BOSTON, USA: The recent Strategy Analytics Wireless Device Lab benchmark report, “Mobile Device User Evaluation: Palm Pre,” evaluates the recently launched Palm Pre across a number of core and new features, including contact management, messaging, imaging, music and web browsing.
The Palm Pre performed well for most tasks, while users were impressed by the ‘activity card’ style user interface. Palm Synergy, which allows users to integrate multiple calendar and contact accounts, was seen to be useful, as long as users could choose which accounts they add.
“The lack of an on-screen virtual keyboard was a concern for many participants,” according to Paul Brown, Senior Analyst in the Strategy Analytics User Experience Practice. “Although users liked having a physical QWERTY keyboard, they did not want to have to slide it out every time they wanted to type something.”
Kevin Nolan, Vice President at Strategy Analytics, added: “Participants considered the multi-tasking capabilities of the Pre to provide a very positive experience, similar to that of multi-tasking on a PC.”
Showing posts with label Palm Pre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Palm Pre. Show all posts
Friday, July 10, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
DeviceAnywhere debuts Palm Pre to its developer network
SAN MATEO, USA: DeviceAnywhere, a leader in end-to-end mobile application testing, test automation and mobile application monitoring, has added the new Palm Pre phone to its network of 2000+ cutting edge feature phones and smartphones available over the DeviceAnywhere platform and accessible by organizations seeking to develop and test next generation mobile applications.
Now, mobile application developers can get a head start in developing and testing mobile content on this revolutionary new smartphone. Through DeviceAnywhere, Palm webOS developers can access all Pre functions including; a full touch-screen display that supports an accelerometer, located above a slider that unveils a full QWERTY keyboard. With DeviceAnywhere and the unique Direct-To-Device technology, developers can utilize and test these unique functions as though they had the device in hand.
Developers can also run multiple activities at the same time, as the Pre allows for multitasking between different applications. Additional connections are supported including the use of email, Wi-Fi, and GPS.
“We are pleased to add Palm Pre to our rapidly expanding list of available smartphones,” stated Faraz Syed, CEO and Co-Founder of DeviceAnywhere. “Smartphone usage is on the rise and expectations predict that they will corner nearly 80 percent of the mobile device market over the next five years. In anticipation of this demand we will continue to ensure the availability of solutions and devices that cater to the smartphone developer. Providing access to the new Palm Pre is a testament to our commitment in this endeavor.”
The Palm Pre phone is available now on the Sprint network in the United States.
New users can access DeviceAnywhere by visiting www.deviceanywhere.com. Once registered, users have access to three free hours on the system. Existing users are able to access Palm Pre functions through their standard DeviceAnywhere subscriptions with prior approval. Additional DeviceAnywhere features –- such as monitoring and test automation –- are also available for Palm Pre, empowering users to develop more efficient mobile applications and content.
Now, mobile application developers can get a head start in developing and testing mobile content on this revolutionary new smartphone. Through DeviceAnywhere, Palm webOS developers can access all Pre functions including; a full touch-screen display that supports an accelerometer, located above a slider that unveils a full QWERTY keyboard. With DeviceAnywhere and the unique Direct-To-Device technology, developers can utilize and test these unique functions as though they had the device in hand.
Developers can also run multiple activities at the same time, as the Pre allows for multitasking between different applications. Additional connections are supported including the use of email, Wi-Fi, and GPS.
“We are pleased to add Palm Pre to our rapidly expanding list of available smartphones,” stated Faraz Syed, CEO and Co-Founder of DeviceAnywhere. “Smartphone usage is on the rise and expectations predict that they will corner nearly 80 percent of the mobile device market over the next five years. In anticipation of this demand we will continue to ensure the availability of solutions and devices that cater to the smartphone developer. Providing access to the new Palm Pre is a testament to our commitment in this endeavor.”
The Palm Pre phone is available now on the Sprint network in the United States.
