Canadian mobile aficionados have no doubt been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Palm Pre. It has long been known that the webOS-powered device will arrive on Bell, but the exact launch date has been up in the air for some time now. Recently, an internal memo leaked out that noted Bell staff training dates for the Pre, a sure sign that the device would be launching sooner than later… but if a snippet from a document leaked by MobileSyrup is valid, it looks like Bell will be the exclusive carrier for at least the first 6-months (we already knew that Bell was going to be the exclusive carrier… the timeframe is the news here).
The leaked document contains information on ‘The Bell Strategy’, and touches on the exclusivity deal:
The Palm Pre will expand and strengthen Bell’s smartphone category and will break new ground in the fiercely competitive smartphone market. Bell will be the second carrier worldwide (after Sprint) to sell the Palm Pre, with exclusivity for 6 months. Bell anticipates the Canadian market will strongly embrace this product with strong interest, which will boost overall smartphone sales.
Very cool, but if you’re a Canadian that happens to live in an area not served by Bell, you’re still going to be SOL. I happen to live in such an area… Color me unimpressed! Looks like I may have to wait-out the rumored 6-month exclusivity deal in order to nab the Pre on another carrier.
[Via: PreCentral]