Having the Palm Pre on Sprint might be good for Americans driving their pick 'em up trucks down the CDMA data highway, but it doesn't do Europeans (or Palm's bottom line) any good over in the Old World. Now we've got video and images of a
GSM-loving Palm Pre on the loose in Vietnam. Why 'Nam? Easy, as workers gain more rights and higher wages in China, manufacturers of all our fancy consumer electronics are heading further south in search of cheap labor. While this doesn't mean a damn thing regarding launch, it's still good to see a functioning GSM Pre in the wild on the way to launch sometime before the end of the year,
possibly sooner. Video after the break, as the saying goes.
[Thanks, Enzo]
posted Jun 30th 2009 7:12AM
Ahhh I want the GSM to come to Aust =[
Yeah on Telstra. I still haven't heard anything from you higher up about this phone coming any time soon though officially. I hope its still coming in August =]
Was it ever coming in August? +1 for GSM in Australia!
You are absolutely right. The Pre is a huge piece of crap. Even though the CDMA networks suck and they are old fashioned and SLOW, I hope they don't release a GSM capable one to the US. AT&T is the largest and best network in the US and god forbid it become available here. Tons of dumb people will buy it, mistaking it for the superior iPhone, and those who can't afford an iPhone will have to put up with this piece of shit. Given the chance, they will buy it. People are dumb. Not as dumb as say, in Europe, but dumb nonetheless.
says envy iPhone fanboy whose phone can't do multitasking?
come back attack pre when you can listen to Pandora, checking internet, calendar, web and IMing altogether on your inferior phone, lol
Why do you feel so threatened by the Pre, loon?
Is it because, deep down, you admire that superior multi-tasking operating system, you quietly crave a proper hardware keyboard, and yearn to be free to install what you like and not have to suffer Apple's power-crazed, moralistic, Walmart-esque app-approval process?
Erik
I guess you didn't realize that was seen as good news and Palm stock jumped upon its release. it also did not include Pre sales since the last quarter ended before the launch.
http://www.precentral.net/palm-beats-expectations
LOL seen as good,
take that as you will.
stop being an idiot. stop annoying educated people with your ignorance.
the iphone CANNOT multitask, even in its 3rd iteration...it still CANNOT and probably will never support Flash.
http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/17/iphone-3g-s-review/
@darkstart
do you wanna put money on that multi-tasking issue?
Cuz im all for it.
Please, make my day and bet me some cash :)
@loon: ouch, my sarcasm detector...
@ Erik: full multitasking on the iPhone? Nope. The hardware is capable, but unless you break out of jail, only applications approved by Apple can run in the background.
That may be 'good enough' for the majority of people, but that doesn't mean that 'the iPhone fully multitasks'.
@darkstart, @Erik
You are both right about the iPhone. It does multitask, with Apple apps running in the background, but without the ability to run a 3rd party app in the background. So his example above of "listen to Pandora, checking internet, calendar, web and IMing altogether" is not possible on an iPhone. Pandora will stop playing when it is not the front most application. With a 3Gs, you can switch between web browsing, calendar, and IM as fast as a Pre, and with Push, receive IMs even when it is not open. Not sure what he means by "checking internet".
I'll give credit to the Pre for making some interesting steps forward in the UI department for a phone. Notifications are nice, and the card interface for switching running apps is decent. I'm still sticking with my iPhone though, because I appreciate the library of apps, the ability to search e-mail (something the Pre "universal" search misses), and a correcting/predictive keyboard. I also prefer to have more then 8gb of storage for carrying media with me.
Overall though, the Pre looks good at a quick glance. Better hardware quality, and a better keyboard along with some software optimizations will help a lot. And I for one want Palm to stick around to provide competition to ensure Apple keeps advancing the iPhone. Because even if not everyone flocks to one device, we all still win as our smartphones get better.
I have an iPhone 3G and my friend has a Pre, and I have played with his phone quite a bit now. The iPhone has better build quality - metal and glass compared to plastic. The Pre is a better phone. And I mean much better. Synergy is amazing, and multitasking is wonderful. A dedicated keyboard is very important as well. Yeah, Palm is having teething issues, but the simple fact is that the Pre has software that is at least a year beyond the iPhone.
In short, I would trade my iPhone 3G for a Palm Pre GSM without blinking. It's just that good in terms of software. Also, it has a much easier to hold shape.
@Erik, let's be clear with our language.
