Verizon Treo 700wx Windows Mobile 6 Update Released

1. VZW has TONS of unsold 700wx inventory still in the channel and they need to do SOMETHING to make it at least comparable to the other WM offerings out there. With WM5, even slashing the prices on this antiquated design might not move 'em out quickly enough. But WM6 coupled with a nice price cut at least gives it a fighting chance to clear the remaining stocks

2. VZW has some kind of new billing/auto-PRL/OTA download service in the works that requires WM6.

3. VZW passed on the 800w and the CDMA Treo Pro is still a ways away and/or just a rumor. Maybe VZW even had to agree to fund/support this update release in lieu of releasing any new Treos from Palm w/ WM6.x.

4. VZW/MS want all current & forthcoming handsets to be fully Vista-compliant (?) which ideally means WM6.

On a related note, does anyone know where the 700wx now stands in regards to SDHC support? Does the 700wx hardware support SDHC but it needs WM6 to "see" it so only Verizon users are in luck? Or do all 700wx versions support SDHC 4GB cards but not capacities past that?

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

Interesting thought - it MIGHT be that Palm is obligated to accept that excess inventory in return. They say something like that in their SEC filings:

== "...Because we sell our products primarily to wireless carriers, distributors,
== retailers and resellers, we are subject to many risks, including risks related to
== product returns, either through the exercise of contractual return rights or as a
== result of our strategic interest in assisting them in balancing inventories..."

- http://tinyurl.com/3hjseg

Page 25 and following.

"Unexpected changes in product return requests, inventory levels, payment terms or other practices by these sales channel partners could negatively impact our business, results of operations and financial condition"

Remember when the 755p launch on Verizon for late summer/early fall got delayed to late Dec'07/ Jan '08 due to testing certification and Palm's earnings that quarter got clobbered as a result?

Who again is responsible for shouldering the costs of rolling out a WinMob upgrade? IIRC, Microsoft provides the actual license to the handset manufacturer for little-or-no cost, right? But the handset manufacturer & carrier are responsible for all device custimizations/testing/rollout/support etc.

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

We don't know handles these things - they tell us they modify their estimating methods "periodically" without ever telling us WHAT those estimating methods really are.

It could be (though I'd find it hard to actually believe) that Palm doesn't bill for 1/Nth of their shipment to a carrier unless the carrier actually sells it. And, as they've noted, they account for the NONsale much much later in time to when they account for the "sale".

Wonder if there WAS a connection...

The Boy Genius is suggesting that there really isn't anything interesting coming from Verizon anytime soon, but that Verizon is trying to create buzz to head off the T-Mobile Android phone impact, among others:

- http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/09/16/blackberry-storm-weve-been-had/

So maybe the rumor that the 800w is coming in October is also planted for the same reason.

Reader beware.

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And to short circuit the irrelevant comeback about MY stock position - I have no position in Palm stock and haven't had one for months, minimally.

And I =always= post links to my sources if I am not posting an opinion.

Now, the part abou the CDMA Treo Pro is still very, very much up in the air and totally unconfirmed. So far the mythical beast that is the CDMA Treo Pro is nothing more than wishful thinking & speculation from the community, aside from that single reference in cens.com last month:

http://news.cens.com/cens/html/en/news/news_inner_24450.html

http://www.palminfocenter.com/news/7449/cdma-treo-pro-also-on-the-way/

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

that's the dumbest, silliest, most implausable theory that i've heard yet.

that's CHRISTmas, for all of you commie pinko lefties out there.

Lehman Brothers?

http://www.wmexperts.com/articles/rumors/verizon_likely_to_carry_the_tr.html