Pre 2 to Cost $50 More from Verizon than from HP
If a four-month delay from announcement to retail shelves wasn't enough to hinder the Verizon Pre 2's chances of market success, arriving at retail after the announcement of its much more potent successor should have taken the remaining wind out of the handset's sails. Now Verizon Wireless has seen fit to add a bit of additional insult to injury by announcing their pricing for the Pre 2 will run $150 after a $50 mail-in rebate through their corporate stores and web site with the usual 2 year agreement. This rings in at a good $50 above the price mentioned last week through HP's Wireless Central where pre-orders are still ongoing.
While carrier-direct pricing is usually higher than that offered by resellers and indirect agents, this still is not going to improve the Pre 2's chances at retail, what with the bulk of Verizon's marketing push going to the new CDMA iPhone 4 and a variety of Android-powered handsets that are available at the same $199 pre-rebate, out the door price. The Pre 2 will be available in-store and online starting Thursday, February 17th.
