Sprint's just gone public with its plans for the Pixi: a single c-note, payable November 15th. It's not the aggressive, bottom-scraping pricing I was hoping to see for Palm's second, daintier webOS device, and just $50 less than the Pre.
The Pixi is generally thought of as a hardware downgrade from it's older brother, because that's basically what it is: With a smaller screen, no Wi-Fi and a gimpier two-megapixel camera, it's more or less a neo-Centro. Sure, the keyboard's a bit easier to type on, and the device is slimmer, but Sprint (and Palm) really should've shaved another $50 of off this thing: It's a drop in the bucket next to what Sprint will make from each Pixi's two-year service contract, and would go a long way toward making the Pixi, which has to compete with not just the Pre, but a decent spread of $50-$100 entry-level smartphones, a decent buy.
And seriously, still with this rebate stuff? The Pixi's technical price is $250 dollars, yanked down to earth by a $50 instant rebate and a $100 mail-in card. But Best Buy, Radio Shack and Walmart credit the MIRs instantly, so what's the point?
In any case, the Pre didn't sell for full price for more than a few months—in fact, as John Paczkowski notes, Amazon has it on sale for $100 right now—so with any luck we could see a Pixi deal in time for the holidays. And even without any luck, within a few months after that. [Sprint via BusinessInsider]