A San Francisco-based startup has launched Palm, described by The Verge as “a sidecar for your smartphone”. The smartphone is made with Gorilla Glass and has a 3.3″ LCD display with a resolution of 720 × 1280, an aspect ratio of 16:9 and 445 ppi. Currently, it cannot be purchased on its own, only as an add-on to an existing mobile plan, sharing the same line.
The idea behind Palm is to provide a smaller device for consumers to use when carrying a larger smartphone around with them might be inconvenient or for those that feel they use their smartphones too much. Several changes have been made to its Android operating system, both to improve its functionality on the smaller screen and reduce distractions for the user.
Having said that, it does runs a complete version of Android 8.1 and all the apps that come with it, powered by a Snapdragon 435 chipset, 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. An additional 256GB can also be added by way of a micro SD card. The handset is IP68-rated for water and dust protection and also features a 12MP primary camera, an 8MP internal camera with face unlock, USB-C connectivity and an 800mAh battery.
Palm is available now, exclusively through Verizon, priced at $349.
