WebOS 1.3.5.2 Brings Bluetooth Tethering to European Pre

Sunnyvale-based mobile phone maker Palm released only a few days ago a new software update for Palm Pre users across Europe, namely webOS 1.3.5.2, of which you might have heard already. However, while the company provided extended details on what the new operating system version brings forth, it seems that some of the new features were not included in the official release notes, even if they were discovered and reported on by users.

The most important of them seems to be the addition of Personal Area Networking Bluetooth Profile to the Palm Pre via the new webOS 1.3.5.2. What the new functionality is all about is that it offers Palm Pre users the possibility to connect their personal computer or laptops to the Internet via their handset. All that one needs to do is to pair the Pre with the computer, and then the new connectivity option will become available.

Up until now, a wide range of users already reported that they tried out the new Bluetooth PAN profile and it seems to be working pretty well. However, it appears that the functionality is not available for Pre users on O2 UK or Ireland, most probably because the carrier blocked it. The option is only available on a 3G network, not on Wi-Fi, and the US Palm Pre users on Sprint cannot enjoy it just yet either, at least this is what some PreCentral forum users report.

For what it's worth, this is a nice feature to enjoy when on the road as you need Internet connectivity for a laptop. WebOS 1.3.5.2 seems to be the OS flavor to enable the feature, even if some report that the PAN Bluetooth profile has always been on their Pre. Verizon bound Pre Plus has been already reported to come to users with hotspot functionality, and there are great chances that Sprint might soon offer the option to its users too. Or at least, this is what we're hopping for.