- 3G-enabled smartphone with intuitive Palm webOS platform, touchscreen and full QWERTY keyboard; easy integration with Google, Facebook, LinkedIn and more
- GPS-enabled for turn-by-turn directions; can be used as a 3G Mobile Hotspot for up to five Wi-Fi connected devices
- 8 GB internal memory; 2-megapixel camera/camcorder; Bluetooth stereo music streaming; Wi-Fi-enabled
- Up to 5.2 hours of talk time, up to 350 hours (14.5 days) of standby time
- Fast 3G connectivity thanks to the reliable Verizon Wireless EV-DO, Rev A network
The Palm Pixi Plus weighs 3.26 ounces and measures 4.37 x 2.17 x 0.43 inches. Its 1150 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5.2 hours (312 minutes) of talk time, and up to 350 hours (14.5 days) of standby time. It runs on the CDMA 800/1900 frequencies as well as EV–DO, Rev A 3G frequencies.
List Price: $ 59.99
Price: $ 34.99
- DECT 6.0 Plus Technology
- 3 Handsets
- Single Line
- Cordless Phone
- Answering System NOT Included
Panasonic KX-TG6513B DECT 6.0 PLUS Expandable Digital Cordless Phone System with 3 Handsets.
List Price: $ 69.95
Price: $ 59.26
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…you say ‘cheapskate’, I say ‘frugal’,
I was about to return this phone because Verizon wanted a $45 data plan just to activate it; then I read the brilliant comments by Chuck Homic.
Opening the package, I saw the ESN/MEID HEX printed on the box. I held down the power button until the PALM light lit up on-screen. It took a while for it to boot up. The phone tried twice to call Verizon and activate itself, to no avail.
On another phone, I called the Page Plus Cellular toll-free number and gave them the Pixi’s MEID and the phone number that I wanted ported from my active, prepaid Verizon phone. They gave me a ‘Premier Package’ 6-digit activation code to dial from Pixi, and said that Verizon is usually quick to release your old number and to call back when they have done so.
It took about an hour or so that the old cell number stopped ringing the old phone, indicating that it had been ported.
In order to dial the activation code on the Pixi, you first press the little phone symbol on the screen and press Emergency Call. When the dialpad shows, hit the backspace three times to erase the 911 off the screen. Enter the six-digit code and hit the Call button. The phone will take a while to activate and will need to be rebooted when it’s finished.
After you reboot the phone, you’ll have to do the Phone Symbol- Emergency Call- erase 911- thing again. Now on the dialpad, try to call a phone number near you to test, like a home number or something. When the phone near you rings, hang up and listen for the confirmation on the phone that it’s working.
IMPORTANT: Page Plus Cellular gives your account about $2 worth of phone/ text/ data to start your service. Because the Palm Pixi Plus requires a data connection to set up the Palm Profile and activate FIRST, you cannot use WiFi yet to do this. The $2 credit should be plenty to just set up your profile; if not, then call them from another phone and make sure you get the full-on Premier activation code.
When I was told this, and since I only use the Voice feature for rare ‘emergency’ and ‘notice’ calls, then I opted for the Standard Plan of $10 for 100 minutes that expire after 120 days ($30/year).
After the Palm Profile was set up, a brief video tutorial ensued. I then immediately tapped on the Signal Bars symbols to turn on the WiFi, and entered my router’s WPA security code for access to my home WiFi network.
Now using my own WiFi, I felt FREE to import/ associate the Pixi with my Google contacts, emails, and calendar. Sweet.
Here are my notes on this – [Amazon took away the link to my SpringPad notes - [...] ]
UPDATE: I’ve put 380+ songs on it, plus the Pandora App, and I still have 5gb of space.The ‘Amazon MP3′ app is already built in. The music sounds so good that I ordered the Palm headset as well. I also like the AccuWeather app and about 16 others.
