Round Table: The Palm C40 144
Welcome to Round Table, which is in fact not a table at all. Round Table is a continuing series on PreCentral where we pose a question to the staff and they provide their thoughts and insights. The question could be something simple like “what’s your favorite webOS app?” or something a bit more complicated, like “where does Palm go from here?” Or maybe we’ll just end up chatting about our favorite movies, you never know. This time around we're dispensing thoughts on something that has puzzled and eluded us for months: the Palm C40.
Craig:
We can only speculate about the Palm "C40." The number appears to be completely different than the "100" designated for the Pre and the 120 for the Pixi. If Sprint is true to form, a next generation Pre or Pixi might be a 100 or 200 series. So this is something different.
Let's start with the easy things. Palm has said that they will stick to offering real keyboards and I hope they do. The iPhone's virtual keyboard is just so clumsy. It also will need to be 4G or it will be Dead On Arrival. It will need a higher resolution camera with auto-focus and zoom, even if it is digital zoom. And Palm has to address the battery life issues in hardware. There is just so much you can do in software to save power. The Google Nexus is rated at twice the battery life of a Pre.
I would love to see a new webOS phone about the size of a Motorola Droid. I really like the Droid's landscape, slide-out keyboard. I know some like the small keyboard for one-handed texting but I really would like a wider keyboard for every-day use. When the Droid's keyboard is slid out, it is big enough but can still fit in a pocket when closed. Memory and resolution do have to be addressed in upcoming webOS devices. If you download a HD YouTube video to the Pre, it is really a stunning picture. But go up to the Droid's 854x480 and you can use it to comfortably watch a movie while traveling. Now memory becomes an issue. Instead of going to 16 GB, it would make so much more sense to use a microSD slot like the Droid. Resolution and memory are also key to making this a gaming machine.
Our expectations for our phones are changing rapidly. Your phone is your video player, TV, Facebook, email, texting, calendar, contacts, and gaming device. Oh, don't forget to make it a phone too. Even the iPad should have been a phone.
Derek:
Ever since the C40 popped up in Sprint’s inventory system I’ve been sitting here scratching my head as to what this mystery device may be. Literally, that’s all I’ve done for the past four and a half months. What I actually want the C40 to be is an interesting question, and it’s difficult to figure out what it is that I want. I didn’t know I wanted the Palm Pre and webOS, or anything like it, until it came out. But I did want the Pre Plus - the better Pre - before we even had an inkling of its existence. But with the C40 model number I have to throw those desires out the window, because this device clearly doesn’t fit into the P1XX series that contains the Pre, Pixi, and their plus variants.
Trying to narrow down what I want the C40 to be is an exercise in bad options. I want it to be the better iPad, but for something that could be a raw productivity machine I don’t think webOS is ready to compete on that large (screen size) of a scale with the more developed iPad. And the last thing I want Palm to do is launch a product that will fall flat in the market. So I guess what I really want is the lovechild of a Motorola Droid and the Pre Plus. Keep the slider keyboard but make it portrait, make it faster, bigger, and thinner. But that makes no sense for something as different as the C40.
What I expect the C40 to be is an entirely different beast, but I really have no expectation as to what that means. With just a model number it’s impossible to figure out what it could be. If we operate on the assumption that it’s not just a random placeholder in Sprint’s systems, then we have to assume that this is a connected cellular device of some variety - otherwise it wouldn’t be in Sprint’s systems. There are a couple of things to take into consideration, such as it being a “smartphone” in Sprint’s system, and Palm’s dedication to the physical keyboard. My almost certainly off the mark prediction is that the C40 will be unlike any phone we’ve seen before. webOS is in its infancy right now, and the C40 is a device that will blow the doors wide open, which means we’re going to need something like webOS 2.0 to for this smartphone to arrive. I see this as a slab phone with a virtual keyboard, but a screen that depresses/clicks like the Storm 2. But not like the Storm 2, if that makes any sense. With, of course, ridiculous hardware specs to boot (Tegra 2, WiMax, etc).
That, or the Palm C40 just doesn’t exist.
Dieter:
I have no idea what the C40 is. No. Idea. It's maddening, honestly. What do I want it to be? A touchscreen-only webOS device, the boring slab, but with decent industrial design and a virtual keyboard that's at least the equal of Swype on Android or the iPhone's keyboard. I have no illusions that we'll get expandable memory via an SD card slot or WiMAX. Basically take the Nexus One, remove the trackball and virtual buttons and replace them with a gesture area, and I would be one happy blogger.
Jonathan:
What I want the C40 to be is a slightly larger webOS smartphone, similar to the Pre in having a sliding keyboard (since a fixed physical keyboard plus a half-VGA or better screen would be very bulky), but being a hair bigger, to enable a larger capacity (removable) battery and a microSD slot for removable storage. It would also have a better, autofocus camera (the microSD would allow larger photo and video files), a native virtual keyboard (at least in landscape mode) and the full suite of Bluetooth profiles (of course).
What I expect the C40 to be is the Pre Plus, perhaps with a microSDHC slot wedged in somehow. I don’t expect Palm to so quickly dilute the value of its higher-end devices and its nascent 3rd party accessories market by changing the form factor so substantially, so soon after Verizon got the Pre Plus.
