This is not the first we’ve heard of a Palm smartphone in the works. Rumors say the smartphone will not only have an 800 by 480 pixel screen, but it will be touch-screen only with no physical keyboard. The phone is currently code-named “Mansion”–it seems that, just as Apple has its cats, Palm has a thing for large dwellings (you may recall the Palm Pre’s code-name was “Castle”).
The verdict is still out on whether or not a five-inch screen is pushing the maximum size for a mobile phone–after all, two more inches and you’re in tablet territory. If Dell’s Streak experience is anything to go by, five-inch smartphone screens may be too large. (The Streak was such a disaster, the man in charge ended up being shown the door.)