First it was BGR. Then it was a quickie by GigaOM. The third Palm Pre Review has officially hit the web and it comes courtesy of Engadget. The conclusion? The Palm Pre kicks enough but to be recommended and WebOS Phones should be kicking plenty of butt for years to come.

Their first conclusion admits that the phone ISN’T perfect, but its positives FAR outweigh the negatives:

To put it simply, the Pre is a great phone, and we don’t feel any hesitation saying that. Is it a perfect phone? Hell no. Does its OS need work? Definitely. But are any of the detracting factors here big enough to not recommend it? Absolutely not. There’s no doubt that there’s room for improvement in webOS and its devices, but there’s also an astounding amount of things that Palm nails out of the gate.

But think about it… there isn’t a single phone on the market that is perfect. The iPhone, the G1, anything – technology is always improving and it is impossible for one device to pack perfection – especially when you include the power of preference and differentiation.

More important than the Palm Pre phone is WebOS and Engadget feels that not only is it impressive, but it will push the entire mobile industry forward in the same way that the iPhone and Android have:

Ultimately — carriers and developers notwithstanding — what Palm has done is not only a major feat for a company of its size (and its dire position), and we think it’s an important step in the evolution of mobile computing. Just like the iPhone’s notches up the ladder, and the G1′s contributions, the Pre moves the game forward in a very real way. We know this won’t be the last of the webOS devices, and we know that as Palm improves its products, so will Apple, RIM, Microsoft, Google, and the rest of the smartphone gang. Unfortunately for them, their work just got a little bit tougher.

Engadget ultimately performed a tremendously thorough 3 page review but I’ve tried to highlight the key points and conclusions:

• Hardware looks stunning
• Plasticy hardware? The fact that a USB cover piece SNAPPED off would suggest yes, but Palm sent a rep from San Francisco to LA on a plane to provide Engadget with an unbroken backup device. Not sure if that shows commitment or desperation?
• Display looks excellent though can be awkward in direct sunlight
• Touch sensitivity is great, but still 2nd to iPhone
• Keyboard is actually pretty good – texture, clickiness and plenty of space for the most part (though not perfect, isn’t the train wreck it is made out to be)
• Camera is awesome. No video recording but it should come soon with an OTA update.
• Audio is decent.
• WebOS is revolutionary
• “Cards” concept and execution is excellent
• “Gestures” are cool but there is a learning curve and they need some modifications
• “Notifications” are a major score
• Universal search not all that universal

Worth its own paragraph:

“Simply put, webOS is absolutely gorgeous. As far as phones go, it’s not just the only device we’ve seen which competes with the iPhone for looks, but we’d go as far to say that it bests the iPhone in some categories. The selection of fonts and font styling, use of transparencies, unified look of all of the elements, smooth transitions, and detailed application icons tie together in a really elegant way.”

Continuing:

• “Synergy” needs the most work although premise is good
• Contact app is extremely well thought out
• On SMS and instant messaging: “the way it brings together SMS messages and IM’ing is actually one of the coolest and most interesting parts of the phone.”
• Email simplicity is awesome but limiting
• Dialer is a little too basic
• Web Browser is fantastic
• Media integration: couldn’t be more pleased
• Video playback hit some snags
• Sprint Navigation worked flawlessly
• Document viewers worked fine
• App Catalog looks great but not allowing background downloads is annoying
• 3rd Party Apps look promising but they take a “pass” on reviewing these for the sake of brevity
• Data speeds were great (Beat iphone and G1 in speed test)
• Backup/Restore works okay but doesn’t get it all right
• Good – not great -battery life. But you’ll be fine.
• Bluetooth didn’t work too well?
• Accessories are good/cool although ear buds suck and Touchstone isn’t a must-have.
• Service plan pricing is competitive

Our summary was pretty darn long… imagine how long the actual review was/is!!! Or find out for yourself and check out the Palm Pre Review by Engadget.