HP Pre3 Packs webOS 2.2, 1.4-GHz CPU

A new smartphone running under the webOS platform was announced officially on Wednesday, namely the HP Pre3, the most powerful such device to date, which packs a 3.58-inch touchscreen display inside, along with a fast 1.4-GHz processor.

The same as its predecessors, the Pre, Pre Plus or Pre 2, the new device sports a sliding form factor, with a portrait QWERTY hidden beneath that large touchscreen, for increased usability.

The new handset, announced at an event where HP unveiled other webOS-based devices as well, including the first tablet PC to run under its OS, offers increased multitasking capabilities, being capable to keep people connected through advanced messaging and voice capabilities.

“In the suite of webOS products we're introducing today, Pre3 is our premier phone, designed for the speed of business,” said Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager, Palm Global Business Unit, HP.

“It enables professionals to accomplish more of their important workday tasks while easily keeping their fingers on the pulse of their personal lives.”

The specifications list of the new mobile phone includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8x55 1.4-GHz processor, along with the said display, capable of delivering a 480 x 800 pixels resolution, and a 5-megapixel photo snapper with LED flash, auto focus and HD 720p video recording capabilities.

The new device also arrives on shelves with a front-facing camera for video calling, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR capabilities, 3.5 mm stereo headset jack integrated GPS (and A-GPS), Wi-Fi router functionality, along with proximity sensor, light sensor, accelerometer and compass.

Moreover, the new mobile phone would include 8 or 16 gigabytes (GB) of internal storage when released, as well as USB mass storage mode, but also a removable, rechargeable 1,230 mAh battery, all packed inside a device that measures 111 x 64 x 16 mm (4.37 x 2.52 x .63 inches) and weighs in at 156 grams (5.5 ounces).

The features list of HP Pre3 further includes

- High-performance browser with full access to the web, including support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1 beta for access to rich, Flash-based web content
- Email, including EAS (for access to corporate Microsoft Exchange servers) and personal email support (Google Gmail push, Yahoo!, POP3, IMAP)
- Robust messaging support (combining IM, SMS and MMS capabilities)
- True Multitasking, Just Type, Touch-to-share, HP mobile hotspot
- Access to the webOS App Catalog with thousands of applications available for download.

The new HP Pre3 smartphone is expected to become available for purchase during summer. Unfortunately, no specific info on its exact pricing and availability has been unveiled for the time being, but more will be announced at a later date.