Palm Pre
Encyclopedia
The Palm Pre is a multimedia
smartphone
designed and marketed by Palm
with a multi-touch
screen and a sliding keyboard. The smartphone was the first to use Palm's Linux
based mobile operating system
, webOS (currently version 2.1.0). The Pre functions as a camera phone
, a portable media player
, and has location and navigation capabilities. The Pre also serves as a personal information manager
, has a number of communication and collaboration applications, and has Bluetooth
and Wi-Fi
connectivity built-in. The Pre design team was led by Matias Duarte
, Mike Bell
, Peter Skillman and Michael Abbott.
The Pre was launched on June 6, 2009, with Sprint
, and later also went on sale in Canada with Bell Mobility
. A GSM version of the original Pre was launched later in 2009 on a number of networks in Europe and in Mexico. A revised model, the Palm Pre Plus, which doubled the available memory
and internal storage, was launched on January 25, 2010, for Verizon Wireless
and later released on AT&T Mobility on May 16, 2010. The third generation of Palm Pre, the Palm Pre 2
, which uses HP webOS 2.0 was announced October 2010. The Palm Pre became the fastest selling phone in Sprint's history.
, as the first mobile phone to use the Texas Instruments OMAP 3430 processor, as well as its initial US exclusive carrier agreement with Sprint
, which operates a CDMA
network. Prior to the device launch, it was known internally by the codename Castle (after White Castle 'Slider' hamburgers, since this was Palm's first slider phone).
The Pre's incorporation of features similar to Apple's iPhone
, specifically elements of the user interface
, led to speculation of possible patent infringement
litigation, with Apple COO Tim Cook stating that "we will not stand for people ripping off our IP
" and Palm responding that they "have the tools necessary to defend [themselves]", hinting at Palm's large portfolio of patent
s.
On May 19, 2009, Sprint and Palm announced the Pre would be available beginning June 6, 2009 in the United States. The Pre retailed at Sprint stores and other locations, including select Radio Shack
and Best Buy
stores in the United States—as well as locations in Europe.
On May 28, 2009, Verizon Wireless
announced that it would also carry the Palm Pre in "about six months." A later comment from a Sprint spokesperson indicated that the launch carrier would have US exclusivity rights to the Pre "through 2009." Sprint's CEO, Dan Hesse, commented that his company and Palm had agreed not to discuss the length of the exclusivity deal, but remarked that "it's not six months."
On July 7, 2009, Telefónica announced that they would exclusively carry the Palm Pre in the UK, Spain, Ireland and Germany on their O2 and Movistar networks, with availability "before the winter holidays". The Palm Pre was available on O2 but is no longer available in the UK.
On July 27, 2009, during the company's second quarter conference call, Verizon chief operating officer
Denny Strigl
announced that Verizon Wireless would begin selling the Palm Pre in early 2010.
News coverage of the launch noted that the sales quantity was a record for any Sprint phone launch, and estimated sales of approximately 50,000 units for the day, and up to 100,000 for the week. However, reports stated that sales of the Pre in July and beginning of August were much lower than expected.
On August 27, 2009, Bell Canada made the Palm Pre available, with Bell supporting the data services on the EVDO Network.
On November 11, 2009, Palm announced that the Pre would be available in Mexico being the exclusive carrier Telcel
. It started being sold on November 27.
network in the "coming months". O2 launched the Palm Pre Plus on May 16, 2010, for US$149.99 with a free Touchstone charger for new customers.
screen. The phone was released to consumers in France (2010 October; SFR), Canada (2010 December; Rogers), and the U.S. (2011 February; Verizon) and is also available unlocked from HP. HP stated that Verizon Wireless customers will be able to use Skype Mobile for Skype-to-Skype calls and messaging when webOS 2.0 is released for consumer use.
+ PowerVR
SGX) underclocked to 500 MHz.
It uses a Marvell sd8686 chip as a Wireless LAN SDIO Adapter for the WiFi and STMicroelectronics VX6852 as a 3.15 megapixel resolution sensor (2048 x 1536) for camera.
The Pre has a full QWERTY keyboard. On the Pre, the keyboard slides out and is curved for ergonomics. In addition to the keyboard, the device features a single button in the center of the Gesture Area (absent in the Pre Plus), a volume rocker switch on the side, and a ringer switch on the top.
