Why the iPhone 3GS destroys the Palm Pre.

[The General]

How long does it take you to swap a fresh battery into your iPhones? I can do it blindfolded, on my Treo 755 (and on the Pre) in about 7 seconds. And the batteries are pretty inexpensive, to boot.

Any phone without juice is just a hunk of plastic and parts, isn't it?

The Pre is 3mp camera but no video or autofocus, but has a LED flash.

oh yes, what's the cost of AT&T's unlimited data plan again?

This is your response? That you can swap your battery in 7 seconds?

 

[GfPQqmcRKUvP]

This is your response? That you can swap your battery in 7 seconds?

Not just that, The General.


BLIND-FOLDED!

 

[pavvento]

From what little I know, I think most smart phone users have bases with pretty much different needs.

It's pretty much a given that BlackBerry users need whatever it is that made the thing so popular. I tried my sister's Curve and hated it. But it was cheaper and could be bought without a data plan. As bad as that browser was, no biggie. She wanted it for text messages, so it should be good.

I don't know what Pre users need, but perhaps it's more of what the Palm Pilot offered. That was a kickass device except for the fact that both of mine died pretty quickly. The multitasking is a good feature if you need it, but I think the Apple SDK has allowed a lot of that while maintaining more battery life.

IMO, the iPhone is the smart phone for people who like iPods. It does music better than anyone else. It does other media better. It makes a lot of the simple things (the new video capture) pretty easy. When I got one, I pretty much wanted a phone I could use as an iPod. Apple went beyond that and helped AT&T hook me in to now an extra $35/month. I was in a mall Sunday and slowly was able to find a map from the Mall's Web site (hey, it's a 2G phone).

So I think each phone has a good market. RIM actually benefited from the iPhone exposure and sold more devices during the first year. Palm is doing the opposite by jumping on the bandwagon as a newbie. Lots of luck to Palm, but the Sprint network sucked ass when I used it on a Virgin Mobile phone.

I think it is impossible to consider Palm a newbie to the cell phone/smartphone world. Kicked around and on the sidelines, maybe, but if anyone is a newbie it is Apple, remember this is only their second year in the business, and they've done a great job.

 

[Maserati7200]

Please, the Palm Pre is 'destroyed' by the iPhone. Sure, the iPhone is better, but the Palm Pre is a VERY good phone.

 

[slapppy]

Please, the Palm Pre is 'destroyed' by the iPhone. Sure, the iPhone is better, but the Palm Pre is a VERY good phone.

It was, not anymore.

Pre already has the worse battery life of all the smartphones. Thats with limited apps. Add a few more and you get what 2 hours. iPhone already multi-task core apps. I can listen to what I want on my iPod while doing that too and the battery will outlast the Pre by a huge margin.

Copy and Paste? Maybe Palm should have waited to get it right. It can't even copy text on a web page, or an email received unless you do your workaround.

It's a cheaper build, the plastic screen vs iPhones Oleophobic coatings on a diamond dust coated screen. I'd pick glass over plastic. Like lenses and cameras, there is no substitution for glass.

 

[Goona]

i think that the iphone is overall a better phone than the pre, but i think that the pre is better than the iphone was at launch in 2007.

the pre seems to be the only phone that is doing a good job at becoming the iphone competitor. webOS and iphone OS seem to be the 2 best at being a touch screen device. android a close third.

Who cares about the iphone that was produced 2 years ago, Apple stop producing that phone, you have to compare the Pre to Apple's current offerings.

 

[Goona]

I think it is impossible to consider Palm a newbie to the cell phone/smartphone world. Kicked around and on the sidelines, maybe, but if anyone is a newbie it is Apple, remember this is only their second year in the business, and they've done a great job.

Exactly Palm is no newbie, they've been producing phones and PDA's for years. They just brang out crap devices and became irrelevant, until the dude from Apple and some other engineers came there and developed the Pre.

 

[.Andy]

I think there's plenty of room for both phones to flourish in the smartphone market. They're different enough devices and each have their own pros and cons and will appeal to different users. Whether X "destroys" Y is subjective and a matter for the individual consumer. The iphone will of course dominate sales but it's likely the Pre will be a tidy little earner for Palm. Having said that for me personally I'm still not sold on either.

