Palm launching smaller Pre-like device later this year says rumor-mill

As if we didn't have enough Pre rumors to sort through, along comes TechCrunch and Mikey A. with some hard hitting stuff. According to the TC honcho, one of his "better sources" claims that Palm is "very far along" on a second webOS device which is smaller and slimmer than the Pre and may or may not have a physical keyboard. Apparently, this won't be the iPhone 3G to the first-gen iPhone, rather a device which addresses "a different part of the market." Details are still sketchy, but Arrington claims that the "Mini-Pre" (his name) will land sometime this year -- possibly as soon as the Fall. This is all complete rumor right now, but Palm has previously said that there would be more than one webOS device, so the idea of another model in the oven doesn't exactly come as a surprise. Stay tuned for further updates as we get them.

[grull27 @ Apr 29th 2009 10:46PM]

Oh yeah a smaller Pre and an iPhone Nano. Sure. I totally believe these rumors.

[DantheMan @ Apr 29th 2009 10:51PM]

The folks over at Palm are trying to do everything Apple didn't. Keyboard, copy/paste (to some extent, anyway), background apps, multitasking...a smaller Pre device might just be another one of those things.

[rawrawrawr @ Apr 29th 2009 10:51PM]

Apple employee #1:"We're getting a lot of complaints about the keyboard on the iPhone. It's too small to type well on. What should we do?"
Apple employee #2:"How about we make it smaller?"

[Gad Get @ Apr 29th 2009 11:07PM]

@ grull27

Nobody said anything about a smaller Pre. Josh said "a second webOS device which is smaller and slimmer than the Pre and may or may not have a physical keyboard." What's so hard to believe about Palm not putting all their webOS eggs in a single basket (albeit a drop-dead gorgeous basket of awesomeness)? Just because Apple has more or less done just that with the iPhone and its OS (not counting generational changes and the "iPhone without the phone"), doesn't mean Palm is likely to do so.

[GB @ Apr 30th 2009 2:31AM]

@Gad Get
Well, Arrington actually talked about a smaller Pre ("Mini-Pre"). So yes, at least someone said something about a smaller Pre.

[Spiraling Shape @ Apr 30th 2009 3:50AM]

Why don't we work on getting the original Pre out there, before we start worrying about variations?

[TheSuburbanWhiteBoy @ Apr 29th 2009 10:48PM]

SECOND

[Isaac @ Apr 29th 2009 10:58PM]

Second comment, but you're still in last.

[TheSuburbanWhiteBoy @ Apr 29th 2009 10:59PM]

cool man

[TareX @ Apr 29th 2009 11:02PM]

First = fail
Second = Fail to fail

[PhiPhi @ Apr 29th 2009 11:31PM]

Good for you! We all know that no one would eventually get second, but you proved us wrong!

[digoxin @ Apr 30th 2009 2:32AM]

Second place is the first loser.

[Jon @ Apr 30th 2009 4:00AM]

fail to fail = win?

[Chris Young @ Apr 29th 2009 10:49PM]

just release the pre already!!!

[Manny Fresh @ Apr 29th 2009 10:50PM]

Sound like a webOS version of the Centro to me. As a proud owner of the Centro, I say bring it, Palm!

[darthgault @ Apr 30th 2009 5:59AM]

i found my centro to be totally unusable ... keyboard was crap ... notifications didn't work worth crap ... no quick glance homecreen of info ... Went back to Windows Mobile ... i hadn't used 6.1 standard ... they integrated the Zune's menu system into the today screen and everything you need is right there at a glance. My BlackJack 2 is a emailing powerhouse ... plus it can sync right to googleCalendar OTA.

Palm's second unit will be more blackberry like but with a touchscreen ... hopefully a non tiny keyboard.

[Stephen.4 @ Apr 29th 2009 10:51PM]

Why is a RUMOR breaking news?
It's not like it's Apple.

[joe23521 @ Apr 30th 2009 10:10AM]

Palm is the new Apple.

[Jamie @ Apr 29th 2009 10:51PM]

I believe it... strangely. I'm a huge skeptic, but why not?

[Scott @ Apr 29th 2009 10:55PM]

people still use phones??? when does telepathy 2.0 come out already???

[MaX PL @ Apr 29th 2009 11:01PM]

it comes out when pigs fly...

[EGOvoruhk @ Apr 30th 2009 2:02AM]

Swine flu

[DorianGray @ Apr 30th 2009 9:18AM]

@EGOvoruhk

I see what you did there...

[Jacob @ Apr 29th 2009 10:55PM]

NOOOOOO!!! SMALLER!? It's already too small! I want a Tegra or Snapdragon based Palm Pre with a landscape keyboard and 32+ Gb storage.

[mike @ Apr 30th 2009 1:36AM]

they haven't sold one unit yet.

of course they're working hard to get version 2 (read: no slide out keyboard, has games, under $500) out the door.

[Templarian @ Apr 29th 2009 11:00PM]

Why not, as long as it doesn't slow down me getting my pre by at least the end of May I'm fine.

