Palm Pixi Plus (Verizon)

Palm Pixi Plus (Verizon) is nearly identical in design to the Sprint Palm Pixi, sharing the same dimensions, 2.63 inch multi touch screen, and full QWERTY keyboard. Verizon also packages Palm Pixi Plus (Verizon) with the same accessories, which include a travel charger, a USB cable, and reference material. However, in addition to the limited edition artist series back plates, you can also choose from one of five new colored back covers, available in blue, green, orange, pink, or black.

Each costs US$ 29.99 (the artists series cost US$ 49.99 each) and all are compatible with the Touchstone charging dock. For more details about the smartphone's user interface and look and feel, please read our full review of Palm Pixi Plus (Verizon) for Sprint. For more add-ons, please check our cell phone accessories, ringtones, and help page.

Features
Obviously, the big news here is the addition of Wi-Fi. Though more of an entry level device and with 3G support, some might argue that Wi-Fi isn't a necessity, but we'd have to disagree. With all the data intensive apps on smartphones these days, it's good to have another means of connectivity. Wi-Fi can provide faster speeds for Web browsing, streaming media, or downloads, especially when a carrier's 3G network is overloaded by users; it provides another method for getting online when you're out of a 3G coverage area.

In the case of Palm Pixi Plus (Verizon), you also get the benefit of using the smartphone as a mobile Wi-Fi router. How? Glad you asked. At launch, you will be able to download a program called Palm Mobile Hotspot from the App catalog that lets you turn your Palm Pixi Plus (Verizon) into a mobile hot spot or Wi-Fi router and tether up to five devices to share a mobile broadband connection using Verizon's EV-DO Rev. A network. This feature is exclusive to the Verizon Pixi Plus and Pre Plus but we should note, it also comes with a price.

You will need to sign up for a Verizon 3G hot spot plan, which costs US$ 40 per month and comes with a 5GB data cap. If you go over the monthly allowance, you will be charged an additional five cents per MB. For comparison, the mobile broadband plans for the Sprint and Verizon MiFi's cost US$ 60 per month with the same 5GB data cap and overage fees. Aside from Wi-Fi and 3G, Palm Pixi Plus (Verizon) also offers Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support and built-in GPS.

As with other WebOS devices, the smartphone comes preloaded with Google Maps, which offers maps with satellite view, real time positioning, business searches, traffic data, and simple text based instructions. However, if you're after voice guided turn by turn directions, you'll have to subscribe to Verizon's location based service, VZ Navigator.

Palm Pixi (Sprint)

A smaller, cheaper version of the Pre, Palm Pixi (Sprint) is aimed at a younger audience and to those who put a precedent on messaging or are making the jump from a feature phone to a smartphone. You can think of Palm Pixi (Sprint) as the replacement to the Palm Centro. Since it is a more entry level smartphone, you sacrifice some features, such as Wi-Fi and a better camera. In addition, Palm Pixi (Sprint) feels underpowered compared with the Pre.

However, what you do get is an incredibly sleek smartphone with an improved keyboard and enhanced contact management and messaging features. Plus, you still get 3G support, Bluetooth, GPS, and the great multitasking abilities of WebOS. For first time smartphone buyers and casual users, Palm Pixi (Sprint) is enough, but power users and tech enthusiasts should go with the Pre. Palm Pixi (Sprint) goes on sale November 15 as a Sprint exclusive for US$99.99 with a two year contract (it requires one of the carrier's unlimited data plans, such as Simply Everything or Everything Data) and after a US$100 mail-in rebate.

The price is OK, and Sprint offers some of the better valued voice and data plans. That said, to make Palm Pixi (Sprint) a real enticing package, it'd be great to see Sprint shave off even US$10 on the price, considering that the Pre is only $50 more and you can get the HTC Droid Eris from Verizon for the same price with Wi-Fi. While Palm Pixi (Sprint) name won't appeal to some people, we can certainly see where the inspiration comes from, as the smartphone is downright petite and dare we say, cute?

Palm Pixi (Sprint) is Palm's thinnest device to date and measures a slight 4.37 inches by 2.17 inches wide by 0.43 inch thick and weighs 3.26 ounces. It easily slips into a pants pocket and is incredibly light in the hand without feeling fragile. The back of the phone has a nice soft touch finish so it doesn't feel as plasticky or slick as the Pre. Plus, it has a more solid construction without any moving parts that come with a slider design. Of course, with the compact size and slate form factor, there are some trade offs, most notably, screen size.

Palm Pixi (Sprint) features a 2.63 inch capacitive touch screen with a 320x400 resolution, so it's a bit of adjustment coming from the Pre's 3.1 inch, 320x480 HVGA display, particularly when viewing Web pages and videos. The app panels can also feel a bit cramped when you've got the quick launch bar or an e-mail preview occupying the bottom of the screen. Like the Pre, Palm Pixi (Sprint) has multitouch capabilities so you can use the pinch gesture to zoom in and out of Web pages, photos, and maps.

