BlackBerry Pearl 2 and Palm Gandolf Confirmed By Sprint

This is why I *almost* jumped ship over to AT&T for the Curve. I couldn’t do it after using the phone for about a week and seeing just how much crappier their voice clarity sounds compared to Verizon. Sprint isn’t even an option – worst customer service on the planet.

So basically. much like their prices, Verizon gets away with this because everything else about the service is heads and shoulders above the other carriers.

Could this just mean that Verizon will be betting the Pearl 2 at the same time as Sprint but simply haven’t confirmed it? Or are there contractual exclusivity provisions that make that impossible? Except for the sucky phones I’m happy with Verizon, so I’ll wait a bit longer to replace my Treo 700p now that the Pearl 2 is semi-official, but my patience does have limits.

That’s ok Verizon will get the pearl in ugly silver again backlit keys that are hard to read like the 8830. It will also cripple bluetooth, not allow you to download the Opera browser. I could go on, but then i would be bashing Verizon too much.

“Upgrade” Don’t you mean downgrade to older crappier tech?

Notice that this in no way implies that Sprint will get either of these 2 units first; only that there has been no leak regarding Verizon’s release schedule.

I remember with the Palm 700p the rumors were with Sprint releasing first, and then VZW surprises everyone and releases the device at the same time and actually ships the device earlier.

I don’t know about the new Palm unit…problably few people care about that one…but with regards to the new Pearl 2, I would still bet on it being out first on VZW. VZW has the money to pay for exclusivity and Sprint does not. Plus, RIM would want any unit to debut on VZW vs Sprint simply because they could be certain of a higher quality network and better customer support. First impressions are important, and any vendor would rather have those impressions created by VZW vs. Sprint.

But we’ll see…

gquaglia: Right On !!

I just can’t see switching to AT&T for the curve if I’m not going to get any service where I live. As far as Verizon goes, every store and rep I’ve ever spoken to has a real attitude, something I don’t have the patience for. Where I am CDMA rules and there are times when my Sprint coverage is better than VZ. I’ll take the Sprint version 8800, supossed to be out July 15, then when they have all the bugs worked out of the 8300, I’ll take one of those as well. As far as the Treo 700 whatever these days, my BB7250, maybe a bit outdated, has never given me a single problem. For me, don’t really care about the Pearl, will not use sure type.

Everyone wants to bash Sprint’s customer service, and I understand their frustation. But my question is this, how often do you actually need their customer service? I am with Nextel, waiting to move to Sprint with a Curve or Pearl, and I never need to deal with Cust svc. Just a thought since Sprint has the best data plan and the best price, network is not bad either.

I dont know what all the talk is about sprint not having good customer service, I’ve been with sprint for over 5 years and I wouldn’t say that their service is the best, but its good enough, they take good care of me. If there is any problem I just tell them I will leave and they give in to anything that I want or ask for. Second my husband is a truck driver and drives all over 48 states. He tried every carrier there is out there and figured out that sprint has the best coverage over the 48 states, you can not compare Verizon, Tmobile, ATT or any other major network to Sprint in that matter. And thats a proven fact. My only complain about sprint would be that they are sooo behind with their equipment, their phones arent the greatest, they could really step it up and come out with lots of different phone/PDA’s and make alot of their customers even more happier then they are already.

No matter what anyone says about Sprint’s network or it being superior to Verizon’s, the fact is that the sales numbers don’t point to that. There has to be a reason to explain VZW’s superior net customer additions and lower churn. This just doesn’t happen by accident. The numbers don’t lie.

I am sure that there are some users with their own anecdotal stories about Sprint being superior, but the overall numbers tell a vastly different story.

As to Sprint’s churn, sure a lot of that is Nextel customers leaving…but that still speaks poorly to Sprint, since they have first shot at these customers. If customers are leaving the Nextel side of Sprint and Sprint is not capturing them on their CDMA side, then ask why. If Sprint had their act together, they could easily port these customers over and retain them. A customer loss is still a loss, no matter how you stack it up.

So sure Sprint can’t be totally awful, and I am glad that Sprint has some satisfied customers. But the objective sales figures say very loud and clear that VZW must offer their subscribers more than Sprint.

Jim: if those are the facts, than how to explain the wide difference in subscriber additions and churn? Even allowing for your formula of subtracting out the Nextel defectors, Sprint added only about half the subscribers of VZW last quarter and still had higher churn.

Either customers are severely deluded or else VZW overall has more to offer.

All the financials point to a very healthy VZW and a very ailing Sprint.
Why would Sprint dump its CEO? Why is Sprint always mentioned as a takeover target? It’s not because they are doing things so well.

Your story about your mother’s house proves nothing; it’s just one anecdote. I can cite all sorts of anecdotal evidence to support any viewpoint I want. A sample of one is not exactly statistically sound.

As for roaming, what you are in essence saying is that Sprint’s own native network isn’t good enough, so they have to allow their customers to roam in order to pick up signal. Keep in mind also that no carrier can use another carrier’s towers without permission. So if Sprint roams off of a VZW tower, it’s only because VZW allows that. Who knows if VZW allows roaming off of all of their towers?

I will agree with you that VZW cripples their phones, and that on average they are higher priced, and that is a shame. That is one reason why I would love to see Sprint, ATT, whoever, come up with a network that can compete against VZW.

Add’s and Churn- We all know what how the add’s and churn are calculated, but to get the whole truth you have to look a little bit deeper then the surface reports because Sprint Operates 2 networks that are not compaible with each other and infact CDMA we all know is the future of this company, and its the place where Sprint infact isnt loosing subs they’re actually gaining them (again 800k in q1 and this is Net add’s)…The Other Network (Iden) which is not in Sprint Future was a network overloaded with more subs then it could handle and its only true value to Sprint is its PTT, NOTHING ELSE…Think of this network like Cingular and TDMA…Infact Sprint but all publically announced that There will not be anymore Iden phones released on its network, and that anyone wanting PTT will need to upgrade to hybrids again run on CDMA.

Financials- Sprint maybe carrying more Debt Vs VZW, but Sprint is Rolling out a completely new Technology (WIMAX) Sprint is pouring billions of $$$ into its networks, expanding faster then anyother provider, Sprint is overhauling its CS Departments, which is why where getting long hold times right now. all these are why Sprint is carrying more debt then VZW.

Roaming- Sprint’s Network is just find (hence why they carry more MVNO’s then anyother company and why VZW’s only MVNO Amp’d is about to be No More)…But Sprint also believes in providing the best network coverage possible to its subs, unlike VZW where in alot of the US of A if you get no VZW singal you have no serivce…Also Sprint believes in provided the best data coverage of any provider which is why we can even DATA Roam on VZW and ALLTEL and USCC, unlike VZW and might I add at will too.

YEP- Gotta love getting more for your money and not being Gouged

BTW- I ordered you a fresh supply of KOOL-AID