While Sprint employees are well into their Palm Pre training, AT&T unveiled their own training program for the new webOS handset, albeit of a slightly different nature. Precentral reported on a leaked internal memo from AT&T to employees designed for them to bone-up with a slew of anti-Pre talking points. The iPhone provider will also be holding some in-store seminars to make sure the points stick. Looks like they're taking the Sprint exclusive smartphone seriously and bringing out the ammunition ahead of the rumored May 17 release date.
A few points are summarized below:
- The iPhone is thinner, lighter, made of metal and glass and available in black and white; The Palm Pre is available in black and plastic only.
- The iPhone has over 25,000 apps, while the Palm App Catalog is "unproven" and the Pre has a limited 3D gaming experience.
- "Touchscreen control gestures not intuitive" on the Palm Pre, while the iPhone has a "Patented multi-touch screen".
- The Pre has no GSM capability and has "limited wifi access" (cannot connect to AT&T wifi hotspots)
So the Pre is being knocked mostly for being a new, non-GSM phone. Also, putting down the Pre's touchscreen capabilities pretty much goes against the ongoing patent dispute between Palm and Apple. True, it won't work overseas, but a GSM version is coming later, maybe even on AT&T once Sprint's contract is up. Flash could also be Palm's not-so-secret weapon against the iPhone when it comes to games.
It also leaves out a lot of innovation such as synergy and cards, plus the Pre is smaller and weighs virtually the same, two grams more than the iPhone. Sure, the Pre is limited to 8GB, but the iPhone doesn't exactly qualify as ample space for media junkies, either. What do you think, would this affect on your next smartphone purchase or would someone you know be sold by the comparison?
Meanwhile, Sprint rolled out new Palm Pre web advertising today, notes EverythingPre, and should take some attention away from AT&T for now. Ads in newspapers and e-mails have already been in circulation for some time.
Of note in the web ad are two small images of the Pre, one being the first screenshot of an incoming call, and the other of a possible multi-client IM program.
The widget and statistic-filled webpage (view it here) is sure to keep even those with ADHD occupied for a while, and continues on a similar vein as their latest TV spots, shown below in case you missed them.
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