Can Pixi Save Palm?

Palm's been in the news recently, having just updated its webOS and launching its newest smartphone, the Pixi. The Pixi is touted as the next hot device from Palm, but the question is whether it and the Pre are enough to save the once-high-flying company.

The 1.3.1 version of webOS adds Yahoo synchronization support. Palm has, in addition, fixed some bugs and added Google Apps and Yahoo small business domain e-mail accounts, which are both now available at setup. Various security updates have also been made. However, there was no news of webOS synching with Apple's iTunes, a highly anticipated feature.

The 1.3.1 webOS firmware is preloaded on the new Pixi. The Pixi, which arrived on Sprint's 3G network Sunday, is a slimmer version of Palm's Pre, which was the first smartphone to challenge the iPhone.

While the Pixi also has a physical keyboard with a touch screen, the keyboard doesn't slide out. It's a more traditional slab-style device, priced at $99 (though online retailers are offering steep discounts on that price).

The Pixi could also benefit Palm by attracting developers to Palm's webOS because it increases the potential audience for apps. Palm's App Catalog is not as hardy as the competitors', including the App Store, Android Market or Ovi Store.