Keith:
Personally, I want the Pixi form factor with the Pre specs. Nothing quite beats the QWERTY candy-bar styled phone for my daily use, the Sprint Pre keyboard leaves something to be desired after using several other hard keyboards over the years. So I wonder why Palm has offered this to form factor to another demographic with the Pixi; they obviously think it's a good selling point but that doesn't really help us power users who need (want) 4-6 cards running without slow downs. It's also sad to see the lack of 3D gaming for the Pixi; so not only do I want a nice CPU and GPU, I need the C40 to incorporate another design change: less wasted bezel (BlackBerry Tour Keyboard style) and more pixels. If you look at the Pixi, the keyboard could have been shifted down and made wider to get more screen in there (also if the device were a little bigger it wouldn't have hurt in design). I don't worry about the OS, because that is a work in progress that is constantly transitioning. When the C40 drops (if it's even real...) Palm might be at webOS 2.0, so it isn't a major concern of software but rather a concern of this being a flagship device.
Here is my total stab in the dark as to what I think it will be... this device is a placeholder in the Sprint system to generate buzz. It's obvious that things get screen capped and leaked all the time. I am not saying it's a total plant on purpose, I do think there is another device coming to Sprint this year from Palm. I think when it becomes more concrete to both Palm and Sprint, it'll be known as the C40. It's just my opinion that the C40 name came before the device itself. That point being made first... I expect to see the Pre 2 to be the C40. This device will have better hardware design all around (look to the Pre Plus for some mild insight) and possibly include a few upgrades like OMLED screen for better power consumption, more RAM, and a much better battery capacity (minimum of 1500 mAh but more would be better). I am not sure how much better we improve in terms of the processor, but I wouldn't count out a Snapdragon or Tegra 2 processor being a possibility for your flagship device.
Robert:
I'd like the C40 to be a flagship-tier device sporting any combination of the following: a bigger screen, a bigger keyboard, and more storage. I doubt that we'll be seeing anything with a horizontal keyboard or removable memory coming out of Palm anytime soon (read: ever), so I'd imagine that it would be similar to the Pre with a slider keyboard, but bigger and less curvy.
As far as what I expect the C40 to actually be? That product number has been in Sprint inventory systems for nearly 6 months now, and I highly doubt that it's related to a yet to be announced handset or device. I do have a strong suspicion that we'll see a new Palm handset out on Sprint sometime this Summer, but it won't be related to this.
And there you have it. Our wishes, our hopes, and our lofty misguided expectations all rolled into one post. That's what we think of the mythical C40 - what about you?
144 Comments
C40 is obviously a red-herring to keep everyone's focus away from other things while Palm finishes up the C4000. :)
the C40 is clamshell I bet. The C is clamshell to rival the blackberry pearl flip
Palm should keep the variety of devices..
i.e
-the candy bar pixi
-the slide out pre
and the C40 should be a slab.. no keyboard..
all phones are eventually going to go to virtual keyboards.. dont get me wrong, i love my pre slide out.. but the virutal keyboard on the iphone is pretty nice and accurate.. thats the key to a virtual keyboard, they need to make the auto correct really good and functional where it fixes common mistakes and what not which come from typing on virtual keyboard.. then it will be great..
the slab would also give it a bigger screen (which is very nice) and more room to fit nice hardware and they wouldnt have to worry about making it bulky by having a keyboard..
as long as it has the gesture bar and webos.. ill be happy..
:)
p.s. i am not a fan of the side slide out keyboards, they look bulky and in my opinion ugly.
I like Derek's vision most. I want a taller, wider, slimmer Pre with a bigger keyboard and ridiculously powerful specs.
And a webOS 2.0 that will blow everyone else out of the water (again).
Absolutely! It would be a dream if Palm were to go in the direction Craig, or Derek propose. (as long Palm gives me the bigger screen, I wont complain too much about landscape or portrait keyboards).
I personally need a portrait keyboard. For me, flipping the device (and aspect ratio) sideways to type has always been an awful user experience.
I just want to overdo the hardware so that webos 1.0 can flow smoothly. No latency, better memory management. Let WebOS get fully established before we start futzing with the O/S. A better phone app is badly needed.
I would like to see a device slightly larger (screen size) than the current Pre, but with a side slider. Oh yeah - and 4G speed.
I dont know why every one wants a larger screen, it wont fit in the pocket and the apps will not work properly (all 1500 of them, only the bright house and dijit ones will work)
Bright House & Digit! Those are the best apps out there. lol
dimwit
No, just someone with a sense of humor. Give it a try!
Larger screen and larger resolution are NOT the same thing. Look at the iPhone and the Pre. Same resolution, but the iPhone has a bigger screen. The Pre looks clearer tho, because everything is a bit smaller and much less stretched to fit the size. The screen can still be enlarged though.
webOS apps are designed to work at any resolution. So, make it huge Palm. Make it huge.
Larger Screen does NOT mean larger resolution. i.e. The iPhone has a larger screen than the Pre and they are both 480x320.
yes
I'm going to throw this out there: I think the C40 will be Sprint's flagship phone to launch the 4G network.
