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Palm Pre: Here it is.  John MahoneySo we got our Palm Pre review phone today.

Mobile Phone Matryoshka Dolls:  Kyle Bean via CRWhile not exactly to scale, I love this expression of the evolution of cellphones via Russian Matryoshka dolls. It's a concept toy by designer Kyle Bean.

Perhaps the third time’s the charm for picking up a Palm Pre at a significant discount.

Palm's webOS-Powered Pre:  John MahoneyCan you believe that only two or three years ago, the trope of cellphones used in America being so far inferior to what was available in Korea or even Europe was pounded to the point of cliché? Now, it’s on its head: the complete opposite is true. And for that, a lot of thanks goes to Apple. No doubt about that.

As Palm prepares for the launch of its new Palm Pre device, which the company has promised for the first half of the year, the question is how successful the smart phone will be.

Palm has debuted a series of devices in the past without much success as it struggles to regain its footing in the smart phone market. But the Palm Pre has captured the interest of tech-savvy consumers with its iPhone-like touch screen and the ability to easily access email, contacts and calendar from multiple sources.

Palm has finally confirmed the rumors that it will roll out the much-hyped Pre on June 6, and is partnering up with Sprint as the Pre’s wireless carrier. But just like iPhone adopters had to swallow a two-year contract with AT&T, Pre fans are wondering just how much it will cost them above to sign a two-year deal with Sprint.

Sprint better market the heck out of the Palm Pre over the next seven months. That’s because rival Verizon Wireless will be carrying the touch-screen device in its stores in January, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Palm's webOS-Powered Pre John MahoneyYou were too good for this world.

As Sprint revs up for its Friday launch of the Palm Pre smart phone, the company’s product development guru, Kevin Packingham, said he isn’t concerned about having a slim offering of software applications at the start.

“You’re not going to get a critical mass of developers coding for the new platform until you give them devices,” Mr. Packingham said. “There’s only so many things you can control in the initial delivery.”