Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus first hands-on (video)!

We just had a chance to play around with the new Palm Pre Plus (and Palm Pixi Plus), and we must say -- they've made some solid improvements to these devices. We're going to focus on the Pre, since it's really had the bulk of the changes. Firstly, it's now a Verizon branded (and bound) phone, which should bump the status of the device in many people's minds. The company has also improved the action of the slider mechanism, which is now way, way snappier, and clicks into and out of place with a confidence-stoking solidness. Palm has also changed the keyboard a bit, getting rid of the orange coloring, and revamping the action of the keys, making them far clickier (and maybe a bit more raised). The feel is closer to the Pixi, and that's a really good thing. Of course, they've added an additional 8GB of storage, making the internal capacity 16GB, and Palm is going full steam ahead with gaming on the device thanks to its PDK. Check the video and gallery below for the full story.

Update: Video is up!

Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus hands-on

[Thor e Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:26AM]

@Thor e I really need to start spell checking. GAH!

[yyandrew Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:37AM]

awesome! I'm set on getting the Pre Plus when it's released. I had the Droid for the past 2 months but decided to return it. I want the Nexus One but its release to Verizon is a few months too long. Exciting time to be on Verizon!

[stockjones Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:53AM]

WebOS is very impressive. I hope we see more phones with WebOS. I just wish the Pre had a brushed metal look or something. It always looks like its made out of cheap plastic.

[Wesscoast Posted Jan 8th 2010 3:01AM]

I'm an Apple guy, but I must say, way to go Palm! You guys are really comin' along!

Just awesome, that you're moving to more carriers. Great work.

[XChrisX Posted Jan 9th 2010 9:08PM]

@Wesscoast Fair enough, so was Rubenstein, but eventually we all see the light.

[raif Posted Jan 8th 2010 4:08AM]

I wait to long for the Pre coming in Europe!and now there is the plus!When do You think the Pre plus will come to Europe? Is it a verizon exclusivity?or will it be available for telefonica brands in Europe,l'île O2 germany?Thx for the reply

[jarobusa Posted Jan 8th 2010 11:21AM]

@raif It is in Europe now.

[SuperCharly Posted Jan 8th 2010 4:43AM]

I tried it - it's smaller than you would expect.

[SuperCharly Posted Jan 8th 2010 4:48AM]

@SuperCharly
By the way, you should consider using a tripod for those shots...

[atlanticplace Posted Jan 8th 2010 12:36PM]

I have a date with a Palm Pre Plus on January 25th. Totally buying one.

[rpahk Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:18PM]

Just wondering, has anyone out there tried an unlocked Pre w/o a data plan? I travel internationally all the time and mobile data costs would kill me. If the Pre still works as a stand alone device with wifi web access, great.

[victorpalmeiro Posted Jan 8th 2010 3:52PM]

I used to have a palm treo. I moved to the iphone and this palm doesn't really make a case to move back. Seems like palm is losing a bit of its edge.

Victor Palmeiro
Maryland Bankruptcy Attorney
www.MarylandBankruptcyPros.com

[kenny goo Posted Jan 8th 2010 4:00PM]

Glad to see I'm gonna have some options come upgrade time. This time last year there wasn't shit on Verizon, and it was pretty easy to see that the other three carriers had them beat on a lot of handsets. Now? Not by a long shot. AT&T eat your fucking heart out.

[DonZorro Posted Jan 8th 2010 4:52PM]

As a Sprint Palm Pre user I feel like such a guinea pig, excuse me if I come across naive but notice no mention of battery life and price (Verizon's). I paid a hefty $220 for my 8GB Pre and I still do not have video, Flash support, time/date stamp on texts and pics...talk about feeling raped and robbed...I just don't get it, how can Sprint just take it...to think that this engadget page is presented by Sprint too. Granted now that Pre joins Verizon, there will be more support and apps provided for it, that is a plus...

[rlopin Posted Jan 9th 2010 7:37PM]

@DonZorro

Video recording is coming. If you can't wait for one more month for the video app you can install the Precorder app from the Homebrew catalog. If you want timestamps on texts, there's a patch for that (also via Homebrew, also free). If you want longer battery life, purchase one of the Seido extended batteries. All smartphones have this issue. At least with the Pre and Pixi the battery is removable so you can swap it for one that is charged.

$220 is nothing compared to the savings in the plans offered by Sprint. Close to a $1300 savings as compared with the iPhone with comparable plan on AT&T (http://www.billshrink.com/blog/total-cost-of-ownership-motorola-droid-versus-iphone-3gs-versus-palm-pre/),

I recently installed the Visual Voice with transcription app free on my Pre (it works with Google Voice) and it is awesome. Now with 3D games, Flash 10.1, and the just announced SlingPlayer support that will come as a side benefit of Flash 10.1 and Sling's decision to build a Flash based player, I am in smartphone heaven.



