Beleaguered Palm, Inc. today unveiled its Palm webOS mobile platform and the Palm Pre, the first phone based on the new platform.(1) Pre, which looks sort of like an Apple iPhone with a midlife spare tire, is scheduled to be available exclusively from Sprint in the first half of 2009.
According to Palm, Palm webOS was invented exclusively for mobile use. webOS recognizes that you want your people, calendars and information to move with you, wherever you are, wirelessly, as opposed to being bound to a personal computer. Palm dubiously and incorrectly claims in their press release that “Palm webOS is the first mobile platform to automatically bring your information from the many places it resides – on your phone, at your work or on the web – into one simple, integrated view. The new Palm Pre and webOS are designed to be so in sync with your needs that it feels like Pre is thinking ahead for you.”
MacDailyNews Take: Been there. Done that; and better, too. In 2007.
“Palm products have always been about simplifying lives and delivering great user experiences,” said Ed Colligan, Palm president and chief executive officer, in the press release. “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.”
MacDailyNews Take: Blah, blah, blah. Do these guys have any idea how late they are to the party and that they’re arriving with so little?
Anyway, Palm’s webOS leverages several industry-standard technologies, including web technologies such as CSS, XHTML and JavaScript. On top of that, Palm claims to have “included creative and innovative advancements to enhance the overall user experience and provided a deep integration of all elements within the platform.”
Palm’s press release states:
The new platform was designed to allow a vast ecosystem of partners, including developers, hardware suppliers, and accessories manufacturers, to develop core solutions to complement the platform and product line. For developers, webOS shatters traditional barriers to mobile-application development by offering a rich open development environment that’s familiar to tens of millions of web developers. More people can develop for the platform and can do it faster than ever before. The platform’s flexible environment will also allow developers to distribute their applications over-the-air via an on-device Palm application store.
MacDailyNews Take: Somebody send these guys a newspaper or a radio or, God forbid, an iPhone. Oh, wait, by the looks of the Pre, looks like they’ve already seen an iPhone. They should’ve turned it on while they were copying.
The rest of Palm’s press release verbatim:
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.
Linked contacts – With Synergy, you have a single view that links your contacts from a variety of sources, so accessing them is easier than ever. For example, if you have the same contact listed in your Outlook(3), Google and Facebook accounts, Synergy recognizes that they’re the same person and links the information, presenting it to you as one listing. And if you update a contact on your webOS device, it also will be updated in your various accounts, whether on a personal computer or on the web.
Layered calendars – Your calendars can be seen on their own or layered together in a single view, combining work, family, friends, sports teams, or other interests. You can toggle to look at one calendar at a time, or see them all at a glance.
Combined messaging – Synergy lets you see all your conversations with the same person in a chat-style view, even if it started in IM and you want to reply with text messaging. You can also see who’s active in a buddy list right from contacts, and start a new conversation with just one touch.
Your Information, Effortlessly
By smartly integrating your information, webOS is designed to think ahead for you and keep you on top of the things that happen in your life, but that’s just the first step. The platform’s unique interface brings your information to you with the ease that only Palm can offer.
Web-connected applications – Applications are seamlessly connected to the web and always active(4), ensuring you have the most up-to-date information.
Run multiple applications at the same time – Palm’s revolutionary webOS lets you manage multiple activities more effectively than any other mobile platform today. It lets you keep multiple applications open and instantly flip from one to another.(4)
Instinctive user interface – With its multi-touch interface, webOS lets you move easily between activities like flipping through a deck of cards and rearrange items simply by dragging them; when you are done with something, just throw it away. And finding what you need is easy with universal search – as you type what you’re looking for, the OS narrows your search and offers results from both your device and the web.(5)
Intuitive and unobtrusive notifications – When important things come up or new updates arrive, you’ll receive notifications with a diplomacy that’s a radical departure from other mobile platforms. For example, if you receive a text message or email, a scrolling notifications bar at the bottom of your screen lets you address it right away or leave until later. webOS alerts are one step ahead, ensuring that you never miss a thing, but never lose your place or train of thought.
Palm Pre: The First webOS Phone
Pre has a breakthrough interface and hardware design that makes it the most integrated and user-friendly phone for mobile users. Featuring a smooth, rounded ergonomic design and a physical keyboard that slides out only when needed, Pre is engineered to feel natural in the hand and comfortably small in the pocket. When closed, the phone is ideal for phone calls, web browsing, music, photos and videos; when open, Pre is optimized for email and text messaging. With its curved slider and gesture-controlled touch interface, Pre fuses exquisite design with the revolutionary webOS software for fast access to anything on the device or web. It’s an instinctive user experience that seems to anticipate your needs.
