Palm Pixi review
Will the Palm Pre's younger sibling, the Pixi, overshadow its elder? We review the Palm Pixi to find out.

The Palm Pixi may very well be the most feature-rich, enjoyable smartphone in the budget smartphone price range. It might not pack enough oomph to excite hardcore smartphone enthusiasts, but it will almost certainly satisfy beginners and moderately savvy users. All in all, the Palm Pixi's compact size and capable OS combine to create a terrific user experience that is definitely worthy of attention.
Palm Pre fever had only really just started sweeping the UK when we found out more about what the device's successor - and the second Palm handset to sport the company's new webOS - would be called. And, as with the Pre, US users have gotten hold of the Pixi first.
While mobile fans will have to wait to get hold of the Pixi over here, will it be worth it? More importantly, how does it measure up against its older sibling?
Unlike the meaning behind its moniker, Palm's Pixi isn't really small, elfin, pert or mischievous words you'd find next to the word pixie, which unsurprisingly is where the handset's name is derived, if you looked it up in the dictionary.
So, what is Palm's Pixi? A terrific, modern smartphone that we're eagerly awaiting to hit our shores.
Keeping it in the family
The best way to look at the Pixi is to compare it to the first handset on Palm's comeback trail, the Pre. Both the Pixi and its older brother the Pre run on Palm's new webOS operating system (1.3.1 is the latest version).
Both have 8GB of built-in memory, built-in GPS, a microUSB port, Bluetooth 2.1+ and a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. Both handle Microsoft Exchange sync, push email and feature integrated IM, SMS and MMS messaging.
As for the differences, the Pixi is candy bar-shaped with its QWERTY keyboard positioned right under the screen. The Pre has a slightly larger screen (3in diagonal versus 2.8in on the Pixi) and a slide-out keyboard. The Pixi has a two megapixel camera, while the Pre boasts a whole extra megapixel on its snapper.
The Pixi, alas, also lacks Wi-Fi, while the Pre sports support for the 802.11b/g variants.
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
-
M&S suspends online sales as 'cyber incident' continues
News Marks & Spencer (M&S) has informed customers that all online and app sales have been suspended as the high street retailer battles a ‘cyber incident’.
By Ross Kelly Published
-
Westcon-Comstor unveils new managed SOC solution for Cisco partners
News Powered by Cisco XDR, the new offering will enable partners to tap into new revenue streams, the company said
By Daniel Todd Published
-
More than 5 million Americans just had their personal information exposed in the Yale New Haven Health data breach – and lawsuits are already rolling in
News A data breach at Yale New Haven Health has exposed data belonging to millions of people – and lawsuits have already been filed.
By Emma Woollacott Published