The Official Palm Blog

The best Treo ever?

Is the Sprint Treo 800w "the best Treo ever"? Or perhaps it's "the most productive Windows Mobile Pro device"? We'll take either compliment, thank you.

Reviewers have noted how "Palm's...'special sauce'" simplifies navigation and operation for the individual user, while also incorporating crucial features for effective enterprise deployment. All of which adds up to a device that's "made for business...a great, great, great phone."

Here's a sample of the early raves for the Sprint Treo 800w:

"From my perspective, especially as a Windows Mobile fan, this is the best Treo ever." MobileBurn.com

"The Treo 800w is the most productive Windows Mobile Pro device I've ever used." WMExperts

"Palm has also added their own 'special sauce' to Windows Mobile to improve end user functionality and let you navigate the device with a single hand." ZDNet

"Palm's Wi-Fi hardware and software innovations make it easy to get online fast and manage network connections and power usage." Treonauts

"Along with all the usual Windows Mobile features, Palm's Windows Mobile Treos are most notable for their highly customized home screens, which build in a Google search bar, speed dialing and photo speed dial." PC Magazine

"There's a brand new smartphone on the market that's sleek, slim, super fast and loaded with 21st century smartphone features...It's a newly designed handset from Palm -- and it's a winner." TheStreet.com

-Paul Loeffler

Introducing the Sprint Treo 800w: GPS, Wi-Fi, WinMo 6.1, EVDO Rev A, and more!

 

There’s a powerful new Treo smartphone for the Sprint network: the Sprint Treo 800w, boasting a combination of features that haven’t previously been available on any Palm device. Highlights include:

• integrated GPS
• one-touch Wi-Fi
• the latest version of Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
• fast mobile broadband speeds on Sprint’s EvDO Rev A network

along with several Palm enhancements to Windows Mobile that simplify and streamline the experience of using the Treo 800w.

You can pick up the Treo 800w now at the very affordable price tag of $249 (with two-year service agreement and mail-in rebate) in Sprint stores and online at www.sprint.com or www.palm.com. It’s also available through Sprint and Palm’s B2B sales organizations. (More information on the Treo 800w can be found here.)

Palm's Windows Mobile enhancements include:

• the ability to call, text, email, search the Web, and do a point-of-interest search (GPS/LBS) directly from the Today Screen;
• an "ignore a call" feature to send quick text messages -- such as “In a meeting” or “Can’t talk right now” -- from the Incoming Call Screen;
• superior phone and call-management features, including dedicated icons for mute, speakerphone and conference calling, and the ability to dial phone numbers in an email or webpage, all with just one-touch;
• a dial-by-name feature from the Today Screen;
• a one-touch Wi-Fi button to conveniently connect and manage Wi-Fi;
• GPS searches from the Today Screen and integration with Contacts and Sprint Navigation for turn-by-turn and audible directions;
• more program memory (128MB) and user storage (170MB internal, 8GB microSD expansion), along with a 2MP camera and high resolution 320x320 touch screen; and
• Palm's familiar one-handed navigation, including hard buttons for email and calendar, a five-way navigation button and tactile keyboard, and an on/off ringer switch to silence the phone in meetings.

Parag Gupta - Product Manager, Windows Mobile Smartphones

“I’ll take smartphones for under $70, Alex.”

If you've seen the photos of the new electric blue AT&T Centro, you already know it's a stunner. But now to make it even more dazzling, you can pick one up for as low as $69.99.* Through September 20, this special price is being offered for all three AT&T Centro colors: electric blue, glacier white and obsidian black. They're available at your local AT&T stores and online at www.palm.com/centro.

Enjoy!

-Paul Loeffler

*Estimated retail price, with two-year service agreement and mail in rebate.

Phones behaving badly

Several states have now enacted regulations requiring drivers to use hands-free devices (including, most recently, California). But so far, it’s still legal to be as rude as you like when using your cell phone. Come on, people – is there any excuse for loud chatting in public, taking a call in the middle of Sunday dinner, ignoring the “no cell” rules in hospitals and gyms, or letting your Lil Wayne ringtone erupt in the middle of a screening of You Don’t Mess With the Zohan?

