HP Veer, Smartphones’ Runt, Goes to AT&T on May 15

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If you’re not a fan of the oversized smartphone craze, seek solace in HP’s Veer 4G, a diminutive smartphone that’s coming to AT&T for $99 on May 15.

By hiding a slide-out QWERTY keyboard behind a 2.6-inch, 320-by-400 resolution display, the HP Veer manages to be puny. Length and width are roughly equal to a credit card, and thickness is about the same as a deck of cards.

But with pipsqueak size comes pipsqueak specs, such as an 800 MHz processor, 8 GB of storage and a measly five hours of talk time. There’s a 5-megapixel camera in back, but no front-facing camera for video calls.

Fortunately, HP’s WebOS platform, acquired along with Palm in 2010, should run without issue, just as it did on Palm’s Pre, Pixi and Pre 2 smartphones. The operating system is generally well-regarded, with quick multitasking between open apps and integrated messaging that shows instant messages, text messages and pictures in a single view.

App count is a concern, as the WebOS only had 5,000 apps as of December, but HP’s renewed push with this operating system could drum up developer interest once more. In addition to the Veer, HP plans to launch the Pre 3 and TouchPad tablet this summer, both running WebOS.

There’s no pre-order available, so you’ll just have to keep the HP Veer’s May 15 launch date in mind if you’re in the market for a tiny smartphone.