Sure, Verizon and AT&T
shout at each other across our TV airwaves all the time, but how often do we get to see two exactly same phones running on both carriers? The
Pre Plus and
Pixi Plus have just such a distinction, and we stopped back by the Palm booth with our Verizon Pre Plus in hand just to prove to ourselves
we weren't dreaming. Naturally we couldn't keep ourselves from a little browser battle (check out the video after the break, the winner may or may not surprise you!), and we even caught the two phones commiserating about that dismal plastic USB jack flap of infamy. Sure, we're
longing for a new webOS device, and have a hard time thinking AT&T will reverse Palm's fortunes alone, but there's something special about this new era we're entering with the likes of Palm and Google where you can (almost) choose your device and then your carrier, not the other way around.
posted March 23rd 2010 8:55PM
I sincerely want the spec boosts given to the carriers other than sprint to come on sprint cuz i feel jealous each time I see a new palm pre released with epic specs on a carrier other than sprint. C'mon sprint, the first isn't always the best
@samin100
i made that comment more complicated than it needed to be
After seeing the Supersonic pics... my reaction to this is
HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAA... OWN3D!!
@HerbieDerb
im with ya bro
@samin100
2010's Engadget Sprint Fanboy
@samin100 this is absolutely fartastic! really getting me in a good mod today! im all for palm if anything!
@emopoops "fartastic". My, my, my. You are one classy lady, emopoops.
@samin100 The higher specs shouldn't be 'epic' enough to make much of a difference. Patience, my friend; the 2nd generation of webOS hardware will most likely debut on Sprint. If not, Palm's a bunch of jerks. Which could be possible, I suppose.
@samin100 seriously. the Pre Plus SHOULD go to sprint, the better hardware (slider mechanism, keyboard, etc) plus the memory boosts are great, but id much rather use it on Sprint then AT&T or Verizon. Palm should pull a "google" and make the phone available on all 4 major networks to reach the maximum number of customers. Think about it, they already have the CDMA and GSM hardware, all they need is some contracts and I will SO jump the boat from my T-Mobile Nokia 5310 to Sprint's Pre Plus. I know, i have a seriously lame phone, but it was free with a new contract!!
:D
They should do this more often because early termination fees are not cool!
The key to palm's success is that they have to up the hardware a bit and make it a bit sturdier. C'mon palm you know the equation just put in the variables
@The Geek I agree, I still have my hopes with the palm-kind, I mean even if they have a plummeting career this year in both financial and technical aspects, one thing that keeps me on following them is their WebOs. Reactions: http://bit.ly/web-os-1-4-reactions
audio fail on the video
@CalBearGuy If a browser load a page in the forest, does anyone hear it?
@CalBearGuy
At least you can see it. Stupid servers at work block the entire video. Thanks, guys.
Also, did he say "USB flap jack?"
I want to see the Elan, or whatever their next phone is... heck, give me a higher-specced Pre and Id be all over it. Higher res, tegra2, larger battery(even if it needs to be sealed in), wifihotspot for AT&T, better camera, a louder speaker, and a touchstone charger included. Id buy that without a second thought.
@StanMe Dude the ore plus is already been spec boosted, twice the RAM and storage, pluse a sturdier slider mechanism, what more do u want? it has the same res as the iPhones screen, and the iPhones screen is already decent.
I wish engadget had the ability to edit comments. LETS GO ON STRIKE.
nevermind, im going to the sprint store to play with the phones
@samin100 Not to be THAT guy, but these are Pre Plus models, and they won't be at Sprint.
well the main thing about the AT&T palm vs. the Verizon one is the ability to use both data and talk simultaneously.. So AT&T wins the battle against both Verizon and Sprint in that regard. Verizon and Sprint should just switch to sim cards, so that they can also offer data and talk together.
@deepen03
And by switch to SIM cards, you mean spend billions of dollars to completely replace their entire networks?
@deepen03
As much as I do love my ability to change phones at a whim, it wouldn't make any sense for Verizon and Sprint to adopt GSM technologies.. I will probably never have a CDMA carrier, though i'm becoming increasingly jealous of their phones. Where I live though, AT&T actually isn't too bad, but it's definitly not the best network.
@deepen03 u need to do more research on the differences between GSM and CDMA technologies...
