Palm Introduces Pre 2 Smart Phone, WebOS 2.0 Platform

Earlier this week, Palm introduced its first new device since being acquired by Hewlett Packard back in July. Although many analysts anticipated that Palm would make a big splash with its initial launch under HP, the Pre 2 smart phone is getting somewhat lackluster reviews.

The Pre 2 is the second-generation version of Palm's signature smart phone line. On its website, the manufacturer notes that the new model has a faster processor, a higher megapixel camera and a slimmer, sleeker body than the original Pre.

"And that's about it for hardware updates," PC World's Jared Newman wrote in a review of the product. "Battery life is the same mediocre 5.5 hours, storage capacity is unchanged at 16 GB with no microSD support, and screen size remains at 3.1 inches, with the same 320-by-480 resolution display as before."

The Pre 2's lack of truly innovative features may be due to the fact that Palm has been concentrating its efforts more on the company's new WebOS platform, which will be launched alongside the smartphone in the U.S. in the next month or two.

The new operating system, called WebOS 2.0, includes Adobe's latest Flash player, Skype and QuickOffice (News - Alert) Connect. It also sports a Favorites option for tagging contacts and a new multi-tasking functionality called Stacks, which enables users to group together open applications.

Furthermore, the platform is equipped with a mode called Just Type, where users can create a message, post a status update or search a website without having to launch an application. WebOS 2.0 also features HP Synergy, which allows users to access Facebook, LinkedIn (News - Alert), Google and other social media accounts all at the same time.

"With WebOS 2.0, we're advancing the innovations we introduced 16 months ago [and] expanding the features," said Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager of HP's Palm global business unit. "We've made tremendous strides since the platform launched."

The Palm Pre 2 handset with WebOS 2.0 will be launched in France on Friday and will be available in the U.S. in the near future. 

Beecher Tuttle is a TMCnet contributor. He has extensive experience writing and editing for print publications and online news websites. He has specialized in a variety of industries, including health care technology, politics and education. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Tammy Wolf