Palm Pre Plus: Perfection?
Posted in News on February 4th, 2010 by gkrakowThe Palm Pre Plus is a whole lot like the Palm Pre – only a little more so. Let me explain.
The Palm Pre was the first smartphone to come from the newly reincarnated Palm company. After depending on the ancient, original Palm OS for way too long the newest phones runs on the company’s new, modern-day WebOS software.
The Palm Pre was (and still is) exclusive to Sprint. The Palm Pre Plus is a slightly updated version of the Pre. It is exclusive to Verizon Wireless.
There are a few small differences between the two models aside from the carrier’s network they run on. The Pre Plus gets rid of the small button beneath the screen and gives you more room to slide your finger back and forth. That also gives the Plus a sleeker look.
With the Pre Plus, Palm has doubled the memory inside (16GB). That means more operating system juice as well as lots more storage. Like the iPhone, the Pre does not support user-swappable microSD memory cards.
Supposedly, Palm has improved the hardware keyboard. That may be true but in side-by-side testing (by yours truly as well as a number of staunch Palm Pre fans) we detect little or no difference. The sharp edge around the Pre’s keyboard from the Sprint model remains a minus on the Verizon phone. I still prefer the Palm Pixi’s smaller but easier to use (at least for me) keyboard.
Same for the overall audio volume. Can’t Palm figure out a way to make the phone louder? Just listen to any Nokia phone ring when a call comes in – or an iPhone – or most Androids (except for Google’s Nexus One). You get the idea.
The Plus also comes with their special back cover. It’s really an inductive device – part of Palm’s “Touchstone” magnetic recharging dock system. That special phone cover costs extra with Sprint’s Pre. The actual Touchstone dock is optional for both phones at extra cost ($80 but currently on sale for $64 on Palm’s Website).
Arguably, the Pre is one of the best-looking smartphones ever made. It’s small, lightweight, shiny, smooth, sleek and shaped like a stone (as in skipping a stone on the surface of a lake.) Please don’t try this with your phone. It feels great in your hand or in your pocket.
Pre also has a terrific screen. Great color, sharp pictures and text and even looks good in bright sunlight (at least in winter sun conditions).
Back to the software. In its own way WebOS is revolutionary. Everything is handled by a flick of the finger except for typing – which is handled via a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. It takes a few minutes to get used to the WebOS system – but after that you’re hooked: it’s difficult to go back to any other smartphone and not slide your finger backwards to go back a screen or flick your finger up to stop a running program.
Speaking of programs – the Palm Pre/WebOS can multitask. That means it can handle running more than one program at a time. It’s a neat trick that all the other smartphone companies should be emulating.
So, aside from the difference in cell phone service provider coverage in your neighborhood, the choice between Pres might come down to price. Verizon is selling the Pre Plus for $150 with a two-year contract. Sprint’s selling their Pre for the same price.
Both companies are selling ’s smaller, candy bar-shaped Pixis for $100 (with contract). Only feature Verizon’s Pixi Plus adds is Wi-fi (missing-in-action in Sprint’s version of the Pixi).
Aside from the changes discussed above the phones are very, very similar. Until a faster processor is added to the mix the choice is really up to you. But make sure you check-out these WebOS phones. They really are great devices – addictive once you start using one.








