Palm Pre 2

Palm’s previous incarnation of the Pre was a case of so near yet so far. It had the most elegant user interface beside the iPhone, but the hardware was underpowered and cheap-feeling. Version two promises to address both these issues, as well as boasting a new, multitalented webOS 2.0.

Double take
A casual glance won’t detect any design changes from its predecessor, the Pre Plus, but it has been tweaked. Its black pebble-shaped chassis remains highly pocketable, while a new tough Gorilla glass panel is now flush to the front rather than slightly curved and the glossy plastic casing has been replaced with a soft paint finish.

The 3.1in, 320x480 pixel screen isn’t an ideal size or resolution for web browsing, which is best enjoyed in landscape orientation. Adobe Flash 10.1 is supported, but embedded video playback stuttered terribly, even over Wi-Fi, and was unwatchable at times.

If you can get along with the sticky, rubbery keyboard, the Pre 2 is a great messager. It supports multiple email accounts, which can be viewed in one inbox or separately. HP Synergy also brilliantly integrates your various email, phone and Facebook contacts in one place, along with your different calendars.

Super-slick webOS 2.0
The processor has been almost doubled in speed from 600MHz to 1GHz and it shows; performance is nippy, with little sign of lag when handling multitasking duties. It also switches between apps quickly and efficiently via the webOS 2.0’s ace Cards system, with seemingly no limit on the number you can have open.

Review continues after the break...