14 DAY TRIAL // This week, mobile phone carrier Verizon Wireless has made available for purchase on its airwaves a new smartphone, the Palm Pre 2, a handset that runs under HP's webOS 2.0 mobile operating system.
The new device was put on sale both via Verizon stores around the country, as well as on the carrier's website here.
The new Palm Pre 2 features a price tag of $149.99 upon the signing of a two-year contract agreement with the wireless carrier, and after a $50 online discount. The off-contract cost of Pre 2 was set at $409.99.
“The Palm Pre 2 smartphone has been reengineered to do more of what you want to do–faster. Quickly switch between multiple open apps,” the wireless carrier notes on its website.
“Simply start typing to begin an email or update your status. Tap a message notification while you are playing a 3D game. With HP webOS 2.0, accomplishing more is effortless.”
The smartphone arrives on shelves with a 3.1-inch multi-touch screen that boasts a 320 x 480 pixels (HVGA) resolution, along with a physical QWERTY keyboard that would slide out from under the display in a portrait mode.
The specifications list of this handset would also include a 1 GHz application processor, along with 512MB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory.
Palm Pre 2 also arrives with Wi–Fi (802.11 b/g) connectivity, Bluetooth 2.1+ EDR with A2DP, 3.5mm Audio Jack, USB port, and built-in GPS receiver.
An HTML web browser with Adobe Flash 10.1 should provide users with a great Internet surfing experience, while the possibility to view Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF documents would keep them productive while on the go.
The phone also offers true multitasking capabilities, as well as support for Exchange ActiveSync for both enterprise and personal email (Google push, Yahoo!, POP3, IMAP).
Palm Pre 2 measures 3.96 x 2.34 x 0.66 inches and weighs in at 5.1 ounces with standard battery. It is powered by a 1150 mAh battery that can offer up to 330 minutes of talk time or up to 350 hours of standby time.