With Spotlight on Apple, Palm Unveils Pixi

Palm’s tiny new smartphone is taking on a Goliath: The firm introduced the Pixi today, squeaking onto the scene just hours before Apple debuts its latest gadgets at its own San Francisco gathering, All Things Digital reports. Can Palm’s David expect to emerge victorious? Unlikely, writes Kara Swisher. “This fairytale might have a not-so-happy ending”—though the phone has its cool points.

“Pixi seems to be a smaller, less featured, and cheaper version of the Palm Pre device,” writes Swisher, “except super-adorably skinny and featuring Sex-and-the-City-style fashionable back covers by artists.” Why would Palm choose such a dangerous date to unveil its new product? “Timing’s a funny thing,” said a Palm insider, who explained the date had been purposefully set ahead of next week's New York Fashion Week, which is sponsored by Palm.
(More Apple stories.)