J. Edward Rutkowski (msmobiles.com) and Tadd Rosenfeld (from mytreo.net) discuss significant newly released information about Palm's product road map (GPS, WiFi, more memory and new applications, for example), interactions with i-mate regarding their Ultimate line, Toshiba's recently published FCC documentation, and new free downloads for Palm OS and Windows Mobile devices.

Synopsis:

• Nicole Buchanan, Director of Marketing for i-Mate, e-mailed Tadd to thank him for favorable comments about the company's newest devices.

• Edward remains frustrated with i-Mate because he believes the recently released devices were delayed, and he points out we are still waiting for GPS. The i-mate GPS units (such as the 8502) are due out in the first quarter.

• Tadd believes the upcoming i-mate Ultimate devices with video-out, GPS, WiFi, front facing keyboards and high end processors are going to be very successful. He believes video-out is a hot feature as well because executives can now leave their laptops behind and give power point presentations directly from their smartphones with a direct connection to a projector. He likes the idea of being able to plug i-Mate smartphones directly into monitors.

• UFOs are discussed. Edward has seen one but it turned out to be an airplane. Tadd wondered out loud if Edward was on LSD at the time. For the answer, you will have to listen to the podcast.

• Edward believes Palm should launch a device with GPS & WiFi as soon as possible, and support both Windows Mobile and Google Android operating systems. He believes Palm should abandon their own operating system.

• Palm's investor relations conference call last week revealed a number of fascinating things:

  • Despite lower sales and earnings, the company actually moved a substantial number of smartphones in the recently ended quarter, inline with the year ago period. The PDA segment of Palm's business declined over 30%, however, which was mainly responsible for reducing Palm's overall top and bottom line.
    
    
  • Centro, Palm’s newest device, is outselling company expectations

  • Centro is a slim profit margin product relative to higher priced Treo smartphones.

  • Elevation Partners, Palm’s largest shareholder, which largely controls the company’s board, has a long term approach to managing the company. Elevation’s John Rubenstein, who was credited with creating the iPod while at Apple, is now working as the “technology partner” to Palm's CEO Ed Colligan.

  • Palm began shipping the Treo 755p on Verizon last week. Palm expects this device to add meaningfully to their results.

  • Palm expressed their plans (including product road map) as follows:

    • Increased spending on marketing for Centro

    • Increased spending on R&D for new OS.

    • Centro rolling out on a second carrier by the end of February 2008.

    • No other smartphone or carrier announcements will be made until after February 2008 – including at upcoming industry conferences, such as CES in January and World Congress in February.

    • Palm is relying on ODM hardware manufacturers to move them forward with Windows Mobile devices. Tadd and Edward speculate Palm means HTC when they say this.

    • GPS, WiFi, More Memory and new applications are coming, probably in Windows Mobile phones in mid to late 2008.

    • Palm cutting staff by 10%, and cutting expenses by 10% across the board, by the fourth quarter.

    • Company said this will allow them to break even in a worst case scenario. They anticipate "lumpy" results until the new Palm OS - Linux platform is released in 2009.

    • Palm talking about innovating new form factors to address European market—such as twelve key phones and baby laptop form factor.

  • Edward wonders why HTC would work with Palm – Tadd points out that Palm has much stronger brand equity and carrier relationships in the USA than HTC, so HTC gains a substantial amount from working with Palm.

• Samsung released a Windows Mobile phone in Korea that looks almost exactly like an iPhone. It has Korean cellular and television standards, so it will never be released in its current configuration in the United States or Europe.

• There is now a free version of WorldMate available. Provides world time, currency conversion, foreign clothing sizes, international weather, airline travel schedule (OAG), etc.

• Checkout WakeTree.com for a webkit-based browser for Windows Mobile. It uses an open architecture similar to Google Android.

• Happy holidays!

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