Gadgetell Hands On: Palm Pixi

Recently, we got the chance to play with the Palm Pixi, Palm’s second webOS smartphone. The phone is currently offered on the Sprint network, though recent FCC filings suggest a Verizon model is also in the works. The phone sells for $99 with a two year contract from Sprint but a quick look on the web shows the phone can be found for $24.99.

Size Matters

Those looking at the Palm Pixi almost certainly are concerned about the phone’s size. The Pixi is slender, fits well in the hand and is light. Sized to be an almost perfect front pocket phone everything about the hardware on this phone is optimized to be small. From the small QWERTY keypad to the screen, everything has been shrunken down to become almost dainty. That is all good news for phone those seeking to avoid carrying around a brick.

Small Screen

The down side is you get to live with smaller things. The smaller screen worked well as I used the Pixi for basic functions. I found during set up, many of the menu choices were hidden below the fold which was odd. It became clear that the set up and things like it, were designed for the longer Palm Pre screen. Again this wasn’t a problem for things like surfing the web or checking email. Though, it did make GPS navigation on the phone almost unusable for me.

Small QWERTY

The keyboard is interesting. The bubble like chiclet keys are tacky and have a very positive click when pressed. I found typing on the Pixi to be much better than the Pre. On the Pre I was always negotiating around the slider lip, but with the Pixi, I was free to roam the keys. I almost enjoyed clicking away, as much as I can on physical buttons anyway. My fingers are the size of hotdogs, but I had no real issues with the small QWERTY keypad.

webOS

While the webOS continues to gain new followers (and the Verizon Pixi will be an important milestone in getting more developers interested in designing for the OS), its applications is notoriously sparse. Many others have belabored this point, so I’ll not. What I did find in the App Catalog was pleasant and worked well.

I am a big fan of the webOS. It’s use of notification is second to none in my book. Simple, unobtrusive makes the iPhone notification system look downright childish. Notifications on the Pixi simpling alert you at the bottom of the screen allowing you to ignore, touch for a little bit more information or switch to that notification. And thanks to webOS multi-tasking, your original program will sit by patiently waiting until you are ready.

Like the Palm Pre, the Pixi makes use of gestures. I find this to be another breakthrough aspect of the devices running webOS. Swiping in the gesture area and pulling up will bring up the quick launch menu in a fun ribbon. A long swipe through the gesture area switches open applications. It is extremely elegant and brings a lot of fun to the device.

Touchstone

Another perk to the Pixi is the Touchstone, a charging accessory. By changing the back plastic case, the Touchstone allows the unit to be magnetically held on the little toadstool for inductive charging. All wireless and all effortless for users, the Touchstone will have you saying, “all phones should be this easy.”

Overall
Overall, this is a great device. Miles ahead of the old Palm Centro, the Pixi shines in it’s small size but big performance. Those looking for a small sized phone will find the Pixi near perfect. It handles web, email, and loads of other tasks with ease and seldom makes you feel like you are on a much smaller screen.

Those used to larger screens will have to spend some time looking at the screen to see if the downsize will work for them. Overall, the Pixi is a great offering from Sprint.