The Pre features three input sensors that allow it to respond to its surroundings. An accelerometer
automatically changes the orientation of the display between landscape and portrait when the device is rotated in the user's hands. An ambient light sensor allows the Pre to automatically adjust the brightness of its display. A proximity sensor
allows the Pre to disregard touch inputs when the phone is held close to a user's face during a call.
The original Pre has a 3 megapixel digital camera
with LED
flash
.
and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR with support for A2DP stereo headsets. A-GPS with support for turn-by-turn navigation
is also included, though access to aGPS
features remains locked for Verizon Wireless
users.http://www.precentral.net/3rd-party-apps-cannot-access-agps-verizon-palm-pre-pixi-plus For charging and data-transfer, the Pre uses a microUSB connector with USB 2.0 support, and audio output is supported by a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack. While the phone reports support for the Bluetooth DUN protocol, Sprint has not permitted use of the Pre in tethered (or "Phone as Modem") mode. Verizon does support tethering via their Mobile Hot Spot support. But the "homebrew community has many "patches" and apps that allow you to change settings on the Pre, one of them includes a free hotspot app for the Sprint users.
of internal flash storage (approximately 7.4 GB of which is user accessible). The Pre does not have a flash memory card slot. The Pre Plus has 16 GB
of internal flash storage.
cable, or by using an optional accessory for wireless charging using an electromagnetic induction
charging dock, dubbed the "Touchstone Charger." The Touchstone Charger requires compatible back cover, which also is sold separately for the Pre, while the Pre Plus comes with the touchstone-compatible back cover included.
-based platform that replaced Palm's previous Palm OS
.
. webOS also supports multi-touch
gestures, enabling most navigational input to be made using the touchscreen. The Pre does not include a virtual keyboard
, only a portrait-oriented slide-out keyboard. An onscreen, virtual keyboard is embedded in the code and can be made available through a third party patch. There are hundreds of third party patches that allow users to customize the usability and interface of the Pre.
, Yahoo!
, Facebook, LinkedIn
, and Microsoft Outlook
(via Exchange ActiveSync
). Contacts from all sources are then integrated into a single list. Synergy was highly innovative, and was regarded by many as a highlight of the new operating system, but received some criticism for being undiscerning in what it included in the contacts application. For example, Engadget commented that it had contacts that were simply Birthdays extracted from Facebook.
model, but uses no desktop sync
client (in the style of Palm's HotSync synchronization method).
However Palm has referenced a number of solutions for users who need to sync with their desktop software like Palm Desktop
, Microsoft Outlook
, or IBM Lotus Notes. Additionally, Mark/Space, Inc. has announced Macintosh
desktop sync software, and Chapura such software for Windows. Palm has offered an online guide to help customers.
developer Joey Hess, the Palm Pre periodically sends users' information to Palm. Palm gathers users' GPS information, along with data on every application used, and for how long it was used. This information is uploaded to Palm on a daily basis. There is an "opt-out" when the user first uses the GPS system and this is common for all mobile carriers and with Google Maps. There is also an opt-out on GPS data being sent to Google.
's Best in Show, Best in Category: Cell Phones & Smartphones, and People's Voice for CES 2009
.
The Palm Pre was noted to suffer numerous quality issues. The slider mechanism is sensitive, making the phone feel loose or causing wiggle. This issue became known as the "Oreo Twist" by users. Palm aimed to address the issue with the Pre Plus, making the slider mechanism stronger. The curved plastic screen seems extremely delicate, sometimes cracking from being in a pocket, and there have been reports of faulty headphone jacks. On the Palm Pre Plus characters sometimes appear twice when typing, although the user has only hit the key once. Many reviews have noted the poor build quality of the phones, deeming the build quality "only so-so." In Engadget's second open letter to Palm, they cited "hardware issues which plagued the Pre, with no outward acknowledgment or rush to correct." They added, "We've seen countless reports, read too many blog posts to recall, and heard all sorts of horror stories about broken sliders, power buttons that stop functioning, the "Oreo cookie" effect, and more. Hell, even our first review unit broke!"
