Palm Pre on sale next month, but Australian buyers will have to wait

The eagerly awaited Palm Pre smartphone will be available at retailers in the US on 6 June and will cost about $US200 with a two-year contract, the company has announced.

The release date is just one day before the first day of rival Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference, which is rumoured to be the launching pad for new versions of the iPhone.

Palm has been protective of the device, and has not revealed many details of its hardware and specifications. It only allowed testers limited hands-on time at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show.

The phone features a multi-touch screen, sliding keyboard, camera, portable media player, GPS and wi-fi capabilities, and internet capability allowing email and web browsing.

The company has also teamed up with the Amazon Music Store, so users can now purchase songs straight from the device.

Palm was at the height of the electronic organiser market during the dot-com boom, but has since fallen by the wayside as companies move into more sophisticated smartphone devices. Analysts have been debating whether the new device will see a comeback for the company.

But while US customers will have access to the device with a two-year contract, there are currently no other solid release dates for other countries.

The company said that a version of the handset calibrated for Australian networks should appear later this year.

A local Palm spokesman referred all queries to Palm’s US office.

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