We have all been eagerly awaiting the second device by palm to run the revolutionary webOS and on the eve of Apple’s annual iPod event we finally got the inside scoop. It turns out the leaked images that have been floating around are pretty close to the real deal. Introducing the Palm Pixi.

When I see the Palm Pixi I can’t help but see the similarities between it and the Pre. It is as if this handset was meant to be nothing more than a Pre in a once piece form factor. It is unsurprising that the Pixi is Palm’s slimmest handset to date measuring in at just 10.85 mm thick. Another interesting fact about the Pixi is that it lacks Wi-Fi capabilities whereas the Pre has built in Wi-Fi support. Unlike the Palm Pre, the Pixi has a slew of colorful back covers to help customize your handset. The Pixi is compatible with the Touchstone and even comes with the working back cover so there is no need to swap it out.

The hardware on the Pixi include all the standard features found on the pre including a 3.5mm headphone jack, 8GB internal memory, full QWERTY keyboard, proximity sensor, ringer switch and MicroUSB port but lacks the single button on in the center of the gesture area as on the Pre. On the inside you will find Qualcomm’s new MSM7627 chipset which is one thing that it has over the Pre. The screen is a 2.63 inch 320×400 pixel screen that is noticeably smaller than the Pre’s 3.1 inch 320×480 pixel screen. There are no improvements made to the battery either, users will get the same standard 1150mAh battery that the Pre has probably providing this handset with the same less than desirable battery life most of us experience. Another draw back in the Pixi as compared to the Pre is the 2 megapixel camera that lacks the extended depth of field camera functionality that the Pre has.

Who is the lucky carrier to be taking on the Pixi first, Sprint snags another gem away from the competition aiming the launch just in time for the holidays. What do you think about the new Palm Pixi? This device is a step back from the Pre but may offer a lower price point for those who do not have all the money in the world to blow on a new phone.