While we initially hoped we might see webOS 2.x appear on the first generation of Pre-like devices, the majority of users will see their Palms live out their lives on webOS 1.4.5. Now a user on the PreCentral forums has posted pictures of what appears to be a Palm Pixi Plus running the latest webOS 2.1, creating the possibility for the software to be dumped and distributed.

The images are apparently from a phone bought in the US and shipped to Vietnam, where the buyer made his discovery. The phone may be some sort of development model, as it has some odd quirks, like having four of its keys marked with green dots. Adding to the air of mystery, the phone’s serial number doesn’t register as valid using Palm’s online tools.

The Palm user community is all over this one, attempting to guide the owner through a dump so the code can be examined. Even if a distributable version can be generated, there might be a good reason for why Palm never released a proper upgrade; the phone is reportedly much slower than were it running webOS 1.4.5. Still, it would be nice to have as an option to experiment with, so we’ll be keeping an eye on the progress made.

Source: PreCentral forums

Via: PreCentral