Overall sales were modest from the outset. Users have expressed intense concern about the slow pace of webOS upgrade releases and the absence of substantially improved hardware. Comments have been quite critical of the lengthy delay in releasing the promised Flash application, dysfunctional document handling such as PDF files, speculation of what could be underlying the technological or business reasons for the slow release of the webOS 2 upgrade for existing phones, and a concern that when eventually released the webOS 2 upgrade be incompatible with PalmOS emulation. Media opinion in 2010 December was unenthusiastic.
Multimedia
Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
smartphone
Smartphone
A smartphone is a high-end mobile phone built on a mobile computing platform, with more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a contemporary feature phone. The first smartphones were devices that mainly combined the functions of a personal digital assistant and a mobile phone or camera...
designed and marketed by Palm
Palm, Inc.
Palm, Inc., was a smartphone manufacturer headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, that was responsible for products such as the Pre and Pixi as well as the Treo and Centro smartphones. Previous product lines include the PalmPilot, Palm III, Palm V, Palm VII, Zire and Tungsten. While their older...
with a multi-touch
Multi-touch
In computing, multi-touch refers to a touch sensing surface's ability to recognize the presence of two or more points of contact with the surface...
screen and a sliding keyboard. The smartphone was the first to use Palm's Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
based mobile operating system
Mobile operating system
A mobile operating system, also known as a mobile OS, mobile software platform or a handheld operating system, is the operating system that controls a mobile device or information appliance—similar in principle to an operating system such as Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux distributions that controls a...
, webOS (currently version 2.1.0). The Pre functions as a camera phone
Camera phone
A camera phone is a mobile phone which is able to capture still photographs . Since early in the 21st century the majority of mobile phones in use are camera phones....
, a portable media player
Portable media player
A portable media player or digital audio player, is a consumer electronics device that is capable of storing and playing digital media such as audio, images, video, documents, etc. the data is typically stored on a hard drive, microdrive, or flash memory. In contrast, analog portable audio...
, and has location and navigation capabilities. The Pre also serves as a personal information manager
Personal information manager
A personal information manager is a type of application software that functions as a personal organizer. The acronym PIM is now, more commonly, used in reference to Personal information management as a field of study...
, has a number of communication and collaboration applications, and has Bluetooth
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security...
and Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
connectivity built-in. The Pre design team was led by Matias Duarte
Matias Duarte
Matias Duarte is a Chilean-American computer interface designer, and currently the Director of Android operating system User Experience at Google where Android 3.0, was the first release with a major element of his design influence....
, Mike Bell
Mike Bell
Michael John Bell is a minor league baseball coach for the Visalia Rawhide, former coach of the Yakima Bears, and former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds in the season. He is the brother of David Bell, son of Buddy Bell and grandson of Gus Bell...
, Peter Skillman and Michael Abbott.
The Pre was launched on June 6, 2009, with Sprint
Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel Corporation is an American telecommunications company based in Overland Park, Kansas. The company owns and operates Sprint, the third largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, with 53.4 million customers, behind Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility...
, and later also went on sale in Canada with Bell Mobility
Bell Mobility
Bell Mobility is a CDMA and HSPA+ based wireless network and the division of Bell Canada which sells wireless services in Canada...
. A GSM version of the original Pre was launched later in 2009 on a number of networks in Europe and in Mexico. A revised model, the Palm Pre Plus, which doubled the available memory
Ram
-Animals:*Ram, an uncastrated male sheep*Ram cichlid, a species of freshwater fish endemic to Colombia and Venezuela-Military:*Battering ram*Ramming, a military tactic in which one vehicle runs into another...
and internal storage, was launched on January 25, 2010, for Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless
Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America....
and later released on AT&T Mobility on May 16, 2010. The third generation of Palm Pre, the Palm Pre 2
Palm Pre 2
The Palm Pre 2 is a multimedia smartphone designed and marketed by Palm, Inc., and Hewlett-Packard with a multi-touch screen and a sliding keyboard. The smartphone is the third to use Palm's Linux based mobile operating system, webOS...
, which uses HP webOS 2.0 was announced October 2010. The Palm Pre became the fastest selling phone in Sprint's history.
History and availability
Palm debuted the Pre at the 2009 Consumer Electronics ShowConsumer Electronics Show
The International Consumer Electronics Show is a major technology-related trade show held each January in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Not open to the public, the Consumer Electronics Association-sponsored show typically hosts previews of products and new...