Also Josh really breaking news? The leaked screenshots didn't even get news worth and they were way better than this news.
http://mypre.com/palm-webos-screen-shots-leak-2009291387

[Joshua Topolsky @ Apr 29th 2009 11:22PM]

Are you people seriously nitpicking my use of the breaking news tag? Also -- we covered those SDK shots, so I'm not sure what you mean.

[Templarian @ Apr 29th 2009 11:29PM]

Oh I take that back, on vacation and got called in this morning, didn't think of scrolling down that far. Sorry about that.

[nerdtalker @ Apr 29th 2009 11:39PM]

I certainly appreciate the Breaking tag, I think it's breaking.

Not really a surprise, considering Palm said numerous times that the Pre is the first in a long line of WebOS devices. This just shows that they're serious.

I still want a Pre so badly.

[VanillaSpice @ Apr 30th 2009 1:28AM]

Yes, Josh, they're serious - after ridiculing Engadget's use of the same tag for an Apple rumour article (and declaring it proof of "Engadget bias"), now they want to have it both ways, and ridicule you for using it on a non-Apple rumour article (probably hoping everyone fails to notice that it demolishes their previous "bias" argument, which was of course their problem; they didn't mind that rumours were breaking news, they were upset that *Apple* rumours were breaking news ... now they want to pretend that their problem was actually the former.)

[TareX @ Apr 29th 2009 11:01PM]

Smaller than the Pre? If anything they should be planning a device bigger than the Pre, we a bigger screen.

[Bobsley @ Apr 29th 2009 11:02PM]

The pre system look fantastic, bring it on more device, no problemo!

[Andre @ Apr 29th 2009 11:04PM]

Shit as long as it still has wifi, a standard jack, and is $150 cheaper at LEAST Im all for it without question.

[Epsilon-Not @ Apr 29th 2009 11:05PM]

So will this "mini-Pre" be the device that finally kills off the Centro and wipes out Palm OS for good?

[ED @ Apr 30th 2009 6:39AM]

With Doctor Evil

[Maikel @ Apr 29th 2009 11:27PM]

I find the screen on this phone already small when compared to some other phones, and now they wanna make an another even smaller?

[John P @ Apr 29th 2009 11:27PM]

We don't have a solid date for the launch of the actual Pre, and yet we have rumors as to a new device. Maybe we should take it one at a time, hm?

[Nelagster @ Apr 29th 2009 11:34PM]

what's smaller than a pebble?

[digitallysick @ Apr 29th 2009 11:34PM]

Can they launch them on something other than Sprint?

[shah.noori @ Apr 29th 2009 11:35PM]

The big one is not here and they are talking about a smaller one
Hey rumors can't you wait a bit?

[tweak @ Apr 29th 2009 11:41PM]

...again with the cock tease. Engadget, please no more Pre posts till it's a hard launch date. I can't take it anymore!

[dishbreak @ Apr 30th 2009 1:08AM]

Second that.

[Kinger @ Apr 29th 2009 11:43PM]

thanks, I'll stick with my DynaTAC

[zephxiii @ Apr 29th 2009 11:46PM]

Small sucks, wtf.

[Joshua Topolsky's Advisor @ Apr 29th 2009 11:48PM]

It's obvious what's going on here folks, your main man Joshua Topolsky is in on the stocks and Wall Street, just as Henry Paulson pocketed our money on a "bailout". Making headlines and "breaking news for upcoming devices" with no credible sources, and yet feel the urge to keep mentioning rumors. Like yesterday flip flopping with Verizon and if they were going to go with Apple or Microsoft for a new phone. Keep up the good work and keep cashing in on inflating stocks with news just like our government does on a daily basis to make the corporate fat cats bank on.

[jonny @ Apr 30th 2009 12:00AM]

Sorry folks but I'll keep my iphone. I feel sorry for all you iphone-less-losers...

[Epsilon-Not @ Apr 30th 2009 12:05AM]

I feel sorry for you Centro-less types, having to live every day without Palm OS...

[Jonathan @ Apr 30th 2009 12:06AM]

Lame. I admitt iPhone is awesome, it's AT&T, their prices and their horrible rarely-available-and-when-it-is-it's-as-slow-as-edge-anyway "3G" that I have a problem with.

A iPhone on Verizon or Sprint? I'm interested, despite some iPhone flaws. On AT&T? Never.

[TareX @ Apr 30th 2009 12:22AM]

And I feel sorry for you thinking you should feel sorry for us.

I'll go back in time and tell the me from 6 years ago to send a video I captured on my Nokia 6600 via bluetooth.... 6 years ago, just to put you in your place.

[logicbomb.de @ Apr 30th 2009 12:50PM]

pfft,

My iphone can post video directly to my youtube account mere seconds after I've captured the footage. NOW.

Nobody cares what your brick phone did 6 years ago, nor do they want to see grainy video of your handset disappearing up your ass.


Now lets see this Pre in the flesh already