Skip to main content

HP Veer 4G landing at AT&T May 15

HP Veer 4G (hand)
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Technology giant Hewlett-Packard is finally getting into the business of launching smartphones running Palm’s webOS: it’s compact HP Veer 4G smartphone will be going on sale from AT&T on May 15 for $99.99, with a new two-year service agreement. The Veer is a departure from the growing footprint of smartphones, which have often focused on offering larger-and-larger touchscreens to tap into digital entertainment capabilities. The Veer, well, veers a different direction, emphasizing small size, light weight, and extreme portability without sacrificing any smartphone capabilities.

“Veer is introducing the smartphone experience to a new generation of users,” said HP’s VP of Palm smartphone product management Stephane Maes, in a statement. “Its unique combination of high-end webOS smartphone features in a surprisingly compact package is just right for customers who want to do more with less.”

Recommended Videos

The Veer features a 2.6-inch 320-by-400 multitouch display and a slide-out QWERTY keypad for messaging needs—when closed, the device is deceptively small compared to almost every other smartphone on the market. But despite its size, the Veer is loaded with features, including a 5 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, assisted GPS, 8 GB of internal storage (just over 6 GB is available to users), stereo Bluetooth, and an 800 Mhz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. The Veer runs tri-band UMTS (850/1900/2100) and HSPA/HSUPA for tapping into AT&T’s high speed data networking—AT&T “4G” is based on HSPA+ and sufficient backhaul. Quad-band GSM and EDGE are along for the ride too.

In keeping with HP’s acquisition of Palm, the Veer run’s Palm’s webOS operating system, which means it has the WebKit-based webOS browser (with Adobe Flash support), full messaging and communications capabilities (IM, email, SMS, and MMS), and direct support for social services like Facebook and YouTube. The HP Veer can be used with the Palm Touchstone magnetic charger (sold separately) so users don’t even have to fuss with cables and connectors to recharge the device. If users buy into the right service plans, the Veer can be used as a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot and tap into AT&T Navigator for directions and mapping.

HP Veer 4G
Image used with permission by copyright holder

AT&T will be offering the HP Veer 4G in black and white for $99.99 starting May 15. The Veer’s unique form factor may appeal to consumers who are more focused on communications than digital media (although the Veer does handle the usual range of audio and video formats); however, smartphone users looking for a wide variety of add-on apps for their devices may be put off by webOS. Although the system has its own app market, selection is very limited compared to Apple’s iOS and Google Android. Nonetheless, putting a selection of webOS smartphones on sale will be the first step in rekindling new developer interest in the platform—and the Veer is certainly unlike almost anything else on the market.

Topics
Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
Verizon says 5G won’t be that much better than 4G — at first
Verizon 5G Super Bowl

Even though people have been talking about 5G’s potential for years, Verizon says 5G converts shouldn’t expect more than a small bump in performance from its network, at least at first.

Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg said during a J.P Morgan investors webcast on Tuesday, May 12, that early adopters would see “some improvements. Over time, dramatic improvements.”

Read more
Mobvoi’s connected Ticwatch Pro 4G LTE takes on Apple and Samsung in the U.K.
mobvoi ticwatch pro 4glte review 4g lte 21

The Mobvoi Ticwatch Pro 4G LTE is one of the few WearOS smartwatches available with a cellular connection, and until now it has only been available with Verizon in the United States. But that has now changed. The Ticwatch Pro 4G LTE has launched on the Vodafone network in the United Kingdom, where it operates with the OneNumber plan, so all your connected devices work together.

Currently, the Ticwatch Pro 4G LTE is not listed on Vodafone’s website, but is for sale through Mobvoi itself and on Amazon, where it costs 250 British pounds. In the U.S., the Ticwatch Pro 4G LTE costs $240 at the time of writing. Provided you use Vodafone for your smartphone connection and have a Red Plan tariff, the Ticwatch Pro 4G can be added to it for a small monthly fee using OneNumber.

Read more
The iPhone SE 4 camera specs have leaked. Here’s what we know
The back of the Apple iPhone SE (2022).

Recent reports regarding the upcoming iPhone SE 4 suggest that it will be released in just a few months. Now, we have more news about Apple’s next budget handset.

According to ET News, the iPhone SE 4 is expected to feature a single 48-megapixel rear camera and a 12MP TrueDepth camera on the front. This information comes from a recent supply report from Korea. These upgrades represent a significant improvement over the current iPhone SE 3, which has a 12MP wide camera system and a 7MP front-facing camera. Korea-based LG Innotek has been chosen as the main supplier for both the front and rear camera systems of the upcoming iPhone SE.

Read more