, as the first mobile phone to use the Texas Instruments OMAP 3430 processor, as well as its initial US exclusive carrier agreement with Sprint
Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel Corporation is an American telecommunications company based in Overland Park, Kansas. The company owns and operates Sprint, the third largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, with 53.4 million customers, behind Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility...
, which operates a CDMA
CDMA2000
CDMA2000 is a family of 3G mobile technology standards, which use CDMA channel access, to send voice, data, and signaling data between mobile phones and cell sites. The set of standards includes: CDMA2000 1X, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. 0, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. A, and CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. B...
network. Prior to the device launch, it was known internally by the codename Castle (after White Castle 'Slider' hamburgers, since this was Palm's first slider phone).
The Pre's incorporation of features similar to Apple's iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
, specifically elements of the user interface
User interface
The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...
, led to speculation of possible patent infringement
Patent infringement
Patent infringement is the commission of a prohibited act with respect to a patented invention without permission from the patent holder. Permission may typically be granted in the form of a license. The definition of patent infringement may vary by jurisdiction, but it typically includes using or...
litigation, with Apple COO Tim Cook stating that "we will not stand for people ripping off our IP
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
" and Palm responding that they "have the tools necessary to defend [themselves]", hinting at Palm's large portfolio of patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s.
On May 19, 2009, Sprint and Palm announced the Pre would be available beginning June 6, 2009 in the United States. The Pre retailed at Sprint stores and other locations, including select Radio Shack
Radio shack
Radio shack is a slang term for a room or structure for housing radio equipment.-History:In the early days of radio, equipment was experimental and home-built. The first radio transmitters used a noisy spark to generate radio waves and were often housed in a garage or shed. When radio was first...
and Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
stores in the United States—as well as locations in Europe.
On May 28, 2009, Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless
Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America....
announced that it would also carry the Palm Pre in "about six months." A later comment from a Sprint spokesperson indicated that the launch carrier would have US exclusivity rights to the Pre "through 2009." Sprint's CEO, Dan Hesse, commented that his company and Palm had agreed not to discuss the length of the exclusivity deal, but remarked that "it's not six months."
On July 7, 2009, Telefónica announced that they would exclusively carry the Palm Pre in the UK, Spain, Ireland and Germany on their O2 and Movistar networks, with availability "before the winter holidays". The Palm Pre was available on O2 but is no longer available in the UK.
On July 27, 2009, during the company's second quarter conference call, Verizon chief operating officer
Chief operating officer
A Chief Operating Officer or Director of Operations can be one of the highest-ranking executives in an organization and comprises part of the "C-Suite"...
Denny Strigl
Dennis Strigl
Dennis F. Strigl is the retired President and Vice-Chairman of Verizon Communications, responsible for operations at Verizon Telecom, Verizon Wireless and Verizon Business. He assumed this position from January 2007...
announced that Verizon Wireless would begin selling the Palm Pre in early 2010.
News coverage of the launch noted that the sales quantity was a record for any Sprint phone launch, and estimated sales of approximately 50,000 units for the day, and up to 100,000 for the week. However, reports stated that sales of the Pre in July and beginning of August were much lower than expected.
On August 27, 2009, Bell Canada made the Palm Pre available, with Bell supporting the data services on the EVDO Network.
On November 11, 2009, Palm announced that the Pre would be available in Mexico being the exclusive carrier Telcel
Telcel
Telcel is Mexico's largest mobile phone carrier, owned by América Móvil. Founded in 1989 and based in Mexico City, Telcel is the leading provider of wireless communications services in Mexico. As of December 31, 2006, Telcel's cellular network covered more than 63% of the geographical area of...
. It started being sold on November 27.
Pre Plus
A new version of the smartphone, the Palm Pre Plus, was announced at CES 2010. Differences included removal of the center button, 16 GB storage memory (8 GB on the original Pre), doubling the RAM from 256 MB to 512MB, and the back cover is now already Touchstone compatible. The keyboard and slider mechanism were also improved. In the US, it was initially sold exclusively along with the Pixi Plus by Verizon Wireless. On March 22, 2010, Palm announced that it would be releasing both the Pre Plus and the Pixi Plus on the AT&TAT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
network in the "coming months". O2 launched the Palm Pre Plus on May 16, 2010, for US$149.99 with a free Touchstone charger for new customers.
