Awesome! It's good to hear there is a solid phone with Windows software out there. I'll definitely be checking it out.

Jeffrey Powers - Geekazine

I wonder if it's ever released in the UK?

gymtonic

Great review. And good points to make on the screen and the SMS features from the 800w that are missing on the Treo Pro.

I wish they would have used the 800w keyboard on this. The Centro-type keyboard is a bit hard to get used to. I use a 755p and love the keyboard and the 800w keyboard is identical and is so nice to have defined keys, which helps reduce typos.

At least the Treo Pro is unlocked, although at $550, it's a bit pricey, but still cool you can just swap a SIM card in and be ready to go.

But have to hope for a Palm OS version of this phone in the future (or a Palm OS version of the 800w on Sprint would be more preferable for me)

chillywilly

Well, perhaps when Android launches you can switch out? Of course you'll be able to, it's linux! I currently have it installed on all the consoles, the tv, the stereo, the toaster and... The dog.

jackfrost132

THe device looks nice. I like the specs. Too bad they don't have a good OS to put on it...

pastrychef

@ripfire:

That EEE should fit nicely on your belt.. or in your pocket. Hmm an EEE PC with a SIM card slot, anyone remember the old days of the nGage? Side talkin is suweeeet!

$550 isn't that much honestly, not when the N95 goes for like $800 up here unlocked.

Reapman

sweet phone, terribad OS.

it's just sad really.

nachobel

At first I thought it said "Wii Fit available" under AT&T. Then I saw it says WiFi.

Sora57

@ripfire: You can, and you can practice pantsing it like our beloved Giz staff.

Kaiser-Machead's Apostrophe's Power

@_badtziscool: Palm is a hardware company (see [www.palm.com]). They sold the OS long time ago to a Access and only license it for their PDAs.

future-proof

Shouldn't the title be Windows Treo instead of Palm Treo?

_badtziscool

$550? *Sigh* Can I just get an EEE PC with a SIM card slot?

ripfire

Nice to see that you like the device but that's a pretty crappy review. Halfhearted at best.

Almost sounds like you really don't give a crap because it's not Designed in California.

Come one Giz, you can do better than this!

future-proof

Ooooh, this is nice. My current Palm Treo is slowly replacing all the other gadgets in my life... I use it all the time for checking emails, reading ebooks, scheduling appointments, etc. And the Treo Pro looks awesome. When is it going to be available?

tiffanyrules

Am I the only one that gets the feeling that either:

A) Palm paid HTC to completely design/manufacture the phone.

or

B) HTC secretly bought Palm out and designed this new phone...

I'm leaning towards A myself, but I wouldnt be surprised if it was B considering how crappy Palm is doing.

If this phone doesnt redeem them (in terms of sales anyways), they will most likely die soon.

MadColombian

Finally, after years of wondering why Palm has been so far off the ball, they come out with something that makes sense.

trek1394

I've been sooo disappointed in Palm for years. I loved the PalmOS and used it since the Handspring Visor, then bought Cleos (from Sony) because the hardware was so superior. Then Sony killed them, so I got a T3 - the Treo just was too bulky, weak, and expensive - but the OS was starting to look shabby. In the last 5 years the Palm OS looked so weak that when I wanted a combo phone-PDA I bought a WinMo Blackjack. I regret that now, because WinMo looks great but stinks underneath, but I still am hesitant about Palm. I'm glad they have a new form factor, but the fact that they're using the MS OS is really just par for the very weak game Palm is playing these days. Sorry, Palm, my next phone is an iPhone.

dennitzio

Hey, I'm a business person in the business crowd! Sweet.

Hectorvex

But is it too little too late?

I think RIM will be where Palm is now in 5 years. Apple is going to rape them good!

Noobs-R-Us

so which carriers does the 3g function with? T-mo is supposedly rolling out their 3g network as we speak but i hear its "different" then all the other kids.

rainfever

any idea what US carriers are going to offer this?

Norcross

Thank God they managed to get one right. (and, judging by the similarities to the Centro, as well as the differences, all future Palms will share this design philosophy) Now they just need a carrier, and (hopefully) a CDMA version, and they've won me back as a consumer.

JHB8000

I've been looking forward to this device ever since I saw those blurry, maybe it is, maybe it isn't spy shots all those months ago. I wonder if T-mobile or ATT will pick it up, the $550 isn't a bad price at all to pay for such a nice piece of hardware, but I'm looking to switch carriers and the carrier I choose will be the one that gets the Pro first (or cheapest)

Anyways, excellent review as always!

arras

You like palm? I'll trade you my centro for this.

aliskaba

no thanks to an Apple designer.

imaginaryplaya'

I am, apparently, the only person on Earth who prefers Palm OS over Windows Mobile. Perhaps the best thing about it: it's not a Blackberry.

TorkLugnutz

PCMag sure seems to like it: [www.pcmag.com]

CorinneI

@_badtziscool: I thought the same thing too until I was corrected like you just were. Every Palm OS User will probably be drawn to this article thinking this is a Palm OS device like you and I.

@future-proof: Yeah, then they bought it back again but lost the right to do anything with the Palm Desktop.

Fox Mulder

@TorkLugnutz: I think there are many of us.

