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Photos leak of a 3.3-inch Palm-branded Android phone
After releasing some well-received BlackBerry Android devices, TCL's next mobile brand reclamation project is Palm. Now Android Police has pictures of a phone apparently codenamed "Pepito" that it says could be released on Verizon later this year. Eschewing the "bigger is better" and notch trends, the tiny 3.3-inch device reportedly has a 720p screen, Snapdragon 435 CPU, no headphone jack, 3 GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and a small 800mAh battery.
Switched On: The fit and the pendulum
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. In the pre-smartphone era, the industry focused on making cell phones smaller. In the 2001 movie Zoolander, the title character played by Ben Stiller uses a humorously diminutive flip phone closer to the size of a Bluetooth headset than the StarTAC it parodies. But if the movie were being made today (IMDB lists a sequel slated for 2014), the fictional male model might hold up an iPad 2 or Toshiba Excite to his head: particularly since 2010, phones have been expanding to accommodate their sprawling displays.
HP Veer 4G, Pre 3 and TouchPad celebrate a melancholy birthday
Just one year ago, HP officially introduced the TouchPad, Pre 3 and Veer to its lineup. Much has happened in the 365 days since that time, which marked the end of the Palm brand, the discontinuation of the company's webOS hardware development and the decision to open source the crown jewel, webOS. Today, we hope you'll join us after the break as we bow our heads, sing some praises and remember the final three members -- for now, anyway -- of HP's webOS lineup. We'll have fireworks at the end.
webOS brick-and-mortar stores close forever, may they rest in peace
It's with broken heart that we announce that the doors have officially shut for good on all remaining webOS retail stores. The news likely won't come as a shock to many, given HP's intent to scrap the operating system from its future plans. This isn't the first physical manifestation of the company's announcement, when factoring in the plethora of layoffs taking place; nonetheless, anyone affected or touched by a Palm device over the last 19 years may likely mourn the loss. That said, at least the stores went out with a bang: Veers were cleared out for $50 each, the Pixi was sold for $25 ($15 if you purchased four or more) and the Touchstone could be had for a cool $2.50. The retail outlets may now be a thing of the past, but the memories of the products sold in them will hopefully live on forever. Never forget.
HP's unreleased white TouchPad and Pre 3 for AT&T (hands-on video)
What's this? Some of HP's unreleased WebOS devices? Well yes! Say hello to the white European TouchPad, the black TouchPad 4G for AT&T, the Pre 3 4G for AT&T, and our very own Veer 4G review unit, all gathered on a fine specimen of mid-century modern upholstery. We were able to unbox these devices and handle the hardware, but the software was off limits. The owner of the Pre 3 did activate it for us, but that's as far as we were able to go. While still heavier and thicker than the competition, the white TouchPad -- a 64GB model with the faster 1.5GHz CPU -- is significantly more attractive than its black sibling, and less of a fingerprint magnet to boot. AT&T's TouchPad 4G -- with 32GB of storage and the same 1.5GHz processor -- features a working SIM slot for the carrier's faux-G network (HSPA+), but is otherwise cosmetically identical to the existing WiFi version. The Pre 3 is the same phone we handled during HP's announcement last February, save for the AT&T logo on the back. Check out our gallery below, and hit the break for our hands-on video. %Gallery-134380%
Editorial: Engadget on the death of HP's webOS devices
WebOS, where did things go wrong? One moment you're worth a "double-down" investment by HP valued at $1.2 billion, and the OS of choice for future tablets, computers and even printers; the next, you're discarded like yesterday's crusty old oatmeal. Today, HP announced -- among other things -- that it's chosen to discontinue operations for its webOS lineup, and that the company "will continue to explore options to optimize the value of webOS software going forward." So what does this all mean for the future of webOS? Have we seen the last of webOS? Join us past the break for our thoughts.
The Engadget Interview: HP's Stephen DeWitt
HP caught the industry by surprise yesterday, announcing some serious executive reshuffling, with Stephen DeWitt, the company's former head of Personal Systems Group Americas stepping up to fill in the lead role at HP's webOS global business unit, while Jon Rubinstein will be in charge of PSG globally. This game of executive musical chairs raised a lot of questions with regards to the state of the company's beloved but arguably underperforming mobile operating system, particularly in the wake of the TouchPad's lukewarm reception amongst reviewers, ourselves included. We managed to grab some time with DeWitt, in spite of what's sure to be a fairly packed schedule at the moment, discussing the impact of the TouchPad's reviews, the present and future of webOS, and what smartphone he carries around in his pocket.