From what I've been reading on various forums and sites this will be the flagship 4G phone...
http://www.slashgear.com/htc-supersonic-sprint-wimax-android-phone-in-wi...
that would be epic
http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/sprint-promises-its-first-wimax-hands...
". Finally, CEO Dan Hesse himself is cited as saying Sprint will be bringing out "dozens of devices" with embedded WiMAX this year,"
Precisely what I referenced earlier and what I sent in to P|C.
I totally agree! I think by the time the next Palm phone comes out, and if they won't do an expandable card slot, they should skip a few steps and go straight to 64gb capacity. iPhone is already at 32gb and perhaps by the end of the summer will surpass that. We need to stop playing catchup and surpass what's already out there, and I think memory and storage is a super-important aspect of that.
throw it back
I am very much against the side slider keyboard. From the 755P to the Centro to the Pre, the vertical orientation of the phone has partly been the draw for me. I can use the phone with one hand as long as the vertical orientation is consistent throughout all functionality, add a side slider keyboard and that's all over. Would be very bad in my opinion.
I agree. I want a slightly taller and thicker Pixi with full 480x320 screen and Pre Plus or better hardware. Slightly thicker to allow for a 1600 mAh+ battery.
I agree, I like being able to hold the device and type with one hand.
I agree. I think that because webos is so portrait focused, it would be a really huge hassle for palm to release a landscape keyboard. I do think they should have a virtual keyboard that works in landscape (the web is better in landscape)
I totally agree with you on that one jdod. The vertical keyboard is what sealed the deal for me as it is exceptional for one handed use. Many may disagree with us but opinions are opinions! If they go with a landscape keyboard OR virtual keyboard (only), it will be a sad sad day...
I agree with you on the slider.It is alot more easier to type/text with the pres current keyboard.why is it that when something works good they always want to change?! I agree the buttons could be a lil,and I mean a lil bigger.But they still feel comfortable to me just takes getting use to.We should all keep the pressure on palm as pre owners to not make dramatics changes.
let the pre live on!!!
What is it with you guys and a virtual keyboard. I hope Palm never gives up the hardware keyboard.
So, never having worked for a technology device company like Palm, obviously they design and produce devices that never see the light of day on a sales floor. Could the C40 just be a placeholder for the "Pre 2" and there are, say, 5 competing models that they are trying to decide between?
I also would say we are a minimum of 6 months from seeing the device hit the street. Look how long it took for the Pre from announcement to launch -- and Palm hasn't even announced this yet...
But, it certainly generates excitement and speculation, and for a company in Palm's arena that is good news!
A larger Pre style slider, with more RAM, more memory, faster processor and 3G/4G WiMax capabilities.
...RAM is memory DaHui623. I'm thinking you mean Storage (ie. HDD).
I think you mean storage (i.e. NAND chip in most phones, HDD in most computers)
C40 is the Sprint designation for the Pomegranate Phone http://www.pomegranatephone.com/ :)
LOL, I've never seen that before!! Those crazy Canadians!!
WOW - that was the most awesome video ever posted here. I had a grin from ear to ear as I watched it and it got progressively crazier. Thanks!
Why make coffee on your pomegranate when your Pre can make beer?
http://www.prethinking.com/storage/post-images/palmpre-in-beer-torture-t...
Dude, that was one crazy ass phone,I was like wtf the whole time. but i feel like its not real,i would get that in a heart beat if it was real due to it is waaaaayyyyy diferent...take that iphone.
It is not real it is an attempt to promote nova scotia
I think palm should make the screen bigger, 3.5ish. 4G is not high on my wish list since so few places have coverage and I'm really not sure this will be a particularly quick build out. I think palm should keep the vertical orientation for the keyboard. Horizontal orientations feel like something a teenager would use. They also mean longer typing strokes, that's not desirable. I would like to see a virtual keyboard added as it can be annoying sliding out the keyboard for every little text input, especially in landscape mode.
I doubt that palm will be the 4g phone, there are already pictures and rumors of the Supersonic, but will find out next month i guess.
If you read the Engadget article I sent in to PC, you will see that Sprint plans on putting a 4G device out in 1H2010 (could be Pre2 on/near 6/6/2010??), as well as at least a dozen more by the holidays this year (i.e. by December).
Now tell me Palm would seriously release a 3G only device on a carrier going full speed onto 4G.
Palm Treo Pro Codenamed Palm C40;
4G LTE Radio
4" 480 x 854 AMOLED Capacitive Touchscreen
Qualcomm Dual Core 1.5GHZ Snapdragon
nvidia Tegra 2 Chipset
64GB Ultra Fast Flash Memory
1GB internal Ram/Rom
Micro USB 3.0
Full Portrait QWERTY
1080p HDMI out
Dual HD Dollby MicroSpeakers
Pico Projector inbuilt
12 MPX autofocus schenider with dual xenon flash
1080p native video recording
ftw
Palm webOS 2.0
....yeah, right. And it burns DVDs too right? ;-)
Ahhh glad you reminded me, of course :-)
DVDs?!?!?
This thing's gonna burn scratch-resistant BluRays, holmes!
One Can Only Dream!!
And the battery life... Twenty Minutes!
Battery? Are you kidding? This has no battery!! (you have to have it continuously plugged into a wall outlet)
My bad.Sorry that was the first thing that came into head.Very poor taste.I should have said,I am an american idiot.And I did mean High.
