So the little cute webOS device probably wants to appeal to women more. And now that it’s got a white paint job, it should be able to do that even better, at least according to stereotypes.

Well, women and men alike should enjoy this next part: the white Veer can now be yours for one cent. Yes, $0.01. Caveats first: it’s the AT&T version, and you’ll have to sign a new two-year contract to get it at that price.

Now if neither of those makes you want to back down, then perhaps you should head straight over to Amazon, where this deal is now available, and order a Veer for yourself or a loved one. Keep in mind that there’s no telling how long this offer will last.

The HP Veer (or Veer 4G as AT&T likes to call it) has a 2.6-inch 320×400 capacitive touchscreen, a full physical portrait sliding QWERTY keyboard, a 5 MP camera, an 800 MHz processor, 8 GB of internal storage, HSPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and a 910 mAh battery.

Via PreCentral

• White HP Veer 4G coming to AT&T soon?
• T-Mobile G2X now only $79.99 at Amazon
• HP Veer 4G announced by AT&T, will be available on May 15
• Sprint HTC Evo 3D now just $49.99 with a new two-year contract
• Verizon Motorola Droid RAZR now just $169.99 at Amazon

We’ve heard before that the TouchPad may finally launch in June, and today’s information comes to confirm that, as well as peg a specific date for the release. It seems quite plausible that the TouchPad will become available on June 12 – in the US, of course. We still don’t know how quickly the tablet will be able to make its way across the pond onto European shores.

The June 12 date comes out of a ‘QuickSpecs’ technical spec sheet for the TouchPad which was leaked to PreCentral today. This four-page document is apparently something that HP readies for its business customers and resellers. Such documents cover basics like which feature is where, model numbers, accessories, and hardware specs (obviously).

As you can see from the image above, the prospective date for the TouchPad’s ’1.0′ release is June 12. ’1.0′ in this case is the product’s revision number (think of Nokia’s ’00′ in ‘N8-00′ or ’01′ in ‘C6-01′ for example), and that date may be when we finally see HP’s tablet in stores.

Of course, the date may have changed since the guide was printed, or may even change from this point on. Yet, as we’ve now heard June being the month of the launch on two separate occasions, we’re betting at least that’s already set in stone. So, June 12 or not, if you’re after a TouchPad, you’ll surely be able to grab one in a few weeks from now.

• HP TouchPad passes FCC, will launch soon
• HP TouchPad to be available June 22nd?
• AT&T and Verizon may launch HP Pre 3 in July, complete with Skype integration
• HP Pre 3 apparently delayed ’til late July in the UK
• HP TouchPad will be available in Australia on August 15

Okay, so he didn’t actually say that the Touchpad will sell better than the iPad, although that’s clearly what he implied. Not saying it directly is certainly smart, as he’s going to be able to say he’s been misquoted when investors ask him, during next year’s conference calls, what he was thinking.

He believes that HP will perform even better in the tablet space than it has in the PC space, where, “with fewer ways of differentiating HP’s products from our competitors, we became number one”. Let’s just ignore that strange-sounding assertion (I would certainly like to hear why exactly he thinks that the PC space allows for less differentiation than tablets) and focus on “number one plus”. That has to be one of the most void-of-any-meaning things we’ve heard from a big honcho at any company during the past few years.

Again, not saying anything directly (those investors must really bite). Not “we’re going to be No.1″, not “we’ll seel more than anyone else”, not even “our product itself is better than the competition” (although I suspect that latter example is what the aforementioned investors will hear when Cador spins this). No. Number one plus. What does that even mean? Seriously, what?

0? -1? 0.5? Almost No.1? I don’t get it.

And I don’t think we’re supposed to get it, because there’s nothing to get. HP is just desperate for some attention ahead of its European launch of the Touchpad. That’s all. As for the WebOS-powered tablet selling more than the iPad…

Yeah. Right.

Sure, HP has a lot of distribution muscle, inherited from its PC arm (pun intended, indeed). However, distribution isn’t enough, as Nokia has so eloquently proven.

Sure, HP has what is probably the best looking mobile operating system, and one of the most capable. But until developers will start noticing it, it can’t even compete with Android (in the tablet space) or Windows Phone 7 (in, erm, phones). Cador promises that the Touchpad will launch in Europe with “thousands” of apps.

Sorry. Until that’s “tens of thousands”, or, even better, “hundreds of thousands”, the tablet market will still be dominated by the always interesting Apple Vs. Google “fight”. Not because any one person will ever install 100K apps on her or his tablet, but because with big numbers come better chances that everything you need is there. Platforms that have big app numbers are also those that developers tend to write apps for first. Having the app of the moment from day one, and not after 16 months or so, does help drive consumer perception in your favor.

So good luck HP. I do hope that webOS will live long, because it certainly deserves to. However, HP should focus a lot less on statements that literally don’t make any sense, and more on developers, developers…

Via The Telegraph

• HP TouchPad may launch on June 12
• HP TouchPad will be available in Australia on August 15
• HP Touchpad, Veer and Pre 3 hands-on videos #MWC11
• Apple Boasts 100M iPhones, 15M iPads Sold
• HP TouchPad passes FCC, will launch soon

The Pre 3 approved by the Federal Commission also has GSM / UMTS connectivity, so it will be a world phone when (if) launched by Verizon.

The HP Pre 3 runs webOS 2.2 and features a 3.6 inch WVGA multi-touch display, sliding QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi, GPS, 5MP autofocus camera with LED flash, 720p video recording, 512MB RAM, 1.4GHz single-core processor, and 8GB/16 GB of on-board memory.

Via Wireless Goodness

• T-Mobile G2 now only $49.99 on contract
• New BlackBerry Torch 9850, 9860 and 9810 officially announced
• HTC T-Mobile G2 officially announced, pre-orders will start this month
• HTC Desire S and Samsung Galaxy Pro coming to India this month
• Motorola Droid 3 available now at Verizon, Android 2.3 Gingerbread included

Since it’s one of the “20 4G devices” that AT&T will introduce “by the end of the year”, its Veer has been dubbed HP Veer 4G.

The new HP smartphone will cost $99.99 with a 2-yr contract agreement.

The Veer 4G runs webOS 2.1 and features a 2.6 inch, 320 x 400 pixels touchscreen display, Wi-Fi, GPS, Adobe Flash 10.1 support, 3.5mm headset jack, 5MP camera, 8GB of onboard memory, and an 800MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.

Via Press release

• White HP Veer 4G coming to AT&T soon?
• HP TouchPad, HP Pre 3 and HP Veer with WebOS officially announced
• 1.3GHz Snapdragon QSD8650A chipset announced by Qualcomm
• White AT&T HP Veer now just $0.01 at Amazon (with contract)
• Android-powered HTC Bravo appears in a better photo

Some press photos of a Veer running on AT&T’s network have appeared over at Pocket Now. Surprisingly, this is a white version of the Veer (unannounced until now).

The Veer will support AT&T’s HSPA+ network, thus it will be one of the carrier’s 4G smartphones. Other than HSPA+, the handset will feature WebOS 2.x, a 2.6 inch display with 400 x 320 pixels, sliding QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi, GPS, 3.5mm headset jack, 5MP camera, and an 800 MHz processor.

The Veer 4G could be announced by AT&T next week (or sometime in May anyway). In Germany, the new HP smartphone will be available starting June, via O2.

• HP Veer 4G announced by AT&T, will be available on May 15
• White AT&T HP Veer now just $0.01 at Amazon (with contract)
• HP TouchPad, HP Pre 3 and HP Veer with WebOS officially announced
• HP Veer will be available from O2 Germany in May
• HP Veer will be available from O2 Germany in June, reserve yours now

We still don’t know when we’ll actually be able to get some hands-on time with WebOS 3.0, but since we are starting to see screenshots leaked through to us, it likely means we’re getting pretty close to the “summer” release timeframe. So check out the screenshots below and enjoy.

One notable difference is the choice here to go with Bing Maps, which means you’ll get more 45-degree birds-eye views, but you won’t get the same accuracy in traffic data as you would with Google Maps. Bing is also notable for its minimalist approach, which is good or bad depending on how you feel about that style.

Here’s a few other screenshots now.

Device Menu

Keyboard

Messaging

Do you see anything new in there that appeals to you as a potential WebOS user?

via PreCentral

• Storm 2 Appears on Verizon’s Site; Launch Imminent?
• Google Maps Navigation for Android updated, now automatically routes you around traffic
• WebOS 1.3.5 already available for Sprint’s Palm Pre?
• Google intros free Maps Navigation for Android 2.0, Garmin and TomTom stocks plummet
• Palm offers up unlocked Centro for $299, only in white

PreCentral received an image which allegedly shows the upcoming HP smartphone.

