Product ReviewsPalm Pre - 8 GB - Black (Sprint)

Only slightly short of perfect! Know its limitations.

I replaced my aging Motorola Q with the Palm Pixi. Although the Pixi is a much more modern and user-friendly device with more "gadget" appeal to it, it cannot match the Q's functionality.

Pixi shortcomings:

No Wi-Fi (my Q didn't have it either, but still)
No voice dialing
No syncing via USB cable (without expensive 3rd-party software)
No Outlook sync (Exchange, yes, but standalone Outlook, no, not without 3rd-party software)
No using the LED flash as a flashlight
No automatic profile switching (sets ringer to silent during "busy" calendar appointment)
Ringer is not loud enough, regardless of tone
And no SD card expandability.

Aside from the lack of voice dialing and using the LED as a flashlight, I knew about all of these limitations before I made my purchase. I expect that an update will eventually add voice dialing, and someone will eventually figure out how to access the Pixi's LED function and write a flashlight app for it.

The biggest sacrifice to me is the lack of an ability to sync directly with an Outlook client. With the Q, everything I put in the Q--tasks, contacts, meetings, etc.--would automatically appear in my Outlook (and vice versa) when connecting to my PC via the USB cable. With the Pixi, the only built-in sync capability is with Internet-based services such as Google or Yahoo. Eventually I will have it set up to where both the Pixi and my Outlook syncs with my Google account, but since I am using a Google Apps account, that will require me to pay Google $50 a year for Google Apps Premium and use of their Google Apps Outlook Connector. Again, I knew about this from the start, but if the Pixi would just sync to Outlook automatically, I wouldn't have to do this.

The next biggest sacrifice was the lack of automatic profile switching. On the Q, if I put an appointment on the calendar and set that appointment's status to "busy," the Q would automatically switch the ringer profile to meeting mode (vibrate only) at the beginning of the meeting, and switch it back to regular mode at the end of the meeting. The Pixi has a switch on the side that I can flip to turn off the ringer manually, but no automatic switching. I know I am going to forget to flip that switch one day. Perhaps an update or an app will add this functionality.

The lack of SD card storage was at first a concern, but the Pixi comes with 8GB storage built in, and that is plenty for me. If you have a large music collection, it may be a problem, but I don't use my Pixi for music anyway. However I did try it out, and if you wanted to use it for music, the music capabilities of the phone seem to be quite good. I loaded a few songs on it and it automatically sorted them, displayed album art, etc. However it does not support Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, WMA, or probably any form of DRM.

The ringer never seems to be quite loud enough, but this can be worked around by editing whatever MP3 you are using as a ringer and increasing the gain.

Despite its limitations, I am happy with the Pixi. Once I get the whole Outlook/Google sync situation straightened out, the only major limitation will be the lack of automatic profile switching.

I have run out of characters describing the limitations, but everything else about the phone is superb. The UI, the built-in apps (SMS, web), the app store, the TouchStone charger (buy it!), the build quality, the usability, the smoothness of the OS, the finish... The Pixi is only slightly short of perfect.Read full review...

Great value, fully featured, very fun to use.

I bought the Palm Pixi because I've been a Palm fan for years. I love my old Palm Zire 72, and I was very excited when they came out with their next-gen operating system, WebOS.

The best thing about WebOS is the multitasking. It is hands down the best multitasking method of any smartphone on the market. When you want to switch apps, you swipe up, and your open applications appear as "cards" exactly where you left them. You can pause an app doing nearly anything, and come back to it and pick up exactly where you left off.

WebOS has all the standard features expected in a smartphone: support for a myriad of email providers, including full Exchange (and Zimbra) support and great Gmail integration. The email client could use a few features, such as the ability to manipulate many messages at once like you can in iOS. Messaging in great, with the ability to message a person via SMS and IM in the same conversation.

The application menu isn't as flexible as the iOS or Android menu, and feels cluttered. There also isn't any way to add applications to your home screen, though there is a dock. There are over 10,000 applications in the store, but not enough that you won't miss a few if you already own an Android or iPhone.

