The Palm Pre and the Apple iPhone 3G S are the smartphone standouts of 2009, but they're not the only news. Operating systems are receiving updates, new devices are debuting, and app stores are growing by the day. Here's what to look for from the six big operating systems in smartphones today.
The Palm Pre might have a slick OS and stylish hardware, but when it comes to apps, it has a long road ahead of it. The Apple iPhone OS has the largest (more than 35,000 apps now) and most comprehensive native app store of any mobile operating system. And if Palm wants WebOS and the Pre to challenge Apple's smartphone juggernaut, it's going to have to step up its apps game. But Palm's App Catalog shows a lot of promise: Its design makes navigating and shopping for apps from the Pre easy, and many of the apps take full advantage of WebOS's best features.
Finally: The Palm Pre has a confirmed availability date and price tag attached to it. iPhone Killer, Palm's Hail Mary, or a complete flop--we'll finally see what the hype is all about.
Most of the smartphones we saw at CES were updated versions of older models. But the new Palm Pre (and its webOS) was a breath of fresh air--and it definitely stole the show.
