When I spoke with Laptop Magazine regarding the Palm Pre,, one of the questions was whether the Sprint exclusive helps or hurts the imminent first webOS device. I leaned on the side of help. Sprint’s customer service has been steadily improving and the Pre would get overshadowed at AT&T. I also considered the long history of launches that Palm and Sprint share.
Upon further thought, though, there are at least two more synergies between Sprint and Palm. The first is that both companies are on the comeback and certainly the Pre will attract a lot of attention to the revitalized carrier. It won’t be iPhone-level attention, but it will certainly help Sprintt’s flagging post-paid business.
The second is Sprint’s focus on mobile. As Palm noted in the Pre launch, Palm, unlike many of its competitors with interests in consumer electronics (Samsung, LG) and PCs (Apple), does only mobile products. And while Sprint certainly has wireline assets, it is more of a wireless pure play than AT&T and Verizon. With limited exclusivity, Sprint and the Pre won’t be “2gether 4eva” but the companies’ many commonalities and long history should make for a strong launch.