The smartphone is the third to use Palm's Linux-based mobile operating system, webOS (releasing with version 2.0).
The Pre 2 functions as a camera phone, a portable media player, and has location and navigation capabilities.
The Pre also serves as a personal information manager, has a number of communication and collaboration applications, and has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity built-in.
The plastic door which covered the microUSB port on previous iterations, considered flimsy by some, was removed.
On August 11, 2010, webOS developer Geoff Gauchet discovered that an unknown device with the code name "Roadrunner" was accessing his Foursquare app using a new version of webOS, version 2.0.