New users can access DeviceAnywhere by visiting www.deviceanywhere.com. Once registered, users have access to three free hours on the system. Existing users are able to access Palm Pre functions through their standard DeviceAnywhere subscriptions with prior approval. Additional DeviceAnywhere features –- such as monitoring and test automation –- are also available for Palm Pre, empowering users to develop more efficient mobile applications and content.
Monday, June 8, 2009
WHERE releases new app for Palm Pre
BOSTON, USA: WHERE, the premier location-based application from uLocate Communications, is available on the new Palm Pre phone via the on-device beta App Catalog.
Running on the new Palm webOS mobile platform, Pre brings together your important information from where it resides -– on your phone, at your work or on the Web –- into one logical view.
WHERE is the ultimate local application for mobile devices. It quickly helps put the people, places and things consumers are looking for at their fingertips. Local content available through WHERE includes everything from the weather, news, and restaurant reviews, to the cheapest gas, movie show times, and the ability to connect with other users on the WHERE Wall.
Palm Pre is designed to make users’ lives easier by bringing them the people, events and information that they need all in one place. WHERE builds on this unique personalization to provide an exceptionally strong local and social experience to consumers.
”We are thrilled to expand our availability to Palm users with this new and innovative application for the highly anticipated Pre phone,” said Walt Doyle, CEO of uLocate. “Palm has done a great job with webOS, and has allowed us to integrate the features that our consumers love about WHERE with the functions of the device such as calendar and contacts. This integration has helped us deliver a very rich user experience.”
Palm Synergy, a feature of the innovative webOS platform, pulls user’s online calendars into one view and links their contacts from different sources all into one place. WHERE has been able to weave its local and personal content into webOS’s linked contacts, layered calendars, multitasking, notifications and of course its GPS capabilities to deliver a seamless real-world experience.
For example, users can see the nearest gas stations to their location ranked by price, find local movies and insert show times into their calendar, or find the nearest Starbuck's with Wi-Fi access.
"Applications are an incredibly important part of the webOS ecosystem, and we’re excited to be launching the beta App Catalog with the WHERE application," said Pam Deziel, vice president, Developer Marketing, Palm, Inc. "WHERE is a best-in-class application that brings together local and social information in a compelling UI, and we believe that it will prove to be very popular with Pre users.”
The WHERE application for the Palm Pre phone can be downloaded from the on-device beta App Catalog.
Running on the new Palm webOS mobile platform, Pre brings together your important information from where it resides -– on your phone, at your work or on the Web –- into one logical view.
WHERE is the ultimate local application for mobile devices. It quickly helps put the people, places and things consumers are looking for at their fingertips. Local content available through WHERE includes everything from the weather, news, and restaurant reviews, to the cheapest gas, movie show times, and the ability to connect with other users on the WHERE Wall.
Palm Pre is designed to make users’ lives easier by bringing them the people, events and information that they need all in one place. WHERE builds on this unique personalization to provide an exceptionally strong local and social experience to consumers.
”We are thrilled to expand our availability to Palm users with this new and innovative application for the highly anticipated Pre phone,” said Walt Doyle, CEO of uLocate. “Palm has done a great job with webOS, and has allowed us to integrate the features that our consumers love about WHERE with the functions of the device such as calendar and contacts. This integration has helped us deliver a very rich user experience.”
Palm Synergy, a feature of the innovative webOS platform, pulls user’s online calendars into one view and links their contacts from different sources all into one place. WHERE has been able to weave its local and personal content into webOS’s linked contacts, layered calendars, multitasking, notifications and of course its GPS capabilities to deliver a seamless real-world experience.
For example, users can see the nearest gas stations to their location ranked by price, find local movies and insert show times into their calendar, or find the nearest Starbuck's with Wi-Fi access.