Possibly codenamed HP Stingray, the handset is a bit bigger than the Pre 3, and likely has a WVGA display. That’s pretty much all we know about it.

We also have news on the Pre 3 – which has been spotted running on Verizon’s network.

The new Pre is a CDMA / GSM device, so it would be a nice addition to Verizon’s line-up of global smartphones. Of course, the carrier hasn’t announced that it would offer the Pre 3, but it could do it soon.

• White HP Veer 4G coming to AT&T soon?
• Sprint iPhone 5 and iPhone 4 expected to be released in October
• Leaked Verizon roadmap: Motorola Droid Pro, Android 3.0 tablets and a focus on global roaming
• Verizon to release the HTC Snap as HTC Ozone
• Verizon’s HP Pre 3 passes the FCC

However, there’s good news for those in love with webOS. You can now get your very own webOS 2-based device, the Pre 2, on Verizon in the US, for free. Not $199, not $99, free.

HP will give a Pre 2 to you for free, but you have to sign a new two-year contract with Verizon. But if you were after the Pre 2 specifically, or don’t much care for the Pre 3, or just want a webOS device now, this is probably for you.

So head straight over to HP’s Wireless Central Store and get your free Pre 2 while supplies last.

Via PreCentral

• HP TouchPad will be available in Australia on August 15
• HP PalmPad confirmed, will be out early next year and run WebOS
• White AT&T HP Veer now just $0.01 at Amazon (with contract)
• Flash 10.1 for Palm WebOS to come in the first half of 2010
• Rumor: AT&T Will Get Palm Elan Slate Phone, Palm and Pixi Wrap up Testing

While the TouchPad itself is listed as “currently not available” , the page offers a way to sign up to be notified when the TouchPad finally comes out. This is certainly great news for HP fans; we’re starting to believe the rumors about the TouchPad coming out in April are plausible. If it really does come out in June or July as originally thought, we’re going to be look at a blank page for the TouchPad on Amazon for a very long time.

Also, as part of the features of the TouchPad, Amazon lists two accessories: a TouchPad stand and bluetooth keyboard. These are always welcome if they truly do come included with the TouchPad, and this would be a competitive advantage over the other major tablets that require you to pay extra for these accessories.

Visit the Amazon HP TouchPad page

via PreCentral

• HP TouchPad 32 GB coming to Walmart for $599
• 4G HP TouchPad hits FCC, heading to AT&T
• HP Pre 3 may get a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor (at least in the UK)
• HP TouchPad may launch on June 12
• HP TouchPad to be available June 22nd?

Their new offerings – the next generation of WebOS, Touchpad tablet, Pre 3 and Veer smartphones looked pretty cool. We’ve covered the new device specs and features already, so today we’ll only do a quick hands-on overview of the new devices.

Here’s HP Touchpad hands-on video:

Here’s HP Veer:

And HP Pre 3:

Overall –  a pretty impressive comeback for what was once known as Palm Inc., even if the old company and brand name had to die. With HP’s manufacturing and distribution might behind it, WebOS got a new lease of life and this time is poised to do much better then it did 2 years ago.

I’m not expecting very much from HP’s smartphone offerings for now. Not because they are bad products, they are actually very good. But getting into operator dominated mobile industry distribution channels is no easy task, and it will   take HP a while to break in. But their tablet is another matter. It will be sold through PC distribution channels and HP is one of the best at that. Planned for this summer, HP touchpad will be a little late to the game, with iPad 2 and Android Honeycomb tablet sales in full swing. But as HP ramps up their production volumes, Touchpad and Android tablets should be fighting on equal ground.

• HP TouchPad will be available in Australia on August 15
• HP Veer will be available from O2 Germany in May
• HP TouchPad, HP Pre 3 and HP Veer with WebOS officially announced
• HP Pre 3 may get a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor (at least in the UK)
• White AT&T HP Veer now just $0.01 at Amazon (with contract)

We also know the price now. It will be $99.99 if you sign a new two-year contract. Getting the smartphone sans contract will cost you $439.99. You can ‘reserve’ (that’s the term HP likes to describe pre-orders with) yours right now from HP.

What’s more, you’ll be able to use the Wi-Fi hotspot functionality built into the phone’s software absolutely free with your data plan. No special monthly fee here just for using the hotspot. This is a neat offer, and one that’s unique to this device.

Via PreCentral

• Samsung Galaxy Ace now free with £10.50 per month contract at O2 UK
• LG Optimus 2X gets priced in the UK, will ship on March 30
• Vodafone UK launches the HTC HD2, free on select plans
• Verizon HTC Thunderbolt 4G now only $150 at Wirefly until April 18
• Bell HTC Desire Z now free with one-year contract

No, that’s not a typo. Verizon will not be selling the just-unveiled HP Pre 3, but the Palm Pre 2, its predecessor. Why start selling the phone a day after its successor has been unveiled? Who will buy the Pre 2 considering that the Pre 3 is on its way, and the iPhone for Verizon is finally out?

Good questions, but it’s not like anyone’s going to directly answer those, at least not from Verizon or HP. So there you have it, the Pre 2 will be on Verizon a full week before it was last anticipated to. The price is unknown as of yet, but not making it very cheap would just ensure that sales will be abysmal.

Since the Pre 3 is only going to hit stores in ‘early Spring’, whatever that is, perhaps some die-hard Palm/webOS fans will find some comfort in the Pre 2 until then. We’ll see.

Via PreCentral

Enter to win our weekly contest on Facebook!

• Just 2 More Days to Enter our Speck Drawing!
• Palm gives away 25 free Pixi smartphones
• New iPad reportedly in production now, should be out via both Verizon and AT&T
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Play coming to Verizon soon?
• #CTIA09: Looking at Palm Pre Emulator

The new tablet is called HP TouchPad – although some may have expected it to be called HP Topaz (it’s the same device anyway).

The TouchPad runs WebOS 3.0, looks decent (there’s not much you can do, design-wise, when you’re building a tablet, that’s why most tablets will look kind of the same) and can be connected to your WebOS smartphones in several ways – including using “HP’s exclusive new touch-to-share feature that lets you simply touch an enabled webOS phone to your TouchPad to share web URLs.”

HP TouchPad’s specs:

• 9.7 inch multitouch capacitive display with 1024 x 768 pixels
• A-GPS (3G models only)
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
• Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR and A2DP
• Light sensor, accelerometer, compass, gyroscope
• Front-facing 1.3MP webcam
• 3.5mm headset jack
• Internal stereo speakers, Beats Audio technology
• Microsoft Exchange email with Microsoft Direct Push Technology
• 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor
• 16GB or 32GB of on-board memory
• 6300 mAh battery
• 240 x 190 x 13.7 mm
• 740 grams

The HP TouchPad will be available starting this summer, alongside various accessories (keyboard dock included). Its price has not been announced.

Now, onto the HP Pre 3. The handset is certainly an improvement over the previous models, mainly because it comes with a 3.58 inch multitouch display that has 480 x 800 pixels, and a fast Qualcomm MSM 8×55 processor clocked at 1.4 GHz (I believe this is the world’s first smartphone to use such a CPU). Obviously, the Pre 3 also features a sliding QWERTY keyboard, plus Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, GPS, 5MP camera, HD (720p) video recording, front-facing VGA camera, 512MB RAM, and 8GB / 16GB of internal memory.

“In the suite of webOS products we’re introducing today, Pre3 is our premier phone, designed for the speed of business. It enables professionals to accomplish more of their important workday tasks while easily keeping their fingers on the pulse of their personal lives,” declared Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager, Palm Global Business Unit, HP.

Like the HP TouchPad, the Pre 3 will be launched this summer. Pricing and carrier availability will be unveiled on a later date.

The third new WebOS device announced today is the HP Veer, which is pretty much a smaller Pre 3. It features a sliding QWERTY keyboard, tri-band UMTS and quad-band GSM/EDGE connectivity, a 2.6 inch multitouch screen with 320 x 400 pixels, Wi-Fi, GPS, 5MP camera, 800MHz processor, and 8GB of internal memory.

The HP Veer will be out in “early summer” and should be considerably cheaper than the Pre 3. Now let’s wait for the summer and see how consumers will embrace (or ignore) these new Palm HP products.

