The Sundarban
Published Apr 19, 2026, 12:15 PM EDT
Joe Fedewa has been writing about abilities for over a decade. Android and the rest of the Google ecosystem contain been a focal point for years, as successfully as reviewing devices, cyber web web hosting podcasts, filming videos, and writing tutorials.
Joe loves all things abilities and is additionally an avid DIYer and meals blogger. He has written thousands of articles, a total bunch of tutorials, and dozens of opinions.
Before becoming a member of How-To Geek, Joe labored at XDA-Developers as Managing Editor and lined news from the Google ecosystem. He obtained his beginning in the industry covering Windows Phone on a petite weblog, and later moved to Phandroid the build he lined Android news, reviewed devices, wrote tutorials, created YouTube videos, and hosted a podcast.
From smartphones to Bluetooth earbuds to Z-Wave switches, Joe is attracted to all kinds of craftsmanship. After a number of years of jailbreaking and heavily modifying an iPod Touch, he moved on to his first smartphone, the HTC DROID Eris. He’s been bent ever since.
For over a decade, I’ve written about Windows Phone (RIP), iPhone, and, my predominant squeeze, Android. But there’s one beloved working machine lacking from that list: webOS. 17 years after the Palm Pre hit the market, I’m finally attempting it for the first time.
I’ve been lucky to take a discover at many mobile OS’ in my day. Windows Phone 7 and eight, iOS 3, 4, and 10-26, every version of Android since 1.5 Eclair, however webOS has been a prime gap in my history. Then again, I’ve continuously been very peculiar to study it out. These that worn webOS wait on in the day still focus on of it love a loved one who passed away. Let’s survey what the hype become once all about.
Overlooked connection
We moved in different circles
Credit: Joe Fedewa / How-To Geek
The Palm Pre become once launched on June 6, 2009. I remember discovering out about webOS and seeing the weird and wonderful ads on TV. It appeared very impressive, however it become once best on Slither, and I become once stuck with Verizon. This is the same cause why I purchased an iPod Touch 2nd Gen in 2009—the iPhone wasn’t accessible on Verizon, either.
May perhaps perhaps contain to you’re acquainted with smartphone history, webOS had a transient life. The Palm Pixi launched 5 months after the Pre. “Plus” variations of the Pre and Pixel had been added in January 2010, followed by the Pre 2 later that year. Then, HP purchased Palm, launched the Veer, Pre 3, and TouchPad (a precise anecdote) in 2011, and that become once it.
The final version of what would possibly perhaps well well be belief to be Palm’s imaginative and prescient of webOS become once launched by HP in January 2012—precisely three years after its introduction. By the time the Pre became accessible on Verizon, I had already moved on to Android and later gave Windows Phone a shot for a pair of years. I neglected my opportunity to jabber webOS in its heyday, however because of my colleague, Patrick Campanale, I contain an extinct HP Veer to take a discover at out.
webOS’ affect on Android is easy to survey
It’s greater than honest inspiration
Credit: Joe Fedewa / How-To Geek
Upon first boot, I directly noticed how natural webOS become once to jabber. That’s a weird and wonderful feeling to contain when the jabber of a 16-year-extinct tool, however it’s because of two things: gestures and multitasking. This become once webOS’ bread and butter.
Rather than easy navigation buttons, the Pixi has a “Gesture Predicament” below the mask mask. If I tap or swipe up on the gesture house, it doesn’t take me to a house mask mask. As an alternative, I survey my recent apps displayed as playing cards and 5 apps in a dock. To shut an app, I simply swipe it up off the mask mask. This is genuinely precisely how multitasking works on many Android phones at the present time.
When the jabber of an app, the Gesture Predicament becomes worthy extra vital. I can attain a transient swipe horizontally to paddle wait on to the outdated mask mask. In the web browser, this gesture will paddle ahead and backward between pages. If I attain a long swipe horizontally in either course, I’ll quickly be taken to the recent app from that aspect of the multitasking row. Any of this sound acquainted? It ought to still.
The silly factor is webOS gestures and multitasking are undoubtedly still better than Android. As an illustration, when I swipe up on the Gesture Predicament from the multitasking gape, the fat app launcher opens. That’s handy, however it will get better. If I slowly fling my finger up on the Gesture Predicament, the dock of 5 icons looks in a cool, flowy animation. I can fling my finger over to an icon to beginning it from anyplace.
There are an excellent deal of other areas that undoubtedly feel love Android, too. The lock mask mask is a padlock icon that you hotfoot as a lot as release. Notifications seem as icons in a standing bar, however it’s at the bottom of the mask mask as a substitute of the high. They can be swiped some distance off from the Dashboard gape.
Far before its time
Utilizing webOS at the present time, it’s very sure that this become once a progressive working machine. It doesn’t undoubtedly feel outdated-fashioned the least bit. The final version of webOS become once launched shut to 15 years in the past, but Android has extra in long-established with it at the present time than it did wait on then.
Unnecessary to recount, that wasn’t by chance. The customary webOS make team become once led by four other folks, including Matias Duarte, a notorious identify to Android fans. In 2010, Duarte become once hired by Google to be the Director of Android User Trip. He first labored on 3.0 Honeycomb, however it wasn’t till 5.0 Lollipop that his imaginative and prescient become once fully realized. That’s when many of the webOS influences appeared.
