We just sat down with Palm for a more in-depth look at the
Pre, and here are our takeaways. First off, the software and hardware they're showing right now aren't the final versions. They're updating and tweaking as we speak, so some of the features haven't been implemented yet. Our take? Check it all out after the break, along with video, a full spec rundown... and in case you're wondering... it rhymes with Tree!
Software
The UI is incredibly well thought out and smooth. Animations going in and out of apps, and all of the menus and switching are done with a grace and simplicity that we rarely see on any device. The UI outclasses most of its competition on a number of levels, and actually may be quite a bit more revolutionary than the iPhone. Multitasking works like a charm, and reps say you can push it quite hard before you'll need to close applications. One of the most fascinating components of the UI is that when you're zoomed out to cards, the data is still active in the previews.
There are all sorts of little perks to the OS that make things easy and convenient. For instance, when viewing an email you can click on the sender and view their contact card, which is populated with traditional info like phone and email, but also includes statuses for different services like GoogleTalk and Facebook -- another tap and you're chatting with them.
The browser is based on WebKit, though it's actually faster at rendering, displaying and scrolling through pages than any of its competitors, including Mobile Safari. If you're on a web page you can flip the display around and it will automatically reorient.
We're told that the OS is based on Linux, and is in some way an extension of what they've been crafting for a while now, but on top of that Linux core is a display layer that is basically WebKit: all of the apps, including Palms own, are built in HTML, CSS and Javascript, and can make calls deeper into the OS for certain functionalities. That means almost any web developer can build an app for the phone, but there are limitations. 3D gaming, for instance, won't be possible, at least with version 1.0 of the OS -- though Palm might add a different, more powerful display layer in the future. Palm has confirmed that there will be an app store and an SDK which will be available to anyone.
The device features copy and paste, which is implemented by holding a thumb on the gesture area and grabbing the text you want with your other thumb or a finger -- there's also a dropdown menu that lets your move through a number of editing options.
Hardware
We were playing with prototype versions of the phone, but it's certainly all there, other than a bit of a rough slider mechanism that will certainly (hopefully) be worked out before the device goes to market.
The phone is very light and surprisingly thin, though it doesn't feel like a "toy." There are buttons and ports around the edges, but everything's fairly flush with the device -- and almost impossible to spot in the dark room we were checking it out in. The most notable protrusion is the ball / button, which feels a lot like a ball bearing -- if the OS relied on it more it might be a bit too small, but with plenty of swipes and gestures to do on-screen, it's probably just about right.
The screen is encased in the rounded shell of the device, but comes through incredibly bright and sharp, with zero trouble with viewing angle. Glare might be an issue outdoors, but it's not too bad otherwise. Touching the screen is responsive and precise, we never felt like it was "glitching out" on us, and with a few exceptions everything in the OS was large enough to be tapped on the first try with our gargantuan fingers.
The keyboard is reminiscent of the Centro or Treo Pro, but closer to the Pro in that the keys are spread out and somewhat larger. The key presses are about as shallow as the keys on the G1, but the rubberyness makes that forgivable. At a glance, it doesn't seem quite as robust as something like the Bold's clicky keyboard, but we didn't really get much time to play with it, so we'll hold our official statement. It's definitely useable, and we're looking forward to logging a few hours with it.
You can charge the phone over that wireless Touchstone accessory or over the microUSB plug... or by replacing the battery, as Palm was happy to point out.
The camera takes decent pictures, and that LED flash certainly helps, but it's not a particular strong suit of the phone.
On the Sprint end of things, they'll be pushing their "Everything" plans, and there'll only be a black version of the phone to start. There's no global roaming (of course), though Palm does have plans for a UMTS handset.
Here's a quick rundown of everything you need to know spec-wise:
- High-speed wireless (EV-DO Rev. A or HSDPA, depending on version)
- 802.11b / g WiFi
- Integrated GPS
- 3.1-inch 24-bit color 480 x 320 display
- Dedicated gesture area below display
- Slide-out portrait QWERTY keyboard
- Exchange email support in addition to POP and IMAP
- IM, MMS, and SMS messaging
- High-performance browser
- 3-megapixel camera with LED flash and "extended depth of field"
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR with A2DP
- 8GB of internal storage
- USB mass storage mode
- MicroUSB connectivity with USB 2.0
- Proximity sensor for detecting when phone is near face
- Light sensor to automatically dim display
- Ringer mute switch
- Removable rechargeable battery
- 59.57 x 100.53 x 16.95mm closed
- 4.76 ounces
posted January 8th 2009 7:20PM
iPhone:
Pros:
- Apple impeccable industrial design
- Beautiful UI (Until now it may be only nice)
- An online store being filled with lots of (expensive) applications
- Innovative UI (Until now)
- Lots of accesories available
Cons:
- Very expensive, outside the US costs much more then deskop computer, up to $850 (Is just a phone dammit!)
