Palm

Palm launches new operating system, handset

Phil Goldstein — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:28:49 -0500

Palm launched its new operating system, called Web OS, alongside a new handset called the Palm Pre, in an attempt to revive the company's prospects amid an increasingly competitive smartphone market.

The Pre will launch exclusively on Sprint Nextel, which is currently taking pre-registrations for the phone. There is no definitive launch date or price information, but the phone will be available in the first half of 2009.

The smartphone maker unveiled the OS at a press conference Thursday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that featured Palm executives talking about the need to simplify the mobile web experience and how the new OS would do that by integrating web features seamlessly.

Palm CEO Ed Colligan firmly staked out the company's position in the market and why Palm could deliver on a new platform and handset. "Mobile is in our DNA. We don't do computers, we don't do refrigerators or set top boxes," he said. "We do mobile."

The CDMA EV-DO Rev. A device looks like a smaller, rounder and slightly oblong version of Apple's iPhone 3G. It has a 3.1-inch multi-touch touchscreen display, slideout, curved vertical QWERTY keyboard and gesture pad beneath the screen that is integral to the OS. It has 8GB of storage, built-in GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth, as well as a removable battery, ambient light sensor, accelerometer, a 3-megapixel camera with flash and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The operating system itself, which is based on a cloud model more than a desktop one, has some highly intuitive and innovative features.

A swipe back on the gesture pad takes users a layer into the user interface, and and swipe up takes the user back, similar to a deck of cards--a comparison Matias Duarte, the designer of the Sidekick, made during his presentation of the OS. While switching, the applications remain live. The operating system also employs what Palm calls "Synergy," combining multiple lists into a single interface. This is used to combine contacts from Microsoft Outlook, Google's GMail and Facebook into a single list; the OS removes duplicates.

Synergy is also used for calendars from Google and Outlook, color-coding the different calendars. Instant messaging programs and SMS text messaging are all combined into a single program and threaded, showing the different conversations at the same time; users can also switch from IM to text message if someone goes offline. This also works for email, and users can look at email accounts separately or in a single screen and will automatically respond from the correct email address (or users can specify which one they would like to reply from).

In the web browser, users can pinch the screen, and zoom and pan as they do on the iPhone 3G, and use a single URL bar at the top to either enter a search term or a web address. Users can also open multiple tabs, and bookmarks appear as icons.

Colligan called the the device "the one phone you can use for your entire life and really enjoy it."

Palm also unveiled a wireless, inductive charger for the phone, which resembles a paperweight, called the Touchstone. The list of content and application partners Palm has for the phone include Amazon, AOL, Facebook, Fandango, Google, MobiTV, Pandora and TeleNav.

The company, which once had reliable hits with its Treo and Centro smartphones, has used sales of the now-relatively low-margin devices to keep it afloat. Palm posted a $506 million loss last month in its fiscal second quarter, and saw its sales fall to $171 million, a 39 percent drop in revenue.

Though the smartphone maker got a boost of confidence recently with a $100 capital investment from Elevation Partners, the onus has been on Palm to deliver something extraordinary that will revive the company's flagging prospects. Palm has struggled to maintain its relevance in the U.S. smartphone market, which is increasingly being dominated by Apple and Research In Motion.

For more:
- see this article
- see this live-blog coverage of the Palm press conference
- click here for a picture

Related Articles:
Palm loses $506 million, sees drop in revenue
Palm hoping for a spark with Nova OS

Palm to debut new handset with Nova at CES

Phil Goldstein — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:13:44 -0500

Palm will debut a touchscreen handset with a QWERTY keyboard running on its new Nova operating system, which it is set to unveil at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas later this week, according to several reports.

Details are scarce, but the device appears to have a portrait touchscreen and a full slide-out keyboard. Palm, which posted a $506 million loss in its fiscal second quarter in December, has pinned its future on the success of Nova as it struggles to regain ground in the smart phone market against rivals Apple and Research In Motion.

The smartphone maker recently got a boost of confidence and financial support in the form of a $100 million investment from Elevation Partners, but all eyes are on the debut of Nova and how it will ultimately perform in the market.

For more:
- see this Wired post
- see this article

Related Articles:
Palm receives $100 million investment from Elevation Partners
Palm loses $506 million, sees drop in revenue
Palm hoping for a spark with Nova OS

Prediction 9: App stores will start to compete with each other for downloads and - 2009 Predictions

Sue Marek — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 18:38:16 -0500

2008 was a defining year in mobile application distribution. This was the year that Apple launched its App Store and its success spurred a bunch of copycat stores with the launch of the Android Market, Palm's Software Store and RIM's BlackBerry Application Center.

