Palm Pre finds a totally unofficial home in China

Before phones show up at retail, they start showing up in totally random places in China -- it's basically a law of physics. And once that happens, they almost inevitably end up posted in a forum somewhere, and... well, you can gather where that leads. Chinese firm Ludle -- which, according to its own description is in the business of "exploiting, producing and selling" -- somehow came across a Pre (or possibly just an empty shell thereof), and a staff member took the time to do a quick set of comparo shots against a Centro and iPhone 3G. He notes that the Pre gets clogged with fingerprints as easily as the iPhone but handles scratching on the back a little better; the front is a different story, though, where the iPhone's glass display wins. He goes on to say that the phone is currently in mass production (we'd certainly hope so), but what we don't know is whether we're looking at a CDMA version for Sprint or the GSM variant destined for sundry networks around the globe. We'll take either, personally.

[Via PreThinking and TreoCentral]

[Pontro! @ Apr 17th 2009 3:07AM]

China??

We are going to see the KIRF Pre real soon.

[you @ Apr 17th 2009 3:12AM]

maybe the Kirf will come out before the actual phone does?

[iphonerulez @ Apr 17th 2009 2:57PM]

The KIRF Pre may end up as the better handset.

[why not the LS2LS7? @ Apr 17th 2009 3:09AM]

There's no comparison on scratching. The Pre front is plastic, and it's curved too (higher in the middle). It'll scratch easier than the iPhone.

Still, there have been plenty of plastic-faced smartphones, the Pre should be scratch-resistant enough for most people.

[Saad Rabia @ Apr 17th 2009 3:37AM]

And no home button.

[engadget @ Apr 17th 2009 4:07AM]

Saad Rabia, I think you need a new pair of glasses ;)

[KarlW @ Apr 17th 2009 4:25AM]

I don't know - one of my first thoughts on the Pre was that the plastic screen makes it more vulnerable to scratches. It's a large screen, curved outwards to worsen things.

The original iPhone prototypes were made from plastic (there was one on eBay a while back IIRC), but real-world tests showed that it scratched stupidly fast. That's why they use glass (and it happens to give a nicer feel to the touch surface). The fact that the Pre doesn't means either that it's not as well designed, or that Palm have discovered some alien plastic. In all the hype about the Pre, I think people are quick to forget the realities of how it must have been designed: with investors breathing down their necks. The former is the most likely explanation.

[patriotsn1 @ Apr 17th 2009 4:39AM]

yeah but about 1/3 of the iphones I see have huge cracks in their screens... I think plastic is the way to go.

[Saad Rabia @ Apr 17th 2009 4:54AM]

Actually, what I need is some screen color calibration.

[Alex @ Apr 17th 2009 5:29AM]

Can people not remember as far back as that one iPod model that would get scratched all to hell in a felt lined pocket, or if you looked at it funny?

There are more than the two (Glass vs Plastic) options when deciding what to cover a screen/device with.

[ill trooper @ Apr 17th 2009 6:49AM]

Agreed, but it does bring to mind the original iPhone Steve Jobs showed having a plastic screen and Apple switching to glass in the final months for durability. The Apple design uses a flat plane for the face, so the switch was actually possible. The Pre's pebble shape won't allow as easy or affordable switch to glass, or if it would even be possible to keep cost-effective. Not really a problem I suppose, there's probably already someone at InvisibleShield who's made a mock-up protector.

[JamesR @ Apr 17th 2009 10:22AM]

I've had the Instinct for about a year now and when I first got it I got one of those screen protectors you need to put on like window tint (there's dish soap involved ;) )

So far 0 scratches and no loss of screen sensitivity.

I plan to do the same with the Pre when/if it's released.

[arcticpenguins @ Apr 17th 2009 3:12AM]

QUICK! EVERYONE TO CHINA!

[Andrew88 @ Apr 17th 2009 12:42PM]

I'LL DRIVE US THERE!

[lxuke @ Apr 17th 2009 3:15AM]

lol this is a pre view
get it?

[PM @ Apr 17th 2009 3:17AM]

I see what you did there.

[webon @ Apr 17th 2009 3:15AM]

I can't wait for their "version" of the Pre... wait for it...

"The Pro"

[MarClar @ Apr 17th 2009 4:07AM]

by PALIVI?

[Mobius_1 @ Apr 17th 2009 6:59AM]

Or Plam Per

[haX0r @ Apr 17th 2009 9:26AM]

How 'bout co-sponsored phone: The Pre Arnold PALMer?

[Kitten @ Apr 17th 2009 11:24AM]

The Plam Pree.

[Andrew88 @ Apr 17th 2009 12:43PM]

After the Palm Tree.... HEYOHHH!

[hii @ Apr 17th 2009 3:16AM]

is this phone 3g or 4g?

[Eleazar @ Apr 17th 2009 4:14AM]

Actually its [2+e^(i*PI)]g. Pretty cool huh?

