Pandora, Amazon, other third-party apps demoed on Palm Pre
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Apr 1st 2009 9:23PM
posted Apr 1st 2009 9:23PM
First off, we saw a NASCAR app, perfect for die-hard fans (but really, even more perfect for Sprint's track record of sponsoring NASCAR events) that culls video highlights, driver profiles, and more. Next, we were treated to a brief look at the Pre's Google Maps implementation, Pandora, Amazon's music store, and FlightView, a trick little flight status app that every frequent traveler will likely want loaded. We also saw a Pre version of the Sprint TV player -- a staple service on most of Sprint's devices -- proving that the Pre has the stones to handle multimedia within its development framework. Video was just a little bit choppy, but they're not making any claims that this is final, optimized code at this point. The best part of the whole demo, perhaps, is Pandora's notification implementation, which brings up a mini-player by tapping on the "P" visible at the bottom of any Pre screen; from here, you can play / pause, rank tracks up and down, and see a full track name, all without leaving the comfort of whatever app you might be in. Try that on an iPhone, eh? Follow the break for video!
release already.,i want to see u fail.Lets see if u can break zero to 1 million record set by iphone..
It does not have to. In such an economic crisis...
Let's see if you can learn how to spell properly. I want to see you succeed in graduating first grade.
On Topic: This phone is the first phone I have been excited about, before it was announced I invested in Palm, and I'm very happy I did.
onurkillinc:
I love how you're pre-emptively making excuses for the Pre's failure.
Looks swell.
Rad.
Neat.
What do you kids call it these days?
I was not even going to bother but what the heck, I'm tired of idiots like you.
What is this 0 to 1 million point or proof anyway? Is that the standard by which we have to go nowadays to state a phone is good & worthy to have? If that's the case then it makes it pretty funny. Because last I checked this phrase: "it's not quantity but quality" was used and believe by many. Also, "where there are many, there's a lot of fools too..".
With all due respect, Iphone offered something different and some new things. It entered in a certain segment of the phone market which has not really been explored before. So it will be very difficult for other companies to have that impact unless they also come out with something very different, new things (perhaps a phone that does pancakes, I'd love that).
Also keep in mind the numbers on demographics that bought the Iphone. Yeah, it is a different story with Pre since I have a hard time imagining those teens I saw a few months ago running their last breath through a Mall to buy what would become there new favorite iToy.
Most of the people that bought an Iphone were teens, young adults & women. No discrimination here but really I do not see the Pre designed nor geared towards them, expect of course for a few in the young adults section.
So take is as you want, Pre does not need to sell in huge numbers to proof itself, but sell in constant large numbers.
It's funny that I just realized, Palm hasn't sold one piece of this phone yet it put Apple on the rush to update their software and release functions that mr Jobs so kindly decided for all of us we don't really need. Pretty good accomplishment, wouldn't you say mate?!
Release already, I'd like to purchase one.
The thing I don't understand about some of these Apple trolls is that they were elitists when Apple was the underdog and it was the counterculture thing to do, and now they're elitists because Apple is more popular in the phone market and has more apps and everyone has an iPhone.
I'm an Apple fanboy, but come on...
Why did they have to pick Sprint?!
What would be better? Att raping you from the front, or Verizon raping you from the back (seriously, those Verizon bastards tried to charge me a 500+ security deposit)? I may have complaints about Sprint's coverage (only get 1, 2 bars at best at home, 3, 4 at work - not to mention a few dropped calls), but their plans ARE the best, and the local customer service (at least in my case) has been very good.
Because Tmobile has Android, ATT has the iPhone, so naturally it had to goto Sprint
In the pre-iPhone and BB days, the Sprint/Palm combo was pretty much "it" when it came to smartphones. The industry changes quickly but they have a good track record for early adopters. I was doing the touch-screen, music streaming, emailing, web browsing thing before the iPhone was so much as a glimmer in a hipster's eye. Since then they have fallen out of touch with the hybrid smart/media phone market as ATT got the iPhone, VZW got the Storm, and TMo got the G1. I've been digging my Touch Pro with $15/month unlimited 3G on Sprint but I'm as much a sucker for something new as the next guy. There is very little functionality missing on my TP as I can tether, stream, browse, sync, and game but some nice new kit would be welcome. I like the idea of a device that bridges my personal and professional lives and does it with some nice new hardware. Add to that the fact that Sprint has an excellent high-speed data network, good coverage in every city I've visited and much cheaper plans than ATT or VZW, I am eager to keep my carrier of choice while picking up a new device.
