HP Rolls Out webOS 2.1 for Pre 2

HP has begun to roll out the long awaited webOS 2.1 update to unlocked versions of the Pre 2. The 32MB includes the Exhibition Mode first demonstrated during its keynote presentation last month, but a more complete changelog has yet to be posted. It is not clear what bug fixes or other issues webOS 2.1 resolves over webOS 2.0.

This follows the lack of responses from US carriers on the availability of webOS 2.1+ on the Pre/Pixi Plus, despite European carriers rolling out their own builds without issue.

Following HP aborting the release of webOS 2.0 for all first-gen devices, it released a webOS 2.1 update for the European version of the Palm Pre Plus. The company’s media relations department then blamed the lack of release on American Palm Pre Plus devices as being up to the request of carriers. Requests for comment from PhoneNews.com were not returned by either Sprint or Verizon, and both carriers are declining subsequent opportunities comment as well.

HP has also indicated that technically barriers prevent webOS 2.0+ from being released on the Palm Pixi and Pixi Plus (due to slow CPUs) and original Palm Pre on Sprint (due to limited RAM).

webOS 2.1 is the latest release of webOS globally, and brings the Pre 2 up to the latest version. As an oddity in release cycles, it is rare for the latest device (the Pre 2) to not be the first to receive such an update. The Pre 2 shipped with webOS 2.0.