As a Sprint Palm Pre user I feel like such a guinea pig, excuse me if I come across naive but notice no mention of battery life and price (Verizon's). I paid a hefty $220 for my 8GB Pre and I still do not have video, Flash support, time/date stamp on texts and pics...talk about feeling raped and robbed...I just don't get it, how can Sprint just take it...to think that this engadget page is presented by Sprint too. Granted now that Pre joins Verizon, there will be more support and apps provided for it, that is a plus...

[vdrumpro Posted Jan 10th 2010 9:04PM]

@rlopin it's always a wait with palm... here I am about 3 months into a new contract with sprint.. not a big fan of the HTC hero.. but, it's the best of what they offer. I've had countless palms, but the pre and pixi offerings at sprint were severely lacking/cheap feeling. Extremely likely that I'll pawn off the 'roid phone for a pre plus, if it ever comes to sprint... for now, it's at least a decent wifi access point for my orphan iphone.

[DonZorro Posted Feb 5th 2010 3:12PM]

@rlopin rlopin, thanks for your response...Listen all the things that you mentioned are the reasons I purchased the Sprint Palm Pre, especially for Flash support, but my Lord it's been almost 6 months and omitting the Flash and video, I still don't have basic features found on every phone! You even point out the most simple common sense feature as video voicemail!!! Here is another feature that is a no-brainer to have... how about magnifying errors...
You start to doubt...I am truly aware of the "homebrew" apps but I avoid them because of the pitfalls associated with those types of installations...I just don't have the time to 'fix' things when they don't work i.e work arounds, re-install the os etc..
In all fairness I did look the other way when I bought this Pre, basically the Internet capabilities won me over immediately..but this just amplifies the deficiencies that the Pre has...I have the Siedio extended battery with dual charger, it helps a lot..but how can you explain that even though there are already actual patches out there for time/date stamps for PICS & Text for the pre, Palm never did the obvious and just formally implemented them into a friggin update already jeeez...what are they waiting for the second coming...Palm is already at a huge disadvantage with application development...android is gonna kick their butt...
Look I'd be in smart phone heaven too if ...

[PaultheGeek Posted Jan 8th 2010 5:13PM]

I am hoping so very much that a WebOS device comes to AT&T sometime this year. It will definitely be replacing my iPhone3G.

[derekdevine Posted Jan 12th 2010 3:42AM]

@PaultheGeek I was hoping the same, and I think Palm is avoiding AT&T until their services are up to par.

[jmiotto Posted Jan 8th 2010 7:41PM]

I have Sprint...ugh.

I will definitely get this when my 2-year contract is up.

But then again a new phone will be out by then...meh.

[justme0406 Posted Jan 8th 2010 8:39PM]

The new pre plus is a big improvement, but without the button it just doesn't look nearly as nice, i want my button back!

[raelix Posted Jan 9th 2010 2:26PM]

Any of these phones coming to AT&T?

[thedavid01 Posted Jan 9th 2010 5:44PM]

OMG! this sucks..I've been with Sprint for at least 8 years..no problems. Now I want a phone THEY initially offered and the update won't be available through Sprint.. My contract runs out 02/08/10 and now I have to switch to Verizon just to get the phone I want. Palm; nice phone, bad business practice. You're like the guy who SWEARS he isn't married...yeah,right. The poor Sprint rep told me they MIGHT get some PPPs...hmmm.I agree with the guy that said the phone companies that go with ONE provider. Thats just mean. I know this doesn't sound very gadget-y but it does adddress business practices and ethics. The Sprint rep worked his ass for you, told me to come back at the end of January...poor sucker. I can hear ya now, and it doesn't sound very pretty. Leads me to wonder what you might do to me as acustomer of Verizon/Palm..

[rlopin Posted Jan 9th 2010 7:38PM]

I forgot to delete the quote from the poster I was responding to (the last paragraph)

[XChrisX Posted Jan 9th 2010 9:10PM]

I guess the AT&T Palm phones will be at announced at mobile world congress. Way to go Palm!

[wmurch3 Posted Jan 10th 2010 6:26PM]

I'm a sprint Pre owner and I don't get why all you other sprint pre owners are complaining so much. It's an incremental update to the Pre at best. By the time our two year contracts are up the Pre2 will surely be ready for us to scoop up.

Chill dudes - Your Pre will have all the same functionality as the Pre Plus.

[blinky Posted Jan 11th 2010 9:19AM]

HAHAH! Palm, you guys are killing me! Please. Stop. Now!

I know you want to compete with the big boys. Apple. Google. Rim.

But, please! I can't take it anymore. I. I.... I gotta stop laughing. My stomach hurts so much at the... HAHHAHA!!!!!!!!!!! You guys think you actually can compete in the smartphone market with that week offering at CES 2010?!

What? You added wifi?! HAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please. Palm. You are killing me!!!!! Hahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[a dumb cat Posted Jan 11th 2010 3:51PM]

@ryan1

As an owner of the OG Palm Pre, I'm a bit jealous of that Knight Rider-esque light bar near the gesture area! I love that Palm is coming out with a markedly improved Pre. And as a switcher from Verizon to Sprint for the OG Pre, you would think I'm pissed. Actually I am not, and can't wait for the legit Pre 2 (not plus) to come out. ("C40" model ring a bell, anyone?).

