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5.6 out of 10

Palm Pre

 

Information found in: from 144 sources in 18 countries

Great Deal: $42.13

  • User Score (819)
    7.2 7.2 from 819 reviewers
  • Expert Score (58)
    7.9 7.9 from 58 reviewers
  • Design (12)
    5.6 5.6 from 12 reviewers
  • Value for money (17)
    5.1 5.1 from 17 reviewers
  • Features (25)
    5.5 5.5 from 25 reviewers
  • Ease of use (19)
    6.4 6.4 from 19 reviewers
  • Performance (8)
    6.2 6.2 from 8 reviewers
  • Sound quality (5)
    6.9 6.9 from 5 reviewers
  • Sound (13)
    5.7 5.7 from 13 reviewers
  • Durability (7)
    4.3 4.3 from 7 reviewers
  • Reliability (2)
    4.5 4.5 from 2 reviewers
  • Looks (8)
    5.0 5.0 from 8 reviewers
  • Battery performance (28)
    4.7 4.7 from 28 reviewers
  • Display (14)
    6.0 6.0 from 14 reviewers
  • Weight (12)
    5.6 5.6 from 12 reviewers
  • Ergonomics (2)
    6.8 6.8 from 2 reviewers
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  • Best Deals

  • Score Distribution

Experts:
9-10
(13)
7-8
(36)
5-6
(9)
3-4
(0)
1-2
(0)
Users:
9-10
(349)
7-8
(182)
5-6
(109)
3-4
(73)
1-2
(103)

  • Expert Reviews

  1. Digitaltrends

    Digitaltrends
    8.0/10
    25 June 2009

    Palm's long-awaited iPhone smasher comes closer than we've ever seen to juicing Apple. How many so-called iPhone killers have we sifted through by now? It seems like every other month, another company rolls out another smartphone groomed to dethrone the now-ubiquitous Apple superphone. From the T-Mobile G1 to Sony’s Xperia X1 , many have tried. And so far, they’ve all fallen pretty flat. Palm can’t afford to join the crowd of failures. Read more

    • QWERTY keyboard; functional touch screen; polished interface; good camera; fast connectivity
    • Some lag in WebOS; app store is still growing; slightly sloppy sliding mechanism

  2. HotHardware

    HotHardware
    11 August 2009

    While the Palm Pre probably won’t kill the iPhone (that’s a pretty tall order to fill), it is a worthy competitor that offers some very cool features and puts Palm back in the smartphone game. Overall, we ended up impressed with the new webOS and Pre smartphone and look forward to additional webOS devices and handsets from Palm in the future. Read more

    • Slick user interface, Multitasking capabilities, Full Web browser, Vibrant display
    • Small hardware keyboard, no on-screen keyboard at this time, No memory expansion slot, No voice dialing capabilities at this time

  3. PhoneArena.com

    PhoneArena.com
    12 November 2011

    Let’s take a step back two years.  The cellular world was about to enter a transitional period, with the world anticipating the release of the iPhone and R&D departments at the major manufacturers working furiously to put out something that could hold its own.  The has gone on to unprecedented success, and while there have been some formidable competitors (HTC and Samsung come to mind) no one has truly captured the ease of use and wow factor like Apple did.  All the Read more

  4. pocketnow.com

    pocketnow.com
    6.0/10
    9 July 2011

    The Palm Pre seems to be squarely aimed at potential iPhone users who would rather use Sprint.  The animated rounded-corners interface and hacked-together iTunes support make that pretty obvious.  Palm even added a number of things that Apple has long been horrible at, including stereo bluetooth, a hardware keyboard, copy/paste, and multi-tasking. Read more

    • Small, comfortable form factor with slide-out keyboard, Excellent task manager interface, Synergy keeps multiple accounts manageable, Syncs with multiple Exchange acco...
    • A number of functional limitations compared to Windows Mobile and Symbian S60, Doesn't work with managed Exchange accounts, Tiny keyboard buttons are difficult to use,...

  5. LAPTOP Magazine

    LAPTOP Magazine
    8.0/10
    3 June 2009

    It’s the smart phone you can’t help but root for. Not because Palm (not to mention Sprint) is on the ropes, and needs a hit. It’s because the company’s new webOS out-innovates the competition in many ways. The eagerly anticipated Pre ($199 after contract and $100 rebate) beats the iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry when it comes to multitasking, and especially in how it seamlessly unifies your contact and calendar information across multiple Web services. Read more

  • User Reviews

  1. I LUV the tiny size that packs a PUNCH!

    Amazon
    8.0/10
    Reviewer: Palm Springs Purchaser, Amazon
    22 August 2011

    I totally agree with the top 2 reviews. Definitely read the start-up stuff/go through the tutorials when U get this cutie! If u've already caught up with the tech-generation, this will be a breeze. If u r new to apps, POP email accounts, txt'ng, and so on, this is an absolute dream of a starter phone! I luv, absolutely LUV its compact size and mini, slide-out keyboard. Read more

  2. functionality pending...

