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| Palm Treo Pro |
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 The Palm Treo Pro is aiming squarely at its target audience - Palm devotees who need a serious upgrade. We can't see anyone else falling for the rather dull, underperforming Palm Treo Pro, though owners of Palm's previous generations of Treos might ooh and ahh at the GPS and Wi-Fi, and will certainly marvel at the slick, yet classy shell. Palm's best innovations are really in buttons and hardware shortcuts, but Windows Mobile limits how much Palm can accomplish with this device, and unlike more popular Windows Mobile manufacturers like HTC and Samsung, Palm has done little to nothing to improve the basic Windows Mobile experience. Overall, the Palm Treo Pro is a generally likeably, basic Windows Mobile Pro phone, but without carrier support it seems to lack many of our favorite services, and it isn't nearly enough to keep us from wondering when we'll see the next big thing from Palm. Release: September 2008. Price: $500.
Pros: A new, thinner look with great hardware improvements for the Treo line. Good GPS options. Strong Windows Mobile performance.
Cons: Only Treo owners will fall for this one. To everyone else, this is another mid-range, unlocked smartphone with few additional features or services.
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64%
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| Palm Treo 800w (Sprint) |
| Full review » Video » Scoreboard » Specs » Gallery » |
_it00.jpg) Updating the classic Palm Treo formula with the newest hardware and Windows Mobile operating system should be a no-brainer, and in most ways the Palm Treo 800w really works nicely. Most of our pleasure with the device is thanks to Sprint's impressively fast EV-DO Rev. A network and the long-established pedigree of Windows Mobile as a proven office-centric smartphone OS. In other words, it isn't pretty, but it gets the job done, especially in terms of handling calendars and contacts, as well as office documents. Unfortunately, we had some strange issues with our review unit, some of which were obviously isolated issues (with GPS hardware and tethered modem support), but some are clear missteps on the part of Palm and Sprint. Windows Mobile 6.1 gets none of the recent visual upgrades we liked in WinMo 6.1 Standard edition, and that's too bad because it would have simplified the Today screen immensely. There is a lot going for the Treo 800w, and it's nice to see Palm release a device that's current with the latest hardware and software. This should satisfy Palm fans on the Windows Mobile side of the family until the next version of the Palm OS comes along. Release: July 2008. Price: $350.
Pros: GPS and Wi-Fi finally come to the Palm Treo. Very fast networking.
Cons: Doesn't include latest WinMo 6.1 enhancements. Battery life lags, especially during data use.
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67%
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| Palm Centro (Unlocked) |
| Full review » Video » Scoreboard » Specs » Gallery » |
_it00.jpg) The audience for an unlocked phone is a special bunch, and we wouldn't recommend this phone as an alternative to a carrier-sponsored version if you don't mind signing a new contract. But if you need the unlocked option, the Palm Centro still makes for an appealing, small smartphone. Everything on the inside screams 2006, but the Palm OS worked pretty well then, and it still works well now. It isn't getting any prettier, and the Web browser is practically ancient by today's standards, but for calling and e-mail, the phone is solid. We recommend trying it before you buy, because the small keyboard might stymie even medium-sized fingers, but if the size fits, go right ahead. Release: June 2008. Price: $300.
Pros: Improved calling interface. Unlocked Centro means T-Mobile users might have a shot. Same small design we liked.
Cons: Same small keyboard, same old interface. Apps like the Blazer browser and Pocket Tunes music player starting to show their age.
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59%
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| Palm Centro (Verizon Wireless) |
| Full review » Video » Scoreboard » Specs » Gallery » |
_it00.jpg) When the Palm Centro was new to the Palm line, it made complete sense as an inexpensive, compact version of the Palm Treo. A year later, the phone lags behind the competition in both hardware and interface design. For scheduling and productivity, the phone is a real powerhouse, but those features are likely not what Centro users are attracted to as much as Web browsing, multimedia and messaging, and the phone falls behind in all of these. Not to mention the calling features aren't as easy on the eyes as the AT&T version of the same device. The Centro is still the best Palm OS device on the market, though it barely beats Verizon Wireless' own LG enV2 consumer QWERTY phone. And then, Palm, it's time to come up with a Palm Centro 2. Release: June 2008. Price: $170.
Pros: Tiny size. Full Palm OS for complete smartphone experience. Fast networking.
Cons: Interface and apps are getting very, very old. E-mail is behind the times. No IM clients pre-loaded. Lacks many multimedia features. No GPS or Wi-Fi.
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61%
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| Palm Centro (AT&T) |
| Full review » Video » Scoreboard » Specs » Gallery » |
_it00.jpg) There is no question that most Palm fans will prefer the Centro over the Treo, and unless you have real difficulty with smaller keys, we would unquestionably recommend the newer Centro over its older cousin. The real question is whether the EDGE-only Centro on AT&T tops the EV-DO device on Sprint. For most apps, the slower speeds are unnoticeable. The Web browser isn't so great that you'll miss the faster networking, and messaging works just as quickly on either device. If you want this phone for tethered modem support, you'll have to go with Sprint, but if you just want a reliable, QWERTY phone that does e-mail and is easy to use, the AT&T Centro has some nice tweaks to the interface that make basic calling features easier. It's a tough call, and though we hate to say it, it might come down to which color (or carrier, of course) you prefer. Then in a month, AT&T will release the phone in black, and the was begins anew. Release: February 2008. Price: $150.
Pros: Cuter, smaller design packs all the power of a full-size Palm. Touchscreen still a rarity on consumer smartphones.
Cons: Slow EDGE networking. Interface looking dated, except where recently improved. Tiny keys tough for typing.
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Mediocre |
62%
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Excellent |
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