"Applications are an incredibly important part of the webOS ecosystem, and we’re excited to be launching the beta App Catalog with the WHERE application," said Pam Deziel, vice president, Developer Marketing, Palm, Inc. "WHERE is a best-in-class application that brings together local and social information in a compelling UI, and we believe that it will prove to be very popular with Pre users.”
The WHERE application for the Palm Pre phone can be downloaded from the on-device beta App Catalog.
No Palm Pre App catalog, no problem!
NEW YORK, USA: Palm Inc.'s fortunes lie in the success of its new Pre smart phone.
As it becomes available the morning of June 6 with a meager App Catalog still in "beta" stage, Pre buyers will have extremely limited access to third-party games, applications, and other software offerings.
Some major exceptions are Cellufun's browser-based games, including its recent smash-hit Ponzi scheme game, "Made Off."
Cellufun is the largest mobile virtual community in the world, where millions of people play dozens of different social games and connect with each other. The Pre's web browser will support access to Cellufun's games, mobile blogging applications and mobile commerce opportunities, making it one of the few non-Palm applications available to early adopters of this new smart phone.
"When married to the right mobile application, smart phones like the Pre allow consumers to have an engaging and fun experience for every day things like gaming, social networking, and commerce. The Pre looks to be a runaway hit for Sprint, and we believe that the millions of Pre buyers will sprint to Cellufun.com to play our social games and tell their friends about it. There is a reason why Cellufun has been a top 10 download on the BlackBerry App World since its launch. We turn smart phones like the Pre into a social and entertainment network for consumers," said Neil Edwards, CEO of Cellufun (or m.cellufun.com on mobile).
The Palm Pre is available to the public, Saturday, June 6 onward, and will be sold throughout Sprint stores across the United States.
As it becomes available the morning of June 6 with a meager App Catalog still in "beta" stage, Pre buyers will have extremely limited access to third-party games, applications, and other software offerings. Some major exceptions are Cellufun's browser-based games, including its recent smash-hit Ponzi scheme game, "Made Off."
Cellufun is the largest mobile virtual community in the world, where millions of people play dozens of different social games and connect with each other. The Pre's web browser will support access to Cellufun's games, mobile blogging applications and mobile commerce opportunities, making it one of the few non-Palm applications available to early adopters of this new smart phone.
"When married to the right mobile application, smart phones like the Pre allow consumers to have an engaging and fun experience for every day things like gaming, social networking, and commerce. The Pre looks to be a runaway hit for Sprint, and we believe that the millions of Pre buyers will sprint to Cellufun.com to play our social games and tell their friends about it. There is a reason why Cellufun has been a top 10 download on the BlackBerry App World since its launch. We turn smart phones like the Pre into a social and entertainment network for consumers," said Neil Edwards, CEO of Cellufun (or m.cellufun.com on mobile).
The Palm Pre is available to the public, Saturday, June 6 onward, and will be sold throughout Sprint stores across the United States.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Palm Pre stands to shake up smartphone status quo
EL SEGUNDO, USA: Palm’s new Pre smartphone holds strong potential for robust sales growth, and may have a major influence on other platforms as well as the technology supply chain, according to iSuppli Corp.
Palm Pre shipments could amount to 1.1 million units in 2009. However, if Palm quickly introduces a new Pre that supports the 3G GSM standard, sales could rise to 1.3 million during the year. Furthermore, if Palm opens up the licensing of its webOS operating system used in the Pre, the software could have a wider influence beyond the company’s own products.
“Palm’s webOS appears to be superior to the Mac OS X used in the iPhone in the crucial area of multitasking capabilities,” said Tina Teng, senior analyst, wireless communications, for iSuppli. “This key point of differentiation, combined with the product’s multi-touch display, could be enough for Palm to carve out a significant share of the smartphone market.”
Another key allure of webOS is its use of widgets for accessing data and applications like the iPhone, rather than the folders used in Microsoft’s Windows OS. The consensus among most users appears to be that widgets provide a more intuitive interface than folders.
