It was bound to happen eventually, and we’re somewhat surprised it took this long. O2 Germany has confirmed to PreCentral forum member rot that the original Palm Pre has been declared end-of-life (EOL) on the network. With the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus also available on O2 Germany, the EOLing of the older Pre was to be expected.

According to rot, while O2 will continue to replenish their supply of Plus devices, they have no intention of ordering any more original GSM Pre after their current stockpile runs dry. So, if for whatever reason you still want one, you can get one. And it’s sold as a bundle with a Touchstone back and charger (the Plus comes with a Touchstone back standard) for 240€, the same price as the Pixi Plus, while the O2 Germany Pre Plus will hit your wallet to the tune of 361€. O2 Germany is following in the footsteps of O2 UK, who quietly stopped selling their original Pre without our even noticing.

Now: wouldn’t it be nice if Sprint could get caught up with the rest of the world and get some Plus action?

Thanks to rot in the forums for the heads up!

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Our English friends can finally jump onto the Plus bandwagon, as the chaps at Engadget have noted. The Palm Pre Plus and Palm Pixi Plus are officially available on O2 UK, even through their website. That’s assuming you weren’t lucky enough to grab one a day early. Interested customers can snag both phones for free depending on the tariff (plan) you select. The Pixi Plus can be had for free with any plan, with plans starting at £30.00 a month for 100 minutes and unlimited text and data. That same plan will get you a Pre Plus for £99.00, if you want it free you’ll have to spring for the 600 minute £40.00 a month plan. Sweet, eh?

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Utilizing the nextgenserver SIM unlock method that came about last month, enterprising users have been able to unlock the newly released AT&T Palm Pre Plus and get it up and running on other North American GSM carriers, including T-Mobile and Telus.  Folks interested in getting the the device up and running on T-Mobile will only be able to utilize EDGE, of course, but those using Telus and the like will experience full 3G.  

While this method is effective, it isn’t exactly cheap – the phone without contract will set you back about $400, and the unlock service another $37 – but it’s really the best way that those of you who swear by T-Mobile State-side or want to enjoy HSPA up in Canada.

Thanks to Karl for the tip!

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 Here’s some of the latest talk in the forums:

• The GSM Pre form is alight with activity since last weekend’s launch of the device on AT&T.  User dbd wants to know just how you new Pre Plus owners on AT&T are liking your new device, hollabak009 wants to know how your in-store experience went, and berdinkerdickle wants to know what kind of call quality and reception you’re getting.  
• The Droid Incredible may be one of the hottest Android devices on the market, but that hasn’t kept member techiegirl from coming to their senses and grabbing up a Pre Plus complete with the free mobile hotspot.
• The launch of the HTC EVO is right around the corner, and fredfox19 wants to know if you Sprint premier members out there are going to stick with Palm/HP/webOS or make the jump.
• New Pre owner SuzukiGS750EZ is wondering if Preware is worth using.  The answer to that question is, of course, a resounding yes.  Beyond the great resources available to webOS users in the forums, we have an in depth getting started guide.  Go forth, patch, and feel free to take part in the homebrew telethon!

We look forward to seeing you in the forums!  Not already a member? Join us!

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So there you have it, the Palm Pre Plus and its box, of the GSM variety that’s headed to O2 Germany. After nearly a year now, the packaging hasn’t changed a bit, nor have the included goodies: suede-ish bag, modular charger and cable, various how-to pamphlets, etc. The Pixi Plus, also of the O2-bound GSM variety, is unboxed after the break by the folks at Pre Ticker of Germany.

Thanks to Shadow-360 for the tip!

read more

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Attention residents of France: the Palm Pre Plus and Palm Pixi Plus are due to launch soon on SFR, and they’re celebrating by giving away ten of each. The contest merely requires your name, email address, and birth date, and even if you don’t win, you’re still entered to be notified of when the phones are available.

The contest’s fine print possibly has revealed two things. One: the launch date. The contest ends on May 31, 2010, which we can assume is close to, if not the exact, launch date. The date is also a a week over four months past the launch of the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus on Verizon.

