Palm Pre Plus from Verizon Review and Giveaway

I love gadgets.

I mean, really I LOVE gadgets and phones hold a special place in my heart. If money permitted, I'd be one of those people with several different types of cell phones just because I liked them.

So, I'm really fired up to be able to partner with my friends at The Motherhood and Verizon Wireless to put a Palm Pre Plus to the test.

For the next 4 weeks, I'll be learning and trying out the features of the Palm Pre Plus and will share my experiences AND (if you're good), I'll have one to give away at the end.

To some people, a smart phone automatically conjures up an image of a business type hurriedly dashing from place to place pecking important messages to important people on a fancy phone.

People talk themselves out of phones that might make life easier for them because they "don't work" or, "don't really need" it. Or, the ol', "I don't have that kind of a phone because I don't want to have to stay in touch with my job".

As far as I know, nothing about having a smart phone requires you to stay in touch with anyone you don't want to contact. Unless, your job provides you a phone for that purpose, but I digress...

But, really? Who doesn't need a way to keep themselves organized and information all in one place? Access right in your hand to not only phone numbers, but to e-mail, calendars, lists, maps and most anything you'd ever want or need can't be beat.

In fact, my phone has saved me a couple of times, most notably when my car broke down on the Interstate in the middle of nowhere in another state and my phone was able to lead me to a mechanic 10 minutes before it closed.

OK, I might be an enabler here, but if you choose a smart phone, you'll see what I'm talking about.

Week 1 Experiences

- It's a nice looking phone It's thin and not too heavy, but it feels solid.

- The display is large, bright and colorful. The touch screen navigation requires a little bit of a learning curve. It's kind of Palm-y with a couple of it's special motions if you are of the Palm Pilot generation. You navigate with "gestures" which aren't hard, but just a little different than what I'm used to. It comes with a guide to help you get started, and I'm underway.

- The different "windows" you have open for applications are called "cards"

- The keyboard slides out easily. I've heard the keyboard can be an issue with breaking the phone, but it's been fine so far. The keys seemed a bit small at first, but I'm getting used to them.

- I've quickly messed with the camera, the pictures look good to me, but I'm not one of those people that expects my phone to be a substitute for my DSLR, so I may be the wrong one to ask. More on that later.

- Oh, and it makes calls, too. Oddly, I haven't made a lot of calls, yet as I've been trying to learn to use it, first. The calls I have made seemed just fine.

This week I'm going to work on personalizing it and checking out all the apps available for it.

The giveaway:

Want a chance to win a $25 gift card to Verizon Wireless? You could put it toward a new phone, or even pay a bill.

Here's how to win:

1. Look over the Palm Pre Plus and leave a comment (and a valid e-mail address) telling me which feature or app would make your life a little easier.

2. (Optional) For an extra entry, Tweet about this giveaway and leave a separate comment.

3. 1 winner will be picked randomly via Random.org from the comments.

4. Winner has 24 hours to get back to me, otherwise another winner will be drawn.

5. Hurry! Contest ends Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at 10pm CST.

I wrote this review while working on a Verizon Palm Pre Plus campaign by TheMotherhood.com on behalf of Verizon Wireless and have been given a Palm Pre Plus (and prizes for giveaways) to facilitate my review.

Comments (93)

Nicole Feliciano:

I look forward to seeing how our experiences compare. Here is my first week's impressions:
http://momtrends.blogspot.com/2010/02/palm-pre-plus-review-part-i.html

Posted by Nicole Feliciano | February 10, 2010 1:50 PM

Posted on February 10, 2010 13:50

Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah:

I like the calendar. I used Palm Pilots for years and I like the way they are set up.

Posted by Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah | February 10, 2010 5:57 PM

Posted on February 10, 2010 17:57

Michigan Web Design Grand Rapids - Kim Smith:

I've always LOVED Palm Pilots. I've had a couple, but moved away from them after my last one died--just never replaced it--not sure why. I have to admit that I miss it. I've been eye-ing the Palm Pre and it may have to be my next phone. The features are impressive.

