Omio News Blog

Palm Pre Now Available To Buy!

After what feels like an eternity of celebrity endorsements, freaky advertising blitzes and iTunes syncing spats on the other side of the pond, the Palm Pre finally arrives on UK shores from today!

Released as an exclusive on O2, the Palm Pre is the first handset to rattle the iPhone’s ivory tower with the combination of cute design, slide-out QWERTY keyboard and the debut of their new ‘Web OS’ user interface finally providing a worthy smart phone alternative to Apple’s behemoth.

Already a million-seller in the United States, the Palm Pre is a well-kitted device with a 3.1″ touch display and 3.1 megapixel camera, whilst the social networking functionality of Web OS enables contact information to be automatically pulled from various sites including Facebook.

The mobile deals available for the Palm Pre are fairly competitive by offering a free handset on a 24 month contract, with 600 minutes, 500 texts and unlimited wi-fi for £34.26.

18-month tariffs are also available, with the 8GB Pre priced at £96.89 for breaking off the relationship early. Not too far off the iPhone 3G deals, but a few quid less than O2 are asking for the iPhone 3GS.

What do you think? Is the Palm Pre cutesy or cool enough to steer you away from Apple’s hot handset?

BlackBerry Storm 2 Breaks, Can Lightning Strike Twice?

It seems like we’re in store for some bad weather but some great phones this winter, with Vodafone and RIM unveiling the BlackBerry Storm 2 this morning.

Taking on board the negative points levelled at the original handset, Research In Motion have gone back to the drawing board to make the Storm 2 the perfect touchscreen smart phone, yet retaining that BlackBerry feel.

The display itself was the big divider for users of the original Storm, with the ‘clickable’ screen trying to emulate the feel of a physical keyboard. Whilst some found it revolutionary, many found it strange to use and requiring far too much pressure to register presses.

The Storm 2 aims to fix this with a refinement of the SurePress technology, now using electronic pulses as opposed to mechanical gubbins to provide feedback, as well as a raft of new and important changes to the specs sheet.

The smart phone successor comes equipped with an improved version of Blackberry’s operating system, a 3.2 megapixel camera with LED flash, 2GB of internal memory and an important addition in the form of Wi-Fi connectivity – a glaring omission which many never forgave the Storm 1 for.

The changes in form factor are slight, as are the nips and tucks in the browser and mail functionality, but it shows that BlackBerry have gone over the Storm 2 with a fine toothed comb to avoid Stephen Fry-baiting levels of embarrassment this time around.

With Vodafone securing an early release rather than a pair of golden exclusivity handcuffs, the BlackBerry Storm 2 will be reaching stores in the UK and Ireland at the tail end of this month.

Voda’s BlackBerry Storm 2 deals won’t be wreaking damage on your pocket either, with the handset free on a 24 month, £35 a month contract with 600 x-net minutes.

With the Pre touching down on the 16th, Sony’s Ericsson’s torrent of media-savvy handsets unleashed and Windows phones rattling at the windows, it’s time to batten down the hatches for a smart phone onslaught!

Palm Pixi: Second Web OS Handset Seeks To Court The Masses

Whilst we are still shaking our fists and gnashing our teeth waiting for the Palm Pre to be released in Europe, Palm has unveiled their second handset to use their new Web OS interface.

The Palm Pixi is a cutesy candybar handset as opposed to the Pre’s slider form factor, but like that device it is equipped with both a touchscreen and QWERTY keypad.

The diminuitive size of the Pixi befits the name, with a weight of only 99.5 grams and 10.8mm thickness, the handset is the thinnest yet released by Palm.

Web OS brings all manner of web connectivity as the Synergy interface pulls information from all aspects of your social life including Google Mail, Microsoft Exchange and Facebook to seamlessly dovetail your contact details into one place.

The Palm Pixi unfortunately ships without Wi-Fi, s surprising concession given such a net-happy device, but has a 2 megapixel camera with fixed focus flash, and 8GB of internal memory.

The Pixi might be small but it’s tough, with a matte rubberised rear that is pretty resilient against the occasional scrape, a feature which iPhone owners would no doubt appreciate by this point…

With GPS, Bluetooth 2.1 and support for the new Palm App Catalog, the Palm Pixi looks set to appeal to those masses not quite swayed by the Pre’s price, which has recently seen a cut in US markets.

