Palm Pre November 2009
Palm Pre
The Palm Pre was first unveiled in January, but only now has the high-spec mobile phone handset finally become available. Which? researchers got their hands on one of the first handsets to reach these shores and have taken a look at its key features
Palm Pre
The Palm Pre mobile phone has been described by many as one of the first true contenders to threaten the Apple iPhone's reign as the king of smartphones.
The Palm Pre is similar in many respects to the iPhone, but it has a real Qwerty keypad, as opposed to the virtual on-screen keypad found on the iPhone. It is available exclusively with the O2 mobile phone network.
Our first look found that Pre's 3.1-inch touchscreen bright and responsive, and general operation of the Palm Pre's key features is a breeze.
One of the most interesting points to make about the Palm Pre is its ability to handle several applications at any one time. By pressing the home button beneath the screen, any application that is open is minimised so others can be opened. When several applications are open, they can be easily sifted through with a sideways swipe of the finger.
Watch our first look Palm Pre video below
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Palm Pre's specifications
The Palm Pre has 8GB of internal memory and, like the iPhone, no memory card slot for further expansion. The phone has a 3.15Mp camera with LED flash, a 3.5mm headphone socket and Wi-Fi, 3G, GPS and Bluetooth connectivity.
The handset's only available in glossy black, however a matt black rear casing can be bought separately that allows you to charge the device wirelessly with the wireless charger dock known as 'Touchstone'. This charging port has to be bought separately.
Palm Pre application store
Applications for the handset can be downloaded from the Palm app store. We found that the number of available applications, however, is considerably less than those available on the iPhone.
Like many smartphones, the battery life and incoming call sound quality isn't terrific.
For help choosing a mobile phone and a to find out how the iPhone performed in our lab tests, check out our mobile phone reviews.
We'll be putting the Palm Pre through our labs tests and bringing you the full results shortly.
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