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Verizon Pre? Not As Soon As You Think

As a Verizon Wireless subscriber, I was stoked to hear Big V will be getting the Palm Pre in about six months. But now Sprint's CEO is saying that Verizon is full of it.

When Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam said the company would have devices like the Pre and the Storm 2 in about six months, it was an excellent way to rain on Sprint's parade. Many smartphone fans are eagerly awaiting the Pre's launch on Saturday, but knowing Verizon will have it in a few months means some (including me) are content to wait for it on their network of choice. Sprint CEO Dan Hesse is firing back to combat this mindset.

"They need to check their facts," Hesse said of Verizon's claims, according to CNET. "That just is not the case. Both Palm and Sprint have agreed not to discuss the length of the exclusivity deal. But I can tell you it's not six months."

Exclusivity deals in the cell phone market generally don't last for that long because handset makers want to get to as many customers as possible. The one major exception of course is Apple's iPhone, which reportedly has a five-year deal to stay on AT&T. Palm is hurting too, and they generally like to get their devices on as many carriers as possible. The company's Centro was exclusive for a while, but eventually found its way to all four major carriers on its way to selling over two million units.

When can you get your hands on a Verizon Pre? I honestly don't know. The Verizon customer in me wants it to be January, but carriers generally don't like to release hot handsets right after the holiday season. I wouldn't be too shocked to see it take a year for the Pre to wind up on Verizon. But the important thing to remember is that Palm is planning a plethora of devices around webOS, and Sprint only has exclusive rights to the Pre. We've already seen leaks on the next phone to run webOS, and there's a chance that could wind up on Verizon.

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