Comments on: Coming attraction: Palm Pre vs. iPhone 3G S prizefight

With the Palm Pre and iPhone 3G S coming out within days of each other, many wonder which smartphone is better? CNET plans to find out in an upcoming prizefight.

[thabassman]

both are coming to verizon. hmmmmmm.

[commun6]

This may be the "phoniest" rumor ever, clearly encouraged by Verizon to help them avoid losing customers to Sprint and AT&T. What everyone who spread this rumor neglects is Verizon's revenue model, which requires that they control the interface of the phone in order to charge extra for browsing, music, and location services. Neither Palm nor Apple will allow this to happen.

[Vanzant78]

Search arount the net, apple wont reveal the new processor speed

The reason they dont reveal the processor speed is because it is not faster. They simply added 128mb ram. They dont want to go head to head with the palm pre on specs.

If they did, the 600mhz 256mb Pre and the new i phone 3gs would be a virtual tie. The Pres Texas Instruments integrated processor lets it run multiple apps, the apple gives you way more GB. But if you dont need a huge GB hard drive the Pre is faster.

[bsorli]

I'm a new Pre owner and now Sprint customer and it is hard not to be impressed by what Apple is coming out with with their iPhone 3.0 and new iPhone 3Gs, but the big question many have to ask themselves is...how many iPhone 3G users are going to buy new 3Gs units?

Last I checked...you'll have to have the newer 3Gs phone for all those new and neat features (compass, 3mp camera, better battery life, faster system, etc). Older clients will get left behind again just like what happened with iPhone (edge) hardware. The new software will be great and I'm sure things like copy and paste will be appreciated, but we'll just have to wait and see.

Still the big problem is ATT (listen to the keynote address and you'll notice exactly what I mean). Sorli...

[iroq321]

this should be interesting, but then again this is cnet, i think i already know how this will turn out...

[Concept]

If Brian Tong has anything to say about the prizefight, chalk up an iPhone win right now. The 3Gs brings exactly one innovative feature to the cell phone market, the ability to trim videos. Every other ?new? feature of the 3Gs has been on every other smart phone for about two years now. A2DP, cut and paste, 3mp camera, video recording, voice control, voice memos, compass, MMS, tethering??.it?s all been done before. AT&T is blocking MMS and tethering until ?later this summer? and AT&T still has a crappy 3G network but somehow the great touch screen be enough to squeeze out another iPhone win. At some point the fanboys need to see the light of day and realize the iPhone is not the ?be all end all? of phones. Or maybe they?ll just continue to blindly follow wherever apple leads.

[DVSD91]

Well we know your not an American concept! You are the reason the American economy is where it is, you buy non-American pre, nokia, or blackberry. If they are all the same (your words) (also your wrong, two words "app store") I am buying American!

[stoopered]

Ha ha check out DVSD91's comments! He's an Apple fanboy and only gives apple perfect ratings regardless the topic. Isn't Palm American: Founded United States (1992) Headquarters Sunnyvale, California, United States... Change the battery in the Iphone... or download 3rd party apps without Jailbreaking. Apple isnt "Open sourced= freedom of choice" Palm is better, I own a Ipod Touch, Just bought a Pre, my sister and brother in law own Iphones, both jailbroken. I guess I'm unamerican bc I bought an american Palm Pre, on a CDMA (only in few countries outside of US) phone, with a non monopolistic carrier. Opps my bad

[justinpe]

@Concept

"Every other 'new' feature of the 3Gs has been on every other smart phone for about two years now."

So why doe the Palm Pre still lack several of these abilities?

? Cut Copy & Paste is crippled (can only be used in text entry fields so no copying from web sites, etc.)
? No video recording (or the ability to trim video for that matter)
? No auto-focus/white balance
? No voice control
? No compass
? No tethering
? Can't access data and be on a call at the same time (so much for "multi-tasking")
? Can't purchase music on the phone
? No push notifications
? The list goes on.........

Also, with the iPhone you get twice the storage for the same price. Or the same storage (3G model) for half the price. By the way, the iPhone has had voice memo apps (many of them free) since the app store launched. This app was built by Apple and is included as an API in the SDK. The Pre doesn't even have an SDK available at this point. If you are trying to say that the Pre is a superior device, you've got to be crazy. I can understand an argument being made for Sprint being better than ATT, but no way is the Pre better than the iPhone. Here are the only advantages I can think of for the Pre:

? Removable battery
? Wireless charger
? Multiple apps running at once,despite there only being 16 to choose from (iPhone can do this as well but only with Apple apps). the only advantage I can see to this is being able to listen to pandora while doing something else. (which would kill your battery, btw.) Also, who needs Pandora when you have 32GB of music to listen to?

