The rest of the built-in software is similarly well-designed, including a music player so slick you could slide off it. Web browsing is fast and accurate thanks to Wi-Fi, HSDPA and a good on-board browser, and Google Maps works as smoothly as usual.
Applications can be slightly slow to start up at times, and the phone itself takes an eternity to boot up, but it's nothing serious. Maybe the recent firmware upgrade can take the credit for the fact that the Pre is one of the most responsive touchscreen phones we've tested, although the iPhone 3GS' super-snappy UI still has the edge.
Catalog of errors
Unfortunately, when you decide it's time to go off-piste and hit the App Catalog, things come crashing to a brutal and sudden halt. There are a few decent apps on there, but mostly there's just the sound of rolling tumbleweeds, especially when you compare it to the monstrously packed Apple App Store or the burgeoning Android Market. A Facebook app is missing, and some of the flagship apps that you may have read about, like the Pandora streaming radio app, are only available in the US.
It's not even good news that all the apps are free. It may be because they're free that there aren't more apps on the store, since developers will lack an incentive to get creative until Palm gets its payment scheme sorted out.
Palm's app store is also missing many of the features that we've come to love on the Apple App Store, like the ability to browse apps online. Palm tells us that the App Catalog will be beefing up soon, with new features including support for paid-for apps, but, in the meantime, the Pre is dragging a broken leg behind it.
Touch my stone
Of course, all this smart-phone power means that the Pre drains its battery like nobody's business. Palm admits that you'll need to be careful with battery life and charge the Pre every day. The company suggests that we all rush to the shops to pick up the Touchstone charger, which is a little wireless charging platform that juices up your Pre while it's sitting on your desk. The Touchstone looks cool, but we don't think we'd bother spending roughly £40 on it and the special back cover you also have to buy for the phone.
We found that, if we didn't put the Pre on the Touchstone in just the right place, it wouldn't charge, and you can't charge with it over USB, or sync the phone via the Touchstone. Since we can do all that with a standard micro-USB cable, we'd rather save a few bob and take the time to pry open the Pre's fiddly USB socket cover.
Conclusion
The Palm Pre is a lovely, intuitive and fast phone that's a pleasure to poke. Its touchscreen user interface is exemplary. Thanks to Palm's intelligent use of gesture and multi-touch functionality, the smooth, pebble-like case needs hardly any buttons. Typing on the extra-small physical keyboard may be problematic for some, though.
Synergy smoothly brings your online accounts together, although it only supports a handful of services, and the excellent Web browser is just one example of a well-rounded suite of on-board applications. But the App Catalog is still a tiny sprout, rather than a full-blown garden of delights like the Apple App Store and Android Market.
Edited by Charles Kloet
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davros123 3 March 2010
Good: WebOS its just awesome!
Bad: Oreo effect on the slider
Comment: I will preface this review by saying I go through phones faster than most people change there underpants. I think its a bit of an adiction. I have had all 3 models of the iPhone, a HTC HD2, a Google G1 and T-Mobile Pulse in the past year so i feel i can make a pretty good judgment bassed on the competition.
I got the Palm Pre about 6 weeks ago after pretty much ignoring it at launch due to its luke warm response. I think it got this response purely because the mobile phone websites and press seem to only like phones that have an i at the front of the name.
I have no intention of parting with this phone and I love the intuative OS, speed and the physical keyboard is great after you adjust to using it.
There are plenty of apps out there to use on both the marketplace and on Preware through the thriving homebrew comunity. It syncs perfectly with iTunes if you download iTunes version 9 and dont update it. Its also intigrates seamlessly with Facebook and my Exchange mail servers.
Now 1.4 has come it has added a video camera and lots of other tweaks here and there which make this phone a pleasure to use. Multitasking is fantastic as you can pause a game for example and quickly respond to a text for example.
I cant recomend this phone enough! If you are looking for a new smartphone check this phone out.
James Webb 3 March 2010
Good: Multi-tasking, size, keyboard & user interface, synergy
Bad: lack of apps but this will change
Comment: Fantastic little device, does what I need from a device in a new way. Multi-tasking on this phone is excellent and really easy to use. After using the Pre and going back to similar smartphones, I find it difficult, frustrating and slow to get stuff done.
The Pre is the new kid on the block and deserves a look. 10 out of 10 from me
kategorgeous 1 March 2010
Good: keyboard, looks, Google "synchronicity"
Bad: limited apps, can't use as modem, sometimes crashes, terrible battery life, only 8GB memory
Comment: I've had this phone for a couple of months now. I think it's a nice small size and fits in the hand comfortably. As a phone it seems to do the job OK. But as a music player i-tunes no longer recognises it so you cannot set up playlists any more and there doesn't seem to be software to do so. The Palm OS software sometimes seems to hang and also occasionally get a weird message about "too many cards open" when I have none open. The user experience is OK, flipping between pages and the flippy open keyboard is great for people like me who cannot get on with the i-phone keyboard. My biggest gripe is that I used to be able to use my previous phone, a Nokia E51 (fantastic phone, wish I'd just got a newer version rather than this Palm Pre) as a modem with my laptop so that I could connect to the internet while out and about when there was not Wi-Fi available. However, O2 have barred this from the Palm Pre. I believe that it has the capability but O2 have stopped it. Arse! HOWEVER, I do like the synchronicity with Google Calendars an Google Contacts so you can have your MAC or PC permanently sync'd with Google and your phone. It would be nice if the "Tasks" sync'd too though.
I have a 18 month contract with this new phone and will definately be going back to Nokia when it is over. I think Palm had a good potential to whoop the arses of I-Phone with their "proper keyboard" and could have given it the option of upgrading the memory (via mini SD) and upgrading the battery (the supplied battery lasts about half a day with regular use.)
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