I have not used iPhone or Palm Pre. I read more than half of the article and the writer is very bias. She/He talks about iPhone instead of Palm Pre.Everything that the iPhone is not good, then she/he defend that Apple will improve that in the future.

@Travis. Thanks for the input. If you look, I so say that the decision as to who "wins" was a tough one. Palm's phone appears to be a fabulous device...but it's just been pipped at the post. I really think that Apple have pulled off a clever trick, and their solution will succeed in the marketplace, for a number of reasons. Plus, Apple has a proven track record of improving the iPhone via firmware updates--and Palm has yet to show that with the Pre.
Anyway, it's rather irrelevant in the long run--market forces will decide, across the globe.

I'm in market and have considered both the Pre and the iPhone (haven't made up my mind). The iPhone certainly has some terrific functionality, but it still runs on the AT&T 3G network which is unreliable at best (completely untenable at worst). Features are useless if you can't keep a decent network connection.

@Amanda. Carriers eh? Who'd have 'em. Seriously--you chaps in the U.S. do seem to get a pretty rough ride of things, carrier-wise. it was interesting to watch Sprint say "careful!" to Verizon, and remind everyone they have Pre exclusivity for six months, wasn't it?

When comparing cost, why not talk about the monthly rates? Is it because AT&T (with their unbelievably bad service) will cost twice as much as Sprints' plan? For $70 a month, you get almost 500 minutes a month voice minutes and unlimited data on Sprint. Add up the different over a year or two and you might have a different opinion on who wins the price comparison.

@Steve--that's just in the U.S., and the picture is different in the 70-odd other countries the iPhone is sold in. Monthly rates are subject to change, or should be, to drive competition--my carrier has just made things much cheaper, and dropped some roaming fees to compete with Vodafone. I'm also not sure about the bonuses of unlimited data--I've never gone over 200MB per month, and I'm a tech writer. There's also the assumption that Apple will stick with AT&T and Palm will stick with Sprint.

This review is biased also telenav from sprint has a compass. With that alone this review isn't something people should pay to much attention to.

@Steve
The AT&T data plan is not twice as much as Sprint's, it's not even close. 450 primetime minutes and 5000 unlimited minutes cost $40 and the unlimited data plan is $30 on top of that for a total of $70. Text messaging is extra at $5 for 200 or $15 for 1500 unlimited and $20 for unlimited. Not the bargain of the century but not exorbitantly expensive if a similar plan from sprint is $70.

@Jared. As far as I can tell, the Pre doesn't have a *built-in* digital compass. GPS-based compass functions exist--and you can do it on the old iPhone--but require you to be moving in a direction at a good pace. Magnetometers, like that in the 3G S and Android G1 work as compasses when you're standing still, and can be much more accurate.

I'm quite disappointed at the clear bias from the author towards the iPhone; I expect better from Fast Company. All this article seems to describe is the 'potential' future functionality of the iPhone 3G S.

@Greg. The only potential iPhone feature I mention is background apps, and that's more closely related to the firmware than hardware. I'm speculating, but reward that comparison point to Palm anyway. The accessory-interacts are "futurey" too, because no-one knows what different manufacturers will cook up. If there's an otherwise "potential" cast to the post, it's because the iPhone 3G S isn't out yet. Its worth remembering the 3.0 firmware will also update *old* iPhone 3Gs too, adding in many functions. That's out in 9 days or so.

I agree with most posts on here that the bias in this article is overwhelmingly obvious. Kit is clearly another Apple fanboy. Every con for the iPhone is dismissed or made like it's no big deal, etc but when the Pre has something on the iPhone it's made to be no big deal. Don't get me started on pricing & network. The savings are clear if you check the facts & Sprint's plans can save well over $1500 over a 2-year contract. Sprint's 3G network is larger & faster than AT&T's (3rd-party independent studies have proven this hands-down). What good is a phone w/o a reliable network? Very disappointing article!

I was just about to bring up the Pre's remote wipe feature and you beat me to it with your update! On top of just remote wipe, it's important to know that calendars, contact, and *even settings/preferences* are wirelessly backed up, usually using the Palm Profile that everyone sets up during activation.

