A new Sprint Palm PreRich Pedroncelli
Last week I listed three reasons why I really like the Palm Pre, due out in Canada this week - its syncing abilities that merge exchange, Gmail and Facebook contacts and novel messaging interface, its just-start-typing universal search and its ability to open several apps or web pages at once and flip between them without having to close any down.
I mentioned at the end of the post that no, I didn't think the Pre was perfect by a long shot, and here are three reasons why: Its app store is a pale comparison to RIM's, so you can image what it looks like next to Apple's, its processor is not fast enough and its battery life is, at full use, a little more than half a day.
So what's an App Store worth?
Today's handheld devices are more than just phones. We all know that. Thanks to the Apple - which recognized early in the game the value of apps - many consumers today evaluate a device's worth not just on its hardware but also on what one can add to it.
When it comes to the Pre, there's a lot of catching up to do.
As of July, Palm has 31 approved apps on their list, though there's a slowly growing number of homebrew Pre apps available thanks. Earlier in the week palm sent out an invitation to developers, though why it took three months from the phone's U.S. launch to get to this point, who knows. A strategic blunder compared to the immaculately synchronized launch of the App Store along with the iPhone 2.0 in July 2008.
Palm isn't the only device/OS maker to recognize their undeveloped position. RIM launched BlackBerry App World in April of this year, though to be fair, several BlackBerry devices have access to it. But considering some such as Microsoft and Nokia have allowed developers open access to their platforms for years, there's no guarantee any of Apple's competitors will match the volume the App Store offers.
The Open Handset Alliance, which developed Android, will be launching a marketplace as well.
But playing catch-up is never quite as fulfilling or as profitable.
While I think serviceable and engaging apps are definitely part of a handset experience, I think time will determine whether the Pre can challenge Apple in this arena. I'm not willing to write off the Pre as a waste of silicone just because it launched with a paltry list for a few reasons. One, the list will grow, and two, some of the more popular apps, such as Twitter and Google are already available for the Pre.
And I think people's appetite for apps varies. I don't know about you, but after the initial rush of downloading and playing free versions of Brothers in Arms, Paper Toss and how to tie a tie, the only app I really go back to regularly is Major League Baseball's At Bat 2009. Course, I concede that since the borrowed iPhone was not my everyday device, my habits may be dissimilar to someone who only uses the iPhone.
Will the Pre store ever seriously challenge Apple's dominance? I doubt it. But as many have commented on previous posts, choosing a handset is a personal choice where several factors contribute to one's overall decision. Apps are but one factor.
The second problem with the Pre, which I see as a much larger issue than Palm's dearth of apps, is its power.
In my experience, the iPhone is faster at launching apps, faster as scrolling pictures in the library and faster at loading and playing video. I see this as the Pre's biggest issue because, once you become accustomed to flipping through images on an iPhone - flick, flick, flick - and then try and do the same thing on the Pre - flick ... render ... flick ... render ... flick ... render. It actually gets frustrating.
As well, the OS at times does not respond very quickly when opening apps, including mail and calendar, though a lot of that has to do with how many things you have open at once. That's sort of ironic for the Pre: on one hand it can open multiple apps, which the iPhone can't (aside from playing music in he background), but in doing so, too many apps can clog the pipe and committing actions are not instantaneous. There have been times where I've pressed an icon in the Pre's touchscreen and pressed it again a second later wondering if I missed it originally.
Is this a fair criticism? I think it is. Power users will tax the phone's capabilities the same way they launch multiple apps on their computer - for this device to be truly solid it would have to handle opening and running six or eight various applications with speedy ease. Not there yet, but not far off.
The third issue I've had with the Pre is its battery life. While Palm's Touchstone is an innovative and useful desktop charger, you really need two methods of charging. Initially, I had set up the Touchstone at home and would charge the phone overnight and carry it with me during the day. But I found with regular use, which I suppose could be considered heavy use as I'm on my mobile all day, the battery drained before the end of the day. So I transferred the Touchstone to work and got an extra USB cord for home, which I use to recharge on the weekends.
I'll have a complete review up on Thursday when the Pre launches along with some video demonstrating some of the good - and not so good - aspects of the Pre.
Update: I've been thinking about my complaints around the Pre's battery life and think clarification is necessary on a few points. First, I should have mentioned the Pre's lifespan is not that different from my experience with the iPhone. I have two iPhone cords as well and dock it at home and at work -- that after experiencing quick battery drain whenever I'm using power-intensive functions such as watching a live ball game on the MLB 09 app. And second, I should point out that there are ways to prolong battery life, though I rarely take advantage of them. If you turn off certain functions or radios, your phone's power will last longer, sort of the same way you'll get further on a tank of gas if you drive the speed limit and roll the windows down rather than run the air conditioner. Course, what fun is that?