Via Palm

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• White HP Veer 4G coming to AT&T soon?
• HP Veer will be available from O2 Germany in May
• HP Touchpad, Veer and Pre 3 hands-on videos #MWC11
• White AT&T HP Veer now just $0.01 at Amazon (with contract)
• HP Veer 4G announced by AT&T, will be available on May 15

Now it looks like Verizon will finally launch it on February 17. That’s if the information in a leaked internal product page from a third party retailer is actually true, or actually what it claims to be. According to that (see image below), the launch will happen on that date in “all channels”.

Which would be perfectly fine, except HP is hosting a Palm-related event on February 9 where they’re expected to unveil the next generation of webOS devices – tablets, for sure, but perhaps smartphones as well. In which case, the Palm Pre 2 on Verizon will be immediately rendered uninteresting by comparison.

So an odd timing from Verizon. Since the new devices probably won’t hit the market immediately after they’re announced, if you just must have a Palm smartphone before the new ones are available, the Palm Pre 2 on Verizon will be your best choice.

Via Engadget

• Palm Eos (Pixie) not coming this year?
• HP to host a Palm WebOS event on February 9, may launch new smartphones and tablets
• New Palm smartphones (P120, C40) coming soon to Sprint?
• HP to launch two Palm WebOS tablets this year, one of them will be out in September
• Sprint won’t get the HP Pre 3

But before that, Palm has posted a video teaser and a countdown timer which provide a glimpse on what we should expect from the upcoming event.

While the device seen (well, almost seen) next to the countdown timer can only be a tablet – probably the Palm Topaz – things aren’t that clear when it comes to what’s shown in the video teaser.

I’d say this (the device in the video) is a new smartphone – maybe it’s the rumored 5-inch Palm Mansion. Although, of course, when you have a 5-inch screen you can’t exactly be called a smartphone. Anyway, Palm and HP will certainly want to surprise the world with their new products, so let’s wait and see if they succeed.

• Palm Mansion may have a 5-inch or larger touchscreen, launch in Q1 2011
• Samsung teases us with Nexus Prime in video
• Jabra Stone Announced, Teased, Pics Leaked on Same Day
• Rumor: Palm Mansion will have 800×480 screen, no physical QWERTY
• HP confirms Palm WebOS phones for early next year (CES 2011 launch?)

Comprehensive information about the specs of the Topaz has now leaked on PreCentral.

The Topaz will have both HP and Palm branding. It’s also possible that it will get Beats branding, a mark oft used by HP to signify HQ audio onboard its devices. And if you add in the possible carrier branding, this will be one device having no shortage of logos on it.

That aside, the Topaz will come in a Wi-Fi-only version, as well as 3G and 4G versions. All of these will have:

• a dual-core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8660 processor
• built-in Adreno 220 graphics with support for Open GL ES 2.0 and Open VG 1.1 acceleration, and 1080p video
• 512 MB of DDR2 RAM
• 9.7-inch 1024×768 touchscreen with oleophobic, scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass
• 16, 32, or 64 GB of internal storage space
• a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera for video chat
• Bluetooth 2.1
• dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
• accelerometer, compass, gyroscope, light sensor, microphone, two integrated speakers
• a 3.5 mm headset jack
• a 24 WHr battery (2×3150 mAh) for more than 8 hours of usage
• three buttons: power, volume up, and volume down
• Touchstone inductive charging
• cloud integration
• Dimensions: 190x240x13.7 mm
• estimated weight: 700 g (1.5 lb)

The HSPA-enabled version will have support for quad-band GSM, and tri-band HSPA – 850/1900/2100. The Topaz will use a full size SIM card, accessible via a pop-out tray.

There will also be a version with LTE support.

The Topaz models to have mobile data capabilities will also have an integrated GPS, whereas the Wi-Fi-only version will not. Also on these models, there will be full support for text messaging.

NFC will not be supported by the Topaz. USB host functionality (a la Nokia’s USB on the go) that will allow you to plug various devices into the Topaz via USB may also be coming, but its fate isn’t clear at the moment. Flash support will be on board, yet it’s not clear if the tablet will also run Adobe AIR apps.

The HP Palm Topaz will be sold only in black, and will have the webOS notification light. It will also sport Touchstone technology, but the second generation of it. So the Topaz will be able to charge wirelessly. Also, the new Touchstone v2 allows for wireless picture sharing, website sharing, wireless map and directions, music sharing, contact sharing, printing, video streaming and video playing.

How most of those will work isn’t very clear right now, but HP will surely demo these a lot before the tablet becomes available in stores. There will also be cloud integration, for photos, music, and storage, as well as “HP Cloud Canvas” which is an unknown feature as of yet.

We’ll keep you posted on future developments. Keep in mind that all this information is based on some documents detailing HP’s plans from last year, and the details are not final. Things may have changed from when these documents were created up until today. Of course, on February 9, we’ll know everything for sure.

• HP / Palm tablets detailed, one of them may be called HP Touchpad
• HP to launch two Palm WebOS tablets this year, one of them will be out in September
• Palm teases new HP WebOS devices (smartphone and tablet?) before next week’s announcement
• INQ’s Cloud Q Facebook Android phone cancelled
• #CES 2010: Verizon’s Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus announced; Sprint users should be jealous

Now we have more info on the upcoming tablets, courtesy of Engadget.

Reportedly, the HP Palm Opal has a 1024 x 768 pixels TFT LCD display and measures 180 x 144 x 13 mm – thus it’s somewhat comparable in size with the Samsung Galaxy Tab (190 x 120.5 x 12 mm)

The HP Palm Topaz (pictured below) will be larger than the Opal, measuring 241 x 190 x 13 mm (almost like an Apple iPad). It’s said that the screen resolution on the Topaz might be similar to the screen res on the Opal.

Other features of the two tablets:

• Premium audio technology powered by HP’s Beats technology
• “Tens of gigabytes” of cloud storage
• Touchstone dock
• “Tap-to-Share”, which supposedly allows you to transfer data (documents, music and such) from your tablet to your phone and back, just by taping the two gadgets together
• “True multitasking” and Flash support – both already included in the latest WebOS

Interestingly, HP has recently filed a trademark for the “HP Touchpad” name – which might be used instead of Opal or Topaz when the new tablets will be launched. I guess we’ll find out the final names in February, eh?

• HP to launch two Palm WebOS tablets this year, one of them will be out in September
• HP Palm Topaz tablet specs leak
• 7-inch HP Opal tablet may launch in August
• Palm Pre officially coming on June 6 for $199 with a Sprint contract
• Palm Pre Plus to start at $149.99 on AT&T with free Touchstone, coming May 16

Everyone assumed that there will be at least one HP Palm WebOS-based tablet, but it looks like there will be two. Engadget got this information, along with pictures of the HP Palm Topaz tablet, the bigger of the two. The other tablet will be called Opal.

The Topaz will have a 9-inch screen, and look like this:

As is obvious from the pictures, there will be no physical buttons on the front of the tablet. What is to be found is a front-facing camera, and a micro USB port on the bottom. Also, it looks like the Topaz will have three speakers, which will either be active all at once, or two by two so you can have good quality stereo sound no matter how you hold the device. The back of the Topaz looks like it’s glossy, so either there won’t be any Touchstone inductive charging here, or the technology has advanced enough that it doesn’t require a soft-touch back anymore.

Units will arrive at HP HQ in June, and and the actual launch will come even later than that. In fact, the Opal, which will have a 7-inch screen, will come in many versions, none of which are set to be released before September, if a leaked marketing slide is to be believed. The Opal will have a Wi-Fi only version, an AT&T 3G version, a Verizon LTE version, all supposedly arriving in September, and, in July 2012, an AT&T 4G version.

The Opal will be focused on e-reading, and will feature ‘premium audio’ – what that means is unclear as of yet. No other details are known, and unfortunately neither are the tech specs for either tablet.

What is clear though is that if HP wants to make a big splash in the tablet world, these need to be very good indeed, since they’ll be launching in a market where the iPad 2, the Motorola Xoom, and countless other Android 3.0 tablets will have already been available for months.

Hopefully, we’ll get to fill in all the gaps in information on February 9. Stay tuned.

• HP / Palm tablets detailed, one of them may be called HP Touchpad
• 7-inch HP Opal tablet may launch in August
• HP Palm Topaz tablet specs leak
• Palm teases new HP WebOS devices (smartphone and tablet?) before next week’s announcement
• Verizon will launch the Palm Pre 2 on February 17

First of all, this ensures that there will be no HP, Palm or WebOS-related news to come out of CES, contrary to past speculation.

Second, the ‘big’ and ‘small’ references may of course mean that we should expect both the launch of a tablet (or many), and the launch of a smartphone (again, or many).

