TB goes hands on with two of Verizon’s newest smartphones, the Palm Pre Plus & Pixi Plus. Both phones run on Palm’s Web OS 1.3.5, and feature capacitive touchscreens, and full QWERTY keyboards.

Source: 7touch group

Handhelds · Palm OS · Palm Pre Plus & Pixi Plus · PalmPre · pixi · Smartphone · Verizon · WebOS

JK on the run has their must have apps for the Palm phone:

1. PhotoDialer. Smartphones should be first and foremost good phones — that should be the primary function, right? PhotoDialer is an app that leverages the good phone capability of the Palm phones by providing a screen with the owner’s most-called contacts presented in a nice grid. $1.99.

2. Pandora. Pandora is one of those audio services that you can’t live without once you find it. The unique technology that can serve a playlist of music similar to the music you like is very good. Free.

3. Twee. It seems everyone is playing on Twitter and a good phone client makes the experience the best. Twee is a webOS client that has all of the features you want presented in a pleasant interface. Twee comes in two versions. Twee Free is nearly full-featured but lacks support for lists and a few other functions of the paid version. $2.99.

4. Klondike Solitaire. The Windows OS got most of us playing Solitaire, and a good mobile version can help pass the time away when there is nothing else to do. Klondike Solitaire is a complete implementation of the game we all know, and plays very nicely with touch on the Palm phones. $1.99.

5. gDial Pro. Google Voice is a wonderful service that only comes into its own when used on a phone with a good client app. The gDial Pro is definitely a good client, one of the best on any smartphone platform. Free.

Add new tag · Google Voice · Mobile phone · Palm · Palm App Catalog · Pandora · Smartphone · Twitter · WebOS

App developers know that apps is big business with more earning potential than ever when it comes to the iPhone platform, looking at the statistics the Palm Pre only has 1,000 current apps, Google Android only has approx 20,000 and the iPhone has a staggering 140,000 plus.

Source: Phones Reviews

Add new tag · android · App Store · Apple · Google Android · Handhelds · iPhone · Palm Pre · Smartphone

Wired has a comparison between the Palm Palm Pre Plus and the Palm Pixi Plus, here is the highlight:

Pixi Plus:
WIRED So small it’ll fit nearly any pocket. New Wi-Fi and hotspot features add bite. Comes with Touchstone-ready and rugged skins. Pinch-zoomers rejoice: It sports multitouch.

TIRED So small it’ll cramp nearly any thumb. Mobile hotspot feature eats up waaaay too much juice. 2-megapixel camera is no longer acceptable. Switching skins is harder than peeling grapes.

Pre Plus:
WIRED Small, but thoughtful design tweaks make the Pre even prettier. With Verizon, the Pre Plus finally gets the network (and audience) it deserves. Big boosts in RAM and storage makes elegant webOS shine even more. Still an insane multitasking machine.

TIRED Anemic battery life — especially when partaking in app orgies. Touchstone base not included with purchase. Touchscreen still not as responsive as other smartphones. Cramped keys and sub-par predictive text make typing a chore. Where are the apps? Palm’s App Catalog is still puny compared to Apple and Google’s.

Add new tag · Apple · Google · Palm · Palm App Catalog · PalmPre · Smartphone · WebOS · Wi-Fi

We have waited for this words since we launched the site:
The Palm Pre Plus and Palm Pixi Plus have arrived for sale at Verizon Wireless’ online store, and as expected they run to $149.99 for the Pre Plus and $99.99 for the Pixi Plus thanks to a $100 online discount.

Enjoy!

Source: Slash Gear.

Add new tag · PalmPre · pixi · PixiPlus · Smartphone · Sprint · VerizonWireless · WebOS · Wi-Fi

Doubled RAM inside Palm’s refreshed iPhone fighter allows it to run 50 apps at a time, and even then it hasn’t hit the wall.

You could be forgiven for passing over the extra RAM in Palm’s recently announced Pre Plus as pretty dry news, but apparently a few extra megabytes here and there can make a pretty huge real-world difference. More specifically, the Verizon-bound Palm Pre Plus can run 50 applications simultaneously.

Read the full story on Digital Trends.

Add new tag · Handhelds · iPhone · Palm OS · PalmPre · Pre Plus · Random-access memory · Smartphone · Verizon Communications

4/5 in Cnet:

The Palm Pre Plus earns its place as the top WebOS device, improving on the Pre with a better design and performance, and upgraded features. Verizon customers looking for a versatile smartphone to balance their personal and work lives will be well-served by the Pre Plus.

Add new tag · Handhelds · Palm OS · Palm Pre Plus · PalmPre · pixi · Pre Plus · Smartphone · Verizon Communications

Pre Central has a review of the Palm Pre Plus:

There has been some concern amongst Palm fans that there isn’t enough differentiation between the Palm Pre Plus and the Palm Pixi Plus, since both have WiFi now. Let me put that to rest: compared to the Pixi, the Palm Pre Plus has twice the RAM, twice the storage, a bigger, brighter screen, and a faster processor. It’s the flagship and if you’re anything close to a power user, well worth the extra $50.

The Palm Pre Plus is the flagship for Palm, then, but can it legitimately be called a flagship for Verizon? Almost, but not quite yet. The key is Mobile Hotspot, which is awesome and one of the best reasons for recommending the Palm Pre Plus to a business user. Palm already has pretty decent push email and Exchange support – all they need now is full Document editing (and perhaps some battery life improvement) to make the case that the Palm Pre Plus is amongst the best business smartphones on the market.

Would I recommend a current Sprint Palm Pre user switch – probably not. The increased performance, storage, and Mobile Hotspot are all compelling (and are compelling enough to make me switch), but for most people I go back my default advice: pick your carrier first, your phone second.

The Palm Pre Plus upgrades the Palm Pre in almost all the right places and has a bright future with new features coming via software updates. It’s a cliché to say this, but: the Palm Pre Plus is the best phone Palm has ever made. That’s exactly how it should be and it’s gratifying that we can expect this kind of quality from Palm now. Let’s just hope that it’s enough to keep them in the smartphone game for years to come.

Add new tag · Palm Pre Plus · PalmPixiPlus · PalmPre · pixi · Smartphone · Sprint · Verizon Communications · Wi-Fi

3.5/5 in PC Magazine:

If you want a powerful Verizon smartphone, but you have nightmares about the Motorola Droid spooking your cattle and setting your house on fire, the Palm Pre Plus is for you. The Pre Plus is the kinder, gentler next-generation smartphone for Verizon, and it’s a great choice for messaging and Web-focused folks.

Conclusion:
With two Droids, two Palms, and all the Blackberrys they can eat, Verizon subscribers can’t whine about their smartphone choices any more. The Palm Pre doesn’t “kill” the Motorola Droid. It presents a cuddlier alternate reality, where color and feel win out over widgets and apps. If you’re into messaging and Web browsing on Verizon, and it seems like the Droid is a little too geeky for you, it’s time to retire that old BlackBerry Pearl and move on up to a Palm Pre Plus. The Palm Pre Plus will be available on January 25 for $249.99, minus a $100 mail-in rebate, with a two-year contract.

Add new tag · Blackberry · BlackBerry Pearl · Droid · Handhelds · motorola · Palm Pre · Smartphone · Verizon

Verizon now has a sign up page where you can punch in your email and register your hopeful anticipation for the Palm Pre Plus or Palm Pixi Plus on their network.

Source: Pre Central.

Add new tag · Handhelds · Palm · Palm OS · palm pixi · PalmPre · Smartphone · Verizon Communications · WebOS