It was only last week when we found out that TELUS was going to follow in Bell’s footsteps and launch the Palm Treo Pro. Well, on Tuesday that day finally arrived. Going for $149.99 on a 3-year ($549.99 retail) it’s not quite as tasty as Bell’s $99.95 Treo Pro but it’s still a fair deal, relatively speaking. To people already with TELUS who have a good plan they don’t want to give up, we can’t see that $50.04 getting in the way. You know, unless they’re intent on getting a Pre as soon as it makes its way North of the 49th Parallel.

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It looks like Bell isn’t going to be the only Canadian carrier to offer both the Palm Treo Pro and Samsung OMNIA as TELUS is getting ready to launch both devices for $149.99 each. Well, based upon some advertisements that have appeared in several newspapers across Canada at least. Despite the good news of their impending arrival, both handsets are more expensive on TELUS with the OMNIA and Treo Pro commanding an extra $20 and $50 respectively over the prices offered by Bell. It might not seem like the biggest deal, but considering that these prices are based upon 3-year contracts being signed we have to say that the extra dollars are likely to rub more than a few people the wrong way. Now, we don’t have any specific release dates as of yet, but we will be sure to keep you all updated with the latest news as it happens.

UPDATE: Surprise, surprise, TELUS announced the OMNIA shortly after this was published and dropped the price to $129.99.

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It’s been one hell of a journey, but as of today Sprint users will be able to make like those on Alltel and Bell and get their Palm fix with the launch (or rather re-launch) of the Treo Pro. The latest and greatest from Palm will run you $299.99 before a $100 mail-in rebate which is contingent upon the choice of an Everything Plan or data plan of $30 or more. As far as specs, you’re looking at Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, a full-QWERTY keypad, 2.5″ touchscreen display, 2 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, GPS and EV-DO Rev. 0 / Rev. A connectivity, but at this point you must have already known that. It’s no Pre, but it should have enough of the good stuff to tide people over until P-Day.

Thanks, Mike!

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When it comes to a launch that has been delayed as many times as Sprint’s Treo Pro release, you can never be too sure. For those of you don’t believe it until you see it types, feast your eyes. One of our ninjas came through with indisputable evidence that the Treo Pro is indeed beginning to touch down in Sprint stores in preparation for availability one week from today. Siiiiigh. So, Sprint fans, if you’re looking for a handset that can wear the “Palm’s sexiest phone” sash until the Pre is finally released, the Pro is definitely your ticket. Hit the jump for more shots.

Thanks, Teck!

Rumored to be a portion of a stock sheet from Best Buy a “major national retailer”, this image above is reportedly reveals the release dates of a variety of upcoming handsets. No, there’s nothing too exciting there but if the source is reliable it does indeed fill in a few question marks that have been looming — namely the E71x release date. So let’s have a look… Starting with AT&T, the document lists both the Samsung i627 “Jackfrost” and blue Samsung A767 “Propel” as becoming available on March 29th. Next up is the Nokia E71x, listed as “E71 Charcoal”, finally arriving on April 1st and the LG Xenon, which was apparently delayed so long it’s now called “Zenon”, arriving on April 10th. Moving along to Verizon, it looks like the Nokia 7205 Intrigue will hit store shelves on March 15th along with Sprint’s Palm Treo Pro which has been delayed more than a connecting flight in Atlanta. Sure, the more exciting handsets of 2009 won’t be out until the Summer months and beyond, but there are a few nice looking pieces of kit here to tide us over in the meantime.

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A screen grab of the inventory list at Brighpoint reveals the launch dates of some upcoming Sprint phones and serves to further validate some of our previously leaked launch dates. Here is the rundown:

• Palm Treo Pro: Officially announced for March 15th and listed as such on the document, adding validity to the document. SRP of $549.99.
• LG Rumor 2: Previously rumored to be hitting the shelves in March, this document suggests that the Rumor 2 may be hitting the shelves on March 15th in Black and possible March 29th in Blue. The bottom of the document is cutoff so this is pure speculation on the blue model.
• Motorola i580: available starting March 15th. SRP of $269.99.
• Motorola Stature i9: Already available from Boost Mobile, the i9 may grace the shelves of Sprint on the 15th of March as well. SRP of $299.99.
• BlackBerry Curve 8350i, camera-less version: Launch date to be determined. SRP of $479.99.

If the launch dates on this document hold true, Sprint will have several new phones for your purchasing pleasure in a mere 10 days. No sign of the Instinct Mini or Pre of course but hey, it’s better than nothing. Hit the jump for the full document.

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Right on time as we predicted, the Palm Treo Pro is now available on Alltel’s website and will set you back $199 with a 2-year contract after a $195 online discount and a $125 mail-in rebate. The one caveat is that the phone is apparently only available in divested markets. If you are a current or prospective Alltel customer and you try to buy from a zip code within a “soon to be acquired by Verizon Wireless” area, you will get re-directed to the Verizon Wireless site. Sorry folks, that’s life. Those of you in the sellable regions however, can get your Pro on right now.