[Concept]

@ justinpe,

I never the pre was the be all end all phone either. I just hate it when fanboys praise the iPhone for finally bringing features that most phones had in 2207.

And if you wanted to be techincal, I think the Blackberry 8900 is as good as or better than the iPhone or Pre.

cut and paste - check
video - check
great screen - check
auto focus - check
tethering - check (for free)
compass - check (a few free apps have quite a bit of compass/navigation abilities)
voice control - check
push notifcations - check (on email, AIM, g talk, yahoo, twitter, facebook, the list goes on)
multitasking - check (I can run slacker, pandora and iheart at the same time if I wanted to along with chat apps, gps apps, and productivity apps......all at once if I choose to)
A2DP- check
expandable memory - check (up to 16GB)
removable battery - check
wireless charging - check

The iPhone has two advantages over the blackberry 8900........bigger screen and 3G. I didn't say better screen because the 8900 is just as good, just smaller. And AT&T's 3G network is garbage so you get half a point for the 20% of iPhone users who can actually keep a 3G signal for longer than a few minutes.

I don't know you would compare apples apps and SDK to the pre's. The pre just got release 5 days ago and developers are just gaining access to the SDK. Apple has had an SDK for over a year now so its kind of crazy to compare the two. And once you remove 49,000 out of apple's 50,000 apps that are stupid, lite versions, dupilcate version, or all around a complete waste of time (ie iBeer, "Let me act like my iPhone is a beer mug and act like I'm drinking out of it....Ha Ha, that was so funny for about 1.7 seconds) you see that apple's app store isn't so great. The 16 different versions of imafia and imafia new york, imafia LA, etc also don't help Apple's credibility to claim 50,000 apps much either.

Face it fanyboys....Apple has once again tinkled on your head and told you it was raining.

[slapppy]

What coming attraction? Pre has been knocked out soon as it got off the bench:

Optical Grade Glass Oleophobic Coating Screen - NOT PLASTIC
CPU/GPU same as the pre
Open GL/ES 2.0 Optimized by iPhone OS
16GB/32GB
8GB for $99
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 to the Framework/API level. It mean all apps, not just core apps get 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
Google Sync
Exchange Sync
AGPS - Turn by Turn support
Viewable document types: .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel)

[pavakah]

>So why doe the Palm Pre still lack several of these abilities?

>? Cut Copy & Paste is crippled (can only be used in text entry fields so no copying from web sites, etc.)
>? No video recording (or the ability to trim video for that matter)
>? No auto-focus/white balance
>? No voice control
>? No compass
>? No tethering
>? Can't access data and be on a call at the same time (so much for "multi-tasking")
>? Can't purchase music on the phone
>? No push notifications


Are you kidding? I own a Pre and it absolutely can do most of the things you list, justinpe.

-cut copy and past does NOT just work in text entry fields. I've copied text from several sources other than my own typed words.
-the Pre absolutely has tethering ability, but just like att, sprint is disabling this feature (anyone who thinks networks are going to let this happen with any phone without charging an arm and a leg for it is dreaming)
-the Pre can definitely access data while on a call (I did this very this yesterday by looking up the hours for Kinko's for my wife who was on the line)
-You can totally buy music on the phone through Amazon's mp3 store. the store link is on the main launch window
-the Pre does push notifications. Gmail can be set to push email as soon as it arrives. I also have my exchange account from work setup and working with activesync

I don't really care what phone "wins", but let's not spread misinformation about either one -- that won't help anyone trying to make a buying decision.

[Cirothe]

pavakah said:

"Are you kidding? I own a Pre and it absolutely can do most of the things you list, justinpe.

-cut copy and past does NOT just work in text entry fields. I've copied text from several sources other than my own typed words.
-the Pre absolutely has tethering ability, but just like att, sprint is disabling this feature (anyone who thinks networks are going to let this happen with any phone without charging an arm and a leg for it is dreaming)
-the Pre can definitely access data while on a call (I did this very this yesterday by looking up the hours for Kinko's for my wife who was on the line)
-You can totally buy music on the phone through Amazon's mp3 store. the store link is on the main launch window
-the Pre does push notifications. Gmail can be set to push email as soon as it arrives. I also have my exchange account from work setup and working with activesync

I don't really care what phone "wins", but let's not spread misinformation about either one -- that won't help anyone trying to make a buying decision."



