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Verizon's Pre 2 earns an entry in Best Buy's inventory system
Want a Pre 2 on Verizon? Too bad, you've gotta keep waiting -- but it might be getting a little closer now that the mythical CDMA variant of Palm's latest handset apparently has its own line item in Best Buy's inventory system. Unfortunately, we're not encouraged by the fact that zero are "on hand" -- nor are any "in transit" -- but considering Big Red's near-legendary reputation for testing the crap out of phones and firmwares prior to release, we wouldn't be surprised if they've sent builds back to Palm once or twice. Keep the faith, folks... or just wait for Palm's next model, which can't be that far off.
Just got a Palm phone? The best apps, accessories, and tips
So you nabbed a webOS device over the holidays? Maybe you got yourself a Pixi or Pre Plus, or if you were really lucky, someone dropped a Pre 2 in your stocking. We know that Palm isn't exactly ruling the roost when it comes to smartphones, but that doesn't mean that your new device isn't plenty powerful given the right apps and proper tweaks. In fact, webOS can stand toe-to-toe with the iOS and Android devices of the world, even if the selection of apps and hardware leaves something to be desired. So how do you turn your holiday cheer into a year-round workhorse? Read on after the break for the must-have apps, accessories, and more!
Palm Pre 2 lands on Rogers today, $99 on three-year contract
Beating out Verizon, Canada's Rogers becomes the first carrier in North America to pick up the Pre 2 today, hawking it for CAD $99 -- about $97 -- as long as you're willing to put your name down for a new three-year contract with a qualifying voice and data plan. Since Rogers runs HSPA on 850 and 1900MHz, you can bet this is pretty much the same phone Palm is offering unlocked in the States for $450; you're just paying a little less upfront and a whole lot more over time. Six of one, half-dozen of the other, as they say.
Verizon's Palm Pre 2 shown briefly in pulled eBay auction?
Still in disbelief that Big Red will one day be home to Palm's Pre 2? Can't say we blame you, but the evidence is certainly building. Just three months after taking a peek at inside information hinting at the smartphone's arrival on Verizon, along comes an eBay auction for a nondescript P102EWW -- known amongst the FCC hounds as a CDMA Palm Pre 2. After the folks at Pre Central started questioning the seller, the auction was mysteriously yanked, possibly due to worry from the sudden stroke of enlightenment. It's obviously impossible to know if the phone up for sale was indeed an early build meant for America's largest carrier, but the photos capped before the auction was pulled sure are hard to discredit. So, can we just get this out in the open now, or what?
Jon Rubinstein live from D: Dive Into Mobile
Palm / HP's Jon Rubinstein is just about to take the stage at the D: Dive Into Mobile event. Will there be talk of past failures? Future triumphs? Will he break out a rumored device? Will he breakdance? Only the liveblog knows for sure... so keep reading after the break!
Software keyboard pops up in webOS 2.0, dreams of a Palm slate phone flourish
A software keyboard may sound anathema to Palm, with its rich history of wonderful QWERTY keyboards, but you had to feel it was coming, what with the wild consumer adoption of slate devices and, you know, the economy these days. Well, after a short history of hints in webOS 2.0's code and a longer history of hacks, a full-on Palm-developed software keyboard has been found in shipping webOS 2.0 devices. It takes a little bit of a hack and a restart, and apparently it's buggy as well, oh and you have to use the physical keyboard to enter the Opt+Sym+K command that opens the virtual keys. Still, none of these shortcomings are going to stop us from sketching out slick, slim slate phones in our diaries, translating that understated elegance of the Pre 2 into a screen-dominated form factor with our unbridled imaginations, leaving the Pre's cramped hardware keyboard in the past as we sprint into a glorious future of tangible webOS 2.0 market share and maybe a threaded email app or something. Sorry, we're done. Check out a video of the keyboard in action while we wipe the drool off our chins.
The Engadget Show - 015: Sprint's Fared Adib, Google TV creator Salahuddin Choudhary, Galaxy Tab, Nook Color, and more!
