Palm Pre's wireless charger, the Touchstone

Palm just announced its wireless charger for the new Palm Pre, dubbed the Touchstone. No word on whether this is optional or standard, or if it's optional how much it'll go for, but it's certainly great to see a mainstream device get something like this first party.

Update: Palm's website is saying this will be sold separately.

[charles @ Jan 8th 2009 3:03PM]

incredible. soon, all things will charge wirelessly.

[JAYKAYLOL @ Jan 8th 2009 2:58PM]

Looks sweet. WHY SPRINT THOUGH?

[Nomi @ Jan 8th 2009 3:10PM]

Because:
iPhone - AT&T
G1 - T-Mobile
Storm - Verizon
Pre - Sprint

And windows mobile has phones with every carrier.

[konshuss @ Jan 8th 2009 2:54PM]

Palm and Rolo team up to bring you the tastiest charger evarrr

[Rob @ Jan 8th 2009 4:02PM]

especially since it's named the Touchstone

[Gaines @ Jan 9th 2009 12:29PM]

LOL! It does look like a candy. I'm a pretty loyal Windows Mobile user, however what I've seen so far is very impressive and may entice me to switch. We've even started a community over at http://www.SprintPre.net to chat about it.

[Gedam @ Mar 6th 2009 8:47PM]

If you put it screen side down will you get an amazing permanent background? haha.

[mstorman @ Jan 8th 2009 2:57PM]

omg. that is sweet :)

[nerdtalker @ Jan 8th 2009 2:54PM]

Palm really pulled out all the stops on this one, and for good reason.

I'm stoked about wireless charging, I might just have to see what that's all about.

[vierzehn31 @ Jan 9th 2009 10:07AM]

very very cool. bring on the blackberry/iphone/psp/ds/everything wireless charger

[joe23521 @ Jan 8th 2009 2:55PM]

Does this come with the phone?

[jinushaun @ Jan 8th 2009 2:57PM]

Cool idea, but how does this work? It's slanted. Wouldn't the phone slide off?

[Lowenbrau @ Jan 8th 2009 3:05PM]

No it's shaped like the bottom on the top too making it an even surface. Definitely fartworthy.

[Rob @ Jan 8th 2009 4:02PM]

I think it is in use in the bottom left of the photo....maybe??

if so it hasn't fallen off yet

[james rose @ Jan 8th 2009 7:41PM]

no it is magnetized. there is a special magnetic battery cover (presumably that comes with the charger...hopefully) that keeps it in place.

additionally, if you get a call while it is charging, just pick up the phone and it will automatically answer the call....once its placed back on the charger it resumes charging automatically

[recharged95 @ Jan 9th 2009 8:22PM]

Magnetic? I guess that means no magnetic/digital compass on the phone.

[Nomi @ Jan 8th 2009 2:56PM]

Doubt it comes with the phone though...can it still USB charge?

[CL @ Jan 8th 2009 2:57PM]

I hope this comes with the phone, not a "$200 optional accessory". If it does come with the phone, they really have something amazing at this announcement.

[Jonathan @ Jan 8th 2009 2:58PM]

does it come with cancer? or does that come later?

[konshuss @ Jan 8th 2009 3:23PM]

it uh.. yes, it does come with cancer.

[Samboini @ Jan 8th 2009 3:32PM]

Testicular or brain?

[konshuss @ Jan 8th 2009 3:34PM]

extra crispy.

[DP @ Jan 9th 2009 9:33AM]

You are all terrible people.

[orangearrows @ Jan 8th 2009 2:58PM]

Palm hit the Jackpot with the new OS ....very slick .....and with the wireless charger .........awesome twosome

[216 @ Jan 8th 2009 3:00PM]

Sprint is the only Fail of this device, its pretty much a win every other way. Offer it on VZ and you have my money Palm

[parazitu22 @ Jan 8th 2009 3:05PM]

Yes, offer it on VZW so we can have all the cool features stripped and so we can get gouged with their ridiculous data plans. Yes, that would be fantastic!

[iofthestorm @ Jan 8th 2009 3:19PM]

Agreed, this phone looks amazing and completely surprised me. I too would like to see it on Verizon, although now that they're requiring a data plan with all smartphones it might be better to just switch to Sprint and just use Wifi.

[neodorian @ Jan 8th 2009 4:01PM]

Why anyone would want to cripple a smartphone by not getting a data plan is beyond me. The entire point is that you are always connected to a variety of services (maps, web, streaming media, etc.) Sprint's data plan is a reasonable $15/month for unlimited 3G. If you can't handle that then maybe a smartphone is not the best option. My Sprint bill is $55 per month with a small amount of daytime minutes (never talk on the phone during the work day), unlimited night and weekend, text, and unlimited 3G data. I'm sure other people might talk more on their phones during the day but so what? Add another $10 or get an all-inclusive plan if you live on your phone. No reason to shell out $200-300 for a smartphone that only works in the house/office.

