AT&T announced something of a webOS revival yesterday with the launch of the HP Veer 4G, a webOS smartphone about the size of a credit card.

Palm’s webOS fizzled out after the Palm Pre, launched in 2009, failed to gain significant traction for consumers.  When it launches on May 15, the Veer will be the first webOS device to come out from HP since the company bought Palm last August.

“Veer is introducing the smartphone experience to a new generation of users,” said Palm product manager Stephane Maes in a statement. “Its unique combination of high-end webOS smartphone features in a surprisingly compact package is just right for customers who want to do more with less.”

AT&T is trying to pitch the Veer as a smartphone for customers looking for something different than the other handsets on offer in its formidable smartphone portfolio, whose selection includes the iPhone and top-tier Android smartphones.

The company said the Veer would be “perfect for feature phone or quick messaging phone users looking for all of the features and capabilities of a smartphone without compromising on size and style.”

The Veer looks similar to the Palm Pre, but smaller. The device has a 2.6-inch touchscreen, a slide-out qwerty keyboard, and is equipped with a 5-megapixel camera and a Wi-Fi hotspot capability. The handset also comes preloaded with several apps, including AT&T Navigator, and will be compatible with the company’s HSPA+ services.

The Veer will cost $99.99 with a two-year contract.