At the same time, while WinMo is the Devil, Palm OS is Father Time - and something better needs to come along that takes the yummy goodness from Garnet and moves it forward to the next level.

ps61318

it still has a keyboard. And, if they make a PalmOS-version, I hope for them Graffiti will be back on it. GraffitiAnywhere is not too bad on my Centro, but buggy.

yogibimbi

Windows mobile is ...... bleehhhhhhhh

imTheKing

Feh. Wake me up when it starts running Symbian.

davekaybsc

@ps61318: I'm REALLY not trying to come across as an apple fanboy here, but - Honestly I feel the biggest thing the iphone got right is the OS. I loved palm back in the day, and used it for a few years. Switched to windows mobile when treo prices were still sky high, and WM2003 marked the end of innovation for that OS.

Yes the iphone has its issues, but they are miniscule compared to some of the stuff that has happened to me on both Palm and Windows mobile. The worst things that can happen to a person, on a mobile phone, have all happened to me on both platforms. I consider those to be: Needing the phone in an emergency, and not having the phone function AT ALL. Getting lost, despite having GPS, and getting completely wrong and / or NO navigation. Complete data loss, including pictures, contacts, etc.

I work with people every day who use all these platforms, and mine wasn't a unique case. So far, the only other platform that's been as good as the iphone in the "not sucking horribly" department is blackberry. Basically, palm is dead and windows mobile is on life support, despite being extremely prolific.

lpranal

i hate windows, why cant it run PalmOS!!!

Digitallysick

@nachobel: A phrase uttered all too often in regards to every "cool" Verizon phone... hahaha.

SkoGoody

By the way Digitallysick. I know all of the shortcomings of Palm OS in a smartphone like the back of my hand because I'm an EXTREMELY HEAVY business user who STUPIDLY gave up my 700wx in a last ditch effort to try to like palm os (755P)...I was bored with the 700wx and tired of waiting for the next gen Treo on Verizon, didn't know how inept Palm OS is for business use and got the 755P...Been kicking myself in the ass for that decision every since...For heavy business users Palm OS just plain stinks.

sdgmcdon

"i hate windows, why cant it run PalmOS!!!"

Because the Treo, especially the pro, is aimed at BUSINESS USERS.

Palm OS Treos Can't:

1) Move email between folders in an exchange account
2) Upload appointments created on the device to an exchange account
3) Generally provide full exchange account connectivity, features etc.

Palm OS and "VersaCrap" just does not do well in the new highly tech oriented business world. Even the iPhone is a much better business use device than Palm OS.

Hence why Palm is no longer releasing any smartphones with Palm OS until they complete their complete overhaul (read as: creating a new Palm OS from the ground up).

sdgmcdon

"Am I the only one that gets the feeling that either:

A) Palm paid HTC to completely design/manufacture the phone."

Ughhh...Way old news dude...HTC DID make the Treo Pro

sdgmcdon

as for the new palm...awesome looking phone!! and it runs WinMo so I am satisfied :)

mricyfire

I dont understand why everyone bashes WinMo...i have a blackjack ii and works great..does everything I need it to do...it just seems that everyone on here lives on their fucking phones...iphone, blackberry...etc.

What can't WinMo phones do that will better your life in some way? please answer me this. If i remember correctly it is capable of doing more than the iphone, but the iphone is prettier so I guess that is why you don't like...

mricyfire

Call end button takes you to the home screen.

BaseVilliN

Well, Treonauts certainly likes the Treo Pro as well! Their review link below:

[blog.treonauts.com]

iPhoniacs

@MadColombian: Either way, HTC proves that it's a badass hardware co. and Palm shows it's an incompetent hardware?software?whatever it now does company.

glu

At last, something to replace my tired old HTC S620 (T-Mo Dash).

Captain Nimlet

@BaseVilliN: I was just about to say this. You don't need a dedicated button just for this. The call end button has usually doubled for this function.

Razor1973

@The_Gas_Man: A bunch of Windows Mobile 5 phones did. For instance, my first WinMo phone, the T-Mobile (US) SDA had one. To be honest though, I just hit the end call button.

bluemonq

@JHB8000: The Treo 800w on Sprint is practically the Treo Pro, and if you can find yourself an easily cowed Verizon rep, you can get them to do an ESN swap. Bonus: no crippled hardware.

bluemonq

"A dedicated button to take you back to the home screen would have also been nice, but it doesn't kill the phone."

The_Gas_Man

The silent/non-silent switch they keep using = win. It's the smallest thing but I love it.

trickstyle2

Jesus Tapdancin' Christ! I don't know why I read phone reviews on Giz. If it's not unveiled by a balding hipster in a black turtleneck or if it's running the dreaded WinMo then it's CRAP is all I hear from the users here.

Yes, the OS is not as pretty, but I find the WinMo dev community pumping out a lot more useful software. So far I've got Internet Sharing to tether my phone without subscribing to an extra data plan, I've got a browser that really does display webpages like your desktop browser (Skyfire... and it's really easy to get a beta2 download), I've got a media player that can play FLV, DIVX, AVI, and almost any other format I want to encode my movies in, expandable memory (8Gb right now) to hold my media and on top of all this, I have corporate email support.

Oh wait, I don't have a nifty app that will make my phone sound like an electric razor... booo!

MaseMase

@dennitzio: as a treo fanboy, owner of a 700wx and now the 800w i could not disagree with you more

alex5389