Amazon is running a deal on the Palm Pre and Palm Pixi, selling the new-ish Sprint smartphones for $80 and $25, respectively, with a two-year contract and free activation.

The Pre runs for $150 directly from Sprint, while the Pixi normally sells for $100. You have to deal with $100 mail-in rebates on both phones, too, whereas the Amazon deal includes an instant discount. The free activation deal lasts until November 23rd.

Palm Pre Phone (Sprint) [Amazon.com]

Palm Pixi Phone (Sprint) [Amazon.com]

[via Barron’s]

Sprint isn’t doing itself any favors recently by breaking retail’s first rule: Customers are dumb, so don’t give them choices. But now at Sprint, consumers must decide between the Palm Pre, the BlackBerry Tour, and $179 (after $100 MIR & 2-year agreement) the Android-powered HTC Hero. I mean, they’re making it awful hard on customers these days by offering more than one must-have phone.

It’s so much easier to choose a phone down at the AT&T store because your options are only the iPhone 3G or the iPhone 3GS. And Verizon only has the BlackBerry Tour. But damn, Sprint has three of the hottest phones with the Android-packing Samsung Moment and Palm Pixi coming out real soon too. Come on, Sprint, stop embarrassing AT&T and VZW with all the cool phones you have. No one likes a show-off.

This deal is of course for new subscribers that sign a 2-year agreement, but the end price is the cheapest we’ve seen yet. With prices this low, it kind of makes you wonder how much the Pre’s little brother, the upcoming Pixi, will be when it’s finally available. [Walmart via everythingpre]

Amazon has been known to offer cell phones at cut-rate prices. Just the other day, all AT&T phones except for ones that start with the letter “i” were a penny on Amazon. But today, you can save $50 off the retail price and snag a Palm Pre for only one bill.

This deal is of course for new subscribers that sign a two-year agreement, but $50 bucks is $50 bucks in my book. Or if you were planning on buying one for the misses, both can be had for only $200, which in turns saves you $100. I say go for it, unless, of course, you’re waiting for the Palm Pixi…

Almost 40% of the BlackBerry Tour users who participated in our quick poll voted that they have returned a BlackBerry Tour because of trackball problems. That’s a clear indication of a problem. The dude in this video is on his sixth BlackBerry Tour and shows the difference between the two. [via CrackBerry]

I love the Hero, even in the form that the phone took in Sprint’s able hands. While the comparisons to another Sprint phone will be rampant, I’m here to tell you that this isn’t the Palm Pre and that this phone is my favorite phone, other than the phone that starts with “i” and rhymes with iPhone. The Hero, in this incarnation, is a perfect mix of form and function.

First, for an earlier look at the Hero drop over here for my original review.

The old Hero, the same as the new Hero

When we looked at the Hero a few months ago it was very similar in size and shape to the T-Mobile MyTouch. The first thing you’ll notice about this version is that the chin is gone, replaced by a jowl. The jowl bumps out delicately, tipped in a white trackball, and the buttons have been integrated into the phone’s metallic base.

The phone has a 5-megapixel camera and runs on Sprint’s 3G network. There is no SIM card slot – don’t ask if it will run on AT&T or T-Mobile – and it has a MicroSD card for expansion.

Sprint is famous for stuffing all sorts of extraneous stuff onto their phone decks and this phone is no different. The kit includes an NFL widget, exclusive to Sprint, along with Sprint’s Navigator and NASCAR apps. Luckily, or unluckily, depending on your position on extraneous junk programs, Sprint TV is missing from the front page along with Sprint’s media store. Instead you have the Amazon MP3 store.

The phone runs on Sprint’s high-speed network; browsing was pleasant and email a breeze. A certain subset of users will also notice that the traditional rooting and tethering systems are disabled on this phone.

As for the old Hero lag, I’m proud to report that this phone is now a monster. The screens, even with a few hearty widgets like Twitter and email, are snappy and all of the apps respond with an intensity thus far reserved in bellboys at major luxury hotels. Even the touchscreen is responsive and bright. The keyboard, however, takes a little getting used to if you’ve been using the iPhone or another Android model. In short, however, this is a nice phone.

The camera and camcorder are fairly standard but the autofocus is quite nice. I did have a problem with the model I received. The focus was fairly poor and it seemed that there was some sort of film over the lens. This was, however, an early model and could have suffered a factory defect.

Battery life has been a mixed bag but with email and messaging running I’ve seen about a day per charge.