The name of the first WebOS-powered tablet will be HP PalmPad, that much has already been confirmed. It was supposed to be out early this year, and February does seem to be early enough. Also, HP has confirmed that new WebOS-powered phones would be coming, again, early this year.

So it looks like HP will be keeping its promises, now let’s just hope the products it will introduce will not disappoint.

• HP confirms Palm WebOS phones for early next year (CES 2011 launch?)
• HP PalmPad confirmed, will be out early next year and run WebOS
• HP webOS tablet will come next year
• HP kills Android Slate, relies only on WebOS for tablets?
• HP to launch PalmPad during CES in January?

It’s just that time of the year when every self respecting tech publication feels compelled to to show off how well they can read into the tech trend tea leaves. And after years of resisting, we have also finally succumbed to this thing. But hey, it’s not “what to expect/predictions for CES”, at least…

I asked fellow Unwired View editors to share their 5 predictions of interesting things in mobile, bound to happen later this year. Here’s Brad’s 2011 predictions, here’s what Florin has to say about the new year trends, and here’s Vlad’s take on 2011.

And here are my predictions for 2011:

1. Windows Phone 7 will be the fastest growing OS in 2011. This one’s really a no brainer. With WP7 Microsoft has created an OS that can stand on it’s own feet and compete both with iOS and Android. World’s #2 and #3 phone makers – LG and Samsung – have already picked up Windows Phone as one of their major platforms, as did the most active and fastest growing smartphone player – HTC. Carriers have also accepted the new OS, and are pushing heavily subsidized WP7 offerings right alongside their Androids and iPhones. Furthermore – there are now credible reports that Microsoft is in talks with Nokia to put it’s OS on Finnish phones. If Microsoft is able to nab Nokia to push WP7 through its unmatched distribution channels,  only the sky is the  limit to WP7. But even without Nokia, the new OS will do great in 2011. Microsoft WP7 only launched in Q4 2010, and will be starting 2011 from a low base of 2-3 million devices shipped. Combined support of Samsung, LG and  HTC, hundreds of millions Microsoft will be pouring into WP7 promotion this year together with many of mobile carriers, should propel WP7 growth very nicely. It won’t repeat the mind blowing 10x+ a year growth we’ve seen with Android this year. But even if WP7 ships only on 10 million devices in  Q4 2011, that will be a 300-500% YoY growth.  I think  WP7 can do better then that, and in Q4 2011 be on  14 to 16 million new devices.

2. Android will still remain #2 OS by market share, behind Nokia’s Symbian. As I said in my predictions for Android 2011, Android growth will be slowing down. Unit wise, Android will grow nicely next year, most likely repeating 2010 feat and adding another 200-300 000 devices to it’s daily activation count. Which will allow Google’s partners to ship somewhere between 45 and 50 million new Android devices in Q4, 2011. But that will be only a little bit higher then 100% growth from 20-23 million Android devices, that shipped in Q4 2010. Meanwhile, smartphone market will continue to barge ahead with smartphone sales approaching 500 million units in 2011, with 140-150 million of them sold in Q4 2011. Which means that Android will add a few market share points next year, but it will only be a few, and Android will end the 2011 with 30% (+-2%) market share.  While Nokia’s Symbian might lose a few market share points next year, Symbian will still grow close enough to the overall market to ship on more then 50 million units in Q4 2011. So, when the final numbers come in sometime in January 2012, Symbian will still be #1 OS worldwide, with Android breathing down their necks,  but still behind.

3. WebOS will take the third place among tablets shipped in 2011. But HP’s efforts in smartphone market will have only a very limited success. WebOS  smartphones will outsell Android phones made by PC industry rivals, but WebOS market share will hover in low single digits and will not make  it into top 5.  Sales channels and potential customers for tablets are pretty similar to how PCs are sold today. So when HP finally releases it’s WebOS based tablets – they will be able to move a whole lot of them. HP is the worlds biggest computer maker and knows how to sell PCs all over the world. However, since Apple invented tablet category, currently completely dominates it, and has  another generation of tablets coming soon, there is no way for any competing platform to displace iPad from it’s #1 spot in 2011. And Android – with everyone but HP making their own Honeycomb tablets, will take #2 spot almost by default. Which leaves HP in a strong #3 position in tablets.

The smartphone market is different. As every PC maker who tried to muscle in with their Windows Mobile and Android phones during the last 3 years will tell you – mobile is a pretty hard market to crack, and mobile carriers are gatekeepers here. HP has bought some carrier relations expertise with Palm. And they will do better in smartphones then any of it’s rivals coming from PC world (Asus, Acer, Dell, Toshiba, etc;) – but overall WebOS device sales and market share will remain very low for a smartphone category.

4. Samsung will become #2 smartphone vendor, shipping 28 million smartphones worldwide in Q4 2011. Samsung has been #2 mobile phone vendor in the world for quite a few years now. But Korean giant never paid much attention to smartphone market, focusing on it’s own feature phones instead. Yes, Samsung always had a smartphone model or two on almost any operating system it could license – Symbian, Windows Mobile. LiMo, Android… But Samsung was never too serious about smartphones, not even registering among Top 5 smartphone makers until this summer.

Well, Samsung got serious about smartphones this summer, with the release of Galaxy S, and showed us what a world wide distribution channel built over 20 years in mobile industry can be worth. The results came in within a quarter. Samsung vaulted into a Top 5 smartphone maker list after the first quarter of Galaxy S sales, and, most likely, displaced HTC as #4 a in Q4.

For the next year,  Samsung already announced that it plans to sell 10 million of it’s own Bada phones in the first half of 2011. During full 2011 it may as well sell 12-13 million more, with 7-8 million of them sold in Q4 2011. Then there is that 34% smartphone market share, Samsung has carved up for itself among Android smartphone makers. I don’t see anyone taking it away from them this year. Since I predict that Android unit shipments will grow to 50 million in Q4 2011, Samsung should ship 16 million of those devices. And then we have Windows Phone 7. As per prediction #1, I expect a pretty  healthy growth for Microsoft OS this year to 14-16 million devices in Q4 2011. I don’t see any reason why Samsung shouldn’t have at least 25% of that category as well. That gives us about 4 million of Samsung Windows Phones shipped in Q4 this year. Let’s add it all up: 8 million Bada + 16 million Android + 4 million WP7= 28 million Samsung smartphones shipped in Q4 2011.  That should be enough to make Samsung into a #2 smartphone vendor worldwide.

5. LG will become a surprisingly important player in smartphone game. It will end the year in a Top 6 position on a smartphone market share list, trailing closely behind HTC.  LG has completely missed the smartphone explosion of late 2009 and 2010. Just as the smartphone market was heating up in early 2009, LG hitched it’s wagon to a dead horse – Windows Mobile, by entering into alliance with Microsoft, just as Redmond giant was abandoning it’s first try at smartphone OS.  LG completely ignored Android in 2009, and then opted to work on a mid-range Android handset – Optimus One – in 2010. When all the action, growth and profits were at the high end alternatives to iPhone like HTC Desire, Motorola Droids and Samsung Galaxy S.

But things are changing already. LG’s work with Microsoft is finally starting to pay off, with it’s Optimus 7/Quantum devices strongly competitive among Windows Phones. LG is also getting into high end Android smartphone category with their already announced Optimus 2X device. And, all things considered, their mid-end Optimus One smartphone wasn’t a failure either. In fact, it was quite well received and has a moderately good sales. As the top of the line specs of early 2009 (Cortex A8 CPU, 512 MB of RAM, etc;) move to a $350-450 devices this year, LG’s strong position in the mid market should help it keep up with igniting growth there.

Also, as Samsung showed us this year, when your hardware and software is good enough, well developed distribution channels in mobile industry is probably the most important thing for the success of your device. And LG already is, for quite a few years, #3 mobile phone vendor in the world. As those well made high-end and mid- end Android Phones, as well Windows Phone 7 devices begin flowing through LG distribution pipes, LGs smartphone shipments will quickly ramp up to several million devices a month. The Top 5  level in smartphone market is probably too competitive and strong, for LG to get in there. It all depends on how HTC will do next year, but all signs show that they should do even better then they did this year.  However, with Motorola focusing mostly on U.S. market and more or less leaving the rest of its markets on autopilot, Sony Ericsson doing whatever they think they are doing, and Chinese vendors like ZTE and Huawei still too weak to play on a global scale, #6 spot among smartphone makers is wide open and LG’s to take.

Well, that’s about it with my 5 predictions for 2011. We’ll be checking out all the predictions from UV team – mine, Brad’s, Florin’s and Vlad’s – as 2011 draws to a close, to see who’s crystal ball was clearest.

