Several videos have surfaced that claim a revised Palm Pre may be heading to Mexico's Telcel carrier, allegedly with the addition of a MicroSD card slot. The videos, originating from the Mexican site Matuk, contain a preview of the Pre sporting a Telcel icon. The person in the video makes a reference to a memory card slot.
Palm is allegedly ready to launch its paid app service for webOS devices, a source has told PreCentral. Content will linked with the user's Palm Profile, enabling deleted apps to be re-downloaded without requiring a second purchase. After purchasing a new Pre or Pixi, all of the apps can be transferred to the new device.
Palm on Monday announced that it is set to launch webOS 1.2, an update to the Pre firmware. The Palm Synergy service has been expanded to support LinkedIn contact syncing, with profiles presented in the Pre contacts. The e-mail function now allows users to filter the results in the current folder by typing in a search term. While navigating the Internet, files can be downloaded directly from within the browser.
The Palm Pre smartphone is now being offered for $100, its lowest price thus far. The device launched at $199 on a two-year contract from wireless provider Sprint, with Amazon now selling the handset on its site for the record-low price. As always, to qualify for the $100 price, a new two-year contract from Sprint is required.
By means of an official letter, the USB Implementers Forum has criticized Palm for using a workaround to sync the Pre with Apple's iTunes software. The letter is in response to an earlier complaint from Palm, which accuses Apple of violating its USB-IF membership agreement by deliberately blocking third-party devices through iTunes updates. The updates exploit USB Vendor ID numbers, according to Palm, in a way that breaks the "letter and spirit" of USB-IF terms.
Palm may be ready to launch WebOS 1.2 on the Pre as early as next week, an unnamed source told PreCentral. The company is also expected to debut its new app portal on September 24th, which would fit with the previously announced time-frame.
Agent18 had released the StandHear travel stand, an accessory for iPhones and iPods. The product can be folded into a more portable size, capable of fitting into a pocket. It also includes a built-in headphone splitter, letting multiple users hear audio at the same time without sharing a headset.
A Tuesday MyPre report maintains UK wireless provider O2 will release the Palm Pre handset on October 30th, citing sources at the provider. According to the unnamed insider, O2 management informed O2's staff about the release date on Monday, though pricing has not yet been set. The source did say purchase pricing will be close to that of the iPhone 3GS, with the same monthly rates.
Sprint has recently expanded sales of Palm's Pre smartphone to a variety of online retailers, according to a company memo posted on preThinking. Customers will now be able to purchase the device through portals such as Amazon.com and LetsTalk, among others.
The Palm Pre handset that's due at Canadian wireless provider Bell is likely very near its long-awaited launch, if a print ad is any indication. While in-store ads will still say coming soon, without a release date, customers will have the option of pre-ordering the handset.
Salling has released a v1.1 update for Salling Media Sync, its Mac phone utility. The software syncs music, podcasts and playlists with normally unsupported devices, from makers such as Nokia, HTC and Sony Ericsson. New in v1.1 is support for the Palm Pre, which may be crucial for some owners due to the breaking of native sync functions in iTunes 8.2.1.
Over one-third of mobile phones are expected to integrate accelerometers by 2010, according to the research firm iSuppli. Widespread adoption of the Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) sensors is being driven by popular devices such as Apple's iPhone and the recently-launched Palm Pre. Although the trend continues to develop in the smartphone segment, the technology is also being used in simpler devices.
Mark/Space has released a Mac version of The Missing Sync for Palm Pre, along with a Windows Vista and XP version currently in progress. Previously launched as a beta, the synchronization software allows mobile phone users to share information such as contacts, calendars, photos and music between the Mac and Palm Pre. The application enables automatically syncing when near a Mac via Wi-Fi, or can transfer files and documents with a USB cable
The iPhone once again leads Consumer Reports' smartphone ratings, beating competing products such as the Palm Pre and BlackBerry Storm. The organization considered Apple's new 3GS handset to lead in categories such as battery life, multimedia, navigation and Internet browsing, while integrating a superior display.
Palm on Thursday disclosed its fourth-quarter and fiscal-year 2009 results, indicating a $753 million net loss for the year. Smartphone sales continued to slide, with shipments down 62-percent for the quarter and 25-percent for the year. The Palm Pre was not included in the numbers, as the launch will instead serve as a starting point for the company's first quarter of FY10.
