Palm Pre (CDMA)
Phone Scoop Review
Jun 3, 2009 by Eric M. Zeman
Palm hopes the Pre can bring it back from the brink of extinction. Based on what Phone Scoop sees, Palm's chances of salvation are pretty good. The Pre is a solid phone, even if it makes a few mistakes. read review ›
User Reviews
Average Ratings
Palm is back in it to win it!
Pro's:
Multi-tasking!!!!
Great screen
Keyboard
Still the best PIM
Layout / feel / quality
WebOs
OTA updates
Con's:
Coming from BB, keyboard a bit small
limited to 8GB
Was once a palm loyalist, but it seems they feel asleep at the wheel! Went to iPhone then the 3G and the BB 9000. Having been with AT&T for 6 years and having the iPhone from day 1, this phone blows the iPhone out of the water. Even with the new 3Gs, Apple has fallen behind. Granted as of now there are only 28 apps, but the look, feel, use (MMS, Multi-tasking, etc.) for a gen 1.0, this phone is leaps and bounds ahead of the iPhone. I initially wasn't so sure about the phone, especially since I was also used to BB for work. But after a couple days of getting used to how the Pre works, I can unequivocally say that Palm is back in the arena! Awesome job to Palm. The critical part will now be that Palm takes advantage and uses their OTA feature built into the phone for updates. Also, I cut my cell phone bill in half with Sprint. Compared to AT&T - Sprint blows them away in customer service!
Simply...amazing
I have had the pre since it became available to employees and pixi when it released. As you, the reader, might notice...there has been a lot of hate toward webOS. Some dont even consider it when arguing about iphoneOS, WinMO, and android. I've had all three of thos in addition to symbian and i will firmly state, webOS is my favorite and shows the most potential. People forget that when android came out...it was bare in its infancy, and no one can argue that when the iphone came out, that it also was and is rated lower on phonescoop than the pre is. WebOS and the pre are, as of today, still less than 6 months old. We have had over 8 software updates that advance the platform while solving any performance issues. Also an app calalog that just hit 1000 apps and sprint is the ONLY carrier with a webOS device at the moment, wait until it hits verizon! webOS is only going to get better, and the palm pre bests my iphone3g. I cant wait until the OS fully utilizes the devices hardware...something that will come soon. webOS is just starting, you dont kick a baby after its born because it cant run yet. android and iphone were no different when they started. there is always room for improvement, and agreeably as a sprint tech, the pre is not the most durable device, but its simply amazing. and when taken care of will take you and get you far!
Excellent Phone
This is a great phone. I had the phone for exactly 30 days and learned a lot during that time. Canceled Sprint contract and I'm back with T-Mobile so no more Pre. I would prefer to have the Pre.
Pros:
Web browsing was fast and easy
Very little set up needed
Great Camera - sharp, clear pictures
Ability to expand the screen size
Handles multiple apps at once without
slowing down the processor
Fast texting
Sprint TV
Cons:
Only one...the touch screen which is more user error than anything. Make sure you close your apps before setting the phone down or you could inadvertently open new apps or call someone when you pick up the phone.
Awesome Phone but.....
Being employed with the wireless industry I know a good phone when I see one. I am a long time palm user. I have had every palm there has ever been since the treo 600p(windows sucks). Here is one thing that I have to say about this phone... WOW palm did a great job but... they didn't stay true to what they are all about or what their operating system is all about. Im not in any way bashing on palm because lets face it, they were defiantly on the verge of going under and in a market like this one they had to do what they did. Thats why I only docked them one point.
Pros:
Awesome web OS to import contacts from facebook
Feels GREAT in the hand palm stayed true to that.
Menus are easy to navigate with simple swipes to close apps
Screen, Camera with FLASH!
WiFi is a plus :)
Speaker is ok....
Cons:
This is a bit of a longer list,
Cant forward text messages (update?)
No copy and paste (update?)