Because of this, there may be strong demand for webOS from other smartphone makers.
“If Palm decides to license webOS to other companies, it could follow in the footsteps of Google’s Android operating system, which is expected to expand its share of global smartphone operating systems to grow by nearly a factor of 12 from 2008 to 2010 according to iSuppli’s Design Forecast Tool (DFT) for Mobile Handsets,” Teng added.
This could lay the foundation for webOS to challenge Apple’s Mac OS X for leadership in the highly intuitive smart-phone operating system market.
Minding the store
Palm could further boost the prospects of webOS if the company opens an application store that sells programs that work with the operating system, similar to Apple’s App Store.
“An application store would make Palm a more complete solution provider to its end customers, allowing it to provide not only a hardware platform and operating system but also the programs essential to take advantage of the capabilities of a smart phone,” Teng said.
Teng noted that industry rumors have circulated since the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January that Palm will offer an online applications catalog. With the arrival of software allowing developers to produce programs that can be compiled to work on multiple mobile operating systems, Palm’s store likely will grow rapidly to sport a large number of applications.
Battle of applications processors
The potential long-term success of the Pre promises to benefit Palm’s applications-processor semiconductor supplier, Texas Instruments Inc. (TI).
While TI remained the leading supplier of standalone media/application/graphic processing chips for mobile handsets in 2008, No.-2 Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. is closing in on the lead, according to iSuppli’s Wireless Competitive Landscaping Tool (CLT). Samsung’s share of global market revenue rose to 16.4 percent in 2008, up from 10 percent in 2007. In contrast, TI’s share declined to 16.8 percent in 2008, down from 23 percent in 2007.
“Owing to rising shipments of the iPhone, which uses Samsung’s media processing silicon, the company is closing the gap,” said Francis Sideco, senior analyst, wireless communications, for iSuppli. “Pre’s success could help TI regain some of that share as Pre sales will help boost TI’s revenue for its OMAP line. It also will validate TI’s OMAP approach by demonstrating the need for powerful standalone applications processors in high-end smartphone devices.”
The table presents iSuppli’s market share estimates of global standalone mobile phone media processors.
Source: iSuppli, June 2009
Display shortage?
The Pre likely makes use of a Low-Temperature Polysilicon (LTPS) LCD display, which offers superior picture quality compared to regular TFT-LCD panels used in most mobile phones.
This could put constraints on availability of LTPS LCD supplies, which is a popular display choice in the growing smart phone marker segment.
“If the Pre is successful and large volumes are shipped in the coming years, LTPS displays could go into shortage because the supply is limited to a few suppliers that operate smaller generation fabs capable of producing them,” said Vinita Jakhanwal, principal analyst, small/medium displays, for iSuppli.
In the palm of your hand
An iSuppli preliminary cost analysis of the Palm Pre released in late April revealed a total projected Bill-of-Materials (BOM) and manufacturing cost of approximately $170 for the product.
The estimated BOM consists of a hardware cost of $138, including the battery, nearly $10 for manufacturing and basic test costs, and a software and licensing cost of $23.
iSuppli produced this estimate of the Pre’s hardware and manufacturing costs based on second-quarter component pricing and assembly pricing from the company’s Mobile Handset Cost Model. An iSuppli cross-functional team also participated in developing the virtual teardown, including experts in memory, displays, baseband, component pricing, mobile handsets and wireless connectivity.
A full, physical teardown of the Palm Pre will be released by iSuppli early next week.
Palm Pre shipments could amount to 1.1 million units in 2009. However, if Palm quickly introduces a new Pre that supports the 3G GSM standard, sales could rise to 1.3 million during the year. Furthermore, if Palm opens up the licensing of its webOS operating system used in the Pre, the software could have a wider influence beyond the company’s own products.“Palm’s webOS appears to be superior to the Mac OS X used in the iPhone in the crucial area of multitasking capabilities,” said Tina Teng, senior analyst, wireless communications, for iSuppli. “This key point of differentiation, combined with the product’s multi-touch display, could be enough for Palm to carve out a significant share of the smartphone market.”