 

[jasphair]

It was, not anymore.

Pre already has the worse battery life of all the smartphones. Thats with limited apps. Add a few more and you get what 2 hours. iPhone already multi-task core apps. I can listen to what I want on my iPod while doing that too and the battery will outlast the Pre by a huge margin.

Copy and Paste? Maybe Palm should have waited to get it right. It can't even copy text on a web page, or an email received unless you do your workaround.

It's a cheaper build, the plastic screen vs iPhones Oleophobic coatings on a diamond dust coated screen. I'd pick glass over plastic. Like lenses and cameras, there is no substitution for glass.

I'm returning my Pre today, and pre-ordering the 3GS. Why? Becuase the Sprint network absolutely sucks in my area. If it was great, everywhere I needed it, I'd keep it over the 3GS.

You say worst battery life? This will probably be fixed in firmware updates. As for the lack of apps, the phone has only been out for what, three days? They'll come.

You shouldn't write off a phone that's only a few days old. I sure didn't, despite the limited apps, and crappy battery life. It's the network that sucks.

 

[robothero]

Different Strokes for Different Folks.


I decided to buy an iPhone after debate over the weekend. I just thought the features of the 3Gs were more important to me than the things that Palm had. I'm sure that other people will feel differently, but hey to each their own.

 

[uberamd]

How long does it take you to swap a fresh battery into your iPhones? I can do it blindfolded, on my Treo 755 (and on the Pre) in about 7 seconds. And the batteries are pretty inexpensive, to boot.

Any phone without juice is just a hunk of plastic and parts, isn't it?

The Pre is 3mp camera but no video or autofocus, but has a LED flash.

oh yes, what's the cost of AT&T's unlimited data plan again?

I have never run out of battery with my iPhone. Not once. However if I did there are plenty of places that sell chargers that dock into the bottom for prices ranging as low as $8 all the way up to $100. There are options, and since the Pre has such awful battery life I see why you would need a bunch of batteries to quickly swap out. Plus a camera flash? I have had numerous phone with camera flashes (LG & Samsung) and never once used it, totally pointless on a phone. Especially given the Pre's battery life.

And the data plan is a bit expensive, but I have had good success with the AT&T network so I am willing to pay it. I hated Sprint for the years I was with them, horrible reception.

Yea i'm just tired of hearing people claiming the Pre is better or iPhone is better or any other device for that matter. Yes it is better for you only. Something important to you may seem trivial to another. I'm not really saying that to you but anyone who openly claims a device is objectively better than another.

Think about society, few people have this mindset, everyone wants something to be better than something else.

It was, not anymore.

Pre already has the worse battery life of all the smartphones. Thats with limited apps. Add a few more and you get what 2 hours. iPhone already multi-task core apps. I can listen to what I want on my iPod while doing that too and the battery will outlast the Pre by a huge margin.

Copy and Paste? Maybe Palm should have waited to get it right. It can't even copy text on a web page, or an email received unless you do your workaround.

It's a cheaper build, the plastic screen vs iPhones Oleophobic coatings on a diamond dust coated screen. I'd pick glass over plastic. Like lenses and cameras, there is no substitution for glass.

All very good points. I have been using 3.0 since it was released to developers and the way Apple implemented Copy/Paste is great. The screen on the iPhone is also fantastic.

Heck, the Pre didn't even sell out after its hyped launch with ads placed all over the internet. The Pre is a good option, but the iPhone won't because of it.

 

[slapppy]

Who cares about the iphone that was produced 2 years ago, Apple stop producing that phone, you have to compare the Pre to Apple's current offerings.

Yep. There is no excuse for Palm being a new player in the game. Nope they have been at it for years. To compare the Pre to the original iPhone is silly. Palm should have produced a product that would be ahead of the game from everyone.

Apple did it, and they are new to the smartphone business. No excuses for Palm, and no excuses for their arrogant campaign and no excuses for their CEO who bragged:

"We've learned and struggled for a few years here figuring out how to make a decent phone," Ed Colligan apparently laughed about with John Markoff last Thursday morning. "PC guys are not going to just figure this out. They're not going to just walk in."

