Palm calls it a comeback with the Palm Pre

Palm's new Pre, running its WebOS mobile operating system.

(Credit: Corrine Schulze/CNET)

Palm took one giant step toward regaining its position as a relevant mobile computing company with the introduction of the Palm Pre on Thursday.

If you missed out on Ina Fried's live coverage of Palm's press conference in Las Vegas at CES, here are a few basic details about the Pre (rhymes with glee). It's a touch-screen phone with a slide-out keyboard than runs WebOS, Palm's long-awaited new operating system formerly code-named Nova.

Sprint will be the exclusive launch carrier for the Pre, which comes with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, a 3.1-inch display, GPS, and 8GBs of storage, among other things. Palm did not announce a price for the Pre, but said it should be available some time in the first half of 2009.

Like the Apple's iPhone, Palm's Pre has a single button when the slide-out keyboard is shut. Everything on the screen can be controlled by gestures similar to the ones used on the iPhone, and the homescreen has four icons at the bottom for the most frequently used tasks, such as the phone, e-mail, and calendar.

Unlike the iPhone, it has the aforementioned hardware keyboard, and what appears to be a background notification system for applications. Apple has promised to roll out some sort of background notification system that lets applications send notifications to the user when they are running a different application, but they are well past their deadline of September 2008 for doing so.

We're awaiting many more details on the Pre, such as what it will cost, how application distribution will work, battery life, and multimedia support. Stay tuned for those.

Photos: Palm previews the Pre at CES

[ikramerica--2008]

Gee,

full touch screen, single button on the bottom, speaker "bar" at the top, toolbar at the bottom of the screen, volume toggle on the left upper side of the phone.

Is this Apple's iPhone 3G version 2?

[topgunb2]

Windows touch phone had been in market for ages, iphone is a touch phone as well, should I call it windows version 2?

[Vegaman_Dan]

With a lot of the features that Apple's offering lacks, it would appear.

I have to admit I like the case design from the picture.

[AllenKids]

No, it's not.

Heavily influenced, but over all very un-apple, apple under Jony Ive would never release a gadget emit retro vibes like pre. whether it's a good or bad thing depends

[Universal_Indie_Records]

"Windows touch phone had been in market for ages"

YEs but the iPhone was a "MULTI touch phone"... There's a difference. And really it doesn't matter who came first... it matters who made the industry change their way of thinking.

There were mp3 players before the iPod... but it wasn't until Apple came in that people took notice

There were touch phones before Apple.. but again Apple made people take notice forcing companies like RIM and Palm to step their game up!

[ikramerica--2008]

The long rumored slide out keyboard iPhone, of course?

[Goodbye Helicopter]

it'd have to be cheaper, and way better to be able to survive at this point.

what is the new OS based on? linux?

[qst4]

I see they haters are already lined up!

[Rants&Raves]

I have a Palm, and still a lot of data in Palm Desktop. Can I sync that data to the new phone, or is this a completely new system and I might as well export it to something else ?

[jasonaorr]

@Goodbye Helicoptoer

Cheaper than what? They haven't released a price yet.

[Get_a_life_Leo]

Shame it is linked to Sprint. Why do we have to choose cell phone providers based on our choice of phones? Why can't they simply offer them all. The biggest thing hampering the iPhone is AT&T (or Rogers in Canada). Likewise for the Pre. It may attract some people to Sprint, but far more would go for it if it wasn't tied to a single network.

[andreolsen]

Exactly. There should just be one cell phone provider for everyone. We could all choose what phone we want, would all get service wherever anyone else does. We wouldn't have to complain that we pay to much, etc... There would be no competition among carriers, but why have competition anyway? Money? I'd like to see how this phone works. I have the Palm Centro, and the Palm OS definitely needs improvement, and needs to be more user friendly.

[thelemurking]

Maybe so, but it's hard to beat Sprint's Simply Everything Plans. $69 for unlimited data/text/gps and 1500 voice, or $99 for EVERYTHING unlimited. Only reason I haven't switched to AT&T is because it would be about $50-60 more a month to match my plan on Sprint.

[GardenLobster]

I like how one of the most frequently used programs on the one in the photo is Solitaire.

[Hep Cat]

LOL@the wireless charger and Sheryl Sandberg. Partners? Does that mean an App Store? Thos 20 million mobile FaceBook users are all on iPhones!

