Palm Pre goes up against its touchscreen rivals

Posted: 16 March 2009

The latest offering from Palm - named the Pre - is set to be launched in the UK at some point during the second quarter of 2009 and, despite the fact the manufacturer has yet to offer a confirmed release date, the handset is generating a great deal of anticipation in the industry - with some even suggesting it could be the latest phone to position itself as a potential iPhone killer.

Last month, Palm unveiled its new device at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and drew particular attention to the "groundbreaking" webOS mobile platform that has been specially designed by the firm for use with the Pre.

Intended to be as web-friendly as possible, this new operating system marks a first for the company and could re-establish it as a force to be reckoned with in the portable data and communications sector.

Palm revealed that the webOS connects contacts, calendars and other personal information and integrates it with the operation of the phone itself. "Palm webOS is the first mobile platform to automatically bring your information from the many places it resides - on your phone, at your work or on the web - into one simple, integrated view," it said in a statement.

The platform uses existing web technologies such as CSS, XHTML and JavaScript and attempts to combine them for use with a "vast ecosystem of partners", which could mean the same kind of open source software that saw the T Mobile G1 revolutionise the industry when it became the first to offer Google's Android operating system.

Palm is hoping to encourage developers, hardware suppliers and other service providers to deliver solutions that complement the webOS platform, which not only places the Pre as a direct contender for the Apple iPhone 3G and T Mobile G1, but also the Nokia N97 and devices that utilise Windows Mobile - such as the Blackberry Storm, HTC Touch HD, LG KC910 Renoir and Samsung Pixon.

Unveiled last year at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the Nokia N97 could be the most immediate threat to the Palm Pre's plans to kill off Apple and Android. The phone will use the latest version of the Finnish manufacturer's own Symbian system and also promises a tilting touch display, full qwerty keyboard and personalised home screen. Nokia has already been quoted as saying that the N97 represents "a true mobile computer".

The phone is equipped with a 3.5-inch touchscreen, easy access to social networking websites and is said to be an Nseries device that combines sensor, memory and processing technology that makes it much more than just a normal mobile phone.

Jonas Geust, vice president of Nokia's Nseries systems, said: "From the desktop to the laptop and now to your pocket, the Nokia N97 is the most powerful, multi-sensory mobile computer in existence." He added combined with the Ovi messaging services and access to features such as Nokia Maps, the N97 will adjust to the needs of the individual and be adaptable enough to cope with the ever-changing internet.

The phone has a 16:9 widescreen display, up to 48GB of storage - 32 GB of which is already on-board - and has a five-megapixel camera that boasts Carl Zeiss optics and can capture DVD quality. In addition, HSDPA and WLAN connectivity will also be included.

Of course, there are a number of existing mobile phones that the Palm Pre will also have to go up against, one of which will be the BlackBerry Storm. Released exclusively on Vodafone last tear, Research In Motion's first entry into the touchscreen market promises all the features that have become synonymous with the brand - and have made it popular with business users. However, social networking access and a number of enhanced multimedia facilities make it a more mainstream entry into the company's range.

The clickable touchscreen is also an innovative first that the Storm can claim and offers access to the handsets various functions, which include the SureType onscreen qwerty keyboard as well as 3G connectivity, access to Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, a 3.2-megapixel camera, 1GB of onboard memory expandable to 16GB with a microSD memory card and a 3.5 mm stereo headset jack. Other features include Bluetooth A2DP support and a 3.25-inch glass screen with 480 x 360 resolution - making the BlackBerry Storm something that the company believe make it a bit of an all-rounder.

Mike Lazaridis, president and co-chief executive officer at Research In Motion, commented on the phone's release: "The BlackBerry Storm is a revolutionary touch-screen smartphone that meets both the communications and multimedia needs of customers and solves the longstanding problem associated with typing on traditional touch-screens. Consumers and business customers alike will appreciate this unique combination of a large and vibrant screen with a truly tactile touch interface."

Other existing contenders will include the HTC Touch HD, with its five-megapixel camera, TouchFLO 3D user interface, 3.5mm headphone jack and high performance 3.8 inch screen. The "artistically inspired" KC910 Renoir, on the other hand, is LG's attempt to rule the roost with an eight-megapixel sensor, Wi-F and Dolby Mobile sound, among other features.

"Renoir is much more than a camera phone. It truly puts everything at your fingertips and provides a multi-sensorial experience through sight, sound and touch," said Dr Skott Ahn, president and chief executive at LG Electronics Mobile Communications. However, not to be outdone, Samsung's Pixon also offers the same level of photographic promise and boasts a good deal of memory on which to store music, images, video and other applications. Elsewhere, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 claims to offer a "convergence of multimedia entertainment and mobile web communication" in the same way that the Palm Pre has.

However, the webOS sytem featured on the Pre aims to achieve this end with Palm Synergy, designed specifically for use with the phone, which Ed Colligan, the firm's president and chief executive officer, believes will add to a phone that will be "game-changing".

"Its technology that seems like its thinking ahead to bring you what you care about most - your people, your time and your information. In the easiest and most seamless way," he concludes.

Copyright © 2009 MobileShop.com