Palm Pre to be assembled by Chi Mei Communication Systems, fairies
By Laura June 
posted Mar 18th 2009 4:33PM
posted Mar 18th 2009 4:33PM
[Via Brighthand]
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This hotness can't come too soon for me!
I love the OS, but the form factor is too round for my taste. Here's hoping they release the platform on other hardware after a while.
they had to make it round, if they didn't apple fanboys would call it an iphone rip-off
"i" am calling it a rip-off........
I digg the organic form, how it curbs etc, I think it is genius.
@ Craig S
you haven't touched the OS how can you say how great it is--- your a TOOL!
you were probably one of those guys who bought Vista because it was the best OS Microsoft ever created...
@ Tohe...
"Genius`` is an Apple trademark. Please refrain from using it to describe other products... Thank you.
And while we are on the topic of Apple, I am quite satisfied with my 3- 1st gen iPhones... I have enough to get me through the decade...
@murmererer
The OS looks incredible, is brilliant in the (PRE BETA (lolol pun)) demos, and is incredibly well featured. While yes, it may turn out to be a disappointment, all the signs so far have been brilliant.
@ murmermer
you can just tell by the pictures that the OS was designed in a smart way with function and ease in mind.. All the flashiness aside, I can already see how it works and how simple it's supposed to be. Anyone who has owned a palm for years like myself knows that they are a breeze to use and the PHONE function is always a top priority (since this is a phone and all). With all that said though, I am a picky person so I'll honestly let you guys know if it doesn't meet my expectations.
G, as an Apple fanboy with my pocketbook apparently, this is at least not a rip-off. That said, I waited to develop apps for the iPhone until the SDK was ready, so how far Palm gets with a WebKit implementation is beyond me. Everybody, including me, was b*tching about web applications… I look forward to seeing the thing.
This thing isn’t arriving until late summer if they begin the production processes in April. If. Ouch.
I was thinking about getting a pre and dropping my iphone. But after the sneak peek of 3.0 yesterday I wouldn't even consider it.
But I thank PALM as though I feel that they gave APPLE the incentive to make 3.0 kick ass
3.0 isn't the be all and end all. it's good, but I still want multitasking and a physical keyboard. and the ability to install whatever I want.
Well i'm jailbroken so I pretty much have best of both worlds, and really don't need anything else. IMO I have the perfect device as of this point.
I have grown to love the virtual keyboard it's accurate and can honestly compose an e-mail and text much quicker than with a physical.
But to each it's own! and I have to give it up to PALM they created a kick ass device as well.
A little competition never hurt anybody.
I type about as fast on my Kaiser as I do on my laptop. I actually started typing the punctuation wrongly on my laptop after I got my kaiser, since I was hitting where I would on my Kaiser. You can't do that with a soft keyboard, since it's set up totally differently.
I have mixed thoughts about the OS:
What's good:
- Universal search
- Synergy
- It's FAST.
What's missing:
- Android's desktop shortcuts and widgets
- Potential (how many high-end apps can you develop with web tools)
- HD playback (I know Palm's never had a media powerhouse in mind, but WM & Android have both Tegra and Snapdragon)
- Higher res screen
The selling point:
- Its gorgeous form factor. Single-hand qwerty slider. PERFECTION.
@TareX
Look up the processor some time, it's capable of the some nice things. The Pandora uses the same one.
Eh, I did some leg work for you
http://www.dspdesignline.com/products/197005880
Starting manufacturing in March means sales in June.
So why do you think the release date will be in June? I'm just curious.
On a side note, this phone couldn't come sooner. My Verizon contract is over come the end of this month. ^_^ yay!
My Lai who?
Nice too see a NON Apple product getting a cult like following.
The Pre can't come soon enough, like he said. I'm unbelievably excited for the Pre. Way, WAY more than I was for my first 2G iPhone.
Don't get me wrong, I am definitely buying a Pre, but since when was a cult-like following EVER good?
Yeah, cause the Pre fanboys are just soooo different to the iPhone fanboys, who were soooo different to the Zune fanboys, who were soooo different to the iPod fanboys ...
Oh no, wait, I remember now, they're all trolls and just as trollish as each other.
Cult-like followers became valid as soon as the iCult waged war against every good product to ever exist.
I'd like to see more gadgets manufactured in Taiwan.
This will be made in China, like virtually all of Chi Mei's stuff.
@why not the LS2LS7?
It is not being manufactured in China, CMCS is in Taiwan.
I couldn't say about any particular subsidiary, but Chi Mei makes a ton of products in China. I would be shocked if this were not also made in China.
You're confusing Chi Mei Corporation (the mother company) with Chi Mei Communications Systems. Chi Mei Communications Systems was est in 2001, they're based in Taiwan where they manufacturer wireless communication devices. Chi Mei Corporation is HQ in Taiwan as well, however, they have many subsidiaries around parts of Asia.