Another key allure of webOS is its use of widgets for accessing data and applications like the iPhone, rather than the folders used in Microsoft’s Windows OS. The consensus among most users appears to be that widgets provide a more intuitive interface than folders.
Because of this, there may be strong demand for webOS from other smartphone makers.
“If Palm decides to license webOS to other companies, it could follow in the footsteps of Google’s Android operating system, which is expected to expand its share of global smartphone operating systems to grow by nearly a factor of 12 from 2008 to 2010 according to iSuppli’s Design Forecast Tool (DFT) for Mobile Handsets,” Teng added.
This could lay the foundation for webOS to challenge Apple’s Mac OS X for leadership in the highly intuitive smart-phone operating system market.
Minding the store
Palm could further boost the prospects of webOS if the company opens an application store that sells programs that work with the operating system, similar to Apple’s App Store.
“An application store would make Palm a more complete solution provider to its end customers, allowing it to provide not only a hardware platform and operating system but also the programs essential to take advantage of the capabilities of a smart phone,” Teng said.
Teng noted that industry rumors have circulated since the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January that Palm will offer an online applications catalog. With the arrival of software allowing developers to produce programs that can be compiled to work on multiple mobile operating systems, Palm’s store likely will grow rapidly to sport a large number of applications.
Battle of applications processors
The potential long-term success of the Pre promises to benefit Palm’s applications-processor semiconductor supplier, Texas Instruments Inc. (TI).
While TI remained the leading supplier of standalone media/application/graphic processing chips for mobile handsets in 2008, No.-2 Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. is closing in on the lead, according to iSuppli’s Wireless Competitive Landscaping Tool (CLT). Samsung’s share of global market revenue rose to 16.4 percent in 2008, up from 10 percent in 2007. In contrast, TI’s share declined to 16.8 percent in 2008, down from 23 percent in 2007.
“Owing to rising shipments of the iPhone, which uses Samsung’s media processing silicon, the company is closing the gap,” said Francis Sideco, senior analyst, wireless communications, for iSuppli. “Pre’s success could help TI regain some of that share as Pre sales will help boost TI’s revenue for its OMAP line. It also will validate TI’s OMAP approach by demonstrating the need for powerful standalone applications processors in high-end smartphone devices.”
The table presents iSuppli’s market share estimates of global standalone mobile phone media processors.
Source: iSuppli, June 2009 Display shortage?
The Pre likely makes use of a Low-Temperature Polysilicon (LTPS) LCD display, which offers superior picture quality compared to regular TFT-LCD panels used in most mobile phones.
This could put constraints on availability of LTPS LCD supplies, which is a popular display choice in the growing smart phone marker segment.
“If the Pre is successful and large volumes are shipped in the coming years, LTPS displays could go into shortage because the supply is limited to a few suppliers that operate smaller generation fabs capable of producing them,” said Vinita Jakhanwal, principal analyst, small/medium displays, for iSuppli.
In the palm of your hand
An iSuppli preliminary cost analysis of the Palm Pre released in late April revealed a total projected Bill-of-Materials (BOM) and manufacturing cost of approximately $170 for the product.
The estimated BOM consists of a hardware cost of $138, including the battery, nearly $10 for manufacturing and basic test costs, and a software and licensing cost of $23.
iSuppli produced this estimate of the Pre’s hardware and manufacturing costs based on second-quarter component pricing and assembly pricing from the company’s Mobile Handset Cost Model. An iSuppli cross-functional team also participated in developing the virtual teardown, including experts in memory, displays, baseband, component pricing, mobile handsets and wireless connectivity.