CAN the iPhone operating system multitask? Yes, the OS is capable of multitasking.
DOES the iPhone multitask? Yes, the iPod app can play music in the background while you move through other apps. Also true during a phone call.
By the same token, however, PalmOS could do the exact same thing, so what's you point.
The iPhone's multitasking ability ends as I described above (as far as I understand), but the Pre can multitask long into the night. I will not detail the possible scenarios for you. If you can't figure them out you're not worth talking to.
clevin @ Jun 30th 2009 7:45AM
says envy iPhone fanboy whose phone can't do multitasking?
come back attack pre when you can listen to Pandora, checking internet, calendar, web and IMing altogether on your inferior phone, lol
Where did you find Pandora in the Pre app store? I haven't been able to find it, and Pandora's website says coming soon. So how exactly are you multitasking with Pandora?
Re: why Vietnam
because that's where the 9 year olds are making them these days?
Engadget fails to see that on the phone it still says Made in China...
I own one.
I have to admit its not top notch build quality, but to call it "terrible" is 99% exaggeration.
Its building quality is just on par with any Treo series, which is good enough for me. Some people just want a metal shell, but with Pre's design, thats just not a valid point for now.
Others complain top half is not solidly fixed to bottom half when closed. Others complain this or that. but hey, I used enough phone to realize those are not rare occurrences and happens to all kinds of phones.
Not to mention, the software is spectacular. More than compensate a little bit building quality problem.
This cannot come soon enough
Maybe they will sell some now
Its probably the worst made phone in history.
Made from cheap parts with weak software.
No surprise 33% of people are already on their third pre.
Ridiculous
CDMA iPhones and GSM Pres? Oh yeah bring em on!
SELL NOW!!!!!!!
@AmaaR
Not only that,
It actually FELL APART during engadgets review!
PRE ftw
the iphone will never go CDMA. because 90% of the world use GSM. also keeping it GSM keeps it slim and sexy. unlike CDMA which is bulky.
You're either very drunk or talking out of your ass. I suggest you get off the interwebz immediately.
He's probably going on about GSM RAZRs being thinner than CDMA RAZRs.
well you have to admit. Its true. so why dont you go cry in your little hole where you pray to apple everyday that there will be a CDMA version because i like my GSM iPhone because of good reception and fast dl speeds and it aint my fault you have a crappy iPhone
These apple kids are ridiculous.
yeah really mention gsm amd they go nuts
but I think there's enough space for a micro sd card :-P
This isn't relevant to the topic, so vote down if you like, but the dial pad on the pre has always bugged me. The lighting effect makes it look like it rounds out at the top too close to the 1, 2, and 3.
Apple is shitting bricks as we speak
Yep. Bricks of gold paid with by the huge amount of cash they are making on the iPhone.
I doubt that very much, and if the Pre has done as well as some of you fanboys seem to think, why won't Palm release the sales figures for the Pre?
the comments about the pre's build quality have been blown way out of proportion. all phones are subject to their own release problems. is iphone that much better? are the white ones supposed to change color from white to brownish pink like a hypercolor tshirt?
Lol, "Charlie" loves Palm Pre.
Ah, but will this Pre have a web browser? Last I heard, "Charlie don't surf"...
Huh? The Pre IS a web browser. If I'm understanding it correctly, the Pre, technically, has TWO web browsers.
Just google "Charlie don't surf". ;)
Ah, clever and very, very funny. Your comment get's a +1 for that. I'll voluntarily vote my comment down.
AT&T BEST network in the US? You must be joking. Try using 3G (or edge, even) in any heavily populated area. It flat doesn't work 90% of the time.
I'm using an AT&T 3G card to view and reply to your message from Houston - 4th largest populated city. Seems to be working fine. Works fine every day between 9am-5pm for the last 12 months I guess. Never disconnects. Oops.
Why 'Nam? Because they kick Americans' collective asses.
Smokey, this is not 'Nam, this is bowling. There are rules.
Palm should have stuck with HTC as their manufacturer.
The problem is many smartphone companies (SE, Palm) are switching to new ODMs as HTC has started to become a brand in it's own right, and having what is ostensibly the competition build your hardware is kind of embarrassing.
Will take at least a year (if at all) to come stateside to AT&T.
good now hurry your ass up pre and come to the us unlocked :)
The Old World, or, arent the Colonies funny, arnt we glad we let then grow up on there own….. Anyway cant wait for this to be available on a proper network.
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