'Palm Pre' Smartphone Announced: WebOS, Wireless Charging, App Store

[dmenahem]

Ok, so some dude from Russia gets details from a phone revealed yesterday and not even submitted to the FCC yet... Right. I doubt Sprint and Palm would be stupid enough to charge $400 for this phone - It's pretty much both company's last hope. I bet my iPhone it comes in at $200 or $250.

Now, onto the phone. I LOVE the focus on multi-tasking (its what the iPhone should have been) At this point, I find the iPhone's take some features just flat out stupid. Also, this thing is going to be a development powerhouse. Javascript? Thats a LOT of developers (myself included!), especially since it doesn't require a Mac. Lastly,the wireless charger is pretty slick, I wonder why more company's haven't jumped on that yet.

Apple jump started the cell phone business in 2007, but it seems like competitors are starting to catch up, with Palm (would would have thought?) looking on even ground. Should make things interesting!



It has a keyboard.

actually eldar/mobile-review.com are a very very reliable site. I wouldn't knock him just because he is not American.

 

[rockosmodurnlif]

It doesn't take much pressure to push smartphone buttons, therefore it doesn't make a difference that you don't have to press the buttons on the iPhone.

The iPhone's keyboard is more fatiguing, because you have to hover your fingers over the keys, they cannot be resting on them, you also cannot roll your finger from one key to another. You have to repeatedly lift, and press, lift and press. Where with physical keys you can sort of just slide your fingers around. Also, the iPhone's keyboard is slow. When loading pages in Safari (or even working on a cached and complex page) the keyboard lags behind what you type.


The OS is written like a web browser, but does not have the same protocols. First off, the apps can get much deeper into phone specific API's and special code can be written and stored on the phone (things that websites must do server side) These applications, although written like web apps, will not just be local web apps. They will be the real thing. This is completely different from how Apple did web apps, which were just sites written for the iPhone with some fancy ajax here and there.

I've never rolled or slid my fingers on a keyboard, I tend to press keys when my fingers are on them. The keyboard is slow with complex pages but I'm used to it, my Treo's keyboard was slow at times with complex pages, so is my Mac's. Other times, its quite responsive, like my old Treo's or my Mac's.

So the WebOS is a browser that can run server side instructions on the client side?

 

[coleridge78]

I am working in a factory where we are installing a new manufacturing process and equipment. Just because the design worked on paper it doesn't necessarily work in the field.
When I had my voyager, I was taking pictures of things and sending them to engineers at the vendors sites inside the production areas. Next to real time pictures, right to their cheapo phones. No need to log onto their computer, make sue they had a strong signal, boom next to immediate images. Not have to wait and hope a push works, wait for multiple emails to download and so on.

No offense, but this is a poor argument.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/28/business/28digi.html?ref=business

The fact is, the way SMS/MMS is delivered has a fatal flaw such that it can be silently dropped at the tower, and on top of that, the cell networks can't handle the volume they have so millions of messages every day are *intentionally* dropped by the same cartels that are raping you for messaging charges.

SMS is still justified because it's lower-overhead than email and useful for quick messages. MMS, especially in the Americas, has had very little penetration for anything other than amateur porn. People say "it's so easy, what would it hurt, just put it on there!" But if it distracts one person for even a few hours from working with the future instead of... not even "the past", let's call it the never-was... then it's not a good use of time.

I text all the time (I have a bargain-basement Nokia because it's a decent phone, and an iPod Touch for mobile computing), and especially in the past six months at least 1 in 8 of my texts never arrive, or show up three days late. It's just a joke. I can't begin to fathom using it for serious work purposes.

 

[ppc750fx]

PPC, you're usually smarter than this. It's not the same thing at all.

An iPhone web app is a web page hosted on a server.

Palm's apps are local, standalone, with access to internal services. They use HTML, CSS and JavaScript, akin to a widget. That means a lot more people can write little app cards for their own use.

In my defense, it is late over here... ;-)

Poor excuses aside, I made my comment primarily because I haven't seen any developer docs or API references, so it remains to be seen exactly how much local integration "WebOS" will offer.

From what I've read (don't have the bandwidth to watch the introduction videos at the moment), most of the stock apps are heavily web-dependent -- so it may end up being on par with the iPhone when it comes to the level of functionality available without a data connection.

(On a related note: local storage of web apps is actually quite doable on the iPhone. It's kinda hackish solution, using data URLs, but they *are* a standard, albeit esoteric, piece of functionality.)

There are really three things that will make or break this:

1) How much local integration is offered? To my knowlege, there's no published JS API yet, so we have no way to know.

2) How does WebKit perform? My guess is well, but if the Nokia E71 has taught us one thing it's that a good layout engine on a pokey CPU is just slow enough to be annoying without actually being significantly less functional.

3) How fast is the JS interpreter? How good is its memory management? This isn't really an issue if you're just doing the usual jQuery-type stuff, but when you're using JS as your platform's primary language this quickly becomes very important. If the JS interpreter sucks or can't handle non-trivial memory usage, third party apps will be pretty limited in what they can and cannot do.