UPDATE: I got the dedicated Palm stereo headset for about $3 and discovered that double-clicking the Mic Mute button will advance to the next song (FF) – see review: . At that price, I try to keep a pair in the car, work, etc.
UPDATE: I got a deal on the Belkin Bluetooth dongle for Home Stereo – and so that I could play my music on the Pixi over my full system; I really like that.
UPDATE: plugging and unplugging the charge cord was starting to be a chore, so I bought the TouchStone inductive charger from Palm where you just lay the phone on top of the thing – . You have to use a special jacket w/ the TouchStone, and I chose one in bright orange –
UPDATE: THE HOLY GRAIL FOUND — ‘Mark’ commented on Chuck Homic’s post on Jun 16, 2011 – how to keep voice calls coming in while shutting off cellular data usage but still allowing for WiFi data flow:
Mark says -
“Mobile hotspot is *not* the only way to consume data. The phone will try to use data silently in the background for you. But you can make it so that it won’t do it via carrier data. Open up the phone app (the green phone handset icon), swipe down on the upper left hand menu and select “Preferences and Accounts”. A…
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Great Entry Smartphone, Not good for intense users.,
I bought this Palm Pixi Plus to replace a failing Palm Pre Plus. My biggest complaint about the Pre Plus was its keyboard, it was hard to use, and keys often failed. It was my third Pre, and I still have time on my contract, so even though I want to switch to an Android based phone, I chose to go with this because the price (where as an Android phone would be much more expensive).
Positives:
So far, my experience with the Palm Pixi Plus has been much better than the Palm Pre Plus. The hardware seems to be built a little better (no sliding moving parts), the keyboard is much easier to use and is responsive (however, my “R” key needs to be pushed a little harder than the others to respond. Even though it “clicks”, it won’t type until you press just a little bit more. Still MUCH better than my Pre.) I like the size of the Pixi better than the Pre as I’m not a fan of having a huge smart phone.
I only really use the device to receive e-mail, check social networking sites, and look up information on the go. I do not play games on it, and would not recommend it to those looking for a smartphone to play games. Music sounds fine, as do calls. Mobile hotspot is a nice feature and works well (it even passes on GPS information to my iPod Touch)
The GPS is a little frustrating to use due to Verizon’s ability to lock out parts of a device you own, until you buy the monthly subscription fee. (Although, if you open the VZNav App, and don’t click anything, then open a GPS enabled App, it’ll work fine.)
I love Synergy, importing contacts from your e-mail, social networking sites, syncing your calendars, etc. Notifications don’t get in the way and are easy to manage. Gestures work REALLY well, once you get the hang of it.
You have more customization available to you than an iOS device, wallpapers, ringtones, notification tones, etc.
Negatives:
Coming from a Palm Pre Plus, I have to say that this is a slower device. Apps take longer to load, and transitions don’t seem as fluid. It has a smaller screen than the Pre, but still readable. Being that it’s a Palm device, your choice of Apps is very limited (in comparison to the iOS App Store, or Android Market), so if you are looking for something with a large number of cool apps, look elsewhere. It has the basics, but outside of that its nothing too special. On top of it all, most apps are written for the Pre and are not compatible with the Pixi. So, some of the better apps out there won’t even work with this device.
The camera is something to be desired. I wouldn’t ever buy this device for taking photos, but nice to have for random shots.
There is no voice command for the phone. Hands free is not possible with this device because this feature is missing. Be careful out there!
The charging door is a real pain to use, with the door constantly flipping back because of the strong magnetic pull. A touchstone back really should have been included in this device.
For those using Google Voice, your options are pretty limited in comparison to other platforms.
You are limited to webOS 1.4.5. HP said they will not support the current Pre’s and Pixi’s. Real bummer since they did tell us we would be getting webOS 2.0.
I’ve had lots of trouble with my Palm Pre Plus in the past due to hardware issues. My hope is that this device lasts. However, these Palm device are KNOWN for having hardware build quality issues. Be warned!