The Pre is 100% mobile, supports remote wipe, and when you have your new Pre you just restore it with your existing contacts/accounts/settings wirelessly. I have tested this feature, and aside from changing my background image back to the default it seems to be just like the phone that I had backed up! Very cool feature, great for business people on the go that haven't had the chance to sync their contacts to their home computer.

ok so iPhone 3G S (which has had a 2 year start) or the 3 day old Palm Pre? The two phones are hardly comparable and unique in their own ways. The Pre already surpasses the 1st gen iPhone and iPhone 3G.

The article clearly showed bias in my opinion but still was informative and helpful. Probably would have been better to just state your preference at the beginning but either way it was very informative. I thin apple has a lot to worry about with the pre IF the palm guys keep up the good work and get a few more updates going and a lot more apps running

@Ryan
I don't know where you're coming up with this $1500 figure from. The AT&T unlimited internet + 450 minute plan is $70. The same plan from Sprint is $70 except that unlimited texts are included. So with the Sprint plan you're saving $20 a month. That works out to $480 over two years, not $1500.

Apples and oranges...

I don't think Cut/Copy/Paste on Pre works across all apps. For example, you can't copy something from your browser and paste in an email to send. In addition, I think iPhone's implementation is much better. No additional keyboard stroke, all menu options are at your fingertip, quick shake of your hand to undo and start over. I would lean towards giving this one to iPhone for now.

I don't think Cut/Copy/Paste on Pre works across all apps. For example, you can't copy something from your browser and paste in an email to send. In addition, I think iPhone's implementation is much better. No additional keyboard stroke, all menu options are at your fingertip, quick shake of your hand to undo and start over. I would lean towards giving this one to iPhone for now.

@ Tina. It doesn't matter that the Pre beats the original and 3G iPhone. How does it compare to the "new" iPhone and 3.0 software. No excuses about iPhone having a 2 yr. head start. If you're going to be the "iPhone Killer", throw it all down and be two steps ahead when you debut your phone.

@ Bias toward Apple iPhone. Give me a link to an unbiased favorable review of the Palm Pre.

If Kit has a bias, it is the same bias as the market.
I am looking for a new cell phone and have been following Pre closely since the announcement at CES. The OS is pretty and useful, a big improvement over the Palm Centro I am using now. I have been following all the details as they were released (http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/kevin-ohannessian/not-quite-conversation...). And the Pre finally came out.
And Apple reacted. And now, Pre's improvements have been marginalized.
If you are choosing between Pre and iPhone, the choice really is between Pre with a physical keyboard and simultaneous apps, versus iPhone with more memory, voice control, tens of thousands of apps, and hundreds of accessories.
Palm needs to react to this. If it is going to compete, the company needs to drop the Pre in price. In needs video. And Palm needs to encourage webOS apps.
It is not biased to compare a product that has a head start and is on its third iteration with another one that just came out. It is what I've been doing for the last 24 hours while I consider what cell phone I am going to get.

I agree that Palm is going to have to step it up to beat the iPhone. Palm will need more apps, more memory, video, and I am sure there will be several other glitches that will come about that will need to be fixed.

BTW - from what I read that the new iPhone is only $199 for new customers (not those renewing or upgrading, strictly new customers) "if you’re already an AT&T customer and/or are upgrading from an iPhone 3G? Try $699 (32GB), $599 (16GB), and $499 (8GB)." Can anyone confirm? Is there something like this for the Pre too?

Agree with Travis Price. The article is biased toward the iPhone, maybe more so due to lack of information about future Pre capabilities, but still.

C'mon, Kit, this article is way below par for Fast Company. Clearly biased towards iPhone, as other users point out, and not just because the verdict is for the iPhone. Talking about "70 other countries" is just silly in this context - the 3G S is clearly a US market play directly against the Palm Pre; that's the whole premise of your article in the first place!

Feature by Feature. The omission of the physical qwerty pull out keyboard feature speaks volumes for the bias of this article.

Feature by Feature. The omission of the physical qwerty pull out keyboard feature speaks volumes for the bias of this article.