The battery life isn't very good, and I've had difficulty getting through the day if I use my phone more than a little. I've bought a new battery (they're very cheap) to see if my battery is just old or worn out.

The phone is discontinued, so accessories are absurdly cheap. You can get a touchstone (wireless) charger and touchstone cover for ~$7, and cases and batteries (OEM, mind you) for ~$3.

The camera is fine, but at 2MP its nothing spectacular. Bluetooth only supports audio devices, no file transfers. There is no expandable memory, but you can plug the phone up with a USB cable and use it as a removable drive. It's also slow to startup, but that isn't a frequent occurrence. No complaints about the web browser, although many sites don't recognize I'm using a mobile device.

One thing to watch out for is the Maps application. It came with a Google Maps app, but this no longer works and you are instructed to upgrade to the new Bing Maps program. However, all the reviews say that Bing Maps just does not work at all, and hence I haven't bothered downloading it. Seeing as it's a Sprint phone though, you can use the free Sprint Navigation app, which is a fine substitute for Google Maps.Read full review...

To Palm Pixi or not to Palm Pixi!!

I recently upgraded my children’s phone through Sprint and got them both the Palm Pixi, I thought they were cool phones and decided to buy one for myself and my husband off Ebay. At first glance they are ok, but I have had better phones.
First, the camera’s suck…I had an Instinct and it took sharp pictures, the Palm Pixi pictures come out looking a bit grainy and you need VERY GOOD LIGHTING. I’m a huge picture taker and this is really a bummer for me .
Secondly, it does this blinking thing when you are on a call which is very annoying. The screen keeps blinking in and out and if you need to make a selection on the screen it can become very frustrating.
Thirdly, I’m worried about the life of the buttons on the phone…especially the way my daughter text!
Enough with the bad, the phone itself does have a lot to offer…in regards to apps, word, internet, and so forth…this is great for me because I’m a student and I use my phone as a portable computer. I guess the sound quality is good.
3 out of the 4 phones I purchased were new. I have the phone that was slightly used and I’m not sure it the phone has some type of defect, but every time I turn around it has turned itself off…this is sooo frustrating. I haven’t heard the kids or my husband complain about this so it may be an isolated situation.
Oh, well…I suggest that you do a little research before you make that big purchase on a phone. Make sure the phone offers EVERYTHING you are looking for!Read full review...

Great value, tactile keys, WebOS OS is nice, CPU is slow so be patient!

Very good little phone. The keypad has a great feel to it, nice tactile keys that are easy to type on even though they seem small and cramped... they are actually quite nice. They're rounded enough to feel the keys very well with your thumbs.

The software works very well and is above and beyond better than most smartphones in its class. You're getting a great experience for your dollar.

Battery life seems to hold it's own for a solid day of texting/facebook/web browsing, although I highly recommend a Touchstone charging dock and Touchstone back cover for super easy charging while not in use, especially because the micro-USB flap is quite difficult to get open, especially if you have no fingernails... forget it.

The only con for this particular phone is that while it does work very well, it is quite slow at times and you need to learn to be patient with it. Don't work too quickly or try to multitask with more than a couple of cards open. You will get some lag... but over time, I've gotten used to it and if you're a little patient, the phone works just fine. I have absolutely no regret for the amount of money I paid for it (Just $32 shipped).

Also, no WiFi on this model, but as long as you have good Sprint coverage you should be okay on their 3G network. If you have spotty coverage or rely on WiFi then I would not recommend this phone.Read full review...

Great backup, no contract, or replacement phone on a budget.

We bought this phone as an inexpensive replacement for my wife's Sanyo Zio Android phone which was just an absolutely terrible device. We were still on contract and had already had her phone replaced once so they weren't helping us much. The Palm was cheap and I knew the name so I went for it.

I knew I used to really like the Palm software environment but I also knew Palm/HP gave up on phones, tablets, and their WebOS so I was concerned about support. Turns out you can pick up a Palm device and pretty much not even worry about it because it works . You could think of it more as a feature phone nowadays.

