Palm Pre vs. iPhone Comparison

Features & Specifications Comparison of Palm Pre & iPhone 3G – Pre Has Good Edge But Is It Enough To Win The Game?

Most early Palm Pre reviews have noted that this smartphone is by far the closest direct competitor to the iPhone to have emerged yet but this clearly does not immediately mean that the Palm Pre can/will be as successful as the iPhone. 

I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately as we prepare the launch of Preonauts.com (hopefully live next week!) and after playing around with an iPhone 3G this past week I thought that I should share and compare the strengths and weaknesses of both these devices – a comparison that is based on my personal views as well as those of most other reviewers.

Top 10 Things I Love About The iPhone

1. Display 
   Beautiful, large (3.5 inch diagonal), high-resolution (480x320 screen) multi-touch display.  [Albeit the downside is that I have come across too many shattered displays…]
2. App Store 
   Installing new applications on the iPhone is a complete joy.  It’s ultra simple and quick – an absolutely superb experience than virtually nobody has matched today.  With 15,000+ apps now available there is something here for everybody and although there is a lot of rubbish there are also many superb applications.
3. Accessories 
   The breadth of manufacturers developing custom accessories for the iPhone is truly staggering and many of these are among the best in the market today.
4. iTunes 
   The DRM restrictions associated with iTunes music had always put me off but now that many are DRM-free I’m more interested.  Leaving this aside, it’s clear that for a great many people the simplicity, functionality and vast content choice available via iTunes is a real plus.  The fact that it now offers music, movies, video and all iPhone apps together further enhances its value.
5. Desktop Management & Sync 
   Unlike virtually all competitors’ smartphones, I think that a two year old could figure out how to manage his iPhone and keep it synched within a few minutes.  Again, top marks for making the process simple and hassle-free.
6. Regular Updates 
   Where competing smartphones either get few/no updates or these updates are complex to install the iPhone (via iTunes) offers a completely painless and regular update process.  Nobody comes close to matching this today.
7. Form-Factor 
   There’s no doubt that the iPhone is simply a beautiful object – a superb achievement of industrial design.
8. User Interface & OS 
   Gorgeous, fluid, rich, fast, fun user interface – enough said.
9. Browser 
   Closest thing to a full desktop browsing experience on the move.  It’s true that Opera, Skyfire and Iris offer very good solutions on Windows Mobile smartphones but none of them is as good as the iPhone.
10. Multimedia (Music, Photos, Movies, Video) 
    Listening to music, viewing photos and watching movies/videos is just “something else” on the iPhone.  Nearly 10 years after the launch of the iPod most competitors are still in nappies when it comes to even matching functionality, ease-of-use and overall experience.  A superb end-to-end consumer solution (particularly now that most music is finally DRM-free).

Top 10 Things I Hate About The iPhone

1. Virtual Keyboard 
   Typing on the iPhone via the virtual keyboard simply drives me NUTS!  I absolutely can’t stand it and feel like a complete idiot every time that I use it.
2. No Multitasking 
   Although I understand and appreciate the reasons that Apple did not enable multitasking for third-party apps the fact is that it greatly reduces the overall functionality of this smartphone and thus the experience.
3. No Stereo Bluetooth 
   For a company that is the leader in digital music the lack of Stereo Bluetooth capabilities (A2DP and AVRCP) is pathetic.
4. No Removable Battery 
   Not everybody needs this but given the amount of time that I personally spend on the phone the lack of a removable/replaceable battery is a deal breaker.
5. No App Trials 
   The App Store may be great but the fact that paying apps cannot be downloaded on a trial basis bothers me.  The standard has pretty much always been to offer trials and Apple should address this.
6. Too Much Touch 
   At first doing everything with your fingers alone is a fun experience but those who like me have grown used to a physical keyboard with hard keys know the speed and usability benefit of sidestepping touch.
7. No One-Handed Operation 
   Most of the time it’s impossible to do anything on your iPhone with one hand alone.  I don’t like to tie my two hands up whenever I need to do something on the phone – particularly not when I’m driving and I actually need one hand on the steering wheel!
8. Not A Good “Phone” 
   Too many people have complained about poor volume and other basic phone “malfunctions” on the iPhone.  Most reviewers agree that it’s a great device but still misses being a great phone.  [It’s also worthwhile noting that the built-in speakers are not particularly good either…]
9. No Copy & Paste 
   At first I thought that this would not be that important but in daily use you quickly come to realize that the lack of Copy/Paste functionality significantly limits your ability to get certain things done (particularly with regards to email and SMS).
10. No Adobe Flash 
    With such a great web browser it’s more than a shame that Adobe Flash support is still not available (Apple is apparently working on it though).

