Palm pre 2 wifi router

Palm has a few plans to sort out its dearth of apps. First, there's a 'PDK' available that it says makes moving apps onto the Palm easier -- apparently Angry Birds was ported in 48 hours. Secondly, Palm promises its recent marriage with HP will release a bag of money to throw at developers. We have our fingers firmly crossed that the App Catalogue will soon see an influx of goodies, but in the meantime, be aware that if you fancy the Pre 2, you may have to shell out a few pounds for the best apps, and you may not always get what you want.

One of the Pre's biggest drawbacks was its paltry battery life, and that seems to have improved with the Pre 2. When we tested the phone with a number of cards open and Twitter, email and Facebook all polling for regular updates, we still got a day and a half of use out of the handset. Plus, the inductive back panel required to take advantage of the wireless Touchstone charger is included on the Pre 2, although you'll stuill have to pay extra for the Touchstone itself.

There's not much else to tell you in terms of hardware, except that the curved plastic screen has been replaced by a flat glass one. We liked the pebble-like roundness of previous Pres, but the new look is also fine. The slider mechanism has been rejigged to be less floppy, although it still doesn't feel like the snappiest hinge we've used. The camera has also been bumped up to 5 megapixels, with an LED flash.

The Pre 2's Wi-Fi support and great Web browser makes for accurate, fast surfing. The phone had no trouble rendering sites correctly and quickly, and if you can't find the apps you want, you won't have any trouble getting your shizzle done in the browser instead.

Flash support is new to the Pre 2, and in our tests it worked fine. It doesn't feel as well thought out as Flash on Android, though. For example, we sometimes struggled to activate the controls on a Flash video and then move back to interacting with the page outside the video.

There didn't seem to be an elegant way to switch to full-screen, either, which is an easy move in Android. We were also sorry to see that at the time of reviewing the BBC iPlayer website doesn't support the Pre 2, so even though you can watch the Flash videos, you can't get at them. General performance is certainly improved over previous versions of the Pre, as apps and menus launched slightly more quickly. Streaming media and game play was also smooth, and we didn't experience any crashes during our review period.

However, there were still moments of sluggishness, with one instance where the delay was long enough to make us think the phone was frozen. Though the Pre 2 wasn't designed to compete with some of the higher-end smartphones, it does certainly make us wonder how much better the performance will be on the Pre 3, which will have a 1. The Palm Pre 2 ships with a 1,mAh lithium ion battery and has a rated talk time of 5. In our battery drain tests , we were able to get 6 hours of continuous talk time on a single charge.

In general, we were able to get a full day's use out of the battery before needing to recharge. Conclusion First off, it's been a while since we've had a WebOS device in for review, so it was really great to have one back in our hands. It reminded us how much we love the mobile operating system for its multitasking abilities, data management, and search functionality, and the new enhancements only make it better. That said, it's really a shame it took so long for the Palm Pre 2 to land with a U.

Due out this summer, the Pre 3 brings a faster processor, a larger touch screen and keyboard, world roaming capabilities, and a front-facing camera, among other things. It's not just about specs, either; we were genuinely impressed by the Pre 3 when we got some hands-on time with it at the launch event and at Mobile World Congress. Sure, there's still uncertainty about carrier support, ship date, and pricing, but if you can afford to, we think it's worth waiting to see how the Pre 3 plays out.

At the very least, the price of the Palm Pre 2 might drop by the time its successor comes to market. Bonnie Cha. The Pre 2 doesn't offer a lot of hardware changes over its predecessor. The smartphone can also be sluggish. The enhancements in WebOS 2. Photo gallery: Palm Pre 2 Verizon Wireless. The Palm Pre 2 isn't all that different from the Pre Plus in design.

The Pre 2's keyboard will give users with large thumbs some trouble. The Pre 2's camera lacks editing options, but we were happy with the picture quality. Open apps, each one represented by a 'card', can be grouped. When you open a new app that uses data from an already open app, the related programs are layered like a hand of playing cards. So, open a contact and decide you want to email them and the contacts and email apps are stacked one behind the other.

You can create your own stacks simply by dragging one 'card' towards another. Also new to WebOS 2. The previous version of WebOS offered a universal search tool, which remains as a bar at the top of the home screen.

Now you can also start typing text into it for an email, calendar entry, SMS, memo or whatever. You can select the app needed from a list that appears on-screen. This makes it straightforward and fast to use the Palm Pre 2 for a wide range of activities.

Synergy is another new feature. This is not an unusual feature, but businesspeople may be pleased to see LinkedIn in the mix. A pull-down menu that sits in the top left corner of the screen in most apps provides access to various options and settings. It's always in the same place, so you'll know where to seek a function that isn't accessible on-screen. Web browsing was generally speedy and responsive, though the small screen means it is not as rewarding as it is on some smartphones.

However, doing this did seem to cause the Palm Pre 2's 1GHz processor some problems. As we opened more and more apps, things started to slow down noticeably. Keep fewer than five apps open at once and you should be OK though. The battery is rated as good for 5 hours of talk and hours on standby.

Such measures are fairly meaningless for smartphone evaluation, where talk is a relatively rare activity for many users.

In our everyday experience, battery life was average to poor. We found the handset needed a daily charge under our regime of average to low-level use that involved a fair bit of web access and mobile messaging during the course of a day. Heavy users will probably need to give the Pre 2 a mid-afternoon power boost. Conclusion WebOS 2. Just Type is a superb way of providing quick access to a host of features, and it goes a step further than the universal search found in many smartphones.

It's easy to get to grips with gesture control, while the use of cards and stacks means you can organise things in a way that suits you. Flicking between apps is quick and easy. Battery life was tested on a pre-production unit using pre-released software. Unlocked Palm is not compatible with the Sprint Network, and any subsidiary networks of Sprint using the same cellular bands and frequencies. Close search. Just added to your cart. Continue shopping. Designed for life on the go.

Palm is the best small phone for minimalists, athletes, and families. Your entire digital life now fits in a coin pocket. Perfect for taking a break from your big phone. Juice it up. Power through jogs and bike rides.