If Palm makes a well-integrated, high peformance solution with a kick-ass JS engine, they're golden. I really, *really* hope they do -- as a web designer my heart's all aflutter at the thought of using HTML, CSS, and JS to make mobile apps. The iPhone whet my appetite for that sort of thing (I was especially happy to see fullscreen support and local storage introduced), and I think that we're finally getting the sort of computing power needed to do managed apps properly. Still, part of me is reluctant to sing the praises of the Pre until I've actually got a unit and the developer documentation. Palm's kinda got a history (of late) of generating a huge, Apple-esque web buzz, only to fumble the execution (see: Foleo).

<crosses fingers>

---

P.S. Oh, and the other reason I hope it succeeds? Because as soon as it does, Apple will spend a little bit of time to beef up their "web app" functionality. And given that they've got Dave Hyatt and SquirrelFish Extreme on their side, I think their implementation could kick Palms ass... assuming Palm gives them reason to try, that is.

 

[MisterK]

Awesome Device

I can see why everyone at CES was so giddy about this device after watching Palm's keynote on Engadget. I love my iPhone 3G, but this phone is awesome, too. They've definitely taken their time and made a really well thought out OS and the hardware looks pretty sweet, too. For anyone who had complaints about the iPhone, the Pre really answers. Copy/Paste, MMS, Physical keyboard, multitasking. The calendar app is incredibly well thought out, with gaps in your schedule accordion-folded to save space. It looks incredibly Apple-esque, but Palm did it in a way that shows they understand why they're following Apple's design queues (unlike any time that MS does it). I really think they got it right and leapfrogged both Windows Mobile and Android to join Apple and Blackberry at the top.

What a comeback. Way to go, Palm! I'll be keeping my iPhone for another year or two, but Apple has some serious competition now and that means my next phone is gonna be amazing, whether it's an iPhone or a Pre.

 

[paja]

No MMS and No Copy and Paste is killing the iPhone for many.

Is anyone at Apple listening to what the users want.

Get with it Apple!

 

[leishan]

No MMS and No Copy and Paste is killing the iPhone for many.

Is anyone at Apple listening to what the users want.

Get with it Apple!

I agree! I'm hoping that devices like this will push Apple to listen to the users.

 

[Digital Skunk]

I agree! I'm hoping that devices like this will push Apple to listen to the users.

We would all hope so, but give the desktop and laptop lineup that Apple has I doubt it.

 

[coleridge78]

No MMS and No Copy and Paste is killing the iPhone for many.

Is anyone at Apple listening to what the users want.

Get with it Apple!

Look, I'd love to have copy and paste, but this question is laughable. Yes, Apple is listening to what the users want, if by "the users" you mean "most users" not "a few mobile phone dorks". Love it or hate it, takeup of the iPhone continues to accelerate, faster than any other "smart" mobile device. I don't have one and don't forsee having one but all you people trying to argue with a straight face that Apple is not giving "users" what they want is just flat-out cracked. You might not *agree* with what most people want; you might stay it's style over substance, or something else; but it's self-evident that what more people want is the iPhone as it stands.

 

[Lesser Evets]

I'm certain this is the death of the iPhone....


j/k. It's an assumption, but I bet Apple is working on improving the iPhone and one of the next couple advances will have advanced capabilities like copy-paste and MMS. Expect the iPhone to NOT remain what it is now for the next 10 years.

 

[i0Nic]

I really hope the next iPhone has some of the things in the Pre like multitasking (using some sort of expose like UI), synergy - gathering info of your contacts from multiple sources on the net, universal search (spotlight), copy and paste.

 

[FX120]

So the WebOS is a browser that can run server side instructions on the client side?

What is server-side about HTML, CSS, and Javascript? All of those are all rendered locally on ANY computer.

 

[darkblu]

It may only be my own opinion but I think the main differences still stem from the vastly superior operating systems of the phones.

i share the same opinion - it's their software platforms that separate these two from the crowd. android may also end up in the top league, but it's yet to prove itself. palm, OTOH, have been heavily laboring on their next platform ever since the cobalt days. yes, it did take them a 'cold reboot' to get their act together, but their effort seems to be bearing fruit, i can sense the beos spirit of elegance and swiftness in their new platform.

..and once again NeXT and BeOS will meet on the field of history, be that only in spiritual forms ; )

Like everyone else that wants a Mobile OSX tablet and such, I hope to see Palm put their WebOS on more phones that differ from the Pre, and maybe one last foray in the full-sized PDA options (ala TX with 4" screen) much like Nikon did with the fantastic F6.

i believe we're seeing the first product of palmone from their new platform. the mobile future is getting brighter by the month, literally.

btw, as a fellow photography hobbyist i can see your nikon analogy - good technologies should thrive and multiply, eventually shifting markets paradigms, though in reality that's not always the case, unfortunately.

 

[Lara F]

I really hope the next iPhone has some of the things in the Pre like multitasking (using some sort of expose like UI), synergy - gathering info of your contacts from multiple sources on the net, universal search (spotlight), copy and paste.

