Palm Pre Is Nice, But I'm Keeping My iPhone

Palm has done a nice job with the Pre, which goes on sale tomorrow: As others who've used it have said, it's a good-looking, zippy smartphone with perhaps the second-most powerful operating system on the market. But after a few minutes playing with one, I'm in no hurry to get rid of my Apple iPhone 3G.

Important: This is not a comprehensive review. I only spent about 15 minutes with the Pre this morning, and trying out a new phone is like trying on someone else's glasses -- dizzying. I'm going to spend a lot more time with the Pre when Sprint ships me a review unit, and maybe that'll change my mind. (Note to AT&T: Your pitiful NYC data network is the biggest reason I'd switch. You MUST improve this.)

But while I was impressed with the phone's quickness, the ability to run multiple apps at once, and Palm's overall hardware and software design, it is not enough to get me to switch from an iPhone.

* The app platform and app store -- where I spend a lot of time on the iPhone -- is nowhere near competitive yet. Forget about potentially playing the same games as you can on the iPhone.
* The physical keyboard is too small to make typing much easier than on the iPhone's on-screen keyboard (and I don't even have fat fingers).
* The operating system and controls aren't as simple and intuitive as they are on the iPhone. It takes some training and getting used to, whereas I think the iPhone is so stupid-simple that anyone can master it right away.
* There's no virtual keyboard for typing quick messages with the phone closed. You really have to open it every time you want to respond to someone.

So: Nice gadget. It's something that's going to get better as Palm irons out the kinks, and assuming app developers start writing apps for it. (And it also slices cheese!)

Sprint should be able to sell a bunch to its subscribers who want the best smartphone Sprint offers. But what Palm investor Roger McNamee said about iPhone users -- "not one of those people will still be using an iPhone a month later" -- is obviously wrong.

See Also:
CHART OF THE DAY: Palm's Hail Mary
3 Reasons The Palm Pre Might Not Bomb
Palm Pre Cool But Not As Good As Apple's iPhone

Comments

[rgcon]

Isn't it ridiculous that so many cell phones are restricted to a single carrier? Can you imagine if computers were that way -- if you have a Dell, you can only log on using Comcast; if you have an HP, you can only use Verizon; if you have a MAC, only AOL. That seems, and is, unthinkable. So why are cell phones exclusive to a service carrier. I should be able to get an iPhone (or a Pre or a Storm) and use it on any network -- AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, or whatever -- and select my carrier based on the service they provide and the fees they charge. Maybe we need an act of Congress to eliminate all exclusivity agreements between phone manufacturers and service providers.

[dlo2zen]

the Pre cannot upload contacts effectively and/or efficiently, with respect to "sync" capacity, the Pre has no peer b/c it is the worse. Palm admits the Pre ohas no ability to "sync" with ANY data device, it can merely interact with web, just like every single phone out there - the Pre is a "cute" piece of garbage and it will soon be the answer to the trivia question Why did Palm Inc. go out of business?

The Pre forces you to dump your data onto Google (and basically only Google) and then the Pre user can ATTEMPT to load the Google data into the phone thru "synergy." It doesnt work. The Pre is not an iPhone killer, the Pre is a big windfall for iPhone and Blackberry,