Storage

The Plus comes with 16GB of memory and has room for more via a microSD card. The phone also supports USB mass storage. That's a lot of memory even without the addition of a memory card. A phone that supports as much information and as many applications as the Plus needs a lot of memory, so don't expect the phone to come with all of that 16GB free -- 15GB is what's available for extra downloads and operations. Still, that's quite a hunk of storage.

The Plus has room for plenty of downloads, but having contacts from Web sites, email addresses and phones can add up, so users will have to be careful not to let extra files overrun the phone's memory quicker than they expect.

Connectivity

The Palm Pre Plus has built-in GPS and navigation with maps so a person can get directions to where their going and the phone can automatically know what time zone it's in. It also has connection to computers through a USB cable, connects to the Internet through Wi-Fi or 3G connections, and has the Palm WebOS platform to connect contact information from the phone with contact information from Facebook and email and shows all messaging and information by individual contact.

The phone also has Bluetooth capability and supports the following profiles: direct push of items from the phone to another device, stereo audio/video support, and the ability to connect to the Internet with the Bluetooth headset or hands-free device. The phone can remain on for five and a half hours of talking or remain on standby for 350 hours, but the battery drains quickly when in use, especially when a user is doing several things at once, so keep a charger handy.

The Plus has many ways to connect, but it can be draining -- on the battery, that is.

Conclusion

The Palm Pre Plus has its advantages over the original Pre. The operating system moves more swiftly when multiple applications are in play. The system allows for 3D game play. The application store with Palm has more offerings than it did when the Pre came out, and there's more variety beyond the business-related applications that dominated the Palm store last year.

There are plenty of things that remained the same in the Plus. The WebOS operating system is one of the better items that saw no change. The ability to see information by contact is a more streamlined approach than making a phone owner peruse multiple messaging accounts, and the ability to flit through screens and have few items on the main menu screen that would risk getting covered up is ingenious compared to the way other smartphones have organized their ability to use many applications at once (and some haven't gotten this far). The messaging system links so much information by contact that it can sometimes get to be too much, but having messages come in by person instead of system creates a more fluid experience.

There are downsides to some things not changing, though, like the fact that the phone didn't launch with video recording capability and has few post- or pre-photo editing options. These are supposed to be a given on smartphones by now. The design size and shape hasn't changed much, except for the keypad, which thankfully included bigger keys, but still isn't perfect, considering there are no individual number keys and the keys aren't raised very much so typing more than one key by accident is a risk. Still, it's nice to have an alternative to just having a touch screen keypad, especially since the Plus' screen doesn't have the best touch sensitivity. The screen is vibrant and a decent size, but could stand to be more sensitive, like the Droid or iPhone. The design would also benefit from a button that instantly retreats back to the menu screen.

The Plus has plenty of memory but not the best battery life. It connects to computers and Bluetooth devices and even has the ability to act like a hub for other nearby devices. The Internet is speedy and the browser makes typing in a URL or searching for an item simple. The audio is good, but it isn't all that loud when not on the highest volume setting, and the placement of the speaker on the back of the phone risks muffling. The camera has been downgraded by 0.2-megapixel, but takes arguably better images than the camera on the Pre.

The Pre is a good choice for the person on the go that receives numerous messages and checks them often. Anyone that has ever had to give up on message because they received a call or wanted to use the Internet while using another application but couldn't will appreciate the WebOS system, and the Internet speeds and 3G and Wi-Fi options are a plus. But anyone looking for free entertainment should shop elsewhere -- applications, games, music and more come at a price. The phone also doesn't have a great battery life and the screen could stand to be more responsive. This is a phone for people with a lot to do, but not a great pick for people that want a lot of fun for free.

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