A patch for webOS 1.4 boosts Pre's CPU speed

Mar 29, 2010 09:46 GMT  ·  By

Palm Pre users who already upgraded their devices to the latest webOS 1.4 version of the mobile operating system have now the opportunity to push their handsets a little further than before. A major overclock kernel patch is available for the Pre, enabling users to get the CPU inside the phone all the way up to 800MHz, or up to 720MHz if the former speed is too high. However, it seems that the software solution that makes this possible comes along with some issues as well, resulting in crashes and freezing, and that drove Palm into releasing a statement on the matter.

The overclocking of Palm Pre (or Pre Plus, for that matter) is possible courtesy of a software solution coming from unixpsycho and caj2008, which previously released a solution for boosting Pre's processor under webOS 1.3.5. According to them, overclocking the CPU under webOS 1.4 will result in an additional 2-4 percent battery life drain which, coupled with the crashes and the rest, might suggest that one should not give it a try in the end.

Here's what Palm states on the matter: “We have had a number of questions about the recently released “overclocking” patches and what Palm’s position on them are. Palm is working hard to improve the speed and performance of webOS, as shown in our recent 1.4 update. While we appreciate the effort the webOS community has put forth to try and help us along that path, the use of this application is neither endorsed nor recommended by Palm and will likely result in a voided warranty. Palm encourages webOS users to let Palm release official updates that provide safe, reliable, over-the-air features that improve their device in a number of areas, as we have in the past at a rate of approximately once per month.”

However, a recent post on Engadget suggests that the issues Pre has after being overclocked are actually related to the webOS 1.4 platform, and not to the patch. At the same time, they also state that putting the file on a Pre results in visible faster app loading times and in improved performance. Take a look at the video below to see how the phone goes along with the patch.