HP Pre 3 (CDMA)

The HP Pre 3 phone is the successor to the Palm Pre and Pre2. The phone is bulkier than its predecessors, measuring 64 x 16 x 111mm. This, however, means that it can accommodate a larger 3.6 inch touchscreen with an improved resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, making it ideal for viewing web pages. The HP Pre 3 has a tactile design with curved edges and a back cover ensuring it is comfortable to hold. The slide-out keypad benefits from the relatively large size of the HP Pre 3 with well spaced rubberized keys, making typing easier than on similar but smaller phones.

The HP Pre 3 has an improved processor speed compared to the Pre2, which users will find significantly increases download speeds. The wireless connection is also improved, compared to the earlier Pre2 phones. There is 512MB of RAM and a choice of either 8 or 16GB of internal storage depending on how much the user needs. Other notable features include a 5 megapixel camera with an autofocus lens capable of shooting great quality 720p video and a 1.3 megapixel camera on the front of the phone for making video calls. A nice added feature of the HP Pre 3, not found on all phones, is a noise suppression microphone.

HP tablet owners will like the Pre 3’s on-board Touchstone technology, allowing anything being viewed on the phone to easily be transferred to an HP TouchPad tablet. Users just need to place the phone on top of the TouchPad tablet for data to be transferred either to or from their phone.

One potentially significant issue with the Pre 3 the operating system, HP’s webOS. Although it is a very capable OS with excellent multitasking capabilities, webOS is falling behind in cutting-edge app availability when compared to Android or Apple’s iOS. Battery life is also less than ideal, which may mean users have to frequently look for places to recharge the phone.

The HP Pre 3 will undoubtedly appeal to users who need a phone that allows fast internet browsing combined with a user-friendly keyboard in a smart stylish design.

Need to know: HP Pre 3

1. The design and layout of the keyboard make this phone user-friendly for those who do a lot of typing. (The Good)

2. Integration of the Touchstone technology makes data transfer between the HP Pre 3 and a TouchPad tablet straightforward, although, of course, users will need to have both pieces of technology in order to be able to benefit. (The Good)

3. Potential issues with a short battery life may become irritating especially for heavy users. (The Bad)

4. The 512MB RAM and 8GB internal storage are likely to seem quite outdated very soon. (The Bad)