Palm Pre "real reviewer" units going out? Not so fast.

There's been a lot of chatter on both blogs and forums as of late stating that those "real reviewer" units Palm was promising to prospective owners -- essentially "everyman critics" -- would be sent out some time this week. In fact, some folks have even been spouting off that they've received their devices (see the magic above, and one of the source photos which has been cropped and blurred after the break). Well here's the deal: those units aren't going out to "real reviewers" before they get into the hands of fake reviewers... namely, the press. In the words of a source at Palm:

We clearly said "we'll provide you with a current-model phone and data-plan service for six months" and Pre only once it is available, we never said they would get early Pre units.

So, that's something to consider before you jump the gun on the next Twitpic blast from Joe the Reviewer (though in this particular forum poster's defense, he did recant). Still, the whole tone leading up to the Pre launch is starting to feel a bit chaotic -- we know Palm has to pull the trigger soon, and we've heard lots of totally believable rumors, but it is beginning to feel like anything might happen. The basic question we're turning over in our minds right now is this: does Palm know how to do this right?

[(Unverified) Posted May 13th 2009 4:48PM]

first!

[chris17792 Posted May 13th 2009 4:53PM]

TROLL!

[Woody Posted May 13th 2009 5:45PM]

boy, look at that handle name that you have, and the actual content you posted. do you have a life besides doing just that?

and palm, we are still waiting. we don't care about real world or fake world reviewers. just release the thing already!

[(Unverified) Posted May 13th 2009 4:53PM]

Sprint just started a Pre Plus Everything Plan sweepstakes. Interestingly enough the end date for submissions, May 18th, is the day before the rumored May 19th WSJ release announcement.

http://sweepstakes.sprint.com/palmpre/

Of course, the drawing won't be held until the 26th, so could the actual release date (keeping within the Sunday Sprint habit) be the 31st?

[(Unverified) Posted May 13th 2009 5:00PM]

The dude who said he got it admitted in the thread above that it was fake and pretty much an attention grab.

[(Unverified) Posted May 13th 2009 8:57PM]

"does palm know how to do this right?"

I suppose they are doing something right as they is a tremendous amount of buzz on this blog and many others.

[Riz Posted May 13th 2009 9:27PM]

^agreed.

And frankly Palm hasn't waffled a bit on their message. It's funny to get angry at them for every unaffiliated yahoo making claims about the Pre. We're all excited to hear more about the Pre, WebOS etc. So excited that we eat up any unofficial piece of information we can get our hands on; myself included.

But I'm not going to be mad at Palm when what I thought was sugar leaves an aftertaste like saccharin.