ICYMI (’cause we sure did): The makers of PalmPilot joins the smartphone market

“PalmPilot” probably elicits a “Huh?” from most of you, especially those who were born in the ’90s, but it’s fair to say that this personal digital assistant, which was introduced in 1996, was the precursor to the smartphone as we use it now. The company behind it, Palm Inc., went the way of the dinosaurs in 2011, and was subsequently acquired by Hewlett-Packard then by TCL Corporation.

Well, back in October, TCL released the Palm, an Android-based device that is meant to be a companion to the usual and much larger smartphone. And from the looks of it, it seems to be quite the nifty gadget to have.

NBA star Steph Curry is the Palm’s brand ambassador.

Said to be the size of a credit card, the Palm aims to help users access everything they’re able to with their smartphone even without having the said smartphone with or on them. Despite its minuscule size (1.99″ x 3.80″ x 0.29″) and a matching weight of 2.5 oz., it has two cameras (rear and selfie), full keyboard messaging, fitness sensors, 4G and WiFi, and the full Android app ecosystem, with expanded accessories available. Said accessories include a Kate Spade New York-designed custom wristlet, a Granite co-designed leather wallet, a Steph Curry co-designed sports sleeve, and a discreet black lanyard. Sharing the same number as the user’s main smartphone, the Palm is its travel-friendlier “ambassador,” enabling users to access their messages and most frequently used apps as they move about in the world, without their expensive and highly important smartphone in their pocket.

The Palm’s 3.3″ HD Display comes with a 445 ppi high pixel density LCD. It also has two cameras: a 12MP rear one with flash and an 8MP front one. Encased in impact-resistant front and rear Corning Glass 3, the Palm is IP68 water- and dust-resistant, with a memory of 3 GB RAM and am 800mAh non-removable battery.

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One of its more impressive functions is the Life Mode, which can be customized to allow only certain notifications to come through. When enabled, it also silences incoming calls and blocks cellular signal whenever the Palm screen goes dark. Once the Palm is unlocked, though—through facial recognition, no less—the gadget becomes fully connected again.

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“We want to bring people out of their tech and into their lives,” the product’s manifesto reads.

Unfortunately, the Palm is currently available only in the United States, with its Instagram page promising “Stay tuned!” when it comes to global availability.