HP Pre 3 Specs Pricing Pros and Cons Unveiled

Overview of HP Pre 3

The HP Pre 3 was a smartphone released by Hewlett-Packard in 2011, following the acquisition of Palm. It was designed to build on the legacy of the original Palm Pre and aimed at providing a powerful smartphone experience with the innovative webOS platform. The HP Pre 3 was positioned as a device for both business users and tech enthusiasts, incorporating a physical QWERTY keyboard and a touch interface.

Design and Build

The HP Pre 3 features a solid design with dimensions of 111 x 64 x 16 mm and a weight of 156 grams, making it comfortable to hold yet substantial enough to convey quality. The phone has a sleek black finish and a physical slide-out QWERTY keyboard that appeals to users who prefer tactile feedback over virtual keyboards. The Mini-SIM slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack add to its usability.

Display

The device boasts a 3.58-inch TFT display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels and a pixel density of approximately 261 ppi. This results in fairly sharp text and images, suitable for web browsing and general usage. The screen occupies about 51.4% of the device's front, a typical ratio for phones with physical keyboards.

Performance and Hardware

Powered by the Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon S2 chipset, the HP Pre 3 includes a 1.4 GHz Scorpion CPU and an Adreno 205 GPU. These specifications offered respectable performance for the time, providing smooth operation for most applications and a good gaming experience on HP webOS. The device comes with 512MB of RAM and an internal storage capacity of 8GB, albeit without an option for memory expansion via a card slot, which could limit storage for apps and media.

Operating System

The HP Pre 3 runs on HP webOS 2.2, a proprietary platform developed initially by Palm. HP webOS is known for its card-based multitasking, ease of use, and unique features such as Synergy, which integrates information from different sources into a unified view. Despite being innovative, webOS struggled to compete against other platforms like iOS and Android, due in part to limited app availability.

Camera Capabilities

The Pre 3 comes with a 5 MP rear camera that features autofocus and an LED flash, capable of capturing 720p videos. These specifications were competitive at launch for a device targeting both professionals and everyday users. The phone also includes a VGA front-facing camera for video chats, although its quality was basic by modern standards.

Connectivity and Sensors

As for connectivity, the HP Pre 3 supports GSM and HSPA technologies, offering 2G and 3G connectivity with HSPA speeds up to 7.2/5.76 Mbps. The device is equipped with Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP and EDR, GPS with A-GPS support, and a microUSB 2.0 port for charging and data transfer. Internal sensors include an accelerometer, proximity sensor, and a compass, enhancing user interaction and the functionality of various apps.

Battery Life

The phone is powered by a removable Li-Ion 1230 mAh battery, offering up to 300 hours of standby time and up to 5 hours of talk time. These figures were standard for smartphones during the period of its release, providing a full day of use for average users.

Market Position and Price

Upon its release, the HP Pre 3 was priced at approximately 350 EUR, placing it in the mid-range segment. Although it aimed to capture both professional and consumer markets, it faced tough competition from more established brands like Apple, Samsung, and HTC, which were rapidly expanding their smartphone portfolios.

Conclusion

The HP Pre 3 was an ambitious smartphone that combined a physical keyboard with a touch interface in a modern design. While it introduced the advanced functionalities of webOS to a wider audience, the device’s success was limited by several factors, including HP's strategic changes and strong competition. Despite this, the HP Pre 3 remains a noteworthy example of innovative design and functionality from the early era of smartphones.