The second WebOS phone from Palm is finally on the way, as the smartphone maker today announced the Palm Pixi. Unlike the Palm Pre, launched earlier this year, the Palm Pixi will be a slim candybar design with an exposed keyboard, and not a slider like the Pre. The Pixi, as it's name would suggest, will be smaller than the Palm Pre, with some reduced capabilities, but it will also be available at a reduced price.
The Palm Pixi will launch on Sprint later this year, marking quite a coup for Sprint and Palm. Considering that Google and HTC were only able to offer two Android phones on the U.S. market in the first year of production, it's impressive to see upstart companies like Sprint and Palm bring two WebOS phones to market in less than four months. Of course, key features on the phone, like the App Market, are still in Beta, but the Pixi comes with some software improvements along with the new hardware design
The Palm Pixi will be a less expensive WebOS device, but it will also be somewhat less capable. The phone will be the first to ship with Qualcomm's new MSM7627 chips. Those chips will drive a screen at a reduced resolution from the Palm Pre. The Pixi will use a 2.63-inch, 320 by 400 pixel screen. Though it doesn't match the size of the Palm Pre's display, the Palm Pixi will still use multi-touch, and the same finger-friendly capacitive touch technology.
The Palm Pixi will use Sprint's EV-DO Rev. A network for Internet access, and you better have a solid connection to Sprint's network because the Pixi skips Wi-Fi. The Palm Pixi does pack the same 8GB of internal storage, of which about 7GB is available to the user for software, data and multimedia files. The Palm Pixi will still synchronize with compatible versions of iTunes, just like the Palm Pre. Like the Pre, the Pixi will also use GPS for location-based services, as well as an accelerometer. The camera takes a step down from the Pre, and the Palm Pixi will use a 2-megapixe, fixed focus camera with an LED flash.
Hardware specs may take a hit, but the Palm Pixi actually arrives with some new software improvements. The Palm WebOS already synchronized and organized your Google, Facebook and Exchange ActiveSync contacts, but now the Palm Pixi will also get Yahoo and LinkedIn integration as well. You'll get full Yahoo sync for contacts, calendar and Instant Messaging. LinkedIn users will be able to import contacts from the business networking serviece, including job titles. Perhaps more importantly, though, Palm announced that Facebook would finally be bringing the first official Facebook app to the WebOS platform. This comes on the same day that Facebook finally arrives on Google's Android platform, so it will be nice to see WebOS keeping up. No word on other new application announcements, or any sign when the Palm App Market might leave it's current Beta phase.
To spotlight the new Palm Pixi model, Sprint and Palm will be offering special replacement back covers for the device. Buyers will be able to personalize from the Palm Pixi Artist series. Specific artists and availability will be announced closer to the launch date. Clearly, Palm is taking on Android head-on, as recent marketing efforts from T-Mobile and HTC have pegged Android as a highly customizable smartphone OS.
Pricing and availability details for the Palm Pixi are still unclear, but Sprint is saying that the Palm Pixi will be available before the holiday season. Pricing will be less than the Palm Pre, and Sprint also announced a price drop for that phone. The Palm Pre will be available for $150 with a contract agreement. The magic price point for the Palm Pixi will be $100, but we wouldn't be shocked to see this slimmer, more customizable Palm WebOS phone sell for $130 at launch. We'll have more details and hands-on impressions as the launch window closes.
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