@Leindurstit
Dude, why are you making that comment? Is it because you're with a carrier other than Sprint and you don't like having to break your contract or are you claiming that Sprint is a bad carrier? If the former, then yes, I could see why you'd be bummed. Breaking a contract is expensive.
If the latter, get over yourself. Check this out....SPRINT IS THE BEST CARRIER IN THE US. I'm sick of having to spell this out all the time but I'll do it again, briefly. It's better because of: Prices per plan, data speeds, coverage, reliability, customer service (yep, it's true. #1 now in fact), WiMax/4G (soon and before anyone else) and now they have a great device that is the Palm Pre. I know the Pre isn't out yet but even if it's the worst, crappiest phone ever, all other facts I've stated still stand and make Sprint superior. If you live outside of a Sprint coverage area, yeah, reception will suck. That's the case will ALL carriers. Verizon coverage is shit in my area but I understand that and I know I can't expect coverage from every single carrier to be in every single nook and cranny of the earth. Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile aren't that great for reasons other than coverage (see above).
Insanely cool! Can't wait for this phone.
Insanely Cool? Really? I'm not asking just to be a smartass or something, I just genuinely want to know: What's so cool about running multiple applications on a mobile device?? I mean I can understand music, because you can actually use that in tandem with other apps, but beyond that what's the point? With battery and other resources already so limited what's the point of sucking away at them even more with running applications that you can't use unless you're actively viewing them, aka totally negating any benefit of multiple running apps?
It seems like the "better" solution for devices with limited screen size , resources, and battery life, would be to offer some kind of service that maintains only the most basic connection back to some type of "cloud" server that allowed updates to be "pushed" to the device. This would allow constant updates as if the app was running without the huge tax on resources and battery life. With app developers already forced to limit their software's capabilities, even when they're the sole running app, I can't imagine the performance hit from running two or three at once.
utahnkid: How about multiple views of the same app, like your inbox and a couple specific emails you're working with? How about returning to an app exactly where you left off instead of having to start at the begining and navigate your way back? How about the above issues with more than one application at once? Things can get done faster.
How much of a hit on the battery life remains to be seen. Everyone, including me, is waiting to see how the OS and hardware perform with the battery. Palm certainly seems confident in this regard, but it is possible that that confidence is well founded.
Actually, iPhone apps save your state when you exit, so your point about having to re-navigate is moot. Multiple instances of an email app is a decent point but i just don't know if its compelling enough to make me believe allowing 3rd party apps to run in the background is a better solution than one app that loads quickly and is more responsive in a phone that has better battery life. I can save my emails without sending and thus switch between multiple emails within one instance of the email app.
The notification system, however, is unequivocally the best implementation on a mobile device i've seen. That is a huge selling point for me. On the other hand, I'm not impressed with the screen size. I feel like a 2.8" screen is the equivalent of a 13" laptop screen for mobile phones. Usable but cramped.
I also noticed that the google maps app was very choppy when scrolling and zooming. However powerful the Pre hardware is, it wont run acceptably on anything less. The iPhone will probably have a $100 version this summer, and Palm can't afford to compete at that price point. Thats how i see it (nice phone though).
Well if that's the best answer you can come up with, I'm even less convinced that 3rd party background apps have a place in today's mobile devices. Just humor me for 30 seconds and tell me if my argument against them makes any sense. Also keep in my I carry a Treo 755p on Sprint along with a 3G iPhone and plan on upgrading the Treo the day the Pre comes out so I think it's safe to say I come from about as unpartisan of a stance as possible.
