Verizon Palm Pixi Clears FCC with WiFi 67
by Dieter Bohn Sun, 13 Dec 2009 3:06 pm EST
The good and gentle folks over at Engadget dug up the FCC filing for the P121EWW, that's the Verizon Palm Pixi to you. The exciting bit? This Palm Pixi appears to sport WiFi. We suppose this lays one question to rest: whether it was Sprint or Palm who made the call to keep WiFi off the Pixi.
We were already expecting the Palm Pre to hit Verizon early next year and based on our look at various code numbers, it seemed pretty clear that the Pixi would as well. Add in that we now know that the Pixi will also land on AT&T and Palm is getting close to reliving their multi-carrier glory days (Sorry T-Mobile users, not a whisper in your direction yet).
Sprint Pixi owners: experiencing any remorse?
Thanks to Keith for the tip!
67 Comments
This is an unsettling role reversal. Historically it's been VZW's job to strip out hardware without cause. Sprint, we're still friends cuz I went Pre, but this makes me sad.
Its not that unsettling. Think about the logic:
- Sprint has exclusivity on Palm Pre (flagship phone), loaded with features.
- Palm then creates non-exclusive phone Pixi and lets every carrier have the phone as soon as they want.
- Sprint's internal testing / carrier branding was already setup for WebOS so they get the Pixi out the door first.
- Sprint doesnt want better CPU and WiFi on Pixi cause they didnt want to erode their Pre sales. No WiFi/slower CPU makes the Pixi avail to a cheaper (different) market.
- Verizon cant get the Pre (remember the Verizon vs. Sprint exclusivity debate) so they settle on loading up the Pixi.
Nothing overtly nefarious here on the part of Sprint. Just marketing folks doing what they do.
Totally agree with your analysis. Not clear if verizon will get pre but if not a wifi Pixi isn't bad. And hope the latest webos update speeds both Pre and Pixi up.
The decision for those upgrading next month like myself will get harder. Stay with verizon or switch to sprint, the less costly carrier.
Well said. If I were a Sprint Pixi owner however (currently a Pre owner, I would be pretty peeved. How long has it been out? I wouldn't be surprised if Pixi sales on Sprint take a nose-dive from here on out.
I bought a Pixi from Sprint last week - I've been salivating over this phone since I first heard about it. I realized soon after purchasing it that Sprint's coverage sucks compared to Verizon's. I was also a bit peeved about no WiFi on the phone (and no expandable memory either).
With Verizon now offering the Pixi WITH WiFi, it looks like I'm going to have to cancel my Sprint contract (per 90 day agreement). Pain in the ass and will make me think about ever choosing Sprint again. Oh, and the 'built in' NFL and NASCAR apps really pissed me off as well. Too bad, cuz their sales person was excellent.
Too early to tell. Depends on how much vzw charges for the device, what kind of plans that vzw offers for the phone & whether they've seriously crippled the phone.
Please tell me the last smartphone that was crippled by Verizon.
eg. GPS on the majority of WM phones such as my Saga (piece of junk as it is; it really did not need further crippling).
Nav?
The Touch Pro?
All Vzw Smartphones (after BB Storm) are not crippled. They even have the Droid with Google Navigation...FREE!
You can't ride that horse anymore.
That still does change the fact that an overpriced company such as verizon has sold millions of crippled phones to its customers and got away with it. wifi or no wifi Verizon is still late in the game to webOS altogether and this is just a marketing ploy to try to make up for lack of the Pre or Pixi in 2009. AND if people were able to get the Sprint version of the Pre on Verizon I'm pretty sure that works both ways.
http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=219567
Yep. Hence the sadness. Verizon has become more open, and Sprint my closed. One of the reasons that so many people stuck with Sprint is that they were much more open w/their devices. For example, when I had my BB Pearl 8130 on Sprint, I had full use of the GPS. Verizon users with the exact same phone: not so much. While Sprint hasn't locked down the GPS unless you buy their navigator addon, pre se, they're not too far off. In order to even get a Pre w/its built in GPS you have to be on their "everything" plan... it's really not that much different in the grand scheme of things. Especially for people on family plans where in order to upgrade one phone on the account they have to pay for data on every line. And Sprint seems to think that it's OK. They even go so far as to claim that the ability to pick and choose data on each line is a "premium feature".
