Now that Verizon is selling the Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus, Palm has updated its online store and is now offering the same two webOS devices directly to you. Being sold by Palm without a contract or credit check,. the Sprint version of the phones is being offered for $549 (Pre) and $399 (Pixi). The Plus size versions of the Pre and Pixi are offered for $599 and $399 respectively. And there are third party tools to skip the usual activation process.Meta Doctor from webOS Internals will allow you to bypass the “First Use” application and activate the phone without going to a cellular network. Besides purchasing the phones directly from Palm, the pages now show other retailers like Amazon, that are offering the duo and Palm will even provide a link to their site. So if its a webOS handset you want, there are many different ways to get hooked up.
source: Palm via Palminfocenter

We´ve got good news for all fans of mobile gaming who own the Palm Pre (Plus), because Assassin’s Creed: Altair’s Chronicles is now available at the App Catalog at a price of $6.99. What you get for your money is an interesting adventure that remains true to the spirit of the computer edition of the game (a proper blend of sneaking and fighting), cool graphics and lengthy gameplay. The developers at Gameloft seem to know their job pretty well, since the iPhone version met with quite an enthusiastic acclaim when it rolled out some time ago. The feedback coming from Palm Pre owners has been positive this far, but sadly, the game won´t run on the Pixi and Pixi Plus. Please, do share your opinion on Assassin’s Creed in the comments below.
source: PreCentral

The Palm Pre Plus and the Palm Pixi Plus are now available from Verizon. The nation’s largest cellular company has improved the specs by adding some memory, removed a button on the Pre and added Wi-Fi to the Pixi. Verizon now becomes the second U.S. carrier after Sprint to offer webOS handsets. After a $100 mail in rebate, the Pre Plus is $149.99 and the Pixi Plus is $99.99.

Launched amid great fanfare last June, the Palm Pre had a brief exclusive period at Sprint that resulted in disappointing sales. When originally announced to the public about 12 months ago, the handset was considered to be a strong challenger for the Apple iPhone. Whether it was too few apps readily available at launch, or a ad campaign that was avant-garde at best, the original Pre did not catch on as expected, despite mostly positive reviews-especially about the webOS operating system. Some reviewers did complain that the product build made the Pre feel like a Fisher Price toy and Verizon has tightened up the quality of both devices.
source: Verizon

Hard to believe it was a year ago when the Palm Pre and webOS threatened to take down the iPhone, rejuvenate Palm and send customers to Sprint with pocketfuls of cash. In August, up in the land of maple syrup and hockey, Bell offered the Pre for $199.95 with a 3 year contract (which is customary in Canada). Things never turned out like Palm and Sprint wanted. Tomorrow, Verizon launches the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus with better specs than the original model.  Caught with an inventory of the older models, Bell could either come up with an offer that couldn’t be refused, or start a heck of a bonfire for warmth on those cold, cold Canadian winter nights. Choosing the former, Bell is now giving the Palm Pre away for nothing.  The iPhone killer can be yours for free from Bell as long as you sign your John Hancock on a 3 year contract for a plan with a minimum cost of $50 Canadian Dollars a month (approximately $47 U.S. Dollars). Makes you wonder what Sprint is going to do with all of their suddenly obsolete-looking inventory of the Pre and Pixi.
source: BellMobility via EngadgetMobile

We know that AT&T is going to offer two webOS models from Palm by the first half of this year. It is obvious to expect the two to be GSM versions of the Palm Pre Plus and Palm Pixi Plus. And now we have a European testing and certification company, TUV Rheinland, that appears to be testing two models-the P101UNA and P121UNA. We have already cracked the code in the past with the P101 representing the Pre Plus and the P121 standing for the Pixi Plus. The UNA represents the GSM version of the phones. Thanks to the lab, both devices now have their US + Canadian NRTL Certificate which means that the GSM models meet OSHA and SCC (Standards Council of Canada) requirements. No, it is not the FCC so there still are some other “t’s” that have to be crossed and “i’s” to be dotted before we can feel comfortable with saying that the webOS duo are coming to AT&T. But knowing that GSM versions of the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus are out there is a necessary first step in the journey to the carrier and Luke Wilson.
source: TUVRheinland (P101UNA), TUVRheinland (P121UNA) via Engadget

After the industry witnessed Palm’s race into the mobile gaming world during CES, they seem extremely adamant of getting things rolling. There’s no question on anyone’s mind who currently use any one of Palm’s current WebOS handsets – it just lacks in the gaming department. They’ve decided to be serious about developing mobile games that rival other platforms by heading over to the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco this March – they’ll l take the stage during GDC and hold an hour-long presentation. What better way than make an appearance and plead their case to a group of professionals that would be interested in creating titles that probably would spurt some life back into the platform. Although the timing is late, it’s better than calling chess or checkers as your current gaming offers for the platform.
source: GDC via PreCentral

It was cool that Palm announced the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus are coming to Verizon at this year’s CES; however, it seems that both the manufacturer and the carrier forgot to inform their loyal customers of the prices for the webOS phones. We had no idea of how much the handsets may cost until today, when a tipster told us that the Palm Pre Plus will come at a price of $149.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate and of course with a contract. As for the Pixi Plus, it should be available with a BOGO promotion at a price of $99.99, again after some rebate. These prices sound reasonable indeed and are actually the same as Sprint’s. Still, bear in mind this information is by no means confirmed. If you know something else, be sure to drop us a line here. If not, we’ll surely get to know how much both smartphones will cost on January 25, which is pretty close already.
Thanks, anonymous tipster!

As we previously reported, two webOS devices are expected to hit AT&T by the first half of the year. Now let’s play Cellphone Trivia. How many webOS phones do you know? And how many are supposed to go to AT&T? Great. You’re a winner. To add to the math, pre central took a look at the server logs offered by DSL Reports and found AT&T branded versions of the Pre and Pixi running webOS 1.3.8 on the internet. This doesn’t guarantee that the carrier’s two webOS devices will be the Pre and Pixi, but the math sure adds up. While Verizon plans on releasing its version of the two phones with webOS 1.4, it remains to be seen if AT&T will at least match Big Red’s OS build if it indeed launches a Pre and Pixi of its own.
source: precentral

Good news for Palm Pixi owners who happen to be die-hard PalmOS Classic fans. If you are one of the Classic-lovers who migrated to webOS but still use some legacy PalmOS apps and/or like the look and feel of the old PalmOS, MotionApps has come to the rescue. MotionApps has adjusted their popular PalmOS emulator to fit on the smaller 320 x 400 Pixi display. If you want a closer look and more information from MotionApps, just jump on over to their Facebook page and check out some screenshots.

source: Palm Infocenter

European webOS users are now a step ahead of North Americans, as they have been presented with version 1.3.5.2 of the operating system, which for the record is higher than the version available stateside by 0.0.0.1. What’s great is that the update really brings some useful improvements. For example, you can now browse App Catalog’s one thousand apps and run multiple simultaneous downloads, which will also continue to run, should you exit the download screen. Nice fix indeed. Other goodies coming with the webOS 1.3.5.2 update include better handling of prepaid SIM cards, improved performance and more. It would be really nice to see the update become available in the US too. For a more detailed list of what you will get by updating your Pre, check the source link below!

So, webOS users, do you find this new software satisfying, or you won’t settle until you get version 1.4?
source: Palm via EngadgetMobile