This flurry of app stores promises to revolutionize the way applications are distributed to consumers. In fact, as smart phones proliferate, consumers will become accustomed to getting their applications and content from an app store. Does this mean that carriers will start launching their own app stores? We've heard rumors that T-Mobile USA may be launching its own app store, and we believe that other carriers will consider this strategy.

What we know for sure, however, is that competition among the app stores will become fierce, as each one vies for their share of the market. And we also expect the stores will start to compete for the most compelling applications, putting developers in the driver's seat when it comes to deciding which app store offers the most value to them.

Apple, RIM dominate U.S. smartphone market, push out Palm

Phil Goldstein — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 10:25:32 -0500

Apple and Research In Motion saw their shares of the smartphone market in 2008 rise compared to Palm, and will continue their dominance in 2009, according to a report released by ChangeWave Research.

The survey, which was conducted with 3,803 cellphone owners from Dec. 9-15, found RIM having a 41 percent share, Apple with 23 percent and Palm with 9 percent. Palm's decline is precipitous, and its share has been cut in half from 18 percent since January.

The survey also looked at customer satisfaction among owners of RIM's BlackBerry Storm, which Verizon Wireless launched at the end of November. One in three Storm owners said they were very satisfied with the device, compared to 52 percent who said that among all BlackBerry smartphone users, putting the it in the mid-tier for customer satisfaction among smartphone users.

For more:
- see this article
- see this article

Related Articles:
Apple passed RIM in smartphone market in Q3
Study: smartphone popularity leads to higher customer satisfaction

Palm receives $100 million investment from Elevation Partners

Phil Goldstein — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 10:47:35 -0500

Palm secured a $100 million equity investment from Elevation Partners, getting a lifeline of support as it enters a critical juncture, faced with mounting losses, weak smartphone sales and the launch of a new operating system that could potentially revive the company.

Elevation, a private equity firm, got Series C preferred stock in the deal, which it can convert into common stock at a price of $3.25 per share. The company also will get warrants to acquire 7 million shares of Palm common stock at the same price.

The infusion of cash and support comes at a perilous time for Palm. The smartphone maker just posted a loss of $506 million in its fiscal second quarter and saw both its revenues and the number of smartphones sold drop. The news also comes just ahead of Palm's expected launch of its new operating system, Nova, which it is set to unveil at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas early next month.

For more:
- see this release

Related Articles:
Palm loses $506 million, sees drop in revenue
Palm hoping for a spark with Nova OS

Palm loses $506 million, sees drop in revenue

Phil Goldstein — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:57:42 -0500

Palm, as it struggles to find its footing in the smartphone market, posted a $506.2 million loss for its fiscal second quarter, and saw a steep drop in revenues.

The large loss was primarily related to a $396 million write-down of deferred tax assets. The company posted revenues of $171 million, down 39 percent from the year-ago period, and below even a lowered expectation that Palm had set earlier this month. Palm had expected revenues of between $190 million and $195 million, which itself was a steep drop from previous Wall Street expectations. Palm shipped 599,000 smartphones for the quarter, a 13 percent drop from the year-ago period.

As competition from Apple and Research In Motion has grown more intense, the company has struggled to deliver a product line that can compete with the iPhone 3G or RIM's BlackBerry devices. Palm, which has been banking on sales of its Centro smartphone to keep it afloat, has pinned much of its hope for a revival on the launch of its new operating system, Nova, which it is set to unveil at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next month.

For more:
- see this article

Related Articles:
Palm posts lower-than-expected revenues
Palm hoping for a spark with Nova OS

Palm's Santa's Gone Centro - Holiday Commercials

Phil Goldstein — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:53:18 -0500

In this Palm Centro ad that is the first in a series, Santa Claus gets a Palm Centro as a gift and undergoes a radical transformation into a hip new character who likes to simply be called, "Claüs." The ad makes the case that by getting a Palm Centro--for as low as $49.99 the end of the ad proclaims--you, too, can be hip and with it with a snazzy little smartphone of your own. Though the appeal of the phone seems to be transformation via osmosis, it is long enough to showcase some of the features of the phone, including GPS, a camera and instant messaging. Although Palm itself is hoping Santa can bring it its own transformation, the ad is a hit.