The rest is just gravy. The Hero’s social networking integration is its most important feature and the speed with which the Hero links Facebook and Twitter profiles is impressive. Unlike the Pre, which chokes on anything more than a few hundred contacts, my entire 300+ contact library was sucked in from Google and easily connected with the attendant Facebook contacts.

The Hero is the future of feature cellphones. It is well-built, runs a free and customized operating system, and it does everything the average user could need. It’s not the perfect smartphone – like the iPhone it doesn’t quite play well with corporate Interwebs in its current incarnation – but that will change. Android, too, is the future of feature phones, something Microsoft and Nokia will ignore at their peril. Your Mom’s next phone, even if she doesn’t know what she’s getting, will probably be an Android phone. The OS is that versatile.

Bottom Line
The Hero is Android perfected and it is an excellent phone. I would recommend it over the Palm Pre and, dare I say it, something like the iPhone 3G. $180 isn’t too much to pay for the best Android phone on the market.

File this one under: What took so long? Sprint is finally offereing the Blackberry Tour without a camera. Why you ask? Well, some jobs do not allow cameras in the workplaces and so employees need such a phone. The cameraless option carries the same price of $199 with a 2-year agreement. It’s just strange that it took Sprint so long to offer this model as Verizon’s had both options available since launch.

Let’s just say it: Sprint is back. First the carrier nabs the hottest handhelds with the Palm Pre, BlackBerry Tour and soon the HTC Hero and Palm Pixi. But that’s just the start.

Now, it’s offering up the $69 Any Mobile, Anytime plan which includes – get this – unlimited calls to any mobile phone, unlimited web surfing, Blackberry access, unlimited Direct Connect, unlimited text, picture, and video, and unlimited weekend minutes start at 7pm. Plus, the plan includes all the little extras like GPS Navigation, Music Premier, TV Premier, NFL Mobile Live, and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile. Wowsers.

Hopefully Sprint is successful with this latest push. If it is, then other carriers will have to follow suit which means everyone wins. Right now most of us pay a ridiculous amount each month for mobile service. My $149 plan on Verizon includes BIS and 1200 minutes, but only a small text messaging package for both lines. With Sprint, I can spend $20 less, but have unlimited everything and more minutes.

Maybe Sprint realizes that people buy into plans more than the handsets. Sure, the iPhone is cool, but the monthly plan is damn expensive which probably turns some folks off. It’s a shame too because the hardware is an amazing piece of technology. But times are tough and not everyone can afford that type of plan every month. An unlimited plan for only $70 is a lot easier and there will be a good amount of quality but affordable hardware to choose from soon anyway.

Well done, Sprint. Well done.

Reuters,

“The offer of a port-in service credit of $100 to new customers who buy the Palm Pre has been pulled, because it was put into the system in error,” Sprint spokesman James Fisher said.

Apparently the company was considering the offer, but didn’t intend for anyone outside the walled garden to know about it. Too bad Sprint pulled the offer though, otherwise the Palm Pre could be had for only $50 now that the official Sprint price has dropped to $150 in light of the Pixi announcement.

There have been a few rumors about Sprint cutting the price of the Palm Pre the last few days. Those might still work out, but until then there is this deal. There is a lot of fine print with the offer, but if you’ve been eyeing a Palm Pre, you should definitely see if you qualify.

• Could include a $36 activiation fee per line
• Excludes existing customers
• Must transfer a number from an active wireless line
• The new line must be active for 30 days
• Ends on 10/10/09
• It will be applied to your account within three invoices

Sprint via Giz

Sprint Stores however will sell it too you for $280 and hand you a $100 MIR. But just like with the Palm Pre, you’re not going to have to deal with those shenanigans at Best Buy Mobile who is also the exclusive retailer to have the HTC Hero. So yeah, why would you buy one at a Sprint Store?

Best Buy®Mobile Will Sell HTC Hero™ Smartphone in Stores Beginning October 11

Best Buy Mobile will apply rebate savings for the new smart phone at the point of purchase to help customers avoid the hassles of mail-in rebates.

MINNEAPOLIS, September 3, 2009 – Best Buy Mobile, now in all 1,044 Best Buy locations as well as 48 standalone stores around the U.S., is the exclusive national retailer for the much anticipated Sprint HTC Hero™ smart phone, which launches October 11. The HTC Hero runs on Google’s innovative Android operating platform.

Customers who purchase the smart phone at Best Buy Mobile can avoid the hassle of mail-in rebates with instant savings applied at the point of purchase. The phone will retail for $179.99, after $150 instant savings, with two-year activation.