I hate to say this, too, but your comparison is biased. It appears you're not really as familiar with the Pre as the iPhone. Firstly, if you're going to ASSUME that Apple will add background apps, then you ought to ASSUME that Palm will add video recording and anything else that can be done with software updates. Until then, the Pre wins multi-taskingalong with notifications hands down. Additionally, you gloss over the navigation costing extra money with yet another assumption of "yeah, there's an app for that...coming," which you think will cost next to nothing. Do you really think TomTom is going to gut itself by offering its $300 navigation system for pennies?

Secondly, you neglect to mention that having MobileMe to do remote wipes and access to Exchange costs U.S. consumers an additional $99/year. The Pre does this all for free along with backing-up all your info in the cloud.

Lastly, HOW ABOUT A PHYSICAL KEYBOARD? Aren't you aware of how many people can't stand or get used to the onscreen keyboard of the iPhone?

BTW, Adobe flash will be coming to the Pre. How about the iPhone?

Seriously, I think you need another update. Your old OS is underperforming the competition in the media that nails these features correctly.

Wow... This is more then just biased, it shows a complete lack of understanding of the Pre and the thinking that goes behind it. This may come as a shock, but there are a lot of people who do not care how "cool" the iphone looks. There are those of us who need our phone to perform. KEYBOARD: everyone else has mentioned it here, but let me just say it again. There are those of us who actually need to write things in email and such. Iphones may work for teenagers, but for people who have jobs, you need a keyboard. SEARCH: You clearly have not used the Pre. If you are looking for a contact it could not be simpler! Let's say you are searching for John Smith. You type JS on your keyboard...presto...there is contact information--lets see the iphone do that?! EMAIL CLIENT: The Pre is designed for heavy duty email users. It is impossible to clearly explain how clean the emails look, but if you are someone who has many email accounts, the Pre both organizes and presents in a very usable manner...something you seemed to also completely miss. How about if we agree that the IPhone is the better phone for those who want to look hip and listen to music and the Pre is the better phone for those who are out in the real world needing to get things done?

The Pre and iPhone 3gs review needs to compare the total cost of the device including the monthly subscription rate. In a two year contract, the hardware price is minimal.

I don't think it's fair to say Apple wins based on price. You're comparing the *iPhone 3G S* with the Pre. But the lower price is only available on the 3G. If price is a major factor here, then you should compare the features of the 3G with the features of the Pre--in which case, there's a good argument to be made that Palm wins. Also, I think Robert Hitt makes a good point about the total cost, including monthly subscription prices.

This was hands down the worst comparison between these 2 phones I have seen yet. It would be one thing if your clear bias towards the iPhone were the only issue. As other readers have pointed out, it is very obvious that you lack a complete understanding of the Pre, its hardware, features, and main selling points. To show my lack of bias, I am pointing out things you got wrong, that even favor the Pre. Here are a few.

"Both systems seem powerful, and both let you search everywhere in the phone--even among email messages." Wrong. The Pre's universal search function only searches contacts and applications on the phone. It does NOT search email. How did you miss this? Every single review of the Pre so far has pointed out this shortcoming.

"But in terms of video recording, Apple beats the Pre hands-down. At launch, there's no video recording feature on the Pre. Palm is working on it, and it's likely to appear during a firmware update at some point...but currently, the 3G S has it and the Pre doesn't."

"Currently" the 3G S has it?? What currently are you talking about when the phone is not even available yet. If you are going to tout the features of a future device, you should at least allude to the possibility that video recording could be available on the Pre through a firmware update even before the 3G S is available, no?

I will not repeat what previous posters have already said -- you easily dismiss the flaws of the iphone (NO BACKGROUND APPS??) while playing down or in some cases not even mentioning the biggest selling points of the Pre (physical keyboard, hello?) (how about notifications and multitasking).

I think your lack of familiarity with the Pre and your clear bias for the iPhone makes for a typical consumer-who-knows-nothing kind of review. This should suit most people fine, but for those of us who are in the know, this review was useless.

