These days everyone wants a touchy-feely phone. Why not? It seems so natural. Just about everyone has an index finger. Why not use it? So enter the
Palm Pre sporting a healthy 3.1 inch touch screen with a vibrant 24-bit color 320×480 resolution HVGA display. And for those times when you need to send an email or type there’s a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. That’s the best of both worlds.
The Palm Pre introduces a new platform called Palm webOS. It’s all about organizing your contacts and web connections under your thumb. Literally.
“Palm products have always been about simplifying lives and delivering great user experiences,” said Ed Colligan, Palm president and chief executive officer. “webOS and Pre bring game-changing simplicity to an increasingly mobile world by dissolving the barriers that surround your information. It’s technology that seems like it’s thinking ahead to bring you what you care about most – your people, your time, and your information – in the easiest and most seamless way.”
“Pre continues Sprint’s leadership in open access to the content customers want for a great web-connected experience,” said Dan Hesse, Sprint chief executive officer. “We look forward to bringing this remarkably innovative device to our customers on America’s most dependable 3G network.”
The new platform introduces Palm Synergy, a key feature of webOS that brings your information from all the places it resides into one logical view. You don’t have to worry about tracking multiple calendars, contacts and messaging applications – Synergy brings it to you for a more comprehensive and truly representative view of your life.
Synergy means you link contacts. If, over time, you have included the same people in your Outlook, Google and Facebook accounts, Synergy recognizes that they’re the same person and links the information, presenting it to you as one listing. No clumsy duplication. Plus updates done on the Palm Pre are automatically registered on the other accounts.
Palm Pre features include the following:
High-speed connectivity (EVDO Rev. A or UMTS HSDPA)
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
Integrated GPS
Large 3.1-inch touch screen with a vibrant 24-bit color 320×480 resolution HVGA display
Gesture area, which enables simple, intuitive gestures for navigation
Slide-out QWERTY keyboard
Email, including Outlook EAS (for access to corporate Microsoft Exchange servers), as well as personal email support (POP3, IMAP)
Robust messaging support (IM, SMS and MMS capabilities)
High-performance, desktop-class web browser
Great multimedia experience and performance (pictures, video playback, music), featuring a 3-megapixel camera with LED flash and extended depth of field, and a standard 3.5mm headset jack
Bluetooth(r) 2.1 + EDR with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support
8GB of internal user storage (~7.4GB user available)
USB mass storage mode
MicroUSB connector with USB 2.0 Hi-Speed
Proximity sensor, which automatically disables the touch screen and turns off the display whenever you put the phone up to your ear
Light sensor, which dims the display if the ambient light is dark, such as at night or in a movie theater, to reduce power usage
Accelerometer, which automatically orients web pages and photos to your perspective
Ringer switch, which easily silences the device with one touch
Removable, rechargeable battery
Dimensions: 59.57mm (W) x 100.53mm (L, closed) x 16.95mm (D) [2.35 inches (W) x 3.96 inches (L, closed) x 0.67 inches (D)]
Weight: ~135 grams [4.76 ounces]
The
Palm Pre can also use a very cool “magnetic induction charger”. It’s a wireless charger — a first for a mainstream phone. Attach this charging dock to your desk and watch how quickly it becomes home for your
Palm(r) Pre phone. Simply place your
Palm Pre on the
Palm Touchstone, and magnets quickly align your phone in the correct position for charging. Charge while you’re checking your calendar, making a call, or watching videos in portrait or landscape mode.
Right now the Palm works in the US, but for international customers there will be a world-ready (UMTS) version of the Palm Pre will be available in other regions worldwide. Keep checking the web sites for more info.
gallery
video
An array of some of the screens one might see on the WebOS
the Palm Touchstone charger
Vehicle Power Adapter
This small, sleek car charger includes a removable 2.5 foot (76cm) microUSB cable for easy storage. So when you get where you’re going, you can easily store it out of sight.
Written by Cecilia
