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PALM PRE versus iPhone – which one to choose?

Palm has launched its new smartphone now, called Palm Pre.

So far only available on Sprint network for a price of USD 199.99 competing with the price of iPhone.

So what are the similarities and what are the differences between these two gadgets?

Here is the list of Palm Pre capabilities and functionalities.

Layered calendars and linked contacts
Pre uses the Palm® Synergy™ feature to bring your Outlook®, Google, and Facebook® calendars together for one logical view of your day. And if you have the same contacts in different places, Pre can link them together, making it easy to find the information you need.1,2

Activity cards
Keep multiple applications open and move easily between them—email, maps, photos, websites, whatever.3 Pre thinks of your applications as activity cards, and lets you flip through them, move them around, or throw them away off screen.

Intuitive notifications
Things like text messages and calendar appointments appear as notifications at the bottom of the screen. You’ll know what’s going on without being completely interrupted or losing your train of thought.

Combined messaging
Thanks to Palm Synergy, your conversations with the same person are grouped together in one chat-style view. (Even if it started in IM, for example, and you want to reply with text.) You can also see who’s online right from contacts, and start a new conversation with just one touch.1

Universal search4
Simply start typing to begin searching your contacts and applications.4 Pre begins with information on the phone, and then offers to search Google, Google Maps, Wikipedia, or Twitter. With a fast browser at 3G speeds, you’ll find what you’re looking for in no time.5

Email, Wi-Fi, and GPS
Check Microsoft Exchange email or personal email accounts like Gmail, Hotmail, AOL, and Yahoo!.1,6 Take advantage of Wi-Fi hotspots.1 And look up directions or nearby points of interest using GPS.7 It’s everything you need when you’re on the go.

Photos, Music, and Videos
Take great pictures with the built-in camera and flash. Watch a video on the vibrant color touchscreen. Buy songs from the Amazon MP3 store1 and listen using the built-in music player. Plus, use the Palm media sync feature to transfer your DRM-free iTunes music, podcasts, photos, and more to your Pre.

Breakthrough design
Slide out the keyboard for faster and easier texting. Close it up and rotate Pre for music, websites, photos, and videos in full widescreen glory. You get the best of both worlds in one beautifully designed phone

Applications
Get applications by browsing the catalog on your Pre, and then download them over the air directly to your phone.1 Apps designed for the Palm webOSâ„¢ platform are integrated with other apps on the phone. Buy movie tickets, for example, and you can add the times right to your calendar.8

1 – Third party software may be required at an additional cost. Within wireless coverage area only. Requires data services at additional cost. Third party software, videos and music sold separately. Wi-Fi within range of 802.11b/g Wi-Fi network. Some Wi-Fi hotspots require fee for usage.

2 –  Available for Exchange ActiveSync only. Requires Microsoft Outlook using Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 SP2 or later. Within wireless coverage area only. Requires data services at additional cost.

3 –  Number of applications and actual performance varies depending on applications used and actions performed.

4 – Searches web and user’s applications, contacts, and dialing information. Web search within wireless coverage area only. Requires data services at additional cost.

5 – 3G within HSDPA or EvDO Rev A data coverage area only. Actual speeds vary based on network capacity and application design.

6 –  Microsoft Exchange email requires Microsoft Outlook using Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 SP2 or later. Additional fees may apply

7 – Coverage not available in all areas at all times. Requires data services at additional cost. Voice-activated, as-you-go, turn-by-turn directions require third party software at additional cost.

8 – Third party software may be required at an additional cost. Within wireless coverage area only. Requires data services at additional cost. Actual data speeds vary based on network capacity and application design.

So what is the verdict?

Based on this list of functionalities it is clear that Palm Pre is geared towards a different segment of users than the iPhone users.

I beg to see how Palm will take up the competition with iPhone when it comes to the amount of applications available to iPhone and how Apple has made it available to developers through their SDK.

This is one of the main differences, however there are more that differ these two smart phones from each other. The design is of course different and the concept of interacting with the users. Apple has still the edge as they rely on touch completely as Palm still uses keyboard option for the users. Given the development and user ability, it makes the iPhone the winner on this specter as well.

Palm Pre has one advanage over iPhone with its capability to have more than one application active at the same time, as Palm Pre uses available memory and share it between application and notify you when there is not enough memory to seve all applications active. Whether you need this multi tasking option is questionable as you probably will have enough to handle one task at the time when you are on the move anyway. However, for a busy business man it might come in handy as you want to have email and office related applications active simultaneously.

My verdict is still, stick to the iPhone as it offers more versitiliy than the Palm Pre. However it is your choice really.

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