Verizon to distribute Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus Smartphone’s

Like last year, Palm has unveiled new Smartphone models at the CES in Las Vegas - although these are more like evolutions to existing models, with this being the release of a Plus version. Verizon will be distributing these phones from the second quarter of 2010.

Nothing revolutionary has been released by Palm at CES 2010 unlike in 2009 when they presented both a new mobile platform, WebOS, and the first Smartphone to come equipped with it, the Palm Pre.

This year, Palm has announced that they will be launching the Palm Pre Plus and Palm Pixi Plus Smartphone’s which are evolutions of the existing models, while also widening their carrier distribution channels to include Verizon Wireless in the United States after previously having exclusive links to Sprint.

This means that these new models are only compatible with CDMA/EVDO Rev A networks. While the specifications of the two devices are very similar, the Palm Pixi Plus benefits from more internal memory, the addition of WiFi and support of a 3G/WiFi router which allows you to connect  up to 5 devices.

Palm Pre Plus and Palm Pixi Plus
The Palm Pre Plus has a 3.1" multi-touch screen with a resolution of 320 x 480 pixels and a full slide out keyboard. It now comes with 16GB of internal memory (as opposed to 8 GB for the Palm Pre) while keeping the WiFi 802.11 b/g connectivity (with the 3G/WiFi router function) and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (including A2DP profile), as well as an A-GPS module.

On the back you will find a 3 Mega pixel camera, with the devices size being 100.5 x 59.5 x 17 mm, and weighing 138.5 g. The phone has an announced talk time of 5 and a half hours, while the battery should last for up to 350 hours in standby.


The Palm Pixi Plus, on the other hand keeps its single block format with a 2.63" multi-touch tactile display with a resolution of 320 x 400 pixels, while a full keyboard can be found on the front of the device. A 2 Mega pixel digital camera can be found on the back of the device, along with the same integrated Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and an A-GPS module as before, to which we can not add WiFi 802.11 b/g connectivity (with 3G/WiFi router  function).

The Smartphone comes with 8GB of internal storage space and a battery life of 5 hours in communication and 350 hours in standby. The dimensions remain the same as the previous release: 111 x 55 x 10.85 mm, with a weight of 92.5 g.

The two handsets are planned for release by Verizon on the 25th of January.