I currently have a LG EnV Touch and it's "okay" but it has a few annoying features. I don't care much for the touch screen. It has a full QWERTY keyboard, but only if you open it up 90 degrees (side open).

I had a slide phone last time and I preferred that much better. I really thought I'd like the touch screen, but notsomuch in real life.

I'm looking forward to reading your ongoing reviews of the Palm Pre!

Posted by Michigan Web Design Grand Rapids - Kim Smith | February 10, 2010 8:41 PM

Posted on February 10, 2010 20:41

I tweeted about your contest & review. Hope it's helpful to others, like myself. I'm @kimsmith on Twitter.

Posted by Michigan Web Design Grand Rapids - Kim Smith | February 10, 2010 8:44 PM

Posted on February 10, 2010 20:44

cwaltz:

The ability to have wi fi anywhere for up to 5 devices seems like a really good feature.

Christine
dazed1821@aol.com

Posted by cwaltz | February 10, 2010 10:34 PM

Posted on February 10, 2010 22:34

Melissa:

I like the games in the app catalog.

Posted by Melissa | February 11, 2010 9:46 AM

Posted on February 11, 2010 09:46

JayMonster:

The only thing that intrigues me about the Pre (and more specifically the WebOS) is the "Cards" for swapping between apps.

Short of that, it seems like a device that is about a year to late. But then again not everybody has had smartphone 'forever' like I have, so maybe I am not the target. But will be curious to see how it measures up for you since you are also already a smart phone user.

I was also a bit surprised that there wasn't more complaints about this being marketed as a "mommy" phone.

Posted by JayMonster | February 11, 2010 11:13 AM

Posted on February 11, 2010 11:13

Sally S.:

I love the data transfer feature. That I can take my contacts, memos, calendars etc. and transfer them from my pc to my phone is awesome! thanks for the chance to win!

Posted by Sally S. | February 11, 2010 7:52 PM

Posted on February 11, 2010 19:52

Nancy:

I'm a big texter so the fact that it has a full keyboard is a definite win for me!

Posted by Nancy | February 12, 2010 1:40 PM

Posted on February 12, 2010 13:40

Rebecca Graham:

The Google Maps app will help me. I am always getting lost.

Posted by Rebecca Graham | February 12, 2010 3:18 PM

Posted on February 12, 2010 15:18

Linda F:

The VZ Navigator app would be a great help

Posted by Linda F | February 12, 2010 3:18 PM

adrienne Gordon:

love the touch screen.

Posted by adrienne Gordon | February 12, 2010 3:36 PM

Posted on February 12, 2010 15:36

Sheila B:

I think the ability to take pics and send them to familt members would be the best feature.Cant do that with my current phone.

Posted by Sheila B | February 12, 2010 6:27 PM

Posted on February 12, 2010 18:27

Tweet-http://twitter.com/SheilaBran/status/9032883592

Posted by Sheila B | February 12, 2010 6:29 PM

Posted on February 12, 2010 18:29

Amber G:

The nice keyboard would make texting a lot easier!

Posted by Amber G | February 12, 2010 6:42 PM

Posted on February 12, 2010 18:42

susan varney:

the touch screen is nice mverno@roadrunner.com

Posted by susan varney | February 12, 2010 6:54 PM

Posted on February 12, 2010 18:54

Stephanie V.:

having a calendar
tvollowitz at aol dot com

Posted by Stephanie V. | February 12, 2010 9:20 PM

Posted on February 12, 2010 21:20

Rajee:

It has great features with touch screen and nice keyboard

Posted by Rajee | February 12, 2010 9:34 PM

Posted on February 12, 2010 21:34

Jackson:

The ability to switch between cards (applications) very easily and in a very intuitive way would definately make my life easier.

Posted by Jackson | February 12, 2010 10:14 PM

Posted on February 12, 2010 22:14

Kristi C:

I think the QWERTY keyboard would make my life easier as my current phone does not have one.

