[nappy]

The high-end models will come when the eco-system is robust enough to support niche devices.

This kind of illustrates the difference between webOS and Android. In the webOS world, hypothetical high end phones are considered niche devices. In the Android world, they're just phones.

[howemi01]

This kind of illustrates the difference between webOS and Android. In the webOS world, hypothetical high end phones are considered niche devices. In the Android world, they're just phones.

Well that's at least partly because HP is the only one currently putting out webOS devices, so there has to be some strategery in how they do it. IE building up a strong user base for the OS on low- and mid-end devices before they put out a superphone that may appeal to a devout but numerically small market. Motorola and HTC and Samsung and so on and so forth are all doing their own thing with Android, which is one of its biggest weaknesses as well as strengths.

[nappy]

Honestly, I don't think webOS needs to compete on specs (other than the 1GB of RAM I desperately want). The OS alone is enough of a differentiating factor for the people that want it.

What I mean is I don't think releasing a webOS phone that matches, say, the Atrix in specs will make it any more or less successful. Either you want webOS or you don't.

[Xadion]

even if you don't count the pre3 as high end... Have you ever used a NON high end android phone? They border on non functional. Take a 'standard' android and my pre is functionally faster. Put one next the 'intro' level veer and an intro android and the veer devours it in function.

[Empathyrus]

It's all about the user experience. The fruit company never tried competing in specs. Android is like Vegas.... lots of glitz and glamour on the surface but not much substance imho.

[ljbad4life]

I think the statements of webos owners that aren't a pre faithful need to be heard.

I am in no way a spec ***** like many android users, but I also don't want to buy something today and one day later can't run the latest apps or bogs down when surfing the web or gets left out of updates or new features because the phone was underpowered when released.

Is the Pre3 out dated? no. Dual core means nothing to android unless it runs honeycomb at this point.

So I have a quandary should I buy a Pre3 or get something else? Will it be all promises and sugar plum dreams that never reach fruition? Will I have an upgrade path so I don't loose all the money I put into buying apps. That bothers me far more than any spec.

[c_legaspi]

how can it be outdated. the phone hasnt been released yet. the moment it gets released, then it maybe outdated.

[xylenz]

Most of the phones you mention are android dual core phones. I am an android developer. Recently I went to a disuccion with Tim Bray, one of Google's Android Developers. He flat out said that in Google's tests there was little speed increase with dual core phones. He also said that the Tegra 2 hardware acceleration in some tablets actually slowed down performance in some cases and recommended that developers not use it! Dont just count specs and think you know what you are talking about. They are often meaningless.

[klynn]

hahahaha



And, if it has the Bee Gees.......I'd update the Music App

Unless, of course, you're using your phone as a time machine!

[m3grady2]

the pre 3 is not meant to be a high end phone or compete with the likes

[EvilKell]

the pre 3 is not meant to be a high end phone or compete with the likes

Then why does it have high end specs? Why does it have THE FASTEST smartphone CPU available? Why does it have a very capable GPU? Why does it have a high dpi display? Why did HP add features like an autofocus camera, a front facing camera that is video chat capable, a compass, HD video recording, and TTS technology? Why are tech industry analysts so excited to get their hands on it?

The Pre3 IS a high end device. If it wasn't meant to compete with other high end phones, HP seemingly accidentally built a phone that would. Anybody arguing otherwise is either ignorant of what is really available out there or incapable of viewing the big picture.

[EvilKell]

Most of the phones you mention are android dual core phones. I am an android developer. Recently I went to a disuccion with Tim Bray, one of Google's Android Developers. He flat out said that in Google's tests there was little speed increase with dual core phones. He also said that the Tegra 2 hardware acceleration in some tablets actually slowed down performance in some cases and recommended that developers not use it! Dont just count specs and think you know what you are talking about. They are often meaningless.

Google knows dual core technology isn't of any value to smartphones right now, and it probably won't be for quite some time. Manufacturers know that, too, but in order to sell Android devices, you have to have some frequently useless spec to hang your hat on. Something that says your device is worth buying vs. the other 87 Android phones available. I can't wait to see what useless technology the next Android phone incorporates as the next big thing.

[fxspec06]

Then why does it have high end specs? Why does it have THE FASTEST smartphone CPU available? Why does it have a very capable GPU? Why does it have a high dpi display? Why did HP add features like an autofocus camera, a front facing camera that is video chat capable, a compass, HD video recording, and TTS technology? Why are tech industry analysts so excited to get their hands on it?

The Pre3 IS a high end device. If it wasn't meant to compete with other high end phones, HP seemingly accidentally built a phone that would. Anybody arguing otherwise is either ignorant of what is really available out there or incapable of viewing the big picture.

[nyallj]

The thing is, apps aren't getting any smaller. Memory footprints aren't shrinking. Especially for games where you want to load as many high res textures into memory as possible.

Maybe I have a skewed perspective as an iPhone 4 user (where there's a much larger selection of apps available), but I hate the idea of developers targeting the lowest common denominator and scaling up from there. It really should be the other way around.



That's where having a gig of RAM helps. Right now, webOS 3.0 is targeting phones with 512MB of RAM as a baseline. As the OS' featureset expands, it's likely (I'd even say probable) that memory usage will go up. Doubling the RAM in the Pre 3 would actually extend the life of the phone.

I beg your pardon, but the iPhone 4 also has only 512MB RAM. But nobody's complaining about that, right? Kind of throws out your argument a little, doesn't it?

[nappy]

I beg your pardon, but the iPhone 4 also has only 512MB RAM. But nobody's complaining about that, right? Kind of throws out your argument a little, doesn't it?

Oh, I wish the iPhone 4 had more RAM too - RAM makes everything better.

It's also a year-old phone, though.

[koolkid09]

I beg your pardon, but the iPhone 4 also has only 512MB RAM. But nobody's complaining about that, right? Kind of throws out your argument a little, doesn't it?

The iPhone came out a year ago.

[ijip]

according to HP top brass the pre3 is the work horse. to me that sounds like a middle of the road things that gets things done nicely and can be used to pretty much all occasions.
The best thing about the pre3 is its 1.5 ghs cpu... lots of people talking about dual core this and dual core that, but u forget if the apps and os are not optimized for the second core than u get minimal benefits from that. u get way more performance out of a bump in clock speed than u do from a second core.
with android being as fragmented as it is, dual core is just a joke.
when HP releases the "touchpadGO" that will be the webos highend phone with dual core and the like -=)

[nyallj]

The iPhone came out a year ago.

Right, sorry, time flies, could have sworn it was just like yesterday it came out. So we should leave it out the specs race then.

Oh, I wish the iPhone 4 had more RAM too - RAM makes everything better.

It's also a year-old phone, though.

Just curious, you have had memory problems with your iPhone 4 that you wish it had more RAM?

[nappy]

Just curious, you have had memory problems with your iPhone 4 that you wish it had more RAM?

iOS is a different beast in that it manages memory more efficiently than webOS does. I wouldn't say I've had problems stemming from the phone only having 512MB of RAM but more RAM means I'd be able to have more apps active in memory. That would shave off a few minutes spent on waiting for apps to load.

I think iOS still has a limit of 128MB for each process too. That's a concession to all the millions of iPhone 3GS' Apple needs to support but, as a gamer, I'd like to see that limit bumped up.

Really, when it comes to computing, more RAM is always the answer.

[tasogare]

Really, when it comes to computing, more RAM is always the answer.

Except when the answer is cache size, bus speed, memory leakage, processing power, or a bevy of other things.

You sound like those doctors who prescribe antibiotics for everything.