Palm sales at Verizon "well short" of targets?
updated 07:40 pm EST, Wed February 24, 2010
Pre Plus and Pixi Plus showing poor performance
Palm sales through Verizon are allegedly falling "well short" of initial expectations, according to Canaccord Adams analyst Peter Misek. Although Palm has yet to disclose specific guidance regarding sales forecasts, the analyst believes the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus handsets have reached sales numbers that are less than half of the target levels.
Misek claims Verizon faces multiple options, including an increase in marketing or sales training to help boost the numbers. The analyst also suggests the carrier may drop Palm entirely, although such a decision does not appear to be the most likely move.
Kaufman Brothers analyst Shaw Wu provided a slightly different outlook for Palm's performance, expecting sales to reach as many as 1 million webOS phones this quarter. The optimistic forecast is based on alleged insider information that points to a sales surge between December and February, with Verizon reportedly pushing 550,000 to 600,000 units. [via Barron's]