At first glance I can see why it may sound like a good idea, especially considering that we're all coming from using 20"+ monitors and OS's that are basically dependent on the idea, but you have to look at the unchangeable realities of the situation. Battery life and resources are important, and as phone tech stands today, a HUGE limiter, but THE most important hinderance lies entirely with the screen size. As long as we're using 4" and smaller displays you CAN NOT work with more than one app at once if it relies on you being able to see it. Period. Listening to music is different but every smart phone lets you do that anyways (and notice it follows the "don't have to see it" rule). If the only benefit you can come up with is that it allows apps to remain in the same state (every benefit you listed basically fell under that) then why wouldn't you just want that ability built into apps? (most on the iPhone that a user might desire this, already do) Why on earth would you WANT to put up with the dramatic loss of battery life and huge performance tax when other solutions exist? Just thinking about having to constantly consider what apps I might have left open when it inevitably slows down makes me cringe.. It seems like Palm took the unimaginative, lazy way out because it was easier - for them.
Its all about options, Its not like you have to kill your battery by running multiple apps but at least you can it you want. I for one would like to be able to quickly refer to a website while typing an email without a save email - load site - open email - save email - load site etc etc
@ utahnkid
"I'm even less convinced that 3rd party background apps have a place in today's mobile devices"
Why not? Because people perform these daily tasks it on Blackberry's, iPhones (sorta), WinMo devices on a daily basis. RIM wouldn't even be a business model if it weren't for their secured email app.
If the market share is there (and it is if you take the above three OS's and put them together) then build a phone the masses want. The future is to have a handy communication tool in your pocket, that can perform multiple daily tasks, which don't require you firing up your laptop or looking at your Dual screen set-up, Samsumg SyncMaster 204B monitors.
Get it done and on the go.
That's the point.
utahnkid , you're joking, right? Multitasking has no room in todays technology? Palm took the easy way route? Wtf is this nonsense you're spewing.
Windows Mobile has had multitasking for at least 10 years. There were some issues at first since the "close" button was really a "minimize" button, but it worked pretty well. With the increases in processor and battery efficiency, and with a modern OS, I don't see a reason not to give the user the option to multitask.
The one thing I HATE about the iPhone is the way when a call comes in, it literally takes over your entire screen. I'd really like a notification bar, similar to Pre's, in the iPhone. I'm really excited about the Pre, but at this point I get a great deal with T-Mobile, so I'd be highly unlikely to switch carriers just to get a Pre.
This is going 2 be the best phone on the market
At that screen size, i doubt it. The only thing this has over the iPhone is the notification system. 3rd party apps running in the background is only an advantage with music apps (Pandora is the only notification system demo they had prepared, I wonder why), and Apple could easily allow a single background music stream similar to the ipod app. I bet they are working on that, in fact.
@ ashan
The fact that you don't know already means this phone is better, in terms of raw functionality
@ashan
You obviously have not researched the Pre enough to know what you're talking about. Youtube the Las Vegas videos of the Pre's first showing and the dozens of kiosk videos actually showing how well the notification system works. Not just Pandora, but texts, regular music, calendar, voice mail.
Research before you speak child.
this post makes me want verizon to carry this phone
Verizon phones suck.
Why? Sprint's plans are cheaper and in the event that you were in an area with VZW coverage but not Sprint, you can roam for free on VZW towers as a Sprint customer so it's win-win. So far the only place I've needed that was on the DC metro as Sprint has no towers down there but it's a nice perk.
@neodorian: (Hoping I don't double post again... wtf blogsmith?) Sprint lover here too. But to be fair, if you're roaming off of Sprint's towers I'm pretty sure your data is knocked down to 1xRTT from the usual 3G EVDO, though the roaming is still free.
If you travel at all, ATT or T-Mobile both offer superior service. I fear budget constraints with a dash of desperation pushed Sprint and Palm together for this last ditch effort (on both their parts). Why a modern phone would ever come out of the gate with CDMA first is beyond me.
I carry a Treo 755p on Sprint and a 3G iPhone on AT&T. Went on a month long tour through through most of Asia around Christmas. Guess which one had better service the entire trip.
Sprint's towers? Sprint doesn't own any towers anymore. They sold them all to TowerCo last year. They just lease everything now. That doesn't instill any confidence that they're going to be on the forefront of extending coverage to where it doesn't already exist. Just like Palm, Sprint is dying. The Pre is a last-ditch effort to save both companies. We'll see how well it does at that.
This is the first phone I've ever been really excited about.
Oh, cool. More killer apps on a phone that I am 99% sure doesn't exist.