Forgot to mention the 4000 mAh Battery (In Prototype testing currently in some russian bunker) with a full solar panel back and 87% Solar conversion efficiency (a world first!)
Whilst i'm on the subject, a few other tidbits;
Full Carbon Fibre Body
Ultra Hard Scratch Resistant Glass Screen
Noise cancelling mic/earpiece with HD CrystalTalk Clarity
DVB HD inbuilt TV Tuner
Well, a guy can dream, right?!
No natural wood inlays? No self cleaning display with "hand-goo eradication" system?
I'm not buying nuttin' until they bring back the IR port.
high hitler
First, it's hail, not high (heil in German)
Second, and more importantly, that was an insensitive thing to say.
Not LTE, WiMax. Sprint will be using WiMax.
You forgot the built-in touchstone.
So you want a webos touchscreen laptop?
I want 1.4 !!!!!!!!!
Why can't we go 1 post without bringing up 1.4?? It will come when it comes. Still plenty of days left in February. Chill! =)
1.5!
I complete disagree with the notion that if it doesn't have 4G it'll be dead in the water. I think Palm can go another year with embedding an expensive power hungry 4G/WiMax radio in its devices. On top of that you would still need the 3G/EVDO, WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS radios.
Silly discussion.
it's supposed to be fun. lighten up.
I hope it looks the Droid
I hope it don't
Will palm even have a 2.0 this year? Say June? Since some people on Sprint get a 12 month upgrade.
I'm just wondering if palm is gonna introduce it at GDC? Where other would you showcase a phone with a lot of capabilities especially gaming capabilities than GDC? I hope to see/hear about the C40 there.
Edit: why else would they go there, we all know that games are being developed for webOS devices, we already know about the PDK's existance, some (gameloft) seem to have masterd it giving us great games although probably ports from iphone still great games. This all just makes me believe there is something else there gonna show and that is whatever the C40 is. That's just my thought. Probably wrong but what I'd like to see :D lol
(sarcastic)
I now know exactly what the Palm C40 is. It is a game console that will be able to play all kinds of games from the Palm App Catalog. The resolution will be 1920x1080p (full HD) and it will be 15" big.
Of course, none of the games from the app catalog can be supported now, but wait until people start bringing games over from Playstation 3 and XBOX 360. Then we will all be having fun.
The device will operate on Sprint/Clearwire's 4G network and all graphic processing will be done client side. The data will be transferred via JSON from console to console for live data work and it will be able to read ebooks too.
Best of all, all of the apps will be available for the device from the regular Palm App Catalog.
(sarcastic post over)
Now the device I sarcastically built above is as stupid as the Apple iPad. I responded to your comment because you mentioned GDC and this just fits here.
Palm MIGHT announce a Palm Pre 2 at the GDC, and the reason for them being there would be to showcase two things:
1) The FULL PDK (since just a few have it
2) MAYBE showing off a new Pre device (i.e. Pre2) for Sprint and AT&T (one CDMA/WiMax and one GSM/LTE, even though AT&T doesn't have LTE yet) demonstrating the amazing gaming capabilities on a fast processor with high memory (768MB - 1024MB even if it is excessive).
4g,more memorey,larger screen,better battery life,upgraded software,no buttons on the face of the phone like the pre plus,auto focus camera,snap dragon processor,thinner device,projector,with a google nexus design.
4g,more memorey,larger screen,better battery life,upgraded software,no buttons on the face of the phone like the pre plus,auto focus camera,snap dragon processor,thinner device,projector,with a google nexus design.
I would like to see something like the Helio Ocean, it had a dual sliding keyboard, a landscape QWERTY keyboard which was VERY fast and nice to type with, and it had a vertical sliding keyboard that was the phone dialer and could also be used for T9 text input. The Ocean was one of my favorite phones.
Anyway, I would like this new Palm phone to kind of keep a similar sleek shape, but maybe a tad longer and wider, but not really a lot fatter so it could have a bigger screen with dual sliding keyboards, sport a WEBOS 2.0 that would take advantage of a lot more RAM making the device really fast and snappy at opening apps, maybe have like a 4.0MP camera with zoom and flash. That would be the perfect device for me!
the ocean had a huge flaw tho. The dual sliding keyboard tended to sever the wires that went to the screen causung it to fail. Please palm never build a dual slider.
it's hard for me to decide what I want in the next device because most of the issues I have with this one can be fixed through software. That said, I think the Pre2 should have a 3g/4g radio, a larger screen, a digital compass (for alternate reality apps), more memory, larger HDD, microSD, better camera, improved processor, better portrait keyboard.
here are some software issues i'd like to see fixed in time for the new device: video recording/editing (I know it's almost here), official virtual keyboard, official landscape email/text apps, more visually appealing transitions, better garbage management (official task manager), voice dialing, voice memos, speed-dial-like app shortcuts, allow more customization, official 'tabs on launcher pages', better ringtone implementation, audio editing, autocorrection,
and on palms server end: more accounts to sync w/ synergy, better contact recovery (re-link my accounts!), allow me to micro-manage contacts/accounts from the web
I agree with some of those.
