Palm Pre: The Missing Manual

Appendix A. Get Started with the Pre

You’ve surely taken your new Pre out of its box and started playing with it by now. And if you bought the phone at a Sprint store, a salesperson has likely walked you through the steps for activating it. It’s the least the guy could do—it’s not like he had to pressure you to buy one.

If you got your Pre by mail and you’re new to Sprint (or if you’re getting a new wireless phone number), you have to set up the phone yourself, as outlined in this appendix. The process is easy and shouldn’t take more than about 15 minutes.

If you’re already a Sprint customer and are transferring your existing wireless number to the Pre, your path is slightly different: Stop by Sprint’s online activation page at http://sprint.com/activate, enter the phone number you’re changing, and then follow the onscreen instructions.

If you run into an activation snafu, call Sprint’s Customer Service department at 1-888-211-4727.

Choose the Right Service Plan

When you buy a cellphone, you usually consider a couple of factors: the cost of the phone itself and what you have to fork over every month for your voice and data plan.

The Pre costs $199.99 after a rebate. That’s a subsidized price for committing to Sprint for a 2-year period (the minimum plan length). If you’re new to Sprint, you’re also responsible for a $36 activation fee. If you bail out of the plan early, you’re on the hook for a hefty early termination fee of up to $200. (They get you coming and going.)

But Sprint and Palm ...