Palm Pre Plus hits AT&T, mean anything for iPhone?

Our sibling site PreCentral.net has their usually full review of the AT&T Palm Pre Plus, and with today's launch it becomes a second full, capacitive multitouch device being offered on the exclusive US iPhone carrier. What does that mean?

Up until today AT&T's top level consumer smartphone lineup was iPhone -- iPhone 3G on the low end and iPhone 3GS on the high end. There were BlackBerry's to be sure, but not touchscreen or particularly consumer appealing. And don't even get us -- or our buddy Phil from Android Central -- started about AT&T's Android efforts thus far.

But now consumers who must have internationally friendly GSM can choose the Palm Pre Plus, and perhaps a full screen, multitouch BlackBerry Bold 9800 slider come this summer. You know, when the 4th generation iPhone (iPhone HD/iPhone 4G) usually has that market, and marketing all to itself.

We'll ask again, without the faintest trace of Verizon in our question, what does that mean for AT&T and the iPhone? And who'll be picking up the Palm Pre Plus over the iPhone?

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.