Posted by Kristi C | February 13, 2010 6:43 AM

Posted on February 13, 2010 06:43

mickeyfan:

Ok, I don't have a full keyboard, so that would be nice to have.
One comment for Verizon--here in zip code 68316 "can you hear me now" is often answered by dead air or a dropped call...could you please work on that for us? (And yes, I AM a Verizon subscriber)

Posted by mickeyfan | February 13, 2010 9:15 AM

Posted on February 13, 2010 09:15

Sarah Hirsch:

I think I would like the large, bright display the best. it looks pretty and would be great to show off pictures of the kids. :)

Posted by Sarah Hirsch | February 13, 2010 10:07 AM

Posted on February 13, 2010 10:07

Jilly:

I find the "cards" interesting!

Posted by Jilly | February 13, 2010 10:39 AM

Posted on February 13, 2010 10:39

Linda:

I like the map feature, we do alot of traveling and the map feature would really come in handy, and also the e-mail feature would be a great help when away from home.

Posted by Linda | February 13, 2010 11:04 AM

Posted on February 13, 2010 11:04

Heather S:

I like the touchscreen.

Posted by Heather S | February 13, 2010 1:14 PM

Posted on February 13, 2010 13:14

rose waterston:

Google maps would be useful.

Posted by rose waterston | February 13, 2010 2:13 PM

Posted on February 13, 2010 14:13

julieh:

The google maps app would help me a lot, as I am always getting lost!

Posted by julieh | February 13, 2010 3:55 PM

Posted on February 13, 2010 15:55

Jeff :

Messaging with the IM feature is my favorite.

Posted by Jeff | February 14, 2010 9:29 AM

Posted on February 14, 2010 09:29

Jennifer:

The touchscreen would make my life so much easier because then I wouldn't have to type of such small keys on the keyboard!

Posted by Jennifer | February 14, 2010 1:09 PM

Posted on February 14, 2010 13:09

Sammi:

google maps - I can't tell you how many times that's saved me when I've been driving around looking for a restaurant or whatever

Posted by Sammi | February 14, 2010 3:12 PM

Posted on February 14, 2010 15:12

I tweeted about this giveaway: http://twitter.com/henniferus/status/9114753250

Posted by Jennifer | February 14, 2010 4:31 PM

Posted on February 14, 2010 16:31

Jessica:

I really like the quality of the camera. I take pictures of things to remember (I do this all the time as a lazy way of taking notes) and they can come out kind of blurry on my current phone.

Posted by Jessica | February 14, 2010 5:53 PM

Posted on February 14, 2010 17:53

I tweeted
http://twitter.com/jjak2003/statuses/9117254543

wendy wallach:

the fact that the keyboard slides in and out is the feature that I like the best.

madamerkf at aol dot com

Posted by wendy wallach | February 14, 2010 5:59 PM

Posted on February 14, 2010 17:59

Lauren :

Definitely the Google Maps app!

Posted by Lauren | February 14, 2010 8:11 PM

Posted on February 14, 2010 20:11

Carolyn Mom of 4:

If I don't write it down, it doesn't exist! So I really like the calendar feature. Maybe it would keep me on schedule!

Posted by Carolyn Mom of 4 | February 15, 2010 7:35 AM

Posted on February 15, 2010 07:35

Here's my Tweet!!!! RE http://bit.ly/awweSg

Posted by Carolyn Mom of 4 | February 15, 2010 7:38 AM

Posted on February 15, 2010 07:38

Ani:

The keyboard would, since I don't have one on mine now.

Posted by Ani | February 15, 2010 8:39 AM

Posted on February 15, 2010 08:39

Jennifer M:

I like that it has a universal search feature.

Posted by Jennifer M | February 15, 2010 10:22 AM

Posted on February 15, 2010 10:22

Stephanie Coldwell:

Right now I don't have the internet on my phone, so just the web browser would make my life easier!
Thanks!!

Posted by Stephanie Coldwell | February 15, 2010 10:27 AM

Posted on February 15, 2010 10:27

Merrie L.:

The Quick Launch bar for navigation would be great!

