Palm Pre vs. iPhone

Most people who are in the market for a new smartphone will likely be interested in a thorough Palm Pre vs. iPhone comparison. These are two of the hottest and most compelling devices to be released in recent memory, so it's understandable that both cell phones have quickly skyrocketed to the forefront.

While there are some cell phones, like the Motorola RAZR and BlackBerry Curve, that are available through a number of different wireless carriers across the country, such is not the case with either the Pre or the iPhone.

In the United States, the Palm Pre can be purchased exclusively through Sprint. No other wireless provider, at the time this article was published, is able to sell the Palm Pre officially in the United States.

The Apple iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS are being offered exclusively through AT&T in the United States. This is an extension of the original exclusivity agreement made between Apple and AT&T for the first iPhone, which was released in 2006.

Getting beyond the marketing hype and mere aesthetics, it is perhaps important to consider a shot-by-shot Palm Pre vs. iPhone comparison. In looking at each of the main features on an individual basis, potential customers can get a greater sense of which smartphone is best suited to their particular needs.

The Apple iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS operate on AT&T's network. In this way, the iPhone uses a quad-band GSM connection for most of its voice calls. The mobile broadband experience comes by way of the tri-band HSDPA (3G). If unlocked, the iPhone will work on any international GSM wireless network.

The Palm Pre, by comparison, operates on the CDMA-based network of Sprint. For the high-speed wireless data, the Pre makes use of 3G EVDO Rev.A, offering transfer speeds comparable to that of AT&T's HSDPA. For the Palm Pre in Canada, the phone works on a similar network offered by Bell Mobility. As a CDMA phone, however, it is much more difficult to unlock and use the Palm Pre on international networks.

The iPhone is well-known for its incredibly robust App Store, offering users a wide range of applications that can be installed wirelessly on the Apple mobile device. These range from mobile games to tip calculators, instant messengers to mapping tools.

Similarly, the Palm Pre has access to the Pre App Catalog. This operates in much the same way as the iPhone's App Store, but there are not nearly as many applications available in this online marketplace. This may change with time and increased adoption of the Pre.

Unlike the BlackBerry Bold, both the Apple iPhone and the Palm Pre are equipped with touchscreen displays. In looking at this Palm Pre vs. iPhone comparison, the screen appears to be very similar on the two devices.

The Apple iPhone 3GS has a 3.5-inch multi-touch display with a resolution of 320x480 pixels. The Palm Pre, on the other hand, has a 3.1-inch touchscreen with the same HVGA (320x480 pixel) resolution.

The Apple iPhone relies solely on its touchscreen display for all of its user input, providing a virtual on-screen keyboard as needed. The Palm Pre has a virtual numeric keypad for dialing, but a full QWERTY keyboard slides out of the bottom for fuller text entry. Users who prefer hardware keyboards will likely prefer the Pre for this reason.

The Palm Pre is embedded with an impressive 3-megapixel digital camera and an LED flash. However, a common complaint is the lack of video recording capabilities. This may change with a future software/firmware update.

The Apple iPhone 3G only has a two-megapixel camera and no flash, but this was upgraded to a 3MP autofocus camera for the iPhone 3GS. The iPhone 3GS is also capable of recording videos and uploading them directly to YouTube.

It will always be a matter of debate as to who makes the best smartphones, since much of the decision boils down to personal preference. This Palm Pre vs. iPhone comparison has outlined some of the key differences (and similarities) between the two devices. Armed with this information, you may be better prepared to make the right decision for you.

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