Nope, Apple didn't walk in, they walked in and swept you aside.

 

[pavvento]

It was, not anymore.

Pre already has the worse battery life of all the smartphones. Thats with limited apps. Add a few more and you get what 2 hours. iPhone already multi-task core apps. I can listen to what I want on my iPod while doing that too and the battery will outlast the Pre by a huge margin.

Copy and Paste? Maybe Palm should have waited to get it right. It can't even copy text on a web page, or an email received unless you do your workaround.

It's a cheaper build, the plastic screen vs iPhones Oleophobic coatings on a diamond dust coated screen. I'd pick glass over plastic. Like lenses and cameras, there is no substitution for glass.

Are you kidding me? It was but not anymore? It has been out a grand total of 4 days, so what the first two it was a good phone, and then suddenly it stopped being a good phone???

 

[slapppy]

Are you kidding me? It was but not anymore? It has been out a grand total of 4 days, so what the first two it was a good phone, and then suddenly it stopped being a good phone???

Not a great phone, a good phone. Now its just another meh phone. No wonder Palm released this quickly, they knew full well that they had a small window of opportunity before Apple shuts it down on Monday.

 

[yg17]

Why would i need to swap the battery on my iPhone when it lasts a full day?

I can't board a transatlantic flight with a full iPhone charge, listen to music, play games or watch movies on it during the flight and land on the other side of the pond with enough battery life left to get me through the day. Given the fact that most Europe-bound TATLs leave the US at night and arrive at their destination in the morning, leaving a full day ahead of me, I need plenty of battery. It would be nice to be able to swap in a fully charged battery upon arrival. And if I could afford a first class seat with power ports, I could just afford to carry 2 or 3 iPhones with me and swap the SIM when the battery on one dies

 

[cualexander]

I solved the battery issue with a battery from imaxpower. That sucker gives me at least 2-3 full charges after my initial charge from my iPhone runs dry. I used it when I flew an 8hour flight to Ireland and had no trouble watching videos the whole flight.

It has more juice than a replacement battery would have anyways. It's a tad big, but there are other options out there as well for more portability including battery powered cases.

So I don't think the battery replacement holds that much water really.

 

[skwoytek]

iPhone already multi-task core apps. I can listen to what I want on my iPod while doing that too and the battery will outlast the Pre by a huge margin.

I'm wondering if voice dialing makes the phone app multi-task. The keynote mentioned you can activate it from anywhere. It'd be nice if it let you go back to what you were doing right afterwards.

 

[Goona]

Yep. There is no excuse for Palm being a new player in the game. Nope they have been at it for years. To compare the Pre to the original iPhone is silly. Palm should have produced a product that would be ahead of the game from everyone.

Apple did it, and they are new to the smartphone business. No excuses for Palm, and no excuses for their arrogant campaign and no excuses for their CEO who bragged:

"We've learned and struggled for a few years here figuring out how to make a decent phone," Ed Colligan apparently laughed about with John Markoff last Thursday morning. "PC guys are not going to just figure this out. They're not going to just walk in."

Nope, Apple didn't walk in, they walked in and swept you aside.

People are acting like Palm is new to the game, they've been producing phones and PDAs for years, it's just that they put out crap which is why they are in the position they are. Meanwhile Apple who just entered the business 2 years ago is finding more success than them.

 

[skwoytek]

You say worst battery life? This will probably be fixed in firmware updates. As for the lack of apps, the phone has only been out for what, three days? They'll come.

You shouldn't write off a phone that's only a few days old. I sure didn't, despite the limited apps, and crappy battery life.

Actually, I would write it off, at least until these changes you say will probably happen actually happen. There's no guarantee and once your 30 days is up, too bad...

 

[marksman]

How long does it take you to swap a fresh battery into your iPhones?

It takes me zero time as it is wholly unnecessary if you are not a monkey with cranial damage.

So again the iPhone wins!

Woohoo.

 

[airlights]

Why can't these things just be "to each their own"? Everyone has a different preference when it comes to mobile devices, so must they be branded as an "iPhone killer" or whatever?