Other complaints include: not being able to forward messages, not being able to “reply all” in SMS, no MMS, can only sync with one computer, poor default ringtones and inability to convert MP3 file to ringtone.

The Palm Pre Solution – 20 Things To Love?

1. Display
   Beautiful, large (3.1 inch diagonal), high-resolution (480x320 screen).  The screen is not as large as the iPhone (0.4 inch smaller) but this is balanced against other hardware features such as the removable battery and sliding keyboard further below.
2. App Catalog 
   Palm has already confirmed that it will create a full App Catalog – one that will presumably have the same functionality and ease-of-use as Apple’s App Store.  Clearly though there will not (initially at least) be as many apps available for the iPhone as for the Palm Pre.
3. Accessories 
   The most recent accessories designed by Palm have already show significant improvement and now the question will be if Palm is able to create as large and robust a third-party accessories ecosystem as Apple’s.
4. iTunes 
   Given the fact that (for now at least) most of the sync functionalities of the Palm Pre will take place over the “cloud” I’m not quite sure what the company may have in store regarding media synchronisation.
5. Desktop Management & Sync 
   Many people have voiced concerns about Palm’s (initial at least) lack of support for a desktop application to manage and sync your smartphone – it has instead chosen to perform all activities over-the-air.  Yes, I feel that this is a serious flaw BUT third-party developers have already indicated that they will step in to fill the gap and I also have to assume that Palm will eventually release one of its own.
6. Regular Updates
   At this stage I can only hope that Sprint will have seen the huge benefit to provide quick and painless updates over the air.  Also that Palm will implement this so that owners can perform a one-click install.
7. Form-Factor 
   From looking at images alone the Palm Pre does not appear to be particularly beautiful but since I’ve actually held one in my hands I can categorically tell you that it feels absolutely great.  It’s one of the most organic devices that I’ve come across and you just want to stroke it in the palm of your hand.
8. User Interface & OS 
   Gorgeous, fluid, rich, fast, fun user interface + the new “cards” features is completely unique.
9. Browser 
   Ultra-fast and powerful.  One of the best mobile browsers available – finally!
10. Multimedia (Music, Photos, Video) 
    It’s clear that although the Palm Pre will have a number of interesting multimedia features (including robust photos, Pandora and Amazon MP3 downloads) it is unlikely to match the richness offered by the iPhone (at least not at first).
11. Physical Keyboard 
    It’s not the largest physical keyboard around (smaller than the Treo and larger than the Centro) but the fact that the Palm Pre actually has one is a huge plus for me.
12. Full Multitasking 
    Yes, yes and yes!  The Palm Pre is ALL about multitasking – open as many apps simultaneously as you like.
13. Full Stereo Bluetooth 
    Not sure what Palm’s plans are on this front but given that it has already managed to build Stereo Bluetooth into its Windows Mobile smartphones I have to imagine that the Palm Pre will have this full functionality.
14. Removable Battery 
    Oh yes baby…  Palm has become increasingly good not only with creating a better removable battery slot but also at improving battery capacity.  It’s still a closely guarded secret but I hope that the Pre will deliver a minimum of 5 to 6 hours talk time (not great but in line with iPhone performance).
15. App Trials 
    Both the Palm OS and Windows Mobile have thus far allowing app trials and I very much have to assume that Palm will go the same route with its next-generation webOS.
16. Touch + Physical Keys 
    Keep the Palm Pre closed to used touch alone or open its sliding keyboard to extend its functionality.  Touch is fun, keys are fast and accurate – both together is absolutely great.
17. Full One-Handed Operation 
    As with all previous Palm smartphones, the combination of a physical keyboard and large touchscreen allows you to do most repetitive tasks on your smartphone with one hand alone.
18. A Great “Phone” 
    All latest Palm smartphones have been absolutely great “phones” and I have no doubt at all that the Palm Pre will meet or exceed my expectations.  Additionally, as with previous models you can expect a great and rather loud built-in speaker.
19. Full Copy & Paste 
    YES!  Of course…
20. Adobe Flash 
    There is no confirmation yet but many sources point to Palm actively working with Adobe to bring Flash to the Palm Pre when released.