I guess they have time to work on the Pre as the need to manufacture Motorola is no longer necessary...
Not that I don't agree with you, but expect that to change as Motorola starts releasing Android phones. The hardware has never been a problem, so Android is going to save them from their crappy OS.
I'm really excited for Palm, seeing that they've been a company that's been on the brink, not being able to compete in a market they created. Similarly, I can't wait to see Motorola turn things around. They're a company far too rich in communications history to be struggling like they are.
@ msalivar:
Chi Mei's Moto hardware was very problematic. Remember the MPx220 or it's successor that was never released (MPx300)? Those POS's were Chi Mei's handiwork.
I hope they do better for Palm than they did for Moto.
Anyone know if the Pre's coming to Europe at the same time as America?
I hope it's here for the summer...
I bet the pre will sell out at launch due to shortages and Sprint will make an anouncement : "We sold out due to unprecedented demand! This is our best-selling smartphone!" while not releasing any sales numbers. I like the pre btw. It's just how the game is played. Look at the wii.
Uh, except that Nintendo DID release numbers for the Wii and they consistently sold significantly more units than both of their competitors combined. There was never a time when Nintendo was shipping an artificially lowered number of systems just to say that they sold out.
Nintendo has continually been purposely failing to meet demand in order to keep it selling out.
Within 9 months, you can increase production to virtually unlimited levels. Nintendo chose to not increase production to levels that would satisfy demand.
So yeah, it sold more than the other consoles, but the reason it kept selling out was because Nintendo wanted it that way.
exactly!
It's just a nice way to get free press, and make people perceive your product as "hot", and "get it while you can".
Palm needs all the sales it can get, so I don't quite buy this idea of purposely lowering production, especially with iphone 3.0 on the market. I'm sure they have some good operations research guys who can get supply and demand right.
That lip on the keyboard looks seriously annoying. And such tiny buttons!!!
I'm pretty certain that you'll never notice the little ridge on the keyboard. People bitched about that chin on the side of the G1 and now that I have one I never notice that it's there while I'm typing. It's easy to overestimate how annoying the shape of something will be from a picture.
thats why i have the iPhone!!!
Don't worry about the buttons too much. I haven't tried it, of course, but it's like the Sony and Apple keyboards. With so much space between the buttons, even with them being smaller, the pitch is the same as a larger model with bigger buttons and no spacing. It should make it easier to keep track of where you are, too.
getting so pumped for this release! selling my treo 755 this week!! activating the sanyo katana until the day this baby comes out.. I hope this thing doesn't get delayed, that would be a failure and make me depressed. Get your tents ready!
While there is a definite buzz about this phone (and I'd love to get one), I highly doubt there will be people camping out for it. There has to be some reason Sprint lost so many customers.
I disagree... the Pre is pretty hot. A lot of people want it.
haha.. I would never pitch a tent anywhere. But if it's sold out when I go to get it, then I'll wish I did. I think I'm watching this phone closer than anyone else in my town though, so I probably have nothing to worry about.
It *looks* hot, yes. Whether or not it delivers is the question.
"rube @ Mar 18th 2009 5:08PM - haha.. I would never pitch a tent anywhere"
Really? Each time I see a photo of the Pre I pitch a tent.
@phobic: Mainly because they haven't had a killer smartphone while everyone has moved to them over the past couple of years. They used to be the first carrier to go to for smart phones when your choices were only WM and Palm. Now with iPhone, G1, and a slew of Blackberrys they have been left behind. In addition their advertising is terrible and it has not helped that until a few years ago their customer service fairly blew.
Regardless, they have always had by far the cheapest data plans ($15 unlimited) and coverage in most places is excellent these days so I have no problem using them as a carrier. Maybe with this release they can afford a better advertising team.
How long before a factory worker appears in a photo to much acclaim?!
"but it also manufactures phones for Motorola"
And look where that brought them! On the verge of dying!
Just kidding.
Looks pretty nice (the phone I mean) but I have a feeling this might take some time to get to Europe.
Wait... production hasn't started? I thought this phone was to be released 1H 2009. It seems like Palm's cutting it pretty close!
Like everyone else is saying, this phone can't come soon enough! I can't wait to own this phone. The Palm Pre is all Palm, hold the PalmSource: Fabulous
Considering they were showing pre-beta hardware and software at CES...
It was reported as early as September, 2007 that Palm had outsourced assembling to Chi Mei to ODM "CDMA 2000 devices", a mystery device was supposedly due to launch in 2008. Well it wasn't the Treo Pro, it just launched and is assembled by HTC, I think the device in question and the one that was being worked on in 2007 is the Pre. I remember the outspoken investor from Innovation Partners mentioned during an interview that webOS and the Pre went into development 2 years ago.
