HP Veer first impressionsGood things come in small packagesBy Lawrence Latif in BarcelonaThu Feb 17 2011, 13:57DECEPTIVELY SMALL is the impression we were left with after playing around with HP's Veer handset.The small WebOS device, the HP Veer had its usefulness questioned by many, including us, but after using the diminutive smartphone there's no doubt that HP has managed to pull off a coup by bunging a good operating system into a small package. The Veer punches above its weight, both in terms of performance and usability, and for many its size will provide the ideal blend of smartphone and fashion accessory with a touch of bling.The pebble shaped Veer is defined by its 2.6-inch touchscreen and its slide-out keyboard. The hardware keyboard is needed simply because the 2.6-inch screen is too small to type on. The keyboard isn't the biggest in the world, and compared to the HP Pre 3 the keys are packed in tightly, however it's far more usable than you would imagine from just looking at it.While the screen itself has a relatively modest resolution by the standards of full sized smartphones, given the physical size of the screen, it offers reasonable pixel density. Unlike with HP's previous Pre and Pixi smartphones, finally HP has seen sense and put a glass covered screen on the Veer, Pre 3 and Touchpad. The difference is both seen visually and felt in use, making a better tactile impression.Perhaps the only surprise is the thickness of the Veer. It is by no means fat, but including a hardware keyboard makes the Veer slightly chubby. The chap from HP who was giving the full sales spiel on WebOS said that people could carry the Veer around in their shirt pocket. While that is true, there is no doubt that the keyboard does add bulk to an otherwise well proportioned design.However it isn't the hardware that makes HP's Veer shine, it's the splendid WebOS that makes the device worth considering. The unit we tested had WebOS 2.1.1 loaded and without doubt it was the best mobile operating system we encountered at Mobile World Congress, even surpassing Google's Android 3.0. It isn't the impressive visuals that make WebOS a delight, rather the intuative way that users can navigate throughout the operating system, almost waltzing their fingers on the screen and gesture pad. It's so easy to use it's as if the user's mind and not their fingers are directing the operating system.To gain an appreciation for the Veer it needs to be compared with the Pre 3. Not only does the Veer make the Pre 3 seem oversized and cumbersome, but the fact that HP confirmed to The INQUIRER that WebOS on the Veer is not a cut down version makes the Veer all the more impressive. Aside from the change in screen resolution, there was no difference in applications such as the web browser or email client. We don't know whether or not third party applications will maintain feature parity between WebOS devices at this stage, but those applications do.We were unable to test battery life in our relatively short test of the Veer. The device's size does mean it has a smaller battery than other smartphones, but the lower power draw of its 800MHz processor and 2.6-inch screen should compensate somewhat for that.After HP unveiled the Veer we asked the question, just who would want such a device? After playing around with the Veer, it's still difficult to tell. Those with larger smartphones might find the small screen size daunting, however HP might gain some traction with those who want the occasional smartphone capability, such as reading email and every so often firing off a reply. The Veer isn't a 'party phone' but rather a diet smartphone, and that goes against the grain of what most phone manufacturers were showing at Mobile World Congress, which were devices that offer greater capabilities through larger screens and faster processors.Despite our lingering doubts about the Veer's ability to sell in large numbers, HP has done a great job in creating a small, fast smartphone that has a good screen and keyboard. But above all, the Veer makes you realise just how excellent HP's WebOS really is. µRead more: http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/review/2027099/hp-veer-review#ixzz1EKz3LfP9The Inquirer - Computer hardware news and downloads. Visit the download store today.