OK, maybe that last one’s not such a bad thing. But still, we could probably all use a little refresher on the P’s and Q’s of making sure our phones play well with others, at least when they’re in public places. As luck would have it, July is National Cell Phone Courtesy Month. See how you do on the quiz on polite cell citizenship at Wireless and Mobile News.

Got a pet peeve? Post it below.

-Jon Zilber

A new blue for you!

    

AT&T's Centro lineup adds a dazzling new color – electric blue – to join glacier white and obsidian black. This exclusive new Centro color will be available starting this Friday in AT&T retail stores, or online at www.att.com and www.palm.com/centro.

And be sure to check back here on Friday to find out how we’ll be making these eye-catching Centros more affordable than ever for back-to-schoolers from July 11 to September 20, 2008.

Rob K. - Senior Product Manager, Consumer Smartphones

"Sexiest phone ever?"

 

Top YouTube video-maker Hooman was at the MTV Movie Awards style lounge last month and just posted this video packed with celebs (SNL's Horatio Sanz, Hairspray's Nikki Blonsky, Iron Man's Faran Tahir, and yes, the Orbit Gum girl) to give us the definitive answer to the question: "Is the Palm Centro sexy?"

Now here's a question for you: Which of these celebs makes the sexiest companion to their new Centro? Watch the video and post your thoughts on YouTube.

-Paul Loeffler

Out with the old, in with the ka-ching!

If your cell phone goes kaput, or you just decide it’s time for something better, what do you do with the old one?

CrunchGear recently shared an article on a company called Flipswap that will take your old cell phone off your hands. In exchange, you can choose a cash payment or have the trade-in value donated to charity. (Either way, you're helping to reduce e-waste.)

Palm also has a recycling program for your old gear. Remember that any time you're donating, selling, or recycling your Palm mobile devices, you'll want to do a factory (or “zero out”) reset before turning it over to someone else. This erases all the data on your Palm device to make sure your personal info doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. Check out the Palm support site for details.

-Paul Loeffler

Just for the record – Mary Doyle and Joe Simitian on hands-free driving

Through the urging of SVP and General Counsel Mary Doyle, Palm was an early advocate of the California hands-free law, which goes into effect this week. This video features Mary and Senator Joe Simitian, the bill's sponsor, discussing how the law helps make roads safer for everyone. "You can talk as long as you want, you can talk as often as you want, but if you do it hands free, we know we're going to save lives," says Senator Simitian.

According to a CNN article, the Department of Transportation estimates that 4,000 of the 8,000 auto accidents that occur daily in the United States can be attributed to distractions while driving. Going hands free is just one step we can all take to make the roads safer for everyone.

-Paul Loeffler

Is "free" your favorite four-letter word?

TreoCentral and The New York Times both posted lists of nifty free services that help you do everything from getting free directory service to dictating yourself a note and having a transcribed version instantly sent to your inbox. (And did we mention these are free?)

Here are a few more freebies we like:

• Avvenu: Lets you remotely view, download and share documents.
• MiniTones: Gives you a selection of MP3 files that you can add to your ringtone list in Sounds.
• Mosio: Text questions from your phone and have it answered by real people
• Pinger: Send voice messages on the QT--no ringing, no greetings, no lengthy prompts. It's like email, but with your voice.
• Orb Networks: Stream your own music (or other files) to your mobile phone.
• TellMe: Provides voice-activated information service.

Found a helpful or fun free service? Let us know in the comments below.

-Paul Loeffler

Chameleons and smartphones

I'm moblogging from my Palm Centro at Digital Experience in NYC, where the theme of the party is "welcome to the jungle." The special guests of the evening are exotic animals, including a panther chameleon.

When you think about it, Centro is similiar to a chameleon - it helps people adapt to their current environment. And of course there are lots of different colors to choose from.

-Paul Loeffler