It will need a larger screen, definitely. Especially for a virtual keyboard, but only by .5-.8" (i.e. 3.6-3.9" screen)
More memory (will definitely come up to 512MB, but more would be nice)
Larger (32GB) NAND chip (what you call HDD, but it isn't a hard disk drive)
Improved processor (TI OMAP4 1GHz, Snapdragon 1GHz, other with >1.5GHz)
Digital compass (reasoned below)
4G (LTE/WiMax radio, depending on carrier)
Software:
Video (coming soon, maybe today??)
Virtual Keyboard (official, through App Catalog, free)
Make most apps landscape (email, text, Google Maps, Sprint Nav, etc.)
Make SDK API (service call) for digital compass direction to rotate object (i.e. Google Maps, Sprint Nav, Trapster, etc.)
Better garbage collection
Task manager (official, with all of the features of JSTop)
OpenGL transitions
WebGL implementation
CSS transitions
Better SDK
Lower level access (if necessary, require user to grant access) within SDK
'for alternate reality apps' -- lol, I think you meant augmented reality.
lmao that's exactly what I meant. But now that I said it, wouldn't alternet reality apps be a game changer haha
yes! I would love to play on the alternets! ;-)
Alot of people are putting out alot of good ideas. I definitely agree with the compass tho most haven't mentioned it. +1 on 4G. Just cause its not widely available doesn't mean we should disregard it. Its available in 32 cities now and counting. (Hoping mine is next...) Also a recent announcement of 28nm process for mobile phones chips coming down the pipeline has also got me excited with claims of 100% battery life improvements.
What would be really funny is, with all this speculation, guesswork, and dreaming going on, if it turns out to be just an accessory like a charger or case.
:P
mobile touchstone charger!
XD I was thinking Palm branded bluetooth headset. ...so much time wasted with this speculation.
4G LTE/WIMAX
GSM/CDMA
1.5GHZ
32GB
5 MPXLS CAMERA
LARGE SCREEN
BETTER CASING MATERIALS
IF IT IS A WEBOS TABLET THEN
4G
GSM OPTION
1GB RAM
DUAL CORE PROCESSOR 1.8GHZ/2 GHZ
80GB/120GB HDD
WEBCAM
VIRTUAL KEYBOARD
Well, who knows?????
you will not see a compass in a palm device for quite some time... Why you ask? The Touchstone. It used magnets and that would throw a compass all kinds of off if there were magnets in the phones back cover.
unless they re-design the touchstone to not use magnets somehow, no compass. And I doubt they are dropping the touchstone...
It needs a compass. No question.
C40 = Clam-shell 4G, opening from the side. Just my wild guess.
- Slider like the pre
- Screen rotates 90 degrees so you can type while screen is in landscape
- Much longer battery life
- slightly larger screen, thinner
- water resistant up to 10 meters
the end
That is the number one thing I want to see on the new phone, the screen can rotate when the sider is open so you can use the phone in landscape and type, and then turn it back and use it in portrat for IMing and stuff like that
The other stuff would be nice too, but if I could only pick on thing to change on my pre it would be to have it rotate
I think that the c40 is a feature phonee using web os as the os. It will introduce smartphone goodness to the masses. Struggling companies like palm need to make a mass market phone. The pre in it's current form can't compete with apple and google right now in mass market appeal. It can't compete with rim in business. So what I think is that they need to make a feature phone that will be cheap and sold en mass. I'm thinking that it will be a crippled form of webos. Generic dial pad with a large screen. You'll be able to use card to go through various functions like sms, pics and video. The new flagship devie from palm won't ccome for a while folks. They just don't have the funding
Hmm I never really thought about it being a webOS powered feature phone...but you could be very right. I have to say though, everyone's insisting that Sprint's flagship device will come from Palm...and that it will hit sometime this year! It's all a matter of time til we know for sure. Maybe we'll know the goods by March @ the GDC in San Fransisco where Palm will be hitting the stage...& that's a good thing for us webOS lovers =)
C= Clearwire http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clearwire
40=4G
I'm simple I just want it to be the palm grand prixi
I'm simple I just want it to be the palm grand prixi
I'm willing to bet the next version of sprint's palm pre will be 4G. Sprint has already introduced their overdrive device supporting 4G which does the same as the Pre Plus (connecting multiple Wi-Fi devices). Palm would/should take full advantage of Sprint deploying devices on their 4G network. With Pre 2 being a certified hotspot device capable of 4G connection, 32Gig Mem, Video Recorder, acceptable battery life, and an anniversary launch date of June '2010, I think palm shares would shoot to the roof and change the game in regards to iPhone, Droid, Blackberry etc... JMO!!!!! GW
It's a WebOS Foleo! With 1080p video and tablet format!
What was Robert's comment about, about it not being likely that Palm will ever have a device with removable storage? Has Palm never had a device that took a memory card of some sort??
Anyway, I hope they have a change of heart and their next device has a microSD slot.
/Kevin
I know what I want in my next WebOS phone, but if wished were rainbows...
the C40 is a placeholder for something or nothing.
If it is something it won't be like the Pre or Pixi. Unless the "P" is the first letter of the name and not "P.alm" as we've assumed. Then the "C" might mean more, no hope for the "40" though.