Aesthetics: A
Effectiveness: B+
Overall Grade:A-

This Santa-Centro ad is not as effective as its predecessor, which used some of the footage from this second one. While hitting the "Centro makes you hipper" trope again by placing "Claüs" among the 18-29 demographic and reminding customers that the phone is an upgrade from parchment, the commercial does not really give any clue as to what makes the Centro so great, except to remind customers at the end about its features, which are standard on most smartphones.
Aesthetics: B+
Effectiveness: B
Overall Grade: B

Again, more of the same shtick. This one hits the trope in a more specific way that is probably familiar to most smartphone users or potential smartphone users: taking a picture and emailing it to a friend; in this case, it's a miniature dog "Claüs" gives to the valet who is tasked with parking his reindeer. The image sticks in your mind a little longer, but the effectiveness leaves something to be desired.
Aesthetics: A-
Effectiveness: B
Overall Grade: B+

Palm hoping for a spark with Nova OS

Phil Goldstein — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:38:06 -0500

Palm is pinning its hopes for renewed success on the launch of its new operating system, code-named "Nova," which it will debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

When the curtain goes up on CES in Las Vegas, Palm hopes its Nova platform, details of which it has guarded quite closely, will wow and give the beleaguered handset maker a much-needed comeback. Earlier this month Palm, beset by falling sales as it struggles in the smartphone market, released its revenue numbers ahead of its second fiscal quarter results, posting between $190 million and $195 million, well below Wall Street expectations.

Palm brought in Jon Rubenstein, formerly an Apple product development specialist who led development on the iMac and iPod, to help turn around the flagging company in mid-2007. Rubenstein has said that Nova will bridge the market between enterprise-oriented BlackBerry devices from Research In Motion and more consumer-centric ones like Apple's iPhone 3G.

For more:
- see this article

Related Articles:
Palm posts lower-than-expected revenues
Palm Centro tops 2 million in sales
Palm swings to loss despite Centro sales

Palm posts lower-than-expected revenues

Phil Goldstein — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:17:21 -0500

Palm, beset by falling sales as it struggles in the smartphone market, released its revenue numbers ahead of its second fiscal quarter results, posting between $190 million and $195 million, well below Wall Street expectations.

The handset maker, which has been banking on sales of its Centro and Treo smartphones, said "reduced demand for maturing smartphone and handheld products" was contributing to the decline in revenues. Expectations had been for revenues to be around $331 million for the quarter--a 41 percent gap.

The Centro, while not nearly as flashy as Apple's iPhone or some Research In Motion products, only costs $99 and the company announced over the summer that it had sold 2 million units. Palm plans on planning on releasing its Nova OS in the first half of 2009, but its financial condition is precarious.

For more:
- see this article

Related Articles:
Palm Centro tops 2 million in sales
Palm swings to loss despite Centro sales

Publisher's Note: Save time with our mobile application

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:31:24 -0400

I have a dirty secret: I read our content more on my Blackberry than anywhere. Here is what I like about it: I can rapidly catch up on our real-time news and job feeds, and my personalized feeds from other sources, during my down time--on the bus, waiting in line, just before a meeting, or whenever. It saves me time, keeps me in the loop, and optimizes otherwise wasted minutes. By the time I get to the office, I can compliment our editors on their excellent coverage. I love it.

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Publisher, FierceWireless

Palm Centro tops 2 million in sales

Sue Marek — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:45:34 -0400

Palm says it has sold 2 million of its popular Centro smart phones. The company says that the Centro--which is available from more than 20 operators including AT&T, Verizon Wireless and Sprint--is helping the device maker make a comeback in the market. Palm is now hoping that its new Treo 800w, which is being offered by Sprint, will get the same stellar reception as the Centro.

Besides hitting the 2 million mark, the Centro also has been rated as one of the top 10 mobile phones by AdMob. According to the mobile advertising firm, the Centro is a solid driver for mobile data usage because of its price point ($99) and its size.

For more:
- see this article

Related articles:
Palm and Sprint introduce the Treo 800w smartphone
How Centro reinvigorated (and maybe reinvented) Palm

Don't ignore the LG Chocolate 3 and Palm Treo

Sue Marek — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:46:37 -0400

It takes a certain boldness to launch a wireless device on the same weekend that the iPhone 3G is making its debut. But that's exactly what Palm has done with its Treo and LG with its Chocolate 3.

We reported earlier that the LG Chocolate 3 would make its debut on Monday, but Verizon announced today that it will be available Sunday. The device will be available in black or light blue and will feature one-button access to the VCAST Music with Rhapsody music service. It costs $129.99 with a $50 rebate and a two-year contract. See the phone here

Electronista is reporting that Sprint has started selling the Palm Treo 800w, while other reports say it will start selling the device this Sunday. Avian Securities analyst Matt Thornton says the Treo 800w is expected to feature WiFi, GPS, a 1.3 Megapixel camera and Windows Mobile 6.1. The device will run on Sprint's EV-DO Rev. A network and will cost, with discounts and rebates, close to $250.

For more:
- see this article
- see this press release

Related Articles:
V CAST, Rhapsody deal...for real
MTV, RealNetworks team for Rhapsody America

ALSO NOTED: Italy to get 3G iPhone in weeks; Smartphone shortages; Android timeline and much more...

