Palm Pixi photos

Palm and Sprint are set to release their second WebOS phone. Check out hands-on photos of the Palm Pixi.

Bonnie Cha

Nov. 12, 2009 3:26 p.m. PT

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Palm Pixi

The Palm Pixi is the second WebOS phone for Palm and Sprint. Unlike the Palm Pre, it's targeted more toward a younger audience who like to text or for those making the leap from a feature phone to a smartphone.

The Pixi will be available from Sprint starting November 15 for $99.99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate.

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Palm Pre vs. Palm Pixi

As more of an entry-level device, the Pixi doesn't have quite the same features as the Pre. It lacks Wi-Fi and has a lesser camera.

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New features

However, the Pixi offers a more updated version of the WebOS (1.3.1), bringing features such as Yahoo integration, enhanced messaging capabilities, and a dedicated Facebook app. Plus, you still get Bluetooth, GPS, and great multitasking capabilities.

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Thinnest Palm phone

The Pixi is the thinnest device from Palm. The smartphone measures just 4.37 inches by 2.17 inches wide by 0.43 inch thick and weighs 3.26 ounces.

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Slim but not fragile

The Pixi 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 slick as the Pre and has a more solid construction without any moving parts that come with a slider design.

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Right side

On the right side, you'll find a volume rocker, a silent ringer switch, and a microUSB port. The latter is protected by an attached cover, and while a little tricky to pry open, it's much less cumbersome than the one found on the Pre.

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Gesture area

Below the display is a gesture area that's not visible to the naked eye. Palm replaced the physical center button found the Pre with a touch-sensitive horizontal line that lights up when touched. You can also swipe your finger right to left to return you to the previous screen and you can drag your finger from the gesture area up to the screen to bring up the launcher bar, just like on the Pre.

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Better keyboard

The Pixi's QWERTY keyboard doesn't look all that spacious, and the buttons are actually smaller than the one on the Pre's, but they're much easier to use. Part of the reason is because with the slate design you don't have the raised edges around the keyboard like you did with the Pre, so your thumb isn't always bumping up against side edges or the bottom of the screen. Also, the buttons are raised higher on the Pixi and they're not as sticky to press, so it's just more comfortable to type.