Review: Palm Pre, iPhone 3GS Neck-And-Neck
The smart phone wars have heated up over the past few days with the release of Palm's new Pre and Apple's announcements of a new iPhone, a cheaper price for its existing phone and a new operating system for users of all iPhones.
The Palm Pre, which hit stores on Saturday for $199 after rebate (and a two year contract with Sprint) is a very worthy competitor for Apple. Unlike the iPhone it has a physical keyboard which, while a bit small, is quite good. But it also has a touch screen that you can use to launch programs, zoom, shrink or move windows and dial the phone, although there's no onscreen virtual keyboard for entering text.
One of the things I like best about the Pre is that you can synchronize it over the air. Rather than connect it to a PC or Mac to move over contacts and calendar items, you simply sign in to your existing accounts and it brings over all the data via the Sprint network. It works with Google's calendar and Gmail, Yahoo and other web-based services as well as for businesses with Microsoft Exchange servers. Apple does this through its $99 a year MobileMe service but Palm does it for free with a variety of services.
Like the iPhone the Pre has a media player for video and music and it does come with a cable to move music and video files from a PC or Mac. But rather than write their own synchronization software, Palm encourages users to synch their media files with Apple's free iTunes software. When a Pre is connected, iTunes thinks it's an iPod or iPhone. I'm not sure what Apple's legal department will have to say about that, but if Palm can get away with it, it makes life easier all around.
I also like the way Palm organizes windows. The device's Web OS operating system is multi-tasking so you can run several programs at once but to make the most out of the Pre's small screen, each program runs in a "card" and all the cards become visible when you press the Pre's physical button below the screen. You then use your finger to flick from card to card and just touch the card you want to make full screen. To close a program you simply flick the card up and away.
You can dial the phone by punching numbers on the onscreen keyboard or typing them from the physical keyboard but you're more likely to just start typing the name of the person you want to call so the phone can look up and dial the number for you. That's also the case with the Blackberry, iPhone and most other smart phones.
I like the Pre a lot but I do have a few complaints. It's a little sluggish - not terrible, but enough so I notice slight delays. And while it's relatively user-friendly, it's not as friendly as the iPhone. I find myself having to think about what to do and occasionally having to type "help" to bring up the cheat sheet, whereas with the iPhone I don't recall having hardly any learning curve other than getting used to the iPhone's virtual keyboard. Except for typing on the screen (which I'm still not 100% comfortable doing), it just seemed to be obvious right out of the box.
There are some things I like better about the Pre than the iPhone and the opposite is also true so, on balance, if you had to buy a smart phone today, I think the Pre and the iPhone are pretty much neck and neck. But wait - Apple isn't sitting still. Not only did the company on Monday announce a new iPhone, it also announced free software that will upgrade existing models.
The iPhone 3G S (which I haven't yet tested) is said to be faster than the existing 3G, have much better battery life and come with a 3 megapixel camera that can also record video. It will come with twice the memory for the same price: $199 for 16 GB and $299 for 32 GB, up from 8 and 16. The Palm Pre comes with jut 8 GB. Also, Apple reduced the starting price of its existing 3G phone to $99.
Apple says that the phone will load applications faster and take advantage of upcoming planned speed improvements in AT&T's 3G network. Apple also says that the new phone will have better battery life including up to 5 hours of 3G talk time or 12 hours if you're on the 2G network. The new phone's 3 megapixel camera will also have autofocus and an automatic macro mode for close-ups. The big news is that it will record video with software that will let you easily send or post the video. Though lacking in the Pre, video is pretty common on phones but the new iPhone lets you edit video from the phone which is very cool.
Catching up with the Pre (and most other smart phones), Apple's new operating system, which comes out on June 17th, will upgrade all iPhones with cut, copy and paste features.
Simply based on memory configuration, the iPhone hardware is now less expensive than the Pre, but it might cost you more to use it. Sprint has some pretty aggressive pricing, including a $99 "Simply Everything" plan that covers unlimited voice, data and texting. AT&T bas a $99 "Nation Unlimited" plan for voice but you must also pay $30 for the data plan plus an optional $20 for unlimited text messages. Before buying a phone, check out the carriers plans to see what makes sense for your usage patterns.