    J&R
    6.0/10
    Reviewer: SirEndure, J&R
    9 December 2010

    Had problems with device performance. The OS crashed about once every 2 hours (that I noticed-perhaps it crashed more when I was not looking?) Could it be because the unit came from the EU? (That is what was marked on the box plus it came with a European plug. If you are in the U.S., you will need to purchase a plug separately to power the phone from an electrical outlet). Read more

    • Durable, Lightweight, Neat Features
    • Awkward Keypad, Freezes Up

  3. "Hate this phone"

    CNET
    1.0/10
    Reviewer: Pyslocke, CNET
    3 weeks ago

    Worst phone/palm I have ever had. I have to be careful not to touch the screen w/ ear during calls or it disconnects which is difficult as the sound quality is poor. Butt dials freq. Slippery have dropped it several times, surprised it still works but the screen is cracked. Apps I have needed, not available for this phone. Battery last about 15-30 if you call someone. Very disappointed. Prob the worst purchase I ever made. Read more

    • Camera fair Looks cool
    • Short battery if you use it Touch screen to sensitive calls and disconnects easily Poor reception Slippery Poor Sound poor software

  4. Great OS but the actual phone has too many issues to compete with other OSs

    Ebay
    8.0/10
    Reviewer: benbyu1, Ebay
    8 September 2011 See Product at eBay ($69.99)

    The Palm Pre has one of the best, if not the best, Operating Systems for a smart phone. It is easy to use and is intuitive with its gestures. Another great feature is its multitasking ability with its card system. Where the Palm Pre falls short is the build quality of the actually phone. The sliding mechanism for the keyboard has the "oreo" effect when its closed. The phone is encased with plastic making it feel cheap and scratches easily. Read more or see product

  5. Palm Pre is a Great IPhone Alternative

    10/10
    Reviewer: dguruswamy, epinions.com
    26 August 2009

    IntroductionI am not a cell phone junkie. In other words, I'm never the first person with a new phon Read more

    • Great operating system, very slick user inteface, affordable plans.
    • Poor battery life, limited apps compared to IPhone.

  • WikiFreak Description

Palm Pre

This mobile phone model was launched at CES in January 2009 by Palm and is slated to be released by June 2009 before Summer. Its outer look is made of a sleek, glossy plastic with a curvy touch in the back and around the sides of the phone. It has been noted to be slightly smaller than the iPhone, when closed. Buttons on the left side are to be used for the volume, a 3.5mm headphone jack and also, ringer on/off switch is located on the top and at the back is where the speaker is found. Also …

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Palm Pre

This mobile phone model was launched at CES in January 2009 by Palm and is slated to be released by June 2009 before Summer. Its outer look is made of a sleek, glossy plastic with a curvy touch in the back and around the sides of the phone. It has been noted to be slightly smaller than the iPhone, when closed. Buttons on the left side are to be used for the volume, a 3.5mm headphone jack and also, ringer on/off switch is located on the top and at the back is where the speaker is found. Also found at the back is the 3 megapixel camera with LED flash. A Micro USB port is included for charging purposes or for transferring files. The Palm Pre is advertised to have a light sensor, proximity sensor, and accelerometer. Two versions of this phone will be released as of now. A Sprint-release with EV-DO Rev. A and 802.11b/g, includes Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR and A2DP as the first release and the second release will feature 3G GSM in place of EV-DO.

Features

New features added in this phone are firstly, the Synergy from Palm that allows for contacts and calendars to be pulled together from different sources without changing or integrating that data. Another feature is it has a rich search function which pulls up a dialog when you begin typing something on the keyboard. The browser included is Webkit based. It also has the copy-and-paste function just by a few gestures. It also has a new operating system that is said to be a first-timer under the name of webOs. The webOS is developed under Linux. It features a 3.1-inch touchscreen that covers the front of this phone. The screen resolution is 480 x 320 and a higher pixel density than the Apple’s device. The QWERTY keyboard is hidden underneath and can be accessed by just sliding it out. As it has a touchscreen display, there’s an area just below the screen that has been intended to be used for finger and thumb swipes. Near that area, there’s a button that has the appearance of a movable trackball and that button is said to be used to call up one of the "cards". This model uses “jelly keys” as similar to the ones featured on the Centro. Palm has included the Touchstone, a charger that can be used to hold the phone atop it for power. An AGPS chip is featured on the phone as a navigation software on-board is featured as well.

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  • Manufacturer's Description

Meet Palm Pre, a phone that’s always thinking ahead to make your life easier. Pre pulls your different online calendars into one view, bringing you the information you want without having to search for it. Pre links your contacts from different sources, giving you one place to find what you need. And Pre delivers incoming messages1 and notifications in an intuitively subtle way, letting you react or respond however you want. People, events, information that matters. W…

Ask the community

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Questions asked: 3 Answers: 3

Previous questions about this product

  • Battery

    And the battery life?? is better or worst than nokia n97 or new iphone 3G S. Thanks

    (No answers yet. Write an answer!) 2009-06-12

  • Pre video recording?

    Does any one know when we will have video recording capabilities for the Palm Pre? Also, does any one know of any good protective accessories for the Pre besides Seidio products?

    Answered by Lean 2009-10-19:

    The video recording capabilities: 30fps at 320x480px with pretty good clarity and color.

  • facebook application on the pre

    When my friends post something on facebook, normally you can comment on their post or 'like' what they posted. When on the palm pre I am not able to do that. HELP??

    Answered by Suejung 2009-10-19:

    I don't have an answer for you, but that is quite annoying. I'd like some help with that as

    Answered by Lean 2009-10-19:

    Unfortunately, the Palm Pre doesn’t support AutoDiscover or EWS. This causes difficulties to comment or get 'error' messages. You can try the 'Mobile Facebook updated for Pre

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