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
You know what I like about this phone....Its got the best OS out right now and is the best looking phone out right now.
the only thing i dont like it about it doesnt have a video camera. Hopefully this will arrive soon.
A+ Concept but still needs work.
**** I am a Sprint employee and these are my honest answers****
The concept of WebOS is great but just like any completely new system, it has had some flaws but that is to be expected and I will say that Palm has corrected most of them in a timely manner as far as the software goes.
Hardware is my main complaint.
Pros:
*3.2 mega-pixel camera w/flash.
*8gb hard drive for media.
*Feature packed but user friendly.
*Treaded SMS like normal instant messenger.
*Easy to navigate between apps without closing them.
*Large, on-screen, dial pad (phone calls only) so those with bad sight can make calls easier.
*Synergy - links online accounts like google and facebook with the phone.
*Universal Search (my favorite) allows you to just start typing the name of something and the phone searches for contacts and apps in the phone as well as allowing for online search.
*Auto backup of everyday to Palm Profile so you don't lose your information if your phone is lost.
CONS:
*No Voice Dial
*Battery life is horrible. Even after changing all the settings (turning off certain features, like Bluetooth and Location Services, when not in use and changing how often the phone checks email) I still couldn't make it 1/2 the day without plugging it in. But I do use my phone a lot since I work for Sprint and often use mine to show customers the features. They need a double capacity battery and fast!
*It has a screen like an egg shell. This is the reason for my 2.5 rating. I had my Pre for about 2 weeks the screen shattered. It was in the Palm leather case and wasn't ever dropped. I work for a Sprint retail store and this is a common problem.
Glad I made the switch and upgrade!
This is my third palm product (Treo 650, Centro, now the Pre) and this thing is sweeeeeeet! Glad I made the switch from Verizon to Sprint...CHEAPER, customer service great so far and service is almost as good as Verizon - it does just fine!
PROS
-Clear and bright screen, even on low settings.
-Easy learning curve (my wife has one too and she's learning something new everyday!
-Internet is smooth and it is INCLUDED IN THE PLAN!! Don't have to pay an extra $30 / month!
-The keyboard is fine for my normal sized hands - again, coming from a centro which has a tiny keyboard.
-Small in size...fits just fine in pocket even when stored in the pouch.
-WiFi! Supposedly saves battery when hooked up to a strong connection.
-Great pics - vivid and clear!
-Useful Apps
-Gestures are touchscreen are accurate, fun, and just make sense.
CONS
-BATTERY LIFE - trying different tricks like full battery drain and full charge, and have things turned off when not in use (GPS, AutoLocate, etc.). So we'll see.
-NO CAMCORDER!!! Hope and update takes care of this...HELP!!!!
-A little too slick (just bought the Seidio Innocase, so it should improve).
-Cannot assign ringers to sms - no biggie for me.
-Worried about durability.
Overall, I am pretty pleased with the phone. Got my wife one too and she loves it. Would love to give it a 5, but like any phone, it has issues. I just hope the battery tweaks work and an update with the camcorder feature comes out!
NOT THE GREATEST
OK this phone is pretty decent but has some flaws... on the PRE you can not forward text messaging, the ear piece is not loud enough, i had the hardest time trying to have a conversation with some when there a crowd around compared to many other phones Ive owned, there is not a video recorder, and the blue tooth is not accepting my blue tooth but other than those little flaws its great!!!
Pros:
fast internet
good apps
srcreen resoultion is awesome
text friendly
cons:
no video recorder
cant forward texts
ear piece is not loud
PRE-engaged!!!
So you know how, when you get engaged, there are thing you love about him/her and things you wish he/she had from your past relationships? Hence...The Palm Pre.
I love this phone. I truly do. So much so that...so far...like my fiance, it has WAY more good than bad. So I think I'll keep it as I will keep her. There is little missing that can't be fixed with software updates, just like, with some therapy, my fiance would be PERFECT!!!
I was a loyal, happy member of the Treo family of phones, so much of what's missing are things I loved to do with my Treo.
PROS:
Almost everything. And...this thing FEELS AND LOOKS STUNNING. I really don't get the reviewers that don't think so.
CONS:
1) I miss the "all access, one touch" menu key from the Treo.
2) I can only set a reminder with the time choices given to me (not nearly enough). I used to be able to select whatever amount of time I wanted.
3) I miss color coding my events in my calendar.
4) Can't select ringers/tones for reminders, texts, or emails.
5) No LED external light for alerts, reminders, etc.
6) Within my calendar, only shows the time of an event if it is at the top of the hour. If, for example, the event is 7:15...NO time shows next to the event. It will only show up between 7:00 and 8:00. C'mon, Palm!!!