The wireless charger is a great idea with laughable execution - who wants to put that oddly-shaped thing in their bag? Obvously, it is bigger than the phone...and there's no indication it can use conventional chargers. At least the iPhone can use every single one of the billions of iPod USB chargers in existence.

[ttenpas]

Of course you wouldn't carry the wireless charger around with you. It charges through the micro-usb port too.

[topgunb2]

"Rubinstein's back. How does Pre charge? Wireless charger called TouchStone that lets you charge by setting it on the paperweight-like charger. No cord."

This doesn't mean wireless charger is the only option to charge this phone!

[AppleSuxLeo]

The Pre is SMALLER than the iPhone and looks better with it`s curves. iPhone looks like a big flat slab. Not phone-like at all. The wireless charger is MAGNETIC and holds the phone upright. Genius. Too bad Apple didn`t think of this ;)

[AppleSuxLeo]

Looks nice and the physical keyboard is a big plus. Palm used to be dominant in this field so I know they can make something compelling if the really try.

[clamenza]

A shame it's on Sprint, but would love to see a competitor besting iPhone and Blackberry. This is close to what I've waiting for!

[moike]

Ditto - the main thing that's holding me back from either the iPhone or now the Pre is the tie to a single provider. Especially the Pre, since Sprint has the worst reputation for customer service in the last 2 years. What was Palm thinking?

[ncarnahan]

Palm's thinking is smart and so is Sprint's for doing whatever they did to land this exclusivity. (Sold soul to devil, who knows). Both companies have long and proud traditions, but are now underdogs with something to prove. The problem with AT&T and Verizon is they act like cocky rich kids who have the cool toys, but are dumb and don't continue to innovate because they feel they don't have too. I have an iphone and aboslutely love it, but I hate AT&T's service. Sprint does have the reputation for having the worst customer service (and its deserved) but that's a thing of the past. Do a search on who was #1 in the last reputable survey on Customer Service. Yup Sprint is at #1. They are changing and Hesse and team is doing anything and everything to make it happen. Palm is choosing Sprint, because of this. They both are in a position to do whatever it takes and you know who wins. Consumers Do!!!!

[moretroops]

Once again, for emphasis: it's the operating system, stupid. Unless Palm's new OS is comparable to Apple's in terms of usability and elegance, this, too, will fall flat. We'll see.

[ca5ter]

I find it odd that the home screen only has four icons. Can you add more in the image area? I would hope so.

[adamk1101]

Great to see Palm back in the market!! Hopefully the release of this and the Blackberry Bold will teach apple a thing or two about how to make a smartphone.

[venuesdotorg]

Price? Price? Who cares what the sticker says. $99 on a plan or $999 with lots of free stuff. It's all up to the marketing guys to see what feels good. The main thing is that the market has been tested already (by Apple, RIM, Samsung, LG), so the Palm Pre can be mass produced at a lower cost.

[AndrewRich]

Too little too late.

I'm sure there will be significant limitations. Let me guess: Bluetooth 1.2 with no A2DP or OBEX, WiFi supports 40-bit WEP only, no EVDO?

Palm was great in its day. Its day ended five years ago when they stopped development and tried to ride on their reputation. The new OS is wonderful, I'm sure, but it doesn't matter.

[ttenpas]

Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, not sure about OBEX. Wifi supports WPA and WPA2. EVDO Rev. A.

[Casperstar]

No! No! No!
The Bluetooth support A2DP and OBEX. WiFi supports 40/104-bit WEP, as well as WPA/WPA2-PSK and also WPA/WPA2 Enterprise security (LEAP, FAST, PEAPv0, PEAPv1, EAP-TLS)...

[sweaty_taco]

If the price point (hopefully $199, but you never know with Palm) is right. If so, I will be 1st in line to buy. This looks like a sweet phone and my contact has expired with Sprint, so hopefully they will also offer some rebates as well. ;^)

[alexacker]

Ha ha ha... the iPalm.

Anyone who gets a Palm shouldn't count on regular updates (remember the 700p and the famous 'maintenance update'? what a mess...) AND old software or just versions of apps from the developers in the AppStore already. If they gave me one for free, I wouldn't use it.

[ATruHeroUnderGod]

well im with sprint and i been lookn for a new phone i tried the instinct it was kool but lacked wi fi flash on cam and other things. i last tried the htc touch buggy ass pro. hated it! So there is a EDVO version of the bold coming to Sprint soon. But I will give this phone a try.

[mrbcoolman]

i have to say this phone looks really good!! Palm just might have saved their selves from going down the drain. Can't til old Bonnie does a full review.