Palm
Tiny Palm Phone Now Available Unlocked
The miniature Palm Android phone — originally a Verizon exclusive — will be available unlocked for $350 in August. With LTE 2/4/5/12/13/66, it's compatible with AT&T, T-Mobile, Metro, and Verizon.
Palm Now Works as Standalone Phone
Palm has updated its tiny Android phone to operate as its own standalone smartphone. It was originally introduced as a companion device that required a "full" smartphone to share a phone number and sync with. The companion-device functionality remains, now as an option. The company introduced the standalone option today as part of a major software update. The update also improves camera quality and battery life. For the month of April, Verizon is offering the Palm for $199 (a $150 discount) with a 2-year contract or payment plan. Palm is also offering 50% off all Palm accessories until April 18th.
Verizon's Palm Device Available to Buddy Up with Your Phone On November 2
Verizon Wireless today shared launch details concerning the new Palm companion device. Verizon says the small smartphone will be available online and in stores starting November 2. Big Red is offering several ways to finance the phone. The Palm can be paid off over 24 months for payments of $14.58 per month. Alternately, customers can sign a two-year agreement and pay $299 for the Palm, or buy it outright and contract-free for $349. The Palm companion device requires a $10-per-month Verizon NumberShare plan that is anchored to a standard smartphone service plan. The idea behind this diminutive device is to allow people to access their vital apps when needed, but keep them from staring at their screen all day. The Palm features an aluminum chassis with Gorilla Glass panels and an IP68 rating for protection against dust and water. It syncs messages, calls, and other data between itself and the primary phone. The Palm has a 3.3-inch HD screen, Snapdragon 435 processor, 3 GB of RAM, and 32 GB of storage. It has a 12-megapixel rear camera with flash and an 8-megapixel selfie camera. The Palm includes LTE, WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth, with an embedded SIM card. It has an 800mAh battery and relies on face unlock for security. The phone runs Android 8.1 Oreo and is compatible with millions of Android apps. Palm has customize the software to minimize notifications and interruptions.
Palm Comes Back from the Dead With Pint-Sized Verizon Exclusive
Palm, a California company that purchased the rights to the Palm brand from TCL, today launched a new device it calls an ultra-mobile product that "syncs with your smartphone to keep you connected but not consumed." The idea is to allow people to access their vital apps when needed, but keep them from staring at their screen all day — particularly when they are out and about. The device is tiny and features an aluminum chassis with Gorilla Glass panels front and back. It's rated IP68 for protection against dust and water. Palm says the device is designed to be worn, not carried. Rather that serve as a primary phone, it is a companion device. Owners will need to have a regular Android or iOS smartphone on a Verizon service plan. The Palm is billed like a smartwatch. Service costs $10 per month and it relies on the same number as the main device. It's able to keep messages, calls, and other data in sync between itself and the primary phone. The Palm has a 3.3-inch HD screen and it is powered by a Snapdragon 435 processor with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. It has a 12-megapixel rear camera with flash and an 8-megapixel selfie camera. The Palm includes LTE, WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth, with an embedded SIM card. The device has an 800mAh battery and relies on face unlock for security. The phone runs Android 8.1 Oreo and is compatible with millions of Android apps. The user interface skips the idea of a home screen and instead shows all the on-board apps. A small gesture pad is available at the bottom of the screen, accessed by swiping up, and it can be used to search for apps based on scrawling the first letter of the app. The gesture pad also contains shortcuts to the phone, messages, camera, and music apps. The crux of the Palm is Life Mode. With this mode activated, the Palm essentially goes to sleep when users turn off the screen, preventing calls and messages from interrupting the owner. Owners can customize Life Mode a bit. The phone returns to full functionality when owners choose to wake the screen back up. Google Assistant is built in and works with custom, voice-activated shortcuts that perform a variety of actions. The Palm costs $350 and will go on sale in November.
