What should Palm do about the iPhone threat?

Many are predicting doom and gloom for the Palm with the recent announcement of the iPhone. I see it as an opportunity, actually a HUGE opportunity for the Treo 680, Palm's closest competitor to the iPhone.

The iPhone will get droves of people going to the cingular stores in mid 07. Only a few will buy due to the high price tag. The rest will be there to just admire the device. At the same time, these eyeballs will get on the 680 which is already available in Cingular stores. However, after taking a look at the iPhone, looking at the 680 can be a depressing feeling with the boring and sometimes horrendous gray interfaces. The solution is simple and Palm has a good 6 months to:

1.SPICE up the Treo 680’s interfaces, making it look super cool, evoking fun and memorable experiences
2.Ship some killa apps with the Treo 680
3.Overhaul the web aspect of the Marketing Campaign

1. Spicing up the Treo 680
There is nothing on the iPhone that the Treo 680 does not do.  But what is the difference? The U.I. of the iPhone is stunning and sparks an emotional experience. For example, lets look at threaded sms on the iPhone and the Treo as shown below.

If Palm can spice up the 680, it can sway users from the iPhone particularly with it being half the price.

Here is what needs to be done
  -All the U.I of major apps needs to be overhauled. The current Palm U.I. is a completely out of date.
  -Update current apps with better experiences.

Let me show you some examples

On the left is Palm's default Phone app. This will not excite any user who looks at it in the cingular store.  On the right is our Phone app that runs on the Treo. We call it DialbyPhoto. Notice how more vibrant and super sleek it looks. The ability to have photo contacts laid out beautifully along with People icons that evoke a “Fun Experience”. You can try DialByPHoto by clicking this link.

 

On the left is Palm's boring u.i for Pocket Tunes. On the right is the design we did for Pocket Tunes 4.

Even your simple application like memo can be re-designed to spark a better emotional experience as we have done with TreoMemo we just released.

 

2.Ship with some killa apps
  Palm’s strategy of  marketing the treo using well know brands web apps is not enough. The joy of using a Treo is not from going to yahoo or orbitz's webpage. The real joy of using a Treo is when you can use killa apps like
  VeriChat
  Custom Mp3 RingTones
  Call Rec
  Splash ID
  mOcean
Etc

If am a Cingular sales rep this is the kind of ammunition I will need to sway customers.
There is nothing like telling a customer “Did you know you can do……”
The best of the best 3rd party apps should be shipped as trial versions on the 680.

3.Overhaul the web marketing
  As a 10 year veteran of Flash, I can tell you that the onTreo site may be one of the dumbest mirco websites that uses flash as a presentation layout. Flash was used wrongly to make this website, period. Am not blaming the designer, but rather the persons in charge of the vision.
  Palm needs a website that can connect with people. A website that is real. One that tells peoples first hand accounts of using the Treo. Not this nonsense flash animation site with completely retarded bobble heads moving around the screen.

 

Comments

[Andre]

I've been using palms for years. Palm Palms, Palm based Sony handhelds, and a couple of Treos. I do it all, ebooks, organizer, document editing, pictures, email, contacts, phone, games. I even have little wifi add-ons for some of them. A couple of weeks ago I took a chance and put down my Treo. I sucked up the fact that I was moving away from god only knows how much of an investment in apps and hardware over the years. I went out and got an iPhone. I liked the ease of use, and the apps it offered. It looked cool. I was somewhat wary about the lack of native third party apps, but I figured that the community would take care of that. So...how am I doing now? I'll just say that Palm indeed does need to watch out. After their initial offerings, it was third party apps that kept them going. Face it, they are totally outdated, and against the iphone they are totally out classed. It is faster, prettier, and easier to use than any palm I've ever had. The iphone is limited out of the box, but now that the community is delivering on the promise of cool native apps the sky is the limit. I've been defending Palm for years, but I've had it. I don't feel even a tinge of regret. This is the best PDA (yeah it's a PDA) that I've had yet. And the potential blows everyone else away. Am I a fanboy. Sure. Till someone comes out with something better.

[libat]

I have dialbyphoto on my treo and it is the only saving grace that keep my treo exquisitely functional. keep up with the great work!! most of what i need to do is instantly accessible on this app. bravo. now please... where is the sms / calendar / apps??? i will buy those in a heartbeat!!!

