No, itâs not going to be the iPhone killer. More like an iPhone wanabee. But as they say, imitation is flattery. And the more the competition takes on iPhone-like features, the more iPhone gets the credit. But the Palm Pre is really a lot more than just that. It can stand on its own as a remarkable QWERTY slider phone with distinct innovative features that set it apart from the competition while giving the iPhone market a very competent and likable option.
The good:
Touchscreens are not new to Palm. But this is the first to use a capacitive touchscreen with the same multi-touch capability as that on the iPhone and just as responsive. It even has an iPhone-like user interface thanks to its Linux-based WebOS platform that looks pretty much inspired from it. On the surface, these features do impress us that the Palm Pre is an iPhone wanabee. But looking closer, it is a lot better. But looking closer, it is a lot better.
The Pre provides true multitasking capabilities that use an innovative content paging from tightly integrated native tasks for messaging and social networking. It has a well-organized bottom screen notification system for calls, updates and new messages that are uniquely unobtrusive but effective. Apart from a vibrant 3.1â display, it sports a slide-out tactile QWERTY keypad thatâs as good and responsive as any in its class, a built-in GPS receiver, competent media player, 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth with A2DP support, Web browsing at high speeds and a 3 megapixel camera with LED flash.
The bad:
Some may complain that the QWERTY keyboard on the Palm Pre is cramped. But arenât all keyboards in this size cramped? Battery life isnât as good as many QWERTY sliders out there and the WebOS can be a bit sluggish intermittently. It has no microSD expansion slot but thatâs not really a problem with a USB slot that supports Flash drives. While its media player supports the popular audio and video formats, thereâs no video recording. Its web browser doesnât support YouTube. And what really disappoints is that its online App store is still getting up to speed with very limited titles.
The Verdict:
So the Palm Pre isnât perfect. Nothing is. Against all those missing but forgivable features that make it less than ideal for people who like their mobiles phones at the very top of the pecking order, the Pre delivers excellent multitasking and tight integration of the apps that really matter. The hardware has a lot of room for improvement alright, but Palm has a very promising WebOS that is sure to rival the best out there and actually pushes the envelope for true multitasking smartphones. Not bad for a fresh innovative Palm gadget.
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