Another 2010 Q1 market share report has been released, this time focusing exclusively on smartphones. While the report we wrote about yesterday was interesting for showing that smartphones barely crack the top 5 in terms of usage, this new report from the NDP group shows a slight shuffle in the top smartphone sellers.

Android seems to be taking over – although their growth is slowing a bit – thanks to heavy marketing on Droid and some hot HTC Android devices. Android officially passed the iPhone and is on its way to catching RIM’s still-sliding BlackBerry. Meanwhile, Windows Mobile continued it’s slow death and is now approaching Symbian territory.

Palm’s line just looks funny.

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HP is the biggest PC manufacturer out there, which puts some serious clout and a massive install-base behind webOS, Palm’s new-ish and fairly well-received mobile OS. Todd Bradley, executive vice president, Personal Systems Group, HP, says:

“Palm’s innovative operating system provides an ideal platform to expand HP’s mobility strategy and create a unique HP experience spanning multiple mobile connected devices”

What does this all mean? Will there be Windows Phone 7 devices from HP? HP’s VP of Strategy and Corporate Development Brian Humphries says yes:

“We intend to continue to be a strategic partner for Microsoft. They’re a huge piece of our business today, and will continue to be so.”

Well, HP’s ‘mobile strategy’, as Todd puts it, has been absent for a while, so this is a solid step an one direction. The question is, is it the right direction!? Only time will tell what HP has planned for Palm and webOS, but it will at least give the fledgling mobile platform a temporary reprieve.

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So it looks like Palm IS for sale, after all. Rumors started swirling last week that Palm had been looking for a buyer, but CEO Jon Rubinstein denied it, full stop. Now Bloomberg news is reporting that Palm has, indeed, asked Goldman Sachs and Qatalyst Partners to find an eligible buyer.

Interestingly, HTC has been sniffing around and kicking the tires… wouldn’t that be something? HTC already makes solid devices, but with their own OS they could be deadly! Other potential suitors are China’s Lenovo and Nokia, but nobody’s confirming anything, of course.

UPDATE: Some folks have suggested that Apple might be interested in scooping up Palm, just to keep HTC away from Palm’s patents…

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While we’re happy for Palm that the Pre is extending their existence, a more interesting piece of news was that Palm is planning on dropping Windows Mobile entirely in favor of their WebOS. You can see the full Q1 Palm results here.

Two new Windows Mobile phones have gotten official Sprint launch dates!

The long-delayed (due to apparent certification issues) Sprint Palm Treo Pro will now be released into the wild on March 15th. Next in line is the mysterious (and oddly named) HTC Cedar, a WinMo Standard (non-touchscreen) device that has a predicted launch date of June 2009. Nothing else is known at this time, but I’m sure we’ll here more about this pretty little blue handset soon enough!

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The folks at Gizmodo have brought up a very good question: Should Sprint drop the Palm Treo Pro with the Palm Pre on its way?

I would personally argue that they’re apples and oranges. They can both appeal to different audiences – WinMo fans, Palm OS fans, QWERTY lovers, and touch screen addicts. Why choose? Keep both, Sprint!

What do you think?

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Wow. Best Buy’s website is showing the Sprint Treo Pro at a whopping $699 USD. $700 for the Treo Pro. I mean, it’s a great phone but… wow! Buying the phone SIM-unlocked directly from Palm is only going to be a bit cheaper at $549 USD.

Sprint’s Treo Pro will be available sometime in February. Maybe we’ll see a price dip before it actually goes onto shelves. Here’s hoping!

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Where’s the ‘kaboom‘?

We’re not sure why there was no launch fanfare for this long awaited Windows Mobile device, but here it is: Sprint now has the CDMA version of Palm’s Treo Pro in stock. It’s got an unusually hefty price tag on it at $249.99 on a 2-year (or free for the staggering price of %549.99) but keep your eyes peeled as these prices are likely to drop soon enough.

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Oooh more leaked goodies! An anonymous secret internet agent has sent WMExperts some super spy slides from a Sprint document. The slide details the specs on the upcoming Treo Pro. Also shown are some head to head comparisons to other smartphone offerings from Sprint.

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Well colour me disappointed. There’s all kinds of buzz today centered around the Palm Software Store now available for Windows Mobile and Palm OS devices but hopefuls should be ready for a let-down. Turns out that this app store is just a 28KB file that adds an icon to your phone that serves up a hyperlink to the online Palm Software Store (powered by PocketGear) when clicked. It’s no different, really, than the Sprint Store or the AT&T Mall software links that have been on WinMo devices for years now. Boo!

WinMo, where’s my super awesome app store? I’m waiting.

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