Same here. I know it's mostly due to hardware/RAM restrictions, but lack of multitasking has been my biggest annoyance with the iPhone. After seeing the Pre I'll be extremely disappointed if the next version doesn't have it.

Palm needed nothing less than this to have a chance to survive and I really hadn't expected them to pull it off...good for them!

 

[Desfolio]

After watching the Palm Pre Keynote, I looked at my iphone like "Why can't you do that?"

 

[vvebsta]

So if all the Pre's apps are like little web widgets... wouldn't there be allot of limitations? like 3D GAMES for one... can these apps be as robust as the iphone apps? Or are we looking at more ms office-ish apps?

 

[SkillsToShow]

This baby looks amazing, definitely would have gotten it if it was with verizon.

 

[showson1]

Sweet!
I can't even tell you how excited I am for this phone!

Hopefully it'll show up on other carriers that Sprint 'cause it SUCKS around me.

Don't get me wrong I LOVE my iPhone, I've owned it since the day it was first released, but some of the limitations (that have been re-hashed hundreds of times) have started me looking at other phones.

 

[theLastBeatle]

Expect the iPhone to NOT remain what it is now for the next 10 years.

How can you be so sure?

 

[wnurse]

There are so many critical things wrong with this device that it will never make it as a true iPhone competitor. Perhaps a formidable opponent for the G1, but the Pre is not for most of the people out there.

One second they are saying how easy it is to use, the lack of buttons on the interface unless they are necessary. Then they are showing off advanced gestures and advanced multitasking.

None of want to face it, but the "exclusive" $599 iPhone is gone. iPhone is the new RAZR. In order to effectively compete with the iPhone, the device must be ridiculously easy to use. Not for us computer junkies, but for everyone. The majority of iPhone users are computer illiterates. How am I going to explain to my non-nerd friends what in the hell those cards do? You have to remember that at the end of the day, most iPhone users are the same people that open up the "E" icon on their desktop, and maximize "the internet". These people have no need for multitasking, nor are they going to learn it. Why do you think Copy/Paste is not at the top of the list? They doesn't need it.

Not to mention that "Palm" has lots almost all brand power, and the fact that the device is rumored to cost $399. Before you say anything about the iPhones original price, don't forget that Steve quickly realized that was not a mass market price. That was when there was no competition for the iPhone. Most people will just go for the original, leaving the Pre to most hard core users.

That all said, I'm still intrigued.

Yeah, the iphone, so easy, not everyone cares to buy one. Do you know the percentage of people who have phones that are PDA's?.. very, very small. If the iphone was that damn easy to use, every AT&T customer would have one. as to copy and paste.. yeah, keep dreaming. I use it, lots of current iphone users complain... you, steve jobs, his dog and a few friends are the only people who think cut and paste is not important.. keep thinking that.. remember, apple got a foothold into this market cause of handset makers arrogance.. palm lost cause they did not innovate.. the market is not mature.. apple could lose just as fast as they gained.

 

[branjosef]

I kind of like the concept of the wireless charging.

 

[olternaut]

I bet you Steve almost drowned in his own coffee when he saw this unfolding! Haha, better get your ass back to work!

LOL! I betcha he saw the Palm keynote so he could get a laugh or two but then nearly fall back in his chair when he saw the "cards" and "synergy" features.

 

[branjosef]

LOL! I betcha he saw the Palm keynote so he could get a laugh or two but then nearly fall back in his chair when he saw the "cards" and "synergy" features.

I heard he cancelled his appearance at macworld so he could watch the palm keynote on his prototype G5 powerbook with blu-ray


I sincerely hope the wireless charging doesn't somehow lead to impotence...cause I could just see that happening.

 

[olternaut]

About time some else got it right (well hopefully they did) ! This phone looks very promising, and judging from the reviews its getting, I'd say it just might live up to the hype.

I love my iPhone, but there are things I wish it could do (just like most people out there). Obviously I havent used it, but looking at the pictures, the interface on this new Treo looks awesome, like they've really put some thought into it. Dare I say better looking than the iPhone? as far as the hardware itself, I know some people are saying its ugly looking, but I think it looks elegant, i kind of like the idea of using a trackball instead of just a button, its not too overdone, sort of a simple/clean design, sort of like an iPhone.

Like someone said before, hopefully this will push Apple to add features it should have been included from the get go.

Oh competition is a good thing.

Its not a trackball. Its a button. To the right and left of the button are gesture areas. When in use I guess it kinda looks like your moving a little trackball around.

 

[cv01]

Looks very interesting. Let's see how the device will perform. It's a godo thing to have a bit of competition. I hope that Apple improves the OS even more so that we won't have to switch to other devices...

Yes, very interesting! Have a look here: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/10/palms-app-store-christened-app-catalog-games-not-a-priority/

"Palm's going to include libraries that allow devs to tap in to the Pre's hardware capabilities and interact closely with services exposed by the operating system. For users, that means apps are hopefully going to be rich and powerful, but graphically intensive, heavily interactive things..."

And they do not prioritize games, which is a good thing for pros and business.