Make sure you are following us then.

• Most smartphones now have touchscreens; Android shipments grew 1074% YoY
• Unwired Views 2011: Android #1 or #2? WP7 hit or fail? Nokia WP7/Android? Honeycomb, iPad, WebOS and more
• IDC: Android and Windows Phone will rule the smartphone market in 2015
• Samsung to increase phone sales by 20% in 2010 (to 270 million units)
• IDC raises 2010 smartphone shipment forecast to 270 million

Not one, not two, but three. Three PalmPads, differentiated by minor tech specs. And apparently they will all be very similar in design to HP’s Slate. If not identical.

At least one of those will have a 9.7-inch screen, they will weigh 1.25 lbs (567 grams) and be thinner than the iPad. A USB 3.0 port will also be included. As will a ‘multi-switch’ like the one on the Palm Pre, and a mini HDMI port. There will also be two cameras, a 3 MP rear one and a 1.3 MP front one, both with flashes.

The tablets will run WebOS 2.5.1. Why not just 2.5? No one knows. Oh, and there will be a fourth tablet (yes, fourth) to be tailored to universities – but that won’t be launching at CES. That (and only that) will have an 8.9-inch screen for some reason.

The consumer version(s) of the tablet will be on Sprint, and taking full advantage of their 4G speeds.

Now, not long ago, HP’s Todd Bradley had said that they will be launching the PalmPad in “early 2011″, and the first days of January are as early as 2011 gets.

However, Engadget’s Joanna Stern seems to disagree with what Fox News has deemed an exclusive and believes that CES is way too soon for us to see any WebOS tablets. Plus, she calls shenanigans on the whole ‘re-done HP Slate’ thing.

We’ll see. Frankly, I think that whether HP will intro tablets at CES or later is quite irrelevant. There will be at least one WebOS tablet in 2011, and I’m betting that’s Q1 2011 – otherwise Bradley would not have said ‘early 2011′. Now if that’s going to be January or March… does it really matter?

Also, does it really matter if the WebOS tablet(s) will look like the Slate?

• HP PalmPad confirmed, will be out early next year and run WebOS
• HP webOS tablet will come next year
• LG V900 tablet hits the FCC, it’s probably T-Mobile’s G-Slate
• 7-inch HP Opal tablet may launch in August
• HP to host a Palm WebOS event on February 9, may launch new smartphones and tablets

Today’s rumor says that Palm is working on a device that will have a touchscreen “slightly bigger than 5 inches”. And while the source of the rumor hasn’t been able to confirm that this is going to be the Mansion, it certainly may be, given the release time frame for both devices: the first quarter of 2011.

Information is still very thin on this, so do take it with more than a pinch of salt, but it just may be that the Palm Mansion will be more of a competitor to the Dell Streak than anything else. We’ll keep you posted.

Via Go Rumors Via PhoneArena

• HP confirms Palm WebOS phones for early next year (CES 2011 launch?)
• Rumor: Palm Mansion will have 800×480 screen, no physical QWERTY
• Post-Acquisition Palm Plans “Very Exciting” Year With New Devices, New Version of WebOS
• HP PalmPad confirmed, will be out early next year and run WebOS
• HP webOS tablet will come next year

This is the unlocked GSM version of the Pre, and as such won’t work on CDMA networks such as Sprint and Verizon. It costs $450, and shipping is within 24 hours.

The launch follows the phone’s availability in the UK, where it’s also available direct from HP, since no operators there were interested in carrying it.

The Palm Pre 2 comes with the new WebOS 2.0, has a 1 GHz processor and a 3.1-inch HVGA (480×320) display and that trademark vertically sliding QWERTY keyboard.

You can order yours from HP USA here.

Via SlashGear

• Palm Pre to debut in Spain on October 14 through Movistar
• Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus headed for Germany via Vodafone and O2
• HP officially announces WebOS 2.0 and Palm Pre 2 (coming to Verizon, SFR and Canada)
• HP TouchPad, HP Pre 3 and HP Veer with WebOS officially announced
• Palm Pre 2 pre-orders will begin in the US on November 8

This isn’t very shocking, since when the Pre 2 was officially announced, the only two carriers mentioned were SFR in France and Verizon in the US. But it definitely looks like the Pre 2 won’t be on many carriers internationally.

Which leaves those who want to get a Pre 2 in the UK with only one option: buy it SIM free. The announced price for an unlocked, SIM free Palm Pre 2 is £399. The smartphone will be available starting Monday, November 15.

• Palm Pre 2 will hit the UK SIM-free on November 12
• Palm Pre 2 pre-orders will begin in the US on November 8
• Palm Pre 2 likely coming to Canada via Rogers
• Samsung Galaxy Tab news: US Cellular will carry it, O2 UK announces pricing
• Palm and O2 offer free 3D EA Mobile games for the Pre

Today HP has confirmed to Pocket-lint that the Palm Pre 2 will be available in the UK, SIM-free, starting on November 12.

This probably means that the Pre 2 will either be sold by Palm UK directly, or by the usual SIM-free mobile retailers – or all of the above. Either way, those who were eagerly expecting the Pre 2 to come to the UK need not worry, for in just three days it will be there.

It’s unclear at this time if any UK operator will pick up the Palm Pre 2 and offer it subsidized, on contract. We’ll keep you posted.

• Palm and O2 offer free 3D EA Mobile games for the Pre
• Palm Pre to hit Australia in August via Telstra
• Palm Pre to be exclusively sold by O2 in the UK
• Palm Pre officially coming to O2 UK on October 16
• Carphone gives free airline tickets to Palm Pre buyers

Those interested in the Palm Pre 2 will be able to pre-order it starting November 8. That information has been made public by HP via their HP for Students Facebook page. What is unclear here is whether this is Verizon’s model they’re talking about, or the unlocked GSM Pre 2 that HP confirmed they will be selling direct and unlocked (presumably as a ‘dev phone’, much like Google has done in the past with the G1 and now with the Nexus One).

Anyway, we will find out on Monday which it was. This would fit nicely with Verizon’s schedule if they do intend to release it on November 11, so it’s not entirely impossible that both Verizon’s Pre 2 and the unlocked model would be up for pre-order at the same time. One way or the other, the launch of the Pre 2 in the US is clearly very close.

Via PreCentral

• Palm Pre 2 now available in the US, unlocked for $450
• GSM Samsung Google Nexus Prime GT-I9250 hits the FCC. Headed to Europe?
• Rumor: AT&T Will Get Palm Elan Slate Phone, Palm and Pixi Wrap up Testing
• Verizon stores start receiving Samsung Galaxy Nexus accessories
• UK: Google Nexus S now only £318 SIM-free

And today we have confirmation of that. While it’s not an official announcement (yet?), these pictures clearly mean the Palm Pre 2 is going to be sold by Rogers. You can clearly see it as the carrier on the Pre 2, and the second picture is of the retail box.

Sadly we’re still nowhere on the release date. As for now, it’s “in the coming months”, as it was when HP announced the smartphone. Similarly, nothing new is known about pricing, but Canadians at least now know for sure that this device will hit their neck of the woods.

Via MobileSyrup

• Rumor: Nokia Lumia 900 headed to Rogers in May
• BlackBerry Bold to debut for Rogers Wireless on July 25th
• Palm Pre 2 likely coming to Canada via Rogers
• Nokia N95 really coming to Rogers Canada, actually 8GB version
• Rogers gets official with Nokia E71

But someone digging through the source code for Palm’s Canadian site found this commented-out line:

If the picture isn’t clear enough, here’s the important tidbit:

<!–p>The Palm Pre2 phone is available on the Rodger’s network.</p–>

Funny typo aside, this may indicate that the Pre 2 is headed to Rogers, and not Bell like its predecessors. Then again, it may end up on multiple Canadian carriers. We’ll just have to wait and see.

In another piece of commented-out code, there was even a mention of AT&T, which certainly makes things interesting.

<!–li><a
rel=”/us/assets/data/products/pre2_wtb.json” id=”aux-wheretobuy” href=”#wtb”>
<h3> Buy now <img
src=”/assets/images/global/sidebar_link_arrow.gif”> </h3>
<p>Available on Verizon Wireless <br />
and AT&amp;T network</p>
</a></li–>

So it looks like the Pre 2 may also be sold, at some point, by AT&T.

Now whether or not these lines are relevant in any way is anyone’s guess. But they have to have been added there for some purpose, right?