In the short period of time since the Palm Pre launch, the company's App Catalog has surpassed 660,000 downloads, according to numbers gathered by Medialets. The number of apps started at 18 on the first day of availability, with 30 titles included by the end of the first week. Most of the content remains in beta for now, except for MotionApps' Classic.
Apple has published a new technical note, warning mobile phone users that it cannot guarantee third-party devices will be able to sync with iTunes. Although some devices like the new Palm Pre will work with iTunes, Apple has also made it clear that as newer versions of iTunes are released, phones that can currently sync may lose the ability. Apple goes on to mention that even though some parties claim their media players can sync, the company will not provide support.
The Palm Pre handset will be coming to some European markets by the end of September, says the official distributor of Apple products in Romania, Apcom/IRIS. Zsolt Kadar, the marketing director of Apcom/IRIS, said the late September European availability depends on how well the Pre sells in the US. Palm products are distributed in Romania by Omnisoft, which has not released any statements.
Mark/Space has released The Missing Sync beta for the Palm Pre, along with a Windows version for the iPhone firmware 2.0. The company has also prepared its Fliq iPhone apps for the firmware 3.0 update and the 3G S handset. The Missing Sync for the Pre allows users to sync data, such as iCal or Entourage, between a Mac and the smartphone. The service also works when the Pre is placed on the Touchstone charger.
Palm on Wednesday appointed former Apple executive Jon Rubinstein to serve as CEO and chairman, according to the Associated Press. The decision comes just days after the company launched its Pre smartphone, a device that it expects to help remedy a number of financial troubles. Rubinstein will replace Ed Colligan, who was with the company for 16 years but has decided to move on and work with Elevation Partners after taking time off.
The existence of Palm's next webOS phone after the Pre, the Eos, has allegedly been confirmed through investigation into code. Buried in the current version of webOS is a file called miniboot.sh, which contains two device references, Castle and Pixie. The former is known to have been the development codename of the Pre, while leaks have attributed the latter alias to the Eos. No other relevant information has so far been found in the firmware.
Although the Palm Pre is fresh on the market, users have already begun dissecting the webOS Root Doctor which includes 195MB of operating system files and code. Used as intended, the recovery tool restores the functionality of a crashed phone and updates the operating system. Forum posts on PreCentral.net indicate several interesting code comments, access passwords for the developer mode, possible designations for upcoming hardware, and icons for AOL and MSN.
Former Apple executive Jon Rubinstein reportedly played a significant role in overhauling Palm's Pre project when he began working with the company, according to Fortune. Rubinstein initially started "hanging out" with the Palm teams in June of 2007. Taking a first look, he was unimpressed with the Pre hardware and pushed to have the engineers step away from the resistive touchscreens utilized on the prototypes. The components were replaced with capacitive touchscreens used in devices such as the iPhone.
Best Buy stores are allegedly restricted to an initial distribution of 4,250 Palm Pres for the June 6th launch day, an unnamed source has told the Boy Genius Report. If true, each of the 1,000 stores to sell the device will only get 4 units at first. A separate source claims that RadioShack will only receive two phones per store, with availability limited to coastal areas such as New York, New Jersey and California.
Shortly after Sprint announced the launch date for the Palm Pre, the carrier's chief executive, Dan Hesse, admitted he anticipates shortages after the handset is released, according to PC Magazine. The device will match Apple's $200 price-point for the iPhone, after a $100 rebate, with initial distribution planned for Sprint stores, Best Buy, Radio Shack and Walmart.
Palm's just-spotted second webOS phone has been given much greater detail in a new leak that appears to confirm nearly all details of the device. Now known as the Eos, the design pictured by Engadget is built as a replacement for the Centro but with features that would establish it as a lower-cost alternative to an iPhone. It would have a slightly smaller 2.6-inch, 320x400 multi-touch display but would still have a fixed QWERTY keyboard and an extremely thin design: it would measure just under 0.42 inches thick.
Palm's mystery second, smaller webOS device may be a heavily redesigned version of the Centro, based on an escaped photo. Appearing to come from a slideshow, the device spotted by BGR has the same basic candybar design but a much larger screen and the same interface, including the multi-tasking button and the gesture area. Little else is known other than that the phone has a fall release date consistent with the late Wednesday rumor.
Palm is allegedly working on a second webOS-based handset to launch in 2009, an unnamed source told TechCrunch. The company is said to be "very far along" on the Pre-like device that shares the same operating system. Few details were provided, but the dimensions should be smaller than the Pre. It is unknown if the rumored device omits a slide-out keyboard.
