Remember Palm? Last we heard, TCL was planning on resurrecting the brand and prepared to launch a variety of devices throughout this year. That didn’t happen, but Palm isn’t down and out yet. That’s because Palm is back and brand new, having bought the brand from TCL. This company is based out of California, and it’s launching its first product with the Palm brand on back in November. This device is technically a phone, but Palm is positioning it more like a companion device. Though, it is priced at $350, which means it costs as much as some mid-range and powerful handsets out there. Still, the new Palm product has a 3.3-inch HD display, along with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 processor under the hood. It has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of built-in storage, and Android 8.1 is available right out of the box. There is a 12MP camera on the back, and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera on the other side. The device has 4G LTE, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, and GPS. The battery measures in at 800mAh, and the companion device is IP68-rated for water- and dust-resistance.
So, what’s a companion device to do? This new Palm is meant to serve as something you can take out with you and allow you to leave your phone at home. It syncs with your Android or iOS device, and then it can handle phone calls, texts, and more without your phone needing to be with you. It is built around the idea of getting specific things done, quickly, including launching Android apps like Spotify and others from the Play Store. There is also a Gesture Pad feature, which is accessible by swiping up from the display. This will allow owners to access apps like the phone, messages, and more. It also supports searching for an app just by drawing the first letter of the app’s name on the display. The primary new feature for the Palm companion is Life Mode, which, when activated and the display is off, will block calls and messages, along with other notifications, until the screen is turned back on and the device goes back to full functionality. Life Mode can be tweaked by the owner, too. The Palm companion launches in November for $350. It’s a Verizon Wireless exclusive, and it will cost an additional $10 per month for line access — just like a smartwatch. It will be available in Titanium and Gold when it does arrive. Who plans on picking one of these up?
