Palm is no stranger to handheld devices and the latest Centro-esque Smartphone to hit our shores is the aptly named ‘Palm Pixi’. Tiny, sleek and very stylish, the Palm Pixi is a WebOS based handset which should be available by the end of the year. webOS is the innovative Smartphone platform released early 2009. It was developed by Linux and showcased by Palm, which allows users a unique browsing experience with significant online social network and Web 2.0 integration.

The dictionary definition of a pixie is: fairies that are somewhat mischievous – This cleverly sums up this Palm Pixi Smartphone with its rubberized elfin-like exterior and mischievous interior; somewhat reminiscent of a child’s imagination, filled with an endless wonderland of magic and fear.

The Palm Pixi features a 2.63-inch display and full QWERTY keyboard. This screen size is ample for most mobile uses such as typing lots of text or viewing the webOS. The Pixi’s keyboard may be a tad narrower than the Pre’s but it is far easier to use. It feels much sturdier and features a subtle backlight. If you have very big hands then you may find the keys a little small and sticky but for most users they will be sufficient.

The Pixi is a slimmed down version of the Palm Pre, it is light as a feather and the great features of Pre’s webOS have not been compromised.

An added bonus for Pre upgraders is that the Palm Pixi uses the same battery pack, so both Smartphone’s can swap batteries, if you are so inclined. There are rumours that the Pixi battery is not as powerful as the Pre’s but the difference, if any, is nominal. The Palm Pixi features a better- than-expected 8GB of storage and a fairly meagre 2megapixel camera with flash. This was quite deliberate though as it is shaped like a BlackBerry rather than a sliding phone and is designed with the ‘instant messenger’ in mind as opposed to the hot-shot cameraman.

The biggest disappointment with the Palm Pixi is the fact that it doesn’t feature Wi-Fi. Why? is anyone’s guess. However, one of the best features of the Pixi are the apps, including Facebook, Yahoo! and LinkedIn integration for Synergy. There are also five artist designed back covers available for the Palm Pixi which were specially designed to out-do the competition and appeal to a younger generation.

There are no fixed figures on the price of the Palm Pixi as yet, but it is looking highly likely that this Smartphone handset will be available for under $100.