Pre 2
On October 19, 2010, HP officially announced the third generation of Palm Pre, the Palm Pre 2, which uses HP webOS 2.0. The device has a 1 GHz processor, 512MB RAM, a 5-megapixel camera and includes Adobe Flash Player 10.1 Beta, an updated version of Facebook with chat, and more durable hardware including a gorilla glassGorilla Glass
Gorilla Glass, manufactured by Corning, is an alkali-aluminosilicate thin sheet glass engineered specifically to be thin, light and damage-resistant. Its primary application is portable electronic devices with screens, such as mobile phones, portable media players, and laptop displays...
screen. The phone was released to consumers in France (2010 October; SFR), Canada (2010 December; Rogers), and the U.S. (2011 February; Verizon) and is also available unlocked from HP. HP stated that Verizon Wireless customers will be able to use Skype Mobile for Skype-to-Skype calls and messaging when webOS 2.0 is released for consumer use.
Internal hardware
The original Palm Pre's CPU is a 600 MHz Texas Instruments OMAP 3430 (ARM Cortex A8ARM architecture
ARM is a 32-bit reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by ARM Holdings. It was named the Advanced RISC Machine, and before that, the Acorn RISC Machine. The ARM architecture is the most widely used 32-bit ISA in numbers produced...
+ PowerVR
PowerVR
PowerVR is a division of Imagination Technologies that develops hardware and software for 2D and 3D rendering, and for video encoding, decoding, associated image processing and Direct X, OpenGL ES, OpenVG, and OpenCL acceleration....
SGX) underclocked to 500 MHz.
It uses a Marvell sd8686 chip as a Wireless LAN SDIO Adapter for the WiFi and STMicroelectronics VX6852 as a 3.15 megapixel resolution sensor (2048 x 1536) for camera.
Screen and input
All Pre phones feature a 3.1-inch capacitive touchscreen over a 24-bit color 320×480 resolution HVGA liquid-crystal display. The touchscreen allows for manipulation of the UI with fingers instead of a stylus, commonly used with older Palm phones and PDAs. Below the display is the "Gesture Area", a touch-sensitive area with LED underlighting that permits additional touch commands.The Pre has a full QWERTY keyboard. On the Pre, the keyboard slides out and is curved for ergonomics. In addition to the keyboard, the device features a single button in the center of the Gesture Area (absent in the Pre Plus), a volume rocker switch on the side, and a ringer switch on the top.
The Pre features three input sensors that allow it to respond to its surroundings. An accelerometer
Accelerometer
An accelerometer is a device that measures proper acceleration, also called the four-acceleration. This is not necessarily the same as the coordinate acceleration , but is rather the type of acceleration associated with the phenomenon of weight experienced by a test mass that resides in the frame...
automatically changes the orientation of the display between landscape and portrait when the device is rotated in the user's hands. An ambient light sensor allows the Pre to automatically adjust the brightness of its display. A proximity sensor
Proximity sensor
A proximity sensor is a sensor able to detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact.A proximity sensor often emits an electromagnetic or a beam of electromagnetic radiation , and looks for changes in the field or return signal. The object being sensed is often referred to as...
allows the Pre to disregard touch inputs when the phone is held close to a user's face during a call.
The original Pre has a 3 megapixel digital camera
Digital camera
A digital camera is a camera that takes video or still photographs, or both, digitally by recording images via an electronic image sensor. It is the main device used in the field of digital photography...
with LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
flash
Flash (photography)
A flash is a device used in photography producing a flash of artificial light at a color temperature of about 5500 K to help illuminate a scene. A major purpose of a flash is to illuminate a dark scene. Other uses are capturing quickly moving objects or changing the quality of light...
.
Connectivity
The Pre is available with high-speed connectivity on either EVDO Rev. A or UMTS HSDPA, depending on location. The Pre also includes 802.11b/g WiFiIEEE 802.11g-2003
IEEE 802.11g-2003 or 802.11g is an amendment to the IEEE 802.11 specification that extended throughput to up to 54 Mbit/s using the same 2.4 GHz band as 802.11b. This specification under the marketing name of Wi-Fi has been implemented all over the world...
and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR with support for A2DP stereo headsets. A-GPS with support for turn-by-turn navigation
Turn-by-turn navigation
Turn-by-turn navigation is a feature of some GPS navigation devices where directions for a selected route are continually presented to the user in the form of spoken and visual instructions. The system keeps the user up-to-date about the best route to the destination, and is often updated according...