-You can go to a website and copy text or pictures from articles and things like that?
-It doesn't matter if the Pre can tether or not if the only carrier you can buy it on doesn't allow it. Then again, even if AT&T had tethering, I'd never pay $30+/month for it. I'll continue using PdaNet for free.
-Were you on Wi-Fi when you did this?
-I heard you can "buy" music on the Pre, but you have to wait until you're using Wi-Fi to actually download the song.
-Push notifications and push email are two different things. They're both pushing information to your phone, but push email is only for email. Push notifications can be used for any and all applications.

And like you, I'm sick of people always trying to beat everyone else's phone out. Who cares, really? I love my iPhone and I couldn't care less about what other people think of it. And if you like the Pre, or the Storm, or a Touch Pro, or whatever phone you have more than the iPhone, then good for you. That's why you bought the phone.

[phahe209]

This sounds like a great idea!

Any chance you could include a comparison with the Nokia N97 somewhere along the line too?

[bonnie.cha]

Sure. Are you interested in seeing a prizefight between the N97 and iPhone or the N97 and the Pre? Or both?

[phahe209]

I would say a three-way battle between the iphone, pre, and n97 would be great : )

But the iphone vs n97 would be of most interest to me, because I don't think we're going to be seeing the pre down here in lowly New Zealand any time soon : )

[Bipatride]

This would be great because in the Pre is not yet available in Europe (will it ever be?, i could not find release information for Europe), but the nokia N97 and the Iphone 3GS are.

Both will cost +600 euros so they are in the same range.

[dexgen]

Bump for a three way comparison between the three. N97 vs. iPhone vs. Pre. I actually think N97 vs Pre would be more appropriate as they both target users that require physical keyboards.

[YoungDonald]

As the people who created the first real smartphone for the masses, Palm has certainly managed to shoot themselves in the foot enough that they have less than a leg to stand on. The Palm Pre is a good handset, but Palm has lost the marketing muscle to make it a winner. It may very well be technically better than an iPhone, but if nobody buys it, and there are few useful and fairly priced software applications, it won't matter. Blackberry and iPhone will fight for leadership of the market, and the next place will be in the cellar somewhere, probably competing with the Android group for third. It's sad, but Palm is too late to the table and not strong enough to push anyone out of the way. They should have sold themselves to Blackberry (RIM).

[lvcsslacker]

IT's a new handset, and it will take a bit of time to develop for it... though I will agree, prices are rediculous

[tomascco]

Wow, now if you replace the word Apple with IBM/Microsoft, and replace the word Palm with Apple you'll have the battle of the 90s all over again. The Mac was an innovative product, but the marketing muscle of IBM/MS stole the show and left Apple with a 4% market share. Still, Apple didn't do too bad for itself.

Now, we're facing a similar battle where the true innovator is now the underdog looking to make a comeback but the marketing geniuses are going to make sure that doesn't happen.

Remember this, this is Pre 1.0, and basically Palm 1.0. WebOS is as new and innovate as the Iphone OS once was. This battle hasn't even begun.

[sdf0013]

The Apple fans will never talk about the left behind problem of Apple's products. It's not just the iPhone. Look back and you'll see Apple has a long history of doing this to it's "loyal" customer base.

Yeah, I'm not even interested in this prizefight. This is Cnet and Brian Tong we're talking about. Known Apple fan-boys. It probably won't even be close. The only ding Apple will get will be AT&T as a service - IF they even bring that up.

[Concept]

Agreed, BT will swing the "great touch screen interface" into a iPhone win even if apple just introduced a product thats innovative for 2007. I'm supposed to be happy about cut and paste and video recording when I can't stream slacker and chat on AIM at the same time??? Oh thats right, I should be listening to my music library while chatting, Stupid me!

[externallain]

I'm not sure it's really fair to compare a 3Gen iPhone to a 1Gen Pre.

[iroq321]

agreed. and you know they wll throw in the fact that the iphone has 50,000+ apps and that the pre only has a handfull although the iphone launched with 0 apps.

[phahe209]

But surely that's all relevant information to a discerning buyer who wants to know which gadget would be best for them to buy...

[iroq321]

my point is that it has taken the iphone years to get to where it's at, or should i say, where it will be. the pre has just launched, seems a bit unfair but, hey, whateva'.

[Concept]

But somehow the 50,000 apps apple has will be used as a swing vote. When in reality 49,000 of those apps are complete garbage and a waste of time or money. Honestly there are about 100 useful apps in the app store. The rest is filled up with garbage "lite" and "full" versions, along with things like imafia, 10 point imafia, 20 point imafia, 50 point imafia, etc. If you remove the duplicate versions of the same apps and that 50,000 app number drops considerably.

