Palm Pre, my next phone? Maybe.

I was thinking about replacing my aging Nokia N95-1 this year, with the N97 being a strong candidate. However, the Palm Pre may have debuted at the top of my list. I have resisted the Apple iPhone temptation due to it’s closed architecture and lack of certain features (e.g., multitasking and cut&paste). Still, I do have a 2nd gen Touch, which when tethered via WiFi gives me the best of both worlds.

Even saying this, I’ll probably need to see certain apps on the Pre before I pull the trigger. I’m also not too crazy about moving to Sprint. Anyways, here are the N95 apps I rely on and what I’ll need to see on the Pre before I move on:

• Podcast player. The passive bookmarking is essential!
• Google Maps. Traffic info is a must.
• JoikuSpot. This cool app turns my N95 into a mobile WiFi hotspot. Great for connecting a laptop or my Touch to the Internet.
• SymSMB. Allows me to browse and manage my phone files wirelessly from my PC.
• SymSync. Automatically and wirelessly syncs folders between my phone and PC. This app is incredible! I use it to sync my pdocasts which I process though a speed up utility which makes them playback faster, but with no change in tone (i.e., it doesn’t sound like the Chipmonks.)
• HandySafe. Basically, this is just a app that allows me to securely store private info.
• Google Sync. Right now I use the GooSync service to sync my phone with Google Contacts and Calendar

I suppose there is no real reason I need to ditch my N95 although Edge is becoming annoying. It’s 5MP camera is stellar. The Pre’s 3MP would be a step down. Hmmmm. Besides the N97, there is always the N96 I guess.