A casting notice for a "Palm Pre Viral" ad campaign could be hinting at the release date for the Palm Pre, according to Gizmodo. A "cool and nerdy" actor is sought to live in Seattle from April 29th through June 5th to shoot the video. An actor from Los Angeles told Precentral the campaign will require the actor to pretend he is frustrated that the Pre has not been released yet. The man will be watched by a camera in the apartment, where he will not leave, as a protest, until the handset is finally released.
A leaked screen-shot allegedly from a Sprint inventory system shows a price for the Touchstone dock accessory for the Palm Pre, according to Engadget. The device will charge the Pre's battery without a cord, but customers apparently will have to dish out $70 for the technology. The handset integrates a special magnetized battery cover and non-stick surface to avoid the need for a plug.
iPhones running the OS 3.0 update and the Palm Pre are both likely to spur the next wave of smartphone sales in the next three months, according to a new ChangeWave study. Of those looking to buy a device in the 90 days following the March survey, iPhone demand is technically remaining flat at 30 percent; however, about 20 percent of the total group said they would be more likely to buy an iPhone now that iPhone OS 3.0's features are public.
Palm's smartphones beyond the Pre may be delayed if a story in Taiwan's Commercial Times proves true. The company's believed contractor for two unknown smartphones, Compal, has reportedly pushed back shipments for the mystery devices from mid-year until the end of the year. A switch in components for newer, faster Qualcomm chips is said to have prompted the delay.
Palm on Thursday reported its third-quarter financial results, indicating smartphone shipments of just 482,000 units, down 42 percent year-over-year. Smartphone revenue was also hit hard, down 72 percent and contributing to the company's net loss of $98 million. "We're proceeding through a challenging transitional period, however our current results shouldn't overshadow the tremendous progress we've made against our strategic goals," said Ed Colligan, CEO and president. "We're poised to usher in a new era at Palm."
Telefónica's Movistar has negotiated an exclusive deal with Palm to distribute the upcoming Pre handset in Spain and Latin America, according to a number of Spanish news outlets. Sources also claim that the company's subsidiary, O2, will sell the device in the UK market. The reports mark the first alleged confirmation of carriers beyond Sprint to get the smartphone, although outside of the domestic market.
Palm today said it would up the number of shares involved in its stock resale plan from 18.5 million shares to just over 23.1 million. Each share will have a going price of $6 and should boost Palm's revenue in the deal from its original $49 million to $83.9 million. Elevation Partners will still get $49 million to buy another 8.2 million shares at the same price as for the public deal.
Palm in an uncharacteristic move late yesterday submitted an SEC filing hoping to dampen expectations created by Elevation Partners founder Roger McNamee during a Bloomberg TV interview. The US document specifically singles out McNamee's claims that the Palm Pre would convert all early iPhone users and describes them as an "exaggerated prediction" that it wants to withdraw. Assertions that the OS roots of the BlackBerry and iPhone are 13 and 9 years old are also "inherently imprecise" and also taken back, Palm says.
Palm this morning took action to keep itself afloat and chose to put 18.5 million shares of its stock back on the market. The move gives the early smartphone pioneer at least $49 million in cash and would simultaneously give Palm's primary investor, Elevation Partners, that same money to use in buying back stock at Palm's higher price. How many of these shares will be bought isn't specified, though buying all 18.5 million shares would equal roughly $113.8 million, or more than double their original value.
Palm's upcoming Pre is likely to poach customers away from the iPhone, Elevation Partners founder Roger McNamee said in an interview late yesterday. The investor in Palm told Bloomberg he's confident that those who bought the iPhone on its 2007 launch are likely to switch to the Pre as they're both attracted to whichever is the "coolest" device on the market and will no longer be tied to an AT&T contract. This would let them jump to Sprint for the Palm phone, which he predicted will happen en masse.
Palm's flagship Pre may be delayed at least within the company. A claimed design engineer source speaking to TinyComb says the phone is "officially" delayed but doesn't say whether this will involve any delays in the public launch schedule. Palm has always remained conservative with its release schedule and has said only that it plans to launch the phone in the first half of the year, though informal leaks have hinted a possible June release.
Apple may not have any legal ground to stand on when it comes to waging war against competing multi-touch devices, claims an analyst with Global Crown Capital. Multi-touch has traditionally been a distinguishing feature of the iPhone, as it is based on original technology, and most touchscreen devices can detect only one finger at a time. Apple has vowed to defend itself against illegal imitators, an issue prompted by the announcement of the Palm Pre.
