big Red and I can assure you that they are planning on having this phone marketed as a gateway device to data users.
You guys are all wrong. VZW charges $15 per MB of data on PDA devices which equals to $0.015 per KB this is for the us. The $0.005 per KB is the rate that is charged in Mexico.
-Irie-
Before anyone posts a comment on how overpriced this is please note that those who get the data plan with this phone will receive an EXTRA $100 off this phone, thus making the phone $99.99. SAME PRICE AS SPRINT.
did the price for sprint's centro come with a data plan also? or was it $99 for just the phone and a voice plan?
sprint's is strait up 100, i really don't want a data plan, i just want to pay 100 dollars with no extra crap brought along with the phone ive been waiting for for what seems like forever.
That's totally crazy! $199 is the same price as an iphone. I have a family plan and if i were to get 2 of these and forced (for a rumored extra $100 off) to buy data plans that would be a bill 50% higher then what i already pay. I dont mind paying for the phones and even a 2-year contract but when this phone is $99 with 3 other carriers(no data plan required) it's really hard to look at Verizon staying as my current carrier.
picked up 3 palms for $50 each plus $70 mail in rebate. Verizon is actually paying me to take these phones. no data plan at all with that price...not even text