I think that eventually Pre might hang from corporate waists and iphone more consumer. Palm's legacy has always been more for business than anywhere else. I think that in the end even though BB storm is very different I have a feeling Pre will end up partially in the same vertical. the keyboard might accelerate that. we will have to see, but knowing very little about smart phones i think if Palm wanted to suck the blood out of the iphone then it should have taken a few steps further with regards to esthetics and other areas, to me it looks like a phone that could be 8 years old. good luck to both, do you see people sleeping on sidewalks for this one? i haven't at least nothing like to the iphone craze.....

Little intro first: I am an ex user of Palm, I have Verizon so Palm centro was too small for me but Palm is the most professional device and has a past successful background among business and stock traders as they were the first ones to have a dedicated network, to start with, in New York. I agree on the fact that this article is biased and I would add: poorly composed... my apology to the freelance writer.. we need to see a real detailed matrix chart to see all features compared so no personal opinion could be shown, only real facts such as when you look at a comparison chart between two applications..you look where the "X" are!.. They didn't even talk about Palm's retractable keyboard... and so many other options and especially the detailed contextual menus from Palm wherever task you are performing, I would almost affirm that the writer is biased with a preference toward the I-Phone (no offense):-).. Keep in mind that Palm is certainly the must choice for business executives professionals! Myself as into business development and strategic planning field I need a perfect sync with management softwares such as outlook and be able to have instant chat possibilitiess and email lookups even with 5 accounts for example. Palm does it all. Maybe I-Phone would be a choice for those into the art and media? The comment I make here is based on the philosophy of Apple computers and the perception I have from media and friends I know using Apple as they are into graphics, design etc..
My advice is take your time, don't rush, observe! Myself as a Verizon member, I have a Blackberry Storm, I desired Palm but that was the only choice and as everyone knows they had childhood sickness but now I would like to mention that I am impressed since their Firmware update! I have 4 emails accounts, outlook sync, several chat apps for my business and all functions perfectly at the same time!
Cheers, have a wonderful day,

Philip
PS: my apology for the chat style in this email
Philip.Bolay@gmail.com

To the poster above: People who sleep on sidewalks for a phone do not have real jobs.

As you alluded to, the Pre, not the iPhone, is the only phone between the two sufficient for true business use. The fact that people sleep on sidewalks to get an iPhone should tell you something about their demographic. It does games, music, and video very well, but can barely be called a smartphone in my opinion since it's basic PIM functions have major limitations.

Anyone that does not find the inability multitask on a phone (iPhone) to be a near deal-breaker does not truly understand what a smartphone business user is all about.

Sprint is such a scammer company I would never use them. Just do a Google search for sprint scam and browse the millions of complaints. Mine was so bad you wouldn't believe. http://www.americanbadbusinesslist.com/sprint-pcs-complaints-1/

A friend forwarded me this link and it was my first time reading your column. After this joke of a comparison, I most certainly won’t come back again. This was the most hackneyed piece of “journalism” I’ve seen in awhile. I could dissect this to no end, but it’s not worth my time. In short, you are comparing a real existing phone to a phone and features that currently exist only on paper. Your mish-mash of facts, speculation, selling points from both the 3G and 3G S when convenient, and complete lack of understanding of ANYTHING on the Pre makes this worthless to anyone, Apple Fanboys included. If you want to see how a real tech review is written, please visit Engadget. Here, I’ve included a link that you can copy and paste into your new JesusPhone when they finally add that feature to it in a few weeks... http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/03/palm-pre-review/

Kit, thanks for the information. Very nice. You do sound completely biased, and you seem to be in denial. For example:

"To be honest, we're not clear how complex an interaction the Pre's dock connector allows with Pre accessories. But Apple revealed how the 3.0 firmware will allow extraordinarily sophisticated interaction with external devices..."

Even if you are right about Apple's "extraordinary-ness" in this issue, sounds like you didn't really look at that aspect of the PRE. I'm not in the immediate market for either, but you write with a clear bias. You might consider it for future articles - sound as bright in your praise of the PRE's strengths as you do for Apple's, and as sad/dark about the problems for both as well. In this one you simply sound a bit drooly about the iPhone and a bit apathetic toward the PRE. The more you can do to remove the tone of bias, the more your readers can focus on the content.

