Unconfirmed details flow about Palm's CES-bound Nova phone
Bear in mind that this could be complete rubbish, but unconfirmed reports from "trusted sources" have reportedly stated that Palm's first Nova-based handset will tout a full QWERTY keyboard that slides down beneath a touchscreen (is your imagination running wild yet?). Moreover (and more importantly), the fresh operating system is being described as "amazing," and we're also told that "a ton" of software will be pre-loaded to provide multimedia playback as well as traditional functions such as calendar, email, and contacts. We can't help but say that we're pretty jazzed to hear positive vibes flowing just before CES really gets in gear, but we'll attempt to remain placid until something a touch more concrete is revealed.Update: Ricky from MobileBurn wrote in to tell us that his sources are pegging the first device to be a Sprint exclusive -- for how long, no one knows -- and will feature a high-spec cam of some sort. It's all rumor and speculation at this point, but yeah, we're definitely still stoked.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread - XBL: SoCoolCurt) @ Jan 4th 2009 10:21PM
as a long time Palm admirer (and as of last week, a Treo owner) im hoping this thing knocks my socks off. ever since moving into the smartphone realm, i've been all about Windows Mobile and have a long list of programs i can take to any WinMo phone i get. i am open to change though, so while trying not to get my hopes too high, im eagerly awaiting the announcement.
as for this particular article, im gonna respond with a big 'DUH'. given current market trends and Palm's desire to be relevant in the mainstream again, all those predictions are pretty much standard.
backbeat @ Jan 4th 2009 10:31PM
How appropriate for the Palm story to follow "UIQ Out of Money". http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2009/01/04/uiq-out-of-money-liquidation-imminent/
The boys currently funding the Palm skeleton will realize (hopefully sooner than later) that they are a day late and a dollar short by attempting to revive a dead brand with entertainment phones. That wave came and went a long time ago, Bono. But, if they can keep their sinking ship afloat for another 3-5 years, just in time for domestic economic growth to finally catch its breath, the foolish buying public will once again no doubt waste further billions on a phone is nothing but gimmick.
What's the definition of (economic) insanity again?
q @ Jan 5th 2009 10:39PM
Yawn.
miles @ Jan 6th 2009 9:48AM
Cant wait to see what it is. Go Palm!
backbeat @ Jan 7th 2009 12:23AM
The cheerleader try-outs are down the hall and on the right, Princess.
NuShrike @ Jan 6th 2009 1:58PM
Palm, formerly of unlimited world-wide availability ubiquitous devices is now a regional carrier's bitch.
MegaZone @ Jan 6th 2009 2:20PM
I'm a long time Palm OS user, since 1998, and I still carry a Treo 680 - but I just can't get excited about Nova. Too little, too late. It will have to be REALLY amazing to win enough developer support to make it worth while. I'm likely going Android, looking at some of the new phones expected in 2009. (The Samsung one which looks like an Omnia with Android looks pretty nice.) I think Palm would've been better off customizing Android like they do with WinMo to share the developer community.
Ben @ Jan 6th 2009 5:39PM
Exclusively Sprint? If it's not a GSM phone, I'm not interested.
ensorgumbs @ Jan 7th 2009 6:58PM
I was gonna switch carrier's latter this summer, but if this phone comes close to the hype that its getting I may stay with sprint and upgrade my trusty treo 650..
IlliniWatcher @ Jan 8th 2009 1:40AM
I got tired of waiting on Palm. I bought a G1 almost as soon as it came out.
I was one of the first users of the Palm platform - I had the Palm Pilot Personal, then the Palm III, then the Handspring Visor (remember the Springboard slot?), then the Handspring Visor Prism (color!), then the Zire 71, then the Zire 72, and (most recently) the Palm T|X. None of those devices lasted more than two years. Palm development tools - undergirded by the Eclipse IDE - were buggy and inconvenient to use; I was so longing for a Visual Studio-like experience but that, of course, belongs to Windows Mobile. And to have only three PDA's - a crappy $99 job with very low-grade graphics, a $199 Tungsten that's fast but a bit overpriced, and a $299 machine with built-in WiFi that I had to send back for repairs because of a lingering screen problem - is not the way to keep enthusiasts interested. (The repair soured me quite a bit - it took Palm almost a month to get the thing from a receiving center to their repair center.)
I have used Android's SDK and Eclipse IDE and I have to say that it is the kind of experience Palm should have been providing all along for developers. The G1 phone itself is a marvel (don't buy Apple fan-boys' dismissal of the phone as having uninspired design) with a nice, sturdy keyboard, and brilliant graphics that put Palm's best machine to shame. The built-in Browser blows away Opera on Palm - which I had thought was pretty good up until now.
Android and the G1 also have their iPhone-like store, the Android Market, to which I've posted two applications and am working on a third. It captures my imagination to have downloadable apps right at your fingertips. Post an app and seconds later, it's in the market. When I went through Motricity/PocketGear.com (a then-Palm partner for marketing Palm titles) to post an application, it took several days to get there. The Android Market also lets users post immediate feedback, which is valuable - and gratifying - for developers. Palm is nowhere near this level of experience.
So, I'd have to say for Palm, the train has left the station. It would take something breathtaking for Palm to muscle its way back into the game, and Palm is no Apple, believe me. I had been a staunch Palm supporter for years but after seeing only the Centro eke out after so many years, I just said, enough. Bring on Android.