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> The buzz among the blogs is that Italian operator TIM will get the 3G iPhone in a matter of weeks. The phone will be unlocked and available without a carrier contract. Article

> A Morgan Keegan analysts says that RIM and Palm are experiencing shortages on certain smartphone models. Article

> Since formally announcing its much-anticipated Android open-source mobile operating system late last year, web services giant Google has played its cards tight to the vest. Even with the first Android-based devices slated to hit the market within the next few months, myriad developmental questions remain. Click here for a FierceDeveloper web exclusive spotlighting what we do know about Android, six months on.

And finally ... HTC launched its first-ever brand campaign in the U.S. this week. Check out the company's first commercial spot here.

Video: Deep Fried Treo

Mike Dolan — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:54:30 -0400

Check out this video of a deep fried Treo:

Palm takes $25M write-down, $57M loss

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:59:56 -0400

Palm revised the warning it gave at the end of February which alerted investors to a $31.5 million loss: Now the company has recorded a $57 million loss for the company's third quarter. The revised loss follows a $25 million write-down for auction-rate securities that lost value since the collapse of the debt market earlier this year. Palm said last week that it had sold a million Centros in the U.S. since it introduced it last September.

For more on Palm's financial woes:
- read this NYTimes article about Palm's $57 million loss

Palm swings to loss despite Centro sales

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 07:59:55 -0400

Palm posted a fiscal third quarter loss on declining revenue even though its low-cost Centro smartphone showed strong sales. Revenue for the quarter, which ended on February 28, dropped 24 percent, while smartphone sales spoked 13 percent. The company sold 833,000 smartphone devices thanks to strong demand for the Centro. Smartphone revenue was $275.4 million for the quarter.

Palm CEO Ed Colligan said that the "Centro is off to the strongest start of any smartphone in Palm's history." More than 70 percent of Centro owners traded up from a standard phone, according to Colligan.

For more on Palm's quarter:
- read this article from the WSJ (sub. req.)

Handset round-up: Sprint Ace, AT&T Centro

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 06:59:56 -0500

Sprint added another world roaming phone to its lineup: the Samsung Ace. The dual-mode CDMA/GSM smartphone is a BlackJack doppleganger that runs on Sprint's CDMA network in the U.S. but also comes with an unlocked SIM, which allows travelers to buy a local SIM at their destination. The phone sports a QWERTY keyboard and is running Windows Mobile 6 Standard Edition. The handset is available now for $199.99 with a two-year contract.

AT&T is now offering Palm's Centro in white, which was initially released in red on Sprint's network. AT&T's version runs on GSM/EDGE but lacks 3G functionality. AT&T's Centro, however, makes use of all four major GSM frequency bands, which means users can roam in other countries.

Verizon Wireless launched the Samsung SCH-u550, which sports a brown finish but is otherwise a typical mobile content-powered feature phone.

Click here to see our slideshowÃ‚Â

- read this release from Sprint
- read this release from AT&T
- read this release from Verizon Wireless

zzzPhone offers customized mobile phones

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 06:59:54 -0500

An online mobile phone vendor, called zzzPhone, has adapted the Dell model of customized, factory-direct computers for the mobile phone industry. zzzPhones aims to focus on feature phones with large touchscreens and customized features, offering competing devices to Nokia's N95, the Palm Treo and Apple's iPhone. zzzPhone has a near equivalent handset to the N95 that costs significantly less than Nokia's pricetag of $739: this zzzPhone costs just $149.

zzzPhone assures shoppers that it uses the "same high quality components" as major handset brands like Motorola, Nokia, Palm, and Samsung. The phones are unlocked, tri-band and can support two SIMs.

For more on zzzPhone:
- read their release here

AT&T data networks offline

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 06:59:54 -0500

AT&T wireless users in the Midwest and Southeast had trouble accessing 3G and EDGE networks from certain smartphones and laptop data cards. AT&T said the problem has not affected users in the Northeast or far West and has not affected voice services anywhere. Users have reported problems with the iPhone, BlackBerry and Palm Treo on online discussion boards.

"We are working to identify the cause of the problem as quickly as we can," an AT&T spokesperson said yesterday. "And we apologize for any inconvenience to customers."

For more on the outage:
- read this article from CNET

Palm closes stores, offers cash rebates for Treos

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 06:59:56 -0500

Palm announced yesterday that its 34 retail locations--both the eight Palm-branded stores and the 26 stores inside Airport Wireless locations will shut down by the end of the first quarter. The company said it needed to consolidate more resources behind fewer programs and focus on its core business.

Palm also announced that some Treo 600 and 650 owners are eligible for cash rebates for new Palm smartphones if they have had their phone replaced or repaired in the last two years. The rebates are part of a settlement for a class action lawsuit from 2005. Palm will also repair any 600 or 650 handset that hasn't already been fixed twice, but may be outside its warranty.

For more on Palm's rebates and closures:
- read this article from CNET