Lack of apps (I know they are coming)
Battery life is HORRIBLE!
Suggestion: if you live outside of EVDO coverage like me change the settings to 1x only. to do this, dial ##3836# press send and change it. Also turn off WiFi and Bluetooth as well as change the email settings to not check email as often.
Im still on the fence about the gesture area. Its a cool idea but Im not sure if I like it because it takes some getting used to.
No expandable memory :(
No option for an onscreen key board. I have never owned an iPhone but in some cases it almost seems like you just need one.
No option for MSN messenger? Update?
No Syncing phone to computer and it is extremely difficult to get anything from an old phone onto the new one. no pics or contacts.
Palm PREakin Awesome
I just want to start off by saying the palm pre is the greatest thing since sliced bread and cheezy poofs.
Very Impressed... some downfalls though
I switched over the the Pre from the Blackberry 8130 (pearl), have also had the BB 8830 (world phone) so I was a big BB fan. I loved BB but wanted a touch screen and the pearl's tiny keyboard finally got to me. Anyway the Pre...
PROS:
- Screen is great.
- MUSIC: Syncs with iTunes which is great, and the music player is really nice, definately leaps and bounds above my pearl.
- Easy multitasking with programs is something I don't know how I lived without on the BB. Again, the gestures are great here, toggling back and forth and throwing away the program when done.
-Synergy: Very nice,.
CONS:
- BATTERY LIFE TERRIBLE: BUY additional chargers/batteries for sure! The "tricks" don't do much. I don't foresee any fixes helping much.
- I wish they had physical buttons for answering and ending calls like most phones have but I guess most touch screens don't.
- Can't customize much of anything quite yet, and nothing in regards to sounds/ringer profiles. BB had this down solid with their 5+ profiles for ringers.
- Calendar: I wish they would throw it on the home screen like BB as well.
- Reception: Very poor compared to my Pearl (downtown Chicago).
- Keyboard: so so... it's a full keyboard though so oh well. Definitely not of BB Curve/Bold quality and ease of use.
- Contacts. Wish I could clean them up a bit, it throws all your phone contacts, gmail, outlook, AIM, facebook, pretty much EVERYTHING in to your contact list and it's a mess now. The search fixes this a bit but wish I could "minimize" some of those.
OVERALL:
Love the phone. Does exactly what it should extremely well but with a few gripes here and there. Hopefully with the auto updates and Palm's necessity to make this phone a huge hit they'll fix any and all issues people are having and let users customize a bit more. Will be a great business phone once all the apps come out, BB watch out! Phone is a nice in-between phone for the BB and the iPhone and really can steal a ton of market share once opened to Verizon as well.
WOW! THIS PHONE IS AMAZING! iPHONE KILLER INDEED!
I was skeptical joining sprint and getting this phone since they screwed me years ago. But boy have they changed! customer service is amazing! rate plans are amazing! service is superb! and not only is the service great but the freaking sound quality man!!! sounds like I'm actually talking to the person face to face! Internet is ridiculously fast! the things you can do with sprint and the fact that i don't pay anything extra makes me fall in love with them. simply everything is the best deal, i don't understand why hasn't everybody joined sprint! pay your termination fee its worth it! with all the money that be saving with sprint, it makes total sense.
now the phone....
Ive had the iphone then the iphone 3g. this is the perfect phone to transition to... never miss your iphone.
THIS IS BY FAR, THE BEST PHONE I HAVE EVER OWNED, SEEN, OR HEARD OF. WAY TO GO SPRINT AND PALM. THIS PHONE IS PERFECT FOR SPRINT SINCE YOU CAN DO SO MUCH WITH IT AND NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING CHARGED EXTRA FOR ANYTHING...
the only problem is once you get this phone, never want anything else... (not a problem for me!)
no regrets, just wished i switched sooner.
Been waiting, NOT DISSAPOINTED!