The question is whether the HTC Supersonic, the HTC Desire makes it on the shelves before we hear more about the C40.
testicalur cancer.and you
palm better put their thinking caps on as Apple did.
They need a WoW device that is easily recognisable, yet different than the iPhone by the regular consumer. The Pre and Pixi hardware did not capture the consumers or business mindshare. It is frankly a dissapointment in the eyes of people that would never go on a forum such as this one.
What should it be? It should be a well thought out radical design. Nothing less. Rubenstein will have to put his imprint on it. As Jobs pushed his design people, so will Rubenstein. Otherwise why hire him in the first place.
It has to be the best of class. In software first, and WebOs is a great 1st. Step. Best screen. Best overall design. No compromises as the Pre & Pixi. Which are definitely not the best of class.
http://www.clearwire.com/
Isn't "C" the Roman numeral for 100? Could the C40 simply be code for the Palm 140?
Now for the features, that's for us all to dream about until some sort of additional rumor/find comes up. Easily, we all want more: battery life; speed; RAM; storage; network speed; screen real estate..............
I like that idea... C=100...:P. Sprint could be sneaky that way.
Never thought of it that way, but it makes pretty good sense...
That was mentioned a while back I believe. Regardless, yes, I noticed that.
And that would coincide with this being a new device altogether, or a really convoluted numbering system (Pre: P100, Pre Plus: P101, Pixi: 120, Pixi Plus: 121). Maybe the Pre2 will be P140 (i.e. P(C40)).
It should be bulletproof. I'm on my 4th Pre! Thank god for insurance!~
J/K
Obviously, this whole discussion is based on wishful thinking. Only time will tell the truth.
just you
I am amazed that speed wasn't mentioned at all. Maybe it is just that you're used to the delay that occurs after each and every tap and you don't realize there are alternatives.
Full disclosure: Having been a Treo user since the visor through the 755p, I am now an iPhone user. But, I refuse to make my wife leave Verizon since at&t truly sucks. So we're a two type of phone household. I love Palm and I am impressed with their start with the WebOS.
I hope they continue to improve the WebOS, but it is as slow as molassess. The first thing my wife said when she moved from the Treo 755p to the Pre Plus was that it was oh so very slow. The Treo gives immediate response when you press a button or choose a screen option. So does the iPhone. But the Pre Plus requires a ton of patience.
Also, I would add to my list of desires a more professional feel to the hardware, like a glass screen, a much better slide out keyboard (the slide doesn't 'glide.' It almost feels like there is sand in there.)
Just my 2 cents.
kazoo
Actually speed gets mentioned every other post.
Figure current processor speed is a slow 500mhz.
Everyone here is asking for 1 or 1.5ghz with multiple cores even.
Seeing as this round table's turned into a 'what do you want in the Pre 2 thread,' I'll throw in my $.02 wish list.
I'd like it to be essentially the same footprint, but increase the screen size by shrinking the real estate between the earpiece and the screen on the top, and the gesture area on the bottom. make the phone a hair wider to and push the screen right to the edges to facilitate keeping the same aspect ratio. Then make meaningful steps forward in the hardware (battery, processor, memory, camera (in that order)).
But the software is going to be the major thing. WebOS was so revolutionary when it came out, I don't know what they could add to it to make it better. My guess would be more extensive voice control, and maybe widgets. Yeah, widgets would be cool. As much as I love seeing my homescreen wallpaper, that's prime real-estate for widgets.
Oh! and add more advanced/multitouch gestures. There's a great thread in the forums about that.
Pie-in-the-sky for me would be 4g, and front-facing cam for video chat.
That said, honestly, I think the C40 is just a Palm-branded accessory. :)
I think a front facing cam even with a lower resolution would be great especially if paired with 4G for video chat.
Widgets would be great. I don't need 7 pages worth of widgets, one customizable one would be great.
yeah the c40 is a new Web Os phone. I do believe either Palm will release a htc pro 2 type form factor phone, or (with all the love surrounding the pixi) they'll release a pixi form factor with a larger screen maybe 3.4 3.5 (and as one of the editor stated the original pixi had room to make the screen bigger already) make the phone slightly wider to make the buttons abit bigger. Then add the 5mgp cam, the 1ghz processor, 1 gig ram and rom, 16 gig internal with sd slot, or just 16 or 32 gigs, 800x4 something resolution, and 1500 mhz battery, and you have yourself a phone that nothing android, apple, or microsoft can compete with. With Web Os already been hailed as the best OS by many forums and editors, and Palm finalizing the Base Os very soon. With a form factor everyone will love (i kinda vote for the pixi style with a bigger screen and keyboard, and yes like someone said make a virtual keyboard anyways in both landscape and portrait just because) I dont see how anyone could compete. I think also Palm made the pre and pixi to see which one people would cater to and as you can see the pixi form factor, and the pres bigger screen and power. Combine the two, bump up the specs and your good.
Why do physical keyboards on most smart-phones slide-out? Can't they "hinge" or "flip" like feature-phones? I would actually want it to be a bit thicker but with a hinged design - keep reading: A hinged design by definition can provide the maximum keyboard and screen sizes within the minimum length X width, and protects them both when closed. Other benefits of this configuration should be room a larger battery, and the possibility of "closed back" functions similar to high-end feature-phones, without losing anything already mentioned. Hinged phones are much easier to open and close than the Pre and other sliders and are less fragile (no rails). It would be great if the physical keyboard could somehow switch between portrait and landscape use. The ALIAS-2 method is cool but it requires 2 large hinges. I suppose the keyboard could detach and either reattach at the "portrait end", or be wireless. Or maybe the keyboard could have a small "swivel point" in one corner and swivel 90 degrees for portrait use.