Seriously Palm, I don't even care anymore, I just need a freaking date.
youre not sure it exists yet theres a video with the phone in someones hands, conundrum isnt it?
This phone is incredible.
This is quite literally the first time since I got my iPhone that I have had Phone Envy.
Me too, but just a tad envious. I really hope Palm does well with this phone. There's so much potential here.
The demonstrator sure knew his shiz, though. When I saw that he was able to minimize Pandora in the background and fire up other applications, I was blown away. For once I feel that my iPhone is about to get beat! Never knew it'd come to this!
bye bye Touch Diamond, Hello Pre. Cant wait
Dear Palm,
I'm a cool, good looking guy. You should send me a Pre, pronto!
Sincerely,
Bill might fart for a Pre
Looks nice. Enough to get me to commit to it instead of WinMo 6.5 ... maybe.
This is truly the first viable alternative to the iPhone. I wont get one because I am a mac fanboy but it's about time someone stepped up to the plate.
Touch HD
Sony Xperia
Samsung Omnia
even the Touch Pro all do things the iPhone either fails miserably at or simply can not do at all, by the dozens.
They also look great, work great, and with interfaces such as TF3D and TF3D2 (beta), they are even more aesthetically pleasing and intuitive than the iPhone interface.
bro dont listen to him. Ive used all those phones,they seriously blow and are inferior on so many levels. this hamixdxa guy has touch htc cuz he paid $50 for it. He has never owned or used $700 experia etc.,
Yeah Shank, im sure by "ive used those phones" that entails that you've flashed custom ROM's on them, have used 100+ apps on them, experimented with the Rhodium interface, wrote apps of your own for them, put in hundreds of hours on them, etc.
No one here is foolish enough to believe that you, part of the iPhone cheerleading squad, has really any substantial experience with any of the above phones.
I mean, it is ostensibly evident in every post you make, that you are out of touch with the contemporary WinMo devices and the interfaces and the custom ROM's.
Ever wonder why most of your posts get down-ranked although poll after poll suggests that there are more Apple fans on this site than Windows fans?
The Apple fans could counter the Windows fans votes, but even they recognize a bullshitter when they see one.
Your posts are void of any substance and do not even merit responses such as this one, so I'll let you get downranked and allow you to proceed your cheerleading...
Can I get an i ... i
Can i get a d .....d
Can i get an i.....i
Can i get an o....o
Can i get a t....t
What does that spell.....iDiot (feel free to pronounce it as eye-dee-it...it's what Jobs would have wanted)
Touch HD, Sony Xperia, Samsung Omnia all have the Achilles hill of WinMo. A dead platform with no real substantial upgrade for the foreseeable future. WinMo sucks. Fact! Stop denying it! Hard to find good programs that are still being updated, reliant on the lame WMDC, small ass buttons (using the stylus shouldn't be necessary), bugginess (requiring me to pull out the battery in some cases). WinMo had the chance to dominate the smartphone arena before the iPhone's arrival, and guess what! They failed! And failed for a reason. WinMo is a horrible experience. TF3D makes it better somewhat, but WinMo keeps popping up. I thought my reasons for choosing my WinMo Diamond were logical. More audio/video support, largest amount of programs available, and of course going the road less taken (iPhone of course). I regret my choice.
If you ever have used winmo and want to get more apps, you will quickly find that there are literally hundreds of 3rd party websites on the web that are easily accessible via your phone. All these websites are updated daily with the newest updates to apps. There are thousands of apps to chose from. While winmo may be bland/ hard to use without the stylus by itself, 3rd parties create overlays, themes, and custom ROMs that completely block out the bad stuff.
You could not be more wrong by saying that Windows Mobile is dead. Have you not even seen the plans for WM 6.5 and 7?
Win 6.5 is a joke. Last time I checked Microidiot has not shown any real plans for Win 7.
And don't take me for a complete idiot. I am running Mighty Rom. Does it change the fact that WinMo sucks? No. Wow. Themes. Does it change the fact that WinMo sucks? No. Wow. Have you tried browsing with opera on the Diamond. It sucks. Nothing compared to browsing with Safari on my former iPod Touch. I blame the resistive touch screen all the way. Does WinMo have support of capacitive touch screens? No the last time I checked. Who the hell wants to browse hundreds of shady looking sites to get a program? I can go on, but don't try to convince me that WinMo isn't dead.