Other top virtues of the Palm Pre include: the ability to combine/merge multiple contact details (business/personal/social) into one, “Universal Search”, combined Outlook + Google + Facebook calendars in one view and much more…

Palm Pre Overall Rating:        12   1  7  
Apple iPhone Overall Rating: 10  10

So is the Palm Pre the clear winner?  Not quite.  Before a battle can be won it first needs to be fought.  In this respect, it’s evident that Apple has a powerful arsenal – not least its superb marketing engine, huge brand recognition and loyalty as well as an immense cash horde and an incredibly rich ecosystem of developers, accessories manufacturers and other partners.

What is nonetheless clear is that thanks to the Pre, Palm finally has a powerful weapon of its own with which to battle Apple and others in this hypercompetitive smartphone market.  At this stage I personally feel that the greatest strengths of the Pre rest on its superb form-factor (touchscreen + keyboard) and its ultra-powerful new webOS (particularly its robust multitasking capabilities).

It’s evident that Apple will not sit still while the Palm Pre attempts to gain momentum in the market.  Rumours already point to Apple possibly preparing this summer to release a $99 iPhone “Lite” as well as an updated version of its iPhone 3G which may offer multitasking as well as other features.  Also, as I’ve mentioned before, Apple “could” eventually (though not likely) release an iPhone with a physical keyboard which would indeed make life a lot more difficult for the Pre.

Whether compared to the iPhone or any other competing smartphone on the market today or tomorrow the fact nonetheless remains that the Palm Pre is quite an achievement in its own right – one that will likely once again completely reshape expectations for what a next-generation smartphone should offer.  It’s undoubtedly a refreshing picture to see Palm leading the way again…

In the meantime, I’m curious to learn how prepared you are for the arrival of the Palm Pre (expected in May/June) so please take a moment to share your views with your fellow Preonauts below:

UPDATE

Thanks for all the comments (both positive and negative).  Since the negative comments from iPhone supporters (or plain Andrew haters) have been more overwhelming than those of Palm Pre supporters I thought that I should update this post to reflect both my “errors” as well as those of others.

#13 Stereo Bluetooth
Without confirmation from Palm yet it’s true that I am “assuming” that the Pre will offer this functionality.
>>> Rating changed from  to

#14 Removable Battery
The Palm Pre has a removable battery while the iPhone does not.
>>> Rating unchanged.

#15 No App Trials
While it’s true that _some_ iPhone Apps are available as free or demo versions the overwhelming majority are not (unlike PalmOS and Windows Mobile apps where 99% are).  Having said this, it’s also true that there is currently no way of knowing how Palm is going to address this with webOS apps.
>>> Rating changed from  to

#18 A Great “Phone”
Everything that I have seen so far indicates that the Palm Pre will be a great phone but I agree that until it’s launched its actual performance remains an educated guess.
>>> Rating changed from  to

#20 Adoble Flash
The iPhone currently does not have Flash but “may” have it in the future.  The Palm Pre is likely to have it at launch _but_ this remains unconfirmed.
>>> Rating changed from  to

Separately, the 10 things I hate about the iPhone also remain unchanged as these are not only my personal views but also those most widely commented by people who actually own the device or owned it and did not like it.

Palm Pre Overall Rating:        12   1  7  
Apple iPhone Overall Rating: 10  10

Palm Pre Cost
No official price has been set yet but most analysts predict that it will be $199 to $249 with a two year contract.  Additionally, the competitive landscape within which the Palm Pre will launch is already pretty much set since no other “super” devices aside from a possible iPhone “Lite” and updated iPhone 3G are expected.

Ringtones
OF COURSE there are third-party apps to convert MP3’s to ringtones for the iPhone but the fact remains that you cannot do this conversion directly on the device.

Palm vs. Apple Battle
It’s clear that the battle will not be an easy one and as I’ve pointed out in this post the iPhone is an absolutely formidable opponent – one that I actually really like but not enough to actually use as my preferred device.  As Kontra points out, the Pre is clearly a bit late to the party and it will have to work extra hard to gain lost ground.

Judging by the continued rally in Palm stock I have to assume that most people today agree with me that thanks to the Pre the company is getting ready for a major rebound – one that will likely shake up the smartphone industry and which evidently has more than a few Apple fans already actively “fighting” the threat…

Overall I think that I can happily live with all the personal attacks (some are actually quite original) and I have no doubt that the Palm Pre will be equally capable to stand its ground against all major competitors when released in June.  Let the battle begin!

Preonauts are always leading the revolution…