Sprint: Back Off, Verizon, Palm Pre Is Ours, For Now

Sprint confirmed what Verizon’s CEO implied, saying its exclusive contract to sell the Palm Pre runs through the end of the year.

Verizon chief executive Lowell McAdam announced Thursday that his company will be able to offer the Pre in “about six months.” It turns out it’s closer to seven.

Unlike AT&T’s long-running iPhone exclusive, all the talk in recent days – including AT&T’s interest in the Pre – makes it seem highly unlikely that Sprint will be able to keep a stranglehold on the new smartphone, which is first available to the public, perhaps in limited quantities, on June 6.