- No removable/replaceable battery by the user
- New applications must be developed on a Mac which restricts application development
- Cannot buy software that replaces/competes with Apple included software
- No additional storage media (CF, SD, etc.)
Palm Pre:
Pros:
- Innovative UI
- OS is responsive (Faster than the iPhone's)
- User can replace/change the intenal battery
- Applications can be programmed on a PC
- Just love the wireless charger!
Pros (My wish list):
- That most old Palm apps (legacy) can be run on the device on an restricted emulated mode
- Less expensive than the iPhone (Please!)
Cons:
- Not so top industrial design (Nobody's perfect, even Apple)
- Wish screen would be bigger, like the LifeDrive's (gave us the same resolution...)
- Only 3 accesories available (Ups!)
I wouldn't count on old Palm apps running in some emulation layer; I think if Palm still had any intention of that (the old idea of a Garnet emulation layer that used to be talked about), they would have done it and used it as a talking point here - "not only do we have this amazing new OS, but you also get access to thousands of existing Palm OS apps!". No stylus would also possibly be an issue for any emulated Palm OS system and apps.
And I'm not sure if/how someone would write an emulation system like StyleTap (how would you write a Palm OS emulator with the Palm WebOS App Framework?)
Regarding your pro/cons list - do you consider the Javascript/HTML/CSS development framework for the Palm WebOS a pro or a con? You mentioned the fact that iPhone apps have to be developed on a Mac as a con, while Palm WebOS apps can be developed on a PC, but the flipside of that might seem to be that devs
I would guess it would be worth an Android/Palm WebOS comparison too.
Hate to bring you the bad news but... It will not run any current Palm apps reason being, It is a Linux OS.
hopefully this will make the new iphone waaaaay better. Apple has been coasting along on the iPhone's success and they really need to step up their game. Not that i'm complaining about my current iPhone 3G but hopefully this will make the next iteration just incredible... I'm keeping my fingers crossed :D
I have an iPhone 3G, as well. Now this Palm looks damned nice, too bad it's on Sprint. I told them to shove their account where the sun don't shine a few years ago. And as for the iPhone, I'm sure the next iteration of the firmware is going to be good. I'm happy with what I gots right now.
To all the people out there that are complaining about this phone being on Sprint, all I have to say is it burns doesn't it, it burns. Not only does Sprint have the most competitive pricing in the industry,ircustomer service has improved drastically as they have won numerous awards from JD Power and Associates, Pali Research, and recently announced that they have the fastest, largest and most dependable 3G network after third party research proved it, and on top of all of that they are the first provider to launch a 4G network, something AT&T and Verizon won't do for another 2 years. Now they bring out one of the most innovative phones to date, (Not to mention that they will be releasing there own Android powered this device which will be way better than the G1) come on you'd have to be nuts not to switch to Sprint. What is that i hear, silence from all the AT&T and Verizon fanboys who are starting to realize that they are getting rapped in the poop hole.
AT&T and Verizon are both going to be launching LTE networks though, which will put them in the camp that most of the rest of the world uses. From a device diversity standpoint, it seems like a compelling reason to stick with AT&T or Verizon compared to Sprint and WiMax.
From a device diversity standpoint, We wouldn't see a LTE device for a few years. So why stick with a company that don't have a G4 network or G4 device now?
Well I'll be a sunuvabitch. A fucking PALM that actually looks nice! I'd never thought I'd live to see the day.
I cant believe how good it looks next to the iPhone. I'm also liking its size as compared to iPhone.
know why? cuz when SJ launched the iPhone he mentioned about 200 patents they have.
all these iPhone followers are ripping off those patents left right and centre (uh, multi-touch?).
so these companies will probably have to cut a deal to pay Apple for all this stuff, mad mad dollars...
I don't wanna see two high profile companies like Apple and Palm in court.. that's just nasty.
I sure hope someone will create an app which will work as an emulator for my current apps in my centro. I wanna keep some apps from there!
im about to trade in my G1
I wouldn't recommend doing that yet because the G1 is going to have more software updates that will make it much much better...and the Android Platform is very new. Give it some time. That's what I'm going to do. I own a G1 and I think it is great.......even though this new Palm Pre is impressive.
anyone know the approx. battery life?
Palm now has the kind of products Apple has, but they don't have the amazing distribution of iTunes/iTMS, so the Media playback on this will be weak, but this has the looks of an Engadget geeks wet dream.
I predict Windows Mobile will die because of this thing. ;) Third place behind Android.
This as the amazon media store which is just as robust as iTunes........ i would say pretty much on par with the iPhone
AmazonMP3 is the same damn thing.
Yeah, I'm worried about the whole "Palm has to write an iTunes competitor that runs on Windows/OSX/Linux before they run out of money" thing too.