The "normal phone" could be "on the back" with a dedicated phone screen and T-9 keypad, or even a full-size second screen using a "soft portrait qwerty keyboard" for portrait use. This configuration is reminiscent of ENV-TOUCH and SAMSUNG ROGUE feature-phones.
This dream hi-res screen would be about 5", which would probably require it to be in a "wide" (16:9) ratio so this large device would be narrow enough to still fit in a pocket (or at least a belt case or purse) easily. And of course the highest resolution possible should be used, even 1280 X 720 (720p) if feasible. I don't ask much.
i understand your design idea, but the problem with that is no one wants a bulky phone really. Also 5 inches to me is way to big, to me even 4 inches is. People need to understand its still a phone, and needs to be somewhat small and sleek like one as well. The iphone 3.5 is as big as a phone should be in my opinion. In any case too many hinges and moving parts makes the phone huge, in that case maybe you should look at getting a netbook or something.
If we are going to specify things that are not likely....what about the Foleo concept. With tethering now available (how depending on carrier and software)and the concept of more cloud computing, then it stands to reason that you could develop a Foleo type device that works through the Pre/Pixi whatever. After all isn't a laptop/netbook type device a "clambshell".
Maybe we keep looking for phones (and not finding anything) becasue the device itself is not a "phone" but an accessory to your phone that takes it from a kick ass handheld, to a full size kepyboard and screen (your size may vary) interface that makes the smaller device a universal communicator to the cloud.
On the other hand, I have no idea or basis for this thought. But it is better than actually working.
my 5ct:
that is a "worldphone" Variant. The Pixis Chipset in theory is dual mode CDMA/GSM but this is not utilized yet
Whoever said thank god for insurance, you really don't need insurance. If your pre gets all dented up just install both of those overclocking patches one after the other. It fries the pre and then when you take it back the stupid high school kid repair techie can't figure it out so you get a new one in an hour. Im on my 3rd pre. When people say get a screen protector i laugh at them. lol. I eat these things up like candy.
I think you missed the joke. With all this wishful thinking on no basis whatsoever this whole discussion is just a "what i want in the next webos phone" talk.
But speaking of patches, i didn't know they fry your phone. Are you talking about the tweaks you can install on WebOSQuickInstall or preware?
And I am laughing thinking about when you will get hit with Insurance Fraud charges. Yes, it is illegal.
On a note of this thread though, i bet its some kind of centro comeback phone. I bet they test the waters and if they make enough money with the other phones, they will bring back some juiced up centro with webos on it.
Isn't that the Pixi?
Yeah i guess you could say that.
Gee, that article was informative. Not.
Whatever Palm's C40 is - it has to have more RAM (@ least more than Pre Plus), more Storage (preferrebly sdCard), a glass screen (not plastic like the Pre) that's a bit bigger, dedicated headphone jack, physical keyboard (as well as virtual keyboard for landscape web use), fast processor (snapdragon/tegra II/etc) running in the 1ghz range @ the least, hi rez video/pic camera (LED Flash) w/ auto focus & zoom, "4G/WiMax", and WiFi/Bluetooth 2.0/USB 2.0/MobileHotspot/GPS. All this to running on webOS 2.0 or higher =) Now that sounds like something that could launch Palm, Sprint, and webOS up the "popularity" ladder which would finally get all those Android/Windows7/Apple money suppliers to put some of their "green" into webOS.
...and I hope it's not some sort of tablet or eReader type deal because I believe Palm needs to focus on their mobile webOS platform. Why? Well, they do not have the finances to over-extend themselves. When they have webOS and it's mobile devices taking a big chunk of the smartphone/OS pie...which is currently dominated by Apple's iPhone, Android, WinMo, and Symbian...then it can test other waters. For now however, they need to put all their focus on their devices and webOS.
I have a question:
...before webOS was Palm OS, correct? Now, was that OS ever licensed out so others could make phones for the platform?
Palm OS (from the Treo 600 and beyond) wasn't lisenced outside of Palm, but previous incarnations were.
The massive problem with that era was most handset developers were using Palm's OS for one shot deal phones that didn't have any consistency with the other Palm phones on the market, and at one point Palm didn't even own their own OS. These factors combined to make a perfect storm of sorts that kicked Palm off of the top of the PDA market they practically owned, and because of past failures you'll never see Palm license WebOS.
As nice as Android is, they have a good chance of running into a similar issue.
OooO really? That's intense stuff. So pretty much Palm doesn't want to fall into that whole again huh? I already see it with Android & all it's variants. Idk...I just want Palm to succeed.
Let's see... I would never buy a device with a glass screen. I wouldn't want to shatter that thing.
Not to mention, Palm CANNOT use a glass multi-touch touchscreen. The reason is that Apple owns a patent for GLASS MULTI-TOUCH TOUCH SCREENS.