They both sound like pretty amazing tools/toys. It amazes me what we, as a society - whichever continent you are on - are willing to pay each year for connectedness. If we look at the annual expense of these two phones, it's really remarkable. The tools is nice, but the opportunity cost is not insignificant.

I agree that the review is biased towards an iPhone. I am a Mac user and would have loved to stick with Apple products, but at $150 a month on AT&T and a battery that cannot be changed (unless you are willing to be without your phone for 2 days and at a cost of $100), the Pre wins hands down. I've read how iPhones run out of juice after 1 year of use because of severe battery degradation. And why should we have to pay $50 extra a mont for an unlimited package from AT&T. And yes I am an AT&T customer and Palm Treo user. I'll be switching to Pre and Sprint. Given time, the Pre will have a lot more apps being HTML/standard development language. By the way, having a flash far outweighs low lighting capability. That comparison alone shows how the reviewer was looking to make the iPhone better.

Price -
Pre: Hardware $200, 2 year service contract $2600
iPhone: Hardware $99 ($199, $299), 2 year service contract $3400
Winner: Pre

Battery Life:
Pre: 5 hours talk time. Defect in POP implementation currently shortening battery life. GMail not affected. Options: User replaceable battery, spare battery, Touchstone cordless inductive charger.
iPhone: 5 hours talk time. Options: None, Battery not user replaceable, no spares, no inductive charger (yet).
Winner: Pre

Search
Pre: Universal search. Searches contacts, apps and optionally Google, Twitter, Google Maps, and Wikipedia. Search items found are grouped according to data type. Many applications also expose their own context aware search so that you can find items in that application (help, memo, task) sadly e-mail and calendar doesn't seem to be searchable yet(???)
iPhone: Spotlight Search. Search through all items on the phone or optional do a web search. Items are identified by the icon of the application. Applications invoke their own context aware search.
Winner: iPhone

Navigation
Pre: Bundled Sprint/Telenav turn by turn directions. Portrait mode only.
iPhone: Paid Apps $25-50 + additional map cost (when traveling + yearly updates)
Winner: Draw - Telenav is great so far and the cost integrated into the plan is great. However, the flexibility of services like TomTom is equally attractive.

Camera
Pre: 3.2 megapixel with DxO lighting - no video or editing capability yet.
iPhone: 3.0 megapixel with autofocus, video, and editing capability.
Winner: iPhone

Calendar
Pre: Yahoo, Google, Facebook, Outlook/Exchange synchronization
iPhone: MobileMe $99 a year, CalDAV support built in but no details on interoperability at this time.
Winner: Pre

Stereo Bluetooth:
Pre: Yes
iPhone: Yes
Winner: Draw

Background Apps (multitasking)
Pre: Any up to a point (too many cards open will cause a warning)
iPhone: Music player only.
Winner: Pre

Cut/Copy/Paste
Pre: Yes
iPhone: Yes
Winner: Draw

Voice Control
Pre: none yet
iPhone: Yes
Winner: iPhone

Phone Finder/Remote Wipe/Backup
Pre: Yes
iPhone: Yes
Winner: Draw

Accessories
Pre: Few yet. Standard car, wall, and USB chargers. Uses USB Micro standard. Bluetooth headphones/headsets.
iPhone: Robust. Leverages several years worth of existing proprietary iPod/iPhone connection accessories including specialty accessories for musicians, doctors, and other professionals.
Winner: iPhone

Accessibility (not originally mentioned)
Pre: can be operated one handed. Physical keyboard. Decent font size for those with minor vision impairment (e.g. over 40). No audio cues, font-size and contrast are not adjustable. Keyboard keys on the small side.
iPhone: more difficult to operate one handed. Virtual keyboard. Decent font size and font-size can be adjusted as well as contrast in some applications. New text-to-speech engine for 3.0.
Winner: iPhone

Support
Pre: 1.0 product from company struggling in industry. Make or break product. Plan provider not known for good customer service.
iPhone: 3rd generation product from company known for good customer service and attention to quality.
Winner: iPhone