Unlike the Pre, Blackberry and most other phones, the iPhone doesn't have a removable battery which is a problem for existing phones that sometimes run out of juice during a single day. If Apple delivers on its promise of better battery life that will be less of an issue but I still like being able to carry extra batteries just in case.
The new iPhone will be available June 19. Expect long lines at Apple and AT&T stores. The Palm Pre is available now. There aren't long lines at Sprint stores, Best Buy or other retailers, but there are shortages.
Copyright 2009 CBS. All rights reserved. The Palm Pre, which hit stores on Saturday for $199 after rebate (and a two year contract with Sprint) is a very worthy competitor for Apple. Unlike the iPhone it has a physical keyboard which, while a bit small, is quite good. But it also has a touch screen that you can use to launch programs, zoom, shrink or move windows and dial the phone, although there's no onscreen virtual keyboard for entering text.
One of the things I like best about the Pre is that you can synchronize it over the air. Rather than connect it to a PC or Mac to move over contacts and calendar items, you simply sign in to your existing accounts and it brings over all the data via the Sprint network. It works with Google's calendar and Gmail, Yahoo and other web-based services as well as for businesses with Microsoft Exchange servers. Apple does this through its $99 a year MobileMe service but Palm does it for free with a variety of services.
Like the iPhone the Pre has a media player for video and music and it does come with a cable to move music and video files from a PC or Mac. But rather than write their own synchronization software, Palm encourages users to synch their media files with Apple's free iTunes software. When a Pre is connected, iTunes thinks it's an iPod or iPhone. I'm not sure what Apple's legal department will have to say about that, but if Palm can get away with it, it makes life easier all around.
I also like the way Palm organizes windows. The device's Web OS operating system is multi-tasking so you can run several programs at once but to make the most out of the Pre's small screen, each program runs in a "card" and all the cards become visible when you press the Pre's physical button below the screen. You then use your finger to flick from card to card and just touch the card you want to make full screen. To close a program you simply flick the card up and away.
You can dial the phone by punching numbers on the onscreen keyboard or typing them from the physical keyboard but you're more likely to just start typing the name of the person you want to call so the phone can look up and dial the number for you. That's also the case with the Blackberry, iPhone and most other smart phones.
I like the Pre a lot but I do have a few complaints. It's a little sluggish - not terrible, but enough so I notice slight delays. And while it's relatively user-friendly, it's not as friendly as the iPhone. I find myself having to think about what to do and occasionally having to type "help" to bring up the cheat sheet, whereas with the iPhone I don't recall having hardly any learning curve other than getting used to the iPhone's virtual keyboard. Except for typing on the screen (which I'm still not 100% comfortable doing), it just seemed to be obvious right out of the box.
There are some things I like better about the Pre than the iPhone and the opposite is also true so, on balance, if you had to buy a smart phone today, I think the Pre and the iPhone are pretty much neck and neck. But wait - Apple isn't sitting still. Not only did the company on Monday announce a new iPhone, it also announced free software that will upgrade existing models.
The iPhone 3G S (which I haven't yet tested) is said to be faster than the existing 3G, have much better battery life and come with a 3 megapixel camera that can also record video. It will come with twice the memory for the same price: $199 for 16 GB and $299 for 32 GB, up from 8 and 16. The Palm Pre comes with jut 8 GB. Also, Apple reduced the starting price of its existing 3G phone to $99.
Apple says that the phone will load applications faster and take advantage of upcoming planned speed improvements in AT&T's 3G network. Apple also says that the new phone will have better battery life including up to 5 hours of 3G talk time or 12 hours if you're on the 2G network. The new phone's 3 megapixel camera will also have autofocus and an automatic macro mode for close-ups. The big news is that it will record video with software that will let you easily send or post the video. Though lacking in the Pre, video is pretty common on phones but the new iPhone lets you edit video from the phone which is very cool.
Catching up with the Pre (and most other smart phones), Apple's new operating system, which comes out on June 17th, will upgrade all iPhones with cut, copy and paste features.