Oh, and if you're interested in where I got the premium feature information, it was posted at http://community.sprint.com/baw/message/127038#127038
When I said it depends on (amongst other things) on how crippled vzw makes it, I didn't mean to presume that they would cripple it at all. They have a history of reducing the functionality of their phones. And how much they did this for the Pixi would be at least one determining factor in whether or not I felt disappointed w/the pixi on Sprint.
If vzw doesn't cripple the pixi at all, then only the other two factors matter.
using the same device on Verizon will cost more. I don't see them with a cheaper plan then sprint. Is it worth the wifi, maybe.
The considerably higher pricetag Verizon puts in their smartphones inst enough to ditch sprint for Verizon just for wifi. Better off getting the Pre on Sprint.
In these days of 3G, who uses Wifi. :D I have a pre, and my wifi is currently turned off..
People who like to have their battery last longer?
People who want to have a faster connection than G3...
My phone has been on for 4 hours and is at 91%. I really don't think wifi would help much. I have noticed no increase in website load times when using wifi. I leave mine off.
I should also mention, the only phones that should have wifi are phones that are on ATT.
We don't all live in cities with reliable cell data. I'll stick to wifi when at home, thanks. Now if only sprint would let me forward to my landline without charging me for it. They are the only carrier that does that :-(
I hardly ever use wifi, not much difference in speed or battery.
If you say there is no noticeable speed difference between between WiFi and EV-DO, then you must have a slow broadband connection.
At home and at my college dorm, WiFi is much faster than EV-DO. Most noticeable difference: loading the App Catalog. On WiFi, catalog is already fully loaded when the app starts. On EV-DO, it takes a few seconds before the app listing is loaded.
And just try to use your phone in an area w/out EVDO. I didn't think such areas existed anymore, but I ended up in one on Saturday (Cadillac, MI). Trying to use the data on the phone was such a pain that I just gave up (I wasn't in a location with WiFi available).
dont lie to urself man, wifi is very useful. I use it @ work n @ the university. I ll be lying to my self if i say that wifi is not useful
As more airlines introduce WiFi in flight it can be very useful. Especially if you don't want to use or don't have a laptop.
Not everybody uses or needs wifi more than half of the people I know with the Pre dont even use it. I had to show at least 2 people how to turn it on. If you NEED wifi get the Pre because obviously you will benefit from the better cpu and camera as well. Wifi is something power users need not the customers the pixi is intended to appeal 2.
Who uses wi-fi?
People who want to use data services on their phone during a conversation using a CDMA device.
My question is the hardware there on Sprint and if so why couldn't it be enabled? If it isn't that kinda sucks...
If this WiFi addition is true, I would bet many more people will buy a (cheaper) Pixi instead of the Pre.
Does anyone have a link the the FCC documents for the Sprint Pixi?
Pixi with WiFi on AT&T AND Verizon? Time to buy Palm stock again....
YESSS!!! This means when it comes to Canada (or unlocked GSM) it still might have Wifi!! I'm waiting for that then buying a WebOS phone :)
A strange thing- I used to be thinking 'I'd get the Pixi if it wasn't for the lack of WiFi, I love the form factor.' but I ended up preferring the Pre for some reason or other, the very same Pre I'm typing this on now ^.^
Yeah, I agree. I almost went Pixi for love of the form factor. Highly recommend spending some time at your carrier's store trying them side by side before pulling the trigger.
I did like the feel of the Pixi keyboard better (as reviewed), but side by side I realized my thumbs were just big enough that the Pre's bigger board was better. And that the bigger screen was easier to view and tap, too.