7) Where are my emoticons for texting???
So...as you can see...nothing that's a deal breaker, per say. But - I do NEED many of those things to keep my life running as it was before. So I hope Palm is reading this, and if not, a sofware developer is so a third part app can fix some of these issues.
My fiance, AND my Pre...will stick be sticking around.
Not an iPhone killer, but one damn good phone.
So far I am very pleased with my Pre. However, would I give up my iPhone? No. I might even get the new one thats coming out in couple of weeks. The pros for the Pre are as follows: 1) multi-tasking, something that iPhone or any other phone can not touch; 2) physical keyboard; 3) screen, a lot more sharp and clearer than the iPhone; and 4) overall design. The cons are: 1) keyboard, Palm needs to take a look at Blackberrys for this one; 2) slider, not as smooth as it should be; 3) some of the apps are slow to open; 4) start up, it takes up to a minute and a half; and 5) battery life. Now, some of these can be taken care of on the second version of the Pre. As for the others, a simple OTA update. Palm has brought out a great phone and it's going to give iPhone and Blackberry a run for it's money. Palm now needs to keep on bringing updates to address the issues that the Pre has (and these issues are not even large ones). DO NOT follow Blackberrys example and bring out updates almost an year later. Lastly, Palm needs to keep on encouraging developers to bring out apps for the Pre.
Finally...
Maybe it's been awhile since I have had a descent working phone from Sprint, but this phone was the only thing worth signing another 2 year commitment with Sprint. I was number 13 in line and I was in line at 7am so where I was at I got lucky. Of course they also had 80 phones in so I was safe regardless. Took about 30 min and I was done.
I got the touchstone charge and car charger and case. I thought the guy was bluffin me when he was saying the car charger was specific to this device and others would not work. I called BS on it, but bought it never the less. I had one of those car chargers that you could buy replacements tips and I did shortly after I got the phone. And, he was right... The tip fit, but it wouldn't charge. OK, moving along.
I'm still getting used to it, but after a short learning curve and experience, I really like this phone. Is it perfect, no. But, is it different, absolutely! I begin to figure more stuff out all the time on my own. Yes, the keyboard is small. I manage. The display is wonderful. I came from an HTC touch pro and although it also had a great screen, it was an irritating phone to use.
The touchstone charger worked as advertised. It doesn't charge as fast as pluging it in direct to the phone, but it will do. I don't like the fact it didn't come with it's own charging cord. You have to use the charge cord that came with the phone.
Overall, I am happy with the choice I made. Iphone killer, I dunno... It really should just be in it's own class now. Palm Pre reinvented... Kudos Palm. Just add a spot for a memory card on the next version and get the video record feature working soon please.
All Plastic - but Otherwise Great
Others have said just about everything about the phone so I won't repeat all the good and bad other than to add a couple things.
This phone is all plastic and feels a bit cheap. My prior phone was the BB Pearl and that phone was built like a tank and survived several falls without incident. Not that anyone ever intends to drop their phone, but I would warn you that this phone may not survive even its first fall.
Also, I have been told that voice sounds awful with the keyboard open and perfect when the keyboard is closed, so close those keyboards when you're having that conversation.
Otherwise, I love all the features this phone has to offer. By the way, people complaining about this phone only have 8GB of memory is silly. I had to add a 2GB micro SD card to my Pearl which only had 64MD of internal memory!
My two days with it
Ok, this phone is not that great! The browser is very fast but the screen is too small in my opinion. Texting is a royal pain. My other phone is a Storm and I thought that phone was a pain to type on. The battery is horrible on the Palm. The build quality is just not up to par for the money. Vibrate is weak. I could go on but I am too tired to go into something that I know will get me flamed.
Pro's: Nice looking screen, fast browser, OS is fun.
Cons: Keyboard is horrid, build quality is below standards.
Good effort but need improvement
I have had my Pre since July 09 and I am mostly satisfied with it to this point. I think some of the design ideas have me scratching my head but in general the phone functions well but it could use improvement.
Pro
- Web OS is very solid
- Very Nice screen and good touch response
- Good Audio quality for calls, few drops
- Some useful apps so far but getting better
- Small form fits nicely in my pocket
Cons
- BAD battery life, even after patch
- Phone body seems cheap and fragile
- Some of the alt button placing is awkward
- camera quality is okay at best
- App store needs more APPS!
Overall I would say this phone good but not great.. and it looks like the Pixi didn't address problems either.. definately looking and hoping for better offerings down the road.. I do like WebOS.