I think it's ridiculous to say it's not fair to compare the new iPhone with the new Pre. It would not be fair to compare a 1st gen Pre with a 1st gen iPhone. The 1st gen iPhone completely changed the direction that cell phones were heading in. In fact, I'm surprised it took this long for someone like Palm to actually match the response & feel that Apple put in their phone. It's mind-blowing that Samsung and RIM would release so-called 'killers' and expect people to say that the Instinct & Storm feel every bit as good (not even close!). Palm was able to spend a lot of time analyzing why the iPhone was a success and then duplicate that success. Let me put it this way...should we compare the Xbox 360 (2nd gen) to the PS2 (2nd gen)? That would be ridiculous. The 360 has to be compared with Sony's PS3 (3rd gen).

[SweatStudio]

I'm still looking for unbiased reviews! Here's how I would score the PALM PRE vs iPHONE 3GS comparison according to the features that are important to ME.

1. PHYSICAL KEYBOARD- I would like the feel of the real thing and I think it's quicker for texting. Palm Pre 2 pt., iPhone 3Gs 1 pt..
2. VIDEO from my phone. Pre 0, iPhone 3Gs 1. (If it was HD then that would be plus 3 points!)
3. LONG BATTERY life. Pre 1.5 pts, iPhone 3Gs 1 pt. (Pre has a slight advantage with an interchangeable vs. longer life battery)
4. MULTI-TASKING - running multiple programs simultaneously is great! - Pre 3 pt, iPhone 3Gs 1pt.
5. APPLICATIONS - Pre 1, iPhone 2. (Apple has many but I won't use many of them)
6. NETWORK - I currently have AT&T and have no complaints Pre 1, iPhone 3Gs 1.5
7. SPEED - Does the iphone's processor really have the advantage? Pre 1, iPhone 3Gs 1.5
8. DESIGN - The Pre does look & feel better. Pre 1.5, iPhone 3Gs 1.0.
9. MONTHLY PLAN - Pre 1, iPhone 3Gs 0. (save money! we are still in a recession! )

Palm Pre = 12, iPhone 3Gs = 10

Everyone will have their own preferences and priority features and I'm sure the true performance and quality of these units shall be revealed after a a few months of consumer use. Honestly, this is my unbiased evaluation.

[myDrpC]

Nice Job, prize fight over! PRE wins!!!

Actually, I just hope Brian Tong KEEPS his shirt on!!!

I won't be watching because I also believe it will be a bit more leaned towards the IPhone -
however the PRE clearly is light years away from any IPhone and it's just the beginning!

Thanks, Bonnie for your continued coverage of the PRE. We are still looking forward to your
battery life lab results and I'm also hoping you read all the responses to our experience with the PRE

Tell us about your Palm Pre experience
June 8, 2009 14:13 PM PDT

& you have a hook up with Palm to share to deeply needed requests we shared!
Thanks again!

[BlogD]

SweatStudio: You can't write a review based on "I like" and "I think" and call it "unbiased," it doesn't follow.

The physical KEYBOARD is purely a subjective preference; many prefer the touch keyboard, and it has the advantage of not only expanding into profile mode, but it can switch languages far easier--and there are no physical parts to break. OBjectively, the two units tie, breaking toward advantage only when a person wants one over the other, like you obviously do. Pre: 1 (+/-1), iPhone: 1 (+/-1).
VIDEO: iPhone definitely wins out on this, not only because the Pre lacks video, but the iPhone adds the ability to trim on-board, and has handy sharing options. Pre: 0, iPhone: 1.5
BATTERY: Pre can swap out its battery <em>more easily</em> (iPhone you have to take in--an annoyance, but hardly a deal-breaker), but Apple's battery life is significantly longer, making a huge difference in day-to-day usage. Unless you carry battery spares (which also cost extra), you swap your battery maybe once in the lifetime of your phone. Not having to do that is a plus. Pre: 1, iPhone: 1.5.
MULTI-TASKING: Pre can, iPhone can't save for a few Apple-defined tasks; Pre is the obvious winner. This is Pre's big advantage, though it slows the CPU. Pre: 1.5, iPhone: 0.
APPS: One can excuse the Pre for being new, but that's doesn't change the fact that it lacks apps. Even the iPhone debuted with a relatively large offering. Most iPhone apps may be crud, but if only 1% are great, that's 500 great apps. Pre: 0.5, iPhone: 2
SPEED: Objective source from Current Analysis called 3GS "significantly faster and noticeably so." Pre pays here for the multi-tasking. Pre: 1, iPhone, 2.

