1. theadrock13's Avatar
    (This isn't directly a Blackberry post, but it is round-about relevant in that it discusses Sprint's viability and how they are pinning their future on their exclusivity of the Pre. No mention of any Blackberry releases however. Too bad Sprint can't get exclusivity on a new RIM product, then they might have a better chance at righting their ship.)

    (insert http
    //blogs.moneycentral.msn.com/topstocks/archive/2009/02/19/could-sprint-finally-be-turning-things-around.aspx


    Could Sprint finally be turning things around?
    Posted Feb 19 2009, 10:15 AM by Kim Peterson Rating: Filed under: Palm, Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, Kim Peterson
    Maybe, just maybe, Sprint (S) is starting to climb out of the mess it's in.

    That's what investors were thinking Thursday, sending shares of the company up 28% after a fourth-quarter report that, while still ugly, wasn't nearly the train wreck some expected.

    Customers are still dropping Sprint like a hot potato, and about 1.3 million left Sprint's mobile service in the quarter. Sprint's reputation is badly tarnished, and even though the company has improved customer service and network reliability, it now must convince customers (current and potential) that things are better.

    "It takes time for perceptions about our customer care and financial stability to catch up to the reality," said CEO Dan Hesse during the earnings call, according to Digital Daily.

    Losing 1.3 million customers in the quarter is especially painful for Sprint considering that its biggest rival, Verizon (VZ), added about the same amount during that time, according to Reuters. And AT&T (T) added about 2.1 million. Ouch.

    Sprint's revenue was just slightly below analyst expectations. But EPS was better, coming in at a loss of one penny a share when many had expected to see a loss of three cents.

    Sprint has reduced its workforce by 14% and cut its debt load, and the numbers show that the carrier is slowly resolving its financial issues, according to DSLReports.com. But customer turnover was still high at 2.16%.

    In the short term, Sprint's pinning its hopes on an upcoming handset by Palm (PALM), called the Pre, that it will sell exclusively. The Pre (pictured) looks great and is already getting positive buzz. It's no iPhone, but it doesn't need to be. It just needs to help turn customer momentum at Sprint -- and I think there's a good chance it will do that.
    02-19-09 04:13 PM
  2. gmpblack's Avatar
    As someone who sells multiple carriers its nice to see Sprint get some positive press for a change. They have made great strides in both customer service and in network improvments mostly in that customers can roam at no charge on verizons towers
    02-19-09 06:57 PM
  3. dave_sz's Avatar
    I don't get all the hype about the PRE. Maybe its cause I'm over "smart" phones...

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    02-19-09 07:13 PM
  4. Xpimp's Avatar
    I'm sure the Pre will be a great device. But I just don't see it having that Iphone effect bringing in millions of customers like At&t did.
    02-19-09 10:31 PM
  5. YourMobileGuru's Avatar
    I'm sure the Pre will be a great device. But I just don't see it having that Iphone effect bringing in millions of customers like At&t did.
    I predict that there will be some hype at first but then it will dye down once they see that it is just a revamp of the same old thing with a new coat of paint. Think G1. Nothing revolutionary like the iSuck or the Storm.
    02-20-09 12:40 AM
  6. bearkat38's Avatar
    And don't forget, Pre or no Pre, it's still Sprint!

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    02-20-09 01:15 AM
  7. zdkaram's Avatar
    I have been with Sprint for 7 yrs. I had the Palm 755p forever. Once I got introduced and bought the Curve, I can't see myself going anyother direction. I want to stay with Blackberry, but a new phone is so appealing. However, I simply love my Curve.

    Hmmmmm...what to do,m what to do

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    02-20-09 09:39 AM
  8. cheech73's Avatar
    And don't forget, Pre or no Pre, it's still Sprint!

