Palm WebOS, Pre and Pixi – Where Are We Now?
by Joseph Berthiaume on March 23, 2010 12:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Mobile
Pre Plus and Pixi Plus – Still Ticking
Palm struck a deal recently to make its WebOS smartphones available on the Verizon network, which is #1 in the US, at least in terms of coverage area and subscribers. I’ve alluded several times to these new devices, known as Pre Plus and Pixi Plus. Each is a slight evolution from their Sprint-exclusive cohorts. In addition to the new and improved center button and enabled WiFi, there appears to be more available RAM, which should further help with the performance issues (though, as we are learning with WebOS updates – performance seems to be heavily based in software optimizations). Also, both the Plus devices ship by default with the TouchStone - compatible back cover, so they have that going for them too, which is nice.
Rumor has it that the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus are soon coming to the AT&T networks as well. Go go gadget universal availability!
I can haz WebOS – which phone plz!
So now we come to an interesting question: you’ve fallen in love with WebOS, and are lusting after a phone based on it, but don’t know which one to buy? Both the Pre and Pixi (and their respective Plus versions) have pros and cons and the answer also depends on what you’re coming from. If you’re upgrading from a simple non-smartphone, either is going to feel like you’ve stepped into the 21st century. If you are going to be viewing a lot of media and browsing the web, you probably want the extra real estate the Pre’s screen provides, as well as the WiFi (assuming you’re on Sprint, if you’re on Verizon it’s moot, so congrats). If you’re used to having a phone that feels more indestructible, you’re going to prefer the Pixi. I’ve been using both phones for a few months and it’s a very hard decision for me. Most of the time I say Pre – it’s just a little more powerful with its WiFi and larger screen. But then there’s those times where I pick up the Pixi and it just feels so good in the hand, and the keyboard…oh the keyboard.
One of the big items to consider when choosing between these two phones is the browser. As I’ve mentioned, Pre has a significantly larger display, and you’d probably think that because of that, the web browsing experience would be more enjoyable.
For the individual, it might also come down to price. Both phones have seen major price cuts recently, and if you shop around, depending on the usual deals and terms, you can pick up a Pixi or Pixi Plus for close to 0$. At the same time though, the Pre is around 80$ depending on your situation. Granted we’re not talking about huge quantities of money, but free is still free. Well, after mail in rebate it is. So there’s that.
In a perfect world, Palm is going to find a way to marry some of the features of both form factors and assemble a next generation WebOS phone, one that truly will be a complete competitor to the iPhone. Either majorly up the build quality of the Pre’s slider, and import Pixi’s superior keyboard, or up the Pixi’s screen size to some happy medium between the two, and boost her internals so performance is never an issue. Rumors are already starting to filter through the forums of a new device coming down the road.
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jamawass - Thursday, March 25, 2010 - link
Even Palm's Tungsten T pda had a rock solid sliding mechanism. Used it for 7 yrs till it died.sheltem - Wednesday, March 24, 2010 - link
I can't remember where I read this but in an interview last year, Sprint was the only carrier willing to give Palm a chance. That is why Palm went Sprint exclusive.wewter - Wednesday, March 24, 2010 - link
I, too, have fallen in love with the WebOS interface. The only thing I am not liking about the PrePlus that I have right now is the keypad, which seems to stick sometimes and shoot me out a random number of letters no matter how hard or for however short a duration I press the key(seems like a software issue).The true multi-tasking environment the PrePlus gives you is second to none. I actually had an argument in one of the vzw stores with this woman who was droid-obsessed. Absolutely ignorant of the multitasking and what that means -- but she did have a point with the free voice turn-by-turn directions. And the GPS on the PrePlus doesn't mesh so hot with GoogleMaps; it's initial accuracy screams for improvement. Customers are not going to front 9.99/mo for a VZNavigator service when other smartphone users get the same for free.
Chadder007 - Tuesday, March 23, 2010 - link
I actually like WebOS more than Android. It seems to flow better. Palm really made a bad deal when they selected Sprint to come out with their phone first though.tviceman - Tuesday, March 23, 2010 - link
This is a shame. I absolutely love my palm pre and can't imagine using a different phone OS for a long time.Frixto - Tuesday, March 23, 2010 - link
HelloI too was quite surprised when the Pre was announced. It´s a shame what´s been happening so far. I live in the Dominican Republic and so far only one carrier has it (wich is on a CDMA network).
Are there GSM versions? Why are they so slow to push the devices on to several carriers?
techer - Tuesday, March 23, 2010 - link
I think AT&T will have a bigger impact compared to Verizon's efforts in selling the Palm Pre. They are the top nationwide network titans but Verizon has more interest in selling the Android phones. This is Palm's opportunity to make a serious comeback with compelling back-to-back commercial TV ads and billboards promoting it's huge presence and unique capabilities through AT&T.I have the Palm Pre from Sprint but would love to get my hands on the GSM version of the Palm Pre so I could travel around the world knowing I'm carrying the best multitasking mobile device that allows me to switch SIM cards and lets me share my Internet connection and Local Area network with laptops I authorize and grant access to (BTW, that's monthly-free WiFi routing of course)
Some of my friends don't know what the Palm Pre can do, but the minute I demonstrate the high-end 3D games like Asphalt 5, they're instantly impressed. Family and friends are relying on me to keep them posted on when it will be available for AT&T so they can make the switch.
While app counts are growing significantly for the Palm Pre platform, more low-level high performance apps are also surfacing. And low Palm stocks don't seem to have an effect on productivity. Palm Pre developers are now cranking up the numbers with near expectations to surpass the number of Blackberry apps.
kelloggs - Tuesday, March 23, 2010 - link
I've had both the pre and the pixi and i gotta say, the pixi really is a solid WebOS phone. The build quality bump over the pre alone made it worth the "downgrade".Johnmcl7 - Tuesday, March 23, 2010 - link
As ever, AT seems to completely ignore the N900 throught out the article even finishing off with the incorrect claim 'WebOS does things no other smartphone can do (yet)'. The N900 can multitask better than WebOS and unlike WebOS it's had full flash support since its release.Also it's a bit strange praising WebOS heavily for its great multitasking while claiming it's not possible for it to be usable on Cortex A8 hardware just a couple of days ago in the W7 article.
I was a big fan of Palm's older PDA's and therefore was very interested in the Pre but after trying one out that was the end of my interest. The interface seemed strange and the hardware didn't appeal much with a low screen resolution and poor keyboard. I much prefer a hardware keyboard simply because it doesn't take up any on screen space and I find the speed better as well as preferring the tactile response. I'm disappointed Android handsets seem to be moving away from hardware keyboards.
Tegeril - Wednesday, March 24, 2010 - link
There's always at least one Nokia apologist.