Palm sprinkles a little Pixi dust on the smartphone sector
by Stevie Smith - Sep 9 2009, 16:00
Don't be fooled by the big picture. Image: Palm.
If the ceaseless advance of mobile technology is anything to go by, it won’t be long before phone users require bionic eyes to actually see, let along use steadily shrinking hardware as the market moves from generation to generation. Bearing that in mind, meet Palm’s miniscule Pixi.
Announced by handset specialist Palm Inc. on Wednesday of this week, the new candy bar Pixi smartphone is being offered up as a cheaper, more consumer-friendly alternative to Palm’s critically acclaimed Pre device and will hit retail outlets ahead of the 2009 holiday season.
Hailed by Palm as the “thinnest, smallest phone we’re ever created,” the teeny tiny Pixi comes equipped with Palm’s Web OS mobile operating system along with a solid 2.6-inch LCD screen, a modest 2.0 mega pixel camera, and a full keyboard slung beneath the display.
Two missing features driving a wedge between the Pixi smartphone and its more capable Pre stablemate see the Pixi lacking on-board GPS functionality as well as wireless Wi-Fi connectivity for Internet roaming beyond the contractual network provider.
Palm has not yet confirmed retail pricing for the little Pixi smartphone, although industry watchers are estimating the handset will be offered up for between $99 USD and $150 USD when attached to a two-year service contract on the Sprint Nextel network.
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