DESIGN: This is so completely subjective that it doesn't belong in an objective review. I am <em>really</em> tempted to give this to iPhone, but will refrain. Similarly, Network and Carrier plan are location-based--not everyone lives under AT&T. So no call there.

Categories you forgot:

MEMORY: in same-priced units, iPhone has double the memory. Pre: 1, iPhone: 2.
BROWSER: Pre: 1, iPhone: 1.5

Final score: Pre: 7 (+/-1), iPhone 3GS: 11.5 (+/-1)

[Bruceb44]

You can't compare aesthetics and say the Pre looks better and claim to be objective with a subjective opinions.
What bench marks did you use for your point system.
Why would the Pre get 3 points to the iphones one for multitasking when the pre got a one and the iphone got 2 for applications. The Pre does background but at the expenses of consuming more battery and processor speed were the iphone uses a more efficient push. A 2 point spread for a minor difference and only 1 for apps even though apple has literally thousands more but was only worth a point.
You obviously biased.

[shmecklen]

um, BlogD, all reviews are biased by nature. there are no unbiased reviews.

[SweatStudio]

@BlogD @BruceB44 Both of you have strong points that have merit, but as I mentioned in the header of my original comment "according to the features that are important to ME." And hey, this is an unbiased opinion. It's possible that one can have an opinion without favoritism right? Also, I believe every category can be subjective so it really depends on the user. I've always been an aggressive multi-tasker so that's why there's variables on my scaling. According to "ME" without favoritism, the important features to run my business on a day by day basis seems to exists more with the Pre. For many others, it might be the iPhone 3Gs.

[E-CYBER]

@BlogD
"BATTERY: Pre can swap out its battery <em>more easily</em> (iPhone you have to take in--an annoyance, but hardly a deal-breaker), but Apple's battery life is significantly longer, making a huge difference in day-to-day usage. Unless you carry battery spares (which also cost extra), you swap your battery maybe once in the lifetime of your phone. Not having to do that is a plus. Pre: 1, iPhone: 1.5"

Since when does a phone that can't swap a battery without being taken to the store for a replacement beat a phone that the user can do at will? How much do you think another battery cost, is it more than what the iPhone cost over the Pre? Last, isn't it likely that palm will make a larger battery, just like they have done in the past, for the phone?
So... what your saying is if you have a phone that has, ummm let's say an 8gb mem and I have a phone that has a 4gb mem but I can carry or equip my phone with a 16 or 32 gb card, your phone wins??? lol.
If we ran both our phones till they were dead, we would both have to pull in and stay by the wall socket to talk while they charged, right? WRONG, I could swap my battery out and have a fresh one every 2 hours if I wanted to...
Hey you know what get into an emegency where you can't get a charge and see if the advantage to being able to have an extra battery is important...

"LONG BATTERY life. Pre 1.5 pts, iPhone 3Gs 1 pt. (Pre has a slight advantage with an interchangeable vs. longer life battery)"
... should stand, he didn't give iPhone a zero, it was only .5 difference, any item that works on a battery that you can't access/change on your own gets a -1 right off the back.

[Concept]

@BlogD,

You give the iPhone the advantage for its crappy battery life??? When you compare crappy battery life to crappy battery life, I think the removeable battery would win.

You also give the iPhone 3Gs the advantage in speed based off marketing spin??? "significantly faster and noticeably so." Wow, that is the epitome of a fanboy.

Based off your opinion the iPhone wins, definitely not by the 4.5 point advantage you skewed. And those 1 or 2 points that it would win by can easily be made up by choice of network and keyboard. Two subjective aspects that can sway a person one way or the other.

[bankerdanny]

#8 is very subjective. Personally, I think the iPhone (which my wife has) looks better, and feels better in the hand then the Pre that I tested earlier this week.

#9 I think the Pre deserves a much bigger boost for it's rate plan. The Pre unlimted data plan is far superior to the ATT iPhone scheme (heck, the ATT data plan for my Blackberry is better, I get unlimted text messages for $10 less than the comparable iPhone plan).

The Pre data plan is at least 3pts and the iPhone plan 1 pt.

[tomascco]

Actually, that's the only dig I have against Iphone - selecting AT&T as the exclusive provider. If it would have been Verizon, Sprint or, shudder, T-Mobile I probably would still be carrying the original Iphone.