The second is off-contract pricing. Operating on the assumption that the phone will be available off-contract, the value declared by the contest is €479 for the Pre Plus and €349 for the Pixi Plus. The phones awarded by the contest will be of the locked variety (they’re not going to give away something you can use on a competitor’s network). The on-contract pricing of €99 for the Pre Plus and €49 for the Pixi Plus was already revealed in an earlier survey.

So, our French friends longing for some webOS action, head on over to SFR’s contest website and enter for yourself. Vive Palm!

Thanks to Adam for the tip!

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Ah, inventory systems, they’re so bad at keeping secrets. We’ve known for a while now that the Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus were certified for sale in Europe, but the question was always “which carrier?” Rumors have pointed towards current Palm Pre seller O2 picking up the Plus variants, but we were never too sure about that – we’ve yet to see a "Plus" launch on the same network as an original.

As it would turn out, it looks more like competitor Vodafone will be picking up the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus. Inventory screens posted on Pre Ticker show the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus (along with replacement/exchange devices) listed in what is purported to be a Vodafone inventory screen (at the very least, it is German).

Is it possible that Vodafone could be picking up the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus? Absolutely, and it could stand to be a good thing for Palm. Vodafone has a larger footprint than O2, and behind China Mobile is the world’s no. 2 network in subscriber count. The question of “when” and “how much” is still up in the air, but given Palm’s dire predictions for the current quarter, we wouldn’t count on it being any time soon.

[via: webOS Blog.de]

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The Global Certification Forum, a mash-up of networks, manufacturers, and testing agencies has given its stamp to the Palm Pre Plus and the Palm Pixi Plus. As noticed by the:unwired, the two devices passed through the GCF’s all-knowing hands with model numbers we’ve seen and deciphered before: P101UEU and P121UEU. If you require a refresher, P101 is the Pre Plus, P121 is the Pixi Plus, and UEU means UMTS Europe (their American GSM equivalents were appended with UNA).

The certification was sparse on details, though we do have confirmation that the phones will be quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE and dualband UMTS/HSDPA at 900/2100 MHz, otherwise known as not compatible with AT&T.

[via: Engadget]

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As the title says, the Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus are rumored to be headed to European carrier (and current webOS carrier) O2 in April of this year. If true, it would mark the first time that the Pixi or Pixi Plus has been made available outside the United States. The anonymous tip, sent in to the popular UK technology blog Tracy and Matt, indicates that the two phones will be identical to the devices available on Verizon. With the notable exception of having GSM radios instead of CDMA.

In addition to the Pixi coming to Europe, this would also be the first time a “successor” webOS device appeared on the same network as the original, in this case the Pre Plus appearing alongside or replacing the older Pre on O2. The Pre Plus has been certified in Europe for some time, though we had always expected that was for SFR. Additional details such as pricing, exact release date, plans, and unlock status, were not available.

There is one potential wrench in the works here, though - Palm requested that the FCC keep details on the P101UEU confidential until September 11th. So while it’s looking like a GSM Palm Pre Plus is a sure thing, when and where it will land is still murky.

[via: webOS Blog.de]

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Not that long after the Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus launched on Verizon here in the states, the folks over at WinFuture.de have uncovered certifications for the handset in Europe. TÜV Rheinland, a German firm that handles wireless certifications in Europe, had in its hands a product from Palm that may ring some bells: the P101EWW. Otherwise known as the Palm Pre Plus. According to TÜV Rheinland’s certification page, the P101EWW (or in GSM parlance, the P101UNA), cleared their standards back on 12 November, 2009. As WinFuture noted, O2 recently reduced the price of the Palm Pre on their network. Whether this is a move to clear stock in anticipation of the arrival of the Pre Plus on their network, to attract more customers before the newer phone arrives on a competitor’s network (FYI, O2 does not operate in France where SFR will be getting the Pre), or simply a natural progression of dropping technology costs and slackened demand is unclear.

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