Palm Pre previews pretty well

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Thursday, 04 June 2009 18:33

Opinion and Analysis

The interface matches and even betters much of the iPhone’s with one that is, at least at the start, even more fun, as you flick your program “cards” around and multi-task between different programs.

The Pre does have a keyboard, but its keys are smaller than those you’d find on a BlackBerry. To counter this, Palm has made its keys somehow feel slightly sticky, which some users say actually makes typing easier despite the keys being smaller.

Just as iPhone OS 2.0 made users wait long times to start simple things like the SMS app and others, reports say the Pre can also make users wait from time to time, for up to 8 or 9 seconds, before a selected program is ready to use.

The Pre’s instant messaging capabilities are also well promoted by Palm, but they’re also apparently responsible for lower than expected amounts of charge time in batteries, with some previewers finding a relatively heavily used Pre asking for a recharge by early afternoon.

At least the battery can be removed, unlike with the iPhone, but the word is that if you’re getting a day’s worth of use out of the device, you’re doing very well.

Talk time is rated at 5 hours, while music playback is rated at 12. That’s not so good for music but relatively respectable for talk, however talk time suffers when the CDMA connection is activated and frequent use a data connection is made. 

Pinching in and zooming out photos works as expected through the magic of multi-touch, and amazingly, Palm seems to be getting ready to launch the technology – without having first yet heard of an injunction or lawsuit from Apple.

The Pre also syncs with iTunes by pretending to be a real iPod. You can transfer whatever mp3 or DRM-free files you want – except, of course, for those DRM “protected” iTunes music files you’ve purchased, with these unable to be played back via the Pre’s music player.

Palm Pre is an amazing product that will undoubtedly resonate with many, but it’s a shame it comes so late after a raft of iPhone-killer contenders, a number of which have already come and gone with little iPhone sales impact.

Had it been here this time last year, it would have been hailed as truly outdoing the iPhone, but 12 months on from the iPhone 3G, and with a brand new iPhone on the verge  of Jobsification, Palm’s Pre might need to say a little prayer or two to ensure attention and momentum is still going Palm’s way.

Pre is indeed a great and clever looking phone, but can the Pre take a bite out of its predator, the iPhone? We’ll just have to wait and Pre… er… I mean… see!