Simply based on memory configuration, the iPhone hardware is now less expensive than the Pre, but it might cost you more to use it. Sprint has some pretty aggressive pricing, including a $99 "Simply Everything" plan that covers unlimited voice, data and texting. AT&T bas a $99 "Nation Unlimited" plan for voice but you must also pay $30 for the data plan plus an optional $20 for unlimited text messages. Before buying a phone, check out the carriers plans to see what makes sense for your usage patterns.
Unlike the Pre, Blackberry and most other phones, the iPhone doesn't have a removable battery which is a problem for existing phones that sometimes run out of juice during a single day. If Apple delivers on its promise of better battery life that will be less of an issue but I still like being able to carry extra batteries just in case.
The new iPhone will be available June 19. Expect long lines at Apple and AT&T stores. The Palm Pre is available now. There aren't long lines at Sprint stores, Best Buy or other retailers, but there are shortages.
Popular in SciTech
- Apple's next iPhone may be coming in June
- Greatest threat to Africa's white lions: American hunters Play Video
- Thousands online proclaim: Jahar Tsarnaev is innocent
- "God particle": Why the Higgs boson matters
- Alternatives to Google Reader
- Apple's iPhone 6 may have bigger screen, analyst says
- Beam this up: Creating the sounds of "Star Trek"
- Drone technology myths, facts and future feats
List of some of our products:
Apple iPad 64GB ........ $500
Apple iPad 32Gb ......... $450
I- PHONE
**************
iPhone 4GS 32Gb ..... $400
iPhone 4GS 16Gb ...... $350
iPhone 3GS 32GB ....$300
iPhone 3GS 16GB .....$280
8GB iPhone 3G.. ......$220
16GB iPhone 3G........$260
Google Nexus 1 .... $350
HTC HD2 .............. $350
NOKIA PHONES
******************
Nokia N97............ $400
Nokia N96............$350
Nokia N95... . ... 280usd [ 8GB]
Nokia N95..........250 usd [4GB]
Nokia N8 ........... $320
Nokia E90---------320usd
Nokia N81---------270 usd [8gb]
Nokia N82..........290 USD
Nokia 5530 XpressMusic at $230
Nokia E72 ....................... $200
Nokia E75 ....................... $230
Nokia 5730 XpressMusic .....$250
Nokia E90 Commnuicator .... $270USD
Nokia E61..... . ..180usd
Nokia X3 ........... $230
Nokia X6 ........... $280
Samsung
**********************
Samsung Innov8 ......$280
Samsung S8000 Jet at $250
Samsung I8000 Omnia II at $270
Samsung B7610 OmniaPRO at $300
Samsung B7320 OmniaPRO at $280
Samsung B7300 Omnia LITE at $260
Samsung M8910 Pixon12 at $240
Samsung i900 Omnia 8GB at $280USD
Samsung i900 Omnia 16GB at $300USD
SONY ERICSSON PHONES
******************************
Sony Ericsson C905.....$300usd
Sony Ericsson C901 GreenHeart $220
Sony Ericsson Naite $200
Sony Ericsson Satio (Idou) $250
Sony Ericsson Aino $230
Sony Ericsson Yari $190
Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 at $320USD
BLACK BERRY:
***************************
Black Berry Storm 2................... $300
Black Berry Curve .................... $320
Blackberry Bold 9000 ............... $280USD
Blackberry Storm 9500 Touch Screen .. $290USD
Blackberrry Bold 2 9700 ................. $320
Blackberry Bold 3 ........................... $370
Blackberry Torch ............................. $410
THE ABOVE LISTED MOBILE PHONES ARE BRAND NEW PHONES WITH ALL THEIR COMPLETE ACCESSORIES AND CARRIES 1 FULL YEAR INTERNATIONAL WARRANTY
Contact:
Email:sales@shopforfones.com
website: www.shopforfones.com
Tel:+447024071844
