[jonas000]

Just bought this today and was wandering if we have a tread for this at all?

[RobM]

There was a pre-release thread that's still around.. but why not make this one the new one and tell us all about it?

[jonas000]

cool...first one!!

[ROBIN50N]

so whats it like? any good apps on there?

[jonas000]

Moderators? Can you please change the title of the thread to "Palm Pre Thread"?

[ekinlock]

I posted this on another site just now.....

Had a hands on in my local store, it was attracting quite a bit of attention, they had two on display and there was a small queue waiting to have a go.

It was really nice closed with nice contour and weight, but i found it a bit difficult to use and hated the keyboard.

I did a test with my iphone, searched google for jurys hotel in birmingham, well safari was wayyyyy quicker, even factoring in the fact that it was a new system, it should not be so slow.

6 out of 10 from me

eta.. to be fair to the phone it was a quick play but it did not bowl me over......

[jonas000]

well you do get used to the keyboard after a few hours using it. I was looking on some sites and they had some a virtual keyboard on the US models. Looked so much better to use. I'm going to try and see if it be compatible with UK version! Really hope I can...make allot people buy it!

[novahob]

I had a good with one and I liked the look and feel of it. I think you could get used to the keyboard in time. I have a windows with no physical keyboard so using a phone with one will always be different. The thing I'd need to know is that it can do the little things e.g. change profiles dependent on appointments go your calendar. Talking of the calendar, how do you get an appointment to add? I managed to add the details but didn't know how get it added,anyone have an idea?

looking forward to hearing peoples thoughts on this phone who have it

[jonas000]

Originally Posted by novahob

Talking of the calendar, how do you get an appointment to add? I managed to add the details but didn't know how get it added,anyone have an idea?

Setting up the details of the appointment or adding one of the calender??

[novahob]

Originally Posted by jonas000

Setting up the details of the appointment or adding one of the calender??

I got into where you add the details i.e. time, date etc (added them ok) though I didn't know how to then add it to the calendar.

[themilkman23]

My other half has been looking for a new phone for the past couple of months and she was down to either the HTC Touch2 or maybe the Satio. Then the Storm 2 was announced and raised interest and then as an after thought the Palm Pre was spotted on Thursday night and we saw that it was out the next day. Neither of us liked the look of it on the website but thought we would go and look at it the next day due to the hype surrounding it.

First thing first, it is MUCH better looking in the flesh and feels right in your hand - It's just the right size. Secondly the software running on it is brilliant, and this is coming from an iPhone user. It's snappy, quick and even has it's advantage over the iPhone. The ability to 'park' applications and open another is brilliant. So for example if you are playing a game and a text comes through instead of having to save and exit your game to text back you just park it, and then open the text program along side it. Once done, you can get straight back into your game.

Being an iPhone user there are not many functions I wish I had but this is definitely one!

With regards to the hard keyboard it is small but it does work, I just had to learn to use the tips of my fingers instead of the finger print area if that makes sense.

I don't think this is a competitor to the iPhone, more to work along side it in a way as it is aimed at a different market. My partner wanted a phone like mine but thought it was too big for her, and was what she was worried about with the HTC and the Storm. So with this being smaller, more rounded and definitely on par on the software front she is more than happy.

I would without doubt give it 8/10 maybe even a 9/10.

[jonas000]

its great having push email and 'over the air' updates. The camera is actually quite good to. I've had to order a case keep it safe to...next up is a better battery

[novahob]

Originally Posted by jonas000

next up is a better battery

how long is the battery lasting at the minute? Also are you getting a screen protector or do you think you will not need one?

[jonas000]

Im getting cases and screen protector, just to be safe. I find I need to charge it every day..depending on usage.

[Urban Splash]

Originally Posted by themilkman23

My other half has been looking for a new phone for the past couple of months and she was down to either the HTC Touch2 or maybe the Satio. Then the Storm 2 was announced and raised interest and then as an after thought the Palm Pre was spotted on Thursday night and we saw that it was out the next day. Neither of us liked the look of it on the website but thought we would go and look at it the next day due to the hype surrounding it.

First thing first, it is MUCH better looking in the flesh and feels right in your hand - It's just the right size. Secondly the software running on it is brilliant, and this is coming from an iPhone user. It's snappy, quick and even has it's advantage over the iPhone. The ability to 'park' applications and open another is brilliant. So for example if you are playing a game and a text comes through instead of having to save and exit your game to text back you just park it, and then open the text program along side it. Once done, you can get straight back into your game.

Being an iPhone user there are not many functions I wish I had but this is definitely one!

With regards to the hard keyboard it is small but it does work, I just had to learn to use the tips of my fingers instead of the finger print area if that makes sense.

I don't think this is a competitor to the iPhone, more to work along side it in a way as it is aimed at a different market. My partner wanted a phone like mine but thought it was too big for her, and was what she was worried about with the HTC and the Storm. So with this being smaller, more rounded and definitely on par on the software front she is more than happy.

I would without doubt give it 8/10 maybe even a 9/10.