[MarClar @ Apr 17th 2009 5:59AM]

@Eleazar:

LMAO!!!

[le Chen @ Apr 17th 2009 6:36AM]

[2+(-1)]g...
lmaso 1g? haha
for people who don't know
[2+e^(i*PI)] = -1 e

[Michael @ Apr 17th 2009 10:40AM]

It's a 3G phone, it can operate on Sprint's EVDO Rev A network.

[Drew -- PS360: uphillbothways @ Apr 17th 2009 11:19AM]

Yep. 3G. I asked a Sprint rep about it a couple of days ago.

And for those that saw the last time I said, "A sprint rep told me," and I was wrong, I did my research this time.
http://now.sprint.com/nownetwork/productPage.html

[Eleazar @ Apr 17th 2009 12:47PM]

@le Chen: Yikes, my bad

[pika2000 @ Apr 17th 2009 3:21AM]

Is Palm going to release the unlocked GSM version in the US, or are we stuck with the same old backward business model of provider-locked cellphones?

[Nikoss @ Apr 17th 2009 3:23AM]

That is 100% without a doubt just a shell. So opinions on it mean nothing yet. Look at the bottom button. Its not even there lol. Compare it to a real Pre shot.

[avi_wizard @ Apr 17th 2009 3:33AM]

I second you on that. Its definitely a shell.

[European @ Apr 17th 2009 3:23AM]

This guys fingernail on the original post is DISGUSTING! Why even bother to take a pic with such fugly nail? Cant even see the pre there :D
Need to puke real quick...

[mrspiteri @ Apr 17th 2009 7:22AM]

Who else clicked the Read link to confirm this guy's comment?
Well, you're right. That's foul...why would anyone photo it? Hoped his dummy Pre would divert attention?!

[absolutc @ Apr 17th 2009 8:35AM]

I have to agree. WTF is up with people and taking pics with their nasty ass fingernails in them. Get some fingernail clippers already - damn! Disgusting!

[Drew -- PS360: uphillbothways @ Apr 17th 2009 11:22AM]

I wonder why it's just his thumbnail that's so long and gross. I can't see his other fingernails peeking around his skin.

[urdaddy @ Apr 17th 2009 3:37AM]

Damn that iPhone looks sexy.

[Saad Rabia @ Apr 17th 2009 3:39AM]

Hmm... I guess, yes...

[danny @ Apr 17th 2009 4:10AM]

Actually, they all look plasticky.

[Alex @ Apr 17th 2009 5:54AM]

Could that be because they're all made from plastic, at least the back of the iPhone, now they realized a metal case isn't best for radio..

[Rams @ Apr 17th 2009 9:29AM]

apPREciated.

[Tdburn @ Apr 17th 2009 3:38AM]

If it is just a shell the screen portion probably isn't the same glass/plastic they will use for the real phone. Palms been doing touch screen phones for ages and makes them pretty scratch resistant.

[ai4281 @ Apr 17th 2009 3:42AM]

Since Palm Pre sports a capacitive touch screen, I think they will probably use a comparable scratch-resistant screen as the iPhone...

The phone in the picture is either a KIRF or a shell.. meh. This phone is launching in a month or two anyways; obviously it's getting made in China right now..

[why not the LS2LS7? @ Apr 17th 2009 3:53AM]

It doesn't. I've touched one. Part of the problem is the Pre screen is curved, it's expensive to make spherically curved glass.

Also, as you can see in the picture, the front surface wraps around the sides, which is also difficult to impossible with glass.

The Pre face is plastic. It feels fine, but it doesn't feel like glass and it won't be as scratch resistant as glass. It'll be less likely to break though.

[Easo @ Apr 17th 2009 4:26AM]

"It doesn't. I've touched one."

Then your one of the few people that have. There have only been a hand full of events where Palm let people hold and use the phone without a Palm or Sprint representative holding it with them.

http://www.businessinsider.com/palm-wont-let-reporters-hold-sexy-pre-phone-alone-2009-4

[FoxKenji @ Apr 17th 2009 5:36AM]

touching the picture of a Pre doesn't count.

[why not the LS2LS7? @ Apr 17th 2009 11:19AM]

1. It wasn't at an event. I have a friend who has one.
2. I said "touched" instead of held because I didn't get to hold it. As you mention, my friend didn't let go of it, he just let me touch it. I found it strange, and now I know why he did it, it must be some kind of Palm policy not to let go.

But just because I wasn't allowed to take it out of his hands doesn't mean I didn't touch the screen and get the feel of it.

[engadget @ Apr 17th 2009 4:05AM]

Saad Rabia, i think you need a new pair of glasses ;)

[Lee @ Apr 17th 2009 6:45AM]

So...you see a home button on the Pre in that picture?

[JamesR @ Apr 17th 2009 10:25AM]

@lee

Yes.