HP's Palm Pre 2: A Preview

HP (Hewlett Packard) will soon launch the predecessor to its Palm Pre device. The new and updated device, known cleverly as the HP Palm Pre 2, will arrive on store shelves with some modern features, along with changes that users desire.

Scheduled to be released "in a few months," the Palm Pre 2 will feature a new version of the modern Palm operating system. Known as the webOS, the new phone from HP will function on the newly revised and update webOS 2.

The original webOS, which is based on a Linux kernel, made its debut in mid-2009. The webOS 2 arrives after the acquisition of Palm, the legendary PDA (personal digital assistant) manufacturer by HP. Since that acquisition, the technology giant has stated that it plans to maintain the webOS for mobile devices. Functioning like most other modern mobile operating systems, HP's webOS features touch screen capabilities, and a wealth of application options.

So what will Pre 2 users gain with the new OS over the old? Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and director Div Palm HP Global has stated that "We've made tremendous progress since the launch of the platform and, with these powerful new features, we allow users to do more with their device with webOS." One of those powerful new features deals in the area of improved multi-tasking (simultaneously managing multiple applications and notifications). Consolidated accounts in one location, HP Synergy will create links between the mobile phone and social networking web sites and email applications including Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft Exchange, and Yahoo. Additionally, the phone's OS will also come preloaded with applications such as Skype, Adobe Flash Player 10, and the web browser will include features from HTML 5 - including geo-location.

So what can users expect from the Pre 2 for hardware? Gone is the cheap plastic screen, as the new phone will now arrive with a sleek touchscreen made of glass. The screen which measures at 3.1-inch with a resolution of 480 x 320 (HVGA) supports multi-touch . Other features include built-in GPS, light and proximity sensors, an accelerometer, 802.11 b & g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, and 16 GB of internal storage space.

The HP Palm Pre 2 is now making its appearance in Europe, and will soon be available in the US through multiple carriers.

Buzzcatalog.com: HP will launch WebOS 2.0 on the new Palm Pre 2 in a few months

The Huffington Post: Palm Pre 2 Specs Revealed