Palm to Scrap Mail-In Rebates for Palm Pre & Pixi Models to Increase Sales [Palm’s No Mail-In Rebates Strategy Put to Test do Drive Smartphone Sales; Jack Bauer Still Likes the Pre]

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So here’s the deal, Palm, you don’t have a hot smartphone and you’re not even creating buzz around a future smartphone you would be willing to create. Sure we heard that you might make a WiMAX phone for Sprint but by the time that actually happens you might find out that your competition has beaten you to the punch.

Therefore you can’t be surprised that the Palm Pre and Pixi from Sprint or the Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus aren’t bringing in the cash you expected. People are now fascinated with Windows Phone 7, Android OS, Apple’s iPhone and the list can go on.

That’s why they don’t purchase Pres and Pixies like crazy. A rumor is saying that you’re willing to scrap mail-in rebates from your vocabulary in order to drive up sales, but is that enough to impress your potential customers to buy one of your current phones?

The rumor also goes to say that only Verizon customers will get away with a rebateless Pre or Pixi as you are targeting those consumers specifically. Maybe Sprint regular clients should also be able to take advantage of this unconfirmed blessing.

On the other hand you’ve got to hand it to Jack Bauer and the CTU for continuously using your Palm Pre smartphone through their secret missions. Since we did speak of Mission Impossible’s main spy Ethan Hunt just earlier here on TFTS, it’s only fair to talk about Jack Bauer, he himself a spy, brought to life by Kiefer Sutherland, who, for some reason, keeps using Palm Pre smartphones, among all the other handsets he can get his hands on in a 24-hour period. Should we understand that this marketing strategy isn’t paying off either?

We’ll be waiting for you, Palm, to tell us how you plan to come back with a bang in the mobile business. Motorola came back from the dead last year and now it’s on a roll again.

With these in mind, Palm, we’ll assure you that we are still your fans, but our patience is growing thin. And no, we won’t buy a Pre or Pixi very soon either.