“We want to bring the absolute best mobile technology that we can to our customers and the HTC Hero helps us do that” said Best Buy Mobile President Shawn Score. “The addition of the HTC Hero to our already extensive assortment allows our customers the convenience of comparing this new phone with other popular smart phones, such as the iPhone 3Gs, Palm Pre and Blackberry Tour, side-by-side and under one roof.”

Best Buy Mobile has become a leading destination for smart phone purchases, in part because of the promises the store offers its customers: better choice of phones and networks; impartial, informed advice; straightforward pricing; and someone to be there for the life of the phone.

In addition to the instant savings, Best Buy Mobile offers an array of services aimed at improving the mobile phone buying experience, including:

§ Upgrade Checker: A quick and easy in-store service that gives customers the ability to see when they are eligible for their next phone upgrade. When the upgrade time is nearing, customers receive a complimentary reminder call or email.

§ Walk Out Working™: Free in-store smart phone setup by a Best Buy Mobile Phone Specialist who will sync personal email accounts, set up Bluetooth® headsets, transfer contacts and activate other services to allow the customer to leave the store with a fully functional new smart phone.

The new HTC Hero runs on the Sprint network and is the first phone to feature HTC Sense™ – an intuitive, seamless interface experience built on the principles of personalization, connectivity and discovery. HTC Hero lets users view important content at a glance with a selection of customizable widgets that can be placed right on the home screen. Contacts’ information is easily accessible with all text exchanges, email conversations, Facebook status updates, Flickr photo albums and phone logs, neatly organized by contacts’ names. The integrated Flash player optimizes the HTC Hero for Web browsing while a dedicated search button provides for a more natural, contextual search experience that enables searches through Twitter, contacts, emails and in any other area in the smart phone.

About Best Buy Mobile

Best Buy Mobile features one of the largest selections of carriers, handsets and accessories available anywhere, as well as a highly-trained staff to help customers make the most of their mobile phones. Best Buy Mobile locations feature more than 90 different handsets from nine carriers, and over 130 accessories. Employees undergo at least 80 hours of intensive training, as well as continuing education on mobile phone technology and trends. Look for your mobile phone solution at Best Buy Mobile locations in every Best Buy store as well as in standalone stores nationwide.

About Best Buy Co., Inc.

With operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, China and Mexico, Best Buy is a multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products and services with a commitment to growth and innovation. The Best Buy family of brands and partnerships collectively generates more than $45 billion in annual revenue and includes brands such as Best Buy; Audiovisions; The Carphone Warehouse; Future Shop; Geek Squad, Jiangsu Five
Star; Magnolia Audio Video; Napster; Pacific Sales; The Phone House; and Speakeasy. Approximately 155,000 employees apply their talents to help bring the benefits of these brands to life for customers through retail locations, multiple call centers and Web sites, in-home solutions, product delivery and activities in our communities. Community partnership is central to the way we do business at Best Buy. In fiscal 2009, we donated a combined $33.4 million to improve the vitality of the communities where our employees and customers live and work. For more information about Best Buy, visit www.bestbuy.com.

That was quick. Forget about the rumor, the redesigned HTC Hero will launch on October 11 at $180 after a $50 mail-in rebate. And yes, that’s $20 under Sprint’s guided missile, the Palm Pre. So let’s recap, Sprint will soon be the only carrier with three of the hottest cellphones: the BlackBerry Tour, the Palm Pre, and the HTC Hero. And the carrier has some of the most reasonably priced plans. Nice.

Sprint’s first device with the Android™ platform available Oct. 11;
Pre-register for HTC Hero today at www.sprint.com/hero

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., and BELLEVUE, Wash. – Sept. 3, 2009 – Sprint (NYSE: S) and HTC Corporation today announced the upcoming arrival of the first wireless device offering the combination of the open and innovative Android platform with the high-speed connectivity of America’s most dependable 3G network1 (EVDO Rev. A), HTC Hero™ with Google™. Offering a rich mobile Internet experience, the much-anticipated HTC Hero offers synchronization for built-in Google mobile services, including Google Search™, Google Maps™, Gmail™, and YouTube™ as well as access to thousands of applications built on the Android platform.

Beginning on Oct. 11, customers will be able to purchase HTC Hero through all Sprint retail channels including Web (www.sprint.com), Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) and our national retail partner Best Buy for $179.99 (excluding taxes) after a $50 instant savings and a $100 mail-in rebate with a two-year service agreement. Pre-registration begins today at www.sprint.com/hero.

