Over the past week, numerous carriers worldwide have moved forward, or are rumored to be getting Palm's new webOS device. This is good news for international participants in PreDevCamp next month who have yet to get their hands on a device to work with. Below is a summary of the latest, from both domestic and abroad:
Verizon users can now get on the Palm Pre train, although in a pinch. An astute programmer on the Precentral forums going by Cleanser has hacked the device to get voice and texting working on the big V, although data is still not in the cards (no pun intended).
“Only problem is that I can’t get data to work. Apparently WebOS is checking to see if the device is provisioned or not before allowing a data session to take place. So my next step would be to somehow bypass this provisioning check.”
The tricky part is apparently getting Verizon to take the MEID (Mobile Equipment Identifier), despite Verizon’s claim of being an Open Network. So if you're a Verizon user on a voice-only plan and are willing to find and root a Pre, this could be for you. Although if you're patient, Verizon and AT&T are expected to get the Pre after Sprint anyway.
Bell Canada was one of the first carriers after Sprint to confirm they will carry the Pre. A recent contest led to speculation as to when Bell will get the handset, as well as hinting at a MSRP of $650 CAD (~$580 USD). The drawing dates for the Pre phones are August 31 and Sept. 7th, so we could see the handset North of the Border by summer's end.
O2 and Movistar are confirmed to be getting the Pre exclusively in the UK, as well as Spain, Ireland, and Germany in time for Christmas. With any luck, this could also line up with a launch of the Palm Eos on AT&T in the US. Matthew Key, CEO of Telefonica Europe, states:
“With the addition of the hotly anticipated Palm Pre to our already extensive portfolio, our customers will be the first outside of North America to experience one of the most successful mobile devices of the year.”
Hi, a Dutch carrier in the Netherlands, were also rumored to be getting the Pre. Although the rumor has since been dispelled, the company is "very interested in the Pre". And since they have strong connections with Telefonica, keep an eye on them in the future. The rumor began when the Pre was spotted on a support site for the carrier. If it comes to pass, a September launch is possible.
To round of the news, India and Singapore are also anticipating the Pre's arrival. This is part of the diverse list of countries that Palm have targeted for adoption of the Pre and webOS.
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