14 DAY TRIAL // The highly anticipated Palm Pre was launched about a week ago on the airwaves of Sprint and, although the performance of the handset during the first weekend of sales was a record for the company, it can not be compared to the sales the iPhone saw when it came to the market two years ago. Moreover, only two days after the launch, Apple came to display the third version of its handset, the iPhone 3G S, which might break Palm and Sprint's dreams as soon as it becomes available on AT&T on June 19.
What the new iPhone comes to the market with includes a larger internal memory, which has been enhanced from 8GB and 16GB on the iPhone 3G to 16GB and 32GB, new A2DP support, a faster processor, a 7.2Mbps HSDPA-compatible radio, a 3.2-megapixel camera (up from 2-megapixel on the 3G), 30fps video recording (coupled with video editing and video sharing), a compass, enhanced battery life, cut-and-paste functionality, landscape keyboard, and a new OS (which includes 100 improvements over previous versions, Apple says).
While most of these features have been rumored before the launch and were expected, there are also some new facts that were discovered as soon as Apple announced the handset officially. Among them, we can mention the $199 price for the 16GB version and the $299 one for the 32GB version on a contract, while the price for the 8GB iPhone 3G went down to $99. In addition, it seems that the new iPhone 3G S looks exactly the same as the predecessor, and features Voice Control and integrated hardware encryption.
While the handset in itself seems to be only an upgrade from the iPhone 3G available on the market, the new OS 3.0 should enhance the user experience much more, or at least this is what Apple says and enthusiasts expect. Until both of them become available, the OS on June 17 for older devices, the handset on June 19 with AT&T, there are not too many things that can be said, so we still have the Pre to analyze and enjoy for a few days.
And since the Palm Pre was touted as an iPhone killer, it remains to be seen whether it will be able to take down the new handset as well, though the odds seem to be even. Undoubtedly, the Palm device still has some goodies that are not available with the new iPhone either, yet the latter's popularity might help it a lot in the competition, especially since Pre's platform, the webOS, is a brand new operating system that still needs to be discovered by developers around the world.
To sum up what the two handsets bring into the competition, we have the multitasking capabilities of the Palm Pre, along with its physical QWERTY keypad that complements the touchscreen display, the removable battery, and the smaller size. In comparison, the iPhone 3G S lacks MMS (will come to AT&T in July) and multitasking, but comes with support for already developed applications, a built-in battery that offers longer usage time, a larger display, larger internal memory, and the reputation of its predecessors.
Even so, it seems that the Palm Pre on Sprint will offer more value than the iPhone on AT&T. According to Cnet, users who will opt for a Palm Pre on Sprint will pay $2,400 before taxes and fees, while comparable services and the iPhone on AT&T would cost $3,600 before taxes and fees with a two-year contract agreement. The bottom line is that those going for the Pre will be able to save a total of $1,200.
The iPhone might still see more traction on the market than the Plam Pre, though it is more expensive. “Most people don't realize how much they are paying for their service until they are about six to seven months into their two-year contracts,” said Peter Pham, CEO of Billshrink.com, cited on Cnet. “And then they start to realize that their bills are really high.” But it still remains to be seen whether Sprint's offer will appeal more to users, or they will go for the new iPhone 3G S and its OS 3.0 from AT&T.