I have an iPhone 3G and my wife had my 1st gen iPhone. It didn't take her long to drop the phone and crack the screen, so we have been looking for a replacement for a while. I told her about the pre, so we went to the o2 shop on Friday to have a look. Despite the fact there was no interest at all in my local branch, I must say that we were blown away! Its a fantastic phone. Lovely OS, really smooth and a fantastic screen.

So she now has a pre.........loves it much more than she did the iPhone. The limited time I have been allowed to mess around with it I'm really impressed. Browser is nice to use. 'Cards' system works a treat. Camera is ok.

I will never move away from iPhone, as most of my equipment is Apple, but the pre is an excellent phone.

If I was the boss at Palm, I would be really annoyed with o2. They are not pushing the pre at all. I know whats happening, o2 are desperate to get people tied into contracts with them with iPhone before Orange etc get them. Palm should have seen this coming and went with another carrier....

[donnelly67]

Originally Posted by Urban Splash

If I was the boss at Palm, I would be really annoyed with o2. They are not pushing the pre at all. I know whats happening, o2 are desperate to get people tied into contracts with them with iPhone before Orange etc get them. Palm should have seen this coming and went with another carrier....

Have to disagree with this. o2 are backing this device massively and are putting a lot of money into training their staff. If you have had a poor experience with a particular store, the management are not getting behind the device, which in turn means the staff arent either.

[Billo1]

Have to agree with the previous poster with this. I have had a Pre since the launch night on the 14th, when I was fortunate enough to be one of 50 existing customers to be invited to it in London; one happened in Manchester the same day apparently.

The staff all seemed knowledgeable, happy to show all the functions - none of the usual, errrr, not sure how this works, let me check malarky that you usually get on the first day of release - and after speaking to one of the o2 bosses, they are going to push this hard. They also said, although I suppose they would on such an evening - that they were impressed with the enthusiasm, demand and reviews of the phone before its release. On par, if not slightly more than the iPhone...

I went with an open mind about the phone and took the opportunity to go as I was seeking a new phone after my contract had ended and I was on Simplicity tariff. I have to say I am massively impressed with it; it is quick, easy to use, the cards and multitasking is brilliant, the advanced search is a nifty tool and it is extremely intuitive with its gesture control. It is a lovely little handset, fits in the hand - a bit like a large pebble - and the build quality appears good. The screen is exceptional...

The keyboard at first I thought was tiny, but I have got used to it. If you have large fingers, it could be a struggle though (although I read on Pre forums in the States that a keyboard on screen is due in a future update, although I dont know if this is going to happen over here, or if it does, when it will be).

In addition, I thought the battery drained pretty quickly at first, but after a few charges it lasts the whole day with WIFI on continuiously (obviously a lot more with it turned off). It seems to be a battery that needs a few charges first to find its comfort zone.

(Little tip; press on the time at the top of the screen to see the battery left percentage and quick function to turn on and off the WIFI, Bluetooth and activate the "Aeroplane Mode".)

At the launch I also got a free Touchstone and the back cover for it use with the Touchstone. The Touchstone back cover for the phone has a rubberised feel to it on the back; the magnetic contact is on the inside of the case.

This works very well and is a wonderful, little charger. Takes a bit of getting used to - I thought my one was faulty - but you have to ensure the backcover is on securely and the magnetic contacts are together. It charges very quickly too. The UK voltage supply has to be connected to the touchstone, but the phone uses the Touchstone wirelessly to charge (or you can link in the cable directly from the power supply).

Benefit of the Touchstone is you can answer calls in a speakerphone format from the Touchstone with the Pre attached to it or even watch You Tube connected to it (a nice stand !).

All in all, it is well worth getting in my opinion...just need to get a proper case (you do get a soft pouch, but I wouldn't like to drop it in it) and a screen protector, but so far it I am very pleased and it is bearing up well to everything being thrown at it. Although I notice that in the last couple of days since the official launch on the 16th, whereas before it was updating my Yahoo account automatically, I am having to refresh it; hopefully just a blip.

Currently the app store consists of around 138 apps (mainly American, a few Canadian and some Portugese, the Telefonica influence kicking in), but this will improve in the coming weeks. No paid for apps yet, but this is going to change early next month I believe, in a forthcoming update to a new WebOS version which is available in the States at present.

Hope this helps all those thinking of getting one. Best thing though, as most things in life, is try it out before you buy to make sure it is for you.

[Urban Splash]

Well in my experience in North East branches of o2, the Pre is not promoted at all. You just have to look at the shop fit-outs. The pre has small stands, with no jazz. The iPhone has massive stands with all the jazz.

To the previous poster, of course you are going to get tip top service at the official national product launch! However, day to day, in the smaller cities the pre is a non event.

[dr no]

Tried one out yesterday
Pretty GUI. Very smooth and slick as well.
The slideout keyboard looked tricky to use and little on the cheap side though. Still better than no keyboard IMO. sp for those who email a lot for work

Does anyone know if it can be unlocked to other networks??

[kfan]

I found it sluggish when i tried it instore - don't know if this is a recurring issue?

Other than that, build quality on some of the ones our US office guys bring over has been a little worrying, slide is getting a bit creaky :S

I'm interested, but if they've removed the iTunes sync it's a no-no for me, Nokia N900/3GS i think!