We can only assume they will partner with Amazon, since thats the obvious thing to do for Palm for now. As long as you can browse the Amazon music store, and they have a good music player, that'll be enough (along with Podcast support of course) for the first version.
For video I could probably get by with microSD support, and converting the video as needed with an external (non-Palm) application then copying to the microSD with no syncing or Amazon access or whatever at first if need be.
If your Amazon analogy holds true, this thing will get about 5% marketshare.
I wanna hear from someone who uses this thing for a week, how they like sliding that keyboard everytime they wanna enter a website, etc.
It will be a joy to slide out the keyboard, because it will be a delight to use a real keyboard - even if its cute!
Next to the iphone if it did not have the PALM logo it looks like a good iphone nano concept.
APPLE
I was a big fan of Palm years ago when they were mostly a PDA company. Since then they have been uninspiring and releasing uninteresting treos. I'm glad to see the old Palm is back, and listening to the market in general as well as the power users. I'm a bit disappointed it can't handle 3D, but I'm excited to see where Palm takes this.
This is a beautiful device. I love my iphone but I could totally see myself getting me one of these if the price is right and the apps are there. iPhone has only had apps for less than a year so it's totally feasible that some nice apps would be available in short order if they've got a good SDK. Someone wrote that 3D games won't be an option early on but that's no deal killer for me. A fast stable phone with awesome email, web an PIM is what I want. And I've always admired palms easy to use data entry in their PIM apps. I've just been so disappoint for like the past decade that they haven't continued to innovate. Looks like someone finally woke up and smelled the coffee. I'm impressed. Especially to see that it's actually running and usable on what looks to be a close to production device. I'm seriously thinking this could be my phone and an iPod touch could be my mp3/gaming/entertainment device.
Hey, this can be your iPod too, iTiunes DRM. Free just in time!
I was thoroughly disappointed with Macworld, but I'm seriously blown away more and more at CES. The Vaio P is amazing (that screen? Wow). And there's something serious to be said about this, especially considering the Engadget editors gave it a > iPhone on... well... anything. It must be something else...
Now which is worse, stuck with Sprint or all of the functionality removed by Verizon...
ok so prepare to fork out $350 for palm n $229 for touch,so $580 plus tax $628, u ready to swipe your card,thought so.
Just wanted to say: Great reporting, Engadget. You identified an important product and really gave it the attention it deserved. You've smoked everyone else in getting us a very real feel for the product, even thousands of miles from LV.
And congratulations Palm. If you can support this product better than you have other promising devices (LifeDrive, i705, Palm VII, Treo), then you should do well. Remember the Apple model of updating software from time to time, making the customer feel like you actually care about them.
Right-on! Re: Engaget's reporting!
-"Remember the Apple model of updating software from time to time"...,
Great point! It has always bothered me that Palm never upgraded the Versamail, or Blazer programs in all the years I've used them on my Treo 650 and then Centro. On the other hand, the apps I choose to use for PIM & Dialer replacements, TAKEphONE and 2Day, have been continually refined and improved, and even had feature requests added.
The new OS looks very nice, though. I'm looking forward to checking it out when it is released.
I can see your argument when it comes to LTE but in fact Wimax is used in many parts of the world and is a proven technology. LTE is still in the developement phase. Some people will argue that LTE will be slightly faster but in fact an upgrade to Wimax is already in developement which will bring speeds close to if not exceed LTE potential. Also Wimax is a much cheaper technology to deploy so it has the potential to cover a larger area quicker and with backers/partners like Google to develope applications, Intel to integrate chips into devices, and Timewarner and Comcast as distributers it will not fail. Also Sprint is taking a very open stance to Wimax where and device can be used on it that has a Wimax chip integrated into and won't require contracts. Im willing to bet AT&T and Verizon drop the ball on this one and continue to trap you in their walled garden requiring you to buy only their devices and services. Wimax revolutionary, LTE no so much
Wow. The first serious iphone competitor.
I'm impressed enough already to put them on par.
Nice one Palm. Glad you're back.
at $350, i seriously doubt it will compete with iphone sales . 1 million iphones sold on july 11, 2008 in 72 hour period just in the united states. impressive huh.think about this ,as long as the masses are still paying as much as $300, $400 just for the apple touch. $149,$199 sounds like a heck of a deal for the iphone. iphone officially outsold all smartphones in the usa from nov 26,2008 till december 25, 2008.officially.insane.
Dang it! I was all ready to get the Touch Pro from Sprint, and now I have a tough decision to make. The only thing unclear is can it stream Sirius radio, which is a feature really high on my list. There isn't a "real" solution available with the old Palm OS, Android or Blackberry, and if it's the same story with WebOS, then I guess my choice is back to the touch pro. Funny how it looked like a great choice yesterday, and now it seems like the proverbial ugly stepsister.
u better off waiting htc blows,now this coming from iphone 3g owner.,its the best iphone clone ive seen so far.get your $350 ready.......
