The new Palm Pre will go on sale in European countries during the first half of this year, the same time frame as for the US, Palm CEO Ed Colligan said in a brief interview.
The Palm Pre version announced at CES on Thursday, which Sprint will get exclusive access to in the US, supports EV-DO Rev A for mobile broadband access, but Palm is also working on a more Euro-friendly 3G version of the handset. Colligan didn't elaborate on any of the technical details.
But if the Pre follows in the footsteps of other recently announced smart phones, it will likely support for HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) at 7.2Mbps (megabits per second), as well as HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access) at 2Mbps.
The Pre comes equipped with Palm's new operating system, WebOS, and combines a touch interface with a QWERTY keyboard that slides out from the bottom of the phone. No pricing has been announced so far.
About 780,000 PalmOS based smart phones were sold to consumers during the third quarter last year, which was more than twice as many as in the same period a year earlier.
But at the same time, competitors Research In Motion (RIM) sold 5.8 million units and Apple sold 4.72 million iPhones, according to Gartner.
For more information visit http://www.macworld.co.uk/digitallifestyle/news/index.cfm?newsid=24320&pagtype=allchandate>>
08/01/2009
Palm unveils new smartphone to take on the iPhone
Palm, the beleaguered smartphone maker has launched a new phone, the Pre, which it hopes will challenge Apple's iPhone and the BlackBerry Storm.
Ed Corrigan, the California-based company's chief executive unveiled the new phone, which runs on a new software called Web OS and boasts a slide-out keyboard, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
Mr Corrigan said the new phone, which has 8GB of storage and a multi-touch 3.1 in colour screen, "will redefine how people use smartphones”. It will allow users to connect directly to information stored on the internet, known as the cloud, rather than through a desktop PC.
Palm, which was a pioneer in the smartphone market with its popular Treo device, has been struggling to compete with new smartphones from Apple, BlackBerry and a host of other manufacturers.
The company's shares, which have lost almost three-quarters of their value since October 2007, jumped 35pc to $4.45 (£2.93) on news of the phone on Thursday night. But some analysts believe the Pre, and its new operating system, will not be enough to reverse the company's downfall. Jim Suva, of Citigroup, said that while the new operating system "represents a glimmer of hope, we remain skeptical [about the company's long term future]".
However, Suzanne Morrow, of British mobile phone comparison site Omio.com said: "Not so long ago, Palm were pushing up the daisies pretty much, but with the Pre they're back from the dead. In this awesome new smart phone, Palm has combined all the best bits of all the other Smart Phones on the market and perfected them."
The company decided not to use other mobile operating systems, such as Windows Mobile or Android, and instead spent years developing its own platform. It has been forced to delay the launch of the new operating system several times and in the mean time make do with software dating back to 1994.
Last month, Palm received a $100m investment from Elevation Partners, the private equity company co-founded by U2 frontman Bono.
For more information visit http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/ces/4206004/Palm-unveils-new-smartphone-Pre-to-take-on-the-iPhone.html>>
06/10/2009
Palm to Open Doors to Developer Program in December
Program Will Offer Palm webOS Developers Choice and Control to Drive Their Businesses
SUNNYVALE, Calif., Oct 06, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Palm, Inc. (NASDAQ:PALM) today announced it will officially open the doors to its Palm® webOS™ developer program in December. The program will offer developers a choice of how to get their applications to market and an unparalleled level of transparency that provides them with the control to promote and grow their businesses. Extending the unique web orientation of the Palm webOS platform, the developer program will provide innovative opportunities to leverage the web as a promotional channel for applications.
"Our program will be unlike anything currently available, and has been established to promote a thriving community by giving developers direct involvement in their own success," said Katie Mitic, senior vice president, Product Marketing, Palm, Inc. "Whether you're looking for immediate distribution or just feedback on early stages of development, this program is built to scale to your needs and finally put you in control of investing in and promoting your business."
