Following heated speculation, Palm, Microsoft and Verizon Wireless today announced the upcoming debut of a 3G-enabled, Windows Mobile Powered Treo communicator in early 2006.
Teaming up with Verizon Wireless and Microsoft, the company formerly known as palmOne today announced what many longtime followers of the company might declare herecy; a Windows Mobile powered Treo communicator. Due out in early 2006 as an exclusive to Verizon Wireless, the device closely resembles the existing Treo 600 and 650 communicators based on Palm OS, but will be the first product from Palm to integrate 3G connectivity courtesy of CDMA2000 1xEV-DO.
Powered by an Intel processor, the as-of-yet unnamed Treo will be joining the 600 and 650 models, both currently carried by Verizon Wireless. Although Palm declined to provide further specifications for the device, the company said that it intends to diversify the product from competing Windows Mobile 5.0 products through additional software.
Among the modifications made is a Today screen plug-in which utilizes a band of contact pictures to let users dial visually, as well as the ability to ignore a call whilst simultaneously opening an SMS dialog to inform the calling party of your status. Also, users will be able to assign voice mail short codes to visual buttons to more easily navigate different voice mail systems as opposed to having to remember several short codes and possibly so for multiple systems.
Verizon Wireless expects the new Treo to be available to its customers in early 2006, with pricing said to be 'slightly higher' than existing Treo models due to its inclusion of EV-DO. According to Palm CEO Ed Colligan, the device can be expected to make its debut with other carriers in mid-2006.
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