Palm Pre Plus review

There are still plenty of decent apps available, such as the official Facebook app, but the Pre Plus is a good choice only if you're not that bothered by the app madness sweeping the nation. While the Pre Plus' user interface is good enough to take on all comers, its app store definitely isn't.

WebOS wonder
It's a pity that the App Catalog hasn't taken off with a vengeance, because the webOS operating system is one of our favourites. It doesn't seem as innovative now as it did on the Pre, but that's because many of its benefits have been aped by phones running the Android operating system. For example, webOS can multitask, so you can run several apps at once, which you can't do much of on the iPhone. There's also the Synergy feature, which merges your contacts from your Gmail and Outlook accounts with info from Facebook, LinkedIn and other social networks.

For social-networking fiends, there's an official Facebook app, a choice of Twitter apps, and a bundle of other options. The Web browser is small but perfectly formed, so, if there isn't an app for your particular need, you can just go online instead.

If good old email is more your cup of tea, you'll be glad to know that the Pre Plus has one of the slickest email clients available on a phone. It brings all of your mail into one place, letting you view it in separate inboxes or one huge mother of all inboxes. That's a feature you won't see on Android phones, which segregate Gmail from other email.

Conclusion
It's been almost a year since the original Palm Pre dropped in the US -- that's about 20 phone years. WebOS is still slick and user-friendly, and we can't wait to see it on tablets and netbooks. But there's been plenty of Android-flavoured water under the bridge since the Pre's launch, and the arrival of phones like the HTC Desire means the Pre Plus doesn't feel as fresh as its predecessor.

We also want more from the App Catalog, which still feels far behind its competitors. But, if you're not that bothered about apps, the Pre Plus does a great job of handling your mobile world, from contacts to email, in a beautifully designed smart-phone package.

Edited by Charles Kloet