Palm is Back with a 3.3 Inch Smartphone

Palm, once one of the iPhone’s biggest competitors, is back with a phone which is a throwback to Palm phones of old. Don’t expect it to compete with the newer iPhones, however, as the new phone is expected to be an entry-level phone.

The new Palm (that’s the name for the new one) follows the trend of minimalist phones, which are complementary devices meant for day to day tasks and not for photography, browsing or other intensive tasks.

It’s Verizon exclusive for now (US only) and can only work in tandem with your current smartphone, pairing with your phone number for 4G LTE.

Design and Display

The design is a throwback to pebble-sized Palm phones of years gone, which is another touch of nostalgia. The design also comes with IP68-certification against water and dust.

Overall, the phone isn’t much bigger than a credit card. Google Assistant can be activated by a button on the side, which is important as voice commands will be a much-needed alternative to typing.

The display is a tiny 3.3-inch display with 720p resolution, which should also please people who were never fans of large smartphones.

Internals and Storage

Under the hood, you get an octa-core Snapdragon 435 processor, with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB of storage. There is no microSD card slot, no headphone jack, and no NFC support.

It runs a modified version of Android 8.1 Oreo with gesture controls and Life mode (mutes calls and notifications when the display is turned off).

Camera(s)

The back camera comes with a 12 MP sensor with LED Flash, while the front camera makes does with a single 8 MP shooter. Clearly, the dual-lens craze hasn’t hit Palm, but there’s face unlock.

Battery and Price

The battery capacity is set at 800 mAh which is small though it should last reasonably long given the small display and efficient processor.

Pricing will reportedly be set at $350, which is a premium to pay for a phone like this, though, in the best case scenario, you’ll get your life back. It will be available in November with the US carrier Verizon.

Palm (2018) Specifications

• CPU: 1.4GHz octa-core Cortex-A53
• GPU: Adreno 505
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 435
• OS: Android 8.1 Oreo
• Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE
• Display:
  • 3.3-inch LCD 720p (1280 x 720) display; 445 ppi
• Memory
  • RAM: 3 GB
  • Internal: 32 GB
  • Card slot: yes, by 256 GB
• Camera:
  • Primary: 12 MP, LED Flash
  • Secondary: 8 MP
• Connectivity: USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, LTE
• Fingerprint scanner
• Battery: 800 mAh
• Price: $350