HP’s ill-fated Pre 3 gets a posthumous teardown
We were kinda looking forward to HP’s latest version of Palm’s flagship Pre smartphone, the Pre 3. Sadly, HP killed the device before it was launched. With the exception of a few units released in Europe, the device never made it to store shelves.
But thanks to the FCC, we now get a look inside HP’s ill-fated smartphone. It’s quite impressive to see how Palm’s engineers squeezed a keypad and 3.6-inch screen into the device. We also get a look at a few of the Pre 3’s chips, including Sandisk NAND flash memory, Elpida memory and some Qualcomm silicone.
External photos of the Pre 3 also confirm that the device was headed for Verizon. As you can see in the image below, the Verizon logo was placed on the back of the Pre 3’s screen.
Check out the full Pre 3 gallery below:
New HP Pre 3 hits the FCC with world phone capabilities, including CDMA, EvDO, GSM support
The HP Pre 3 first hit the FCC back in April with support for GSM 850/1900 and WCDMA bands II and V. At the time, the device looked like it would only be released for AT&T in the United States, but today a new version of the Pre 3 hit the FCC, this time with broad support for CDMA/EvDO bands 850/1900, GSM bands 850/900/1800/1900, and UMTS bands 900/2100, pictured above.
This version of the Pre 3 is known as the HSTNH-F30CV, and based on previous leaks (thanks Pre Central) we’re guessing that the device will be headed to Verizon. Additionally, support for CDMA/EvDO, GSM and UMTS standards means you’ll be able to use this version of the Pre 3 pretty much anywhere in the world.
Verizon still hasn’t officially announced the Pre 3, but based on today’s FCC filing it looks like the device should be unveiled soon. Verizon already has a solid stable of world phones, including Android and BlackBerry devices. The Pre 3 world phone will be a welcome addition to Verizon’s global lineup.
HP’s Pre 3 hits the FCC, runs webOS 2.3, coming to AT&T
We haven’t heard much from HP Palm lately, but don’t forget that the company has two phones, the Veer and Pre 3, along with the TouchPad tablet, in the pipeline. Today, it appears that the Pre 3 is a bit closer to launching. A device from HP Palm called the HSTNH-F30CN won FCC approval today. The device’s label location pics appear to be too large to be the Veer (which has also already arrived on the FCC) and too small to be the TouchPad, leading us to conclude that this is the Pre 3.
According to test reports, the Pre 3 won approval for its dual-band wireless-N WiFi capabilities. Interestingly, no mention is made of the phone’s cellular or Bluetooth capabilities, although we’d expect to see those soon. Test reports also mention support for GSM 850 and 1900 bands, as well as WCDMA bands II and V. These frequencies correspond to AT&T’s network in the US, confirming speculation that the Pre 3 will be launched by AT&T.
The Pre 3’s SW Version is listed as WebOS 2.3 – a previously unannounced version of the OS – as you can see below. The current version of webOS is 2.2, with webOS 3.0 designed for HP’s TouchPad tablet.
Also interesting to note is that nearly all mention of Palm is gone from HP’s FCC documents. The former Pre manufacturer is only briefly mentioned as the “Palm GBU”. The Pre 3 has also received an updated to HP’s HSTXX model numbering scheme that the company uses for its laptops. Not surprising, but just another sign that HP is well on its way to gradually phasing out Palm branding.
The HP Palm Veer wins FCC approval, coming to AT&T
HP Palm unveiled its new lineup of webOS phones and tablets on Tuesday, and today the company’s Pre3 Veer made its way through the FCC with the model number P160UNA. The device won approval for GSM bands 850 and 1900, as well as WCDMA bands II and V, which suggest the device will be making its way to AT&T. FCC filings made no mention of HSPA+, a feature promised for the Veer, but this approval may be coming later.
FCC filings don’t reveal much about the device, aside from the label pic, above. Actually, it was a bit difficult to tell if the P160UNA is the Pre3 or Veer, but since both the P160UNA and Pre3 support 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, while the Veer is left with just 802.11 b/g, we’re pretty confident that this is the Pre3. Update: A closer look at FCC reports shows that the earphone jack on the P160UNA is magnetic, below. We know that the Veer requires a magnetic connector to attach headphones, so this confirms that the P160UNA is in fact the Veer, not the Pre3 as we originally reported.
We don’t have any word on pricing or availability at this point, and HP Palm has only provided a vague “Summer” timeframe for the device. Today’s FCC filing indicates that the device is near a launch, but the lack of HSPA+ data in the filing may mean HP Palm has a bit more work to do.