In addition, there's a built-in accelerometer as well as a proximity sensor so the display will automatically turn off when you're on a call in order to prevent any accidental mispresses when holding the phone up to your ear. Below the display is a gesture area that's not visible to the naked eye. However, once you touch it, you'll see a single line in the center light up. This replaces the physical center button found the Pre and when touched, it brings you back to the deck of card view if you're working in an application. Swiping your finger right to left will also return you to the previous screen and dragging your finger from the gesture area up to the screen will bring up the launcher bar, just like the Pre.

Palm Pixi

Overall, Palm Pixi is slimmer than both the iPhone 3GS and the Palm Pre. The phone itself is covered in a rubbery, soft touch material the back actually flexes and snaps off like a piece of Tupperware and the keys are much clickier and more satisfying to type on than the Pre's keys. On the back, there's a 2 megapixel camera with LED flash, as compared to the Pre's 3 megapixel unit. Palm says Palm Pixi is designed for messaging, and see the company's point.

As RIM's BlackBerry discovered a long time ago, the candybar form factor is perfect for messaging, because the keyboard is always exposed (and doesn't have hinges or ridges getting in its way.) Palm Pixi feels comfortable, well balanced, and just about the right size in the hand. Because of the lack of ridges around the edge, the keyboard feels larger, even though it isn't folks with big fingers will still probably find the keys to be too small. Palm Pixi is based on the Qualcomm MSM7627 chipset, which is designed for lower cost smartphones.

Rather than using a separate application and baseband (phone) processor like the Pre does, the MSM7627 unifies both functions in one chip. That makes for slimmer, cheaper, and cooler running phones, but the downside is lower video performance. Because Palm Pixi has a 320 by 400 touch screen as opposed to the Pre's 320 by 480 display, many of the standard WebOS interface items are a little bit compressed. They're well designed, though, so you don't notice until someone points out to you that the buttons on the phone keypad, for instance, are a bit more compressed. The

smaller screen did become noticeable with Web browsing, though you see less of a Web page at a time than you do on the Pre. The interface was just as responsive as the Pre's, though, and all the WebOS items were in the same place. Palm ditched the Pre's home button in favor of a virtual home button an area right below the screen that lights up in a little white line. It worked just like the Pre's home button. Palm Pixi comes with 8GB of built-in storage, but no removable memory. The battery is removable, though.

You can sync it with various PC and Mac apps including iTunes, although Palm has been having a bit of a cat and mouse game with Apple over that one. Although Palm Pixi's back doesn't work with Palm's Touchstone inductive charger, Palm will separately sell six "artist backs" that do work with the Touchstone each one was designed by a different California based artist. Palm Pixi has GPS and stereo Bluetooth, but not Wi-Fi, unfortunately. Palm dodged the question of why it left out the Wi-Fi, but they implied it was a cost consideration. Instead of Wi-Fi, Palm Pixi connects using Sprint's EVDO Rev A network (or it roams on Verizon's network when Sprint's network isn't available.)

Palm Treo 700p

Product Description

• Send and receive email from multiple corporate and personal email accounts
• Access the web from right where you are using our speedy, award winning Blazer web browser
• Communicate or share images simply, quickly, and on the fly, with SMS or MMS2
• Snap photos, shoot video, download and play music
• Built in Organizer to keep on top of your busy schedule with calendar, contacts
• Send and receive email from multiple corporate and personal email accounts
• Access the web from right where you are using our speedy, award winning Blazer web browser
• Communicate or share images simply, quickly, and on the fly, with SMS or MMS2
• Snap photos, shoot video, download and play music
• Built in Organizer to keep on top of your busy schedule with calendar, contacts, tasks, memos, right at your fingertips
• Download, view, and edit Word and Excel compatible files, rehearse PowerPoint presentations, even consult PDF files
• Bluetooth Technology towirelessly connect to GPS, headsets, car kits
• Dial up Networking to take advantage of broadband like speeds on your laptop, use your smartphone as a wireless modem
• Palm OS Applications to make the Treo 700p smartphone exclusively yours with thousands of third party software applications
  

Features
Product Line : Treo
Cell Phone Type : Smartphone
Carrier : Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel
Wireless Technology : Bluetooth
Supported Memory : SD Memory
Megapixels : 1.3 Megapixels
Talk Time : 4.5 hrs.
Operating System : Palm OS 5.4.9
Supported Media Format : MIDI, MP3, WAV
Key Functions : Digital Camera
Messaging : MMS, E-Mail, SMS, WWW
Digital Camera : Yes
Included Functions : Calculator, HotSync Manager, Security, Palm Desktop Software, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, World clock, Memos, Blazer, DataViz Documents To Go, Quick Tour, Phone, Voice Memo, Bluetooth, Camera, Palm VersaMail, Messaging, PocketTunes, Camcorder
Network Technology : CDMA 800/1900

Digital Camera Features
Digital Zoom : 2 X
White Balance : Automatic

Display
Display Type : TFT active matrix
Display Resolution : 320 x 320

Power Managment
Battery Technology : Lithium Ion

General Product Info
Height : 5.1 in.
Width : 2.3 in.
Depth : 2.3 in.
Weight : 6.4 oz
Also known as : Palm Treo, Palm CNETPALMTREO700PVER
Manufacturer Part No. : 270003
Dimension : 5.1 in. x 2.3 in. x 2.3 in.(HxWxD)
Model : Treo 700p