Well, maybe not so funny…
I have been waiting for the WebOS 1.2 update for the Palm Pre since Launch Day back in June 2009. As I have previously reported, the Palm Pre has bluetooth issues with various built-in car kits from Nissan, Infiniti, Acura, BMW, Ford, GMC, etc. There is a thread on Palm’s Official Support Forum which is now an embarrassing 14-pages long complaining about these bluetooth problems. But, buried in the long list for WebOS 1.2 is Bluetooth for expanded car-kit support. The following screen was posted on Sprint’s website on Sept. 8, 2009:
That’s right … Sept. 8th! Unfortunately, it was leaked that Apple would be releasing an update to iTunes on 9/9/09 (the next day) which would again break the Palm Pre sync capability. So, Palm rescheduled the release for Sept. 24th. Rolled into this bigger release was now an update to the App Store which would allow vendors to charge for their apps (just like the iPhone/iTouch store). This move will encourage a boom in Palm apps just like it did for Apple. In fact, Palm has already been overwhelmed with the volume of new Apps submitted for the new e-commerce App store.
Well, Sept 24, 2009 came and went … and still no update. This time, there was an issue with Sprint’s data network which caused the delay. And, so the saga continues! There are over 70 fixes/enhancements schedules for the new WebOS 1.21 release which could happen by Oct. 2, 2009.
Hopefully, this update will be released before it becomes WebOS 1.22!
NOTE: Palm must have been listening … WebOS 1.2 was released today!! It does not fix the iTunes sync, but there are plenty of other fixes/features included in the update.
After testing the WebOS 1.2 release, I found that the bluetooth connection with my built-in car kit was greatly improved! There is still some static, but it is acceptable. The bluetooth link with my car is now stable and provides good call quality on both sides of the conversation. Starting to get excited again!!