Palm has just opened up its developer program to the public. The developer program which started as a private beta to select developers. Since then, Palm has shipped a couple of WebOS devices around the globe (Palm Pre and Palm Pixi). To give mobile developers a little incentive, Palm is also running a developer contest that offers a total of 1 million USD to contest winners.

Palm’s unique WebOS incorporates familiar web technologies like HTML, JavaScript and CSS. These technologies become the building blocks of mobile applications that runs on Palm’s WebOS. They have also setup their own mobile applications store which they call the App Catalog that currently lists more or less 1,000 mobile apps from different mobile developers.

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The emerging smartphone technology has really been ramping up. This 2010, the race to the top for world domination will be fiercier than ever. The competition is much like racing cars. I can also remember the time when Microsoft stepped up the competition on Palm with it’s PocketPC platform for the Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) market back then.

First of all, I want to make it clear why I consider the iPhone on top. I have always believe that when people start comparing smartphones (or connected phones as I call it here), most of them compare apples with oranges. They forget that the iPhone has only been around for about 3 years while competition has been at it for a while. Also, the iPhone for all purposes is a single model/brand mobile phone while it’s competitors offer several models that are sometimes inappropriately consolidated into one for comparison purposes which I consider lame.

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Version 1.2 of the Palm Pre’s Web OS was accidentally leaked to one of the Pre Central forum members while he was trying to re-install back the standard WebOS. It has several improvements including one in zoom animation and some fixes like saving images from the web browser working in version 1.2. Below is a video. Check out some photos at Pre Central.

Just got word that the new Palm® Pre™ phone will be available on June 6, starting at $199.99 on the Sprint network. The $199.99 price is after $100 mail in rebate and qualifying 2 year service activation. Use of this device requires providing a valid email address, mobile phone number, and related information for account set-up and activation. Use of select unlimited data bundle plans will be required.

The Palm Pre will provide access to all of the exclusive content on the Sprint Now Network, including Sprint Navigation, Sprint TV, and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile Live. More details about Sprint’s service plans and retail channels can be found on the company’s website.

Just finished reading a interesting view from CNET about why the Palm Pre should cost $149 when launched by Sprint. David, the author of  the post, is basically saying that the Palm Pre needs to be introduced at a price point that can be enticing compared to the iPhone and the T-Mobile G1. The Apple iPhone from AT&T which goes for $199 and the T-Mobile G1 which is about $179 are both available for unlimited data plans. I would tend to agree that price wise it should be lower since the Palm Pre is going into the market with fairly new OS.

I think that the clincher is more on the available applications for the mobile phone. With both the iPhone and the Android already having their own app markets, Palm would be going into the market with less applications. Google/T-Mobile sort of solved this problem going into market by launching the $10 million dollar Android application contest to boost / fast track development efforts. Palm has not done such a thing.