No, it's certainly not the fastest device out there (especially if you're used to more modern ones with specs that look like a laptop from a few years back) but it works well, has good battery life, takes decent pictures, great contact management, great email management, great backup, and most importantly...functions very well as a phone and messaging device which something a lot of smart"phones" fail to accomplish it seams.

When it comes to internet use, facebook, et al...this is where the phone falls off a bit. There is an app available, but it's much slower and less featured than anything brand new or even a couple years old; think Blackberry Curve here. If you absolutley have to use Facebook on your phones than you're going to want to always go with the newer phones because the software is just not going to function on older hardware. My wife gripes about the lack of Facebook but then remembers she doesn't need to be socially connected 24/7/365 (does anyone really?).

I wouldn't go into a contract to get one of these phones or anything, but as an off contract or spare/backup phone you could do much, much worse than a Palm Pixi. I really wish they wouldv'e kept developing Palm devices because I would take it hands down over Blackberry and probably even over Android any day and twice on Sunday.Read full review...

Palm Pre's little sibling.

I say sibling because, even though this phone is marketed towards women, it is a unisex cell phone. It's not as powerful as the Pre but for its demographic, its great. This is the kind of phone that regular phone users can use as a springboard into the smart phone market. If you're a power user, don't downgrade to it. The camera on this phone isn't that great either, but I'm not into taking photos with my phone anyway so it wasn't a deal breaker.

Pro: Form factor is small, very small and compact. Love it. It's powerful for its size.

Con: Battery life, lack of wifi(sprint), lame cameraRead full review...

Great phone -not for power users

In terms of size, shape, and form factor, this is my favorite phone. The keyboard is outstanding for those that prefer to push buttons instead of screens. It's small, but even my fat fingers could type quickly on it. It just feels so great to hold.

I don't think the Pixi is for power users because it's a bit underpowered. It would benefit from a faster processor. But if all you do is make calls, text, and email, it's perfectly adequate. Throw streaming music and a few games into the mix and you better look to something with more power (Like a Pre or Hero if you're on Sprint).

Also, multi-tasking with WebOS is a great thing!Read full review...

An older yet still very functional and capable phone!

This is a very capable phone that you could purchase for a low price and still enjoy your basic phone functions as well as some more complex ones. Unlike what many may believe, this device is fully usable even after a full reset. Yes, it is true that the Web OS is no longer supported and that the app catalog will not work. More over, it is true that the system will prompt for a registration on a hard reset. Still, there is a way to bypass this and end up with a fully functional phone. Just do a good search on your favorite search engine and have fun! You will need to install some drivers and software on your PC.

Some things to consider when purchasing this device:
* There is no WIFI option,
* Some built in apps will no longer work (e.g. Google Maps). Based on research it seems one could side load some, but I never tried.
* It is not the fastest phone out there.
* Surprisingly the built in web browser is still quite capable!
* It has a good battery life.

Overall, I would recommend this phone provided you can deal with the limitations of the unit and the fact that the OS is no longer supported.Read full review...

Verified purchase: No

Palm Pixi

I bought this phone becuase i was loking for an upgrade from older technology. Its an amazing phone with a whole bunch of cool features such as apps, interenet, a touch screen, and a full keyboard. It also provides some of the best security ive heard of. It makes a profile for you that ONLY you can access and it gives you the ability to wipe the phone clean of all data such as contacts and other possibly harmful info from another computer if it gets lost or stolen. Great phone and its very worth the money.Read full review...

Could be nice. VERY $$$$$$$

You can not use this phone with out setting up a internet account.I did NOT know this when I bought it and it was not listed that way. Sprint will be more than happy to help you with that but only if you have the internet plan. Which costs an extra $10.00 or $20.00 per month per phone. So if you are on the Sprint family plan you HAVE to activate internet for ALL the phones on your plan. We have 5. That's an extra $50.00- $100.00 per month. My 70 year old mother in law and 11 yrear old son do not need internet access.
So if you only have 1 phone on your plan probably not a bad deal.Read full review...