Palm’s long-awaited Pre finally comes to the UK
The Palm Pre is one of the most anticipated smartphones of the year, offering a modern, gesture-driven user interface, built-in access to an online application store, and an operating system built around user information and the web.
Available in the UK from 16 October on the O2 network, the Pre is the first handset with Palm’s new WebOS platform, which features multi-tasking capabilities, extensive support for messaging, and tight integration between its built-in applications so that users can easily see information such as contact details aggregated from various sources.
In terms of specifications, the Pre is a quad-band GSM phone with 3G/HSDPA support at up to 3.6Mbit/s and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi for internet access. It also has Bluetooth support for wireless headsets. Its display is a 3.1in touch screen with 320 x 480 resolution. It also has GPS capability for location-based services, such as the built-in Google Maps, and an accelerometer that senses if you rotate the device and changes the display to match.
Comparisons with the iPhone are inevitable, and based on our tests we believe the Pre is easily a match for Apple’s device; it weighs the same (135g), its gesture-based user interface is equally easy to use, and it has built-in access to an online application store (the Palm App Catalog).
Where the Pre beats the iPhone is on size; it is smaller in each dimension (59.5mm x 100.5mm) except thickness (16.95mm), where it is a few millimetres larger, and its rounded shape makes the Pre more comfortable to hold. It also has a slide-down Qwerty keypad that makes messaging much easier and more convenient than using an on-screen soft keyboard.
However, like the iPhone, the Pre lacks a memory card slot to expand on its built-in storage, but whereas newer versions of the iPhone have 16GB or 32GB, the Pre has only 8GB as standard.
Key points for consumers are that the Pre can not only link to your Facebook or Gmail account, but can import contacts and calendar events directly from these services.