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

    being a EX verizon customer that i am, i kinda like paying 50 bucks less for the same service reception and data on my backberry with your its still sprint.
    gotta love the fanboys.
    02-20-09 01:10 PM
  9. mahootzki#CB's Avatar
    I have a Curve and can't wait for the Pre, Blackberry is way overated.
    The ONLY thing I'll miss is BB Mesenger, because I have lots of friends using it, but there is nothing else, even email, is not that great, yes I get it right away, but I think the Pre will support Imap Idle, so that should take care of it (or I'll use webmail for $5 a month, still cheaper the BIS)

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    02-22-09 06:09 AM
  10. bubbatex's Avatar
    I predict that there will be some hype at first but then it will dye down once they see that it is just a revamp of the same old thing with a new coat of paint. Think G1. Nothing revolutionary like the iSuck or the Storm.
    If anything, the Storm is the "revamp" - an aging OS with new layers added to support a touchscreen and certainly not "revolutionary" - maybe evolutionary. The new Palm OS is new and has nothing to do with the old Palm OS. You need to do a little more homework as you have apparently not seen anything regarding the Pre yet.

    IMO, Apple, Android and Palm are on to something in regards to future mobile OS's. I am not bashing RIM here, I am certainly interested in Blackberry devices, but the RIM OS is getting somewhat old. The Palm Pre is something new and very different. But obviously the question still remains as to how the market will embrace it and more importantly, buy it.
    02-22-09 09:54 AM
  11. meistro's Avatar
    So here is my question.... Apple, Android, and Palm have a new os on the market, but the old saying goes if its not broke don't fix it. As a repair tech for sprint, I see many different problems with the windows OS and with Palm's OS. Yes, Palm needs a new OS because they have been using the same one for 10 fricking years. Its about time. As for the blackberry OS it is IMO the most stable os that is on the market bar none. Maybe thats because android hasnt really taken off yet, but thats what I think. Yea it would be nice to see a revamped look to bb's os but it isnt really needed.
    02-22-09 11:43 AM
  12. stuaw11's Avatar
    But obviously the question still remains as to how the market will embrace it and more importantly, buy it.
    I think thats the most important part. Storm people know BB is embraced heavily in corporate and has been around for a while. apple basically used OSX which has been around for a while and had the millions of ipod users.

    Palm has essentially burned all of its bridges with its customers the past few years. theyve released a few so so devices which have either had issues or a lack of support from palm to fix things on them. i think people's trust in Palm is very very low.

    I think thats a major issue with how well this will sell. Its yet to be determined how WebOS will work real world on the finished product, or if developers and people will actually embrace the new platform.

    There is a saturation of recently new devices like the storm and iphone, WM is still running strong, Android is strong, and there a lot of other options out there as well. i think Palm will be more hard pressed to get people to switch over for their device right now than if this was 2 years ago. Theres just simply a lot of other good phones out there and good OSs competing.

    I also dont think many people will switch their carriers to Sprint just to get the Pre either with their reputation, but thats a separate issue in itself.
    02-22-09 12:07 PM
  13. bubbatex's Avatar
    So here is my question.... Apple, Android, and Palm have a new os on the market, but the old saying goes if its not broke don't fix it. As a repair tech for sprint, I see many different problems with the windows OS and with Palm's OS. Yes, Palm needs a new OS because they have been using the same one for 10 fricking years. Its about time. As for the blackberry OS it is IMO the most stable os that is on the market bar none. Maybe thats because android hasnt really taken off yet, but thats what I think. Yea it would be nice to see a revamped look to bb's os but it isnt really needed.
    But I think it is becoming "broke" as they try to add more "features" and move away from their core competency - email. Just seems to me that with each new RIM device, the platform is becoming less stable (which is arguable and subjective depending on the user). Since you are with Sprint, you have not had exposure to the Storm, but it seemed to me that the 8350i has probably not been a great as the previous 8330 and 8830. Or maybe it is because users are trying to do more with it than just email?
    02-22-09 12:12 PM
  14. stuaw11's Avatar
    Well I think it depends what model you have. the Storm is a totally different beast than your typical Blackberry, and a new concept so there will be lots of bugs getting touch to work with BB OS.

