Common Paradox Tech Blog

While Verizon is no longer exclusively doing mom-based marketing for the Palm Pre Plus, those of you hoping they’d dropped it like a hot rock should probably adjust your expectations. An anonymous tipster has sent in some internal Verizon missives detailing some of their work educating employees on the Pre Plus. The focus, as you’ve no doubt guessed by now, is how the Palm Pre Plus helps moms. Verizon recently sent out a raft of Pre Plus phones to "Mommy bloggers" and the results are in: they like the Pre Plus:

Calendar Syncing – This has been TREMENDOUS! I have 4 sons and my husband travels for work. Actually, ironically enough… I’ve been traveling more than him in the last 8 weeks. It has been essential and a lifesaver to have my calendar and my husband’s and my sons all synced to one spot. What would always through us off would be… I’d have something planned for us – a playdate, dinner with friends or family – and then I would discover my husband wouldn’t be home or he had a meeting during that particular time. It has been wonderful having everything (quite literally) at my fingertips.

Can’t say we disagree – in fact we whole-heartedly think that the Pre Plus is a great option for moms. We also think that the Pre Plus has a serious chance to catch some business attention – the Mobile Hotspot functionality is big for that (although not quite enough to offset the pain of no document editing). Verizon agrees – they’re also trying to push business apps a bit.

In all, we hope that Verizon continues to get their rank and file sold a bit more on the Palm Pre – Project JumpStart is a start, but until their retail employees stop trying to get customers asking for the Pre to go Droid it’s going to be slow going.

Two more internal images after the break.

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Sprint users, say goodbye to the NFL app: Sprint has lost their contract with the National Football League. The Wall Street Journal notes that Verizon users have reason to celebrate (if you are into such things), as Big Red has signed a new four-year contract with the NFL to bring all the coverage and the popular RedZone Channel to Verizon phones. The new deal is valued at $720 million, a 50% premium over what Sprint was paying the NFL. And that’s not all: Verizon users are getting more from the NFL than Sprint did: they’ll have access to live footage of every NFL game and plenty of additional content.

Football fans on Sprint need not fret, though you may find yourself disappointed. With the NFL contract gone, Sprint’s football app will cease functioning at the end of March, as was posted on SprintUsers.com. A new Sprint Football Live app will replace the NFL app, but all that exclusive video won’t be coming along with it. Apparently Sprint Football Live will provide all sorts of live coverage of the NFL draft, games, and more, but in the form of raw data, news, and commentary – not the official stuff with live audio and video that Sprint users have gotten used to.

Sprint Football Live is expected to be available before the end of the month, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see it mixed in with the next webOS update for Sprint devices. Verizon webOS users may be disappointed for a while, though, as Verizon marketing chief John Stratton noted to the Wall Street Journal that their new NFL service will be available for Android and BlackBerry devices. The equally capable webOS devices like the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus? Not mentioned.

Thanks to mu7efcer for the tip!

Verizon is looking to turn no-iPad 3G lemons in iPad Wi-Fi + MiFi lemonade by craftily counter-programming the official AT&T data plans with their own potent portable internet and router combo, says Engadget.

You’ll save $130 off the price of the iPad 3G, but a 5GB Verizon MiFi plan will run you $60 vs. “unlimited” AT&T [...]

Verizon Wants to Sell You Data for Your iPad… via MiFi is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb – The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

If there was any doubt that Verizon is looking to turn things around after sluggish initial sales of the Palm Pre Plus and Palm Pixi Plus, it’s time to put those to rest. After dropping the mail-in rebates in their own stores, it looks like The Network is making it easier for 3rd parties to sell the Pre Plus at lower prices. Our own Wirefly affiliate has the Palm Pre Plus for $39.99 for new Verizon customers after instant rebate and still has the Palm Pixi Plus for the low low price of free (yes, those are ’support PreCentral’ links). Amazon is also selling the Pre Plus for the $39.99 and the Pixi Plus for one cent.

The best part about the above options is that, unlike what seems to be happening at most Verizon retail locations, when you use them you won’t have a Verizon employee trying to convince you that you should get a Droid instead.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

As rumored at BGR yesterday, today Verizon has dropped the mail-in rebate on the Palm Pre Plus and the Palm Pixi Plus. The price for the Pre Plus is $149.99 with a new two-year contract, the Pixi Plus clocks in at $79.99.  Wireless Week reports that a Verizon spokeswoman said they were responding to consumer demand: "there was ‘a brief period where we tested mail-in rebates on some phones. We have found that online customers expect instant rebates and since this is a very competitive arena in which to do business, we responded accordingly.’"

Whether this is a response to poor initial sales on Verizon or just a sign that Veriozn is doing right by getting rid of a source of annoyance for customers is an open question – but either way we’re pleased to see the mail-in rebate go away.

Thanks to everybody who sent this in!

Data not working on your Palm Pre Plus? It’s not just you: Verizon appears to be suffering from a nationwide data outage (though it’s working sporadically for some folks). Engadget has confirmed it with Verizon, twitter is fairly lit up, and naturally Verizon being a BlackBerry-heavy network our friends at CrackBerry.com are all over it. We’re not seeing a gigantic outcry in our own forums yet – but perhaps y’all are on WiFi?

We know there’s a healthy Sprint vs. Verizon debate here at PreCentral, but set that aside for a moment. Verizon users: Got Data? Sprint Users: Have Pity.

Data not working on your Palm Pre Plus? It’s not just you: Verizon appears to be suffering from a nationwide data outage (though it’s working sporadically for some folks). Engadget has confirmed it with Verizon, twitter is fairly lit up, and naturally Verizon being a BlackBerry-heavy network our friends at CrackBerry.com are all over it. We’re not seeing a gigantic outcry in our own forums yet – but perhaps y’all are on WiFi?

We know there’s a healthy Sprint vs. Verizon debate here at PreCentral, but set that aside for a moment. Verizon users: Got Data? Sprint Users: Have Pity.