is also included, though access to aGPS
Assisted GPS
Assisted GPS, generally abbreviated as A-GPS or aGPS, is a system which can, under certain conditions, improve the startup performance, or time-to-first-fix of a GPS satellite-based positioning system. It is used extensively with GPS-capable cellular phones as its development was accelerated by...
features remains locked for Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless
Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America....
users.http://www.precentral.net/3rd-party-apps-cannot-access-agps-verizon-palm-pre-pixi-plus For charging and data-transfer, the Pre uses a microUSB connector with USB 2.0 support, and audio output is supported by a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack. While the phone reports support for the Bluetooth DUN protocol, Sprint has not permitted use of the Pre in tethered (or "Phone as Modem") mode. Verizon does support tethering via their Mobile Hot Spot support. But the "homebrew community has many "patches" and apps that allow you to change settings on the Pre, one of them includes a free hotspot app for the Sprint users.
Storage capacity
The Pre has 8.0 GBGigabyte
The gigabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage. The prefix giga means 109 in the International System of Units , therefore 1 gigabyte is...
of internal flash storage (approximately 7.4 GB of which is user accessible). The Pre does not have a flash memory card slot. The Pre Plus has 16 GB
Gigabyte
The gigabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage. The prefix giga means 109 in the International System of Units , therefore 1 gigabyte is...
of internal flash storage.
Charging
The Pre can be charged either using the supplied MicroUSBUniversal Serial Bus
USB is an industry standard developed in the mid-1990s that defines the cables, connectors and protocols used in a bus for connection, communication and power supply between computers and electronic devices....
cable, or by using an optional accessory for wireless charging using an electromagnetic induction
Electromagnetic induction
Electromagnetic induction is the production of an electric current across a conductor moving through a magnetic field. It underlies the operation of generators, transformers, induction motors, electric motors, synchronous motors, and solenoids....
charging dock, dubbed the "Touchstone Charger." The Touchstone Charger requires compatible back cover, which also is sold separately for the Pre, while the Pre Plus comes with the touchstone-compatible back cover included.
Developer Mode
It is possible to access dev mode by writing the konami code (upupdowndownleftrightleftrightbastart) on the home screen. It is also possible to write "webos20090606".Software
The Pre was the first Palm device to use webOS, a LinuxLinux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
-based platform that replaced Palm's previous Palm OS
Palm OS
Palm OS is a mobile operating system initially developed by Palm, Inc., for personal digital assistants in 1996. Palm OS is designed for ease of use with a touchscreen-based graphical user interface. It is provided with a suite of basic applications for personal information management...
.
Interface
The webOS interface is based on a system of "cards" used to manage multitaskingComputer multitasking
In computing, multitasking is a method where multiple tasks, also known as processes, share common processing resources such as a CPU. In the case of a computer with a single CPU, only one task is said to be running at any point in time, meaning that the CPU is actively executing instructions for...
. webOS also supports multi-touch
Multi-touch
In computing, multi-touch refers to a touch sensing surface's ability to recognize the presence of two or more points of contact with the surface...
gestures, enabling most navigational input to be made using the touchscreen. The Pre does not include a virtual keyboard
Virtual keyboard
A virtual keyboard is a software component that allows a user to enter characters. A virtual keyboard can usually be operated with multiple input devices, which may include a touchscreen, an actual keyboard and a computer mouse.- Types :...
, only a portrait-oriented slide-out keyboard. An onscreen, virtual keyboard is embedded in the code and can be made available through a third party patch. There are hundreds of third party patches that allow users to customize the usability and interface of the Pre.
Synergy
webOS includes a feature called Synergy that integrates information from many sources. webOS allows a user to sign in to accounts on GmailGmail
Gmail is a free, advertising-supported email service provided by Google. Users may access Gmail as secure webmail, as well via POP3 or IMAP protocols. Gmail was launched as an invitation-only beta release on April 1, 2004 and it became available to the general public on February 7, 2007, though...
, Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
, Facebook, LinkedIn
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a business-related social networking site. Founded in December 2002 and launched in May 2003, it is mainly used for professional networking. , LinkedIn reports more than 120 million registered users in more than 200 countries and territories. The site is available in English, French,...
