The Guardian reports that O2 is dancing the happy dance after scoring the exclusive rights to the Palm Pre, fending off rivals such as Orange and T-Mobile in a wedding-bouquet-style catfight over the hotly anticipated mobile phone.
No doubt O2 is hoping the Pre will help it keep the early adopters it won with its exclusive deal to push the the iPhone, which could soon be set free from its exclusivity chains in the UK and be available on other networks.
The Pre could also tempt Apple-haters, who have hailed the Pre as their touchscreen saviour, to move over to the bubbly blue network. As a mixed crowd of iPhone lovers and loathers alike, we chatted about our pre-Pre anxiety in last week's CNET UK podcast.
O2 wouldn't comment on the deal, calling it "rumour and speculation".
What is it: Touchscreen webOS phone with slide-out keyboard
What we think: It's not without its flaws, but, thanks to the solid webOS platform, the Pre is a worthy rival to the iPhone
We like:
Unparalleled multitasking capabilities and notifications system; vibrant display; multitouch functionality; solid Web browser; good multimedia integration; impressive call quality; good range of wireless options, including 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS
We don't like:
Cramped keyboard; short battery life; can be sluggish at times; no memory-expansion slot; no video-recording capabilities; no onscreen keyboard; no Flash support; Palm App Catalog is still in beta, with a limited number of titles
Judgement:
Despite some missing features, and performance issues that make it less than ideal for on-the-go professionals, the Palm Pre offers gadget lovers and consumers well-integrated features and unparalleled multitasking capabilities. The hardware could be better, but, more importantly, Palm has developed a solid operating system that not only rivals the competition but also sets a new standard in the way smart phones handle tasks and manage information
Palm Pre (US version) Full Specification
General
| Form factor | Slider |
|---|---|
| Size (W x H x D) | 58 x 99 x 15 mm |
| Weight | 135 g |
| Battery type | Li-ion |
| Talk time (mfr) | 300 min |
| Standby time (mfr) | 12 hours |
| 3G | Yes |
| Available colours | Black |
Phone
| Calendar | Yes |
|---|---|
| Speakerphone | Yes |
| Voice dialling | No |
Display
| Resolution | 320x480 pixels |
|---|---|
| Colour depth | 24 bits (16,777,216 colours) |
Camera
| Camera resolution | 3 megapixels |
|---|---|
| LED photo light | Yes |
| Video recording | No |
Music/radio
| Music playback | Yes |
|---|---|
| Supported formats | MP3, AAC, AAC+, WAV, AMR |
| Headphone socket | 3.5mm |
Messaging and data
| Short Messaging Service (SMS) | Yes |
|---|---|
| Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) | Yes |
| Internet browser | Yes |
| WAP protocol supported | WAP Push 2.0 |
| E-mail client | Yes |
Memory
| On-board memory | 8192 MB |
|---|---|
| Memory expansion | No |
Connectivity
| Bluetooth | Yes |
|---|---|
| WiFi | Yes |
| USB | Yes |
| GPS receiver | Yes |
PDA features
| Operating system | webOS |
|---|