Posted by Merrie L. | February 15, 2010 1:17 PM

Posted on February 15, 2010 13:17

allison:

i like the soduko app

Posted by allison | February 15, 2010 3:02 PM

Posted on February 15, 2010 15:02

Janna Johnson:

google maps for me! i am always using them to find places as i have only lived here for 2 years!
Thanks for entering me! Great Contest!

Janna Johnson
janna@FeedYourPigBlog.com
jannajanna@hotmail.com
www.FeedYourPigBlog.com

Posted by Janna Johnson | February 15, 2010 3:58 PM

Posted on February 15, 2010 15:58

Teresa:

The Google Maps app will help me.

:) Thank you for the wonderful giveaway! :)

Posted by Teresa | February 15, 2010 5:44 PM

Posted on February 15, 2010 17:44

kk:

The web browser is the best feature.

Posted by kk | February 15, 2010 6:49 PM

Posted on February 15, 2010 18:49

Amy:

I like the layering multi-calendar view option!

Posted by Amy | February 15, 2010 8:08 PM

Posted on February 15, 2010 20:08

Cathy:

I don't have a smart phone, but I would LOVE to be able to access my email and the web via my phone. I could save so much time by doing that while waiting in line, etc. Thank you for the giveaway!

Posted by Cathy | February 15, 2010 10:07 PM

Posted on February 15, 2010 22:07

Danielle:

totally the slide out keyboard. Flip phones and t9 are a thing of the past. Im a texter so a keypad would do me wonders!

ferriza2(at)yahoo(dot)com

Posted by Danielle | February 15, 2010 11:36 PM

Posted on February 15, 2010 23:36

Janie Futrell:

I like the games

Posted by Janie Futrell | February 16, 2010 12:01 AM

Posted on February 16, 2010 00:01

Deb:

I think I'm about ready for the querty keyboard when texting. I misspell enough things as it is, without my phone adding the wrong word. :) How do you think that keypad will hold up to being pressed with fingernails?

Posted by Deb | February 16, 2010 12:07 AM

Posted on February 16, 2010 00:07

Christie:

The calendar would help me a great deal because I need to keep my work schedule at hand.

Posted by Christie | February 16, 2010 2:45 AM

Posted on February 16, 2010 02:45

Anonymous:

The calendar on the Palm Pre could make my life a little easier, and I could use the $25 gift certificate on my monthly Verizon Access Manager Card (for a computer - I can plug it into my laptop and go ANYWHERE!), which costs $65 a month!

Posted by Anonymous | February 16, 2010 8:34 AM

Posted on February 16, 2010 08:34

Amanda Barnes:

I like the slide out keyboard the most! :) And the fact that it's really cute :)
Amanda Barnes
amandakbarnes90@gmail dot com

Posted by Amanda Barnes | February 16, 2010 10:26 AM

Posted on February 16, 2010 10:26

Erica C.:

Being able to switch between applications is pretty neat, and the big difference between this phone and my current one.

Posted by Erica C. | February 16, 2010 11:40 AM

Posted on February 16, 2010 11:40

CMC:

I make the most use of the Calendar features in my current phone. I need something to holler at me to remind me about stuff or I'll just totally forget about it.

Posted by CMC | February 16, 2010 11:54 AM

Posted on February 16, 2010 11:54

Tweeted:

http://twitter.com/spitfyr323/statuses/9194670416

Posted by CMC | February 16, 2010 11:56 AM

Posted on February 16, 2010 11:56

Steph :

My favorite feature was that you can run multiple apps at once. My favorite apps were Speed Brain and NFL 2010.

Posted by Steph | February 16, 2010 12:04 PM

Posted on February 16, 2010 12:04

Julie Laws:

the key board slides out with no problem

Posted by Julie Laws | February 16, 2010 2:04 PM

Posted on February 16, 2010 14:04

heather y:

Thanks for hosting a great giveaway! The large display would be a big plus for me... thanks!

Posted by heather y | February 16, 2010 2:25 PM

Posted on February 16, 2010 14:25

denyse:

The Navigation would be great for me.