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Talk about bumpy rides! The Treo Pro was supposed to hit Sprint in January. It didn’t — well it did, but it was pulled from the site very quickly as we learned its release had been delayed until February 15th. But wait… Something went wrong, again, and the Treo Pro was pushed back for a second time. Ouch. Thankfully, one of our ninjas came through with a whole mess of exclusive Sprint intel last month and specified a new launch date of March 15th. It looks like Sprint is a bit more confident this time around as well, since it actually press released the announcement. Want some more good news, Sprint fans? The carrier is shaving $50 from its initial price and will make the handset available for $199 after rebates. Who’s in?

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A little blue bird landed on our window sill this morning to let us in on a little secret – Alltel is all set to launch the Palm Treo Pro this Thursday March 5th. After a $125 rebate, the Treo Pro will set Alltel subscribers back $199 on a 2-year contract. The price isn’t all that bad for a new smartphone, especially considering it has the golden trifecta known as 3G, Wi-Fi and GPS, but when we see an American carrier charge more than a Canadian carrier we do start to panic just a little. Just one word of caution before anyone gets too excited — this might just be for divested customers only. C’est la vie, no?

Thanks, R!

Ok Sprint people, you had some bad news yesterday as we learned the Treo Pro will not be launching on time this coming Sunday. It’s time to regroup and calm down because you know we wouldn’t just hit and run with bad news. Our ninjas came back with some new details that shed a bit of light on various goodies coming your way over the next few months, so let’s get right to it.

• Palm Treo Pro: The new target launch is March 15. We’re still not sure what exactly is behind the repeated delays but apparently Sprint still isn’t overly confident in the handset because the new launch date is still just a target, not firm. All our ninja had to say on the matter was that it didn’t pass Sprint’s standard testing process and as such, delay city.
• LG Rumor 2: Sprint is also targeting mid-March for the Rumor 2 which will be available in black and blue.
• LG LX370: This will be a mid-range feature phone with a slider form factor dropping in April/May.
• Samsung Instinct Mini: It looks like the rumors are true indeed. We’ve confirmed that Sprint is set to get its paws on a smaller, slimmer Instinct and it’s currently slated to launch on April 19. It will be an addition to the Instinct family rather than a replacement for the current model and it will be available in copper or graphite. Saucy. The bad news – EVDO Rev 0.
• HTC Cedar: First seen in the HTC roadmap leaked last month, the Cedar is a QWERTY candybar that isn’t exactly cutting edge in terms of design. All the same, Sprint bagged it and it’s set to drop in June.

As for the man of the hour, the Palm Pre, nothing new on that front we’re afraid. We’re still looking at a launch in the May/June time-frame.

Sprint customers, have you found yourself wondering what Hesse & Co. have in store for you this year beyond the illustrious Palm Pre? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. While we can’t post the list itself, one of our ninjas came through with a tasty internal document that may shed some light on things for you. It doesn’t cover all of the handsets Sprint has in store for 2009 but it does shed some light on a few handsets we’re all eagerly awaiting. Note that this is an End of Life (EOL) list so the replacement devices may add an element of confusion. Some of the handsets listed below are already released, such as the Motorola i365 and the Samsung M220, yet they are listed next to dates in the future. This simply means that these handsets will fill any gaps left by the corresponding EOL device. As for the handsets on the list that are not yet released, the EOL dates represent the target death of the EOL handset (in the warehouse, existing store inventory will still be sold) and the target in stock-date at Sprint’s warehouses for its replacement. In other words, these replacement devices are projected to be in stock by the dates specified so a release on or around said date is most likely a safe bet. So without further ado, hit the jump and soak up all that Sprint handset goodness we’ve extracted from the EOL document for you.

UPDATE: To clarify a bit of confusion, the sheet shows a target in-stock date of 3/15 for the Pre. It also shows that it will be replacing the Palm 755P which has a projected EOL in late May. For comparison sake, the Treo Pro shows a target in-stock date of 2/15, replacing the 800W which has a projected EOL in April. For the Treo Pro, we know that the target in-stock date corresponds with the launch of 2/15. This could indeed put the Pre launch on or around 3/15, but we wouldn’t bet on it. Sprint wants to move their stock of Treo 755Ps before they get to the Pre, and if we were a betting bunch, we’d peg the Pre release closer to May/Early June than Mid-March.