+447024055150
Interested clients can join us online now on MESSENGER( shop4fones)
MSN: shop4fones
Yahoo: shop4fones
Skype: shop4fones
Gmail: shop4fones
List of some of our products:
Apple iPad 64GB ........ $500
Apple iPad 32Gb ......... $450
I- PHONE
**************
iPhone 4GS 32Gb ..... $400
iPhone 4GS 16Gb ...... $350
iPhone 3GS 32GB ....$300
iPhone 3GS 16GB .....$280
8GB iPhone 3G.. ......$220
16GB iPhone 3G........$260
Google Nexus 1 .... $350
HTC HD2 .............. $350
NOKIA PHONES
******************
Nokia N97............ $400
Nokia N96............$350
Nokia N95... . ... 280usd [ 8GB]
Nokia N95..........250 usd [4GB]
Nokia N8 ........... $320
Nokia E90---------320usd
Nokia N81---------270 usd [8gb]
Nokia N82..........290 USD
Nokia 5530 XpressMusic at $230
Nokia E72 ....................... $200
Nokia E75 ....................... $230
Nokia 5730 XpressMusic .....$250
Nokia E90 Commnuicator .... $270USD
Nokia E61..... . ..180usd
Nokia X3 ........... $230
Nokia X6 ........... $280
Samsung
**********************
Samsung Innov8 ......$280
Samsung S8000 Jet at $250
Samsung I8000 Omnia II at $270
Samsung B7610 OmniaPRO at $300
Samsung B7320 OmniaPRO at $280
Samsung B7300 Omnia LITE at $260
Samsung M8910 Pixon12 at $240
Samsung i900 Omnia 8GB at $280USD
Samsung i900 Omnia 16GB at $300USD
SONY ERICSSON PHONES
******************************
Sony Ericsson C905.....$300usd
Sony Ericsson C901 GreenHeart $220
Sony Ericsson Naite $200
Sony Ericsson Satio (Idou) $250
Sony Ericsson Aino $230
Sony Ericsson Yari $190
Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 at $320USD
BLACK BERRY:
***************************
Black Berry Storm 2................... $300
Black Berry Curve .................... $320
Blackberry Bold 9000 ............... $280USD
Blackberry Storm 9500 Touch Screen .. $290USD
Blackberrry Bold 2 9700 ................. $320
Blackberry Bold 3 ........................... $370
Blackberry Torch ............................. $410
THE ABOVE LISTED MOBILE PHONES ARE BRAND NEW PHONES WITH ALL THEIR COMPLETE ACCESSORIES AND CARRIES 1 FULL YEAR INTERNATIONAL WARRANTY
Contact:
Email:oxygenmobiles@hotmail.com
Tel:+447024015707
Interested clients can join us online now on MESSENGER( oxygenmobiles)
MSN: oxygenmobiles
Yahoo: oxygenmobiles
Skype: oxygenmobiles
Gmail: oxygenmobiles
Canon EOS 400D / Rebel XTi Digital Camera with 18-55mm Lens
Canon EOS 400D / Rebel XTi Body Only Digital Camera
Canon EOS 30D Body Only Digital Camera
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS / 1000D Digital Camera with 18-55mm IS lens
Canon EOS-5D Body Only Digital Camera
Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II Digital Camera
Canon EOS 30D / EF-S 17-85mm IS Digital Camera
Canon EOS 30D Digital Camera with 18-55 Kit
Canon PowerShot G10 Digital Camera
Canon EOS-5D Body Mark II Digital Camera
Olympus EVOLT E-330 Digital Camera
Olympus EVOLT E-500 (Body Only) Digital Camera
Olympus Evolt E-510 (14-42mm) Digital Camera
Nikon D40x Digital Camera
Nikon D40 Digital Camera with G-II 18-55mm Lens
Nikon D80 Digital Camera with 18-135mm Lens
Nikon D80 Digital Camera with 18-200mm Lens
Nikon D80 Body Only Digital Camera
Nikon D200 Body Only Digital Camera
Nikon D200 Digital Camera with 18-200mm Lens
Nikon D2Xs (Body Only) Digital Camera
Nikon D200 Digital Camera with 18-135mm
Nikon D300 Digital Camera
Nikon D700 Digital camera
Nikon D3 Digital Camera
Canon VIXIA HG10 (40 GB) HDD Camcorder
Canon HR10 HDV Camcorder
Canon HV10 Mini DV Camcorder
Canon VIXIA HV30 DV Camcorder