 

[teiresias]

Geez people, both phones have good and bad points, both have strengths and weaknesses. The only people that seem to have some need to declare one phone "destroying" the other seem to be some insecure fanboys on either side.

I'm moving from my iPhone to some other phone, not sure which one yet, simply because the AT&T coverage where I've moved recently is absolutely horrendous, so I can't validate keeping them as my carrier.

IMO, many of the new hardware features in the 3GS are really nice - for those that will use them. I never use my camera phone for anything beyond taking a quick pic of something to remind me of something, and I certainly don't need video in my phone. Voice dialing being passed off as a "hardware feature" and not being included as part of the 3.0 software just rubs me the wrong way as I view voice dialing as a safety feature. Keep the voice iPod control in the new phone to make it a selling point if you want, but basic voice control with the phone really should be included in the 3.0 software upgrade.

I don't think 3.0 or the new phone really address some of the iPhone OS usability issues - namely the pop-up notification system that I find antiquated next to the WebOS's notification system. It seems this is a function of there being a "home screen" you generally have to return to on the iphone. You're either in an application or on one of the home screens - uni-app use (excepting some core apps of course), so when you get a notification they can't really do what the Pre does. The Pre makes the notifications sort of another item on the "desktop" of the phone. It's the working space analogy each OS works within. IMO, I'm really tired of the iPhone's pop-up notifications, and it becomes quickly apparent when I'm in a long text conversation with someone and trying to do other things at the same time.

I'm worried Apple doesn't see something wrong with the way the pop-ups work either because now they're touting how app developers can throw pop-up notifications at you now as well, great, just more non-ignorable interruptions when I'm trying to type something.

Anyway, WebOS and the iPhone OS both have usability issues and both do some things better than the other. Hardware is another issue, but that's really a specific user-by-user thing, and as I said, none of the new hardware features on the 3GS really speak to me and what I tend to use my phone for.

All that said, if the iPhone were available on another carrier would I keep using it and upgrade? More than likely yes, but it's not, so there's really nothing more to be said. The sooner Apple stops saddling the iPhone with AT&T's sorry carrier service the better off they'll be.

 

[DougB541]

I totally agree. I loved the iPhone and jumped ship to the Pre on Saturday and I love it too. There are some things the iPhone did better, and there are somethings the Pre does better.

I think the fact that it really comes down to preference shows how good, and similar both phones are when you compare them overall. Sure the iPhone boasts much larger storage but the Pre boasts multi-tasking. For someone with a small music library but needs to multitask it's a no brainer. For someone with a large library and only a need for push it too is a no brainer.

Great post man.

A phone doesn't have to be better or worse.

They are two great phones...depending on your needs...pick your phone.

Hell, a lot of power users who can deal with Windows Mobile terrible UI wouldn't give it up because of how much flexibility and power is offered by a lot of WinMo phones.

 

[DougB541]

Heck, the Pre didn't even sell out after its hyped launch with ads placed all over the internet. The Pre is a good option, but the iPhone won't because of it.

Um who told you the Pre didn't' sell out?


That sucker can't be found anywhere and Palm is being criticized for not having enough phones at launch right now. (similar to the iPhone 2G launch).

Estimates are between 50k-100k...which is Sprints best opening weekend for a phone.

ANd why does everyone think Palm has to beat apple to "win".

What is there to win? They are reinventing their company and came out with a great v 1.0 device that will only get better.

People like Slappy get insulted when people say good things about the Pre so he feels the need to lash out and defend the iPhone....but these two can co-exist...much like RIM and Apple has been doing for the last 2 years.

Only 21% of the phones out there right now are smartphones....there is plenty of space out there for marketshare.

 

[soopamac]

The 99 dollar iphone destroys the Pre, forget about the 3gs, the Pre is not even in it's class. This is why the Palm supporters have gotten so desperate, they say we should compare the Pre to the original iphone released 2 years ago.

I agree. The $99 is too good to pass up by new customers. Many people don't know what a palm pre is, but they do know about the iPhone. I'm betting the $99 price will sinificantly increase iPhone sales.