IT Pro Verdict
Palm and HP have created a well-equipped and generally well-designed smartphone with the Palm Pre 2, due in large part to the slick and responsive webOS 2.0. However, when compared to the competition, there’s nothing that really sets the Palm Pre 2 apart from the crowd. It’s good, but it’s not great.
HP acquired Palm earlier this year and claimed that it had no intention of entering the smartphone market. Yet here we are, only 7 months later with the first HP webOS 2.0-powered smartphone the Palm Pre 2.
The Pre 2 is available SIM-free for 340 ex VAT. So far no UK networks have picked it up, which isn't a particularly good omen for any new smartphone entering a highly competitive and volatile marketplace.
If you're familiar with the original Palm Pre and the Pre Plus then this new phone, on first inspection, might not seem like anything particularly new. For one, it looks pretty much identical to its predecessors, both in shape, dimensions and form.
Nevertheless, there are changes. For starters, the Pre 2 is sleeker and slimmer thanks to the glass screen that now sits flush with the front surface of the phone. It looks and feels classier than the plastic displays of previous webOS smartphones. The screen's resolution is still fairly low compared to other smartphones though at just 320 x 480 pixels. It's a shame Palm didn't fit a higher resolution screen which would make web browsing, viewing photos and editing documents easier on the eye.
The sharp edges that marred the original Pre are also gone, replaced by smooth rounded angles made out of a soft touch material. Some may argue that this more "cuddly" aesthetic detracts from the original Pre's "premium-feel" but we think it's a wise choice. While the Pre 2 may not look quite as slick, it is certainly more comfortable to hold since it doesn't feel as chunky in the hand.
