The Palm Pre 2 is subtly better; webOS 2.0 is the real news

Six months after HP acquired the ailing Palm, maker of the Pre and Pixi line of phones, comes word of a refresh to the Palm Pre—and more significantly, to its underlying webOS operating system.

The Palm Pre 2, available "in the coming months" for an undisclosed price on the Verizon network, will upgrade its camera from 3.2 megapixels to 5. A sleeker, more rugged construction is also promised, thanks in part to a "completely smooth glass display."

But the biggest improvements come inside, via the phone's new webOS 2.0 operating system (no word yet on which older models will be eligible for the upgrade). Palm's webOS launched the age of the synergized, multitasking operating system two years ago but has since lost ground to competing, better-heeled OSes from Apple, Google, and more recently, RIM and Microsoft.

WebOS 2.0 comes with a bevy of mouth-watering improvements. A feature called Stacks will group open apps so that they're more accessible. Another feature, Just Type, allows you to start an e-mail, create a message, and update your social-network status by just typing on the keyboard. It also executes internal and external searches, which can be customized with shortcuts called Quick Actions.

And finally, two years after the initial promise that it would do so, the new Palm Pre supports Adobe Flash Player 10.1 Beta. That will enable users to view Web-based videos on their pages without having to leave their browsers and launching an app such as YouTube. The browser will also support HTML5.

Other improvements:

• More phone options. The webOS 2.0 phone app enables reverse-area-code lookup and Skype Mobile integration (for Verizon Wireless only). Skype customers will be able to make free international calls and send text messages from the United States to other Skype subscribers and to landlines and cell phones for lower rates.
• Built-in Quickoffice Connect Mobile Suite. For the first time since the era of the Palm Treos, Palm users will be able to use Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on their phones when they're out of the box. They'll also get access to Google Docs and Dropbox.
• Easier messaging. The unified Messaging app in webOS 2.0 adds Yahoo! IM and buddy management. Customers can now connect to their buddies through SMS, MMS, Google Talk, AIM, and Yahoo! IM. Data entry itself will be enhanced via Text Assist, with more sophisticated spell-checking and auto-correct tools.
• Bluetooth keyboards. WebOS 2 will support Bluetooth keyboards and Bluetooth peripherals, enabling applications such as barcode readers and realty lock boxes.

Bottom line: While the new operating system seems spectacular, the enhancements to the Palm Pre are subtle. On a phone that's still hobbled by a narrow, slide-out keyboard and relatively tiny 3.1-inch display, they may not be enough to send the phone to the top of our Ratings. But applied to other devices, the new features of the OS will definitely help HP compete in the Wild West world of, say, tablet computing.

—Mike Gikas