Face it. The Iphone is a fantastic feature phone that can just about do everything (Pre cuts cheese better). but there's always going to be room for improvement.

Looks like any knowledgeable reader can detect the bias, so Cnet and Tong will have to vary their approach. I'm looking forward to it.

[shmecklen]

I've been telling everyone "I'm waiting for the Pre". Then it arrived & I couldn't get one to show off because I didn't rush out at the crack of dawn. At first I was pretty ticked off. Now as I read about ouchy-hot Pre's & sometimes-3-hour battery life with no usage & all apps off I'm feeling grateful Palm kept it away from me. Glitch reports aside, what's the general consensus on the marketing wisdom of keeping the phone so scarce after such hype & buildup? Seems like Palm just gave Apple a chance to steal all the thunder with a new 3GS & discounted 3G. Do you all think Palm planned this as a "strategy", or do you think it was just an unplanned bungle, as in "Oops, we didn't make enough. Quick, try and spin it positively!"

[DEman19901]

I was in the same boat. I arrived at Best Buy and couldnt get a phone. Then later tried the Sprint stores and couldn't find a phone. Started searching online and stumbled across the HTC Touch Pro 2. Then I said !@#$ the Pre. Said its supposed to released in mid- June.

[najaw]

I am hanging out for an iPhone that will connect to a bluetooth keyboard for lengthier writing tasks? Will the iPhone 3GS be equipped for that?

[polarbebe]

The Pre is dead but people just don't know it yet.

Its not Pre vs. iPhone, its Pre versus Blackberry, Android, Windows Mobile and iPhone. Palm before the announcement of the Pre had a share price of less than two dollars, had to get a 450 million dollar injection from Bono (from U2) to save the company. Palm is barely staying afloat, married to the weakest network in the US (Sprint).

It will take at least a year to two years before the Pre has the same utility as Blackberry, Android or the iPhone since Palm hasn?t released the SDK yet to general vendors. That is if developers have enough venture capital to invest in Pre, they already are making apps for iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows Mobile and Symbian.

Guess which mobile platform has the smallest base? And consequently receive the least amount of love from developers? A smartphone is only as smart as the apps on it, that take advantage of its full utility. Would you buy a laptop with no programs? No, no one will buy a smartphone that has no apps either.

Palm is going up against Android (Google), Blackberry (RIM), Windows mobile (Microsoft) and iPhone (Apple) for their share of apps to make full use of the Pre. 4 out of those 5 companies have very, very deep pockets. Guess which mobile company has barely any money in the tank? Palm (not Microsoft, Google, Apple or RIM).

Developers aren't going to take a gamble on the smallest installed customer base, with a mobile weak company. So, no you won?t see The Sims 3 or a thousand other entertaining, useful utility apps on the Pre for at least a year if you see them at all.

Not to mention Apple has iTunes, thousands of podcasts, video podcasts, movies and TV shows formatted for the iPhone specifically straight to download.

Yes, iPhone doesn?t have multitask but I think thats a small tradeoff for such a huge disadvantage in just about everything else regarding the iPhone universe.

Its everyones personal choice, IMHO I would rather go with Blackberry, Android or Apple. Palm is too late to the game (and Windows Mobile sucks). I give the Pre 2 years tops before its dead (unless some huge company buys it like Microsoft), Palm has no money, no installed Pre base yet, in a recession, developers are busy with the 5 other mobile company platforms (I forgot Nokia the largest phone maker in the world also).

[baobei2]

I think you're wrong.

It is so ridiculously easy to create applications for the WebOS using HTML, CSS and Javascript that once the Developer SDK is released, you will see a flood of applications for this device. I've talked to a developer who's developed an app for the Pre and he said it was a piece of cake.

I predict that the # of applications will eventually rival the amount available for the iPhone. Developing in Cocoa and Objective-C is not something just anyone can get their heads around!

[polarbebe]

Google is releasing Android on 18 phones this year (possibly 21). The Blackberry Curve is the bestselling smartphone in the US. Windows mobile is on tens of millions of phones backed by the deepest pockets in the industry (Microsoft). Why haven't you see a single Palm Pre commercial? Palm can't afford it, if they can't market it, who will buy it, and if no one buys it, who will develop for it? Its just the media trying to sell more articles that hypes the Pre as an "iPhone-killer", last time they hyped Android as the "iPhone-killer", and before that it was the Blackberry Storm. Don't believe the hype, follow market trends.