Let me say this, I am an apple fan boy! I love their computers and i LOVE my iPod Touch. I have never been a fan of the iPhone simply because i cannot stand the keyboard on the thing as well as the lack of multitasking (not being able to do it on the Touch is annoying enough, on my phone would be a killer). I have NOT liked Palm since the beginning, I used to sell palm pilots back in the day and I had quite a few differant Palm PDA's handed down to me way back when. I saw the announcement for the Pre at CES and just said MEH. Then one day I was bored and watched the video and was blown away. Now i am a Bberry abuser, I had 12 8830 World editions and 4 curves (not to mention the 3 8703's back in the day), and I use it to its fullest...emails and the like. Switching to a touchscreen phone wasnt a big deal, I camped out for a Storm..WHAT A WASTE. I returned that phone after a full 30 day trial (and that phone i waited to come out like a madman for a year).
Fast forward to last friday night, My best friend, stylist and myself ALL camped out at Best Buy (heres a photo of us camping there! http://picasaweb.google.com/mikejaret/RandomPhotos#5346162742137942434) from 11PM. We did this as we knew our BB was only getting 3 of them and we were the 3!
Now I have been a cell phone junky for a long time and have used everything. This phone is stellar for a version 1. Of course there are issues and even some bad ones (not good service in my office vs vzw or ATT), but nothing that cant be fixed! I have full faith in the phone and sprint!
Pros:
Great Screen
Great Size
Great Camera
Great Keyboard (and im a bberry user)
Great OS
Great Browser
Touchstone is SHWEET (cept the price, but the new battery door is tight)
App store is nice (although in its infant stages)
Wifi Works AMAZING!
OTA updates are great!
a
Cons:
Battery life needs to be improved &
OS tweaks need to be made
Nothing is a deal breaker for me, and im sure the phone will only get slicker over time with the OTA update system.
Finally a Killer Sprint Phone!
After several days of ownership here is my opinion:
Pros:
Keyboard is great (I have big hands:-)
Audio Quality is excellent with supplied headphones.
Call quality is above par and signal strength has been decent in S.N.J.
LOVE being able to run multiple apps at the same time with no appreciable lag.
EASY setup of bluetooth headset and email - easier than setting up a windows box.
Cons:
Gets a bit warm if trying to make a call while charger is attached.
I'm not a windows mobile or iPhone hater but this phone is rock solid for an OS ver. 1.0
In its own Class
I personally got to play with the phone, and being one of the lucky chosen nine RadioShacks in the Albany region, I got my hands on one two days before launch date (store demo). I do not personally own the phone, but playing with it for a few days in the store I'll give my two cents about it.
Pros:
-Over the air activation? That's awesome... no programming required. I was highly impressed with that point alone as a first impression.
-You're able to create a palm profile which will save your information, address book, and even third party apps. Now lets say you lose the phone, the phone will lock up on its own so no one else will access it after you announce your phone lost/stolen through Sprint, and once you get your new phone enter your Palm username and password and viola, everything is back; to your setting, to your tastes. You can access your profile remotely through palms website. So long wireless backup, hello palm profile.
-Screen is vibrant, along with a very sensitive touch screen. You have to see the screen for yourself to believe it.
-No stuttering on the touch screen settings. No more getting out the stylus (cough windows mobile) and hitting the same spot three times to get it open, only to then realize your phone froze. This phone reacts immediately to your finger it's kind of creepy, but puts a smile on your face (if you previously owned a windows mobile phone, I know you guys out there feel me).
-Open multiple apps at once, the art of multitasking has returned once again. Palm fixed something that apple couldn't fix for two years. That middle button minimizes applications, it doesn't close it.
-The card thing is so awesome.
-Integrated swipe back feature, don't need to get the screen dirty to go back to a previous page.
Cons
-Keyboard is small, but I think you all know that already.
-Ignorant people think Sprint sucks and refuses to touch a good phone.
-Shares dropped at launch due to the fact it didn't sell enough at launch;oh well.
It's worth it