Get ready humans, because we have an all new, amazing Engadget Show fresh out of the box. First up, Josh and Paul sit down with Sprint product chief Fared Adib to talk about the birth of the EVO 4G, what exactly defines "4G," where Sprint sees itself in relation to Verizon and AT&T, and why skinning Android devices might be a necessary evil. Next, Nilay goes hands on with the fully-automated house of the future at the Savant Experience Center in an exclusive new Engadget Show segment, then joins Josh on stage for a in-depth chat with Salahuddin Choudhary, a Google TV product manager who helped create Google TV in his 20-percent time. Then, Paul, Nilay, and Josh discuss all things tablets in a raucous roundtable featuring the iPad, Galaxy Tab, and Nook Color. To round it all out, exileFaker rocks the house with some killer chiptunes music with visuals by HN_i_C. What are you waiting for? Watch it now! Hit up the video stream after the break or download the show in HD below! Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller Special guests: Fared Adib, Salahuddin Choudhary Produced and Directed by: Chad Mumm Executive Producer: Joshua Fruhlinger Edited by: Danny Madden Music by: exileFaker Visuals by: HN_i_C Savant segment music by: Kris Keyser and exileFaker Opening titles by: Julien Nantiec Taped live at The Times Center Download the Show: The Engadget Show - 015 (HD) / The Engadget Show - 015 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted) / The Engadget Show - 015 (Small) Subscribe to the Show: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (MP4). [Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (MP4). [RSS MP4] Add the Engadget Show feed (MP4) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically. [HD RSS] Get the Engadget Show delivered automatically in HD. [iPad RSS] Get the Engadget Show in iPad-friendly adaptive format. %Gallery-108045%
The Engadget Show Live! with Sprint's Fared Adib, Google TV's Salahuddin Choudhary, tablets, giveaways, and more!
Humans, keep your eyes tuned to this post -- because at 6:30 PM ET, we'll be starting The Engadget Show live, with Sprint's product chief Fared Adib, Google TV project lead Salahuddin Choudhary, a tablet-centric roundtable, insane giveaways, and more! We've got music from exileFaker and visuals from HN_i_C. You seriously don't want to miss it. Just for fun (and 'cause we love you) we've got the stream going already so you can watch us set up for the show tonight. Check out the live stream and chat after the break! Update: We still have tickets left, so if you're in New York City, come join us at the Times Center. The venue is located at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues in New York City. Also, Palm has graciously given us 10 (that's right, ten!) Pre 2 unlocked developer units to give away (you know, the ones that look like this) so you're going to want to be here!
Palm Pre 2 available unlocked from HP for $450, ships within 24 hours (update: $200 off for devs)
Get your SIMs ready, dear readers, for the unlocked GSM Pre 2 has made its promised debut on HP's online outlet. In spite of looking all too similar to its predecessors, this 1GHz device is still the best (read: only) option for getting your webOS 2.0 action going, so if you simply must have that experience on your smartphone, it's a no-brainer of a decision. HP will ship it to you in exchange for $450 and if all goes to plan, you could be swiping cards off your home screen in buttery smooth fashion by this time tomorrow. [Thanks, Michael] Update: Are you a dedicated webOS software developer? Then HP will kindly knock $200 off the price of the unlocked Pre 2 in order to facilitate the free flow of your creative juices. Thanks, Chieze O!
UK carriers say 'thanks but no thanks' to the Palm Pre 2
Although the Palm Pre 2 -- the first device to sport WebOS 2.0 -- is set to go on sale in the United Kingdom sans SIM for £399 (that's roughly $645) on November 12th, it looks like a lot of the major carriers will not be carrying the device. Pocket-lint personally contacted Orange, Vodafone, Three and O2 (a company which carried the Pre, Pre Plus, Pixi and Pixi Plus) and all had essentially the same thing to say: there are no plans to carry the device at this time. This isn't great news for Palm lovers across the way, and it's certainly not making anyone at the newly merged HP / Palm happy. Of course, none of the statements save O2's are definitive, so we'll keep our eyes peeled for any changes. We can always hope.
Palm Pre 2 swims across the English Channel in three days, launches November 12th in the UK
French citizens have been enjoying webOS 2.0 with their morning baguette for over two weeks, but it's one step closer to home today -- Pocket-lint reports that the Palm Pre 2 will launch in the United Kingdom this Friday. What's more, the 1GHz handset won't be chained to a British carrier, but rather released into the wild completely SIM-free, which probably means future Just Typists will need to buy it direct from HP. As for the promised pre-orders for US students, we're sorry to say they've failed to materialize; the Facebook page that once clearly stated "preorders begin 11/8" now simply reads "Palm Pre 2 coming soon." Soon enough for you?
