Introduction

The 3.0-megapixel camera is a downgrade from the original Pre's 3.2-megapixel camera, but it takes great pictures as is. The application catalogue, while expanded, still isn't as large or diverse as the ones for the iPhone or Droid. The Pre and Pre Plus operate at about the same speeds, and there's still a bit of trouble with the touch screen's sensitivity in that it doesn't always respond with the first touch, but the Plus moves faster than the Pre when multiple applications are at play.

The Plus isn't a big step away from the Pre and probably wouldn't have enough changes to convince a person to drop their Pre right away for a trade-in. It has the advantage of the WebOS platform over the iPhone and BlackBerry phones and runs multiple programs in a less-cluttered fashion than the Android-powered phones. But it doesn't have as many built-in or downloadable application options as its competitors, and the Plus may not sell as well as it could because it relies on messaging ingenuity to overcompensate for entertainment downfalls like a lack of video recording and the lack of built-in fun applications on the phone.

Design

It's understandable the Plus' designers wanted to keep things simple. And with a touch screen phone, that mission can often be accomplished. But the full QWERTY keypad, although its keys seem a bit larger and spaced farther apart than the original Pre, still has small keys, and there are no separate number keys (a shift button is required to type numbers). This isn't a huge problem, but having a bar for numbers is always a nice touch. As with the original Pre, the Plus's keypad slides out from beneath the phone's face vertically with a bit of a curve.

Speaking of touch, the Plus' keypad keys have a soft, gel-like feel, which is a nice relief for people that spend most of their day hammering on a computer keyboard. It will take some getting used to, though. Since the keys are not very highly raised, it can be easy to mistype the first few times using the keypad. Other keys include a power button on the top right of the phone, volume keys on the left side of the phone, and a ringer switch atop the phone. There's also a 3.5 mm headset jack on top of the phone and a slot for a micro USB cord or charger on the right side of the phone. A speaker and the lens of a 3.0-megapixel camera are located on the back of the phone, and the phone's face has a 3.1-inch screen.

The phone measures 2.3 inches across, 3.9 inches long and two-thirds of an inch thick and weighs 4.89 ounces.

The Palm Pre Plus' design is minimalist. There are few keys, and those that exist blend into the black coating that surrounds the phone in a single shade. If flash isn't wanted, this is a good pick. The keypad is improved from the first Pre, but could use some number keys that don't hide on a letter key, and a menu key would be of benefit.

Out of the box, the Palm Pre Plus comes with a standard lithium-ion battery, an AC phone charger, a stereo headset, a Micro-USB cable, a self-cleaning carry pouch and a getting started guide.

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