[barrybarryr]

I went and played with one at lunchtime today in the o2 store.

I like the shape of the phone and the OS was ok but it was slower than I expected.

Keyboard was terrible, the keys are tiny. I see what everyone says about the sharp edge too.

I was a little disappointed to be honest.

I was hoping this would persuade me not to by a 3gs but it didn't.

[JustinL]

I have access to the Palm Pre, Android (Samsung Galaxy) and Iphone 3gs (main phone)

I think the Iphone is great for what it does. For people that want one device, want a great fluid interface and aren't interested in modding, multi tasking etc I think it's great. I have passed on loads on phones to my wife, she loves the Iphone! I think it is a great mass market phone that does exactly what it sets out to do.

The Samsung Galaxy has a stunning AMOLED screen, however Android is still extremely slow and buggy, I think for people who like to experiment and mod it's great, for the average phone user it is no where near the Iphone experience. Maybe with the release of Android 2.0 on the Droid it might improve things.

The Pre I haven't had long enough to play with, however initial impressions are as follows: The hardware and build quality is not as bad as is made out. Mine seems solid with little flex on the slider and the sharp edges is not even worth worrying about. The screen is lovely, crisper than the iphone, same resolution I believe just a bit smaller. It is the first touch screen since the Iphone that just works. Webos is a lovely interface and very user friendly. Setting up accounts such as Google is easy and it's nice the way you can see all your multiple E-mail accounts in one window. The scrolling isn't quite as smooth as the Iphone however this is a software rather than hardware issue so I would imagine it will be rectified in a later update. The keyboard is usable, the keys are very small however with a bit of practice I didn't have any real problems. Would be nice to have a proper virtual keyboard enabled as well to have the best of both worlds. I thik the Pre and WebOS has as much potential as both the Iphone and Android phones, it's down to Palm to see if they keep rolling out the updates.

[jimmymac2213]

Had mine for a few days now, had been waiting for something I thought was worthwhile upgrading from my N95 to and until I had a go on this I thought there was nothing out there.

I'm not interested in the iPhone, I have an Ipod Touch so dont see any benefit in having an iphone too, my girlfriend has one and it confirms my thoughts on it, apart from being able to make phone calls I can do everything else practically on my iTouch.

The pre has impressed me vastly, from the moment I tried it in the o2 store I was quite impressed. The Linux based OS is a pleasure to use, very easy to navigate around cleverly put together. I do like the "Gestures" functions to which enable you to do various other things, with the touch screen actually extending beyond the visible screen.

Size and styling is very good, and glad to see it comes with a pouch for the phone in the box to keep it safe.

Like a previous poster, I too have the Touchstone which is a great piece of kit, it just happily rests on there and charges.

Definate recommend, its not going to take over the iPhone due ot apple having the monopoly there really. However it is one of the first real alternatives to it that I have seen and one that should be considered by anyone thinking of getting an iPhone

[jonas000]

Whats the best place to find new apps? most places i find are for US only.

[RobM]

In the blag of the century, I may have one of these arriving on my desk tomorrow

It will become my new daily grind phone and will sit next to my iPhone 3GS, so I'll be able to make some decent comparisons I hope. If it arrives that is

[JustinL]

Originally Posted by RobM83

In the blag of the century, I may have one of these arriving on my desk tomorrow

It will become my new daily grind phone and will sit next to my iPhone 3GS, so I'll be able to make some decent comparisons I hope. If it arrives that is

Gratz I am trying to decide which phone to use at the moment between the 3gs, Pre and Galaxy. I going to put my main Sim in the Pre for a couple of weeks to see how I get on and relegate the 3gs to my spare phone. The screen is stunning, it's actually 24bit colour. I just wish there was an easy way to sync Podcasts etc onto it, we can't use Itunes atm.

[Blinkensnout]

Hi guys,

So i am 8 months into an 18 month vodafone contract with the Blackberry Bold 9000 and basically i think i really want a pre so i am seriously considering a 2nd contract with o2 to get the pre.......

i have had a play with it in the shops and to be honest i think i love it!!!

what advice can you guys offer???

should i do it or keep the bold and the 1 contract?

do any of you guys have more than 1 contract? is it normal? haha

Thanks for your help!

:D

[RobM]

Sadly my blag turned out to be a failure, so no Pre for me.... for now

[Blinkensnout]

Originally Posted by Blinkensnout

Hi guys,

So i am 8 months into an 18 month vodafone contract with the Blackberry Bold 9000 and basically i think i really want a pre so i am seriously considering a 2nd contract with o2 to get the pre.......

i have had a play with it in the shops and to be honest i think i love it!!!

what advice can you guys offer???

should i do it or keep the bold and the 1 contract?

do any of you guys have more than 1 contract? is it normal? haha

Thanks for your help!

:D

Come on Guys im looking for some inspiration here!!! haha

[ROBIN50N]

Originally Posted by Blinkensnout

Come on Guys im looking for some inspiration here!!! haha

sell the bold, drop voda contract to lowest then pay off. ive had two running at once a few times though.