Palm Pre 2 pre-orders will start November 8th, says HP
Whether called the Pre 2 or Pre Plus 2, there's no denying that the first webOS 2.0 device is coming at us in a fast and furious fashion. Verizon docs already revealed it was on that carrier's November roadmap, and now HP's Facebook page for students has narrowed pre-order availability down to a specific date: November 8th. That's next Monday, folks! No more info is available at this time, such as whether that will include the promised unlocked GSM Pre 2s or whether they would be forthcoming at a later date. Either way, we're excited to see this 1GHz vessel sail in and bring us all that improved webOS goodness. [Thanks, Michael]
Unlocked GSM Palm Pre 2 to be 'available direct from HP,' Gorilla Glass on the front
We've been toying with a Palm Pre 2 for a few weeks now, but given that it's not "final hardware," we can't exactly make any firm judgments on the unit itself. Tim Pettitt, product manager for HP Palm, can. In speaking with MarkGuim.tv (and slyly handling a Verizon Pre 2), he not only confirmed that the company was relying on a layer of the famed Gorilla Glass to keep the front as scratch-resistant as possible, but also that the five megapixel camera is capable of capturing a shot every second. More importantly, however, he made clear that it wouldn't be just the developers nabbing an unlocked GSM Pre 2. According to Tim, that very handset will be "available direct from HP.com," though he stopped short of saying whether it would support T-Mobile's AWS 3G band. For AT&T loyalists, however, we're guessing this may be the best way to nab webOS on the network that's still rethinking possible. [Thanks, Fuu]
Verizon's new rebate form shows two Droid 2 Globals, Samsung Continuum, and more
Carrier rebate forms have a fun tendency to reveal unannounced hardware, since they cover several upcoming weeks when they're published -- and Verizon's latest for the month of November is a particularly juicy one. Here's what we've got: There are two SKUs listed for the Droid 2 Global, but only one for the Droid Pro, leading us to wonder whether it'll actually be the Global that's getting a cameraless version. Speaking of Motorola, the WX445 Citrus is in the mix for the first time. The Pre 2 is in the system with a $100 rebate. There are two new SKUs for the Bold 9650, possibly indicating the release of new versions with BlackBerry 6 pre-installed. The LG Cosmos Touch is in here, which we imagine will be a touchscreen successor to the Cosmos. There's a Samsung Zeal listed with a $50 rebate, but we're not sure what it is -- we know that Sammy has a number of Android phones in the pipe for Verizon, and we suppose this could be one of 'em (likely low-end considering it's not a $100 rebate). More interestingly, the Samsung Continuum is in here, suggesting that the November 8 event could be for this dual-screened (and Galaxy S-branded) beast. $100 rebate here. Of course, November is a time when retailers of all types and sizes bring out new products in time for the holidays, so we're not surprised to see the mother lode here. Who's excited?
Palm Pre 2 for Rogers in the wild
Curious where Palm model number P102UNA -- the North American UMTS variant of the Pre 2 -- might be headed? Since Bell and Telus rolled out their HSPA networks, Canada's become far more averse to CDMA than the US has, so it makes sense that they'd be getting Palm's latest handset in a GSM flavor, not a CDMA one (à la Verizon). To that end, MobileSyrup's managed to score some shots of a Rogers-branded Pre 2 strutting its stuff, though they don't have a date or price -- and Palm's official line is still "in the coming months." Anyone out there planning on moving to France to get it sooner?
Palm Pre 2 and webOS 2.0 showcased in new commercial
It's hard to tell if the ad embedded after the break is purely official, but it definitely reeks of HP. In a good way, that is. Uploaded by the same fellow that gave us our first sneak peek at webOS 2.0, this "Sizzle" ad shows 34 solid seconds of Palm Pre 2 action, complete with a glimpse at Angry Birds, Facebook and all sorts of new 2.0 features. We're aren't totally digging the tunes, but otherwise, it looks to be rather attractive -- way better than the first wave of original Pre ads, that's for sure. Update: Hey, hey -- looks like the ad's now embedded on Palm's website. Kudos!
