Why the Pre Will Surpass Other iPhone killers
The day the iPhone was released, things changed for cell phones. Smartphone awareness skyrocketed. I have seen more new blackberry users since the iPhone was released than any other phone. Perhaps all old Razr users…
Since then, in the consumer’s eyes, no other phone touches it. The G1 was released with google’s Android OS, and the Blackberry storm was heavily hyped, but neither can hold a candle to the popularity of Apple’s shiniest product.
So why would anybody think the Palm Pre has a chance? Well in my opinion, it has the best features of the iPhone, G1, and a typical Blackberry all rolled into one.
A wicked looking/performing OS
Though the iPhone is physically a nice phone, the real gem of the device is the OS. It looks nice, it’s easy to use (it is an Apple product), and has lots of great features. Install the apps you want, jailbreak it if necessary, bring google maps to the masses etc.
Palm will up the ante in the OS space. Evidently a much lighter OS, it is capable of running many processes in the background. To many this doesn’t seem necessary, but it will make a huge different to users, and developers. The Web OS is also designed for a touchscreen device, not just patched in like some other phone’s OS.
A truly open SDK for the app store
Hopefully we won’t be seeing any more Tweets from Trent Reznor chastizing corporations regarding their contradictory policies regarding app/music ratings. The Web OS SDK promises to be open, and that Palm’s role won’t be to screen applications, only to make sure security issues are plugged.
Haptic feedback done right
What’s the best way to implement haptic feedback in a touchscreen device? Not a clickable touchscreen (talk about a half baked solution, I can’t feel the buttons before I press them), not a vibration function, but an actual physical keyboard.
So to review, the Palm Pre should be an excellent device since it combines the best features of the iPhone’s (touchscreen and a well built OS), the openness of the G1 (open marketplace for apps with little to no interference from Palm), and the single best feature of the Blackberry (an actual keyboard).
Sounds like a winner to me.