Good news, Palm fans! If you’ve taken a break from jamming on the “Update” button, it’s time to go tap it one last time: the rollout of webOS 1.4 has just begun. The catch: it seems that it’s only for Sprint handsets right now (Update: In the US, that is – it’s also available on O2 UK, O2 Germany, O2 Ireland, and Movistar in Europe), with the Verizon Pre Plus and Pixi Plus still reporting that 1.3 is the latest release.
We knew it was coming in February thanks to Palm’s announcement at CES — and thanks to the rumor mill, we were all lead to believe it was coming a few weeks ago. All false starts and false hopes aside, it’s available now. We’re seeing reports (thanks Twitter!) that it has gone live on Sprint handsets.
Curiously absent, however, are any reports of the update hitting Verizon Pre/Pixi Pluses. With the update going out this late in the evening (a bit after 10:30 pm PST), I wouldn’t be at all surprised if there were some last-minute snags; might the Verizon update have been held at the last minute?
The biggest new feature in webOS 1.4 — at least, of those available right this second — is its new found ability to record and edit video. webOS also lays all the necessary foundation for Adobe Flash support, though that bit will come as a download from the App Catalog at a later time. There are other smaller features and bug fixes throughout — for those, check out the full change log below. (Update: Palm has just released an even bigger, more in-depth change log here)
Changelog:
Enhancements:
– Updated SMS and chat features.
− Tap and hold on an email address to send an email or add
to contacts.
− Forward SMS messages to email.
− Dial a number from chat view without opening a contact card.
− Press and hold a phone number (identified via smart text) to get
more options for calls and SMS.
– New camera support for video capture.
− Record and edit videos right on your device.
− Upload videos to YouTube® and Facebook®, or send them to friends via email or MMS.
– Expanded calendar and task functions.
− Set custom alert sounds for calendar events.
-View times with added AM/PM and Now indicators. − Dial phone numbers shown in the appointment subject.
– More email options
− Customize your email alerts by specifying a distinct ringtone or
selecting mute or vibrate.
− Tap and hold on a phone number or email address to either dial or
send an email or add to contacts.
− Once emails are sent, you’re taken back to the inbox view.
− More sort options for messages, including by date, sender,
and subject.
– Mobile Hotspot application is now preloaded on the device.
– Enhanced universal search now includes Global Address Lookup, i.e.,
corporate address book.
– The light bar in the gesture area now blinks whenever there are
pending notifications.Improvements:
– Better MMS functions and support.
− Support for sending an MMS message when connected to Wi-Fi
now included.
− MMS messages with multiple audio and picture attachments now
allow you to open all attachments correctly.
− MMS display updated so messages no longer appear to overlap
each other.
– Faster performance in several areas of the phone and calendar applications-