Palm Pre 2 hits FCC in CDMA and North American GSM flavors
So the Pre 2 has been announced for SFR in France and Verizon in the States, along with an unlocked model for developers... but so far, we'd only seen one of the three in the FCC. Well, here are the other two: on the left, the P102EWW, and on the right, the P102UNA. Palm's naming convention is a little strange, so it probably bears explaining again -- the "P102" tells you that it's a Pre 2, while "EWW" indicates CDMA and "UNA" indicates North American GSM / UMTS. From the UNA model's filing, it would seem there isn't any AWS capability on board, so users of T-Mobile are going to have to plod along at 2G speeds if they want to play ball. You know, Murphy's Law and all.
webOS 2.0 review
When it comes to webOS 2.0 (now actually called HP webOS), it almost felt like we'd never see the version number, let alone get to review it. It's been an intense few months for Palm: after floundering in the early part of the smartphone wars, it was scooped up by HP for a tidy sum of $1.2b. Though it seemed like the dream of webOS could fade away, the company made it clear that it had plans to not only continue the work Palm had done in the mobile world, but extend what the tiny company had created to other platforms as well (tablets, and yes, printers). We've heard a lot of talk from both parties since the acquisition, but have seen little in the way of proof that progress was indeed being made -- but that's all changed today. Palm has officially released its second generation OS into the wild, along with a new, beefed up version of the Pre (at least in France -- North American handsets are coming soon). The company offered us an early developer phone to test out the new OS and see if the combination of tightened code and a significantly faster device (the Pre 2 clocks in with a 1GHz CPU) could make a difference between last place and a fighting chance. We've taken an extensive look at the new OS, so read on for our full take! %Gallery-105426%
Palm gets official with webOS 2.0 and Pre 2: hitting France on Friday, Verizon 'in the coming months'
And just like that, the rumor mill smirks. HP has just come clean with a device that we've been hearing more and more about over the past few weeks, and with it will come the next generation of webOS that we've been hearing about for even longer. The Palm Pre 2 will be the first device to ship with HP webOS 2.0, with the revamped and renamed (presumably to use on more than just Palm smartphones) mobile OS promising "true multitasking," Stacks (for organizing apps) Just Type, HP Synergy (links your email and social networking accounts), Exhibition (enabling users to run apps designed specifically for the Palm Touchstone Charging Dock) and support for Adobe's Flash Player 10.1 Beta. It's also bringing along a new Favorites tagging option, Skype Mobile (on the Verizon version only), text assist, integrated Quickoffice, VPN support, a redesigned launcher and full support for Bluetooth keyboards and SPP peripherals. As for Pre 2 itself? Little is being revealed at the moment, but we're told to expect a 1GHz CPU, a five megapixel camera (LED flash, extended depth of field, geotagging, and video capture), glass display and a "sleeker, streamlined design" that still combines a touchpanel with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. In other words, it's a faster, slimmer Pre, and some would argue it's what the Pre Plus should've been. At any rate, SFR customers in France will get first dibs on Friday, with Verizon and an undisclosed carrier in Canada scheduled to get it "in the coming months." Oh, and as for US-based developers? They'll be able to purchase unlocked UMTS versions of the Pre 2 (!) in their homeland, though pricing remains elusive. Update: The Pre 2 portal is now live, showcasing a 3.1-inch 480 x 320 (HVGA) multitouch display, a black enclosure, Exchange support, built-in GPS, ambient light / proximity sensors, an accelerometer, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, 16GB of inbuilt storage space, a battery good for around 5.5 hours of talking and a 3.5mm headphone jack. %Gallery-105382% %Gallery-105381%
Palm Pre 2 coming to Verizon?
It seems like we're getting closer and closer to the arrival of the Palm Pre 2 and webOS 2.0, and it looks like Verizon will be in the mix -- we were just sent this image of Big Red's internal VZLearn portal showing Pre 2 device training. We still don't know when it'll actually hit or what pricing will be like, and we don't know if it'll hit Sprint and AT&T as well like the OG Pre, but we're guessing we'll find out soon enough -- keep a sharp eye, we'll let you know. [Thanks, Anonymous]
