As the Palm Pre release date, still unknown, edges ever closer, the rumor mill continues to pick up speed. The latest rumor comes from The Boy Genius Report, surmising that Best Buy Mobile locations across the United States will receive a total of 4, 500 Palm Pre’s on June 6 for a June 7 release. Remember this is only one day before the Worldwide Developers Conference begins during which it’s widely believed one or more new Apple iPhones will be announced.
4, 500 Palm Pre’s isn’t alot. It only works out to one Pre per Best Buy location. Furthermore, it’s not entirely clear if this is a teaser launch designed specifically to pre-empt a possible iPhone announcement, or if Best Buy will be joined by a full-blown Sprint release the same day.
The same tipster who spoke to BGR also revealed pricing details for the Palm Pre and they’re pretty wild. New customers will have to pay $199.99 for the Pre after signing a 2-year contract, while interestingly existing customers will be forced to pay $299.99. The pricing is in line with AT&T’s terms for the iPhone, but customers looking for a contract-free version of the Pre will have to pay $999.99–that’s not a typo–well above the maximum imposed for a 16 GB iPhone.
