Palm Pixi Comprehensive Guide to Features Pricing & More

Introduction to Palm Pixi

The Palm Pixi was a smartphone developed by Palm, Inc., and released in the fourth quarter of 2009. The device represented a strategic attempt by Palm to recapture some of the market share it had lost to competitors like Apple and BlackBerry. With its sleek design, physical QWERTY keyboard, and the webOS operating system, the Pixi was geared towards young professionals and first-time smartphone users seeking an intuitive user experience. Despite its ultimate discontinuation, the Palm Pixi made significant contributions to smartphone design and software concepts.

Design and Build

The Palm Pixi was distinguished by its compact and lightweight design. With dimensions of 111 x 55 x 10.9 mm and a weight of only 99.5 grams, it was easy to carry and operate with one hand. The device featured a streamlined, minimalist aesthetic with a black plastic body that was both functional and stylish.

The front of the phone was dominated by a 2.63-inch TFT touchscreen display, which constituted approximately 35.7% of the phone's body. The resolution was 320 x 400 pixels, offering vibrant colors and a density of about 195 pixels per inch. Below the screen was a full QWERTY keyboard, which was a major selling point for users who preferred physical keys over virtual onscreen keyboards.

Operating System

Palm Pixi used the Palm webOS platform, known for its unique and innovative approach to mobile operating systems. WebOS was particularly hailed for its multitasking capabilities, allowing users to switch between applications seamlessly using a card-based system.

The system also supported synergy, which enabled the integration of information from multiple sources, such as contact and calendar entries from different email accounts into a single view. Despite its elegance and functionality, webOS struggled to compete with iOS and Android, which quickly became dominant in the smartphone market.

Hardware Specifications

At the heart of the Palm Pixi was a Qualcomm MSM7627 chipset, equipped with a 600 MHz ARM 11 processor and an Adreno 200 GPU. While these specs were modest compared to contemporary high-end smartphones, they were well-matched to the phone's design goals and user experience aspirations.

The device included 8GB of internal storage, though it did not support expandable storage through memory cards. This was considered a limitation by some users, but others found that 8GB was sufficient for basic use cases such as email, social media, and music storage.

Connectivity and Network

The Palm Pixi supported GSM and HSPA networks, making it compatible with a wide range of mobile carriers and international roaming requirements. It operated on 2G bands (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) and 3G bands (HSDPA 850/1900/2100), with data speeds up to HSPA 7.2/5.76 Mbps. This capability ensured good voice call quality and reasonable internet speeds for the time.

Connectivity features included Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP support, GPS with A-GPS for location services, and a micro USB 2.0 port for charging and data transfer.

Camera and Multimedia

The camera on the Palm Pixi was a basic 2 MP shooter with an LED flash. While it couldn't compete with the camera systems in modern smartphones, it was adequate for casual photography and capturing spur-of-the-moment shots.

The device did not support video recording, a limitation that reflected its focus on communication and productivity rather than multimedia consumption. For audio, the Palm Pixi had a loudspeaker and a 3.5mm headphone jack, making it compatible with standard audio accessories.

Battery Life and Performance

The Palm Pixi was equipped with a removable 1150 mAh Li-Ion battery, providing up to 350 hours of standby time and up to 5 hours of talk time. This battery life was typical for smartphones of its era, sufficient for a day of moderate use, including calls, messaging, and browsing.

Performance-wise, while the Palm Pixi could not compete with newer, more powerful devices that followed, it still provided a smooth and responsive experience for its supported applications, well-suited for the needs of its target audience.

User Experience and Legacy

Users of the Palm Pixi appreciated its user-friendly design, excellent physical keyboard, and the innovative features of webOS. The device's compact size and lightweight profile appealed to those who found larger smartphones cumbersome.

Despite its discontinuation, the Palm Pixi is remembered fondly by technology enthusiasts for webOS's ideas, which influenced later developments in mobile user interface design. The device also occupies a distinct place in Palm's history, as it was among the final phones released before HP acquired Palm in 2010.

Summary

In summary, the Palm Pixi was a pivotal device that showcased Palm's innovative software design and attention to user-friendly hardware features. While it ultimately did not turn the tide for Palm against its competitors, it provided a unique and enjoyable user experience for its time and left a lasting impact on smartphone design and interface development.