Sprint was the carrier of choice when it came to the debut of Palm’s new webOS device, however, seeing the need to expand its market share, the Pre is now available on the nation’s biggest network—Verizon.

As the name suggests, the Pre Plus adds a few more features not seen in the Sprint or GSM versions of the device. For one, the Pre Plus has double the storage of the Pre (now 16GB instead of 8GB) and the RAM has been doubled from 256MB to 512MB. Other minor adjustments include the omission of the center button under the device’s screen.

Other than those differences, everything else remains the same including a full vertical sliding QWERTY keyboard, AGPS, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, accelerometer, 3.2MP camera etc.

webOS, as the name implies, is an operating system built off of web services. This means that applications connect to the phones core features through a web interface, this allows for a multitude of options such as syncing multiple calendar accounts, syncing email accounts as well as pulling addresses and contacts from Facebook, Exchange and other accounts.

In terms of speed, webOS is up there with the top players in its field, while there is an occasional lag depending on how many cards are opened (more about that later), the OS is smooth and provides smooth transitions between applications. Thanks to the gesture area below the screen, you can forward swipe to go forward or go backward.

Concerning multi tasking, webOS supports it beautifully. You can have a web page opened, while you view a document and write an email while listening to Pandora or music from the built in media player all at the same time. Apps are displayed in a card format which can be rearranged for easier access. More importantly you can use left to right or right to left swipes to change card views.

Concerning multimedia, the device performs beautifully thanks to a 600MHz processor. Videos play beautifully locally as well as over the web with the YouTube or Break.com video app. Thanks to Pandora, Slacker Radio and other internet radio apps, you can enjoy free music on the go without much commercial interruptions.

Gaming has now landed on the device, and Palm is allowing developers to gain direct access to the Pre’s core processor. Some of the available titles so far are Asphalt 5, Need for Speed Shift, Assassins Creed, Monopoly, Scrabble and Tetris to name a few.

Conclusion

So is the device the right one for you? We have mixed feelings about the Pre. Don’t get me wrong, I own one (Sprint version) and it’s one of the best phones I’ve ever had, however being a former Windows Mobile and Blackberry owner, I cannot help but notice that when it comes to productivity, those devices are light years ahead. But if you’re the type looking for an awesome UI, and something that is worthy to be called an iPhone killer, this is the device for you.