Verizon has begun making webOS 2.1 available to its subscribers with HP Pre2 smartphones. The update appears to be a controlled rather than a generally available or automatic release. It fixes a number of issues with the previous release, as well as adding some new functionality.
The fixes resolve problems with e-mail, messaging, photo thumbnails, and security. Release 2.3 has added several new features. Backups now include call history, text messages, and IM conversations. Bluetooth keyboards are now supported. Contacts can now be used for voice dialing.
Another new feature is Exhibition. This provides access to specific apps even when the phone is docked on a Touchstone cradle. These apps include the clock, the photo slideshow and the agenda. Exhibition starts up automatically with docking.
The Pre2 slider began shipping in February. It features a 3.1-inch Gorilla Glass multi-touch display, a physical QWERTY keyboard, a Texas Instruments OMAP 1GHz processor, and a five-megapixel camera with an LED flash.
HP has actually put out a newer version webOS 3.0 with its recently introduced TouchPad tablet. HP has given no indication when it might see its way into its smartphones