Also, I would prefer no expansion slot over an SD slot, though a MicroSD slot would possibly be nice.
And PalmOS was sold a few years back when Palm went WinMo.
Palm OS's line of ownership went:
U.S Robotics --> 3Com (after a merger) --> PalmSource (2002, this is where they lost ownership, although licensing had begun before this) --> ACCESS --> Palm (2006)
At any rate, vertical integration FTW.
Cool ideas
Well I would like the new pre(if it ever comes) to be similar to the first pre.Why change something so dramatically when it won so many awards? Plus no one can deny that the sleek design is eye candy for everyone.I agree a bigger screen wouldn't be a bad thing,just keep it a slider and keep the curves.Possibly make it slimmer if it doesn't take away from performance or capabilities.It seems like so many ppl want a big change in design.The iphone has not change it's design so much that it doesn't look like an
iphone.That's one of the keys to success,consistency.So basically keep the slider,keep the curves/sleekness,make the the screen bigger,maybe a better camera(although I'm satisfied with the current one),Add more memory,like 30 to 40 gigs and make the buttons a lil bigger/wider.O and I can't forget make the slider slide alot better.
please feel free to let me know what you think about my comment/post.
I must be tired
There's a patch for that.Hide launcher bar and full screen in browser mode.Every little bit helps.
C40 is probably just some error on Sprint's part. Love all the wishcasting. If it was something actually cool it would have been leaked already.
The biggest update not mentioned here is build quality. No more cheap plastic that spiders from the cold. Parts need higher quality, if palm is going to compete in the high end space they need to take some risks and make the phone with high end materials.
I like the form factor of the Pre, but would like a slightly bigger keyboard/screen.
Desires:
4G Wimax(The 1st phone to market)
Faster Processor (Snapdragon etc...)
Micro SD Card Slot
5MP or greater camera
OLED Screen
More Battery
Ability to act as a 4G mobile hotspot
Web OS 2.0 update with voice commands and visual voicemail
The C40 should be the size of an iPhone and have a virtual keyboard like an iPhone and be about as thin as an iPhone... come to think of it, it should be an iPhone... only running a vastly superior OS - WebOS.
I think Palm will surprise us. Going back to CES 2009 (Computer Electronics Show) about one year ago, Palm introduced an award winning device called the Palm Pre. It won Best of Show, CES 2009. No one knew what to expect. Everyone was blown away. Some embraced it, while others felt that their favorite device was being upstaged.
If we dare call this new device the Palm Pre II, then it will surprise us
pre 2 should have 4G, more mem (perfer microcard), atleast 5mp camara w/ auto zoom, video rec, take or leave bigger screen size, I love the Pre keyboard already, battery life MUST double!!!
C40 is a totally different phone. C in music is 'C' major scale has no sharps or flats.
I think this phone will be an IPALM toy. Palms direct answer to Apple's icrap.
& alot of you sound like you simple want the treo 600 back but a bit faster...not gunna happen folks.
& Palm please don't let this go on too long if the C40 is nothing to get excited about! PLEASE!
remember the fantastic treo pro???
& Palm please don't let this go on too long if the C40 is nothing to get excited about! PLEASE!
remember the fantastic treo pro???
pre 2 should have 4G, more mem (perfer microcard), atleast 5mp camara w/ auto zoom, video rec, take or leave bigger screen size, I love the Pre keyboard already, battery life MUST double!!!
C40 is a totally different phone. C in music is 'C' major scale has no sharps or flats.
I think this phone will be an IPALM toy. Palms direct answer to Apple's icrap.
& alot of you sound like you simple want the treo 600 back but a bit faster...not gunna happen folks.
I would love to see a completely new next gen phone here but I would put money on this being what I will call the Pre-4G like the Pre Plus it will just be a beefed up Pre... Of course 4G-Wimax, prolly a higher (600mhz) TIOMAP3 same ram and 16Gigs as Pre Plus, I would bet higher capacity (1400-1500mAp) battery, and maybe, maybe 5mp camera. The real key though will be WebOS 2.0 which along with 4G will make this not only a fast phone but just that much more fun to use. I LOVE GESTURES!!! why i bought a Palm!
Please give us a joystick or some means of mouse cursor control so that flash can work properly.....
I still don't see why you all want a bigger device. When I saw how much smaller the Pre was than anything else comparable, I breathed a sigh of relief. Someone finally listened! Now I read comments and complaints that it's too small? Hmmm... Shhh :)
I keep reading that 4G is a ways away. I hope not too far. :)
Hmm ... I think the C40 will be Palm's first touchscreen only device. Why? It will broaden Palm's offering and attract people who would love an iPhone-like phone and OS experience - but would never give their business to AT&T.
In my opinion, Palm will always be able to sell phones with a physical keyboard, as there is a large audience who continues to prefer them over virtual keyboards. So to me, they have this part of their business in the bag.
But in order for Palm to stay competitive among other cutting edge phones & operating systems, they need to enter the touchscreen-only realm. It's essential to their survival. When Palm introduces its first touchscreen-only device, all those people who are on the fence about webos will FINALLY have something that they deem comparable to the iPhone. Because a phone that still carries a physical keyboard will never be taken seriously by this unique user group that I believe Palm so desperately needs to win over.