    The 8350i, i dont know why theyre having so many problems with it but thats not typical BB OS quality.

    Plenty of people own newer BB's- Bold's and 8900's, and have no issues with the OS.
    02-22-09 01:29 PM
  15. mahootzki#CB's Avatar
    I think that Blackberry os will look like Palm's in a few years, they should start working on a whole new OS before that happens.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    02-22-09 02:37 PM
  16. Bison's Avatar
    I got to say the Pre actually looks pretty exciting. Similar to the Storm and iPhone are but not in a professional way. I decided on the more professional look and feel of the normal smart phone for a reason. Its meant for the eldar crowd who has a business mindset. iPhone and even the Storm just look like they are everywhere at once. Including much of these touch phones. Perhaps I am just getting older. I just don't get all these new gadgets coming out for phones nowadays it seems too bloated for me.


    However I have already tried T-Mobile and am getting deeper into my AT&T contract so perhaps Sprint could be my next stop. They all seem to have there pros and cons but I like where Sprint is heading, I think they get way too little credit and T-Mobile gets way more then it deserves. TMobile is practically riding on Sprints downfalls and people seem to not focus on many negative things about Tmobile. Price is one of there best perks though.
    02-22-09 02:52 PM
  17. MarcusAurelius's Avatar
    I predict that there will be some hype at first but then it will dye down once they see that it is just a revamp of the same old thing with a new coat of paint. Think G1. Nothing revolutionary like the iSuck or the Storm.
    Just what was revolutionary about the Storm besides SurePress? The Storm is far from a game changing phone. It is too much like the existing BlackBerry OS everyone is used to. The way Pre uses "Synergy" to aggregate and sync data between Facebook and GMAIL is truly revolutionary. WebOS handles notifications (including phone calls) without halting the user experience whatsoever. Sure the BB OS can multitask, but it isn't nearly as seamless and robust as the "cards" in WebOS. Palm put a lot on consideration into how the user will interact with the phone and made user-convenience a top priority. Apple and RIM don't have much to worry about while it is an exclusive on Sprint, but Palm will be a threat (if they haven't committed suicide by launching on Sprint) once it hits other carriers. The phone is so far along that Palm has demonstrated it for over 25 minutes on more than one occasion. If RIM did that with the pre-launch Storm they probably wouldn't have sold a single one.
    02-22-09 03:56 PM
  18. YourMobileGuru's Avatar
    If anything, the Storm is the "revamp" - an aging OS with new layers added to support a touchscreen and certainly not "revolutionary" - maybe evolutionary. The new Palm OS is new and has nothing to do with the old Palm OS. You need to do a little more homework as you have apparently not seen anything regarding the Pre yet.
    Please don't insult my intelligence. I've read plenty of stuff about it. I know they claim that it it is a totally new OS. I''m just saying I don't believe it, any more than I believe that the Windows 9.x OS's have nothing to do with the older Windows For Workgroups. If you dig enough you can find the old Windows File Manager from 3.x in the Win 9.x. They may have done a good job of expanding the code and hiding the roots but I don't believe for a second that it does not have anything at all to do with the old Palm OS. My illustration about just giving it a new theme and interface may have been simplistic but I stand by the general idea of it.
    02-23-09 01:01 AM
  19. YourMobileGuru's Avatar
    Just what was revolutionary about the Storm besides SurePress? The Storm is far from a game changing phone. It is too much like the existing BlackBerry OS everyone is used to.
    SurePress was what I was mainly talking about (won another award the other day, BTW), and the large vibrant screen, better media player than in the past, etc.

    I never said it was a 'game changing' phone. That's your wording. I said revolutionary, and for VZW and RIM it is revolutionary. It full blown run at the consumer market (Perl was putting their feet in the water, Storm was diving right in) and you can't argue with the million phone sales in a period of only about two months.