HP Veer gets bricked, disassembled after checking 'Organ Donor' box
There's a saying 'round the webOS world... something to the effect of "it's impossible to brick a webOS device." Turns out, that's hardly the case these days -- the newfangled Touch to Share technology that's tucked into the latest round of HP devices is mighty fickle, and one Rob Whitby has somehow managed to turn his Veer 4G into a bantam paperweight. Rather than using it as a projectile with a mind to make his security deposit vanish, he did the only remaining intelligent thing to do: rip it open, while taking pleasure in refusing it an epidural. There's no video of the presumably gut-wrenching procedure, but there's a shockingly detailed account of the teardown linked below. Eye candy's just a click away, and yes, donations for a replacement are being accepted. The funeral date, however, remains undetermined.
HP Veer gets webOS Doctor, offers free house visits
When your phone gets sick, do you call a doctor? Probably not, but the HP Veer now has its own form of medical assistance with webOS Doctor, a desktop Java app that can rescue your phone if it's freezing up or otherwise exhibiting major symptoms of some kind. To get your phone up and running in no time, the webOS Doctor will perform a complete reset of the Veer and install the latest version of webOS. Be warned: the Doctor wipes everything off the phone -- including apps, patches, and settings -- so this kind of help shouldn't be for the casual whoops and coughs. Owners of the brand new device hopefully won't need it right away, but it's better safe than sorry; download the webOS Doctor directly from the source link.
Another Pre 3 at the FCC, coming to Verizon for you and me?
Last month, a device (model number HSTNH-F30CN) that we surmised to be a Pre 3 hit the FCC rocking AT&T band GSM radios. Now, its brother HSTNH-F30CV is seeking federal approval to ride CDMA (850 / 1900 MHz), UMTS (900 / 2100 MHz), and GSM (850 / 900 / 1800 / 2100 MHz) wireless waves. With that "V" tagged on the end of the model moniker and its Verizon-friendly innards, it sure looks like the Pre 3 will be the next handset to wear a checkmark on its front. Additionally, those world wide bands tell us that a webOS device will soon be joining the Androids and Blackberrys in Big Red's rather limited lineup of global handsets. Skeptical about our smartphone Spidey Sense? Hit the source link and see for yourself, Sherlock.
AT&T officially announces HP Veer 4G, available May 15th for $100 (update)
Well, it's a bit past May 2nd, but AT&T has now finally officially announced that it will be carrying the HP Veer -- or Veer 4G, as it prefers to call it. The diminutive smartphone will be available on May 15th in your choice of black or white for $99.99 on a two-year contract. That will buy you a 2.6-inch 320 x 400 display, an 800MHz Snapdragon processor, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a 5 megapixel camera, 8GB of internal storage and, of course, webOS 2.1 for an OS -- all in a package about the size of a credit card. As you might expect, however, that 4G addition does literally come with an asterisk -- the phone itself only has basic HSPA capabilities. Head on past the break for the complete press release. Update: There's been some question as to whether this bantam device would support only basic HSPA or HSPA+, so we reached out to HP and AT&T for clarification. Both outfits were adamant that the Veer 4G's hardware would indeed support HSPA+ in areas that have upgraded cell towers. AT&T affirmed that "the Veer has HSDPA Cat 10, which is HSPA+," while Palm said, "the Veer supports HSDPA Cat 10 and HSUPA Cat 6. For reference, this is the same for the Motorola Atrix 4G and HTC Inspire 4G both currently available from AT&T." Of course, we all know that not all 4G is created equal, and it seems it's becoming increasingly clear that all HSPA+ isn't either as well.
HP's Veer gets AT&T logo, two-tone exterior
We suspected HP's diminutive webOS 2.2 smartphone might be on its way to AT&T, and now a handful of leaked photographs rocking a panda-like color scheme have further confirmed our suspicions. As you can see from the image above, the little guy's working the carrier's logo in the upper left-hand corner of its 2.6-inch display. The photos of HP's smallest webOS smartphone first appeared over at Pocketnow on Friday, just days before the Veer's May 2nd launch party is scheduled to pop off in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, we still don't know exactly when the Snapdragon-packing device will be available for purchase, or how much it will cost when it lands, but we're hoping to have more on that after tomorrow's alleged event. Until then, you can always live vicariously through our hands-on with this little multi-tasking wonder. Now, isn't that just precious?
