Rumor: Palm Places a 5 Million Unit ODM Order

Posted By: Ryan Kairer on Wednesday, August 13, 2008 10:14:04 AM

Updated Rumor: A new report in the Chinese Newspaper Commercial Times, carried by Digitimes, claims that Palm Inc. has put in a significant order for "several models of smartphones" with the Asian mobile phone ODM company Compal Communications. The report goes on to state the ODM orders could likely top five million units in 2009.

Compal has also received ODM orders for several models of smartphones from Palm with the order volumes likely to top five million units, said the paper, noting that Palm's orders will be the growth driver for Compal in 2009.

While we can only speculate on the accuracy or possible outcomes of the report, the 2009 timing would fit in well with Palm's previously stated intentions to debut products utilizing its next generation system software in early 2009.

Update: An additional report from the China Economic News Service provides a few key additional details regarding this deal. The CENS article states the Compal contract is specifically for "for smartphones installed with Microsoft's operating systems."

More Stories Like This...

Sprint Treo Pro Rumors Revived
Treo 750 Nearing EOL Status
CDMA Treo Pro Spotted at DSL Reports
Unlocked Treo Pro Coming to Best Buy?
Treo 680 Retired at AT&T
New Centro Colors Pictured
More articles about Rumors

Permalink | + Bookmark & Share

Article Comments
10 total comments

The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. PIC is not responsible for them in any way.
login or register for free in order to post comments.

Not so big

mikecane @ 8/13/2008 10:37:51 AM #

I'd expect these to be 3G. And it's "several models."

So, let's be conservative and say just 3 models.

That's a little over 1.6 million per model.

Spread across the *entire world*.

Still impressed?

RE: Not so big

mikecane @ 8/13/2008 2:07:02 PM #

According to the update: "the Compal contract is specifically for "for smartphones installed with Microsoft's operating systems."

Oh, I see.

This is all about grabbing a piece of that Let's-Rip-Off-the-iPhone version of WinMob.

Next!

RE: Not so big

RussianGuy @ 8/14/2008 12:08:02 AM #

Not so big& - You must be kidding

I find this rumor hard to believe exactly because of the number - Palm sold less than 5m smartphones over the last 1.5 years, and probably less than 5m Windows phones for its entire history

RE: Not so big

mikecane @ 8/14/2008 11:06:09 AM #

>>>Palm sold less than 5m smartphones over the last 1.5 years

Are you including the 2 million Centros?

OMG. WinMob Centro?!

RE: Not so big

RussianGuy @ 8/15/2008 1:20:04 AM #

Palm does not break out Centro vs Treos, so this is the number for all smartphones

Can it Be?

LiveFaith @ 8/13/2008 10:40:41 AM #

Let's see the Treo 681, 751, and 756 are gettin' ready to rock this place. Just kidding. :-)

Sounds like an accurate assessment in the timeline. So hopefully Palm is gonna roll the dice with some serious volume. I like it. Even if Nova does mean "won't go", at least they seem to be leaving nothing on the field here. If you're going down, then either prove em' (us) wrong or go down in a blaze of glory.

... now keep this stuff coming. I wish Palm's underground marketing gang would get busy with some grainy pics, sneaky powerpoints, or early website "blunders".

Pat Horne

Wno is Compal

swieder @ 8/13/2008 10:48:30 AM #

Is Compal a designer or manufacturer? Would Compal build a phone to Palm's design or sell Palm an already built phone that would get Palm's branding?

RE: Wno is Compal

Gekko @ 8/13/2008 12:10:49 PM #

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmPJYhNSBLE

RE: Wno is Compal

Kinch @ 8/14/2008 10:27:07 AM #

Apparently a designer and manufacturer ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compal_Electronics

http://www.compal.com/index_En.htm

...Kinch

RE: Who is Compal and what do THEY say about this?

SeldomVisitor @ 8/16/2008 10:03:48 AM #

Well, no news out of Compal yet about THIS particular Very Large Order rumor however there IS precedent about Very Large Order rumors started by Commercial Times/Digitimes about Compal!

- http://www.forbes.com/business/feeds/afx/2007/01/16/afx3330577.html

Giggle.

[so...could the order ACTUALLY have come from Nokia instead? Dum de dum dum...]

Palm Software on sale