The Pixi is set to launch on the Sprint network in America this sie of Christmas, but a spokesman for Palm said he did not know when it would be available in Europe or Canada.

What they did manage to divulge was that “Palm does plan to bring Palm Pixi to both regions as soon as it can, and will announce more when appropriate”.

Take a brief look at the Palm Pixi in a promotional video below:

Palm Pre UK Release Date Leaked As October 30th?

Americans have been enjoying the smartphone delights (whilst being creeped out by the ads) of the Palm Pre for the best part of three months now, but UK fans have been left in the dark regarding a release date for O2’s exclusive handset.

According to PalmWebOSBlog, the infamous ‘anonymous tipster’ has word that O2 store managers have been given a street date of October 30^th.

An October 30^th release is not outside of the realms of possibility, Fridays are often big launch days for both phones and video games, and it’s also payday…yay!

Also, a recent slip of the ‘Publish Page’ button on the O2 Germany website showed that it would indeed be a Palm Pre Oktoberfest for them…which was swiftly changed to a slightly vague ‘Fall’ release.

This news also puts paid to many rumours that the eagerly anticipated, celeb-friendly device would end up on British shores the wrong side of Xmas 2009, a move we deemed would have spelt the end for the petite slider before it was even released.

With the iPhone 3GS proving to be an evolutionary, rather than revolutionary update, the Palm Pre still has huge potential to prove a popular choice for those looking for something genuinely different.

Sync Your Palm Pre with iTunes Again, Via Media Sync

With Palm Pre owners solemnly mourning the loss of their perfect media syncing solution after Apple’s latest update, alternative ways of getting content onto the pebble-shaped device are getting a lot more attention all of a sudden.

MediaSync from Sailing is the most…familiar solution for former iTunes addicts, allowing the syncrosation of playlists, music and podcasts and even photos onto a wide selection of mobiles, be they BlackBerry, Nokia, or Palm flavoured, to a Mac or PC.

Those looking to incur the wrath of the RIAA will find no solace here however, as Media Sync does not copy DRM-protected media, but does allow for the transfer of music ripped straight from a CD. Clever!

Better yet, the software is entirely free, with a $22/€15 version offering even faster syncing.

Good news, but is it too little too late for the plucky contender? With Palm seeing a slight fall in share prices following Apple breaking off the illicit relationship and a chance the Pre won’t see the light of day until space year 2010 in the UK, it will have to come with a pretty enticing hook to attract entrenched smart phone fans…

Source: Wired

Palm Pre iTunes Sync Severed By Apple Update

It’s official. The Palm Pre‘s ill-fated affair with iTunes is over.

The not-so-secret syncing solution that allowed the plucky smart phone to link up to Apple’s music platform has been killed by the latest iTunes 8.2.1 update. This means that the ability to move tracks and TV shows to the mobile from a computer to the Pre is seriously hindered, thanks to new fixes to the “verification of Apple devices” on the iTunes service.

Apple’s official line was suitably terse, given the Pre’s audacious attempt to piggypack onto iTunes for a syncing fix:

“”iTunes 8.2.1 is a free software update that provides a number of important bug fixes,” said Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris. “It also disables devices falsely pretending to be iPods, including the Palm Pre. As we’ve said before, newer versions of Apple’s iTunes software may no longer provide syncing functionality with unsupported digital media players.”

The response from Palm is simple – don’t update from iTunes 8.2 to 8.2.1!

“Palm’s media sync works with iTunes 8.2,” retorts spokeswoman Lynn Fox. “If Apple chooses to disable media sync in iTunes, it will be a direct blow to their users who will be deprived of a seamless synchronization experience. However, people will have options. They can stay with the iTunes version that works to sync their music on their Pre, they can transfer the music via USB, and there are other third-party applications we can consider.”

Lesson to learn for Palm? Perhaps not to use a direct competitor’s software as the best syncing solution for your device. Also, not to steal key staff members from a direct competitor when coming up with a new handset.