HP's Pre 3 gets an emissions test at the FCC, likely destined for AT&T
The FCC has seen a decent share of WebOS devices this year, having first tested the Veer in February, and most recently HP's Touchpad (which we reported earlier today). Now, it appears the regulator is examining the forthcoming Pre 3, and while none of the documents specifically name the device, based on the size and proportion of the label, we think it'll pair nicely with a certain 3.6-inch display. We've also noted the diagram mentions a battery compartment, suggesting it's not the Veer, which is rumored to have a sealed battery. Whatever the device may be, it's packing WebOS 2.3 -- and judging from the 1900 / 850MHz 3G bands, it seems destined for AT&T, Rogers, Bell, or Telus in North America. Follow the break for a peek at the FCC label.
HP planning Veer launch party for May 2nd, AT&T brings cake for webOS 3.0 devs
We still don't have a solid release date for HP's tiny Veer -- we've been told it's "coming around the corner" and will be here "soon" -- but if we were the guessing type, we'd say that the pint-sized webOS 2.2 smartphone will hit the market on or about the 2nd of May. That's because a PreCentral reader stumbled across what looks like an official invitation to an "HP Veer Launch Party Event" in Los Angeles on that very date, and it's typically fairly difficult to launch a handset without a handset to launch, if you know what we mean. Still, this looks like a business-to-business event, so we wouldn't circle your calendar quite yet -- but if you've already got that red marker out, you might want to put a X over May 12th instead. That's the day that AT&T is hosting a webOS 3.0 developer webcast -- which might be worth attending in and of itself -- but is particularly noteworthy given that HP hasn't announced carriers for the Veer or SIM-slot packing HP TouchPad just yet. [Thanks, Brian L.]
O2 Germany says HP Veer is coming in May
The tweet above just about says it all for this one -- well, in German, anyway. According to O2 Germany, the HP Veer will be launching on the carrier sometime in May, which presumably means it will also be available elsewhere in Europe around the same time, and likely in the US as well -- we've previously only heard "this spring" for a launch date. Unfortunately, there's still no word on any US carriers for the Pixi successor, though surely someone will be able to pick it up. It is rather light, after all. [Thanks, Mario]
Engadget Podcast 232 - 02.13.2011
Who's ready for the special Grammys edition of the Engadget Podcast? When we said "Grammys," we meant "consumer electronics," and when we said "special," we meant "just like every other week, but still pretty special."Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul MillerGuest: Chris Ziegler Producer: Trent WolbeMusic: March of the Pigs00:02:45 - Nokia CEO Stephen Elop rallies troops in brutally honest 'burning platform' memo? (update: it's real!)00:05:15 - Nokia and Microsoft enter strategic alliance on Windows Phone, Bing, Xbox Live and more00:09:13 - RIP: Symbian00:11:15 - Nokia: Symbian and MeeGo not dead yet, still shipping this year (updated)00:18:41 - Nokia tells investors that 2011 and 2012 will be 'transition years'00:32:50 - Exclusive: Nokia's Windows Phone 7 concept revealed!00:39:34 - Live from HP / Palm's 'Think Beyond' webOS event!00:41:15 - RIP, Palm: 1992 - 201100:42:07 - The Engadget Interview: Jon Rubinstein and Steven McArthur talk webOS on PCs, 'Music Synergy,' competition, and more00:43:20 - HP's 9.7-inch TouchPad: webOS 3.0 tablet with 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon, coming this summer00:45:07 - HP TouchPad first hands-on! (updated with video!)00:48:00 - webOS Enyo framework free to developers today, brings pixel density agnostic apps to phones, tablets and PC (video)00:48:22 - HP Pre 3: 1.4GHz Qualcomm CPU, 3.6-inch WVGA, coming this summer (video)00:49:00 - HP Pre 3 first hands-on! (updated with video)00:49:27 - HP Veer: smallest smartphone in the webOS stable, 2.6-inch display, coming this spring00:50:45 - HP Veer, first hands-on! (updated with video!)00:52:40 - HP's Touch to Share eyes-on, starring the TouchPad and HP Pre 3 (video)01:11:52 - Palm Pre 2 vs. HP Pre 3: what's changed?01:18:40 - Looking for our Motorola Atrix 4G review?01:21:05 - We're live at Mobile World Congress 2011!Hear the podcastSubscribe to the podcast[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC).[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator.[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune MarketplaceDownload the podcastLISTEN (MP3)LISTEN (AAC)LISTEN (OGG)Contact the podcast1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com.Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @engadget @reckless @zpower