Won't lie though... if I had just slightly smaller thumbs I would have gone Pixi, even without the Wifi. (The 3G really is solid enough for me about 97% of the time on Sprint.)
kind of ironic that verizon with vastly more evdo coverage than sprint gets the wifi chip, when sprint users have more need for it. Glad I have a pre and glad I have the hybrid evdo in an area where only verizon and alltel have 3g coverage
These phones roam just fine on Verizon's data network (just don't do it too much). Areas where Verizon's coverage is better than Sprint's is one of the reasons for the 'roam always' patch.
could you webois doctor a verizon pixi over to sprint then? or is that possible?
I doubt that would work because Sprint will NOT activate a phone with an ESN that is NOT on their network.
hmmmm...makes me want to buy a pixi off of contract...that was the only deal breaker for me
Man, I have been thinking about getting my wife a Pixi. Not having the WiFi has made me take longer than usual. I was gonna see if Samsung/ Sprint will do the EVDO speeds Airave soon, since the current one I have for data is so slow. Now if Verizon gets a Pixi with WiFi I am gonna be upset.
Isn't it possible that this updated Pixi also gets to Sprint as well? If I'm remembering correctly, Sprint got the original Centro, and then when Verizon got an updated one, Sprint got the updated one as well.
When Pre sales are usurped by another phone on their lineup, Im sure they wont care much about differentiating the two WebOS phnes. Pixi will either magically appear with WiFi as you said or will be replaced with a different phone all together (palm or not).
When I bought my Pre, I purposely went third party and did not extend my contract, because of the uncertainty in my mind, with the phone and with Sprint. I have been a Sprint customer for 10 years, and have largely been very happy with them. Now I am also very happy with the Pre. But with Verizon getting the Pre, I can move carriers and keep the phone I like and get a better network, or so I thought. I have been hearing all about data and phone roaming. If I can roam on Verizon's network, my move from Sprint to Verizon? I suspect it is not quite that simple.
check this out. With this my life has changed.
http://forums.precentral.net/palm-pre/216852-how-get-hybrid-evdo-palm-pr...
I work in the wireless industry - I sell Palm Pixi and Pre on a daily basis (4-5) a day. I can tell you one thing that is consistent with people who purchased or inquired about this phone since June 6:
No one gives a crap about WiFi.
Most people don't even know what it is - nor do they know that it's available on a phone.
The smartphone users on PreCentral are aware of it's capabilities so theyre able to talk more about its functionality. But not a single user (and just let me note - I work in a wireless store that caters to several hundred people a day in a very wealthy part of Southern Florida.. where these phones get sold the most) who encounters the phone daily - really understands what WiFi is.
Remember - no matter how important it is to you - Palm/Sprint design the phones for the mass market - not the select few educated users. What your looking for (for example, WiFi) may not sell phones. Prices just dropped for the Pixi - some as low as $29 (RadioShack, Amazon, etc).. phones with WiFi are usually marked up more.
Also.. about Verizon. On average, daily I get 3-4 customers porting out of Verizon Wireless because they cant stand the high prices and ridiculous charges for things that Sprint includes without paying extra. They port over to Sprint to get away from the high markups of service on Verizon. Until Verizon significantly drops their prices - people will continue to leave.
I second that notion not to many people use wifi most people just wanna buy a cool phone for cheap. Which is what the pixi is intended to do. Verizon also has a way of getting more money from customer by tacking on fees and hidden charges on top of there already expensive contracts. Something I haven't seen from Sprint since Ive been a customer.
Sprint better get this... DAMN IT I WANT A WIFI PIXI!
I think you have to be crazy not to have buyer's remorse if you have a sprint pixi, its simply overpriced if you ask me. I'm glad the guys over at version got it in their, i think it'll go a long way to help palms brand.
$29 is over priced?
Overpriced! I can honestly tell you have no idea what a Sprint Pixi cost.
I guess we know which carrier Dieter will be signing up with as soon as it launches. Pixi + WiFi + Most coverage = winnah!
I think they can still, better yet, optimize the Pixi to be quicker and snappier. Not compared to the Pre, but just for itself.
And those of us on ATT, wanting to replace our aging Centros... YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If this DOES have WiFi, it's a lock for me.
