Palm today unveiled the Pre smartphone, a touch screen phone that it hopes will win back customers from rivals like Nokia and Apple.

Palm Pre More Photos Read Review View Specs

The Pre has a 3.1-inch 24-bit color touch screen display for simple, intuitive gestures for navigation. It features a proximity sensor that disables the screen when users put the phone up to their ear. A light sensor dims the LCD if the ambient light is dark to reduce power usage, while an accelerometer automatically orients webpages and photos for landscape or portrait view.

A full QWERTY keyboard slides out for convenient text messaging. A built-in 3.0-megapixel camera with LED flash and extended depth of field snaps photos and video. Other features include EV-DO Rev. A high-speed Internet, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi, GPS, Stereo Bluetooth and 8GB of built-in flash storage. It has a micro-USB plug, 3.5mm headphone jack and an innovative wireless charger.

Overhauling its mobile operating system, Palm also debuted its new WebOS operating system, created under the watch of former Apple executive Jon Rubenstein, who helped create the iPod.

With WebOS, multiple applications can be opened and run at the same time, so users can flip from one to another. The platform also introduces Palm Synergy, a feature that brings information from the many places to the Pre in one integrated view. Synergy also groups conversations with the same person in a chat-style view, even if it started in IM and replied with text messaging.

Palm has been staking its future on the launch of the new operating system and device, which it has been developing since 2007.

The Pre will be exclusively offered by Sprint in the first half of 2009, and will be followed by a world-ready UMTS version for other regions. Sprint's pricing for the phone has not yet been determined.

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1. Posted by DonLouie	Sat Jan 10, 2009 11:52 am
The only way this can be an iphone competitor is if it's in the same price range
2. Posted by bgreif	Sat Jan 10, 2009 1:26 pm
I agree, guess we will have to see
3. Posted by IOWA	Sun Jan 11, 2009 5:30 am
This looks like a great phone. do i wait for this or get the touch pro. oh boy!
4. Posted by DonLouie	Mon Jan 12, 2009 2:29 am
None of the phones I want are out yet Bold, Android Instinct and this
5. Posted by aristo	Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:41 pm
I feel sad Palm do not develop the Palm system any more, but welcome the new one.
6. Posted by sweepy	Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:20 am
i cant wait for this phone to come out. i think it is a competitor against the iphone regardless of price. just because it was created to be a better phone. running on a better OS. i dont think it will sell as much yet though. but give it time it would. but yeah iphone is a great phone but i think this phone will be better. and now this palm pre will set the bar for apple, blackberry, and other phone companys to create phones based of the palm pre to even compete
7. Posted by bgreif	Wed Jan 21, 2009 5:10 pm
None of the phones I want are out yet Bold, Android Instinct and this Just so you know, all 3 phones have been out for a little while now
8. Posted by SprintVallejo	Tue Jan 27, 2009 5:01 pm
Lol, The android instinct is NOT out Bgrief nor is the Pre. The bold just got relased so I dont know where u get your info unless you're talking about the Foreign markets.
9. Posted by IOWA	Thu Jan 29, 2009 5:37 am
Bgrief has been a little misinformed for a while now.
10. Posted by DonLouie	Tue Feb 03, 2009 11:41 am
Maybe the Bold has 3 versions on att or believes the Centro is the Pre and the Eternity is the Android Instinct
11. Posted by brandt00	Tue Feb 10, 2009 12:19 pm
I am a sprint customer who would like to have the palm pre, but the latest forum on sprint revealed that they are taking all the ROAM ONLY features away from the new phones. I just did a software upgrade on my BB 8330 and it took my ROAM ONLY feature away, which I need to have service in my building. So, all in all, I can't even think of getting the pre! I may have to leave sprint altogether!
12. Posted by IOWA	Tue Feb 17, 2009 6:48 pm
Get an airave. where did you here this?
13. Posted by gtskyrider	Tue Feb 24, 2009 12:05 am
Sprint needs more than the Pre to get people back.they should concentrate on the existing customers and then target the ones that left. Freak'n Sprint just can't get right."LIFE"
14. Posted by DonLouie	Sat Feb 28, 2009 3:42 pm
I am missing what they can't get right, they are letting me upgrade every year
15. Posted by IOWA	Fri Mar 06, 2009 2:51 am
agreed
16. Posted by brandt00	Thu Mar 12, 2009 9:02 am
I am looking into the airwave. It is $99 for the unit and $5 a month on top of the price plan. I heard that Sprint was getting rid of the Roam Only option in the phones straight from the supervisor at the corporate stores. The roam only option is costing them too much money. You can still roam in areas, but you can't set the phone to the Roam only. The BB 8330 had the option of setting at automatic, sprint or Roam only. I had to roam only in order to get service where I work, or else it would bounce off of Ver and back to Sprint constantly. I couldn't receive or make a call. That is why I am worried about switching back. The airwave, you have to connect to a cable or T1 line. I don't know if my company will allow me to do that . Isn't there anything else out there that can enhance reception? Why does Sprint have such a hard time with signal areas?
17. Posted by IOWA	Wed Mar 25, 2009 10:01 pm
Why roam when native coverage is available anyway?
18. Posted by brandt00	Mon Mar 30, 2009 9:40 am
For some reason it wouldn't pick up here. I am starting to believe that I had a software problem with the blackberry that I had b/c a few others have sprint now and they get service. I bought a phone off of ebay so I can upgrade when the pre gets released. Well, I was informed with different info from 4 sprint reps. 1st, I could come with an existing phone and still be able to get the pre when it is released with full upgrade. Then, when I called to activate, the rep told me no, that I have to wait 2 years even with an existing phone. She sent me to another rep, turns out cancellation dept., and he said, "no that is correct" just have them put it in your notes that you will only become a customer if I can be eligible for the upgrade. So now what do I do? What if they don't honor it? I don't like all of the misinformation.
19. Posted by spyphonemonkey	Fri Nov 27, 2009 4:59 am
I have an Apple iPhone 3G - nice in the hand but features are weak, and I feel rather played to have to go to the app store to prevent spam SMS.
20. Posted by brandt00	Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:06 am
I have a pre now and I love it. Yes, there are some flaws but with the continuous software updates Palm is really making it worth it. My sprint service has been great. I roam at my work but that is all. I am a happy customer. I hope I didn't just jinks myself!

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