Ease of programming an app will not equate to more apps. Bigger mobile platform equates to more apps. If you follow business, developers will always go where the market is no matter if something is hard or easy to develop.

Lastly your comment that programming for the iPhone is hard is flat out wrong, if a 12 year old can program an app I think most professionals can. See below link for a 12 year old's app.

http://fingergaming.com/2009/04/21/12-year-old-authors-debut-iphone-app-moo-cow-fury-099/

[myDrpC]

NEW FLASH!!!

Folks, I got some news for ya and if true - I don't believe NO one is buying the new 3gs.

READ THE FINE PRINT, please:

The cost of upgrading :

"Better read the fine print, friends.

Apple said today that the iPhone 3G S costs $199 (16GB) and $299 (32GB).

But that?s the price only for new AT&T customers.

The price if you?re already an AT&T customer and/or are upgrading from an iPhone 3G?

$499 (8GB)
$599 (16GB)
$699 (32GB)

Wooooo Mama. This is crazy!!!

[prissysox]

I got a Pre Saturday morning. Got to the store at 9am. Had my Pre, contacts transfered, phone set up and activated, added a connect card to account and was out the door by 1030. Maybe you guys who didnt get the phone should have went to a corporate store. They had more stock. Anyway, for all the naysayers, unless you actually play with the phone, put it through its paces and see it in person, BE QUIET! How can you criticize or critique a device you have never used personally. Here is my BIASED and LOYAL Palm user review:
1. Battery Life: i only need to charge once a day. While i sleep. Not a big deal. Unless you run alot of video it is ok. Like any phone, even iPhone, the more intensive use the more battery usage. Also, the phone has not overheated on me. Neither did my iGo charger fry the phone as someone claimed that a non-Palm micro-usb connector.
2. Keyboard-same as Centro, Treo, and more button separation than Blackberry Pearl. Have not had any problem whatsoever with hitting the bottom of the slider.
3. Sharp edges and Cheap feel-have not had a problem with either of these. Does small, sleek, compact say cheap? I don't think so. Phone is beautiful and still can't quite believe how small
4. iTunes sync-HA HA HA HA. Syncing with iTunes is a breeze. No problem at all. Apple can't corner that anymore. They can try to block it, but with how much success. There was the talk about suing over touchscreen gestures but since Apple "stole" patented ideas from Palm they didn't pursue any punitive action because they don't have a valid stance once you get into the nitty gritty of it all
5. App Catalogue-iPhone had to build up base, same here. Also, Palm wants to ensure the apps don't negatively impact the Pre. And really, you need the iPhone as a compass? a level? Get real.
6. Multitasking is quite sensational. I have found it is not just being able to have multiple cards open and to switch back and forth. It is also how they are linked together. On your dial pad, your contact's picture is displayed. Tap on it and it automatically opens that contact. Just open the slider, start typing and you can find someone by first or last name, job, company, or even a nickname! While also offering to search internet, google, wikipedia and twitter
7. web-data speed between the two companies depends on your area and who has better coverage there. For me it happens to be Sprint and the Pre blows the iPhone away. Also, your bookmarks are shown as cards. You can put them in any order, the show the last view you had of that page and it is quite simple to just switch to whichever you want. Also, picture quality and smoothness of browser and page navigation is just great
8. synergy-linking your contacts from Google, your old phone, Gmail, My Space and Facebook is great. You can choose to link them if the names are slightly different. Some have complained they don't want them together. It is simple to unlink them. Contacts is the simplest yet most comprehensive I have yet seen. You can input Name, Job, Company, multiple phone numbers, email addresses, IM addresses, ringtone from any music on phone, physical address, URL, put in reminders, notes, Spouse and children's names, nickname and photo
9. camera-no it doesnt have video (yet) but this is a great camera. I took a picture and it captured individual drops of water. You are also able to zoom in and not loose quality
10. Daily cloud backup. We don't have to do a thing. It automatically does it all. Also has option for push email of Gmail account. Real-time arrival of emails. All your folders and settings are automatically on the phone. No work for you. what you do on cpu is mirrored on Pre and vice-versa. Love this!
11. Pandora, Where-great apps and relevant. Not weenie, useless applications. Actual relative, useful and worthwhile apps.
12. My final point-Sprint is not what they used to be! I have been a Sprint customer for around ten years. While I have had a couple of issues, they have never failed to resolve them quickly and to my satisfaction. Call quality and reception have always been superior to other carriers in my area. They have always had the best value, most minutes and inclusive data/messaging plans. For a less comparable plan for iPhone I would spend 30-50 more a month (for less minutes). Customer service and greatly improved, store visits simplified by Concierge and ability to make appointment by phone or online lets you walk-in and be next in line. Great after a long day when you just want to get business taken care of and go home. Get over the "i know this guy/girl who had this awful...." unless it personally happened to you, don't give it full credit. (more)

[estebancam]

I could not agree with you more. On everything.

