Much-anticipated Palm Pre will be $200 and scarce, say reports

Speculation is again swirling about how much the upcoming Palm Pre, the new smart phone we called a “game changer” when it was unveiled, might cost and how many might be available. The phone is expected by June or so.

According to FierceWireless.com, Palm will limit production to about 375,000 units to create a buzz when supplies run out. Analyst iSuppli says each new Pre will cost $170 to build and will be sold to Sprint for $300, which will offer it to customers for $200 with a two-year contract. .

If that's not enough, according to Engadget, the Pre may have a little brother as early as this fall, which BoyGeniusReport.com says will be called the Eos. The carrier: AT&T Wireless.

Of course, as most smart-phone followers know, success in today's market rests as much or more on software, rather than hardware, as the New York Time's Matt Richtel writes. —Mike Gikas