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As the grand prize winner at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show, just wrapped this week in Las Vegas, VanRamblings has found the smartphone of our dreams: the Palm Pre, replete with …
- a 3.1-inch (480×320 pixel) multi-touch screen, easily outpacing Apple’s iPhone in capability
- a slide-down QWERTY-type keypad
- 802.11b/g WiFi, 8GB of internal storage, GPS, Bluetooth, a powerful processor, accelerometer and a wireless charger
- a 3.2 megapixel camera, with flash (alas, no video)
- a handset that gently curves so that it fits snugly against your ear while placing the microphone right near your lips
- a quick, efficient browser (powered by Linux) that renders pages beautifully
As to the question of which carrier will introduce the Palm Pre in Canada, because the Pre, at present, is designed for a CDMA network, either or both of Telus and Bell — both of which currently employ CDMA — will likely be the lucky Canadian carrier(s). Later in the year, Palm will introduce a GSM model, which will allow the Pre to expand to Rogers’ customers.
No details are yet available on pricing, but early expectation is that a Canadian carrier would mimic the $400 upfront charge that exclusive U.S. carrier Sprint has indicated they will charge for the Pre. Although, given the competition in the market from Apple’s iPhone ($199) and RIM’s Blackberry Storm ($249), the final Pre introductory price in Canada may be reduced to remain in line with existing A-list smartphones available on the market.
