At the recent International 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Mobile phone carrier Verizon Wireless announced officially that it would offer webOS-based handsets to its users beginning January 25. At the same time, the carrier also said that the phones, Palm Pre and Pixi, would come with improvements over the originally launched models, including more storage space and additional connectivity options.
“The Palm webOS family is a great addition to Verizon Wireless’ robust line-up of smartphones,” said John Stratton, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. “The outstanding capabilities and functionalities on both Pre Plus and Pixi Plus give customers a wealth of customization options to help them manage their lives. Customers get the latest technology from Palm along with the nation’s largest and most reliable 3G network for an unsurpassed mobile experience.”
The new Palm Pre Plus comes with 16 GB of internal storage, a large touchscreen display, a great processor and simple navigation. Users can also enjoy the Palm Touchstone Back Cover with the handset, as well as the Touchstone Charging Dock, which is being sold separately. The Pixi Plus comes with an army of customization features, and with separately-sold Palm Pixi Artist Series Back Covers and new color Pixi Touchstone Back Covers.
The Verizon phones will be able to serve as mobile hot spots for up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices. Both will come loaded with VZ Navigator, which provides audible turn-by-turn directions. Pricing has yet to be determined.
Palm also unveiled 3-D gaming, the advent of Flash and video recording, editing and sharing for Pre and Pixi. Titles available in the U.S. include EA's Need for Speed Undercover, Sims 3, Scrabble and Monopoly and Gameloft's Asphalt 5: Elite Racing and Let's Golf.
Other advances with its webOS expected in February include a simple video suite for recording, editing and sharing via YouTube, Facebook, MMS and e-mail. A beta plug-in for Flash 10 is expected to become available for download as well.
Palm formally opened its software development kit to the public, offering a plug-in developer kit and launching a "hot apps" bonus program that rewards developers of popular apps between February and May. So far, Chief Executive Jon Rubinstein said, there have been 85,000 downloads of the kit in 108 countries, and the company expects a great deal more.
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