We all knew it was coming, but Verizon today dropped the press release for the HP Pre 2, which features webOS 2.0. Full presser and specs available after the break. The HP Pre 2 is priced at $149.99 (after a $50 mail-in rebate) and a new 2-year agreement. It is available starting on February 17th. We have to say the price is a bit surprising. Both the Verizon iPhone and the HP Pre 2 will carry a $199.99 in-store price tag before rebates. This could spell tough sledding for the Pre 2.
Verizon Wireless, the company with the largest and most reliable wireless voice and 3G data network, announced today that the Pre 2 smartphone by HP will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com on Feb. 17. Pre 2 is the first device to run on HP webOS 2.0, allowing quick and easy multitasking of e-mail, games, music and more.
Key features:
- 3.1-inch glass multi-touch screen with a vibrant 24-bit color, 320 x 480 resolution HVGA display
- Slide-out physical QWERTY keyboard
- Support for Microsoft® Exchange e-mail, as well as personal e-mail support (Google Gmail™ push, Yahoo!®, POP3, IMAP)
- Integrated IM, SMS and MMS
- VZ Navigator® capable – Receive audible turn-by-turn directions to millions of points of interest and share the directions with others
- TI OMAP 1GHz processor with 512 RAM
- 5-megapixel camera with LED flash, extended depth of field, geo-tagging and video capture
- Wi-Fi connectivity (802.11 b/g/)
- Bluetooth® wireless technology 2.1+ EDR with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support
- 3G Mobile Hotspot capability
- Dimensions: 2.34 inches (w) x 0.66 inches (d) x 3.96 inches (h)
- Weight: 5.1 ounces
Lifestyle features:
- Contact Integration via HP Synergy – Customers can keep contacts and calendars up to date automatically with built-in integration for Facebook®, Google, LinkedIn®, Yahoo! and Microsoft Exchange.
- Customized Inbox – Customers can view all of their accounts together or separately to access work e-mail alone or combined in a favorites folder with personal e-mail from places like Gmail or Yahoo! Mail.
- Full HTML Browsing – Customers have access to full websites just like on their Macs or PCs. They can play video, upload photos, access online banking and much more. webOS also now integrates a beta of Adobe Flash Player 10.1 in the browser, which provides access to rich, Flash-based Web content.
- With Just Type in webOS, customers can start an e-mail, create a message, update their status and search their favorite websites – all before they even open an app.
- Mobile Music Store – Customers can buy and download music right from their webOS smartphones using the Amazon MP3 app when on a Wi-Fi hotspot.
- Skype mobile™ – webOS 2.0 supports Skype-to-Skype calls and messaging while in the United States to anywhere in the world, and low-rate calls to international landlines and cell phones.
Pricing and availability:
- Pre 2 will be available from Verizon Wireless for $149.99 after a $50 mail-in Verizon Wireless rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Pre 2 customers will need to subscribe to a data plan. Unlimited data plans are available to customers starting at $29.99 monthly access. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.
For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com
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HP is sellig them fo $99, why would anyone pay more just to get it from VZW? Having the same price point as iphone is just dumb. Just proves that VZW is not interested in webos and will do anything to ensure it doesn’t sell.
These Pre 2 phones are not going to sell *at all* unless the price gets down to $50 or free w/contract. Rebates are not going to help sell this phone. What a shame, too. HP just needs to eat the cost of the phone and build a webOS customer base at VZW, no matter how small it may be.
full ack. Since HP is lacking the killer argument “apps”, they must try to build an advantage in another way.
It’s not that the Pre2 is a bad phone. In fact, I think most people that have an iPhone/Android would be happy with this phone. Everyone I have shown my Pre goes “wow, that looks awesome”. After a few minutes the question is “how many apps are there? (…) What, so little? Then this one is crap, I will buy iPhone/Android!”. And the best of it: All these guys ever use is the browser and weather, maybe email.
Releasing the Pre 2 right before the Pre³ is released? What genius came up with that idea. Who’s really going to buy that? Not even the most hardcore webOS fans. Well… unless you have money to throw away then I guess it’s cool I guess.
It is very interesting. Please give me more information. I love it, Thanks again.