A full, physical teardown of the Palm Pre will be released by iSuppli early next week.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Palm Pre aims at iPhone: iSuppli
EL SEGUNDO: Palm Inc. is aiming high with its new Pre, a smart phone that rival’s Apple Inc.’s iPhone in terms of slickness—and in terms of hardware features—according to a virtual teardown conducted by iSuppli Corp.
The Palm Pre carries a materials cost of $137.83 and a combined total projected Bill-of-Materials (BOM) of $170.02 which includes hardware, manufacturing and software and IP licensing costs, according to an estimate from iSuppli. Since the Pre is not yet shipping, iSuppli has not conducted an actual physical teardown of the product.
However, iSuppli has produced an estimate of the Pre’s hardware and manufacturing costs based on second-quarter component pricing and assembly pricing from the company’s Mobile Handset Cost Model to develop this cost analysis. An iSuppli cross-functional team also participated in developing the virtual teardown, including experts in memory, displays, baseband, component pricing, mobile handsets and wireless connectivity.
“The similarity in features between the Pre and the iPhone clearly reveals the mark Palm is trying to hit,” said Tina Teng, senior analyst, wireless communications, for iSuppli.
From a user perspective, Palm seems to be right on target, combining a multi-touch display interface with an intuitive operating system that makes operation easier and more convenient to use, according to Teng. The Pre is the only announced smart phone besides the iPhone to support a multi-touch display interface, a feature that allows multiple simultaneous touch inputs.
“The use of a multi-touch screen—a key allure of the iPhone—and Palm’s innovative WebOS operating system, are likely to allow the pre to appeal to a broad range of consumers, going far beyond the company’s core group of business-oriented customers,” Teng said.
Outside of the user interface and software, the Pre’s other features match up well with the iPhone 3G and the other lineup of “iPhone killers” including the BlackBerry Storm. These features include 3G wireless broadband, an accelerometer, an ambient light sensor, a proximity sensor, large capacity memory for storage, Wi-Fi and a 3-megapixel camera.
Pre’s price tag
iSuppli’s total Pre cost estimate of $170.02 consists of a hardware cost of $137.83, including the battery, $9.58 for manufacturing and basic test costs and software & licensing cost of $22.61. iSuppli is projecting that Palm will try to sell the Palm Pre to Sprint Nextel at a price of about $300.
However, as is the case with virtually all mobile phones, the Pre’s price to consumers will be lower, at about $200, due to the wireless operator’s subsidy. Software and licensing includes the cost of intellectual property, royalties and licensing fee. Not included in this analysis are shipping, logistics, marketing and other channel costs.
The figure presents a summary of the results of iSuppli’s cost analysis of the Pre.
BOM breakdown
The combination of the display and touch screen module is expected to be the Pre's most expensive single subsystem, at $39.51, representing 23.2 percent of the device's BOM. iSuppli believes the Pre employs a 3.1-inch TFT-LCD screen that has a pixel format of 320 by 480 pixels and supports the display of 16 million colors. The display subsystem also likely includes a capacitive touch screen overlay that allows multi-touch input through software.
Other significant contributors to the Pre's cost include:
* 8GBytes of NAND flash memory for storage, accounting for $15.96, or 9.4 percent of the Pre’s total BOM.
* A dual-band CDMA EVDO air interface, at a cost of $15.41, OR 9.1 percent of the total BOM.
* The 3-megapixel camera, costing $12.39, or 7.3 percent of the BOM.
Can Pre help Palm get a leg up on the market?
With the arrival of the iPhone and a range of competitive products, Palm in recent years has been suffering a decline in its already-minor share of global smart phone sales. Palm's share of global smart phone shipments declined to 2 percent in 2008, down from 2.9 percent in 2006, according to iSuppli.
Can the Pre reverse Palm's slide and allow the company to become a more significant player in the smart phone market?
“Palm has been known for years for its touch screen enabled PDA devices, its easy to use, simple operating system and its Treo smart phone product line,” Teng observed. “However, just a glance at the Pre at CES has changed the industry’s opinions about Palm, showing it is a company that can be competitive with Apple iPhone or any other leading-edge product in the global smart phone market.”