Apple has won the rights to a patent critical to the iPhone, documents show. Measuring some 358 pages, the patent covers much of the base software for the iPhone, including the operating system and various modules for functions like contacts, stocks, the camera and media playback. The patent also describes hardware components inside and outside of the device, such as the accelerometer, the audio subsystem and the proximity sensor used to judge when a person's head is near the earpiece.
Sprint staff are already training on selling the Palm Pre to customers, according to Twitter posts by Yahoo's Sarah Lacy. Although only just announced this month, employees both acknowledge having been given formal tutorials and are being told to expect the Pre in June, landing the hardware at the end of its promised first-half 2009 shipping window. Other details, such as price, aren't known and are unlikely to be revealed at this early stage. Palm and Sprint have so far declined to commit to more specific release dates.
Palm is confident the Pre won't be shot down by any patent lawsuits from Apple, the webOS smartphone maker tells AllThingsD. Company spokeswoman Lynn Fox responds to implications that the Pre's multi-touch screen may violate Apple's own patents for the iPhone with the assertion that Palm has many of its own "fundamental patents" for mobile devices that would let it fend off challenges regardless of which firm might make the accusation. The company is often credited with inventing the smartphone through the Treo and includes single-touch screens with every current smartphone it makes.
Sprint early Thursday became the first US carrier to officially pick up the Palm Treo Pro. The provider-locked version is also the first switch from GSM to CDMA and uses Sprint's EVDO network for its 3G data but is otherwise close to the major overhaul of the company's Windows Mobile 6.1 flagship, which includes both GPS and Wi-Fi as well as a 2-megapixel camera and microSDHC card storage up to at least 8GB. The Treo Pro is Palm's slimmest device until the Pre but continues to include both a touchscreen and a full QWERTY keyboard.
Palm's Pre will try to claim an edge over its rivals by using its built-in GPS to provide relevance to the calendar and contacts, company investor and Elevation Partners co-founder Roger McNamee tells Yahoo. The inaugural webOS smartphone can directly compare a user's schedule against the location of an event, warning owners that they will be late if the drive time is too long. The Pre can optionally e-mail affected contacts automatically instead of prompting the user.
While at the debut of the Palm Pre smartphone at CES, one of the things the company kept under the radar was the battery specs. On Thursday, the company revealed the device's battery looks identical to the one used in the current Palm Centro and Palm Treo 800w, potentially giving it the same 1,150mAh rating. There is also the possibility the new smartphone will have a 1,350mAh power pack, just like the extended battery used in the Centro and 800w. Another report has the battery listed at 1,200mAh, so the final rating is still up in the air.
Sprint may give Best Buy the lone exclusive for the Palm Pre outside of the carrier's own stores, a slip to webOS Arena claims. A "credible source" states that Best Buy Mobile stores will be the only retailer outside of Sprint itself to carry the smartphone for its first 60 days on sale, temporarily curbing availability during an expected initial rush. The move is unconfirmed but would echo a similar approach for the Samsung Instinct, which was Sprint's fastest-selling phone ever on launch in June.
Palm could push as many as 1.5 million units of its Pre smartphone in a year, according to an investment note by Citi analyst Jim Suva. The researcher has upgraded the company's stock rating from "sell" to "hold" based on the technical abilities of the device, which has a more modern operating system than existing Palm phones and is also the company's first large touchscreen phone. The phone is seen as a direct factor in soften Palm's mounting losses and bringing its sales back up.
Senior officials from Australian carrier Telstra claims on Monday that HTC is developing a smartphone that would trump devices from Apple and Palm. The executives, who observed some of the competition at CES this past week, say HTC has a touchscreen device in the works which is "better and more functional" than either the iPhone or the just-unveiled Pre and should have both a larger display than existing HTC phones as well as custom software written by the phone maker itself; the inaugural T-Mobile G1 currently uses only Google's stock software.
Palm is allegedly preparing a second webOS-based smartphone that would take up the Centro name, an alleged leak to PalmInfoCenter says. The claimed first-hand contact says the next model after the Pre would be a sequel to the current Centro that would occupy roughly the same size but would omit the hardware QWERTY keyboard in favor of a larger touchscreen that Palm's new OS depends upon. Whether the 3-megapixel camera, GPS or Wi-Fi would also be stripped from the device is unknown.