Way to go Palm, you have once again stolen the spotlight from the mapple phone. I literally almost went postal whilst walking through the ilounge at CES! It was nothing but phone cases and crappy speaker docs; if that's the extent of the innovation for the iphone, I'm glad I never jumped on that bandwagon. Mission accomplished, Palm.

[kimmoeffect Posted Jan 11th 2010 8:52PM]

@Prospero Not really yawning but not just competitive as your 'other smatphones'.

Both new Verizon handsets will arrive on the market on January 25th; however neither Palm nor the carrier have announced pricing or not. They’ve also not revealed what extra fees there might be for tethering functionality. More of the specs and details: http://bit.ly/palm-pre-plus-pixi-plus-details
.

[derekdevine Posted Jan 12th 2010 3:39AM]

@afischer15 I agree, and I know I'm a little late, but I had a good laugh and thought I'd share.

[Goldfish Posted Jan 13th 2010 2:15AM]

I just wanna comment on the video quality here, especially in the pre video. Incredible.

[Saireuh Posted Jan 13th 2010 10:07PM]

I am officially buying the Palm Pre January 25th, as long as VZW doesn't give me grief about it. I can't wait!

[flamaest Posted Jan 14th 2010 12:41PM]

Gosh, can we get someone other than a nail-biter to demo the new product in the video.. eewwww...

[chunkcohen Posted Jan 14th 2010 1:18PM]

I like my current Pre (for the most part, anyway), but it only figures that after Sprint had an EXCLUSIVE on the original Pre that Verizon would get the Pre Plus.

But sadly, this makes perfect sense. Since Day 1 with the original Pre, Sprint hasn't offered a tethering plan for the phone, though it's capable of doing so. Sprint's CEO has even said that this will never happen. And why? Sprint wants to sell you dedicated wireless modem devices with their own service plans, that's why.

It will be very interesting to see how improved the Plus actually is. They still haven't fixed my biggest beef with the original phone - the keyboard. There's no reason why they couldn't implement a landscape-oriented slide-down keyboard which would a) be more comfortable to type on; and b) fix the cramping on the top row of keys. Better multitasking performance would be more than welcome, too. My Pre gets rather sluggish with 3-4 cards open.

I still have the better part of a year and a half locked into Sprint because of the Pre. And now it seems that yet again, I'm stuck on a carrier with limited handset choices.

[egloskerry Posted Jan 17th 2010 2:40AM]

I think it's funny that Palm used Sprint as a testing ground, and now is like "Oh yeah, BTW Sprint, we just wanted to see market reaction. Now that we're successful, Big Red is getting the new version, and you're stuck with the gimpy version. So long, suckers!"

Palm, thank you for putting another nail in the Sprint coffin.

[mclark2145 Posted Jan 17th 2010 3:30PM]

You know, each to his own, I suppose. webOS is cool and slick and all that, but I have never been as impressed with it as I have been with Android. I've owned a Palm Pre and, frankly, that little squashed keyboard is simply not as nice as the one the Moment (and, from what I've seen, the Droid and the G1, etc., etc.) have.

But, props to Palm for waking up to the fact that PalmOS is dead and adding to the choices out there. Competition is a good thing, so I'm glad to have them around on that basis.

[AndroidDoesnt Posted Jan 18th 2010 1:03PM]

@a dumb cat
"Way to go Palm, you have once again stolen the spotlight from the mapple phone. I literally almost went postal whilst walking through the ilounge at CES! It was nothing but phone cases and crappy speaker docs; if that's the extent of the innovation for the iphone, I'm glad I never jumped on that bandwagon. Mission accomplished, Palm."

Thats comedy gold right there. The Pre still has crap hardware and an OS in serious need of optimization with a non -existent app market. Not even close to the iPhone son.

[Nick Brown Posted Jan 18th 2010 4:14PM]

its only minor updates to a phone that's already pretty awesome. the pre keyboard - aside from losing the crispness of the buttons is great to use, and webOS is a champ! although i do envy the multiple main screens on the hero, palm did great with the sprint version. I'm sure that in just a little while palm will release some kind of sweet new update for pre like pre2 4G for sprint and we will all be happy and have to stop whining about the little improvements for VZW and PPP.

I just hope that we get an upgrade in the case material on the Pre. it seems like it would be easy enough to just stamp a metal case on the same equipment that they use for the current plastic body cases.

[shadowj0 Posted Jan 20th 2010 8:28PM]

@AndroidDoesnt

Sorry, it's not that he's dissing the iPhone. I can only assume everyone and their mother who bought it bought it for looks and to fit in. Not all of those who bought the iPhone are technologically up to speed. It's a poser phone. I am happy not to have jumped the iPhone bandwagon as well.

as for an mp3 player, well... the iPod is still the best in the business.