Canon VIXIA HF100 Flash Media Camcorder
Toshiba Portege M200 Laptop Computer------$650
Dell Pentium III 750Mhz Latitude C610-----$400
Latitude C600 Model PP01L Laptop -----$350
Dell Inspiron 1150 Laptop Computer---$650
Dell Inspiron 1000 Laptop -Intel 2.2GHz---$350
Dell Inspiron 6000 Laptop Computer----$450
Dell Axim X50v PocketPC PDA Handheld computer----$350
Dell Optiplex GX150 SD P3 1GHz 256MB 20GB 17" NEC LCD------$350
Sony VAIO A170 Laptop Computer-----$600
Sony VAIO GRT250 Laptop Computer----$700
Sony VAIO V505DC1 Laptop Computer----$700
Sony VAIO GRT270 Laptop Computer------$800
Sony VAIO GRT100 Laptop Computer------$700
Sony VAIO PCG-GRX7001 Laptop Computer---$600
Sony VAIO PCG-R505ESK SuperSlim Pro Notebook---$550
Sony VAIO A130P Laptop Computer -------$1100
Sony VAIO VGN-B100B08 Laptop Computer Notebook---$530
Sony PCG-K33 VAIO K33 - Mobile Pentium 4----$550
contact us at this mails
techlink3@hotmail.com
techlink3@gmail.com
you can chat with us at techlink3@hotmail.com
phone number....+447024025830
Pioneer CDJ-1000 CD Player
Pioneer CMX-3000 Twin CD Player
Pioneer CDJ-800 CD Player
Pioneer CDJ-1000MK2
Pioneer CDJ-800MK2
Pioneer CDJ-1000MK3
Pioneer CDJ-500 CD-Player
Pioneer DJM-1000
Pioneer DJM-800
Pioneer DJM-600 Mixer
Pioneer DJM-3000 19" Mixer
Pioneer DJM-600-S Mixer
Pioneer DJM-909 Battle Mixer
Technics SL-1200MK2
Technics SL-DZ 1200
Technics SL-1210M5G Pro Turntable
Technics SL-1210MK5 Pro Turntable
Technics SH-MZ1200 4 Channel DJ Mixer
Denon DN-D4500 Pro DJ Dual CD/MP3 Player
Denon DN-D9000
Denon DN-D6000
Denon DN S3500 (CD player)
Denon DN S5000 (CD player)
Denon DN X1500s (Mixer)
HTC Omni.....$400USD
HTC Advantage X7501 (HTC Athena)..$400USD
HTC TyTN II P4550 (HTC Kaiser 120)$300USD
HTC S730 (HTC Wings 100)..........$280USD
HTC Touch Dual P5500 (HTC Nike 100)..$250USD
HTC Touch Cruise P3650 (HTC Polaris 100).$250USD
i-mate Ultimate 9150 for $380usd
i-mate Ultimate 8150 for $360usd
i-mate Ultimate 7150 for $340usd
i-mate Ultimate 6150 for $290usd
i-mate Ultimate 5150 for $250usd
Nokia N97 32Gb ...$350usd
GOLD Nokia 8800 Arte Diamond 24K Saphire ..$300usd
Nokia N99 Mobile Phone...$450USD
Nokia N96 Mobile Phone...$300USD
Nokia N95 8GB 3G Mobile Phone...$300USD
Nokia E71 Mobile Phone....$250USD
Nokia 8800 Arte Mobile Phone...$320USD
Nokia 8800 Sapphire Arte....$350USD
Apple iPhone Gold 24K 16GB unlocked ..$400USD
Apple iPhone 16gb 3G...$350USD
Apple iPhone 3GS 32GO....$400USD
Apple iPhone 8gb 3G....$300USD
Apple iPhone 16gb ...$270USD
BlackBerry Bold 9000 .............$350USD
BlackBerry Pearl 8110 ...$230USD
BlackBerry Pearl 8120 ...$205
E-TEN Glofiish M810...$300USD
E-TEN Glofiish M800...$300USD
E-TEN Glofiish M750...$280USD
E-TEN Glofiish V900...$270USD
contact us at this mails
techlink3@hotmail.com
techlink3@gmail.com
you can chat with us at techlink3@hotmail.com
phone number....+447024025830
Apple 3Gs 32GB iPhone
Apple 3Gs 16GB iPhone
Nokia N97
Samsung Omnia HD
Blackberry Storm
Apple 3G 8GB iPhone
Apple 3G 16GB Iphone
HTC Touch HD
Blackberry Pearl
Blackberry Thunder
Blackberry Bold
Blackberry Curve
Nokia 8800 Arte
Imate Ultimate 7150
Imate Ultimate 8150
Imate-Ultimate 9502
Imate-Ultimate 6150
Sony Ericsson R 306 Radio
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1
HTC Advantage X7510
HTC P347
HTC Touch Cruise
HTC Dual
HTC S730
HTC P6500
HTC TyTN II
Nokia N96
Nokia N80
Nokia E90
Nokia N86
WE SELL ALL BRAND OF MOBILE PHONES: SAMSUNG,NOKIA,SONY ERICSSON,IMATE,MOTOROLA,IPHONE,HTC,BLACKBERRY,LAPTOPS,PLASMA TV'S.
