Probably one of the most talked about stories at CES 2009 is the possible resurrection of Palm, specifically with the release of their new product called the Palm Pre. (The other hot topic was the LG 3G Watch Phone)
The Palm Pre looks stellar and design was a key factor in developing this product. It’s a touchscreen with a 3.1-inch (320 x 480) multitouch display (has an accelerometer) with one silver center button at the base… this “gesture” area extends the touchscreen past the actual display screen. In addition, this device has a full QWERTY keyboard that slides out from the phone into portrait orientation. Other quick features are the 3 megapixel camera with LED flash, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, 8GB of built-in storage, 3.5mm headphone jack. Another highlight is the wireless charger – it’s a first in the industry and it uses inductive technology. Palm has named this the “Touchstone” and will not be included in the box, but sold as an accessory.
In addition, Palm has announced it will have its own Application Store like Apple, Google and RIM called the “App Catalog“.
In regards to when us Canadians will get this new device, the Globe asked Palm Inc. CEO Ed Colligan: “I can’t tell you that exactly. We do have a UMTS version and a CDMA version but either one of those could come to Canada depending on the carrier. Of course we’re talking to [Canadian] carriers. We certainly want to bring the product to Canada.”
What are your thoughts on which Canadian carrier will get this device first?
Sprint is launching this in the US and pricing is looking to be $399 for a late May-June arrival. In Europe, the Palm Pre will come out in July-August and come in around $500-$550.
Here is a 25-minute video of a full overview by Palm VP of Product Design Peter Skillman:
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