CES 2010: Palm adds new devices as developer programme goes live

The Pre is currently Palm's only WebOS handset in the UK

Palm has unveiled upgraded versions of its Pre and Pixi handsets, while officially announcing that its developer programme is now open to all-comers.

At CES in Las Vegas, Palm introduced the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus, enhanced versions of its two existing handsets running Palm's WebOS platform.

The Pre Plus now ships with 16GB of storage, double that of the current Pre, and ships with a Touchstone back cover. An optional extra on the Pre, this allows the device to be charged inductively by simply placing it on a Touchstone dock.

Meanwhile, the Pixi Plus adds Wi-Fi along with optional Touchstone back covers available in pink, blue, green, orange and black, according to Palm.

Both handsets will be available initially on US carrier Verizon Wireless later this month, but Palm declined to detail when the new devices will be available elsewhere. Currently, only the original Pre is available in the UK.

Also at CES, Palm announced that its developer programme is officially open to all, which the company hopes will boost the number of applications coming on-stream for users of its handsets.

Any developer can now sign up at the Palm Developer Center and immediately start developing and distributing applications for Palm WebOS devices, with the option of distributing their product through the Palm App Catalog or over the web, the company said.

The App Catalog is integrated into Palm's WebOS handsets, providing developers with an easy way to get their applications seen and downloaded by users. However, software distributed this way is subject to review by Palm, and developers must pay the firm $50 (£31) per application fee for inclusion.

The membership-based programme also has a $99 (£62) annual fee, which will be waived for developers who opt to distribute open-source Palm WebOS apps on the web, the company said.

As an incentive, Palm is running a Hot Apps bonus programme for WebOS developers worldwide, which will award $1m (£625m) to the most successful applications distributed between 1 February and 31 May this year.