Verizon to Sell Pre 2 for $150

The Basking Ridge, N.J.-based carrier said the Pre 2 comes with a 3.1-inch touch screen display, slide-out keyboard, 1-gigahertz processor and a 5.0-megapixel camera. It also features Wi-Fi with hotspot capabilities to share its connection with up to five other devices, and Skype mobile to place Internet calls.

The new software can multitask, allowing users to run and switch back and forth between several apps at once. In addition, it integrates a new version of "Synergy", its social networking app, which pulls information from Facebook and Twitter.

"We've made tremendous strides since the platform launched", Jon Rubinstein, head of HP's Palm unit, said at its unveiling in October. "Now we're taking our biggest leap forward with powerful new features that make it easier to get more things done with your WebOS device".

However, the Verizon announcement comes at an inopportune moment. Earlier this month, HP unveiled the Pre 3, its successor, with a larger 3.6-inch screen, speedier 1.4-gigahertz chip and a secondary VGA camera for video chat.

HP, which plans to release the Pre 3 later this summer, has yet to announce whether Verizon will carry the device.

Regardless, the WebOS platform competes in an increasingly-crowded arena. Verizon, which has done well selling its popular "Droid" line of Android products, has covered all the bases by recently launching the iPhone 4.