Palm Pre handcuffed to Sprint?

At the MWC, which has just ended a few hours ago, we noticed a GSM version of the Palm Pre (even though it had not been officially announced), which will most probably be offered in Europe by Vodafone. Unfortunately, in the U.S. we won’t see the much-anticipated smartphone during 2009… with a logo different from the Sprint one. According to a source of CNBC, who wished to stay anonymous, the carrier, that has recently announced a net loss of $1.6 billion, will get the exclusive rights for the Palm Pre distribution until the end of the year. However, nothing is mention for the period after it. Bad news for every other carrier and a good one for Sprint, especially if the Palm Pre turns out to be that wished as the iPhone.

Palm Pre Preliminary Specifications

source: CNBC via CrunchGear