, and Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook is a personal information manager from Microsoft, available both as a separate application as well as a part of the Microsoft Office suite...
(via Exchange ActiveSync
ActiveSync
ActiveSync is a mobile data synchronization technology and protocol developed by Microsoft, originally released in 1996. There are two implementations of the technology: one which synchronizes data and information with handheld devices with a specific desktop computer , and another technology,...
). Contacts from all sources are then integrated into a single list. Synergy was highly innovative, and was regarded by many as a highlight of the new operating system, but received some criticism for being undiscerning in what it included in the contacts application. For example, Engadget commented that it had contacts that were simply Birthdays extracted from Facebook.
Syncing
The device makes use of the cloud based servicesCloud computing
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility over a network ....
model, but uses no desktop sync
Data synchronization
Data synchronization is the process of establishing consistency among data from a source to a target data storage and vice versa and the continuous harmonization of the data over time. It is fundamental to a wide variety of applications, including file synchronization and mobile device...
client (in the style of Palm's HotSync synchronization method).
However Palm has referenced a number of solutions for users who need to sync with their desktop software like Palm Desktop
Palm Desktop
Palm Desktop is a personal information manager computer program for Microsoft Windows or Mac OS/Mac OS X and can be used alone or in combination with a Palm OS personal digital assistant.-Features:...
, Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook is a personal information manager from Microsoft, available both as a separate application as well as a part of the Microsoft Office suite...
, or IBM Lotus Notes. Additionally, Mark/Space, Inc. has announced Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
desktop sync software, and Chapura such software for Windows. Palm has offered an online guide to help customers.
Third-party applications
Official and homebrew third-party packages for webOS are reviewed in that main article.Information gathering by Palm
According to DebianDebian
Debian is a computer operating system composed of software packages released as free and open source software primarily under the GNU General Public License along with other free software licenses. Debian GNU/Linux, which includes the GNU OS tools and Linux kernel, is a popular and influential...
developer Joey Hess, the Palm Pre periodically sends users' information to Palm. Palm gathers users' GPS information, along with data on every application used, and for how long it was used. This information is uploaded to Palm on a daily basis. There is an "opt-out" when the user first uses the GPS system and this is common for all mobile carriers and with Google Maps. There is also an opt-out on GPS data being sent to Google.
Reception
When showcased in 2009 January, five months prelaunch, the Pre received positive reviews, winning CNETCNET
CNET is a tech media website that publishes news articles, blogs, and podcasts on technology and consumer electronics. Originally founded in 1994 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie, it was the flagship brand of CNET Networks and became a brand of CBS Interactive through CNET Networks' acquisition...
's Best in Show, Best in Category: Cell Phones & Smartphones, and People's Voice for CES 2009
Consumer Electronics Show
The International Consumer Electronics Show is a major technology-related trade show held each January in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Not open to the public, the Consumer Electronics Association-sponsored show typically hosts previews of products and new...
.
The Palm Pre was noted to suffer numerous quality issues. The slider mechanism is sensitive, making the phone feel loose or causing wiggle. This issue became known as the "Oreo Twist" by users. Palm aimed to address the issue with the Pre Plus, making the slider mechanism stronger. The curved plastic screen seems extremely delicate, sometimes cracking from being in a pocket, and there have been reports of faulty headphone jacks. On the Palm Pre Plus characters sometimes appear twice when typing, although the user has only hit the key once. Many reviews have noted the poor build quality of the phones, deeming the build quality "only so-so." In Engadget's second open letter to Palm, they cited "hardware issues which plagued the Pre, with no outward acknowledgment or rush to correct." They added, "We've seen countless reports, read too many blog posts to recall, and heard all sorts of horror stories about broken sliders, power buttons that stop functioning, the "Oreo cookie" effect, and more. Hell, even our first review unit broke!"
Overall sales were modest from the outset. Users have expressed intense concern about the slow pace of webOS upgrade releases and the absence of substantially improved hardware. Comments have been quite critical of the lengthy delay in releasing the promised Flash application, dysfunctional document handling such as PDF files, speculation of what could be underlying the technological or business reasons for the slow release of the webOS 2 upgrade for existing phones, and a concern that when eventually released the webOS 2 upgrade be incompatible with PalmOS emulation. Media opinion in 2010 December was unenthusiastic.