Via PreCentral

• Palm Pre 2 likely coming to Canada via Rogers
• Palm Pre officially announced for Bell Canada
• Palm teases new HP WebOS devices (smartphone and tablet?) before next week’s announcement
• Verizon to sell the Palm Pre, Android phones, new BlackBerries
• New Palm smartphones (P120, C40) coming soon to Sprint?

However, the source code of the Pre 2’s Canadian web page shows that the carrier will be none other than Rogers (actually, the source code reads Rodger’s, but that’s less important).

As previously announced, the new Pre should be out in Canada “in the next few months” – we don’t have an exact launch date at the moment.

There’s still no word on the price of the Palm Pre 2, but we should find out more about this on Friday, when the new WebOS 2.0 handset will be launched in France.

Via Mobile Syrup

• Palm Pre 2 may be going to AT&T and Rogers as well
• Palm Pre officially announced for Bell Canada
• HP officially announces WebOS 2.0 and Palm Pre 2 (coming to Verizon, SFR and Canada)
• Samsung Galaxy S II officially “coming soon” to Canada
• WebOS 1.0.4 available for the Palm Pre

According to Droid-life, November 11 will be a very busy day for Verizon, because that’s the day when the carrier will reportedly launch not only the Pre 2, but also three Motorola Android handsets, as well as the HTC Merge (it’s not the first time we’re hearing about it being available starting Nov. 11).

The three Moto Android handsets are the Droid Pro, the Droid 2 Global Edition, and the lower-end Motorola Citrus.

There’s still no word on the price of any of these upcoming smartphones. We’ll let you know when new details show up.

• HTC Incredible HD coming to Verizon on November 23?
• Verizon’s Motorola Droid Pro to cost $299 on contract? Probably not
• Verizon’s upcoming world phones: Motorola Droid Pro, Droid 2 Global Edition, HTC Merge, LG enV Pro
• Motorola Spice XT300 also announced. Moto Defy going to Brazil
• Some Verizon Droids to get Android 2.3 Gingerbread within the coming months

HP and Palm have taken an Apple-like approach when designing the new Pre 2, making it look only a tad different from the previous model (just like new iPhones don’t look too different form the old ones).

The new Pre still has a curved design, a sliding QWERTY keyboard, and a 3.1 inch HVGA touchscreen display. However, it’s thinner than the Pre 1.

Other features:

• 1GHz processor (the first Palm smartphone to have such a CPU – it was about time)
• Wi-Fi
• GPS
• Stereo Bluetooth
• 3.5mm headset jack
• 5MP camera with flash and video recording
• 16GB of internal memory

SFR will sell the Palm Pre 2 in France starting this Friday (October 22). In the US, Verizon will offer the new smartphone in the coming months, when the device should also be out via an unknown Canadian carrier. Sprint (which was the first to launch the original Pre) is out of the deal for the moment.

HP and Palm have not announced the price of the Pre 2.

WebOS 2.0 features:

• Adobe Flash Player 10.1 Beta
• Stack – which “automatically groups related cards together and stacks them to make it easier to navigate if you have lots of apps open”
• HP Synergy
• Quickoffice Connect Mobile Suite “for viewing Microsoft Office Word, Excel and PowerPoint docs”
• Skype Mobile (only on Verizon)
• Redesigned App Catalog

A WebOS 2.0 update “will be delivered to existing customers in the coming months” (I assume existing customers means all users who have a Pre, Pixi, Pre Plus or Pixi Plus).

You can find out more in this Press release and at Palm’s official blog.

• #CES 2010: Palm brings 3D games to webOS, opens developer program, promises Flash and video recording
• Palm Pre and the webOS platform will support Flash
• Sprint Palm Pixi price and release date announced: $99.99 starting November 15
• Palm launches webOS 1.2
• Palm Pixi now official, comes to Sprint later this year without Wi-Fi

One month later, meaning now, Palm is striking back at Nokia by hiring Ari Jaaksi, who recently resigned from his position as head of Nokia’s MeeGo branch.

All Things Digital has it that, starting November, Jaaksi will be Palm’s new senior VP of WebOS.

Quite an interesting change of execs between Nokia and Palm (which now belongs to HP), isn’t it?

Reportedly, an ex-Samsung head of R&D has also joined Palm recently: Victoria Coleman, who will “oversee platform and application development for next generation versions of webOS.”

Palm is getting ready to launch the new Pre 2, which should run WebOS 2. We don’t know when this will happen, but with the new folks in charge of its OS, it shouldn’t take long.

We’ll see if Palm manages to launch a WebOS 2 smartphone before Nokia intros a MeeGo one.

• Palm WebOS 1.1 available – major update
• Palm makes the Mojo SDK available to everyone
• Nokia’s MeeGo head resigns. Will we see the N9 this year?
• Nokia invests in Palm to work on a dual boot MeeGo / WebOS smartphone? WebOS to merge with MeeGo in 2012
• Keyboardless Palm Centro 2 with webOS in the making?

Previous leaks either came from French carrier SFR or were related to the device it will sell. But now it looks like the WebOS 2.0-powered beast is headed to Verizon. That’s what this leaked screencap from Big Red’s internal VZLearn system suggests. This portal has training information for Verizon employees.

No other details are known at this point. There’s no info on pricing on when it will actually be available on Verizon, or if it will be also launched by another US carrier. But do stay tuned, since judging by how frequent Pre 2-related leaks have become, we’ll know soon enough.

Via Engadget

• Verizon Samsung Fascinate (Galaxy S) arrives in stores
• US Cellular will launch the HTC Merge on April 29
• HP to launch two Palm WebOS tablets this year, one of them will be out in September
• Verizon Motorola Droid 4 price leaks, $249.99 with contract
• Verizon Motorola Droid Pro version without a camera on its way?

Not even a day has passed and now we have the first live hands-on pictures of the smartphone, courtesy of MobiFrance.

Along with the pictures came reconfirmation of the specs we heard about yesterday. As such, the Pre 2 will come with a 1 GHz processor, 512 MB of RAM and will run WebOS 2.0.

Launch date? “Within days”. SFR will apparently be the exclusive carrier of the Pre 2 in France. The smartphone will be available online from SFR in a few days and then slowly become available in Espace SFR stores in early November.

As for the differences between this and its predecessor, as you can see from the pics, aesthetically they’re very similar indeed. The screen does appear to be less curved, as expected from yesterday’s leak. It’s the upgraded internals that count the most here, and especially the new OS version.

If the Palm Pre 2 will actually be available in a matter of days, that will be a nice surprise since this device’s existence was only confirmed yesterday.

• Some more pics of Verizon’s Motorola Droid X2 leak, it still looks exactly like its predecessor
• More pictures and details of the Verizon Samsung Continuum leak
• Sprint Samsung Galaxy S II Within images get leaked
• Confirmed: Palm Pre 2 will be on Rogers
• Some Palm Pre 2 details leak

First things first, though: this represents confirmation that a Palm Pre 2 is on its way. Believe it or not, it’s the first actual confirmation from such a trustworthy source to hit the interwebs. The codename for the Pre 2 could be Roadrunner, if SFR’s unedited image name is to be believed.

On to details now. Here’s what you can expect from the Pre’s second coming:

• a 1 GHz processor
• 512 MB of RAM
• WebOS 2.0 (that will bring a faster boot time)
• same design as the current Pre family, but with a “flatter screen” – presumably not as curved as on the original
• the USB door has been replaced with an exposed microUSB port

An interesting supposed feature of WebOS 2.0 is going to be “Push”. SFR only explain this as it relates to Facebook and the pushing of messages, events, wall posts and chat from there onto your device, but let’s remain hopeful that this will be a system-wide feature that will be used by other applications as well. It certainly sounds cool enough.

The Pre 2 will also come with better battery life and many performance improvements, and not a moment too soon. These are probably thanks to both the new OS and the bumped up hardware specs.

This is all good-sounding news, but sadly there’s nothing more at this time. No price, no release date. But judging by the fact that this leak occurred on a carrier’s own site, the launch can’t really be that far away.

Perhaps the Pre 2 will see the light of day just in time for the holiday season. We’ll keep you posted.

Via PreCentral

• WebOS SDK to be out by the end of the summer. WebOS 1.0.3 out now
• WebOS 1.3.5 already available for Sprint’s Palm Pre?
• WebOS 1.0.4 available for the Palm Pre
• Palm announces the webOS platform and the good-looking Palm Pre smartphone
• HP confirms Palm WebOS phones for early next year (CES 2011 launch?)

So if you’re wondering when new Palm handsets will be introduced, it looks like the answer is “early next year.”

HP’s Senior Vice President Eric Cador recently said so, unfortunately without providing more details.

