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HP reveals webOS 2.0 and launches Palm Pre 2 in France, USA and Canada

Building out the brand

HP reveals webOS 2.0 and launches Palm Pre 2 in France, USA and Canada
The first significant move from the now HP-owned Palm has come in the form of a hardware-software one-two.

In conjunction with the launch of the Palm Pre 2 - out in France on October 22 with SFR, and North America later in the year via Verizon - webOS gets its version 2.0.

This will be available as an upgrade to existing customers, with full details to be announced later.

More than a lick of paint

Palm says the Pre 2 is its first phone with a gigahertz processor and features a 5 megapixel camera, a glass screen and a sleeker, streamlined design. More details can be found via its website.

As for webOS 2.0, it features multi tasking, Palm's Just Type smart input system, HP's Synergy, which enables you to populate your device and apps with services such as Facebook, Google, Microsoft Exchange, and a beta of Adobe Flash Player 10.1. The browser supports more HTML5 features too.

Palm's app store - App Catalog - has also been redesigned for better discovery, and is supported with a new software manager for keeping apps up to date.

HP happy

"With webOS 2.0, we're advancing the innovations we introduced 16 months ago, expanding the features that make webOS great for consumers, enterprises and developers," said Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager, Palm Global Business Unit, HP.

"We've made tremendous strides since the platform launched, and now we're taking our biggest leap forward with powerful new features that make it easier to get more things done with your webOS device."

Developers will be able to purchase unlocked UMTS versions of Pre 2 in the United States via a special purchase program. Details will be made available here.

[source: HP]
Contributing Editor

A Pocket Gamer co-founder, Jon is Contributing Editor at PG.biz which means he acts like a slightly confused uncle who's forgotten where he's left his glasses. As well as letters and cameras, he likes imaginary numbers and legumes.