“As our lives revolve more and more around the web, devices like Palm Pre that transform how we interact with the web will lead the way,” said Hesse. “We are focused on bringing our customers a superior experience that includes easy-to-use devices, simple pricing and value with Simply Everything all-inclusive offerings, plus Ready Now, our exclusive retail program that helps customers leave the store feeling comfortable and confident they know how to use their new device.”
Pre will support a variety of differentiated on-device Sprint services, including Sprint TV(R), offering an extensive selection of live and on-demand programming. Sprint Navigation provides GPS-enabled audio and visual turn-by-turn driving directions, one-click traffic rerouting and more than 10 million local listings. Sprint also offers more than a dozen streaming-radio applications, including Sprint Radio with more than 150 channels.
Palm Pre features include the following:
– High-speed connectivity (EVDO Rev. A or UMTS HSDPA)
– Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g(6)
– Integrated GPS(7)
– 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)(4)
– 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]
An array of compelling accessories also will be available for Pre, including the first inductive charging solution for phones (sold separately). Simply set Pre down on top of the elegantly designed Palm Touchstone charging dock without worrying about connection, orientation or fit. Pre is active while charging, so you can access the touch screen, watch movies or video, or use the speakerphone.
Availability and Pricing
Palm Pre is scheduled to be available first in the United States exclusively from Sprint in the first half of 2009, and will be followed by a world-ready UMTS version for other regions. Sprint’s pricing for the phone has not yet been determined.
(1) Use of this device requires providing a valid email address, mobile phone number, and related information for account setup and activation. Unlimited usage data plan strongly recommended; additional data charges may apply. Within wireless coverage area only. Number of applications and actual performance will vary depending on applications used and actions performed.
(2) Claims: Largest based on square miles (including roaming). Based on independent, third-party drive tests for 3G data connection success, session reliability and signal strength for the top 50 most populous markets from March ’08 to Sept. ’08.
(3) Within wireless coverage area only. Requires data services at additional cost. Microsoft Direct Push Technology requires Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 with SP2 or Exchange Server 2007. Additional fees may apply.
(4) Within wireless coverage area only. Use of some third-party web applications may impact performance.
(5) Searches web and user’s applications, contacts, and dialing information. Web search within wireless coverage area only, requires data services at additional cost.
(6) Within range of 802.11b/g Wi-Fi network. Some Wi-Fi hotspots require fee for usage.
(7) GPS requires data services at additional cost. Coverage not available in all areas at all times.
Palm, webOS, Pre, Synergy, Touchstone, Treo and Centro are among the trademarks or registered trademarks owned by or licensed to Palm, Inc. All other brand and product names are or may be trademarks of, and are used to identify products or services of, their respective owners.
Source: Palm, Inc.
MacDailyNews Take: This is sad. It’s like the Acme Buggy Whip company bringing out something they excitedly describe as an “automobile” in 1955.
“It’s the same old, same old in an iPhone-inspired wrapper… You can judge the distance behind and overall cluelessness of iPhone’s future roadkill by the amount they copy the iPhone’s exterior… This ceaseless quest to dress up antiques in Apple veneer is pathetic and sad… The question I’m left with for [all] of these companies rolling out imitation iPhones this year is: Exactly how stupid do you think your customers are?” – SteveJack, MacDailyNews, April 01, 2008
2 things
1) Synergy is really cool, if it works like they say. I’m to the point where I am using the Facebook app on my iPhone as a primary contact list.
2) All apps are written in CSS, Javascript, or HTML? That means very little power to developers. Might as well push Web Apps like the iPhone 1.0.
What’s more I understand that it will give us instant updates should Hitler invade Poland.
Does anybody know what the “over 200” patents that Apple owns on iPhone cover? How come EVERYONE can copy EVERYTHING from the freakin’ thing???
mecca3000,
There are three reasons to hold patents. One is to protect your invention, two is to license the invention, three is to to troll.
My guess is Mulit-Touch here is Licensed.
I am not with Sprint, not am I going to swich or drop my iPhone any time soon, but this is a very good “last stand”
Checked out the Palm.com site – this looks WAY better than Blackberrty or G1 offerings.