One of the future HP-Palm phones could be the Palm Mansion, which should feature a large WVGA touchscreen display, no hardware QWERTY keyboard and, most likely, WebOS 2.0 (pictured below).

Early next year is also when the rumored WebOS-based HP PalmPad should be introduced.

Since Palm was present both at CES 2009 and CES 2010 (for unveiling the Pre and Pixi – and, one year later, their Plus versions), CES 2011 seems to be a good place for the new WebOS devices to be announced. Let’s hope HP and Palm won’t disappoint.

• Pixi-like Palm WebOS smartphone coming to T-Mobile USA?
• HP PalmPad confirmed, will be out early next year and run WebOS
• HP to host a Palm WebOS event on February 9, may launch new smartphones and tablets
• Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus headed for Germany via Vodafone and O2
• Rumor: Palm Mansion will have 800×480 screen, no physical QWERTY

And ever since the ‘Plus’ versions of those devices came out, people have been anxiously expecting the next big thing, smartphone-wise, to bear the Palm brand.

HP have repeatedly said they will focus on tablets for WebOS, but there will be some new smartphones too. And now it looks like one of those could be codenamed ‘Mansion’. That name makes some sense, since the original Pre had the codename ‘Castle’.

The Mansion will have a 800×480 screen resolution and may be the first Palm smartphone since their WebOS-based reinvention not to sport a physical QWERTY keyboard.

It will be interesting to see how HP/Palm will pull off a virtual QWERTY keyboard only and how theirs will compare to the iPhone’s and the myriad of keyboards available for Android devices. Also, the increase in resolution will surely make many people happy, as it will be on par with the latest Android smartphones in this regard.

There are no more details at this point, but if this device is real, they will surely leak at some point or the other in the coming weeks or months.

Via PreCentral

• Pixi-like Palm WebOS smartphone coming to T-Mobile USA?
• Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus headed for Germany via Vodafone and O2
• HP confirms Palm WebOS phones for early next year (CES 2011 launch?)
• Palm announces Q1 FY 2010 results, says goodbye to Windows Mobile
• Verizon launching both the Palm Pre Plus and the Palm Pixi Plus?

It’s no different in this case. Screenshots possibly taken from a beta SDK for WebOS 2.0 have emerged, and they show HP’s newest mobile OS in all its glory.

Highlights of new features include Dropbox and MobileMe support and selection of default apps for data types as well as specific file types.

And if you can live with that shade of gray, this is shaping up to be an update to look forward to. An incremental update, but a good one nevertheless.

Also worth looking forward to is that HP WebOS tablet that will apparently hit the streets at the beginning of next year. It will presumably sport this version of the OS (well, the final bits), and may just pose a threat to Apple’s iPad and the upcoming onslaught of Android-based tablets.

Hopefully HP will also consider releasing at least a high-end smartphone running WebOS 2.0. More competition is always better, so to speak. It pushes competitors to innovate at a faster pace, and the original WebOS did just that. Here’s hoping its successor will be able to do the same.

Via Engadget

• Flash 10.1 for Palm WebOS to come in the first half of 2010
• WebOS 2.0 will come this year
• Windows Live Messenger for Apple iPhone screenshots emerge
• WebOS 1.0.4 available for the Palm Pre
• Motorola Atrix Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread update now rolling out in Europe

Still, Palm R&D department  hasn’t been sitting on it’s hands even during the tough times. And they’ve come up with some interesting ideas of how to improve our palm computing/communication experiences.

Here’s one of them – compact removable voice handset, integrated into a palmtop computer. It’s described in a fairly recent Palm patent application, filed at the end of April, this year.

And, looking at the  patent app, I wonder why nobody has made such a thing yet.

As the touchscreen displays get bigger and bigger, our smartphones become ever harder to use for their basic – cellphone – function. Just look at Dell Streak. It’s a great portable web browsing, e-mail, online communication device and media player. But I shudder only thinking about using it as a phone,  and putting this slab of a device to my ear for a 10-15 minute conversation.

It gets even worse for  7″ or 10″ tablets, that are just around the corner. Even though most of them can have all the necessary 3G circuitry  to make phone calls, the form factor makes this activity hugely impractical.

Now Palm has designed an extremely elegant solution – adding a small, removable, voice only handset to the body of a palmtop device. When separated, phone and main body parts are coupled via Bluetooth. All the “smarts and  brains” remain in the main body, detachable handset is used only for voice comms. As the call comes in, you pull the cellphone part from the main body and start talking. After the call, you pop the cellphone part back in. All other functions – like contact management, dialing, etc; remain with the main palmtop body.

This mode of operation may even better then on traditional smartphone – if you need to take some notes, enter or look-up contact info, arrange a conference call – you can do that without any interruption, while talking on the phone.

It’s just a patent application for now, and may never become an actual product – most of patented things don’t. But I really like this idea and hope someone implements it soon.

• Sony Ericsson’s Mobile Phone/Universal Remote Control
• Self Cradling Samsung Phone
• Body Fat Measuring Phone from BenQ
• The new kind of slider from BenQ Siemens (SL98), Asus and LG
• Google Voice web app launched for iPhone, WebOS (video)

If I were a betting man, I’d say Q4 is the magic time of the year when we’ll actually see its release.

Rubinstein also said that they’re “aggressively” developing new hardware, that will presumably run the new version of WebOS.

What hardware, we can only speculate on. But clearly the main focus of WebOS under HP will be as a tablet OS, what with them indefinitely delaying their Android tablet and all.

There may also be a smartphone in the making, but don’t hold your breath. HP’s CEO did state that they haven’t bought Palm to be in the smartphone business. And sure, he might have retracted that afterwards, but I don’t think there’s any doubt that there was at least some truth in his initial statement.

Anyway, as I keep saying, the fourth quarter of this year (and especially December) looks like a very busy time indeed for electronics manufacturers. Expect many Android tablets and perhaps that elusive new and exciting WebOS-powered hardware to enter your life.

Via Engadget

• HP PalmPad confirmed, will be out early next year and run WebOS
• WebOS 2.0 screenshots leak
• HP confirms Palm WebOS phones for early next year (CES 2011 launch?)
• HP webOS tablet will come next year
• Palm Mansion may have a 5-inch or larger touchscreen, launch in Q1 2011

Fast forward to now, when Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC 2010) is underway in Washington.

Yesterday, Steve Ballmer held a speech there, flavored with some PowerPoint slides. One of the slides showed both Windows 7 and Windows Phone 7 partners – and, as seen in the image below, HP was missing from the latter category.

Unless this is a mistake (I doubt it), HP has ditched plans to launch WP7 devices. Why would it do that? Well, because it probably wants to concentrate its mobile efforts on Palm (recently acquired for $1.2 billion) and its platform.

It’s no secret that Palm’s currently working on new smartphones and a new version of webOS, and HP has probably decided it can’t (or doesn’t want to) split its resources between webOS and WP7.

HP aside, Microsoft has reportedly confirmed that HTC, Samsung, LG and Dell would all launch Windows Phone 7 handsets “this fall” (Dell Lightning, anyone?). The remaining hardware partners (SE, Toshiba and Garmin-Asus) will likely have WP7 products starting early next year.

Via MobileTechNews, WMExperts

• Garmin-Asus Android phone promised for Q1 2010
• Keyboardless Palm Centro 2 with webOS in the making?
• HTC not interested in buying Palm. Palm’s CEO says they can still make it on their own
• Windows Phone 7 LG handset coming in September?
• Palm announces Q1 FY 2010 results, says goodbye to Windows Mobile

No, I have not gone crazy or fallen victim to a typo of some sort. Palm’s mobile operating system on the Pre and Pixi has been found to be capable of running on an old Dell laptop. See the image below for some introductory proof.

And it doesn’t take a genius to make this magic trick work, either. Apparently, it’s as easy as taking the webOS emulator for the PC (which is compatible with x86 hardware) and using its image to install webOS on a hard drive. The person responsible for installing webOS on the above pictured Dell laptop used the webOS image on an IDE hard drive.

As you can imagine, webOS on the laptop works just like it does on Palm’s recent smartphones, but problems arise from the input options offered by the keyboard and non-touchscreen display. So even though installing the mobile OS on the laptop is somewhat easy, things can only get tricky when it comes to actual usage.

Whether or not something good comes out of this hack remains to be seen. It may help you pass the time on a weekend, though.