Device Name – Projected Warehouse EOL – Replacement (if available)

• Sierra Compass 597 USB – Early February – Sierra 598 USB
• Motorola ic602 – Early February
• LG 160 – Mid-February – Samsung M220
• LG Rumor (blue) – Mid February – LG 265 Rumor II (target in-stock 2/15)
• Motorola i325IS – Mid February – Motorola i365IS
• LG Rumor (green) – Mid March – LG 265 Rumor II (target in-stock 2/15)
• Franklin Wireless U680 USB – Early April
• Palm 800W – April – Palm Treo Pro (target in-stock 2/15)
• LG Rumor (black) – Mid April – LG 265 Rumor II (target in-stock 2/15)
• Motorola i615 – Mid April
• Samsung M520 Lumina – Mid April – LG LX370 (slider)
• RIM BlackBerry Pearl (red) – May
• LG LX400 – Late May
• Palm 755P (blue) – Late May – Palm Pre (target in-stock 3/15)
• Sanyo 6750 Eclipse (pink) – June
• Palm Centro (berry) – June
• Motorola Q9C – Mid June
• Sierra 597E – July – Sierra 2-in-1 Aircard
• Palm Centro (green) – July
• Palm Centro refresh (black) – July
• Motorola VE20 – July
• HTC Touch Diamond – July
• RIM BlackBerry 7100i – August – RIM BlackBerry 8350i

What we have here, folks, is a classic case of a blessing in disguise. After a bit of a false start, Sprint seems to have semi-officially pulled the Treo Pro launch until late February. Bad news, right? Well, sort of. First off, the company is attempting to appease anyone that ordered the device early with a $25 account credit. More importantly, however, it sounds like the Treo Pro could be the first Sprint device to allow for simultaneous voice and data usage. Granted, the news comes from a bit of a dubious source, but if it turns out to be true it could mark a bit of a milestone for the carrier. The EV-DO Rev. A band is technically capable of allowing this work, but the CDMA world has yet to enjoy the pleasure of surfing the mobile web while attempting to pay attention to a rambling family member on the other end of the line. Such luxury has been afforded to the GSM world since the early days of 3G, so we can only hope that Sprint makes this move official. In the mean time, we’re looking into starting a support group for the 12-13 folks out there that are actually eagerly awaiting the Treo Pro, especially with the impending arrival of the Palm Pre. Way to cannibalize your own sales by pushing the introduction of the last of your previous generation devices closer and closer to the introduction of your next gen. flagship device. Seriously, Sprint/Palm…we’re impressed.

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A few days ahead of its expected launch date of January 25th and a few days behind our original scoop, the Sprint Treo Pro is now listed on Sprint’s website for a cool $249 after $200 in instant savings and a $100 mail in rebate. You’ll need to add an Everything plan, Data Premier add-on or PRO Pack add-on to be eligible for the rebate. The Treo Pro features a 320 x 320 touchscreen display, QWERTY keyboard, 2 megapixel camera, microSD expansion, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and Windows Mobile 6.1 professional. The Sprint version also includes Sprint-specific features including Sprint TV, Sprint Music store, Sprint Mobile sync and NFL Mobile Live access. If Windows Mobile is your thing and Sprint your carrier of choice, then break out that plastic and get on with some shopping. Sure it’s no Pre, but we’ve still got some time to kill before roll out.

Thanks, Ronald!

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UPDATE: It looks like Sprint pulled the Treo Pro page. Did someone get a little trigger happy this morning?

UPDATE 2: Official word just came down from Sprint and the Treo Pro cameo was indeed a mistake. No firm release date was given so we’ll have to revert to the presumed date reported last month: This Sunday, January 25th.

One of our faithful ninjas just wrote in to let us know that Sprint’s not-so-kept-secret Treo Pro 850 will be making its way to Best Buy along with a pink version of the Samsung Instinct. You know, the phone that beats the iPhone. The estimated in-stock date is listed as December 8th, but our tipster tells us that is normal. If it’s in the system, it’s a-comin’. Now, the real question is, who’s going to buy a Sprint Treo Pro and a pink Samsung Instinct? Huh? Huh? You know you want to. Larger shots after the breakage.

Thanks, Payroll

UPDATE: Our ninja just informed us that the actual in-stock dates for both of these items looks like January 25th. Have fun!

We’ll keep the rumor flag on this one but you can pretty safely mark it down as done. Since we first scooped the Treo Pro back in May, the consensus has been consistent – it’s kind of sweet, for a Palm. Those who have used the handset can attest however, it really is a significant improvement over prior Palm handsets. Rumblings of a CDMA variant of the Treo Pro have been making their way around the interweb for a while and BGR ninjas are now finally able to essentially put the speculation to bed. There is indeed a CDMA version on its way and it’s headed for the little yellow engine that could. Sprint customers will be able to get their mitts on the latest Palm come January of next year. The date, tentatively for now, is January 11th. We would certainly expect Verizon to follow suit with a Treo Pro of its own, though for the time there are no new details regarding Big Red. As for pricing info from Sprint, you’ll know as soon as we know.