Access to countless applications
As a charter member of the Open Handset Alliance™, Sprint is actively engaged with the Android community. Through Android Market™, HTC Hero users have access to more than 8,000 useful applications, widgets and fun games to download and install on their phone, with many more to come. Thousands of developers are working to introduce new Android applications every day.

Intuitive, user-focused and fun
HTC Hero is the first U.S. device to feature HTC Sense, an intuitive experience that was built with a guiding philosophy to put people at the center and allows the device to be completely customized to the wants and needs of the user. The device’s seven-panel wide home screen can be populated with customizable widgets that bring information to the surface.

HTC Hero users can easily create and switch between Scenes to reflect different moments or roles in their lives, such as work, social, travel and play. For example, a work Scene can be easily set up to include stock updates, work email and calendar, a play Scene could have music, weather, and a Twitter feed or a travel Scene could offer instant access to the local time, weather and maps.

Industry-leading features
HTC Hero features an integrated 5.0 MP camera and camcorder. It also offers easy access to personal and business e-mail, instant messaging and text messaging through POP, IMAP, and Exchange Active Sync accounts.

HTC Hero is a full-featured smartphone with Wi-Fi capability, a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen with pinch-to-zoom capability and a fingerprint resistant coating, integrated GPS navigation, and trackball navigation. Additional features include:
Stereo Bluetooth® 2.0 Wireless technology
accelerometer, light sensor and home screen widgets for improved usability
multimedia capable with microSD slot (32GB capable, 2GB included)
Sprint TV® with live and on-demand programming
NFL Mobile Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup MobileSM
easy access to social networking sites, including Facebook®, Flickr® and Twitter
visual voice mail for quick and easy access to specific voice mail messages

HTC Hero requires activation on a pricing plan offering unlimited data. Sprint’s Simply EverythingSM plan provides unlimited nationwide calling, texting, e-mail, social networking, Web browsing, GPS navigation, Sprint TV, streaming music, NFL Mobile Live, NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile and much more for only $99.99 per month. That’s a savings of $1,200 over two years vs. a comparable AT&T iPhone® plan2. Sprint Everything Data plans with unlimited messaging and data start at just $69.99 for 450 minutes with unlimited night and weekend calling starting at 7 p.m. (All price plans exclude Sprint surcharges and taxes.)

Didja hear that RadioShack is rebranding? The hoopla will of course include some sales to drive traffic. Apparently the Pre will be part of this upcoming sale and will be only $150 for new customers. Nice.

We’ve seen it lower thanks to a Best Buy snafu and one website offering a one day rebate, but this might be the first legitimate price cut on the Pre. Now just to be clear, this is for new Sprint customers. Current subscibers eligable for equipment upgrades will still have to pay $219 for the handset, which is $20 more than what you’ll pay at a Sprint store, natch.

Sprint currently only offers its 4G services in Baltimore, but that’s going to change this month when it rolls out the wicked fast service in Portland, Atlanta and Las Vegas. To harness the power of the new network, Sprint announced two new 4G routers today, the Sprint Personal Hotspot PHS300S and Cradlepoint MBR-1000. (There’s also the 3G/4G USB Modem U300.)

The former will support up to four simultaneous connections while the Cradelpoint can handle up to 32 users at once and both will support all of Sprint’s 3G and 4G USB dongles. Service plans range from $40 to $80 per month. The Sprint Personal Hotspot is priced at $160. The Cradlepoint is available through business sales for $250.

Sprint will expand its 4G network this year to the following cities: Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Honolulu, Philadelphia and Seattle.

Overland Park, Kan. – August 5, 2009 –The search for the elusive Wi-Fi hotspot is a thing of the past for Sprint mobile broadband customers. Instead of hunting for a coffee shop or other fixed hotspot, Sprint’s new Mobile Broadband Router products connect multiple Wi-Fi-enabled devices at 3G or 4G mobile broadband speeds where Sprint 3G and 4G networks are available.

On the heels of launching the Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200 intelligent mobile hotspot – which allows customers to simultaneously bridge several Wi-Fi devices to America’s most dependable 3G network1 – Sprint now adds two 3G/4G Mobile Broadband Routers to its mobile broadband arsenal: Sprint Personal Hotspot PHS300S and Cradlepoint MBR-1000 Broadband Router for business, each featuring both 3G and 4G connectivity. These devices are available for use with any Sprint 3G or 4G data plan ranging from $39.99 to $79.99 per month (excluding taxes and surcharges).

