Palm Pre vs iPhone

Since the iPhone was launched in 2007, it has ruled the smartphone market. While die-hard Apple fans will definitely agree with me, Nokia and other fans will be quick to point out the flaws in the model. The fact remains that since the Apple iPhone was launched, other manufacturers have been trying, in vain I might add, to develop something that can at least rival it, if not take the top spot. Samsung phones launched the Omnia HD, an impressive device in itself, but the one that fell short due to reasons I won't go into here. HTC phones left aside its trademark, the windows platform, and came up with the Magic, and then the Hero, both on the Android platform which performed strongly in comparison with Apple's flagship model, the 3GS. Blackberry also joined the fray, but while it didn't release any single model to compete with the iPhone, it realized the importance of balancing business with entertainment and has started a whole new range of phones in the business-cum-entertainment sector. Nokia mobile phones, the Finnish giant, showed a loss for the first time in a decade this year, admitting that the iPhone captured part of its smartphone share. To compete, they launched a couple of models, the N97 and the N900, and while these might not have been good enough to beat the iPhone, their upcoming model, the X6 has some bright chances. So all in all, every manufacturer has tried to get out something that will rival the apple iPhone. Kudos to Steve Jobs. The latest manufacturer to join is Palm, and the Palm Pre vs iPhone comparison promises to be very interesting.

Palm, a mobile company with a huge following in the US, has responded to the iPhone with the launch of not only a new phone, but a new OS as well. The Palm Pre, as it is known, uses Palm's latest OS based on Linux, the web OS. Will this manufacturer be able to do what others could not? Will the iPhone finally lose its crown of the best smartphone in the market? An iPhone vs Palm Pre review will be interesting indeed. Let's start by taking a look at the specifications before we go for an iPhone vs Palm Pre comparison.

iPhone vs Palm Pre Specs

Factor	Palm Pre	Apple iPhone 3GS
Size	3.9in x 2.3in x 0.6in	4.5in x 2.4in x 0.48in
Weight	4.7 ounces	4.7 ounces
Screen Size	3.1in [480 x 320 pixels]	3.5in [480 x 320 pixels]
Display	Capacitive Multitouch Touchscreen [with additional gesture area]	Capacitive Multitouch Touchscreen
Camera	3.0MP with LED flash [no video recording]	3.0MP auto focus [with video recording and touch focus]
Connectivity	CDMA [dual band], Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, Tethering Support	GSM [quad band], Wi-Fi, Tri-band UMTS/HSDPA, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, No Tethering
Sensors	Accelerometer, Proximity Sensor	Accelerometer, Proximity Sensor, Ambient Light Sensor
Multitasking	YES [multiple apps can be run through deck of cards feature]	NO
Flash Support	YES [by Dec 09, Flash 10]	NO
Navigation	Touchscreen, Slide-out QWERTY keyboard, Additional gesture support area	Touchscreen, No additional gesture support area, No physical keyboard
CPU	ARM Cortex A8 600 MHz, PowerVR SGX Graphics	ARM Cortex A8 600 MHz, PowerVR SGX Graphics
Memory	8GB on-board [no expansion]	16/32GB on-board [no expansion]
Miscellaneous	Normal Screen [non-scratch resistant]	Scratch resistant screen with oleophobic coating

Looking at the specs, it appears that the Palm Pre has matched up pretty well to the iPhone 3GS. However, the Palm Pre vs iPhone 3g comparison shows that the 3G is left wanting. So leaving the 3G aside let's take a look at some of the other factors of the 3GS iPhone vs Pre.

Palm Pre vs iPhone - Navigation
The Palm Pre uses a capacitive touchscreen with multitouch support. In addition to this, it also has a separate gesture area, just below the screen, where you can configure gestures to perform certain actions. It also sports a qwerty slide-out keyboard which makes typing easier. In comparison, the iPhone uses an on-screen keyboard, and while it supports multitouch, it does not support configurable gestures. Though the Palm's screen size is smaller at 3.1 inches as compared to Apple's 3.5 inches, the resolution remains the same, and due to the additional gesture area and slide-out keyboard, the navigation round goes to Palm.

Palm Pre vs iPhone - Processor/Memory
Both devices use the same processor with the same graphics. The ARM Cortex A8 Processor with Power VR SGX graphics, can work wonders, and you will be amazed at the scope of graphics possible. So this remains a tie between both devices. In the memory department though, Apple scores an edge with the iPhone 3GS available in 16 gig and 32 gig capacities. The Palm, on the other hand, offers its Pre only with 8 gig. Both devices don't offer solutions for memory expansion.

Palm Pre vs iPhone - Multi-Tasking
Without a shadow of doubt this title goes to the Palm Pre. With its unique deck of cards feature, the Palm offers true multitasking. Apple, meanwhile, has yet to come to terms with this possibility. In-spite of using the same processor, Palm can perform multi-tasking with aplomb, while Apple has not yet introduced this feature.