It is nice.....OK....The new Palm Cell Phone is even very nice.
....but I still like the Android OS T-Mobile G1 more. I have a G1, and I love it.
sero, sero, sero. If Sprint wants to keep a loyal base of customers for LIFE, they will allow sero accts have access to this phone. If not its just one more reason for millions of customers to leave their network.
Wondering if this will be backwards compatible with the old OS programs.
Finally some competition for the iPhone. As much as some people seem to want to rag on Apple (including Palm), the iPhone finally got the rest of the industry to realize they were making crap (although a lot still are - Blackberry Storm). But this will just keep every company on it's toes, there's two innovative companies in the cell phone industry and they'll just keeping pushing each other and the winner will be the consumer.
I predict that Android will dominate the smartphone market in 1 year from now followed by Apple and then Palm.
Android has the most long term promise. Trust me on this one.
I really love that thing. Hopefully developers will quickly jump on. Only one question is there a dialer program for the "desktop"? I know it's a silly question cause it is a phone, but they never showed any phone features. It would really suck to dial on that dial on the keyboard.:(
OK, I gotta say something: Developers?
When the iPhone first came out there was NO SDK, and Apple used Web Apps as a stopgap.
Remember the freak out?
That was the iPhone. This thing will have a low marketshare, zero marketing AND webapps. I await the obligatory 'rip to shreds.'
As for the guy who said he wanted a billion shares of Palm... wait long enough and your day in the Sun just may come.
The reason for the backlash at Apple's WebApp SDK was that the apps were nothing more than links to web pages you've developed for the iPhone.
Palm is just using the suite of tools web developers use for developing Palm applications. Assuming from their developer site, the applications will run as close to the metal as possible, suggesting some sort of JIT compilation is going on. Not to mention Mojo is described as an [i]application framework[/i], which also suggests that it will come with an assortment of libraries accessing the features of Palm's new OS and its underlying hardware (most of it, anyways).
In other words, you won't know if the application is developed in a mashup of XML/HTML5/JS/AJAX or just plain C. It will look as native as any other application.
That said, I hate JavaScript with a passion and I will strangle 10 puppies a month if I do not get C/C++/Java/Obj-C/WHATEVER language to program with on the Pre.
All I have to say is wow. I was a longtime Palm fan, both OS and hardware. My smartphone lineage went from the Sprint Samsung i300 to i330, Treo 600 to Treo 650. After the 650, I switched to Verizon because Sprint was becoming the dumpster-fire it is today.
Long story short, I played with WinMo, got stuck on Blackberry, and have always lusted after the iPhone (not willing to go to ATT though; VZW service is great). I just got the Storm, and I've come to like it despite its quirks. But it never got rid of that desire I had for the iPhone. The Pre has single-handedly stolen my heart from the iPhone and renewed my Palm fanboyism. I can't wait to use this, and I can't wait for it to come to Verizon.
This. Kit. Looks. Hot.
Sorry to bust your bubble but you'll be waiting a very long time to this to come to Verizon. Sprint has done an excellent job securing an exclusivity deal with Palm for the Pre for a least a year, with the option to increase the length at the end of the contract (Kind of like the iPhone on AT&T). While all the other telecom companies shunned Palm, Sprint remained a very loyal support carrying the largest lineup of the phones, and now its paying off as they get first dibbs on their new OS and phones. Sorry to say but if you want to experience the new Palm operating system you'll be coming back to Sprint.
Even though I realllly dig the G1 and Android's open source...Palm completely took me by surprise, and impressed me, to say the least.
If only their app market, as it said it would have one, would be open source.
Other than that...
Wow. Did you see the browsing? Multi-touch (Apple patent my ass), multi-tasking, etc.? And a physical keyboard, THANK YOU.
Seriously Palm...where the **** did you come from? I guess it wasn't that hard keeping this without it leaking when no one is looking at you.
If this is priced correctly, I might buy out of my T-Mo contract, unlock my G1, sell it, and sign up with Sprint. Good thing unlocked G1's go for a good amount.
New OS support Unicode? Any one know?
I am sooooo excited for this, I have been a palm fanboy forever lol, and I was starting to lose faith in them, I am starting to regret my decision to buy the G1 right about now ha. If they ever sell an unlocked one its mine. Bravo Palm.
Im having a major Nerd-gasm right now...
I raise my glass to Palm. Well done Ol' Man, well done! Now back to the Conservatory with the lead pipe. I've got a shiny phone with a closed-ecosystem to kill!
For some reason I've been getting the impression that this will eventually come to Verizon. Is this actually true?
I want it, but I hate Sprint.
I guess it might be worth switching, though.
What about Unicode support?