Palm Pixi Plus Review

Verizon hasn't had a new Palm device in quite a while. The Palm Pre and Pixi Plus are finally on deck. This review will be specifically about the Pixi Plus, which will be available on January 25th for $99.99 after a $100 rebate on a 2 year contract. There will also be a special from Jan 25th to Feb 14th: "Buy one Palm Pre Plus or Palm Pixi Plus and receive a FREE Pixi Plus after rebate".



Here are some of the Palm Pixi Plus features:

• webOS 1.3.5.1 - palms new(er) operating system
• Exchange and personal e-mail support
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
• GPS
• 2.63" capacitive display w/ multi-touch support
• 8gb internal memory
• EV-DO rev A
• Bluetooth 2.1
• 2.0mp camera w/ flash
• 3.5mm headphone jack

Updates that make it a Plus
There isn't much that differentiates the Pixi Plus from the original. They added Wi-Fi, which is always a nice features, but the internal memory remains the same at 8gb. Unfortunately, there still is no microSD expansion slot.


Unboxing
There's nothing really special about the box choice here. There's a semi-transparent sleeve over the cardboard box. Included is a usb/charger cable, cylindrical charger adapter, wired headset, and quick start guides.



Cosmetic
The Palm Pixi Plus is a thin, tiny phone. The roundness of it feels good in your hand. It's more than an ounce and a half lighter than the Pre Plus at 3.26oz. You'll also notice that it's measured longer than the Pre Plus because the Pre Plus is measured closed. 4.37 x 2.17 x 0.43. In comparison the Motorola Droid is 4.56 x 2.36 x 0.54.


The back has a rubberized feel. The camera and stereo external speakers are placed high on the back.


On the right side you'll find the volume buttons, the vibrate switch, and the covered charger port. The flap covering the charger port makes the phone look sleek, but I found it hard to get open. It does make a little more sense than the Pre's covered port, which you really have to dig at to get open, though. (Pixi is on the right):


On the left you have nothing (Pixi is on the right):


The top sports the 3.5mm headphone jack, and power/lock button (Pixi is on the right):


Battery
The Palm Pre Plus is rated at a talk time of 5.2 hours and 350 hours of standby out of its Li-Ion battery. This is actually a bit less than the Pre Plus, rated at 5.5 hours of talk time. When the web browser and other applications are being used you'll definitely need a recharge by the end of the day or maybe even by the afternoon. The battery life could definitely be better. Palm has said that with webOS 1.4 there will be some battery saving improvements.

Screen
The Pre Plus's screen is a 2.63 inch 320x400 capacitive multi-touch screen. When you touch the screen it gives an effect as if you put your finger in some water. The rounded corners contribute to the phones round design. There is no haptic feedback. Overall, it's very responsive, but isn't as vibrant as the Pre Plus. This is probably due to its lower color rating. (16.7 million vs 262k)


Software
I was surprised to find certain applications pre installed on the Pre Plus, like a PDF viewer, Doc Viewer, YouTube, Amazon MP3, Google Maps, and Facebook. You also get VZ Navigator in case you feel like paying for turn by turn directions (you can get directions with Google Maps, but not turn by turn directions like on the Droid). The same software is installed on both the Pre and the Pixi.

I really like the interface of webOS. It's simple and the gestures make sense. For example, if you want to close an application you just press the center button and flick it up. You can have multiple applications open at once. Clicking the center button you can then scroll through the applications. It's pretty neat. I should note that when opening some applications there is a bit of a pause. It's not a big deal, but I noticed it.

Included is also a new mobile hotspot app. It allows you to use your Pixi as a wi-fi hotspot. Up to 5 other devices can connect to the Pixi via Wi-Fi and basically use it as a router. Unfortunately though, you have to pay an extra $40 a month for this with a 5gb cap ($0.05 per mb chage thereafter). Womp womp.

webOS 1.3.5.1 comes loaded on the phone. This is currently the same version that is running on the Sprint Pixi. There are some things that 1.3 is missing worth noting:

• Ability to set notification tones
• You can't easily manage multiple messages in the e-mail application
• The word prediction and correction falls a bit short. It just doesn't work as well as BlackBerry or even Android.
• It's difficult to manage multiple contacts and calendars in Synergy

Hopefully some of these things will be remedied in webOS 1.4, which is due out in February.