@Hamidxa,
clicked on your profile. mmm...looks like u r an honest person /!
@CDICE
Windows Mobile has been around for many years so they could've been doing something right to be around for a while. However blame hardware manufacturers for under developed hardware. Windows Mobile is a versatile OS for different variations of hardware. And the whole Safari browser is just Webkit with a name slapped on top of it, where Webkit is actually available for Windows Mobile too.
God, please, GIVE ME A RELEASE DATE!
so, uh, anyone wanna buy a IPhone 3G?
Plastic screen? Is it as scratch resistant as the iPhone?
no tempered glass,will scratch like a mutha.,.,
If i remember correctly the dev versions of the iphone had plastic screens also, so it could change.
trust me ,i checked with a sprint store manager..
Screen Protector.
3 for $5 from Ebay.
Problem solved, and you don't have to worry about keys, fingernails, screwdrivers, whatever.
Okay, Shank. In that case, I'm the CEO of Sprint! Holy crap! Anonymous people on the internet claiming they know things with no provable evidence!
Also, the store managers at sprint don't know anything!
Hamidxa, you don't have to take this crap from a troll.
@ Shank
The same store manager that said the Pre was releasing in Feb?
Trust me - Sprint store managers dont have a clue about Palm's final release version - because it isnt ready yet.
If I have to put a $5 plastic cover on my phone to avoid scratches I call BAD design.
Just because you talked to the manager doesn't mean he knows what he's talking about. I talked to my local store manager in cerritos and he'd never even heard of the Pre
Dugg. Thanks for the great look Chris. Hopefully this thing will be competitively priced when it finally hits.
http://digg.com/gadgets/Third_party_apps_demoed_on_Palm_Pre_w_screenshots
I do like the idea of throwing apps away, there are some on my iPhone I would like to vent my frustration upon. It looks a lot more powerful than the iPhone, but of course we've yet to see if Palm's competing on price. Still, I think I got the best phone around six months ago, but this might trump it.
God I hope the price point is right. I want this phone badly!
$349.,$99 mandatory 2 year term n plan.,.,etf$199.,
ETF $199? You're proposing that they're going to increase this fee, which has been in place for years and is consistent in price point across all four major U.S. carriers, for the Pre? Seriously, what the hell is the point of just making up numbers which you feel is right, at least have a method to your madness (and learn to use punctuation, please).
Very cool. More and more wanting the Palm Pre. If they allow Java development on this thing, I'm in. And so is my company. Objective C is interesting, but enough to actually code in it... ;)
BTW - new poster here from Giz due to their idiotic April 1st campaign. I think I might like it here.
Great phone but sprint?? no wayy!
spoken like a true idiot..
@ AlekZander ==> Thank you i loved your comparison view too. If real competitors of iphone weren't existed, iphone would never needed even one step forward. If people like you, can see how important is another successor in market we wouldn't be talking about failure. If ıt fails we (the consumers) lose a lot because they say they are going to make investments to develop webos and other devices, with the money they earn from pre. Think wider, you may figure it out...
We should also remind people that the core iPhone hardware (CPU, GPU, and RAM amount) is at LEAST two years old (even the 3G) so I do expect some updates on that front. However, it goes to show you that competition IS good for the market and the Palm Pre is about to make the cell phone game a LOT more interesting!
$349.,$99 mandatory 2 year term n plan.,.,etf$199.,
Shank, you obviously know nothing about Sprint. They won't require the Simply Everything Plan for this phone. I have the Everything Data 450, since I spend a lot more time on the web than talking. My plan is $69 (minus my corporate discount for working for a large company), and it will port just fine to the Pre. Also, pricing has not been announced yet, you you are merely speculating. And the ETF is $150, just like any other plan on any other carrier.
I love my iPhone but the Pre looks sweet. Competition is good. I really like the dashboard notifications and the multitasking. This is the first new phone that has triggered my gadget lust the way the iPhone did. I had my doubts about the utility of javascript based app development but the apps that were demoed seemed full featured. I can't wait for this thing to be released.
I agree with notifications, but I disagree with background apps. All Apple needs to do is allow i single audio daemon in the background, something that automatically gets force-quited when another audio daemon is launched. This would provide the best of both worlds (fewer threads ala push notification server, background music from more than just iPod app). In any case, bravo to Palm for making something compelling after so many years of stagnation.
