13 Jan 2009 15:13
Palm stole the show at CES, revealing the Pre smartphone and WebOS operating system. The Pre is designed for people who want to do business and leisure activities a single device, without having to work hard to actually use it. The Pre will launch on the Sprint EVDO Rev A network in the US in the first half of 2009; a European version with HSDPA connectivity is planned, but there's no launch date as yet.
The 135g Palm Pre measures 17mm thick, and has a slide-out keyboard.
The back of the Palm Pre looks basic, like the Treo Pro. However, the Pre features an LED flash to go with the 3.2-megapixel camera.
The slide-out keyboard is a full QWERTY affair, again similar to the Treo Pro's.
The Pre has an accelerometer, and will automatically change the screen orientation when you rotate the device. Here is a movie running in the media player.
The Launcher (left) looks great, and is also a bit familiar for long-standing Palm OS fans. Search (right) is supported throughout the device and online.
WebOS's Synergy feature brings calendar and other PIM information together from various sources.
The weekly and daily calendar views support different colours to make it easier to view your appointments.
The Contacts app is clearly laid out, and supports thumbnail images.
Multiple email accounts can be integrated on the Palm Pre.
Buddy lists and conversations are clearly laid-out, with thumbnails to aid identification.
WebOS's Webkit-based browser looks slick and supports multi-touch gestures for zooming in and out of web pages. You can also use finger gestures to sweep between multiple open web sites (right).
The Camera application (left) and a photo gallery (right).
More photo galleries, and the GPS navigation application.
Story URL: http://reviews.zdnet.co.uk/hardware/handhelds/0,1000000735,39591102,00.htm
Copyright © 1995-2009 CBS Interactive Limited. All rights reserved
ZDNET is a registered service mark of CBS Interactive Limited. ZDNET Logo is a service mark of CBS Interactive Limited.