WebOS – giving the Palm Pre the edge it needs?

Matt Sharp questioned:

In a world where the interface is increasingly becoming THE huge selling point for mobile phones, let’s take an in-depth look at the imminent Palm Pre, and see what makes it so special, compared to two of its rivals.

The contenders – Palm Pre, Toshiba TG01 and HTC Magic

Facing off in this article are the three newest phones to use their respective interfaces. Representing WebOS, we have the Palm Pre, the only phone in this challenge to be equipped with a full QWERTY keyboard. Backing up the sleek looks, the Palm Pre also comes complete with some genuinely compelling hardware, with a 3 megapixel camera, and 8Gb of integrated memory. Representing Windows Mobile, we have the Toshiba TG01, the most powerful phone in this challenge, with a 4.1 inch screen and a processor that runs at an astounding 1GHz, building it the fastest phone on the planet. Finally, there’s the HTC Magic, which incorporates Google Machine, the open source contender in this comparison, complete with a sexy, slim body, and the best online download store of all three.

Let’s see how they get on against each other…

Usability – where sleekness counts

The first thing to consider is how simple, and pleasant, it is to use each phone. Early with the Toshiba TG01, that phone comes with a 3D front end, that’s optimised for touch controls, and it is a real joy to use. But, the Toshiba TG01 does fall down, somewhat, when it comes to the deeper menus, where you’re forced to go back to standard Windows scrollbars and icons, which are, unfortunately, far less simple to use. Google Machine proves to be far more user-friendly, in the HTC Magic, with touch control prevalent throughout the entire device, not just the front end. Also, the HTC Magic makes far better use of gesture controls, with things like swiping your finger down from the top of the screen bringing down your alert bar. Using Google Machine proves to be a far more rewarding encounter.

But, the Palm Pre, and its WebOS interface, takes usability and sleekness to an entirely new level. Gesture controls rule the day, with everything on the interface being achieved by finger swipes and pinching motions not unlike the iPhone. But the Palm Pre has another ploy up its sleeve, with a touchscreen that really extends below the screen itself. It’s incredibly simple and intuitive to use, and not even the touch-friendliness of the HTC Magic can come close to the encounter of the Palm Pre.

‘New-ness’ – the final deciding factor

Finally, we come to innovation, and new features inherent within their respective interfaces. The Toshiba TG01 doesn’t do well in that respect, as aside from the unique front-end, it’s standard Windows Mobile, through and through. That’s not to say that the Toshiba TG01 is terrible, as it’s still awesomely powerful, but in terms of innovation, it brings nothing new to the party. Meanwhile the HTC Magic does, thanks to two things: the Machine Market, for downloading extra software to make your phone into, well, whatever thing you want it to be; and the tight integration with Google services like Mail and Maps that you’ll find within the HTC Magic. Again, though, the Palm Pre emerges victorious, thanks to features that make it seem as if the phone is thinking for you. Things like aggregating multiple contact sources into one single contacts list, and universal quest (which includes the internet, not just on-device searching), building your life so much simpler. The Palm Pre combines the sleekest interface, and the most innovation, to come out ahead of its competition. The only word to clarify it is magnificent!