Palm Pre vs iPhone - Camera
Both, the Apple 3GS and the Palm Pre, have similar camera resolutions. They both sport 3.15 MP, 2048 x 1536 pixel cameras. The difference is that Palm packs an LED flash, but has fixed focus, while Apple adds auto focus and touch focus, but no LED flash. In my opinion, the LED flash support might turn out to be better than the touch focus offering from Apple, as the absence of flash means that pics in low-light conditions will just not happen with the Apple, whatever focus it may have. Palm has also introduced a concept where the image processing is done in the background, allowing the user to take pics without getting disturbed by shutter lag. This makes the Palm's camera seem more like the cameras that most people are used to.

Palm Pre vs iPhone - Multimedia
Not much difference here either. Both phones support 3.5 mm jacks, very important these days to enjoy good music, as they allow you to connect better quality standard earphones. However, the iPhone media player (aka iPod) is way ahead of the Palm's mediocre media player (sound quality wise). The iPhone has got it right here. The video player, on the other hand, is pretty similar, with the obvious difference being the screen size. The iPhone has a bigger screen, so obviously watching movies on the iPhone will be a better experience. That being said, though the screen of the Pre is smaller, the resolution remains the same, giving it a more crisper look. I would go with the iPhone though, its like watching a very sharp picture at home vs watching a reasonable sharp picture at a cinema hall. Size does matter. Both phones don't offer built-in FM transmitters, so radio is out of the question. Due to the similar graphics used on both phones, the capability for games is also similar, but as the iPhone has been around longer, there have been more games developed for it. This may change in the future, but again the screen real estate will probably make the iPhone a winner here too. So on the multimedia front, I think its still going to be the Apple ruling the roost.

iPhone vs Palm Pre - Battery Life
Coming to the battery, the Palm has a removable battery, something that Apple hasn't got as yet. Makes it simple for users to change the battery, if something goes wrong. Battery life on the Palm seemed to be a bit more as compared to the iPhone, and it may require everyday charging. This may be caused due to the multitasking abilities of the phone; keeping many cards open will surely use up more battery. The iPhone lasts more than a day, again depending on what it is being used for. The Palm has also introduced the first induction charger for cell phones, which charges the phone without any wires. It is sold separately and includes a special back cover which needs to be replaced on the phone. To charge the phone you simply place the phone on the 'touchstone', as the device is called, and it sticks there and charges. However, as an additional accessory at 70 dollars, this might not be the brightest of solution. Apple's biggest challenge here is the lack of a removal battery, and as such we think this round will be going to the Pre as well.

iPhone vs Palm Pre - App Store
Since the iPhone has been around since 2007, the App Store, a unique place where users can download applications for the phone, has lots of applications and mobile games. App Store provides a very easy and hassle-free way of getting applications on your phone. You just click, and it will download and sync to your phone. No downloading to a PC/MAC, extracting, copy-pasting to a certain folder, etc, etc. Simple and ingenious. While the Palm Pre also has something similar - its called the Palm's App Catalog - there are very few apps in it. This is of course due to the fact that the Pre has just been released, and with time the applications will no doubt increase. But till then, this round goes to the iPhone too.

iPhone vs Palm Pre - Accessories
The Palm Pre comes with a micro USB data cable, phone pouch, charger, and earbuds with remote and mic. Apple does not include a pouch, but has a charger, earphones with a remote and mic as well. The difference is that Apple does not use the industry standard micro USB cable, but its own proprietary cable for charging and transferring data. This is a big let down, as it becomes difficult to snyc when on-the-go, if you are not carrying your cable.

Other Miscellaneous Factors
Leaving all things aside, the Palm scores over Apple in a number of other ways too. The first is Synergy, a concept that merges together all your data on the Palm. Google, Facebook, AIM, etc. all get merged in one place. Contacts from these multiple sources will all show up in your contact list, and duplicate entries will be 'killed' or deleted. Conversations, whether on IM (instant message), SMS (Short Message Service), or email will all show up in a single threaded window, so the flow of the conversation is not broken, irrespective of where you carry it out. There is a bad side to this as well, entries that have just an email address will show up in your contact list as well, as will Facebook entries with just a birthday, for example. All in all, a nice concept, but something that needs more working on.

Another thing that is in favor with Palm is the industry standard that they are following. They have a micro USB port and cable, which makes it easier to transfer data to the phone and also charge it. Apple, on the other hand, uses its own propriety cable, which makes it a tedious task to do these simple things. Also, the Palm Pre scan connect to multiple computers without any problem, while the iPhone will sync properly with only one computer. Syncing with another computer erases all previous data on the phone, which is a big let down.

The third and the most important factor where Apple may face stiff competition, lies in the fact that besides minor changes to software, the iPhone has largely remained the same since it was launched in 2007. People might be bored with this similar design and lack of any radical changes to the phone, over a period of almost 3 years. As such, the Pre, which not only matches the iPhone specs, but also overtakes it in some places, might seem like a lucrative deal for many.

In the Palm Pre vs iPhone tussle, it is difficult to choose a clear winner. Both mobile phones are certainly at the very top of the smartphone market, with only a little difference separating them. While the Pre is really really good and provides the closest comparison and competition to the iPhone, the iPhone remains a safe buy only due to the fact that it has been around longer. Buying the Pre will certainly not be a bad decision, and this is definitely great news for people who do not like the monopoly which Apple created in the smartphone market.