Good news for hopefully a strong first quarter 2010 for Palm. Palm needs to come out strong in 2010 with more carrier options, better apps and add features to webOS.
The Pixi does what it should do. Can't say why the sprint version has no wi-fi but it's NOT necessary at all. My wife had a phone before the Pixi and she never used wi-fi. My father has a phone with it that doesn't get used as well.
Besides Sprint's EVDO is pretty dern fast.
No remorse from me besides VZ is gonna tape customers with the required smartphone plan q:
Utility of wifi depends on the user. I NEVER use it. Many use it frequently.
Anyhow, I want this thing to drop on Verizon already. I'm all for Palm selling more phones. Many on Verizon are diehard Verizon.
I didn't miss wifi when using Centro, but would miss it now. I use my Pre alot at home via wifi and think its more important on devices with larger screens.
Hopefully this is a sign that GSM version will have WiFi too!
I use wifi a lot, but that's because my house is a cellular black hole.
That is precisely why I use wifi at my house. Anywhere else, I turn that off and use EVDO. In my experience, almost anywhere that I have signal, I have EVDO. Plus, wifi just takes time to connect every time you wake the phone.
My question is screen resolution. My initial thought is I would dump a pre for a Pixi with wifi. But not too sure if the screen resolution is not as good as the Pre.
I also use wifi when I'm overseas.
Actually "the last smartphone crippled by Verizon" may be the Droid! The Droid forums are full of accusations that Verizon crippled Bluetooth Exchange on the Droid. Bluetooth does not seem to work for most file transfers to the Droid without elaborate workarounds. Rooting seems the only cure.
Where we live we don't have 3G for Sprint. We recently visited a city with 3G and it is awesome, almost seems as fast as wi-fi, but if my phone only had 1x at home and not wi-fi. I would have stuck with Verizion. A lot of people may not care about it, but it is a cool feature. Plus, overseas at hotspots the phone can probably be used with skype.
I'm definitely disappointed. I just bought two new Pixis this weekend (one for me and one for my wife) and my main complaint about the phone is its lack of wifi. I agree with what someone else said, if you think EVDO speeds are the same as wifi, you must have a slow broadband connection.
The Pixi is a great little phone, and in my opinion the form factor is WAY better than the Pre. My only hope is that Sprint will also get a Pixi with wifi, and that it will happen (or we learn about it) before my 30 day trial period is up.
Unless the pricetag for the verizon pixi is higher than the sprint variant I can see this backfire on Palm. I feel soon we'll have the truth on why the Sprint Pixi didnt have the wifi in it.
hey guys, how can you conclude that this is going to verizon? doesn't sprint also operate on the same 850/1900 bands?
for everyone saying that WiFi is faster than EVDO please listen. WiFI is only faster is SPECIFIC instances. if your internet connection at home is sucky, then EVDO or 3G will most definantly be faster. if you are on a wireless network that has quite a bit of people connected to it (usually 3 or more), wireless WILL be slower. if you are in an area without coverage, WiFi will be your life-saver, as well as if you just plain out dont have EVDO or 3G lying around your area.
where i live, we pretty much have EVDO on half the city, and the other half has 3G, my father owns the Pre (and i will be getting one tomorrow [YAY!]) and he almost never has his WiFi turned on here at the house. we have a mixture of 3G and EVDO around the house (kitchen, living room, master bathroom have EVDO while our garage, upstairs living room and bedrooms, as well as our computer room all have 3G. there are like, 3 towers around us lol). and our internet speed is the fastest you can buy for cable, and it is still slower than using EVDO or 3G. the only instance where it was faster was when watching youtube a couple of times.
also we've found that the Pre's WiFi is pretty glitchy as well. we've had 3 wireless routers in the past 2 months, and for every router, when he would decide to use the WiFi, it would constantly drop connections or refuse to join the network. (had three because our first one died, and then we went out and bought a semi powerful dlink wireless N router, but now that i'm home on christmas break from college, i brought my wireless N++ dual band router back with me)