AND MORE OTHERS:
They are Brand New/Unlocked.
Email us at: electron.onlinestoresinc@gmail.com
Mr Rick Mantill
Sales/Advert Manager.
Email address : mediapoints_21@live.com
3G S APPLE IPHONE 16GB...........$450USD
3G S APPLE IPHONE 32GB...........$500USD
PACKAGE BOX INCLUDE:
iPhone 3G S
Stereo Headset with mic
Dock Connector to USB Cable
USB Power Adapter
Documentation
Cleaning/polishing cloth
SIM eject tool
WE MAKE SHIPPMENT VIA UPS OR FEDEX EXPRESS OR DHL EXPRESS IN 2 DAYS AFTER CONFIRMATION OF PAYMENT......
Email address : mediapoints_21@live.com
mediapoints_21@yahoo.com
Your full of it. Coming from Unix days and you were enthralled with MS DOS?
Guess what, now that the iPhone 3G S is out, this neck to neck is completely off the mark.
http://www.anandtech.com/gadgets/showdoc.aspx?i=3587
No s***! Really?
Wow, you Cupertino fanboyz really need a boost when you have to say an Apple product does better with an Apple product that some other product does with an Apple product.
Coming from the old Unix days, I was enthralled with M DOS. Then came MS DOS and the era of Redmond. Glory!
Sorry fellas.
Apple, like everything else, will pass.
Optical Grade Glass Oleophobic Coating Screen - NOT PLASTIC
CPU/GPU same as the pre
Open GL/ES 2.0 Optimized by iPhone OS
iTunes seamless integration
Movies
Video PodCast
Audio PodCast
TV Shows
Music
Music Videos
iTunes University
iTunes Latino
50 thousand apps and growing fast
REAL High End 3D accelerated Games
High End Applications
Dock Connector API and I can't wait to see the 3rd party hardware stuff coming this summer. This alone pushes the iPhone way beyond the wanna bees.
BT API
MobileMe with Locate me and Remote Wipe
Apps open and switch instantly now
Superior battery life by a huge margin
Video Recording ( Widescreen ) and Instant Editing right on the iPhone, Instant Share to YoutTube, MobileMe and eMail
Instantly share pictures to MobileMe Gallery
It's an iPod!!
Safari with AI, Multi-Touch controls
Real Cut, Copy & Paste. Yeah even non editable text can be copied.
Voice Memos
Voice Control and yeah not just English, Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese (China), Chinese (Taiwan), Dutch, English (UK), English (U.S.), Finnish, French (Canada), French (France), Germanm, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish,, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Spanish (Mexico), Spanish (Spain), Swedish
MMS with full copy and paste
Real Universal Global Search
Keyboard with the best predictive intelligence yet. Has 40 international layouts and growing. Nice to have a virtual keyboard to easily add languages.
Dictionary supports international languages also
Character recognition so you can write in Chinese characters!
Digital compass ( hikers/bikers/campers ) will love this
Tethering
Nike + iPod
Parental Control
Autofocus and selectable Focus on the Camera!
Photo and Video Geotagging