I have gone through Verizon, T-Mobile, ATT, and Sprint in the last 2 years (yes lots of cancellation fees), and Sprint has been BY FAR the best, in every way, shape, and form.

I played with the Pre for about 1 hour, so I got to do almost everything the phone can do. I was impressed in almost every way.

[prissysox]

(more) This is a phone more geared toward productivity and practicality for organization, business, AND entertainment. The iPhone is more a status symbol than anything else. Both phones have their plusses and minuses. It will just come down to your preference. I know two people who have just purchased the iPhone and after playing with my Pre wish they hadn't. I also had a co-worker who was ready to go to ATT and pay more for iPhone realize that she preferred the Pre and it is the better economical monthly value.

[shmecklen]

i'm a loyal Palmist myself, but prissysox sounds like she works for the company

[Willy Chu]

PRE DISADVANTAGES vs 3GS
1) Silly $100 rebate scheme--why not just charge $199 and be done with it? Because studies show that almost half of folks never hassle with sending in the rebate paperwork.
2) Only half the storage, not even a 16GB, much less a 32GB option.
3) No visual voice mail, this is a biggy
4) No video camera, no ability to manually or automatically focus lens, no macro focus
5) Minor stuff: Smaller screen, no compass, "universal" search does not include email
6) Lack of apps at this time. iPhone has entered the vicious cycle of more apps and developers --> more app sales and profits --> more apps and developers. It will be a long while before the Pre can catch up, if at all, especially with respect to 3D games. 50,000 is mind blowing.

[tiffanyacz]

As it said, palm pre was release at Jun 06, in fact, it's really a good mobile till iphone 3.0 will release at Jan 19, people can't waiting to buy palm pre.
I like palm pre for it's video recording function althought it can't support voice control and Nike.
But the palm pre DVD converter can make palm pre more colorful as iPhone 3gs.

http://www.dvd-ripper-copy.com/pocket-dvd-ripper.html

[mistergsf--2008]

God, I am so tired of this mindless, waste-of-time, my phone is better than your phone dribble. The iPhone and Pre are BOTH good phones. Choose the one that works best for you and be done with it. Do you people really enjoy doing this? Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah. My phone is better than your phone. Nah, nah, nah. It's so kindergarten.

[estebancam]

The point is not to 'nag.' The point is to compare phones for those who want to further educate themselves with user reviews. The fact is that one phone IS better than the other. This subject is arguable, but one phone will have better user reviews than the other. This is what we do here: compare. It's not about the 'nah-nah's' and it's not about who owns the best phone. It's about what the best phone is.

[Concept]

The reason people do this is because they are called fanatics. Just like sports teams, tech products have followers who love their products no matter. You don't ask people why they blindly follow the Yankees or Lakers do you? Apple will always have their fans who believe all things apple are the greatest inventions ever even though there are major flaws and disadvantages. Same with Palm, there are those who have had every palm phone since the treo 600 days even though most rebooted at random with moderate use.

Blackberry (RIM) has fanatics as well. The only difference is that RIM gained its market share and popularity by producing quality products. Apple got theirs by being a niche product for mindless drones.

[contfce]

I agree to ******** like a bunch of old Women, 3G S will out sell everything, just look at the iPhones track record.

[estebancam]

I believe that anyone who says that the Palm Pre is no better than the iPhone has not used the Palm Pre extensively. I have not purchased it only because I wanted to get to use it before I spent 300 dollars on a new phone. I am an Apple freak. I own apple computers, cinema displays, accessories, iPod's (including the Touch), and other apple products. It came as a blow to me to finally say that something non-Apple beat something Apple. I was incredibly impressed with the user interface of the Palm, and it's multitasking abilities are superior (to say the least) to any other multi-tasking device I have handled. Sprint's 3G and Voice network are very fast and incredibly reliable, and the Palm device only helps that. The ideas of Synergy and Gestures make the phone much easier to use with one handed operations, and it's hardware is very well designed.

Like I said, anyone who says the Pre is no good has not used the phone. Period. I will understand if some say that it is better than the iphone, but to say that it's 'no good' or something along those lines is very unfair to the phone itself. The Palm Pre surprises me on almost every level.