Agreed. Plus, it is only a matter of time until the iPhone has officially supported multitasking without jailbreaking. I suspect that it will take hardware and software improvements before Apple will go there.
I'm looking forward to the day when we have phones that act as laptop replacements the way laptops can currently be desktop replacements. Multitasking is a step in that direction. :)
Hey look, another iPhag trolling the comments section!
Make it sync with iTunes on Mac and release it Canada and I'll buy my first smartphone.
for the last @#$@% time, this phone DOESNT SYNC WITH COMPUTERS
GDI ppl read engadget alrdy.
** iTunes: Drag and drop onto the pre in storage mode - done
I gotta say, no syncing is pretty weak. I like having my smart albums, podcasts, etc. automatically sync when i plug in for a charge. Not a deal breaker though.
If you own a Mac, you're obviously not an Apple hater. What's your beef with the iPhone again?
I don't have a problem with the iPhone. I just think this looks better.
i love that for all the love engadget has given the iphone, they wholeheartedly want the pre to decimate it. i have to admit that i am excited for it, and can't wait to get to port my web apps! pre++
This post made me want the Pre more.
I can't be more excited!!
Come On Pre, Come On Pre, Come On Pre
This thing is gonna be awesome. I didn't see an on-screen keyboard though.
Why would you need one?
what if you want to type something in landscape mode?
then rotate it you lazy fuck
Palm's been pretty firm in saying there won't be an onscreen keyboard and standing by the portrait one. That's not to say one won't appear in the future, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
@danzini: And honestly, I dunno how they did it, but the screen rotation in all the web browsing demos has been very snappy. Those of us attracted to hard keyboards don't mind the missing soft board in the least.
for the first time ever, i am actually, truthfully, excited about a phone coming out
This is the first platform I've seen since the iPhone OS that looks at all interesting. My only major complaint from watching the video is that each app seemed to be wrapped in a completely different UI. One of the things I really like about the iPhone is that their are UI objects that are consistent throughout. I also question how powerful the webOS platform really is compared to the iPhone OS.
But bottom line, competition is a really good thing.
+1
UI is pretty, but inconsistent. I didn't notice that until you pointed it out. Unless carefully managed, this could turn into a mess like WinMo (just slicker looking)
Im curious to know what type of keyboard will be vailable in landscape mode.
It's unfortunate that the screen does not rotate 90 degrees counter-clockwise so that the physical keyboard could be used in either landscape or portrait mode.
thoughts?
-avi
The next hardware iteration might have this, but the first Pre won't. You'll have to wait for it just like iPhone users have been waiting (patiently!) for push notifications, and Android G1 users have been waiting for their contract to expire.
Holy shit that video just blew me away. That phone, and more importantly, webOS is going to be so sick. I want it as much as the next guy but I'm cool knowing that it'll probably be released in June, no earlier.
On a different note, I don't think this will "beat" the iPhone but I don't think it needs to. Just from watching that video I got the sense that there will be a ton of developers making apps for this device. I see a world split between the iPhone and webOS devices. If you develop for one, you're most likely develop for the other. As much as I'd like to see Android rule more, they just haven't done much. Maybe we'll see some innovation from that camp soon.
I CAN'T FREAKING WAIT FOR THIS PHONE.
I totally agree. I will stick with the next gen iPhone when it comes out (unless it seriously disappoints), but I can't wait for it because it will bring more competition in the mobile space. Competition is always good.
I'm pretty impressed by how smooth everything looks and probably works on the Pre. I'm a Windows Mobile fan, but it seems like Windows Mobile has a LOT to catch-up with in terms of UI design.
Wow, a WINMO fanboy made to bow... or is it a Palm fanboy in disguise?
@ashan: I didn't say the Pre was everything, but I do like how Palm has started over again, and the user interface is very well designed. I'm still liking WinMo.
Yea, WinMo needs to start over when it comes to UI design. WinMo 6.5 will help catch up, but it doesn't significantly change 3rd party app UI which will continue to drag it down. Palm should be commended for pulling such a big move, and i do believe the Pre will be successful (just not an iPhone killer).