webOS 2.1 released OTA to Pre 2 phones, Exhibition mode in tow 51
webOS 2.1 has already made its way to older devices like European Palm Pre Plus phones, but now it looks like it’s finally making its way onto newer devices, namely the Palm Pre 2. We’re admittedly a little surprised it’s taken this long for webOS 2.1 to be released for the Pre 2 (especially the unlocked Pre 2), but we’re glad to see it finally hitting, at least for the Rogers Pre 2 (where we've already seen 2.1 glimpsed before). Yeah, it’s pretty silly that the Pre Plus got 2.1 before the 2.0 launch vehicle Pre 2. Regardless, even though the changelog hasn’t yet been published, we can tell you that webOS 2.1 brings the usual basket of bug fixes along with probably-not-noticeable speed and battery life improvements, and also finally brings Exhibition mode support to the Pre 2.
Meanwhile, head on over to our webOS 2.1 thread to talk it up - here's the thread where our members first spotted the update. So far we are seeing it on the unlocked Pre 2 and on the Pre 2 on Rogers in Canada. No word just yet on Verizon.
Update: A few people reporting that they're having problems connecting / downloading the update (yours-truly included). That's a new wrinkle in webOS updates, hopefully it will get ironed out soon.
Update 2: Plenty of success stories all around. 2.1 FTW.
Thanks to Kyle for the tip!
51 Comments
Why would you be surprised, they cant release anything within a realistic time.
Just FYI: 2.1 Might make you lose GPU acceleration on frakensprint pre
.
http://forums.precentral.net/palm-pre-2/277918-anyone-notice-lack-hardwa...
Verizon will be out in 6 months.
I have almost forgotten the thrill of watching webOS updates download and install.
yeah but i have had the thrill of watching quite a few refurbed pres reload all my backed up data from my palm account :)
I'm assuming the doctor did not get released yet.
vzw will have 2.1 about 4 months after pre 3 is on store shelves.
Anyone knows if 2.1 fixes the GPS bug that prevented some PDK apps from working (most notably Navit, until they patched around the bug)?
And Google syncing issues (calendar, contacts)?
Thanks all!
How to get this update for a Palm Pre 2 developer phone that is unlocked and not tied to any carrier (so no Palm profile)?
So WHEN is HPalm going to "make things right" for the rest of us? Or did they lie about that?
you mean "Lie about that TOO."
Came here to say just that. Honestly, I don't even care about webOS 2 on the original pre. It just won't cut it. My hardware is on its way out anyway.
What they should do is just wipe any sprint pre owner's contract clean (to cover those who are not launch day Pre's) and give us $100 credit toward the Pre3 or TouchPad. There can't be that many of us left, it'd be cheap loyalty points =)
The "FrankenPre2" hack is pricey if you aren't a qualified developer, but if like me you were lucky enough to get one for free or $200 off you should do the hack which by the way is incredibly easy thanks to Rich's step by step guide. It breathes a whole new life into owning a webOS phone. It's fast, restarts in around the same time as an iPhone and once again. FAST! An OC'd Pre or Pre Plus doesn't hold a candle to it.
HPalm has no means to tell Sprint what to do.
Maybe when the Pre 3 comes out?
This might be a coincidence, but I had problems downloading it. Then 5 minutes ago I changed from wifi to a regular data connection; and now it downloads the update. Yay. (might be a local problem or just coincidence though.)
Back in the day, I ONLY purchased unlocked phones and aggressively defended the reasons why to anyone who'd ask. When I switched from AT&T to Verizon for a Palm Pre Plus at launch, I abandoned my lofty principles and now here I am remembering all of the forgotten reasons - why I paid all of the extra money to buy a phone that wasn't screwed up, locked down and messed over by these Carriers. I will never buy a subsidized phone again.
Fact is, you pay for the subsidy as part of the monthly charge anyway no matter what you do, so you might as well enjoy the discounted handset. Moreover, in CDMA-land there is no such thing as a generic unlocked handset anyway.
I don't know how it works in the US, but in Europe and certainly in the UK if you don't want to get a phone with your contract, then there are quite a few ways of paying much less for the contract, aka not paying for the subsidy. But often you need to avoid going to the carrier directly and instead approach a reseller (who will get the subsidy back from the carrier in cash and pass it back to you).
As an example I bought a second hand Pre- off ebay for my wife and she is paying £8 per month (roughly $14) for lots of minutes and text and data. The standard tariff for this would have been £30pm (which would have included a subsidized phone too).
If you can't do this in the US, then maybe this is a business opportunity! At the end of the day the operators want to sell airtime and the subsidy is just that. If you negotiate hard and have buying power, you may get the subsidy paid in cash or deducted from the monthly payments.