Via PreCentral

• Palm WebOS 1.1 available – major update
• HP no longer a Windows Phone 7 launch partner? Palm’s webOS might be to blame
• Post-Acquisition Palm Plans “Very Exciting” Year With New Devices, New Version of WebOS
• Nokia confirms intentions to enter laptop business – Nokia Sparrow might be real
• Palm makes the Mojo SDK available to everyone

AT&T made no word on the Palm Pixi Plus, which was also reported as coming to AT&T alongside the Pre Plus, but they did mention that those who purchase their phones in a corporate-owned store will be getting a Touchstone charging dock for absolutely free. It’s actually quite a good deal, and one that gives users something they might find very useful.

The free Touchstone charging dock will only be included for “a limited time,” though, and for details or more info, it might be best to contact or visit AT&T for yourself.

Via Engadget

• Palm Pre officially coming on June 6 for $199 with a Sprint contract
• Palm Pre officially coming to O2 UK on October 16
• Sprint debuts Palm Pre sweepstakes, might release the handset before June
• Palm Pre now available from Sprint, $550 off-contract
• HP TouchPad 32 GB coming to Walmart for $599

Last year Palm bet the company on it’s new WebOS smartphone platform. And lost.

So, despite management’s assurances to the contrary,  it became clear recently that Palm has no chance of surviving as independent company. The only question was who will buy it.

Some people were daydreaming that it might be Apple, Nokia or RIM, but there was no chance of that ever happening. What would any of these companies do with WebOS?

The only logical candidates for Palm’s biz were smartphone industry outsiders, eager to get into the game. So the names like Lenovo, Dell and Huawei were banded about, and sounded quite believable. It seems that HTC was also sniffing around, but that deal never made much sense to me.

And somehow, everyone (including me) totally forgot about HP. The biggest PC maker of them all. With demonstrated ambitions to get into mobile world, who was surprisingly quiet about it for the past couple years.

In 2008/2009, as the smartphone market started to take off, every PC maker decided they have to be a player in this game too. After all, mobile phone was truly becoming a computer, and who knows more about how to make and sell computers, then them? After a short and failed love affair with Windows Mobile, most of PC vendors decided, that Android will be the platform of choice to conquer the smartphone world. And so the handsets like Acer Liquid, Dell Aero, Garmin-Asus A50, and Lenovo LePhone started showing up. But with very limited success so far.

Meanwhile, after a short and failed try to revive it’s iPaq line as a Windows Mobile business smartphone, HP seemed to completely ignore the exploding smartphone industry. There were no new phones, no announcements, no leaks, not even a rumor, that HP is looking at smartphones again.

Well, today HP is back in a smartphone biz. With a vengeance. I just hope they do not bungle it again.

The main problem why  Palm failed, was the lack of resources. They knew they’ve had a chance for one more bet, they bet everything on Web OS, and they almost succeeded.  They created a great smartphone platform, generated huge excitement and interest, and then stumbled near the finish line.  And, what would have been just a minor setback for a stronger company, proved fatal to Palm.

Now, as part of HP, instead of survival, Palm can again start focusing on realizing the potential of WebOS. They got one of the coolest mobile  mobile platforms around, (I hope) they’ve still got the software and design teams that made WebOS happen. And now they’ve got the money to invest, market and sell the new handsets, and (again, I hope) they’ve learned a lot on Pre mistakes.

As for HP, they just went from a nobody, to a serious player in the smartphone race. Among the major PC makers, they are now best positioned to mount credible  challenge to incumbent mobile vendors like Nokia, Samsung, RIM, HTC and Apple.

I really hope, that HP doesn’t bungle this major opportunity. If they channel their resources to Palm, but let it stay at least semi-autonomous unit, we might soon see some interesting things happening in smartphone market.

• Keyboardless Palm Centro 2 with webOS in the making?
• Palm to kill PalmOS and focus on webOS, Windows Mobile
• HTC not interested in buying Palm. Palm’s CEO says they can still make it on their own
• HP confirms Palm WebOS phones for early next year (CES 2011 launch?)
• Sprint won’t get the HP Pre 3

The catch should be no biggie, since it’s something that almost everyone who’s ever had a free phone handed to them should be familiar with by now. The phone comes with a 2-year contract, which as Sprint puts it, gives buyers a great $349 USD in savings instantly.

Above is a screenshot of Sprint’s online order page showing the Palm Pixi’s current price — $0.00. Sprint is just awesome, eh?

Via PreCentral

• Palm to make a WiMax smartphone for Sprint?
• CDMA Palm Treo Pro now available from Sprint
• Sprint to have US exclusivity on Palm Pre until 2010
• Pink Palm Pixi coming to Sprint for Valentine’s Day?
• Palm and O2 offer free 3D EA Mobile games for the Pre

One of these companies was HTC, currently the world’s fifth largest smartphone maker, and by far the no. 1 maker of Android handsets.

However, Reuters reports that HTC doesn’t want to bid for Palm, and this decision was taken after the Taiwanese company reviewed Palm’s financial results (which, as you probably know, are farm from being great).

Apparently, Huawei (another company rumored to be in talks with Palm) has also decided that it won’t make any move for now.

This being said, it looks like Lenovo remains the main contender for buying Palm. It’s worth mentioning that Lenovo has more than $2.4 billion in net cash reserves, while Palm’s value is estimated at about $1.3 billion.

Whether or not Lenovo will acquire Palm, no one can know. In fact, Palm may actually remain an independent company – the company’s CEO John Rubinstein recently told The Financial Times that they have a “plan that gets us to profitability” and thus he believes the company can still make it on its own.

Apparently, Palm intends to license its WebOS platform to interested phone makers. Since WebOS is a pretty good platform, this might prove to be a good idea that could bring Palm some serious cash.

Meanwhile, according to Rubinstein, Palm is “fast and furious” working on new smartphones that will be included in “a strong pipeline of products in the future.” Yes, well, let’s hope these products won’t be launched six months after their announcement – like the Palm Pre was.

• Palm announces Q1 FY 2010 results, says goodbye to Windows Mobile
• Lenovo rumored to buy Palm
• Palm in talks with Huawei for acquisition?
• Palm WebOS 1.1 available – major update
• Keyboardless Palm Centro 2 with webOS in the making?

The phones themselves aren’t going to differ much from those that are available elsewhere around the world. But they will come pre-loaded with SFR’s content in the form of applications such as “SFR TV,” which will give users access to main TV channels in France, and “SFR Mon Compte,” which gives customers access to their SFR account on the go. “SFR Wi-Fi” will also come pre-loaded.

Currently, SFR has posted a sort of a coming soon page for the two Palm webOS smartphones. You can sign up for notifications for when they finally become available on April 27.

SFR France via Press release

• WebOS SDK to be out by the end of the summer. WebOS 1.0.3 out now
• WebOS 1.0.4 available for the Palm Pre
• HP confirms Palm WebOS phones for early next year (CES 2011 launch?)
• Post-Acquisition Palm Plans “Very Exciting” Year With New Devices, New Version of WebOS
• Palm announces Q1 FY 2010 results, says goodbye to Windows Mobile

This move by Palm will surely gain the favor of many developers looking to save a good hundred bucks while still being able to publish their apps for users to download. But whether it’s enough to attract the multitude of developers currently siding with either Android, iPhone or Symbian still remains to be seen.

Palm indicates on their developer site that the $99 annual fee waive will only be offered for a limited time, so it would be best for those interested to take advantage of it now. A product of this promo might just be the next big Palm webOS App Catalog hit.

Via Mobilecrunch

• #CES 2010: Palm brings 3D games to webOS, opens developer program, promises Flash and video recording
• Palm makes the Mojo SDK available to everyone
• Palm launches webOS 1.2
• WebOS 1.0.4 available for the Palm Pre
• WebOS SDK to be out by the end of the summer. WebOS 1.0.3 out now

Both webOS-equipped smartphones are well-suited for both business-type persons as well as regular consumers. The Palm Pre Plus comes in the form of the original Palm Pre, and offers a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, gesture area, 16GB of internal memory and a sufficiently large touchscreen LCD.

Meanwhile, the Palm Pixi Plus comes in a candybar form factor with a QWERTY keyboard and a sizable touchscreen display. It, like the Palm Pre Plus, will be able to take advantage of over-the-air updates for added functionality and new features.

The two smartphones will go on sale at April 28 on Vodafone and O2 Germany. Pricing info has not yet been revealed.

Via Mobiletor

• Sprint Palm Pixi price and release date announced: $99.99 starting November 15
• Pink Palm Pixi coming to Sprint for Valentine’s Day?
• Palm Pixi to be launched in Europe and Canada too
• Palm Pre Plus, Pixi Plus pricing announced by Verizon
• Palm Pixi now official, comes to Sprint later this year without Wi-Fi