Palm re-models Pre and Pixi phones
At what cost?
CES 2010 Palm is launching two Web OS phones, the latest rev of the Pre and Pixi handsets.
Palm's Pre Plus: no button and more memory
The Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus launch in North America on 25 January, with Verizon chosen as the exclusive network operator. No UK launch date has been announced.
Palm teamed up with Verizon to announce the deal at CES yesterday and our colleage Rik Myslewski was on hand to cover the whys and the wherefores. As he points out, a crucial slice of information was missing - the cost.
We can't help with that, but here is some more spec.
The Palm Pre Plus adds an inductive back plate for use with the wireless Touchstone charger and has 16GB of on-board storage as standard – double the memory of the Pre.
The hardware button used for closing applications on the Pre is absent from the Pre Plus. According to Palm, this lends the Pre Plus a refined and elegant look, with applications now closed, presumably, by tapping the phone’s gesture bar – as Palm Pixi users do.
Pre Plus comes with a Touchstone back cover
And so to the Pixi Plus. The major change is the addition of Wi-Fi functionality - it is also slightly smaller and lighter than the original.
Pink, blue, green, orange and black inductive Touchstone covers have also been designed for the Pixi Plus.
Palm's Pixi now features Wi-Fi support
Both new versions of the Pre and Pixi have been updated to enable video capture and support Flash 10. ®
COMMENTS
Better build?
If this thing is screwed together better than the original then they really have something. The early Pre felt rather fragile - the loose slide mechanism especially so, and there was a very nasty "sharp edge" around the keyboard (not actually a "problem" but made the thing "feel cheap"). The last wish is for better battery life... maybe I'm asking too much.
IMHO the loss of the button is an improvement, the already pretty Pre looks even better, let's just hope it doesn't disappoint in person and makes it to our fair shores pretty quickly (especially if someone other than O2 can carry it!).
Not the prettiest design
Is it just me, or are those things seriously ugly? I suppose that sort of thing is pretty subjective, I think the Touch HD2 is the nicest looking smartphone around at the moment (although not nice enough to put up with Windows Mobile for it).
Nearly there
IMO, the Pre was very, very close to being a really good phone. I don't think this slight improvement will be enough to see it compete UNLESS they price it attractively (ie < iphone).
Also, why the bleeding hell don't they just stick a micro sd slot in this thing (I would have been tempted by the original pre, but 8gb was just too small)?
Palm Pre
It looks so much like a pebble (more so this new one) that everytime I see a pic of one I want to grab it and try to skip it over a pond.
