1 Flash support coming soon

This is probably the biggest, most anticipated feature to arrive on the Palm Pre. Adobe, the developers of the Flash Player have announced that Flash Player 10.1 will be coming to the Pre early next year. This means you will be able to play or watch any latest flash content right through your Pre’s web browser. In fact, Palm has already laid the groundwork in the most recent webOS update, which now shows a placeholder for flash videos where there was previously just a blank space.

Here is Adobe’s Adrian Ludwig demonstrating how it will work:

Palm Pre owners will be particularly pleased to know that Flash Player 10.1 is not coming to the iPhone.

2 Supports streaming audio and video directly via the browser

That’s right, no app required. Just go to any supported internet radio site, such as SHOUTcast, and start streaming radio stations directly through your Pre’s web browser. It streams in the background so you continue working while you listen to your favourite station. Video streaming is also supported through RTSP, H.263 and H.264 formats. And, as mentioned before, flash support is coming soon.

3 Runs homebrew

The Pre is able to run many homebrew apps and patches once you have installed Preware, a repository of all the latest and great homebrew for the Pre (Read our piece on Top10 Homebrew Apps for the Pre for more info). This allows you to customise your Pre to YOUR specific needs and you don’t have to “jailbreak” the handset to do this.

4 Can be themed

Thanks to homebrew, you can also customise the look of your Pre’s interface. In fact, custom themes are the most popular homebrew category with over 800 themes available in Preware and more being added every day.

5 Backs up your data automatically

The Pre regularly backs up all your phone data in the background and uploads it to your Palm profile online. So in the event that you may have to reset your Pre to factory settings or get a new one, you will still have all your data intact and ready to be downloaded again.

6 Adds web page shortcuts to the launcher

The Facebook clients currently available for the Pre leave a lot to be desired. However, you’ll be pleased to know that Facebook’s mobile version works extremely well on Pre’s web browser. Simply go to x.facebook.com (or find it in the bookmarks) and add it to the launcher as a shortcut icon to make Facebook mobile as easily accessible as any standalone app. Meanwhile, updates are taken care of thanks to Pre’s push email notifications.

7 Charges wirelessly

In case you haven’t seen one, the Pre has a special charging accessory called the ‘Touchstone’, which works like most charging dock accessories, except you don’t have to plug-in or dock your Pre to anything. Simply lie the Pre on the Touchstone and it will charge wirelessly (magnetically to be precise). When you receive a call, pick up the phone from the Touchstone and it will answer the call automatically.

8 The webOS is fantastic

The Pre is a great phone. And what makes it so great is its webOS operating system developed based on Linux. The webOS will bring your life up to speed with ‘Synergy’, by synchronising all your contacts, emails and calendars into one profile, and also offers push email support.

More importantly, it has one of the most intuitive user interfaces you will come across on a smartphone. Multi-task by running multiple apps at the same time in the form of ‘cards’, which you can navigate easily by swiping your thumb on the screen. Then when you're done, simply ‘flick’ them off the screen to the most satisfactory result.

9 Has removable battery

The Pre’s multi-tasking capabilities also make it a real battery hog. Thankfully it has a removable battery. So if you keep running out of juice, you can pop in a spare one easily.

10 It really is a beautiful device

At first sight, the Pre may seem like a stubby device. Beauty, however, is in the eye of the beholder. From my personal experience of using the Pre for over a month, I can say that I have really grown to appreciate its beautiful curves and rather cute design.

It has just the right amount of weight and a wholesome shape that feels great in my hand. I would highly recommend replacing the standard battery cover with the special ‘Touchstone’ battery cover (sold separately) as its beautiful matte finish makes a real difference when you hold the phone.