In the last few years our smartphones got bigger and bigger. Long gone are the days of the pocketable iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, whose compact size seems to be missed by a relevant part of the market. Or so believes PALM, at least, the startup that is now in charge of the latest respawn of the historical smartphone brand (owned by the Chinese company TCL). 

The diminutive PALM phone was launched in the U.S. in 2018 as a companion device, i.e. a smaller smartphone that shares your main device’s number and you’re taking with you on a run, a training, a hike or, in general, your away-from-the-phone time. The product is now available in Europe with an unlocked version that can be used as your main device. If you’re daring enough to give up the cushiness of your phone’s screen real estate, PALM is certainly a good choice. 

But beware: the concept of a smaller, more compact phone offering less distractions (but all the main attention grabbing apps can still be installed) it’s basically all that you’ll be buying. The specs aren’t great (Snapdragon 435 SoC, 3GB RAM, 32GB of storage) and the battery, at 800mAh, is way too tiny for an always-on smartphone, even with such a tiny 3,3” screen, meaning the PALM won’t run long on a single charge. It’s also quite overpriced: Vodafone UK lists it at £350 for the Pay as you go option.