Unless you really hate Verizon.
Engadget broke the news that the Pixi has been cleared by the FCC for Verizon, and it includes WiFi! Not having WiFi has been a big knock on the Sprint version, and it makes the Pixi a far more competitive device. Palm is going to need all the boost they can get since the Pixi will be up against the Droid, Droid Eris, and Blackberry Storm2 on the smartphone side, and the army of LG and Samsung texting-focused devices on the feature phone side. Pixi seems to have been designed to straddle a middle place between the two, and WiFi will give it a competitive edge.
However, I’m still pretty skeptical this will turn the Pixi into some sort of major hit. The Pixi has a smaller screen than the Droid Eris or the Droid, and it doesn’t have the name brand recognition of Blackberries, who have long been associated with Verizon Wireless. Adding wifi brings the Pixi on par with the other phones, not better than the other phones. Remember, the data plan is the same whether you buy a Droid or a Pearl Flip, so the real question is what you want out of your phone…and the Pixi needs to really pop against a sea of compelling smartphones.
Hopefully, this works out better than Verizon’s previous history with Palm devices…we all know how well the 700p (replaced by 755p) and the 700w (replaced by the 700wx) worked out for early adopters…
One IMPORTANT note not mentioned though: the price difference between Big Red & Sprint. Verizon's PDA/Smartphone Nationwide Email & Messaging plan cost $99; Sprint's equivalent Everything Data – with Any Mobile, Anytime costs $70/mo. that's a $30 difference every month! $360 difference per year!
whoa. mula don't grow on trees. as long as you get decent 3G coverage w/ Sprint, the avg-joe is better off w/ Pixi-Sprint. if your employer's footn the bill, then expensive Big Red's version…
True…I did forget that Sprints plans are significantly cheaper.
At the same time, you're paying less but getting a little less; and having wifi generally will come in handy. My thought is that if you are locking yourself into a contract for 2 years, get the best phone you can for it. If you have perfect 3G coverage from Sprint, stick with Sprint. If you have on-off coverage, wifi makes a difference, and whether you buy a Sprint phone with wifi (like the Pre or the Hero) or a phone on another carrier, IMO wifi will end up being worth it if its there when you need it.
But you are correct, I didn't make it clear that Sprint has cheaper plans. On the other hand, most of the country is paying more for VZW and AT&T based on the carrier numbers…so cheaper plans don't always equal popular carriers (for various reasons).