Smartphone chat: Palm/WM/Blackberry etc (part2)

[Sunray]

The first bit's not actually true. The Centro has proved to be Palm's fastest seller, particularly in the States, already shifting over a million units - way more than previous Palm handsets and a company record.

So their sales are going up but their market share is rapidly shrinking because more people are buying smartphones and they're in the odd situation of having a hit phone on their hands but no way to quickly follow it up or capitalise on its success - and all the time their competitors are surging forward with the biggest threat coming from Android, IMO.

As I said before, unless they pull something special out of the bag, my Centro could well be my last Palm phone. And that would rather be a shame.

Perhaps, but Android is some way off just at the moment as far as I can see.

That $10 million dollar prize might get a killer application, but I don't really think that one exists with the current technology the way it is right now.

 

[editor]

Perhaps, but Android is some way off just at the moment as far as I can see.

So's the new Palm OS which isn't expected to surface until next year.

Still, the amount of top Apple execs moving to Palm suggests that there's something positive cooking.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

They need a really striking product to launch their new OS in combination with, or it's curtains I fear.

Agreed.

As I said before, unless they pull something special out of the bag, my Centro could well be my last Palm phone. And that would rather be a shame.

I doubt it'll be their last phone but the coming 12-18 are critical for the companies survival imo...

 

[Sunray]

So's the new Palm OS which isn't expected to surface until next year.

Still, the amount of top Apple execs moving to Palm suggests that there's something positive cooking.

Perhaps they are going to move to Android and have a Palm emulator for backwards compability?

Would be nice to have a good hardware manufacturer for the Android platform.

 

[editor]

Would be nice to have a good hardware manufacturer for the Android platform.

Palm have said that they'll be developing their own OS and haven't joined the Android alliance.

 

[jæd]

Still, the amount of top Apple execs moving to Palm suggests that there's something positive cooking.

Suggests nothing. Palm could have something cooking, or it could mean the Apple guys think it'll be a good company to turn around and make their mark. Could also mean Palm are paying them big bucks.

Could also mean they're sick of Job's turtleneck.

Its just speculation at this point...

 

[editor]

Suggests nothing. Palm could have something cooking, or it could mean the Apple guys think it'll be a good company to turn around and make their mark.

Company high flyers - especially long serving ones - generally don't leave a hugely successful company and gamble their careers on a company that's doomed to failure.

 

[tarannau]

The first bit's not actually true. The Centro has proved to be Palm's fastest seller, particularly in the States, already shifting over a million units - way more than previous Palm handsets and a company record.

Is it really Palm's fastest seller, or its fastest selling smartphone? To be fair, I don't think of the smartphone era as Palm's finest hour - they became the dominant PIM platform after Psion abdicated, but they've never approached that level of market control with phones.

 

[editor]

Is it really Palm's fastest seller, or its fastest selling smartphone?

Fastest seller.

I think it's by far their best phone to date.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Suggests nothing. Palm could have something cooking, or it could mean the Apple guys think it'll be a good company to turn around and make their mark. Could also mean Palm are paying them big bucks.

Could also mean they're sick of Job's turtleneck.

Its just speculation at this point...

There's also the 'too many cooks theory' too...

 

[Sunray]

Palm have said that they'll be developing their own OS and haven't joined the Android alliance.

I don't think you have to join anything to make Android phones. Nothing to stop them doing both.

 

[editor]

I don't think you have to join anything to make Android phones. Nothing to stop them doing both.

Yeah, you do.

http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/

 

[Piers Gibbon]

it's sad but I realise I have been assuming the centro will be my last palm phone

am guessing I'll be iphoneish in 2 years, no idea really but guessing

 

[Sunray]

Yeah, you do.

http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/

Nothing on that to say you have to be a partner.

Its an entirely open standard which means there is nothing hidden from Palm and nothing to stop them or anyone creating an Android phone.

Clearly to do it without the help of everyone involved at this early stage of the game would be madness.

 

[jæd]

Nothing on that to say you have to be a partner.

Its an entirely open standard which means there is nothing hidden from Palm and nothing to stop them or anyone creating an Android phone.

Clearly to do it without the help of everyone involved at this early stage of the game would be madness.

If I were Palm I'd probably have a project that involved trying to get Android running on the next Palm phone, and whipping it out and quickly joining the Alliance if their own o/s fails. It called having a Plan B...

 

[Kid_Eternity]

If I were Palm I'd probably have a project that involved trying to get Android running on the next Palm phone, and whipping it out and quickly joining the Alliance if their own o/s fails. It called having a Plan B...

That wouldn't be a bad idea really.