WebOS - giving the Palm Pre the edge it needs?

In a world where the interface is increasingly becoming THE big selling point for mobile phones, let's take an in-depth look at the upcoming Palm Pre, and see what makes it so special, compared to two of its rivals.

The contenders - Palm Pre, Toshiba TG01 and HTC Magic

Facing off in this article are the three newest phones to use their respective interfaces. Representing WebOS, we have the Palm Pre, the only phone in this challenge to be equipped with a full QWERTY keyboard. Backing up the sleek looks, the Palm Pre also comes complete with some genuinely compelling hardware, with a 3 megapixel camera, and 8Gb of integrated memory. Representing Windows Mobile, we have the Toshiba TG01, the most powerful phone in this challenge, with a 4.1 inch screen and a processor that runs at an astounding 1GHz, making it the fastest phone on the planet. Finally, there's the HTC Magic, which incorporates Google Android, the open source contender in this comparison, complete with a sexy, slim body, and the best online download store of all three.

Let's see how they get on against each other...

Usability - where sleekness counts

The first thing to consider is how easy, and pleasant, it is to use each phone. Starting with the Toshiba TG01, that phone comes with a 3D front end, that's optimised for touch controls, and it is a real joy to use. However, the Toshiba TG01 does fall down, somewhat, when it comes to the deeper menus, where you're forced to go back to standard Windows scrollbars and icons, which are, unfortunately, far less easy to use. Google Android proves to be far more user-friendly, in the HTC Magic, with touch control prevalent throughout the entire device, not just the front end. Also, the HTC Magic makes far better use of gesture controls, with things like swiping your finger down from the top of the screen bringing down your alert bar. Using Google Android proves to be a far more rewarding experience.

However, the Palm Pre, and its WebOS interface, takes usability and sleekness to an entirely new level. Gesture controls rule the day, with everything on the interface being achieved by finger swipes and pinching motions not unlike the iPhone. But the Palm Pre has another trick up its sleeve, with a touchscreen that actually extends below the screen itself. It's incredibly easy and intuitive to use, and not even the touch-friendliness of the HTC Magic can come close to the experience of the Palm Pre.

'New-ness' - the final deciding factor

Finally, we come to innovation, and new features inherent within their respective interfaces. The Toshiba TG01 doesn't do well in that respect, as aside from the unique front-end, it's standard Windows Mobile, through and through. That's not to say that the Toshiba TG01 is bad, as it's still awesomely powerful, but in terms of innovation, it brings nothing new to the party. Meanwhile the HTC Magic does, thanks to two things: the Android Market, for downloading extra software to make your phone into, well, anything you want it to be; and the tight integration with Google services like Mail and Maps that you'll find within the HTC Magic. Again, though, the Palm Pre emerges victorious, thanks to features that make it seem as if the phone is thinking for you. Things like aggregating multiple contact sources into one single contacts list, and universal search (which includes the internet, not just on-device searching), making your life so much easier. The Palm Pre combines the sleekest interface, and the most innovation, to come out ahead of its competition. The only word to describe it is magnificent!