Palm Pre Going for $100 on Amazon, Still Headed for Verizon Network

It’s a big day for the Palm Pre. After months of trying to be the iPhone-killer it was hyped up to be, at least now it’s getting down into a price territory where it can really catch more attention. Amazon has a new deal for all you out there who desperately want the Palm Pre but don’t have more than a Benjamin to spend on it. Now you can get the Palm Pre for $100 dollars through the Amazon website, as long as you sign a new 2-year contract (naturally).

This deal is only available through Amazon right now, so don’t go down to your neighborhood Sprint store and expect to pay less than $150 for it. We’ve never bought a phone and a contract through Amazon before, so we’re not entirely sure how it works, but it’s worth a shot.

Bringing the Palm Pre down to $100 brings it well below the price threshold of the iPhone, especially the 3GS. And since most iPhone users have had serious complaints about the AT&T network, having a cheap Palm Pre on the fairly reliable Sprint network might be an increased incentive to ditch the iPhone.

There’s also an interesting corollary to the price reduction involving the Palm Pixi, which was announced earlier this month. Palm touts the Pixi as a slimmer and, most importantly, cheaper version of the Palm Pre. Palm’s Chief Executive Jonathan J. Rubinstein said it would cost less than the Pre and be available in time for the holidays. So does this mean we can expect to see the Pixi at sub-$100 prices when it becomes available? We’d love to think so.

In a related story, analysts have addressed the rumors, started yesterday by TheStreet.com, that the company would not be offering the Pre when Sprint’s exclusivity deal with the phone ended early next year. TheStreet.com reported Verizon had shelved plans to support the phone because of weak sales, sounding a death knell for the Pre. Industry analysts seemed to think the report was suspect and believe Verizon still plans to offer the phone on the Verizon network in January. They cite Verizon’s long history with Palm, Verizon’s lackluster line of phones, supply chain orders and Palm’s 2010 financial projections as evidence that the Verizon/Palm Pre deal is still in effect.

So whether you want a cheap Palm Pre on the Sprint network or really want the Pre on the Verizon network, things are looking up.

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