Writers on digital media are getting into a frenzy over the upcoming launch of the Palm Pre smartphone on June 6.
But we think any excitement over the launch of the Palm Pre mobile phone is completely unwarranted.
Even if the new Palm Pre is a decent phone (and we still don’t know if its performance can match the hype), here’s why it won’t find many takers:
* A smartphone without a huge base of applications to tap into is like a nice-looking library without many books inside. Users of smartphones like iPhone or Palm Pre are more demanding users since they pay a minimum of $70 per month and now have higher expectations such as a good supply of applications in various categories. The iPhone already has 35,000 applications that have together seen over a billion downloads. The Palm Pre web page makes a reference to two, yes, just two, boring applications to come – Fandango and FlightView.
* Other than the ability to keep multiple applications open simultaneously (iPhone may offer that capability too in the not-too-distant future) and a 3-megapixel camera, we see little in the Palm Pre to make it a compelling proposition.
* Palm Pre is being launched by Sprint, a dying and crappy U.S. carrier with pathetic customer service in our experience (Sprint lost $594 million and lost 1.25 million post-paid customers in its first quarter). Continue reading »
Recent Comments