Palm Foleo – the World’s First Smartphone Companion Officially Launched
Yesterday, we reported about the mysterious 3rd category smartphone. Palm has finally unveiled the New Palm Foleo Mobile Companion. It will work in conjunction with a smartphone. It seems that the Foleo won’t have cellular-wireless access itself, but can be synchronized with a smartphone, apparently a Treo.
The Foleo, one of the world’s first smartphone companions, will weigh 2.4 pounds and has 10 inch large screen display and full size QWERTY keyboard to view and edit Microsoft office documents or checking messages. The user can browse the web or check e-mail using a custom version of the Opera web browser and mail client. Via Bluetooth internet can be connected on Treo wireless. The device offers up to 5 hours of battery life even when using Wi-Fi.
Besides, synchronizing with both the company’s Palm OS and Windows Mobile based Treos, it would like to add blackberry and Symbian support. In addition, it will run a version of the Linux operating system and will be open to the third party software.
The clamshell design will not include touchscreen. This time it will be controlled with a track point, forward and lack buttons and a scroll wheel. This device supports multi-tasking, but applications will take up the full screen.
Jeff Hawkins, co-founder of Palm and the one who led this product’s design team, said, “Foleo is the most exciting product I have ever worked on. Smartphones will be the most prevalent personal computers on the planet, ultimately able to do everything that desktop computers can do. However, there are times when people need a large screen and full-size keyboard. As smartphones get smaller, this need increases. The Foleo completes the picture creating a mobile-computing system that sets a new standard in simplicity.”
For peripherals and extra storage, a USB port and an SD card slot will be provided. A headphone jack allows listening to media without plugging into the phone itself.
The Palm Foleo will be available this summer and will cost $600, but Palm will offer a $100 rebate at its introduction.
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