Updated 24th June 2009: we have now tested the latest versions of both. Read our full review of the Palm Pre and our full review of the iPhone 3G S.

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Palm pulled off a spectacular surprise yesterday at an otherwise lacklustre CES, with the launch of the Pre - a touchscreen alternative to Apple's iPhone.

The Pre - which has been partly developed by former Apple engineers - also ships with a brand new OS - dubbed webOS - that aims to best anything Apple can serve up with the iPhone. So how do the two phones measure up in features and spec? Let's find out, shall we?

User interface

We'll be able to give you a proper evaluation later today, but Palm at least matches the iPhone when it comes to its user interface. The Palm Pre offers an almost identical range of multi-touch features and screen gestures, while the brand new webOS looks remarkably easy to use. The Palm Pre also has a built-in physical QWERTY keyboard, which glides out of sight when not in use - something that could be a real blessing to those who just can't bear the iPhone's virtual version. We've never had a problem.Verdict: A draw (for now).

The Display

Both the Apple iPhone and Palm Pre boast large widescreen displays for accessing the different apps, watching movies and more. The iPhone 3G has a 3.5-inch Multi-Touch display with a 480x320 pixel resolution. The Palm Pre's screen is smaller at 3.1-inches, but also boasts multi-touch too and identical screen resolution.Verdict: The Apple iPhone wins it - just.

Connectivity

Both the iPhone and the Palm Pre include 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and USB 2.0 connectivity. But the Palm Pre bests the iPhone in one major respect - it includes Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR with A2DP, enabling you to use wireless stereo headphones. The iPhone does not. The iPhone's Bluetooth implementation is crippled in other ways - you can't use it to sync data, for example. In the Palm Pre you can. Both phones also have assisted GPS for location and mapping. The iPhone 3G, erm, already has 3G mobile network connectivity already; Palm promises the Pre will include UMTS/HSPDA when the worldwide version goes on sale later this year.Verdict: The Palm Pre wings it.

Storage

The iPhone 3G is currently available in two different versions - one with 8GB of storage, the other with 16GB. The Palm Pre only comes with 8GB on board, which could limit its appeal to heavy music and movie enjoyers. Verdict: iPhone 3G - easy.

Mobile comms

One of Palm's proudest boasts with the Pre is that it offers seamless integration with calendaring, email with built-in integration with Microsoft Exchange Servers, POP and IMAP support, plus instant messaging (IM), SMS and MMS. It also includes a 'high performance, desktop class web browser'. The iPhone 3G matches this in most respects, although it doesn't offer MMS or IM by default (although you can IM using third-party apps such as Fring). Over the air synchronisation is free on the Palm Pre. However it'll set you back £89 a year on the iPhone using MobileMe.Verdict: Surprise! It's the Palm Pre.

Battery life

This is a tough one to call. The Palm Pre has a removable battery, but Palm hasn't bothered to furnish anyone with details on how long the battery will last. It could be five minutes for all we know. The iPhone 3G has a non-removable battery (its Achilles' heel) but also has a published standby time of 300 hours, talk-time of 10 hours (using 2G) and video playback capability pegged at 7 hours. The Palm Pre's real ace though could be inductive charging - buy the optional TouchStone charger and you can juice up the Palm Pre with having to plug it into the mains.Verdict: A draw (until we know more).

Other features

Both the Palm Pre and Apple iPhone has built-in accelerometers, proximity and light sensors to assist you with UI features and help conserve the battery. However the Palm Pre bests the iPhone when it comes to the built-in digital camera: It boasts a 3-megapixel snapper with LED flash. The iPhone 3G has a 2-megapixel cam and no flash.Verdict: The Palm Pre is better for camera fans.

Size and weight

The Apple iPhone is slim and wide rather than deep making it easy to drop into a shirt pocket. In physical terms, it measures 62.1mm wide by 115.5mm high and 12.3mm deep and weighs in at 133 grams. The Palm Pre is slightly smaller, measuring 59.57mm wide, 100.53mm high and 16.95mm deep. It weighs two grams more than the iPhone at 135 grams. But we reckon the two are pretty evenly matched.Verdict: A draw.

Third-party support

One of the best things about the iPhone is that there are literally hundreds of third-party apps available through the App Store that add functionality and fun. Plus, the iPhone has already built a class-leading infrastructure of its own thanks to the iTunes Store, integration with the Mac OS, and so on. Palm also has strong relationships with third-party developers - but it's not yet clear whether the company will be able to convince many to jump on board. For now then...Verdict: Apple iPhone... by a considerable margin.

Conclusion

The big surprise about Palm's Pre/WebOS announcement is how close the company has come to matching the form and functionality of the iPhone. Given that no-else has really come close in the last two years (not even Blackberry), that's no mean feat - especially when you consider Palm's recent troubled history.

The problem is matching the iPhone may not be enough. The Pre really needed to leapfrog the iPhone to really stand a chance of killing it. By the time it finally arrives in the UK, the iPhone could well have leapt forward again. Apple has also had two years to build considerable momentum behind the iPhone - we can't see Palm, even in reinvigorated guise, stealing that away very easily.

From CES 2009