Yelp for the Palm Pre is a new location-aware directory application that can help you discover restaurants, banks, businesses, and other establishments close to your current location. Other apps on the Palm Pre, including Where, already have the ability to pull up Yelp results. This app lets you go directly to the source, and offers a clean and easy-to-use interface to discover new haunts. The list of categories is huge, and includes such offbeat ones as Home Services, Pets, and Public Services. The search function is fast and responsive. If the app can’t discover your current location via GPS, it’ll prompt you to enter a zip code or city name. Yelp presents the basic information for each establishment, including the address and telephone number.
The best feature of the Yelp service is the detailed user reviews and ratings for restaurants and businesses. If you find that the “Where” app on your Pre appears crowded, Yelp offers a cleaner and seemingly faster app for a similar purpose. However, Where offers much more than simple Yelp integration. The Where wall is an excellent feature that offers a messaging component over and above user reviews. If you’re currently happy with Where, you’ll find that Yelp only offers a cleaner interface. “Where” does offer everything that Yelp does and some more. Overall, this app is an excellent location-aware directory application and stands well on its own, but it only offers a subset of Where‘s functionality and the latter will be a better option for most Palm Pre users.