Palm and Apple are certainly not bosom buddies, and this move is set to keep the battle raging. Hopefully Palm will come up with a better syncing solution before the Pre reaches our shores…

Source: Electric Pig

Palm Pre On O2: Exclusive Deal Secured

With the Palm Pre due on this side of the Atlantic in the next few days for a baying press to lust over, the latest news is that O2 will be the exclusive carrier of the smartphone in the UK and many territories in Europe.

Wait, what? The same O2 that already holds the rights to selling the iPhone 3G and 3GS in the UK? It seems like they want to hold all of the cards in the premium mobile deck, beating Orange at the 11th hour to become sole vendor.

Pricing has not been finalised, but expect to see the Pre as a slightly cheaper alternative for those not wanting to follow the flock…

Palm will also benefit hugely with the weight of the largest UK operator behind them, as they are in need of getting the name out to a casual market largely oblivious to their existence.

It turned HTC’s fortunes around completely in the last eighteen months, and Palm could certainly do with the positive PR. The Palm Pre has been a modest success in the US, selling over 300,000 units, but already seeing a decline in interest.

Securing European popularity will be a real shot in the arm for the beleaguered manufacturer, and what many see as their ‘last chance’ in the market with the Pre.

Two questions – what does Apple think of a move that could only stand to take sales away from themselves, and when going into an O2 store and asking staff the perennial “Pre or iPhone?” question, what will their answer be?

Palm Pre App Catalog Hits 1 Million Download Milestone

Good news for the Palm Pre (remember, the dead cert iPhone killer?), their App Store Catalog has managed to reach 1 million downloads, only 18 days after the handset was launched in the US.

The App Catalog has been a success for Palm since the Pre launched, with 50,000 handsets sold and 100,000 programs downloaded on the first day alone.

Midway into the third week of sale, the Pre is still selling, with a userbase of 150,000 and 1 million apps downloaded.

Great numbers, but it took the App Store a mere 24 hours to reach the 1 million apps downloaded mark, with 26 times as many iPhone owners and hundreds of apps available, as opposed to the 30 currently on the App Catalog.

Still…it is early days, and we hope to see their success continue as the Pre is launched in more territories.

Source: Pocket Lint

Apple Weighs In Over Palm Pre iTunes Syncing…Sort Of

Well, it was good while it lasted… The Palm Pre and its stealthy iTunes-syncing ways might come to a premature end if Apple’s thinly veiled advisory warning on Tuesday was anything to go by, calling out ‘non-Apple digital media players’ in particular….

“Apple is aware that some third-parties claim that their digital media players are able to sync with Apple software. However, Apple does not provide support for, or test for compatibility with, non-Apple digital media players and, because software changes over time, newer versions of Apple’s iTunes software may no longer provide syncing functionality with non-Apple digital media players.”

Ouch. Having said that, the gall to piggy-back on the platform of your direct competitor for media support was always a gutsy one, and Apple severing the ties eventually must have been in Palm’s mind from the outset.

Palm spokesperson Lynn Fox opted for the obvious ‘consumer loses out’ angle when asked by All Things Digital for their take on things:

“If Apple chooses to disable media sync in a future version of iTunes, it will be a direct blow to their users who will be deprived of a seamless synchronization experience. However, people will have options. They can stay with the iTunes version that works to sync their music on their Pre, they can transfer the music via USB, and there are other third-party applications we could consider.”

So what you’re saying is…don’t update when Apple asks, right? The fact that the Pre has managed to go against the iPhone in such an overt manner is a breath of fresh air. Whether the sleek touchscreen device can make waves on this side of the Atlantic later this year remains to be seen, however.

Palm Pre vs. iPhone 3GS vs. iPhone 3G: Three Way Video Showdown!

We’ve already let know know what we think about the new Nokia N97 vs. Apple’s iPhone 3G S, but America has already seen the launch of what many believe to be the closest competitor yet – The Palm Pre.

In this video, CNet pits the Pre up against the swift iPhone 3G S and the iPhone 3G (henceforth to be known as ‘the old one’) in a number of tasks, including browsing the web and uploading a photo. The results prove surprising!

The 3G S has certainly earned its new ‘speedy’ monicker, wow!

Source: CNet via IntoMobile