Today we went to Palm and have spotted the Palm Pre. We have also compared our Nokia E71 by laying it side a side with the Pre. See the results in our photo shoot.
We didn't only run into the CEO of Palm, ED Colligan, but our attention mainly was drawn to the three workng Palm Pre models that were demonstrated. We experienced an extensive demonstration session in which the device was turned inside out to show what the Palm Pre is up to. Our first impression was very positive!
The first prominent thing that caught our eye is the bright and clear display of the Palm Pre. You would think that Palm is using the new AMOLED technique, but this is not the case. They are 'only' using a TFT display. We have to be honest; the displays of the new Samsung devices are more clear, but the display of the Palm is getting close to those of Samsung.
Underneath the display the so-called Gesture Area is placed. With this Gesture Area common moves and action can be managed, like 'return' and the opening of the menu.
This is what we like to see; a 3.5 mm audio jack. This means that you can use your own headphone, like one with Noise Cancellation. Would you rather use the built in speaker? No problem! During the demonstration the Pre produced enough decibels to make everyone around us very agitated.
A Nokia E71 is not really a large smartphone. Nevertheless, the device is larger than the Pre. We do have to confess that the keyboard wasn't slided out, but we rather have a larger display instead.
The Pre is still very elegant when the keyboard is slided out, because the slider part is curved, like a banana. The device has a very organic design anyway with a lot of curves.
When the keyboard is visible the backside of the device is functioning as a mirror. This comes to handy when you want to take a look at your hair, makeup, teeth and so on.
Fortunately Palm still has its menu with applications. You can see them by putting your finger on the Gesture Area and moving it vertically over the screen.
Thanks to the Synergy technique it is very easy to connect your contacts from your Google account with for instance Outlook. The Palm Pre will automatically update your phone numbers when one of your contacts has for instance changed their phone number in your Google contacts.
Stick your notes on the coark board and remember all the things you have to do
So, overall we are very positive about the Palm Pre. An European Model is expected to get available this year including some additional accessories. One accessory is the TouchStone, a inductive recharger for your device. You just place the device on the TouchStone and the device gets recharged instantly. When you receive a call the device automatically switches to the speaker. Even when it is being charged the Pre is thinking along with you!