I should also mention Palm's Plug-in Development Kit (PDK). This is much like the SDK's that Apple, BlackBerry, and Android all have. It allows developers to make applications for the Pre easily. No doubt Palm wants make a variety of apps available for its phones just like the others. There isn't as many apps for webOS as there are iPhone and Android, but I'm sure you'll find something that suits your needs in the Palm App Catalog.

Browser
I like the browser - it's quick to render pages and makes sense. You can tap zoom and pinch zoom. It also zooms when clicking on forms. You can have more then one browser window open, however there is no tabs. Browsing on the Pixi is a bit more difficult though due to the smaller screen.

Unfortunately flash is missing from the browser, but it's said that webOS 1.4 will feature flash.

Keyboard
I find the keyboard a bit small and smashed together. Luckily the keys are raiser so they are more easily hit with the tip of your thumbs. The Pixi is definitely made for smaller hands.

Camera
The camera on the Pixi Plus is okay, but definitely could be better. The 2.0mp is a bit of a step down from the Pre's 3.0mp camera. Pictures come out slightly fuzzy. I'm glad they included a flash with the Pixi though.

The camera software is lacking some editing features that you would find on other phones though, like resizing, color editing, etc. You can easily scroll though pictures you've taken and share them via whatever services you have hooked up to the phone.

Conclusion
As I said in the Pre review, I'm glad that Verizon saw the need for a variety of new smart phones. Including Palm and the Pixi is a smart move. It definitely fulfills the niche of people that want a smart phone, but don't want a bulky super smart phone.

The Pixi Plus and webOS is easy to get used to and does what you'd expect it to do. Hooking up your e-mail, syncing contacts with multiple sources, and checking Facebook is simple.

The Pixi is definitely a phone for people with smaller hands, and that don't want something that feels bulky. I'm left wishing that they added a faster processor and memory like they did with the Pre Plus, but many will appreciate the added wi-fi.

Here's a couple reasons you would want to get the Pixi Plus over the Pre Plus:

• You don't want to spend as much
• Don't need the speed or space that the Pre Plus has
• Want something a tad bit thinner and lighter to fit in your hands

View the Palm Pre Plus review
View the differences between the Palm Pre and Pixi Plus

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› See More: Palm Pixi Plus Review

Looks like a nice device. After using an iPhone (original) for the past few years however, I can't imagine ever going back to a physical keyboard which is so limited. The iPhone keyboard changes input keys based on the need which makes it extremely versatile in an unlimited number of situations. I don't see how Palm can even touch that.

boo, i dont like that phone at all

---------- Post added at 02:58 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:57 AM ----------

anyone else like it??

---------- Post added at 02:58 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:58 AM ----------

i just read that that phone is blacking out throughout use

The Pixi Plus has a good keyboard. Many folks still love that physical keyboard. For the Pre, there is also a virtual keyboard, available as a patch. Got to say, the Pixi Plus is quite a nice phone. I got the Pixi Plus as BOGO when I purchased my Palm Pre Plus at VZW on launch in Jan. LOVE my Pre. The Pixi went to my son, who is college-bound, and he's enjoying the heck outta this phone!

i love this phone

This cell phone looks very good. And i like phones with a keyboard. maybe an alternative to the motorola droid phone.

looks like this will be a nice one!

My gf only wants one becaues it has a cute name. I think it is a nice looking phone with a lot a good features. Personally I enjoy a physical keyboard, it makes it easier to text and drive.

ya.I love it.so nice to see.

When I look at the Pixi Plus and other competitors, it makes you wonder why anyone would spend anything on this phone. The price isn’t too appealing since it’s $79 after signing a two-year contract. As the voice for the customer, I’d say they are not getting their money’s worth if they don’t spend a few more bucks to get the Palm Pre Plus which is the real deal. The phone definitely has a lot of potential and comes in a neat package, but is a step behind in hardware specs. If it had a better camera, more RAM, a faster processor, and more storage, then I might give it another look. With the webOS falling to a halt with just an application or two running at a time, it’s hard to recommend. While some may prefer this form factor over the Palm Pre Plus, I’d definitely suggest reconsidering. With the Palm Pre Plus already in the shadows of other smartphones such as the Apple iPhone, Motorola Droid, and Nexus One, the Palm Pixi has no chance. It’s hard call and I feel sad to say it, but invest your money in another device.

interesting

The phone looks stunning. I love the keyboard.

save your $

Looks nice! How much does it cost now?

внешний вид очень приятный =)