I am not giving up my iPhone for it – but if I couldn’t have an iPhone, this would be top of my list to evaluate.
When the iPhone came out. All of the players in the smart and not-so-smart phone segment scoffed at the idea. Fast forward a couple of years and now everything (as observed by mecca3000 above) tried to be like the iPhone. Apple changes the rules and drags the rest of the industry with it, kicking and screaming, yet again.
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Funny how people were asking Apple to compete with Palm, improve the Newton. Now there is the iPhone, what a leap.
You don’t need all that verbose crap. Gee can you imagine if they described a car like that? “With doors that not only move on hinges to allow access but have new security features and glass windows that roll down.” That sort of minutia is need but to describe it, yawn.
Make a phone call, listen to music, surf the web, do some work, ah the KISS rule.
Well good luck to ’em.
I must say that this effort from Palm is pretty good compared with other recent releases. They made a good effort addressing the wish list requests of current iPhone users. We’ll have to see how the phone performs in the real world before passing final judgment. What’s up with the “Pre” name though? They could have come up with something better IMO.
@mecca3000
Very good question. Everyone seems to be copying Apple and nothing is being done about it.
Also this is exciting for hard core Palm fans. About 24 of them. Too bad the device is thick as a brick, too small, keys cramped as hell. No apps store, no huge ecosystem… but it will be good for die hard WinMobile zombies to abandon MS. Keep Palm alive for awhile.
look – don’t be bitchy.
This looks waaay better than Android or anything WinCE worthy. Better than iPhone? No.
Bad? Sorry, I don’t think its as awful as MDN’s making it out to be.
That said – since we all KNOW it will treat Mac users like women in Afghanistan (or worse) – I won’t buy one. (and also because its on Sprint. Sprint? *spit* No way.)
@ futurist
Yeah what’s with the pre? Sounds like a sexual disfunction to me. lol
yeah i woul suggest macdailynews actually try this one out. Unlike everyother phone before trying to compete with the iphone, this one actually has a great* user interface. Seriously, at worst it is just as good as a iphone. Now it wont sell as well as the iphone because apple is a better marketing company, it has more magic, an the price of that beauty can’t match the iphones, but we’ll see. There is certainly no room for macdailynews to critisize this phone like this. Check the actual software, which is what really matters.
I think they have a fighting chance. Who cares of they just unveiled it today.
does anyone know what the kernel is? Linux maybe?
Judging from all the comments here, the Pre might turn out to be the best of the rest.
Competition is healthy remember.
This looks pretty cool. Although I do wonder when apple will start enforcing those patents.
The palm video on engadget showed the double tap to zoom and the same zoom in out gestures.
I wonder what all those patents are actually for apple!!!
There is iPhone and the others. Everytime another comes out it dilutes this group and makes it an easier decision to go with the reputable iPhone.
How the heck are the producing the status bar (carrier name, time, cell signal, etc.) at the top of the phone if it’s off the screen??? Is that just a faked up photo or is there some other display technology in addition to the main screen?
This is GREAT, this will force Apple to innovate even more and bring us even better iPhones. Fantastic.
@ paulo
“Unlike everyother phone before trying to compete with the iphone, this one actually has a great* user interface”
Uh, maybe we need to repost that SteveJack comment about how far behind the other guy is by how much they copy the outside design of the iPhone.
Someone repost it please…
It’s coming out at least a year from now, I’m pretty sure the iPhone will see some improvements between now and then. If they’re to stand a change they need to blow the current iPhone out of the water, it looks like they’re only attempting to match it and they don’t like even doing that.
I guess the status bar stuff really is on the main screen, they are just using a rounded corner rectangle to make the area below it look like the screen doesn’t start until later. Other screen shots on palm.com make this clearer, but I would still think the physical edge of the screen would show up in these photos, making these pictures smell like artificial mockups — this stuff is still on the drawing board stage. They don’t even have a prototype for real photos!
Wow, take a look at all the features …
“GPS requires data services at additional cost. Coverage not available in all areas at all times.” [via palm.com]
That’s a hoot. I think everyone is willing to pay for extra for GPS, ala Verizon Navigator.
Though I like the look of the rest of the phone, that hardware keyboard slideout looks hideous. And what happens if you’re using the thing sideways and need to type? Is there a virtual keyboard at all or are you forced to use portrait orientation every time you need to type a domain name or anything? Crazy!