HP Veer too small for 3.5mm headphone jack and microUSB port, gets magnetic connectors instead
Ah, fiddlesticks! It was bound to happen sooner or later with phones becoming increasingly anorexic, but we can't say that HP's solution to not having room for a 3.5mm headphone jack or a microUSB port is... um, awesome. Just as consumers had their voices heard when HTC decided to require an ExtUSB adapter to use standard headphones with the T-Mobile G1, we're guessing that quite a few potential Veer buyers will be soured by the idea of carrying around yet another dongle just to have access to a very basic port. After all, what's the point in toting around the world's smallest webOS device if you're also forced to lug around one (or two) of the world's most annoying adapters? According to Pre Central, the Veer will ship with a pair of these clips -- one of 'em attaches a USB cable for charging, while the other adds a headphone jack. Of course, Bluetooth listeners needn't worry over the latter, but those who'd rather not mess with a Touchstone will need to be extra cautious when it comes to packing your charging cable and USB nub. We'd obviously prefer the oxygen we breathe to simply recharge our gizmos in a feat of perpetual engineering, but till then, it looks like Veer owners will be tied tight to at least a couple of accessories.
HP Veer, first hands-on! (updated with video!)
How does the HP Veer look up close? Cute as a button, and small -- these pictures don't do it justice at all. We just got our hands on the pint-sized webOS 2.2 smartphone, and snapped a stack of pictures for your viewing pleasure. You won't be able to flip these around like playing cards, but they will give you a handle on what to expect from the miniature Pre 2 in the weeks or months to come, so click on through that gallery below. We'll have video in a moment, too! Update: We went back for seconds and came away stuffed impressed by the power of the tiny machine -- its form factor may bring back painful memories of the Kin One, but the Veer feels like a multitasking beast. Before our eyes, an HP rep swiped rapid-fire through enough apps to plan and communicate a Yelp restaurant date in under a minute flat, and there wasn't so much as an instant's delay when switching between each. We're big fans of the form factor, small screen aside, the sliding hinge is solid with a delightful snap, and the cute little keyboard attached to that slider is fairly usable despite its size, with rubbery little keys that reminded us of those on the Palm Centro. What's not to like? Update 2: Video after the break! Update 3: While we were unable to determine with certainty what carrier the Veer demo units were using, an IMEI was clearly displayed in the device info screen, leading us to conclude these were GSM phones (likely on AT&T). %Gallery-116132% %Gallery-116146% Myriam Joire contributed to this report.
HP Veer: smallest smartphone in the webOS stable, 2.6-inch display, coming this spring
You wanted a small smartphone? Well, you've got it in HP's Veer, the very first webOS-based device to bear the HP name alone without Palm's alongside packing Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7230 processor at 800MHz. Other headline specs include a 2.6-inch 320 x 400 display, 5 megapixel EDoF camera, HSPA+ support, 8GB of storage, an accelerometer, proximity and light sensors (as usual), Touchstone compatibility, and mobile hotspot support. It's genuinely cute -- but keyboard usability will be a big question that we'll need to have answered when the phone is released this spring. No word on carriers yet, and pricing is set to be decided upon "at a later date." Update: Added the full press release and a demonstration video after the break, and our hands-on with the device can be found here! For more on all of HP's webOS announcements today, click here! %Gallery-116081% %Gallery-116100%
WebOS-based Veer, Pre 3 and TouchPad leaked on HP's site, likely on sale today
Now that HP's full slate of webOS reveals has been made, it looks as if the web admins are testing the waters. On HP's Home & Home Office shopping page, there's a drop-down under "Deals & Offers" that quite clearly reveals the outfit's planned triumvirate: the HP Veer (a name HP filed a trademark for back in December), Pre 3 and TouchPad. Those are slated to bring webOS in "S, M and L" flavors, though it's unclear whether the Veer or Pre 3 will be the smallest. HP has managed to yank the teaser from its US portal, though it still looks live internationally. There's no guarantee that any of this will ship momentarily but seriously, why list something like this if all three weren't going to be on sale by sundown? Here's hoping!
