Palm has announced that it is making the Palm Phone available for standalone purchases exclusively through Verizon for only $199.
The tech company offered the 3.3-inch smartphone last year as a companion to larger Android handsets.
The device has almost all the necessary features of a regular phone but in a smaller and easier-to-carry size.
While the original companion Palm Phone is priced at $350, consumers can now get a standalone unit for only a fraction of the price.
A Credit-Card-Sized Companion Smartphone
When the Palm Phone was launched in 2018, it was marketed as the ideal backup smartphone for people who are always on the go. Users can bring their credit-card-sized phone with them when doing activities such as working out in the gym, jogging around the block, or watching a concert.
In an interview with Variety, Palm Phone developers Howard Nuk and Dennis Miloseski said they wanted to create an entirely new category for their smartphone.
"It's about technology receding," Miloseski said. "Do you really need to bring a supercomputer everywhere you go?"
Meanwhile, Nuk described their counter-intuitive goal as a way to "get people out of using screens."
Despite its diminutive size, the Palm Phone packs as much punch as larger and more expensive mobile phones. The device is fitted with a Snapdragon 435 processor complemented with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. It sports a modified Android 8.1 Oreo operating system and can run any app available for the platform.
It also has a 12-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front camera for users who love taking pictures and videos on their trips. These can then be uploaded to various social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.
The smartphone is powered by an 800 mAh battery, which the maker says a single battery life can last "all-day". It is charged using a USB-C connection.
Much like its bigger counterparts, the Palm Phone is water-resistant and has a face unlock feature.
Because of its smaller display, the smartphone features a slightly modified user interface. Users can find almost all of the phone's applications honeycombed in its Home screen. Its quick settings and volume controls are neatly tucked away in its notification tray.
The Palm Phone only has a single physical button, which doubles as its power button and trigger to launch Google Assistant. It also has one capacitive button under its display screen for navigating through its different features and functions.
All That In A Standalone Phone
Palm is now offering all those features in a standalone phone, which is available through Verizon. People who will buy this version will be given a dedicated phone number and data plan for the unit, unlike the companion handset.
The smartphone maker has also improved some of the Palm Phone's features for the solo unit. The camera now has better HDR capabilities, as well as low light performance and color balance. Its battery has been upgraded to give the smartphone a longer usage time.
Palm has already rolled out the upgrades to the standalone Palm Phones, but it also plans to add the improved features to the companion version.