The launch of the program is the next step in expanding the impact of Palm webOS by supporting and growing the developer community. In August, Palm announced that developers who wish to charge for their Palm webOS applications could begin submitting them for consideration in the Palm App Catalog e-commerce beta program, which went live today. Developers selected to participate in the beta program have the opportunity to make their applications, both free and paid, available to consumers.
Palm is focused on building a thriving environment for all developers to create, distribute, promote and monetize the delivery of valuable applications to Palm customers. Developers will receive a 70/30 split (developer/Palm) of gross revenues generated through application sales (after applicable taxes). The membership-based program will have a $99 annual fee and will offer developers two options for getting their applications to market:
Distribution on the web--Palm will provide a sales transaction and fulfillment service for developers who wish to promote their applications online. Every App will receive a unique URL, allowing developers to freely promote their applications online and enabling customers to download and install the application directly from the cloud to their phone using Palm's unique over-the-air process. This distribution option offers a fast self-certification process as well as the ability for developers to control the distribution and promotion of their applications using the online marketing vehicles they already have and creating new ones as they see fit.
Distribution in the Palm App Catalog--Applications distributed in the Palm App Catalog that is built in to every Palm webOS device will be subject to review by Palm, and developers will pay a nominal per-application fee of $50. In addition, Palm will create a unique promotional marketplace where developers can utilize an auction process to obtain prominent placement in the Palm App Catalog and find new customers.
Public feeds of application URLs and other relevant application data (such as reviews, ratings, and stats) will be made available to the community to help applications find their market. Palm expects directories, ranking mechanisms, and other inventive services built around this data to emerge.
Also, in appreciation of what the open source movement has contributed to the web, Palm will waive the $99 program fee for developers interested in distributing open source Palm webOS apps to the web. If the source of an app is available to the public under one of the commonly accepted licenses, it will be eligible for this program.
Both distribution options include a support program that will provide developers the tools to quickly build, test, distribute and receive feedback on their Palm webOS applications. Developers can control how beta testers access their applications, allowing them to iteratively improve their products and scale to their needs.
"We're listening to developers, and the message that they want choice and an option to self-certify their applications has come through loud and clear," said Mitic. "The flexibility that comes with our program's easy way to test mobile applications, as well as the ability for developers to use the web to market and promote their own applications and boost sales, is invaluable."
Each element of the Palm developer program is designed to help developers promote their work and ultimately drive downloads directly over the air. Developers can choose to sell applications using both distribution options as they see fit. Palm's application guidelines will be made available online and will apply to all Palm webOS applications. U.S. customers will be able to easily purchase applications using Visa and MasterCard credit cards. More information about the Palm developer program is available on the webOSdev website at http://developer.palm.com.>>
01/02/2009
Palm Pre takes its competitors by the roots
Palm launched its bid to come back from the dead with a new smartphone and operating system to rival the iPhone and the BlackBerry.
The success of the new Palm Pre and the operating system may determine the company's long-term survival in a market it defined with its early innovative products.
Palm showed off the Pre device and the software at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The phone has a touch screen and a slide-out qwerty keyboard and has wi-fi connectivity and GPS software.
Chief Executive Officer Ed Colligan said making mobile phones was in the company's DNA: "This will redefine how people use smartphones."
News that Palm was scheduling a press conference at CES jolted Palm shares, which spiked significantly in anticipation that the oft-delayed new software was finally on its way.
Palm has decided not to used other mobile operating systems such as Windows Mobile or Android and spent several years creating their own called Palm Web OS. The company hopes developers will create applications for the new platform.
The new Palm Pre will come with 8GB of storage and a multi-touch 3.1inch colour screen. There is also a 3-megapixel camera and a speaker. It will be available initially in the US in the first half of this year.
Palm introduced the Palm Pilot in 1996, developing a category of devices called personal digital assistants. Those products evolved into smart phones by adding wireless features, and Palm's Treo was a success in that market. But then the BlackBerry overtook Palm by winning over users of corporate email. Sales of Apple's iPhone, released in 2007, also eclipsed those of the Treo.
For more information visit: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5478544.ece>>
