With Android smartphones flooding the market and the iPhone holding strong, HP has an uphill battle with the Palm Pre 2. The fact that majority of the improvements here happened on the software end probably won't help its case any.
Physically, the handset's design doesn't stray far from the original Pre -- pebble shape, compact build and a slide-out portrait QWERTY. Display is a 3.1-inch capacitive touchscreen (320 x 480 resolution), which is more common in bargain Androids by today's standards than high-end performers. Regardless, it works just fine, provided your tastes haven't been spoiled by the 4-inch behemoths that are slowly becoming the norm. If the screen is small, so is the keyboard, which will likely give those with larger fingers a whole lot of problems.
As a phone, the Palm Pre 2 makes for good calls. Voices came through clear, but static seemed to find its way into conversations regularly. Those on the other end reported a similar experience. Speakerphone is usable, but very hollow-sounding. Battery should be good for up to 6 hours of talk time.
Like we said, the major changes here happen on the software end with WebOS 2.0. Features like Stacks (which improves the Pre's multitasking immensely) and Type (combined universal search plus quick actions) really sweeten up the user experience, especially when paired with all of WebOS' already solid offerings. Since the phone is equipped with a beefy 1GHz CPU and 512MB of RAM, everything runs zippily, although there's occasional sluggishness when you've got a huge pile of apps running.
You get the usual smartphone goodies on board, such as multiple calling options, basic and advanced messaging and a slew of wireless connectivity options (WiFi with mobile hotspot, 3G, GPS and Bluetooth). A few tools and apps are also included, with access to more via the App Catalog (which, unfortunately, is far from bustling with activity these days).
The media player is nice and functional, but nothing special. There's 15GB of available storage on the device, but no expansion slots, so manage your large files wisely. The 5.0 megapixel camera comes with LED flash and manages very good photo quality (both outdoors and indoors).
As capable of a smartphone as the Palm Pre 2 is, it really is behind on the times, even at the slightly lower $149.99 contract price on Verizon. With the Palm Pre 3 just a few months away, it may be wiser for WebOS fans to wait for the bigger and faster successor to hit shelves.