[Paul Days]

The PalmOS is very much outdated. As much as I also love Apple, i don't believe the iPhone to be such a threat; I'd say iPhone might be a threat to versatile phone but it is not really in the Smartphone market, (ie, Blackberry, etc).

As for "eye candy" my Treo 650 will rival many smart phones ranging from PalmRevolt, Wallpapers, Fonts, etc. All in all, PalmOS is way due for an overhaul.

[leon]

"There is nothing on the iPhone that the Treo 680 does not do."

Er since when does any Treo have wifi built in?

[leathernuts]

SMS on a touch screen? You have got to be kidding me. I want to see someone type fast on that touchscreen and not make mistakes. You make them as it is on a positive feeling keyboard (the treo) but with nothing to feel on the screen? People with big fingers will be all over the place.

The iphone looks cool and great UI, but 2 different animals. THe kids will love it. Those who truely use it for productivity will find the treo is way ahead of the ball game. I agree though that palm needs to update the look.

[Facundo]

I think that Iphone and Treos are different, one is a Smartphone with Multimedia capabilities, and the other is just a Multimedia with some smartphone features.
You can never use soft like Agendus on Iphone, not the program itself, I mean, do what Agendus can do, also in the Apple Keynote I didn´t see a full screen caller ID, feature that I love on Treos.
Also I don´t like Mp3 players (any kind hardware and software) at all, they kill your ears, and my job is keep them safe cause I´m a sound technician, so I never had an Ipod, and I´m not going to buy and Iphone if one of the mayor features is music players.
But planning your life so easy is what I need an smartphone for...
And no Windows Mobile, nonono, I had an I-mate JAMin with WM5, and its so slow and heavy processor that I wanted to kill myself.
So I think that the only choice that works for me now is Palm o Garnet OS, the problem with me is that I like so much flash and grafic apps, so I´m looking forward to have a 680 with Palmrevolt DialbyPhoto and stuff like that.
By the way, can the GX-5 guys add a feature to the DByP that works like a full screen Picture caller ID? I think they can use the same files that the use to have the photo stored in the Palm, that would be great.
I love Palm Os, but I´d love some grafic revolution out there !

[rubso]

I just tried the PALMRevolt and suddenly I don't hate the UI of my treo650 anymore.. When is PALM going to wake up and smell the WM and Symbian tire burns... and now to add insult to injury Apple is coming in.. I mean they will be wooped by a phone-startup who lost on the Newton years ago..

[Will]

I'm not so sure that the iPhone will be a threat for Palm at all. Those people who will be going to Cingular stores to gawk at the iPhone will be members of the iCult, fans of the iPod and Macs. Those people would never buy a Treo because it lacks the style that Apple gives them. Not just in terms of the UI, but the form factor and the general look of the phone. Palm hasn't done major redesign of the Treo's form factor in the past few years (removing the antenna does not count).

What I'm trying to say is that someone who would buy an iPhone would not buy a Treo, so they are not in direct competition with each other. However, every suggestion you made would work wonders on winning over Windows Mobile people.

[Supaman]

I just Recently purchased Dialbyphoto and i love it, you need to totally overhaul all the major apps on the TREO. You already have two down by introducing the updated memo. The core os for the treo is fine, its fairly stable, and does the job. All it really needs is a updated UI and thats where you guys come in.

Don't stop with dial by photo and memos update the look and feel of that piece of crap VersaMail, calendar, task list, and the text messenger. if you made a complete suite i think a bunch of us Treo users tired of the old os would be interested in it.

[2XS]

w0rd !!! :-)

[katracho]

i have been a proud owner of the treo 650 for about 2 years but dissappointed of the software built in.
treo keeps coming out with the same boring ui's and dont see a difference on it's new treo software 5.4.9 on the 680. but i will tell you that treo will never get to be like a iphone due to incredibly advanced technology and come on..its runnuing os-x, what else do you need.
therefor I WILL BE ONE THOSE THAT WILL BUY AN iPHONE AS SOON AS IT COMES OUT.

the only hope for treo's is GX-5 ui's...i love you guys and hope you guys revolutionize the treo form groung up.

[Chan]

Exactly! Kudos for the new TreoMemo.

[Leo]

Agree, somebody tell Palm!!!

[Brennan Underwood]

I totally agree. I don't know why they don't acquire or build a PalmRevolt type thing and make it the new standard. I was messing with the Cobalt simulator recently and I noticed it has lots of less-boring gradients and things. Maybe Palm feels so burned by Cobalt that they are now allergic to pretty UI.