Where would a smartphone be without its apps? While the Palm Pre Plus doesn’t have millions of available apps like some other phones iCould name, it does have a serviceable assortment. You’ll be glad to know there are at least eight different fart-sound apps!
Ahem. In the Palm’s app catalog, you can search using a keyword or browse featured apps, categories such as “business” or “health and fitness,” recently added apps, or most popular. From there you can sort by how long the app has been available, by name/ABC order, by star rating, or cost. For each app you check out, you’ll see its rating (up to 5 stars) and the number of users who awarded it. You can tap a button to read reviews, share the app with another user via email or text, or sometimes even see a video demo.
Prices range from free to $9.99 (at least from what I found) and many apps have a Lite version that’s cheaper or free so you can try it out. So far, some of my favorites are:
- Pandora–free and works just like the Internet radio station (I can log on with the same username and access channels I’ve already created)
- TweeFree, for tweeting on the fly
- Some games for my kids: Puzzle Fun (slider-style puzzles; you can add your own photos and turn them into puzzles too); Topple Ball; and of course, Magic Fortune Ball
- The Weather Channel
- Winged Chariot: Beautiful wallpaper images from children’s books (with an option to buy each title and download it to the phone)
Still on my wish list: A workout tracker–several are available, but I haven’t found one with exactly the features I’m looking for yet; and an e-book. There is a small catalog of titles available for $1 to $2 each (plus a bunch of free religious texts). I just haven’t had the chance to do this yet, but it definitely has appeal.
The Palm Pre Plus also has a direct link to Amazon’s MP3 shop, so you can easily download songs or albums right to the phone. Since (ahem again) I don’t have an MP3 player, this would be a great way for me to add some of my favorite tunes and listen whenever I like.
*Disclosure: I received a free Palm Pre Plus phone and one month of service from Verizon Wireless so that I could test them out for this series of reviews. These opinions are my own.
