Palm today announced the Palm Foleo, its first smartphone companion product. The Palm Foleo features a full size QWERTY keyboard and 10 inch widescreen display. When paired with a smartphone, any updates made on the Foleo are directly synced to its counterpart. Syncing is as simple as pressing one button or it can be setup to sync regularily throughout the day.

“Foleo is the most exciting product I have ever worked on,” said Jeff Hawkins, founder of Palm, Inc. and the visionary behind the Foleo’s concept and definition. “Smartphones will be the most prevalent personal computers on the planet, ultimately able to do everything that desktop computers can do. However, there are times when people need a large screen and full-size keyboard. As smartphones get smaller, this need increases. The Foleo completes the picture, creating a mobile-computing system that sets a new standard in simplicity.”

Palm also said that support for devices outside of its own, such as devices from RIM, Apple or Nokia, can work provided a 3rd party create software. The Foleo runs on Linux and features built in Wi-Fi, USB, video out and an SD card slot. The unit will retail for USD$499 after a USD$100 introductory rebate. It is expected to be available later this year.






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