Pre-Order Palm Pre "Plus" 2 webOS 2.0 Smartphone on November 8 in the USA

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The fact that HP and Palm decided to launch its next-gen flagship smartphone in a non-US market first is still bedazzling me, for lack of a better word. Instead of launching the smarpthone with a special, magical event, like the competition is also doing, in the USA, the company decided to choose the quiet path to the dark side and announce the Palm Pre 2 and the new webOS 2.0 via a fast and efficient but boring press release.

Not to mention they never mentioned when U.S. customers will get the Palm Pre 2, and considering these out-of-the-box marketing tactics, I’ll definitely be surprised to see the Pre 2 become a bestselling device by Christmas.

But now, a few days ahead of the North American Windows Phone 7 launch, which is November 8, and, coincidentally, the day when Samsung is going to launch a next-gen Android device (during a special media event), we hear that HP and Palm are ready to play some serious ball. The Palm Pre 2 will be available for pre-order in the USA starting with that very day, November 8.

The news comes from HP’s Facebook page, which goes to show the terrific marketing powers of the company. HP said, on its HP for Students Facebook page:

Check out the Palm Pre Plus 2, pre-orders begin 11/8

And since we’re admiring HP’s impressive marketing skills we’re not going to let slide the fact that the Palm Pre 2 is not the Palm Pre Plus 2. At least announce the proper device if you’re going to promote it to your 27,650 Facebook followers.

Oh, and by the way, the November 8 Palm Pre 2 pre-orders will be available to students alone? That would be such a weird thing to do, wouldn’t it?

We’re going to assume that’s the official Verizon Palm Pre 2 we’re talking about here, and not the GSM version that’s probably going to be available later down the road. But let’s stop picking on HP and Palm for the day and let’s hear your thoughts! What handset are you going to buy on November 8?