Still not available here in Italy with a unlocked Pre 2..:(
I'm using a Sprint Pre 2, and the 2.1 update is showing up as available from the system updates app (though this update is 26MB instead of 32MB). What is the recommendation from webOS Internals on the OTA update? Is it safe, or should I wait for a metadoctor?
If possible could you give simplified direction to install 2.0 on the original pre. The information currently available is scattered at best.
I don't think anyone has been able to install it on the original Pre. Notice he said Sprint Pre 2. You have to mesh hardware from an unlocked Pre 2 with a Sprint Pre (aka FrankenPre). This isn't just a simple software hack. Sorry to break the bad news.
Tomorrow is 1 month since HPalm said that they will "make things right" for previous "legacy" device users. Now we get this rubbed on our faces?
hopefully they work on the addition for the original pre quickly. The 1 ghz boast should handle any worry they had about running 2.1.
I still say the 720 mhz, which is within the allowable limits of the processor would be sufficient.
meh... the 1 ghz patch is noticeably faster
Isn't this the last month we have until we are forced to wait 22 months to upgrade with Sprint? I'm thinking of going EVO since I don't want to wait until thw end of my 22 months which will be in august, but my pre fell and the arge has to be in at a weird angle to even work.... Soooo since there's no upgrade for webos on sprint I'm kind of fked.
typos cuz I posted from my pre that has an aging keyboard that doesn't like to type out every letter. :) Evo here I come!
once i put an evo in my pocket i decided i didnt want it
Woohoo! Voice dial is working!
Nothing on Verizon yet...
backwards, legacy got them first haha, it's all great though. Have to get this family growing!
I'm expecting a Verizon update in about another week. Don't know if it will be 2.1.
Come on Verizon! Get the ball rolling on this!
This just makes me mad that I am stuck with my launch day pre. If they don't announce something soon for us who supported them from the first Pre..I'm dropping this OS for android or iOS on Verizon. I just can't see webos surpassing any of those other systems no matter how good it is.
Good luck with entitlement on Android or iOS. Why paralyze yourself over some dubious notion of what you are "owed"?
It's not HP holding you back.
But if you decide you like Android or iOS better, then you should definitely do what works for you. We're talking about an appliance, not a religion.
Wow.... I remember when I used to get updates for my Sprint Pre. Them were great days. Looking at this update announcement, I feel like I'm in a dream where I jumped ship on HPalm or I'm in jail and lost my rights to an update. :(
Your rights to an update are in your wallet. Their names are all Benjamin.
Show me an updated webOS phone on Sprint and I'll agree with you.
getting it OTA in Ireland on an unlocked Pre 2 :)
Got it installed.
PDF still has not improved very much, still having alot of PDF problems ...
Out on SFR (France) too! Update went smoothly, no problem to report except for that HP boot screen haha... *joy*
Looking at this website as an OG Pre owner, I now know what HTC Hero owners feel like viewing Android Central. It sucks being at the bottom of the food chain in a fragmented world :(
Just starting to look at 2.1, but the first thing that strikes me is that calendar weeks with lots of appointments used to bog down badly, and now are silky smooth. Worth the price of admission just for that.
Unlocked Rogers Pre 2(actually running on Bell) in Canada. OTA update.
Just frankenpre-ed my sprint pre minus with t-mobile pre2 unlocked dev phone. Everything works great! My donation is going out today!
I see the update to 2.1 but the download keeps failing. It starts to download then stops and checks for updates again. Files size is 26Megs. I tried over wifi and network.
Is there an issue or should I just keep trying?
If there is an issue with OTA updates is there a meta-doctor for such a beast for 2.1.+?
Update: Finally downloaded...works fine
Question for anyone who has successfully installed the 2.1 update - is your email working? Specifically, can you send? It seems I can no longer send emails via any of the accounts I have setup. They are all sitting in my outbox. At one point I did get an SMTP error saying my credentials were bad,and I did reset them, but it made no difference. I have tried sending test messages from several different accounts that all worked previously.
Any ideas?
My email seems to work fine
I noticed two problems after I upgraded to 2.1 on my unlocked Pre2:
1 - Some system sounds are no longer playing (alaram reminders, swipe up "swoosh", etc..)
2 - Voice dial doesn't work when my Pre is paired to my car's bluetooth hands-free system.
Have have no system sounds either.
Have not tried voice dial in car yet.
I reset my Pre 2 and system sound seem to work again.
We need a shortcut to turn on voice dial now. Guess you could add it to the quick launch bar.
I'm having some serious issues getting this update at all. I have an unlocked Pre 2 and I'm on Vodafone UK if that helps.
Whats happening is that when I try to seek the update on the System Updates App, I'm either told "Unable to connect to server" or that "Your phone is already up to date" when I have checked several times only to see I'm on webOS 2.0.1.
Has anyone else had this problem or does anyone else know how to fix it? Thanks. :(