When HP (some would rather say Palm) announced the Pre3 back in February of this year, which is over 5 months ago for those who are counting, the specification sheet said it would come with a single core 1.4 GHz processor. That no longer appears to be the case according to phone Arena, who discovered that HP has now changed their mind and will instead be shipping the Pre3 with a dual core 1.2 GHz processor. The rest of the specification sheet stays the same, with a 5 megapixel camera that can capture 720p video, 3.6 inch 800 x 480 pixel resolution screen, and 512 MB of RAM. Why was such a change made so late in the product’s development? We think it has something to do with reviews of HP’s new tablet, the TouchPad, which recently began shipping. It came to market with a dual core 1.2 GHz processor, so why not utilize the same chip to reduce manufacturing complexity? Then there’s also the fact that webOS is slightly chunky, and needs as much processor speed as you can throw at it to make it run smoothly.
We’re not upset by this decision, in fact it’s incredibly welcome, but with HP deciding to make the switch close to half a year after first showing the smartphone off … it makes us think how much longer until we can actually get our hands on this thing. The webOS operating system has strong potential to disrupt the market, but it’s being put on uninspiring devices made by an uninspiring company who seem to be stuck in their own time and space continuum. Who else would show off a new phone so far away from the shipping date? Besides Nokia, we can’t think of anyone else.
That being said, is anyone excited for the Pre3? It looks like what the first Pre should have been, a powerful device you can use to get shit done.
Update: This story has a high chance of being a classic case of human error. The 1.4 GHz processor is here to stay.