Palm's new, updated version of its older Pixi is not only 10 steps up, but it really isn't like the original model at all. This is definitely a smart phone worth checking out. Hit the jump for a full review and comparisons with other smart phones. Shop smart...


The Palm Pixi Plus has all of the normal modern smart phone features: WiFi, Verizon's network Internet, text messaging, picture and video messaging, still picture and video cameras (2.0 megapixels), document and PDF viewers, alarm clock, and all the typical phone features.

It also has, though, many things that are newer to both the smart phone and the Verizon network, like a Youtube app that, without even having to go onto the website, goes straight to a Youtube search and shows up on the screen. The videos load fairly quickly, and the picture on the phone is great. It comes with a few other pre-loaded apps and an app catalog with all types of apps ranging from free to over $10, depending on what it is.

The web on the phone is super fast, especially in comparison to other smart phones, and unlike other smart phones, the whole webpage shows up, so it's not the crappy mobile web version of websites. This makes web browsing much easier and quicker, and it allows using the Internet on the phone to be much less annoying. It also has a feature that some, but not all, smart phones have of being able to save pictures off of websites to your phone.

The Palm Pixi Plus isn't perfect, though. It has delayed responses, slows down a lot sometimes, though the network and service on it are pretty solid, and the Internet is a little touchy at times. It lacks camera editing, but the great picture on it makes up for that, and some of the "controls" on it are a little more complicated than necessary. I resorted to looking through the "help" section, which is available for each separate application on the phone. This makes things a lot easier, and prevents us having to look through the long and drawn-out manual.

There are also a lot of cool accessories for it, including a bunch of really nice-colored cases, backings, and covers, the world's coolest charger ever (See here), which allows you to just set the phone on it to charge, so it makes viewing a lot easier. Though this is a little over priced for what it is, some people find it more convenient. I, for one, would rather put that extra money into a headset for it or something else. The case that I got is the one that is needed in order to be able to use the charger, and it looks really nice and doesn't add bulk to the phone, but it's next to impossible to get off to change the battery. I've been really annoyed with this and still haven't figured it out.

Speaking of phone bulk, though, this phone is really, really thin, but a decent size so that the screen isn't tiny. Some people won't like the tiny keyboard that it has (it's a QWERTY keyboard), but this has worked out fine for me because I have such small fingers that it actually makes it easier.

In comparison to the Blackberry, which has been getting a lot of publicity lately, the Palm has better and more reliable Internet, shows the whole webpage, the email is just as quick as the Blackberry's (which goes straight to the phone) but on the Palm, more than one account can be set up. The picture on it is a lot better than the Blackberry's, and browsing around on the web and on the phone is a lot easier because you don't have to use the trackball--it's all touch screen. The camera on the Palm, unlike the Blackberry, also has a flash, which helps a lot when taking pictures inside or in dark areas, obviously. The Blackberry phone doesn't have the feature of being able to save pictures from the Internet either, or at least I couldn't find it when I had my Curve 8330. The Blackberry runs solely on the Blackberry network, as opposed to the Verizon network, which is what the Palm runs off of, and the Blackberry network has been known to go down every once in a while for hours at a time, so you're left with no service and no Internet.

Buying a phone is mostly about personal preference, but if you're looking for a reliable phone with great Internet and texting capabilities, along with great phone call sound and service, the Palm Pixi Plus for Verizon is a great choice.

For further details including pricing ($399.99 at full-retail price) visit Verizon Wireless either locally or online.