HP Pre 3: Our Hands-On and First Impressions

Since the very beginning, many Palm Pre users made the statement "if this Pre only had more horsepower, a bigger screen and keyboard, and better build quality, it would be the perfect phone!" Well, webOS fans... you may - just may - have gotten your wish. ... Unfortunately, there's caveats here... big ones. We'll get to those later.

Shortly after announcing the tiny HP Veer on stage, Jon Rubinstein unveiled the HP smartphone "for professionals." Boasting a 3.6" screen and snappy 1.4 GHz Snapdragon processor, we certainly inched forward in our seats in excitement.

While HP did not place the Palm Pre 3 on display for public handling like they did with the Veer, we were able to wrestle down a spokesperson toting a Pre 3 for a hands-on video.

Our first impression? Sexy. Very, very sexy. I came out and said it as I cradled the Pre 3 in my hand gingerly: "This is my next phone," I declared. With its ultra-sleek soft-touch edges, beautiful 480 x 800 3.6" gorilla glass display, auto-focus camera (finally!), front-facing camera, and blazing speed, it was impossible to not to gush.

But like any infatuation, when the fireworks subside and the confetti has settled, reality starts to set in. Palm's Pre 3 promo page says it all "planned availability this summer." ... Ouch. Big, big ouch. In a field when other smartphones are pushing the envelope on speed and innovation, HP has released a phone that, while competitive and arguably the best webOS smartphone to date, it will once again be terribly late to the party. Not only that, it will be devoid of differentiating technologies like 4G radios. That's right, as far as we know, this is merely a 3G phone. Put just those two factors together, and what you have is a big, drippy, mildewed wet blanket on top of our collective blaze of jubilation.

That's where we are, folks... HP has a fantastic webOS phone on their hands and they're going to -- for good reasons, we're sure -- sit on it 'til summer. No word on pricing, no word on carriers. Puh. We know. For myself, I'll have to keep reflecting on that moment when I held the Pre3 in my hands and felt that jolt of tech-lust... here's hoping this burning desire can last.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• webOSroundup
• HP
• Palm
• Pre3

[Sxlxmxn]

I'm slowly being pulled from Apple. I love it.

[jeffkoe310]

If WebOS had the ecosystem of iOS, Apple would be in trouble! I've used the iPhone for a long time, but had a Pre Plus. WebOS is a superior OS, but that is just one of 3 crucial things a smartphone must bring to the table. Now WebOS will have competitive hardware and the arguable better OS, but still not enough. The question will be how hungry HP is to compete in this market. I think it is important how they now play their hand. If they are not MORE HUNGRY than Apple, HP loses, and it is hard

[eetoi]

I love the size of my pixi keyboard, and have loved it since the centro; honestly kind of scared to get a pre 3 because of the bigger keyboard

[iMoviemaker]

I can remember when I bought my Pre Plus at a Verizon store. The salesman tried to talk me out of buying it (probably because of some commission thing going on). He even said the Pre was so bad he didn't even know if he could activate and suggested an Android of course.

The deck is stacked against HP for so many reasons, but I will have mine.

[Imthe1Raechel]

@TheFiestyterrorist That's what i was thinking

[TheFiestyterrorist]

@Imthe1Raechel it probably will because the pre 2 came to verizon

[Imthe1Raechel]

Hp Pre 3 please please pleaseeee come to VERIZON!!!

[vegeta8085]

hoping this comes to sprint *fingers crossed*

[dreDREb13]

I wouldn't think waiting till the summer would really ruin the Pre 3's chances at success.

Sure, it's no Android phone with the most powerful technology possible, but it's a very strong, very well-made phone--and that's not even counting the best OS that has ever been put on a phone, webOS. The fact that Android and iOS get the spotlight so much is just a shame, although I do love Android (iOS is a horrible OS, to be honest, though).

Either way, I'll find it hard to choose come my upgrade.

[puss6000]

Yea it needs to come to sprint.

[hotsauceorama]

Please come to Sprint WiMAX!!!

[hotsauceorama]

@aBABYbaboon I would be willing to bet 199.99 on two year contract at least.