Posted by denyse | February 16, 2010 5:56 PM

Posted on February 16, 2010 17:56

dianne:

The picture and video would be great for seeing my kids and grand children that iive out of state.

Posted by dianne | February 16, 2010 6:22 PM

Posted on February 16, 2010 18:22

damon:

The keyboard is great. My phone now doesn't even have one.

Posted by damon | February 16, 2010 7:58 PM

Posted on February 16, 2010 19:58

Stacey M:

I could really use the calender feature.

Posted by Stacey M | February 16, 2010 8:37 PM

Posted on February 16, 2010 20:37

I tweeted this giveaway at http://twitter.com/jettaway75/status/9215015219

Posted by Stacey M | February 16, 2010 8:40 PM

Posted on February 16, 2010 20:40

christopher h:

the games would make life easier - a simple way to keep the little ones occupied

Posted by christopher h | February 16, 2010 10:19 PM

Posted on February 16, 2010 22:19

Auriette:

I'd love to have a phone like the Palm Pre Plus that has wifi and a web browser. There's so often when I'm out and I'd love to be able to look something up on my phone.

Posted by Auriette | February 16, 2010 11:29 PM

Posted on February 16, 2010 23:29

Angela Winesburg:

I would love the VZ Navigator App, thanks!

Posted by Angela Winesburg | February 17, 2010 1:25 AM

Posted on February 17, 2010 01:25

vivian:

google maps ty

Posted by vivian | February 17, 2010 1:34 AM

Posted on February 17, 2010 01:34

Posted by vivian | February 17, 2010 1:35 AM

Posted on February 17, 2010 01:35

Amy D:

the google app.thanks

Posted by Amy D | February 17, 2010 7:28 AM

Posted on February 17, 2010 07:28

Shelley Mitchell:

I've been wanting a phone with a full keyboard so this would be great!!

Posted by Shelley Mitchell | February 17, 2010 7:45 AM

Posted on February 17, 2010 07:45

Amy Delong:

for me the wifi everywhere you can think of!

ardelong2(at)gmail(dot)com

Posted by Amy Delong | February 17, 2010 8:39 AM

Posted on February 17, 2010 08:39

Jenn S.:

I like the wi-fi availabitity for other devices.

Posted by Jenn S. | February 17, 2010 8:39 AM

Happi Shopr:

Love the data transfer feature because it would make life so much simpler.

Posted by Happi Shopr | February 17, 2010 9:42 AM

Posted on February 17, 2010 09:42

diane Baum:

Love the touchscreen

Posted by diane Baum | February 17, 2010 10:18 AM

Posted on February 17, 2010 10:18

Becky:

I like you can run multiple apps at once..

Posted by Becky | February 17, 2010 10:58 AM

Posted on February 17, 2010 10:58

kathy pease:

i love that it has a calendar to keep track of dates and events :)

Posted by kathy pease | February 17, 2010 12:02 PM

Posted on February 17, 2010 12:02

http://twitter.com/klp1965/status/9244256192

Posted by kathy pease | February 17, 2010 12:03 PM

Posted on February 17, 2010 12:03

Jo:

I like that it is WiFi compatable, and has a YouTube icon
jceko77@yahoo.com

Posted by Jo | February 17, 2010 12:10 PM

Posted on February 17, 2010 12:10

Chuck Darrah:

Google maps would make my life so much more easy. If I won the $25.00 Id be at verizon tomorrow upgrading my phone. Im due for a 2 year upgrade so $25.00 would almost pay for a new phone for me.

Posted by Chuck Darrah | February 17, 2010 3:12 PM

Posted on February 17, 2010 15:12

katie:

I would like the touch-screen feature!

Posted by katie | February 17, 2010 3:19 PM

Posted on February 17, 2010 15:19

Sand:

I would find the accuweather app very useful.

Posted by Sand | February 17, 2010 4:49 PM

Posted on February 17, 2010 16:49

Gianna:

Google Maps :)