WARNING:
Verizon REQUIRES you to have a smartphone plan if you use this device, meaning your plan could increase by 30 dollars a month, even if you won’t be using the data on 3G (and using purely WiFi). I don’t agree with this mentality at all. Also, this is NOT a world class phone, and will only work on USA CDMA networks.
Tips:
Install Preware to get some more functionality off the device. I would also classify this between a true smartphone, and a feature phone. It works well for what it can do, but don’t expect anything beyond that. It’s a communication tool that can also play music, videos, check appointments, and surf the internet. Don’t ask it to do too much else, and you will be happy.
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DO NOT BUY FROM THE OEM SHOP,
Nice phone, The OEM Shop stinks!
This item advertised as new was not in manufacturers packaging, also included no manuals. Entered ##786# to find out if phone is truly new as-advertised. It is not, it’s a refurb that I could have gotten cheaper elsewhere. I ordered the Palm Pixi Plus and the Stereo Headphones together but didn’t receive headphones, emailed The OEM Shop, 5 days later. no response. Called their listed # 718-362-2255 and it’s out of service. Just noticed that only one speaker is working. You get what you pay for but I paid for new. I think I lost $55 here as I’m afraid to return and wind up losing all I have to show for this deal which is the refurbed semi-functional phone. Given the ethics of The OEM Shop I wonder if should worry about having my identity stolen when using this device.
Nice phone, The OEM Shop stinks!
Enter ##786# to check if your “new” phone is refurbed.
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May be the perfect cordless phone,
We picked up the KX-TG6512B the other day to try before taking the plunge on a larger system with 6 handsets. Our old Uniden 5.8 GHz system was great, but the batteries on all the handsets are losing their ability to hold a charge and it interferes with our wireless network. I started looking for a DECT 6.0 replacement system but never found one that had all the features we were looking for, but now that I virtually stumbled across the 6500 series from Panasonic it looks like I’ve found our perfect phones. Here’s what I like:
- You can customize the banner on each handset. This may seem like a minor feature, but we had gotten used to it on the Uniden and liked it.
- You can check the Caller ID on one handset after someone else has already answered a call on another handset. We actually end up doing this quite a bit with our old Uniden phones, but I had read a review of the older Panasonic 6440 phones that said this wasn’t possible. I was very pleasantly surprised to see this now works, since I was about ready to live without that feature.
- The handsets have jacks for wired headsets. My wife and I both work in the technical field and often end up working on the computer while on a call, and a headset is a better option than a speaker phone. This was a must-have feature for us, and many of the Uniden phones don’t have it.
- The speaker phone quality is very good. We were always very happy with the sound of the Uniden speaker phone on the handsets, but the new Panasonic sound quality is at least as good.
- The batteries in the handset are standard NiMH AAA rechargeables rather than the proprietary (and expensive) battery used in the Uniden. Should we ever need to replace them it will be trivial and cheap.
- There are belt clips for the handsets. We don’t use this a lot, but we do every once in a while, especially when using a headset. Some of the other models I looked at didn’t have this. Note that if you put the belt clip on the headset it covers up the little grippy patch on the back that’s there to help you hold the handset between your shoulder and ear, so if you like to hold your phone on your shoulder you may want to skip the belt clip.
- The buttons on the phone are back-lit and easy to find and push. On some of the new Uniden handsets the three buttons in an individual row are all run together and I heard that they can be less easy to find.
- The display on the handset is black-on-white and very easy to read.
- The phone will set its time and date from the Caller ID information.
- The message waiting indicator light on the phones can be manually turned off simply by pushing and holding the “#” key. Our old Uniden phone would sometimes miss the signal from the phone company to turn off the light, so it’s nice that there’s an option to manually do it easily on the Panasonic if the need arises.
