Palm Pre to arrive in Canada on Bell mobility network

William | Reporter
Date: 05/08/2009

Palm, Inc. today announced that Palm Pre, the first phone based on the new Palm webOS mobile platform, will debut in Canada exclusively on Bell Mobility's 3G high-speed mobile network in the second half of 2009.







We're excited to bring Pre to Canada with Bell Mobility," said Brodie Keast, senior vice president of marketing for Palm, Inc. "We've seen enormous interest from mobile operators worldwide and fully expect to continue to expand distribution for Pre, putting it within reach of more and more customers."

Palm webOS is invented exclusively for mobile use. It's the first mobile platform to automatically bring your information from the many places it resides - on your phone, at work or on the web - into one simple, integrated view. The new Palm Pre and webOS are designed to be so in sync with your needs that it feels like Pre is thinking ahead for you.

Pre has a breakthrough user interface and hardware design that makes it the most integrated and user-friendly mobile phone. Featuring a smooth, rounded ergonomic design and a physical keyboard that slides out only when needed, Pre is engineered to feel natural in your hand and comfortably small in your pocket. When closed, Pre is ideal for phone calls, web browsing, music, photos and videos; when open, Pre is optimized for email and text messaging. It provides an exceptional experience for phone calls, whether held to your ear, over speakerphone or via Bluetooth. With its curved slider and gesture-controlled touch interface, Pre fuses exquisite design with the revolutionary webOS software for fast access to content on the device or web. It's an instinctive user experience that seems to anticipate your needs.

"Bell is excited to be only the second carrier in the world to announce the 3G Pre," said Adel Bazerghi, senior vice president of Products for Bell Mobility. "With the unique user experience of the world's first webOS phone, running on the country's largest 3G network, we're confident that Canadians will embrace Pre as the phone for their lives today."

Your Life, Brought Together

Palm webOS introduces Palm Synergy, a key feature of the new platform that brings your information from all the places it resides into one logical view. You don't have to worry about tracking multiple calendars, contacts and messaging applications - Synergy seems to think ahead to bring you a more comprehensive and truly representative view of your life.

• Linked contacts - With Synergy, you have a single view that links your contacts from a variety of sources, so accessing them is easier than ever. For example, if you have the same contact listed in your Outlook, Google and Facebook accounts, Synergy recognizes that they're the same person and links the information, presenting it to you as one listing.
• Layered calendars - Your calendars can be seen on their own or layered together in a single view, combining work, family, friends, sports teams, or other interests. You can toggle to look at one calendar at a time, or see them all at a glance.
• Combined messaging - Synergy lets you see all your conversations with the same person in a chat-style view, even if it started in IM and you want to reply with text messaging. You can also see who's active in a buddy list right from contacts or email, and start a new conversation with just one touch.

Your Information, Effortlessly

By smartly integrating your information, webOS is designed to think ahead for you and keep you on top of the things that happen in your life, but that's just the first step. The platform's unique interface brings your information to you with the ease that only Palm can offer.

• Run multiple applications at the same time - Palm's revolutionary webOS lets you manage multiple activities more effectively than any other mobile platform today. It lets you keep multiple activities open and move easily between them like flipping through a deck of cards. You can rearrange items simply by dragging them; when you are done with something, just throw it away by flicking it off the top of the screen.
• Web-connected applications - Applications are seamlessly connected to the web and always active, ensuring you have the most up-to-date information.
• Universal search - Finding what you need is easy with universal search - as you type what you're looking for, webOS narrows your search and offers results from both your device and the web.
• Intuitive and unobtrusive notifications - When important things come up or new updates arrive, you'll receive notifications with a diplomacy that's a radical departure from other mobile platforms. For example, if you receive a text message or email, a scrolling notifications bar at the bottom of your screen lets you address it right away or leave until later. webOS alerts are one step ahead, ensuring that you never miss a thing, but never lose your place or train of thought.

Palm Pre Features

• 3G EVDO Rev. A high-speed connectivity
• Integrated GPS
• Large 3.1-inch touch screen with a vibrant 24-bit color 320x480 resolution HVGA display
• Gesture area, which enables simple, intuitive gestures for navigation
• Slide-out QWERTY keyboard
• Email, including Outlook EAS (for access to corporate Microsoft Exchange servers), as well as personal email support (POP3, IMAP)
• Robust messaging support (IM, SMS and MMS capabilities)
• High-performance, desktop-class web browser
• Great multimedia experience and performance (pictures, video playback, music), featuring a 3-megapixel camera with LED flash and extended depth of field, and a standard 3.5mm headset jack
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support
• 8GB internal memory (~7GB user available)
• USB mass storage mode
• MicroUSB connector with USB 2.0 Hi-Speed
• Proximity sensor, which automatically disables the touch screen and turns off the display whenever you put the phone up to your ear
• Light sensor, which dims the display if the ambient light is dark, such as at night or in a movie theater, to reduce power usage
• Accelerometer, which automatically orients web pages and photos to your perspective
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
• Ringer switch, which easily silences the device with one touch
• Removable, rechargeable battery
• Dimensions: 59.57mm (W) x 100.53mm (L, closed) x 16.95mm (D)
• Weight: ~135 grams

An array of compelling accessories also will be available for Pre, including the first inductive charging solution for phones (sold separately). Simply set Pre down on top of the elegantly designed Palm Touchstone charging dock without worrying about connection, orientation or fit. Pre is active while charging, so you can access the touch screen, watch movies or video, or use the speakerphone.

Availability and Pricing

Palm Pre is scheduled to be available in Canada exclusively from Bell Mobility in the second half of 2009. Bell Mobility's pricing for the phone has not yet been determined.

Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing consumers with solutions to all their communications needs including Bell Home Phone local and long distance services, Bell Mobility and Solo Mobile wireless, high-speed Bell Internet access, Bell TV direct-to-home satellite and VDSL television, and IP-broadband and information and communications technology (ICT) services. Bell is proud to be a Premier National Partner and the exclusive Telecommunications Partner to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc.

Palm, Inc. is a leading mobile products company, creating instinctive yet powerful mobile products that enable people to better manage their lives on the go. The company's products for consumers, mobile professionals and businesses include Palm Treo, Pre and Centro phones, as well as software, services and accessories.