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Behind on the latest Palm Pre and WebOS news? Get all caught up on the latest details with our definitive data sheet and FAQ that we’ll constantly update as news comes in. Last Updated: 1/22/09

SPECIFICATIONS
• Linux-based Palm-built WebOS operating system and UI
• 3.1-inch, 320×480 capacitive LCD multitouch screen
• Vertical slider form factor with full QWERTY keyboard
• 8GB flash storage
• Multitouch gesture area and scrollball
• 3G EV-DO rev. A and wi-fi
• Bluetooth and GPS
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• 3-Megapixel camera
• LED flash
• TI OMAP CPU
• Micro USB connection with mass storage support
• Wireless induction charger

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Whispers along the grapevine have reached our ears, and apparently the Palm Pre will keep to its 1H 2009 launch window, although we were surprised to hear that it will be as early as February 15th. If that were true, guys who have forgotten all about Valentine’s Day can always pick it up the day after and use the excuse that Palm’s release date was screwed up, which is why they could not get the present on time. That aside, the tipster for the February 15 launch date is the same source that mentioned the Treo 800w’s release date, but otherwise, there is no money down on a guarantee. After all, rumors are supposed to be delicious morsels that are swallowed by gullible people, right? Don’t forget to wash down that pinch of salt with plenty of water now.

This isn’t a Palm-branded party favor, a paperweight, or a doorstop. Actually, sure, it could be any of those things if you really wanted it to be — but Palm’s Touchstone is mainly about charging your Pre and making sure it looks pretty while it’s getting juiced. It’s a pretty wild product (and the first accessory purchase for many a would-be Pre owner, we’d bet), so we wanted to spend a little quality time with it. We weren’t allowed to do much charging on our own, but the magnets buried in the Pre certainly seemed to do their job of keeping it glued to the base in portrait and landscape orientations. Oh, and just to validate what we know you’re thinking right now, yes: we overheard several Palm employees call it “the puck,” so you should, too.

Despite the widespread assumption that PDA grandaddy Palm was in its death throes, the company rolled out an iPhone competitor, the Palm Pre, at CES yesterday. The 8-gigabyte slider has GPS navigation, Wi-Fi connectivity, and a new interface the company’s calling WebOS. Looking good! This could be the beginning of a big comeback for Palm.

In about six months, the Palm Pre will be available exclusively on the Sprint network, and while pricing hasn’t been announced yet, the phone is said to cost roughly in the $200 range. Now if Palm can just get an army of developers interested in creating web-friendly apps for the diminutive smartphone, it might have a shot at being competitive.

There you have it folks, the mystery Palm phone and OS are no longer a mystery and the world has now received its first glimpse at Palm’s hopeful savior. First impressions mean everything and for the time being it’s safe to say we were supremely wowed. Seriously, did you ever imagine you’d see the day when Palm would release a handset and OS combo so perfectly evolutionary and well designed? Once the initial high wears off however, we’re all brought back down to reality - a reality where Palm is a company on the verge of falling apart and the Pre represents what is likely the first in a series of handsets that will make or break it, literally. Is this sharp little piece of kit up to the task?

The new-ness is underway, and Palm just debuted its long(est) awaited all-new handset, the Palm pre. The curvy touchscreen handset has a 3.1-inch 320 x 480 multitouch display, with a rollerball down below and touch sensitivity all down the face — the lower part is for “gestures.” A full QWERTY keyboard slides out from the phone in a portrait orientation, and you can flip the phone on its side for accelerometer-sensed widescreen browsing. The phone is running Palm’s all-new webOS platform, with TI’s new OMAP CPU under the hood — which Palm claims provides laptop-style power, and which juices the phones smooth transitions, scrolling and “deck of cards” app-switching. Other internal specs include EV-DO Rev. A, 802.11b/g WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth with A2DP and 8GB of built-in flash storage. There’s a 3 megapixel camera with LED flash, mass storage-friendly microUSB plug and a good ol’ 3.5mm headphone jack, but most exciting is the wireless charger — a first for a mainstream phone. More shots are after the break, including a fancy FCC diagram depicting a removable battery. The phone is exclusive at launch for Sprint in the first half of 2009, no word on price just yet.