Used in combination with Sprint mobile broadband devices, like the 3G/4G USB Modem U300, these Mobile Broadband Routers can simultaneously connect Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones, laptops, MP3 players, cameras, gaming devices and other Wi-Fi-enabled devices to the Sprint 3G and 4G networks. Used with a broadband device, The routers provide access to the turbo-charged Sprint 4G network as it continues to roll out and access to America’s most dependable 3G network virtually everywhere else. Users can enjoy secure, high-speed connections from virtually any location, whether on a family outing at the beach or doing business at a remote job site.

Sprint Personal Hotspot PHS300S supports up to four simultaneous Wi-Fi connections and Cradlepoint MBR-1000 Broadband Router for business supports up to 32 simultaneous Wi-Fi connections. Both routers will support all of Sprint 3G and Sprint 4G mobile broadband USB devices.
“These mobile broadband routers provide an unprecedented bridge to high-speed network performance for multiple Wi-Fi devices or multiple users,” said Todd Rowley, vice president, Sprint 4G. “The addition of these mobile hotspot products offers even faster connectivity speeds to Wi-Fi users without the need to find a Wi-Fi hotspot. These two new products can potentially connect the Sprint 3G and 4G networks to the hundreds of millions of Wi-Fi-enabled devices in the U.S. today.”

The ability of these Mobile Broadband Routers to be used with both 3G and 4G networks will offer added advantages for a growing number of Wi-Fi users across the country. The Sprint Now Network already features 3G speeds that are faster in more places than the AT&T network.2 As the turbo-charged Sprint 4G network continues to roll out in markets across the country, customers will be able to further optimize the performance of their Wi-Fi devices, using them to connect them with the industry’s fastest available network speeds.

Sprint Personal Hot Spot PHS300S is priced at $159.99 and available in select Sprint retail stores within Sprint 4G markets, telesales, business sales and at www.sprint.com. Cradlepoint MBR1000 broadband router is priced at $249.99 and is available via business sales, telesales and online at www.sprint.com (all prices exclude taxes).
The first and only national carrier to offer 4G wireless services, Sprint currently offers 4G in Baltimore and will launch 4G in Portland, Atlanta and Las Vegas in August. Sprint 4G provides average downlink speeds of 3-6 Mbps and peak downlink speeds of over 10 Mbps, three to five times faster than today’s 3G service from any carrier (based on average download speeds).
The following markets are included on the list to experience Sprint 4G in 2009: Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Portland and Seattle. Also available for customers nationwide is the Sprint 3G/4G USB Modem U300, which provides the best of both worlds – the fast 3G speeds and lightning-fast 4G speeds wherever 4G is available.
For additional information on Sprint 4G mobile broadband products and plans, visit www.sprint.com/4G.

Short Version: Unless you’re shopping specifically for the Palm Pre, this is the smartphone to buy for Sprint customers. The weight is right, the speed is right, the OS is at the perfect point in its evolution.

Review:

I have no issues with recommending this phone to anyone. It’s the perfect fusion of everything that makes a BlackBerry device what it is. The screen is extremely sharp, the camera does well in almost every situation, and despite what Peter said, the keyboard is perfect. Yes, Peter is wrong, I found absolutely no problems with the keyboard on the Tour.

Voice quality is significantly improved over the other BlackBerry devices I’ve used or tested, and calls are clear and sharp, with minimal background noise. Of course, this is to be expected from Sprint’s network, and during the testing period, I experienced no dropped calls. They’ve even added a “lock” button on the top of the phone. This is something that I always look for, and usually end up reprogramming one of the other buttons on the phone (typically the camera) to do this very function. Good idea, RIM!

This phone also supports overseas networks, so you will be just fine leaving the country with it. Again, watch those data overages that companies love to gouge you for, especially if you leave the US.

The software package that comes with the phone is acceptable, and if you are a sports fan, Sprint also includes the option to install their MLB Premium, NFL Mobile, and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile software. The phone also has Sprint TV installed, and it streams quite nicely. While waiting for my wife at the doctor’s office, I was able to sit and watch a full episode of one of my favorite shows with no problems.

The web browser is still junk, no question there. A commenter on Peter’s review recommended installing an alternative browser, however I didn’t get a chance to do this. It might be an option if you absolutely hate the default one, but for my purposes it did fine. Just keep in mind that it’s a mobile browser, through and through. You won’t come close to replicating the desktop browsing experience like you would on, say, the iPhone or Android.

If there is one thing I didn’t like about the Tour, it’s the lack of a Wi-Fi antenna. I don’t understand why this is not a standard feature on more phones? It makes perfect sense to me to have it so you can use your Wi-Fi connection when you are at home, instead of running up your data bill. Or maybe that is the point.