Last year, the Palm name made a comeback with an interesting new device: a small companion phone for your main phone. Acting as a secondary device that you could use to leave your main phone at home while staying available to communicate was one of the main features of the Palm phone, but a new update makes a major change to the device.
A new update to the Palm phone enables it to work as a standalone smartphone. Previously you needed an existing smartphone on your Verizon account to link the Palm phone to, but now you can buy it from Verizon as a standalone device.
The ability to act as a standalone device isn't the only improvement coming to the Palm phone today. It's also getting camera enhancements like improved HDR, color balance, and low light performance, as well as improved battery life. These updates are now available on the standalone Palm phone and will be rolled out to companion devices later this month.
To celebrate this major update, the Palm phone is going on sale. You can score one from Verizon right now for $199.99 when you buy it with a two-year contract or 24-month device payment plan. That's $150 off the Palm phone's normal price. This deal will only be available through April 2019.
Support for acting as a standalone device is a big change for the Palm phone. While it's not the most high-end device around, boasting an octa-core Snapdragon 435 processor and 3GB of RAM, its 3.3-inch 1280x720 display could make it appealing to folks who want something smaller than the 5 and 6-inch smartphone screens that are common nowadays. Plus, the device runs Android and has access to the Play Store, so you'll have access to apps just like you would on any other device.
Does a $199 standalone Palm phone interest you?