There are many other features related to address books, etc. that are less important to us so I haven’t bothered to learn about them or try them. However, based on the above I’m extremely happy with this new Panasonic phone. We’ve only used it a very short time, but I was impressed enough to order the KX-TG6545B with 5 included handsets to be our replacement for our old Uniden system. This adds a base speakerphone with keypad, as well as an answering system we’ll never use (we have voice mail from the phone company).
So, to summarize, I really like this phone (love is too strong a word for a cordless phone). We’ve not used it enough to know how well it’ll work down the road, but based on reviews of other Panasonic phones I’m optimistic about that.
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Excellent phones,
I know that a lot of people are using their home phones less and less these days because of cell phones – but we still use ours a lot. Believe it or not, my wife was interviewed to be on the Oprah show a few years ago because of the amount of time she spends on the phone:). With her and the three kids competing for the phones, these end up getting a lot of hard use.
Anyway, the main problems we run into with phones are typically sound quality and durability.
With these DECT 6.0+ phones from Panasonic, the sound quality is truly as good as a corded phone. We live in a 3000 square foot, 2-story house and these phones easily cover that space as well as the yard. We never really take the handsets past the yard boundaries, so I don’t know what the maximum range is before these start breaking up. I’m also an early-adopter tech person; so our house is probably one of the most challenging environments a wireless phone could exist in.
This is the second set of DECT 6.0 phones we’ve had from Panasonic and the sound quality is head and shoulders above the wireless phones we’ve had from other manufacturers.
When it comes to features, here are the things we like about these:
The handsets are a great size and shape – so they’re very easy to use. I can’t imagine wanting a home phone that is the size of a cell phone…
1) The handsets have pocket clips that work well and stay attached to the phone for walking around.
2) There is a headset jack on the handsets, which is also great for walking around.
3) Panasonic has improved the caller ID and redial features from their previous generations – both features are now much easier to access.
4) I like that the lights on the handset tend to stay off in the base unit so we can sleep with the phone in its base.
5) These phones use standard NiMH AAA batteries, so they are easy to replace, or even to charge outside the phone if you want.
6) We use voicemail anyway, so I like that this particular phone does NOT include an answering machine. (I hate paying for a feature that we’ll never use.)
7) I love that we can pick up any handset and immediately join the call without having to do anything special to let a new caller join.
As far as durability goes, we’ve only had these for a couple of weeks now so it’s hard to know how long they will last. They do feel solid; and, based on the longevity of our last Panasonic phones, I’m expecting that they will last quite a while. In fact, the last Panasonic DECT 6.0 cordless phones we owned are the first phones we’ve ever had that have made it past a year without breaking – and they lasted more than two years! I’ve come to the conclusion that Panasonic phones are the only phones available that can be dropped repeatedly (including an occasional dunk in the sink or bounce off the tile) without completely dying.
Overall, if you’re looking for a high-quality phone that doesn’t have an answering machine, I think this phone should be at the top of your list. I won’t claim to have used every phone that is currently on the market; but we are extremely pleased with these!
[*** UPDATE 8/11/2011 ***]
Well, it looks like Panasonic did it again! We’ve had these phones for over a year now and they’re still going strong. Before you know it, we’re going to be expecting our phones to last longer than a year…
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Nice cordless phones for the price,
These phones are a great value. I purchased this phone because it does not have an answering machine. I use voicemail, and didn’t want to pay for a function or deal with a more complicated phone than I needed. The sound quality is excellent! I love the big caller ID – very easy to see the caller list with names & phone numbers. The voicemail shortcut button is a nice feature. This phone has prominent Speaker Phone and Flash (call waiting) buttons. While you’re on a call, a Mute button becomes available, which is very important in my household with all of the kids and dogs! I use this phone in my big backyard, and it has a very long range. The only feature that I’d like to see added is a “Do not Disturb” button to turn the ringer off and send all calls directly to voicemail. However, I can access this feature through my phone company’s voicemail system online. Overall, this phone sounds great, has a very long range, and all of the features that I need without an answering machine. It’s a great value, and highly recommend it.
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