Palm has announced its newest WebOS phone: the Pixi, more reminiscent of the Treo form factor than the Pre. (Also, they seem to have recently dropped the PalmOS Centro and Windows Mobile Treo 800 from their lineup.) #
See also Engadget Mobile and CNet. #
On the plus side, WebOS’ ability to merge one’s various contact lists (email, Facebook, Linkedin, IM, etc.) into a single view is a big winner. #
Palm still has a long way to go to stay viable as an iPhone competitor, though. Is Palm sticking to an integrated design model (as it did with the PalmOS Treo before things started going so wrong), or is it willing to license WebOS to other hardware designers? (With Motorola betting big on Android and Samsung dabbling with it, is either even interested?) Can WebOS phones break out of North American CDMA to GSM smartphone markets, particularly Asia? #
When the final chapter is written, the PalmOS Treo’s replacement may have been the iPhone, not the Pre. #
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