Natesh Ajalat blog

HP on Wednesday unveiled two new WebOS smartphones - the HP Veer and the Pre 3 - and its widely anticipated new tablet, the HP TouchPad.

HP also announced that it will bring WebOS to the PC later this year.

The 9.7-inch TouchPad includes a 1,024-by-768 capacitive display. It will run a 1.2-GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, and comes with a 1.3-megapixel webcam that supports video calls, Beats Audio technology, and stereo speakers.

The 1.6-pound device is 13.7mm thick and includes Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, and comes in 16GB or 32GB versions. It has twice the memory of the Pre 2, and features a gyro, accelerometer, and compass.

"The TouchPad is all about you how you want to work, how you want to play, how you want to connect to things you value most," Jon Rubenstein, head of HP's mobility group, said during a launch event in San Francisco (see slideshow ). He touted the device's speed. "No one comes close to replicating our WebOS experience," he said.

The TouchPad is more than a pretty face, Rubenstein continued, it's also a powerful work tool. The virtual keyboard has a number row, and the TouchPad comes bundled with QuickOffice to edit Microsoft docs and access to Skype, as well as Google Docs, Dropbox, and Box.net compatibility.

It also features VPN support and wireless printing. If you own a WebOS phone with combined calendar and e-mail addresses, they will appear on the TouchPad.

Accessories include a TouchPad case with a kickstand and wireless keypad. The device can also charge on a new sloping dock - from within the case. While the tablet is docked, it can share information wirelessly.

The Wi-Fi version of the TouchPad is coming this summer, followed later this year by 3G and 4G versions.

On the smartphone front, the HP Veer (click right for larger image) includes a 2.6-inch touch screen, with a 320-by-400 display. The phone is about the size of a credit card, and includes a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

It provides access to the full Web, has built-in Flash and GPS. The Veer features a 5-megapixel camera, USB cord, audio jack, HSPA+, 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, and 8GB of storage. It runs a Qualcomm 7230 processor, which is an 800-MHz Cortex-A8 Snapdragon, and will be available in early spring.

The Veer is "something that is powerful yet elegantly small," Rubenstein said.

For the business crowd, the Pre 3 (right) is a thin, portrait slider that will feature the largest keyboard Palm makes. It includes a 3.6-inch, 480-by-800 display that is 2.5x the resolution of the Pre. The 5-megapixel camera includes image stabilization, autofocus and LED flash; there is also a forward-facing camera for video calling.

There will be two versions of the Pre 3: an HSPA+ and EVDO Rev A world phone, in 8GB or 16GB.

The device features 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, as well as an accelerometer, proximity, and light sensors, and a compass. It will run on a Snapdragon 8x55 1.4-GHz processor, and will be available this summer.

Both phones are Touchstone compatible for wireless charging. When you set your device on Touchstone, exhibition mode launches, showing you things like clock, weather, and photos.

The Pre 2, meanwhile, which , will be available for pre-order through Verizon starting Thursday.

When it comes to WebOS on the PC, Rubenstein said that "aross HP, we have phenomenal people working hard to extend the already phenomenal experience to add a rich set of apps and services that only WebOS offers."

"I think it's fair to say that that's the start of something that's pretty big," he concluded.

For more details, see .