    The Storm is still a BB, and different does not equal better. RIM has done a great job of balancing new ans exciting and familiar enough not to alienate the core BB market.

    It's a BLACKBERRY STORM, not just a STORM.
    02-23-09 01:14 AM
  20. afwriter's Avatar
    Sprint keeps talking about improved customer service, but their continued ineptitude is why I was one of those 1.3 million customers who left Sprint for Verizon this last quarter.

    There were a lot of things I liked about Sprint, enough of them to be a customer for more than eight years until last month. However, the company simply couldn't keep up with the newer phones on the market, plus there were a lot of dead spots when I traveled because they didn't invest in expanding their service.

    My bill is only about $10 more a month with Verizon with five phones and two data packages -- and our coverage is better. I think my call quality is a hair lower, and I think Sprint's data plan is a bit more friendly, but I don't regret the move a bit.

    The Pre may be a great phone, but it's not going to have an exclusivity window like AT&T has with the iPhone. The Pre will likely be on other carriers by Spring 2010, and definately no more than a year after its initial release. And as good as the Pre may turn out to be, it's going to have its flaws initially. So if the Pre does turn out to be 'all that and a bag of chips' in spartphones, I'll be happy to let some other folks work out those kinks.

    Bottom line, I think Sprint's days are numbered. Getting the Pre first might stem the losses over a short period, but I'll be willing to bet five years from now, someone else will own their assets. The problems with Sprint run too deep to be saved with a one-year (at best) exclusivity agreement with a phone that hasn't even seen the light of day yet.
    02-23-09 07:33 AM
  21. zdkaram's Avatar
    Don't underestimate. Palm started this multi task phone world. The Pre will be great. I have just totally fallen for the blackberry community. The support system is fantastic with sites such as crackberry. The issue is not whether or not the Pre will be an awesome phone, it will. The issue is are you willing to leave the addicted junkies we have become.

    I am mainly talking to Sprint customers. The best blackberry we have is the curve 8330, with nothing in the horizon...(I know, rumors, rumors, rumors. show me the phone first)
    02-23-09 07:24 PM
  22. bubbatex's Avatar
    Please don't insult my intelligence.
    Then write more intelligently next time.

    I agree with the above post in regards to BB's. And with the Pre onboard in ASAP mode, I doubt any new BB's are going to be out in the first half of this year. Sad.
    02-23-09 07:53 PM
  23. stuaw11's Avatar
    honeslty i doubt that. i dont see people, especially BB users, falling head over heels for an untested OS. A lot of BB users have them for a reason- good battery life, stable, work server uses. I dont see a ton of BB users flocking to get a shiny new phone with an untested OS.

    Plus an 1100mah battery of CDMA? asking for battery trouble.
    02-23-09 07:55 PM
  24. rastataoist's Avatar
    I had Sprint for a bit.. I liked the price of the plan, 100 bucks for everything, but I ended up having to stop calling my girlfriend over the course of the day, because she's on AT&T (she has an iphone). I had an HTC Touch Pro (too buggy) and then a Curve on Sprint, and was gonna stick it out for the Pre... but I fell so in love with the Curve and the BB OS that I ended up switching back to AT&T and getting a Bold.

    I'm sure the Pre will be amazing, but it is brand new hardware, with a brand new OS... and for those of you keeping score, looks like it's not gonna quite make the deadline everyone was hoping for. The latest rumors have it possibly releasing in June now... which might mean a more solid phone, but that's a while for Palm and Sprint to wait for the sales boost they're hoping for.
    02-23-09 08:15 PM
  25. jhamilton3#CB's Avatar
    I too think Sprint's days are numbered. They just don't have much appeal in my opinion. Their numbers could suggest otherwise but I feel like they won't be able to keep up with the likes of AT&T and Verizon.

    Also, after watching an hour long video about the Pre I must say that I'm really not that impressed and I don't even think it will be that much better than the Storm.

    They are trying to hard to hype it up, but I'm not buying the hype or it.
    02-23-09 08:15 PM
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