You can't just switch a whole network from CDMA to GSM
What they should do is make the CDMA phones more portable using UIMs, so that you can just switch handsets with ease... tho with all this carrier locking in US its not too useful... so first how about separating the phone from the service... like tmobile's plans.
@bruslim Actually, Verizon is going to switch to GSM. I work for AT&T and got the inside scoop.
@krische
Just ask Gates for a loan.
@deepen03
well i guess advertising is good for one thing if you actually believe a network is superior because you can 'talk and surf' at the same time.
be realistic, this 'feature' is used so slightly that 99.99% of users will never even notice.
@Good Idea
Why the hell would they do this when LTE is being rolled out shortly? Do you have any idea what you're talking about?
@Good Idea Verizon is adopting LTE as their 4G technology; that is very different from "switching to GSM".
@Good Idea You work for AT&T and know for a fact that Verizon (a.k.a. NOT AT&T) is switching to GSM? You have the inside scoop when you don't even work for Verizon? I fail to see how that would work.
-1. How's oblivion?
@d889 Come on, how dense can you possibly be. it's not so you can surf while you talk, although you severely underestimate how good that would be, it's so that if you are browsing the web, watching YouTube, using any Internet connected app such as an online game, etc, and you get a phone call you, you know, actually get it.
@iCello
umm, you do get the phone call. It just pauses whatever you are doing using data. For example, if I am loading webpage, call comes through, it stops loading, i finish call, then reload webpage.
Not a big deal at all when it happens, and it rarely happens.
@ramifications yea but what if your friend calls you, and wants you to check something online real quick? like directions? or if someone sends you an email and wants you to check it while they are on the line? it all is more convenient. With Verizon or Sprint, you would have to hang up and call the person back. That's very annoying..
Example 2: You call a toll free service line, they put you on hold.. Instead of waiting, you can go and get some Apps while you wait, check your e-mail, play a game and then come back.. I know I might sound like i'm advertising for AT&T, but you know it makes sense. These are not false ads, it all makes it more convenient for the consumer.
@iCello exactly,, THANK YOU!
@aschettler Omigosh. Guys CDMA Is going to die. Have you noticed that the majority of cell carriers worlwide use GSM? not only is it faster, but its easier too. Oh, and they're adopting it not switching. Sorry.
@deepen03
You can get emails while still on a call, as they can come over 1X (like phone calls), not EVDO. I know this to be so, as I've been on the phone with someone as they were emailing me, then hearing the sound to tell me I just got an email. Your other examples are valid points though, though not necessarily big deals at all. I don't have a problem saying 'hold on, I'll call you back', as it takes less than a second to hang up and go to work. No one's thinking "what if I get bored while on hold?" when they're thinking of their next phone.
@JDubbs115 I didn't mean e-mails like that.. I am talking about going to the iPhone E-mail app or opening a browser window and going to an email site... but whatever, anything I say won't make a difference. its just your preference. When I bought the iPhone, i didn't even know I could use date and voice together. I just bought it because I wanted an iPhone. That didn't influence my decision. It just came as a free extra convenience feature for me. CDMA signals should allow customers to do that and then its up to you if you want to use it or not.
the verizon one has a flower and the att one a plant with no flower.
@skidodo142 Dang it!! Verizon has the flower! I guess I'm gonna have to switch...
Thanks to whoever filmed with the shaky-cam. I just threw up on my keyboard.
@InspectorEngadget Just kidding, engadget. You guys do a great job. Keep it up.
i left AT&T late last year, so im not going back, even for the PLUS version.
Once again, AT&T prevails over Verizon. But anyways, that Palm Pre + doesn't look too bad. It's got a qwerty keyboard (Something it seems that almost ALL great Android phones that are coming out seem to lack), and I like the look.
@Good Idea
I haven't tried the phone, but I've read that the keypad is quite small and the phone is also top heavy when the keypad is open. So, when you're using the keypad for texting or whatever, it's a bit difficult to grip/use.
@Meekermoloko You've heard wrong - likely from someone looking for a fault (alternately - someone with weaker hands than a 3 year old)
I am quite dizzy after watching that. I still want one though.
Oh my god! They moved the icon!
After looking at the Evo all day the pre looks down right tiny.
Hoping AT&T will win...
@buri100 They've already won. They won 120 years ago when they were born.
@Good Idea
I thought the first cellular phone wasn't even invented until...
...wait, I just killed a joke I never understood. Woot?