Tiny Palm smartphone baffles gadget fanatics

A small Android smartphone designed to be a "companion phone" to a full-size device was launched in the United States under the brand name Palm.

The phone is the size of a credit card and has two cameras, but no headphone jack or wireless charging.

The company's goal is to help people take a break from their primary phone, the company said, despite being a fully functional smartphone in its own right.

It has been received with bemusement by technology commentators and on social media.

The device will cost $ 349 (£263) and will be available in the U.S., on the Verizon network only, starting in November.

It is described in its marketing material as "a fully connected product that is synchronized with your existing smartphone, so all your connectivity can go where your smartphone can't."

He has the support of U.S. basketball player Stephen (Steph) Curry, who tweeted that he was "promoted to bring back Palm."

Fashion brand Kate Spade has also designed a custom case for the small phone.

Analyst Ben Wood of CCS Insight said it was "certainly an ambitious move" by the San Francisco startup, which licensed Palm to HTC's owner.

"In the past, small phones called companion phones have been tried and have not really captured the imagination of consumers," he told the BBC.

He said it differed from other "second" phones because it did not rely on Bluetooth to connect it to the primary device.

Mr. Wood added that he did not believe that nostalgia for the Palm brand of the 1990s was enough to drive sales.