“Palm Inc. reported a wider-than-expected quarterly loss as consumer demand for its smartphones was hurt by increased competition, sending shares down 4 percent on Thursday,” Gabriel Madway, Gina Keating, and Sinead Carew report for Reuters.
“Palm’s report contrasted with stronger-than-expected results at Research In Motion (RIM.TO), which also forecast strong demand for the current quarter,” Madway, Keating, and Carew report. “Both companies face competition from rivals such as Apple Inc’s iPhone.”
“On a conference call with analysts, Palm itself cited lower-than-expected consumer demand among Sprint customers, who also had a choice of Android phones from HTC Corp and Samsung Electronic,” Madway, Keating, and Carew report.
MacDailyNews Take: LOL. Some choice.
Madway, Keating, and Carew report, “Palm reported a net loss of $81.9 million, or 54 cents a share, in its fiscal second quarter ended Nov. 30, versus a year-ago net loss of $506.2 million, or $4.64 a share. Excluding items, Palm posted a loss or 37 cents a share, which was wider than the average analyst forecast for a loss of 32 cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.”
Madway, Keating, and Carew report, “The company said it shipped a total of 783,000 smartphone units during the quarter. But smartphone sellthrough units — which reflect how many phones actually end up in consumers’ hands — totaled only 573,000, which was down 4 percent from the year-earlier period and 29 percent lower than the previous three months.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Buh-bye, Palm.
Oh palm… palm, palm, palm… (lowers head, shakes it slowly left to right)
The last gasp for Palm and probably the last hurrah for RIM! Palm is out of the game and RIM is the new Palm.
DOUBLE FACEPALM!
But… but… but… MULTI-TASKING!!!
They should resurrect their Folio and attempt to compete in the NetBook arena with WebOS.
Heh. The Pre was obvious takeover, and it’s looking more and more likely that the takeover will happen… after Palm’s market cap is slashed into bargain bin territory.
——RM
Palm knows what to do. They’ve done it before.
License Windows Mobile.
Benefits of partnering with Microsoft include immediate compatibility with the market share leading operating system consumers have been clamoring for: Windows. Add mobile versions of Microsoft Office apps and you have a productivity powerhouse in your pocket. MAC has no equal.
Your potential. Our passion.™
“We’ve learned and struggled for a few years here figuring out how to make a decent phone,” Ed Colligan apparently laughed about with John Markoff last Thursday morning. “PC guys are not going to just figure this out. They’re not going to just walk in.” Nov 21st 2006
Colligan is currently working at the private equity firm Elevation Partners, a major financial backer of Palm.
And since these numbers include the “much anticipated” cheaper Palm Pixi phone, that pretty much shows no one is interested.
For once Zune Tang has it right: MAC has no equal. Well said, Grasshopper, well said.