[bobby @ Jan 8th 2009 3:02PM]

Sprint CS suxx

[neodorian @ Jan 8th 2009 4:04PM]

http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/20/sprints-csr-response-time-skyrockets-to-first-in-recent-survey/

[orangearrows @ Jan 8th 2009 4:09PM]

Well thats what happens when they boot off everyone within the first 30 seconds and go onto to take another call .....

[IDstrength @ Jan 8th 2009 3:07PM]

This is great innovation and push towards the future...but it's SAD to see Palm and other Corp(es) * Ahem* only turning to innovation to save their company and plummeting stock. It saved Motorola as did Apple

[sshyourmom @ Jan 8th 2009 3:06PM]

WYRELESS CHARGING IZ HEER!

[Mediumjones @ Jan 8th 2009 3:16PM]

cuz Sprints gonna pwn the mobile broadband in the next 5yrs

[Wonderkid @ Jan 8th 2009 3:07PM]

Probably magnetic - just pop the phone on the surface and it's not only at the correct angle for viewing (at either orientation), but you just 'grab and go' when leaving your desk. Got to hand it to Palm, this new phone and the charger are their first real innovations since the original Palm Pilot. It is not really the features of the phone (nothing really new - my Nokia E71 has similar features - minus touch), but the fact it is based on a Web OS, that as we all know, is the future.

While Android offers huge potential, (we're developers), customers / consumers don't walk into a shop to purchase 'the future'. They purchase 'the now'. And the 'now' is what 'it' does out of the box the second their leave the shop.

The single threat to Palm is what I am convinced Apple are / should be developing. Namely, an iPhone Nano with a similar slide out mini QWERTY keyboard. All for $99.

[Donny @ Jan 8th 2009 7:15PM]

Your E71 already HAS a web-based OS.
OSS Browser is the BEST in the business: Supporting html/xhtml/chtml/xml/css/java/javascript/flash lite 3.0;

Not even Safari on the iPhone can do that. Plus its an OS that supports C+/C++/Carbide at its core/Open C/ Ruby/Python (PyS60).

You need to find out MORE of what Nokia's S60 offers and WHY its had the WORLDS largest user base of ANY OS for SOO long. In the USA its hardly known. And I doubt FaceBook mobile was around in 2006.

[Baz @ Jan 8th 2009 3:10PM]

Ooh, look! Tesla technology. The 21st Century revisits the 19th....

;-)

[Wout Mertens @ Jan 8th 2009 3:10PM]

I'm not so stoked about it. On the face of it, it seems cool, but since you need magnets and since the base shouldn't stick to the phone when you lift it, it will be heavier and therefore more expensive in shipping.

On top of that, what does this improve? Other phones with docks have 0 insertion and removal force, it will just improve "docking" time marginally.

Finally, how does it sync with your computer? Is everything over WiFi? I can live with that :-)

I do hope USB charging is still possible.

[Pedobear @ Jan 8th 2009 11:54PM]

So YOUR reasoning is that it's bad because of marginally more expensive shipping?

OH NOEZ!!!!1111 $1 dollar more shipping!!!!1111111

[Se7en @ Jan 12th 2009 3:46PM]

The charger will have some kind of sticky bottom... I can't remember if it has mini suction cups and sticky vinyl or what. It has been said that it is designed light for shipping. The benefit to this charger is that you can have the phone in portrait or landscape for viewing. The mangnets will automatically align and of course, while the charger is optional, there will be port for USB charging.

[CosterMonger @ Jan 8th 2009 3:10PM]

will it work in the shower?

[GingerFox @ Jan 9th 2009 12:31PM]

umm, no

[bobby @ Jan 8th 2009 3:11PM]

What happens when I have 2 phones and one charger ?

[giuliop @ Jan 8th 2009 3:15PM]

You charge one at a time?

The other you can put wherever it pleases you most.

[Sk8rman @ Jan 8th 2009 3:20PM]

the same thing you two with two phones and 1 wired charger...

[Sk8rman @ Jan 8th 2009 3:21PM]

lol i meant do instead of two

[Ron @ Jan 8th 2009 3:25PM]

The same thing that happens when you have 2 girls and one cup..

[Nomi @ Jan 8th 2009 3:26PM]

That is a really stupid questions...

[Snatcher @ Jan 8th 2009 5:45PM]

My toothbrush uses this " technology" for years. But it's really nice though.

[Chavez @ Jan 8th 2009 3:13PM]

Wish this came in a more convenient form factor, like a mat. But that's probably asking too much ;)