If you’ve been waiting for a dirt-cheap way to jump into webOS, your prayers have been answered because Verizon Wireless is now offering the Palm Pixi Plus for free with a new, two-year contract.
You’ll have to shell out at least $70 per month on service ($30 for data and $40 for voice) but you’ll be getting a solid smartphone, a good platform and a stylish form factor. The Palm Pixi Plus comes with a 2.6-inch capacitive screen at 320 by 400 resolution, 8 GB, EV-DO Rev. A 3G, Bluetooth, Mobile Hotspot capabilities, and a 2-megapixel camera. There’s no sliding form factor so I found the Palm Pixi Plus’ full QWERTY keyboard to be a bit easier to use than its older brother, the Pre Plus.
So, this discount can be interpreted in a good way or bad way for Palm. The optimist could say Verizon is aggressively trying to promote this device and webOS ahead of the flurry of development that will come from “HPalm.” The cynic may say Verizon is tired of having non-selling models like the Pixi and Pre clogging its shelves and inventory lines and the carrier is just trying to cut its losses to make room for newer stuff like the Kin One or Kin Two. While I’m bullish on HP’s plans for Palm, I’d lean more toward the second sentiment.
I still couldn’t fully recommend someone jumping into the smartphone game with the Palm Pixi even with the low investment cost because the processor is just too sluggish to produce a satisfying experience. The handset should have been free when it first was released but the market is just way too competitive now. For goodness sake, you can get a Droid for $20 on Amazon or the Pre Plus for $50 directly from Verizon.
What do you think, friends? Is this free price enough to get you to jump on board with the Pixi or is it too little too late? Would you even consider a webOS device
[Via Verizon Wireless]