Palm Pixi Plus camera

Short version. The Palm Pixi Plus camera is crap!

Long version. The Pixi Plus offers significant value with significant compromise. While the software is elegant and intuitive, the hardware is cheap and slow. Ditto the camera…

I have reviewed a whole bunch of devices with 2 megapixel cameras without autofocus over the years, and none have under-performed like the Pixi Plus.

Saying this phone takes pictures is hyperbole – it paints pictures. The lack of detail is staggering – it’s like oil on canvas. Even the white balance problem is minor in comparison. See for yourself (slide show).

The annoying bit? Palm knows how to make a half decent camera – just look at the Pre.

The Pixi Plus attempts to compensate for abysmal stills by recording video at 640×480 pixels (VGA resolution). Unfortunately, the frame rate is limited to about 15 fps.

Here is a sample video (download original):