Laura June, how could you miss this: http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/28/foxconn-wins-3g-iphone-contract-3-million-units-shipping-in-jun/
CMCS is part of the Foxconn Technology Group.
Engadget, do you think that the final hardware will have a rotating keyboard for landscape typing?
I do remember this article from last year that had those palm buttons http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/07/mysterious-t-swivel-handset-appears-on-korean-site-keeps-us-gue/
No.
Just no.
Long answer? The actual design won't change that much. What they might do is put in a soft keyboard for landscape.
Dear Engadget,
Please make a poll asking who will buy the optional TouchStone charger when they purchase the phone. I think I will just because it comes with the matte battery cover, but i'm curious to know how many other people will.
I will because it's perfect for how I keep my phone, i.e. I just put it on my desk. if it can charge at the same time...
Price will be the deciding factor for me. I will only pay so much for awesomeness while I remain this poor.
It does look like an intriguing device however, when are US companies (This includes Apple) going to get back to the bargaining tables with US workers and at least try to manufacture products at home. Yes this can be said for anything developed in the states but produced overseas. Don't get me wrong I love other counties however in today's market we need more US born industry and development throughout the entire product life cycle, from drawing board to consumer’s hands. Bring jobs back to the US.
As long as consumers keep on complaining about devices costing so much.
Be willing to pay more for American made devices, make it known you want to pay more for American made devices, and you shall receive American made devices.
Otherwise, companies will continue to make devices overseas to assure they have a decent profit margin.
I really, really hope this phone lives up to the hype.
But even if it doesn't, Palm should still get a high-five for making Apple switch up their game.
Absolutely ridiculous for people to assume Palm has anything to do with iPhone 3.0 development. To assume Apple implemented these features in the last few weeks show tremendous naivete on peoples part. Watch the video on the so called cut, copy and paste. So it works just like the Palm right?
So a new smart phone is announced that completely blows away the iPhone, and all of a sudden Apple releases a few features everyone has been begging for 3 years. Just a coincidence?
apple has been releasing steady updates to the iphone OS since day 1. most of these features have been a long time coming. to suggest palm "forced" apple to do anything, or that apple released this in any way to combat the pre is hilarious.
You cant prove 3.0 was designed to respond to Palm,
nor can you prove it wasn't.
@ Jubei
Copy and paste? A bit "me-too" ain't it?
@Decoy
LOL.. not quite. You forgot about the Newton from Apple. I still have the 120 in full working order.
sprint has been pushing their older models in the last couple months and just recently they released the rumor 2 they are trying to push those products as much as they can before the Pre comes out, i PREdict that it will come out late april early may.
i dumped sprint cause i couldn't get a signal indoors and it was supposed to be my only phone. Is that still a problem?
Hey palm Sprint locked up the pre but how about a horizontal slider with the new OS for t-mobile. We'll call it the...hell i don't care what you call it i'll just take it.
The only place I really lose reception on my sprint phone is in elevators. But I think that is kinda common in all carriers.
They can take there time, because I won't be picking this phone up until it hits Verizon next year. As amazing and awesome as this phone is, there isn't a thing in this world that would have me leave Verizon for Sprint's worst ranked customer service.
http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker/article.aspx?Feed=BW&Date=20090304&ID=9664406&Symbol=S
"best in class"
the more you know ;)
I'm going to get one and only call Tibetans.
So Apple release a update to the iphone? What about a new iphone is they still going to be releasing one? Sounds kiind of silly to release an OS 3 when its just 3 months til June
I have a Chimei monitor and I can say that the product is built extremely well. Heck, it survived an international trip in my suitcase. As long as the phone is solidly designed, I bet that they will do a good job of putting it together.
they are so lagging.,get with it already................
relesa date looking farther n farther away. maybe july august.,.,by then palm will be under so deep..........they still scroungin for release/advertising money.
A little scary in my book. Some unknown company? Whole thing gives my nightmare flash backs to the quality control issues with the Treo 600/650 (what you mean two screens should be vagualy similar?).
Most devices are made in China by 'some unknown company' for all the big names.
You have probably never heard of Hon Hai, Wistron, Compal, Inventec... but Sony, HP, Dell, Apple, etc. sure have. What counts is the quality, really.
So when is this coming out? Palm need to hurry up, or else people won't care about it anymore as all the news and spotlight will be on the new iPhone. Also, when will US ever get the GSM version, unlocked?
Maybe it's an age thing, but the reason I'm excited about the Palm Pre is the fact that it will have a considerably bigger display than the Palm Centro. That will allow me to get stuff done without going blind after half an hour, and in places where it's not wise to pull out a laptop. If developers don't have lots of apps for the Pre out of the gate though, it will not be able to compete with the iPhone.