The Palm Pre carries a materials cost of $137.83 and a combined total projected Bill-of-Materials (BOM) of $170.02 which includes hardware, manufacturing and software and IP licensing costs, according to an estimate from iSuppli. Since the Pre is not yet shipping, iSuppli has not conducted an actual physical teardown of the product.
However, iSuppli has produced an estimate of the Pre’s hardware and manufacturing costs based on second-quarter component pricing and assembly pricing from the company’s Mobile Handset Cost Model to develop this cost analysis. An iSuppli cross-functional team also participated in developing the virtual teardown, including experts in memory, displays, baseband, component pricing, mobile handsets and wireless connectivity.
“The similarity in features between the Pre and the iPhone clearly reveals the mark Palm is trying to hit,” said Tina Teng, senior analyst, wireless communications, for iSuppli.
From a user perspective, Palm seems to be right on target, combining a multi-touch display interface with an intuitive operating system that makes operation easier and more convenient to use, according to Teng. The Pre is the only announced smart phone besides the iPhone to support a multi-touch display interface, a feature that allows multiple simultaneous touch inputs.
“The use of a multi-touch screen—a key allure of the iPhone—and Palm’s innovative WebOS operating system, are likely to allow the pre to appeal to a broad range of consumers, going far beyond the company’s core group of business-oriented customers,” Teng said.
Outside of the user interface and software, the Pre’s other features match up well with the iPhone 3G and the other lineup of “iPhone killers” including the BlackBerry Storm. These features include 3G wireless broadband, an accelerometer, an ambient light sensor, a proximity sensor, large capacity memory for storage, Wi-Fi and a 3-megapixel camera.
Pre’s price tag
iSuppli’s total Pre cost estimate of $170.02 consists of a hardware cost of $137.83, including the battery, $9.58 for manufacturing and basic test costs and software & licensing cost of $22.61. iSuppli is projecting that Palm will try to sell the Palm Pre to Sprint Nextel at a price of about $300.
However, as is the case with virtually all mobile phones, the Pre’s price to consumers will be lower, at about $200, due to the wireless operator’s subsidy. Software and licensing includes the cost of intellectual property, royalties and licensing fee. Not included in this analysis are shipping, logistics, marketing and other channel costs.
The figure presents a summary of the results of iSuppli’s cost analysis of the Pre.BOM breakdown
The combination of the display and touch screen module is expected to be the Pre's most expensive single subsystem, at $39.51, representing 23.2 percent of the device's BOM. iSuppli believes the Pre employs a 3.1-inch TFT-LCD screen that has a pixel format of 320 by 480 pixels and supports the display of 16 million colors. The display subsystem also likely includes a capacitive touch screen overlay that allows multi-touch input through software.
Other significant contributors to the Pre's cost include:
* 8GBytes of NAND flash memory for storage, accounting for $15.96, or 9.4 percent of the Pre’s total BOM.
* A dual-band CDMA EVDO air interface, at a cost of $15.41, OR 9.1 percent of the total BOM.
* The 3-megapixel camera, costing $12.39, or 7.3 percent of the BOM.
Can Pre help Palm get a leg up on the market?
With the arrival of the iPhone and a range of competitive products, Palm in recent years has been suffering a decline in its already-minor share of global smart phone sales. Palm's share of global smart phone shipments declined to 2 percent in 2008, down from 2.9 percent in 2006, according to iSuppli.
Can the Pre reverse Palm's slide and allow the company to become a more significant player in the smart phone market?
“Palm has been known for years for its touch screen enabled PDA devices, its easy to use, simple operating system and its Treo smart phone product line,” Teng observed. “However, just a glance at the Pre at CES has changed the industry’s opinions about Palm, showing it is a company that can be competitive with Apple iPhone or any other leading-edge product in the global smart phone market.”
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