Last update 27 July’09 – Review @ ‘DevHardware
Palm Pre is a multimedia smartphone with a multi-touch screen and a sliding keyboard. The phone was launched on June 6, 2009, and is the first to use Palm’s new Linux-based operating system, webOS. Functions include a camera phone, a portable media player, a GPS navigator, and an Internet client (with text messaging, email, web browsing, and local Wi-Fi connectivity).
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Reviews & Previews – (updated 27 July’09)
DevHardware
“In terms of sheer volume, the Palm Pre is lacking in terms of its applications currently available. This is one area where the iPhone leaves the Pre in the dust. The selection of apps currently available for the Palm Pre is small, but the ones that are available work well. You can download the apps to your Pre quickly via the Sprint 3G network. Some of the more basic apps that come already loaded on the Palm Pre are the DataViz DocView which is useful for viewing Microsoft Office documents, a PDF viewer, Google Maps, YouTube viewer, Sprint TV, clock, calculator, notepad, and a task list.”
Rating: 
Gadgetnutz
“I’m curious if there was an user manual that came with the Pre. Mine didn’t have one, and this is probably the first gadget I’ve ever owned that didn’t have a nice fat manual. Maybe it’s expected that you will download a PDF off of Palm’s website. I really feel that a lot of the apps were rushed to get the Pre out the door. I really hope to see that vast improvements in features in coming updates. Battery life, it’s pretty bad. If you talk on the phone a lot at least. I’ve been charging my phone overnight, and then also once in the middle of the day.”
PCMag
“It’s far cooler than any other phone on Sprint, or even any phone on Verizon Wireless—although you may still want to stick with a less-exciting but more reliable BlackBerry Curve. Since we’ve already heard about Palm’s second and third webOS devices, we’re optimistic that this platform will grow and fill in the gaps in third-party software and Synergy that we’re seeing at launch.”
Rating: 
Digital Trends
“Palm has put together perhaps the best assault on iPhone supremacy we’ve seen yet. A series of unique additions make the phone stand out from and even trump the iPhone in some ways. A hard QWERTY keyboard and the ability to run multiple apps simultaneously stand out as the most potent arrows piercing Apple’s armor. But don’t consider the iPhone slayed just yet.”
Rating: 
InformationWeek
“The Pre from Palm gets most things right. The hardware itself isn’t great, but it isn’t terrible either. The design is pretty, but could have been executed slightly better. The display is excellent, though the QWERTY keyboard my frustrate some. As for managing user contact data, it gets everything right. Synergy is excellent, a model for the industry. Messaging needs are well in hand. Multimedia capabilities are taken care of in good order, with only the lack of video capture standing out.”
Boy Genius Report
“Once all the hype, smoke and mirrors are clear though, we can see Palm being pretty successful moving forward. Palm has converted tons of people into raging Pre fanboys before they could even see the phone in person! Very Apple-esque. More carriers will get the Pre, more handsets will be released and WebOS could very well keep things interesting even if the hardware is lacking.”
Walt Mossberg
“All in all, I believe the Pre is a smart, sophisticated product that will have particular appeal for those who want a physical keyboard. It is thoughtfully designed, works well and could give the iPhone and BlackBerry strong competition — but only if it fixes its app store and can attract third-party developers.”
InfoSync
“If you thought the Palm Pre had some cool tricks up its sleeve before, in terms of music, it performs something short of a miracle. The Palm Pre convinces iTunes that it’s an iPod. You don’t just get second-stage media sync, like RIM offers with their Media Sync app that also draws from your iTunes library. You get full fledged, potentially automatic sync with iTunes, including music, videos and photos.”
Rating:
Gizmodo
“Think of it like this. The software is agile, smart and capable. The hardware, on the other hand, is a liability. If Palm can get someone else to design and build their hardware—someone who has hands and can feel what a phone is like when physically used, that phone might just be one of the best phones on the market.”
ArsTechnical (Part 1)
ArsTechnical (Part 2)
“But this isn’t to say that Palm’s new handheld and platform are without their flaws. The webOS in particular is unfinished, in that Palm hasn’t given nearly enough thought to necessary refinements like email search, and some amount of user control over alerts. So right now, it’s obvious that Pre is a 1.0 product, but it’s also clear that it’s a fantastic start. If Palm can continue to refine webOS and to offer new models in different form factors, then the sky’s the limit for where this platform can go.”
PalmCentral
“Palm got this whole smartphone game going in earnest with the Treo. They essentially won the world series of phones back with the Treo 650. Since then, well, Palm hasn’t exactly been in the playoffs lately. Now they’re back in it and swinging for the fences. I’m not going to attach a star rating here, but I will say this: Palm has hit a home run with the Pre. Probably not a grand slam, but a definite home run.”
Engadget
“Ultimately — carriers and developers notwithstanding — what Palm has done is a major feat for a company of its size (and its dire position), and we think it’s an important step in the evolution of mobile computing. Just like the iPhone’s notches up the ladder, and the G1’s contributions, the Pre moves the game forward in a very real way. We know this won’t be the last of the webOS devices, and we know that as Palm improves its products, so will Apple, RIM, Microsoft, Google, and the rest of the smartphone gang. Unfortunately for them, their work just got a little bit tougher.”