Palm’s Pre - new generation of mobile device
Posted on February 5, 2009, under Open-Source.
New Palm Pre to Challenge iPhone and BlackBerry. The big news at the recent Consumer Electronics Show was Palm’s Pre, a new generation of mobile device from the former market leader. But Palm has a well-earned reputation for making phones that are easy to use. It’s good to see the company strive to maintain that characteristic while reaching for a phone that can do more. The Pre is still in development, but its innovative interface tailored for the Web garnered plenty of interest. The handset itself has sexy, rounded edges and a sharp, bright 3-inch screen. A slide-out hardware Qwerty keyboard gives it a clear advantage over the iPhone. It comes with ample add-ons, including 3G support, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
“Palm’s been missing in action for so long, I was surprised it had something so interesting to show at CES,” Maribel Lopez, analyst with Lopez Research. Lopez said she thinks the G1 has time to establish itself, but its backers need to meet their goal of branching out to multiple carriers and broader sales. Otherwise, developers will look elsewhere.
The phone is due sometime in the first half of this year. Many questions remain unanswered, including price and the decision to partner exclusively with Sprint, which itself is struggling. The carrier is losing subscribers amid customer service and coverage issues. Palm and Spring are both desperate for a winner.
