CTIA 2010 Special Edition Podcast 22

Disappointing showing by Palm.

I'm beginning to think an HTC 4G is in my future.

...i don't think Sprint wanted to do both announcement at the same time and place. Palm's 4G device exists, but it's one very top secret item ;)

I'm not holding my breath.

they pretty much like to keep their lips sealed til it's time to unleash their beast on us..im thinking palm is waiting on what 4th gen iphone & 4.0 will bring..specs and all..then make their announcement to outshine it's launch..(maybe buying more time to fully cook webos 2.0)..palm knows it has to match or surpass htc EVO's specs..they just waitin on apple's next move..palm must have learned from their mistake of announcing a device then releasing it (least I hope so) and giving us an undercooked os. Wouldn't hurt to leak sumthin out tho..but that's how they do their business..even jon rubenstein said it himself that they have new hardware they're working on..

Well if palm was to better the evo device, how long has taken htc to come out with it send it to fcc for approval get the pricing together with a carrier I don't think it would be done in a matter of month. How long have we known about the htc evo (supersonic)?

I loved my Kyocera 7135 with Fitaly Stamp stylus keyboard - in many respects still my favorite smart phone!

I am a HUGE webOS fan, I was the 3rd person in my city to have the Pre and love everything about it. I'm so wishy washy about the Android Platform, I think it is great and I believe that it is a good solid platform now. But there are a few things that make me want Palm to make a killer device and keep me here. The first is Kinda stupid but true, The WebOS is so pretty. Everything on it and what it does is done in such a nice look. Also, Cards. It is Beautiful, the way I can switch between apps with one swipe, or view all of my apps that I have open with just one swipe. Perfect. The EVO 4G has me drooling though, and I don't mind if it takes Palm another month or so to get a new device announced but if I get to June when my contract is up I can't say I wont be there to pick up the EVO if it is out. Luckily they have a 30 day window so if palm even waited that far I could take it back if I wanted to. Sorry bout the long message but needed to Vent to other cellphone Fans.

sprint developer giving presentation to developers pretty much trashed on the palm ap store and developer experience with palm

I guess the new palm will be 4g.

several new 4g devices on display from HTC and Samsung @ CTIA...any new high end sprint phones will be 4G

Summary: Palm has not released the hardware or advertisement needed to survive as of yet. Their comeback came just as smartphones truly took off, with Android flying through progress, iPhone being the icon it is, and new hardware coming out regularly. Due to this rapid competition and limited resources, it just isn't possible to enhance their software fast enough. Developers and consumers have not widely adopted this platform, creating a cycle. When few cool apps/features are created and advertising is lacking, consumers don't buy. When consumers aren't interested, developers don't see the incentive to spend resources on the platform. Palm does not have the finances to push advertising, R&D, and manufacturing of a new phone. They still have a huge surplus of Palm Pre, so IF they were to release a new phone, if it even were to be a success, the Pre would rarely sell.

Conclusion: Palm may have made a valiant effort; but with too much competition, limited resources, and faults both in and out of their control, it may have been too much of a hit for the company to survive in the way they are now. I feel that at best they will lease out WebOS or hopefully for them, be bought by a big player such as Nokia (Not HTC, for they have a huge market in Android). However, I could be totally wrong and Palm could announce a shocker, like the Pre was. If they do this, then I pray for their sake they do it right this time. Their can't be a third chance.


Detailed:

Hardware: The Pre is just not good enough to do what Palm needs. I won't lie. The phone is not what it should have been. The plastic device, screen, and shoddy slider, as well as the internals that can't steadily support the operating system,are not acceptable when Palm desperately needs customers.

Software: I like WebOS personally, but I fear that it won't last. Palm has been swiftly updating it, but it is still fairly buggy and can't run well enough on the Pre, let alone the Pixi. The OS is making great progress, but with iPhone OS nearing its 4th generation, and Android catching on with multiple carriers and many different phones, I don't think any company, particularly one as stretched as Palm, could update, add, and improve fast enough. And, although there will be people who don't find it necessary, the App Store has to improve. There are naysayers to this, but the average consumer cares more about thousands of apps and games than Synergy, Flash, or open web standards.

Future: Based on Palm's performance with the Pre, finances, and the competition, I honestly can't see Palm coming back, even if I would like for them to. Palm doesn't have the money required for the R&D, construction, or the advertising for a new phone. They don't have the employee base they need to both work for the future and maintain the present.