Sprint finally gets its own version of the Windows Mobile-powered Treo. Does the 700wx measure up to Verizon Wireless' 700w -- or to the Palm OS-based 700p, for that matter? Philip Berne delivers his verdict.
Review summary of the Palm Treo 700wx:
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 More memory and speedy dial-up networking make the Treo 700wx an obvious choice over the older 700w, but the decision isn't as clear-cut when it comes to other business phones. If you require full Windows compatibility, this is a strong device, and Palm has gone to some lengths to make Windows Mobile manageable with a single hand. Unfortunately, complicated menus stymie the effort. The phone is unfortunately tethered to the fortunes of Windows Mobile -- what the system does well, like Outlook and Office, the phone does well. What makes Windows unpleasant also hampers the experience of using the Treo 700wx. Release: September 2006. Price: $300.
Pros: Outlook on Windows Mobile outclasses similar applications on competing devices, even the 700p. Dial-up networking is a great feature that every 3G smartphone should provide, and the Windows version of the Treo is quick and easy to use.
Cons: Web browsing and other multimedia apps need to be improved, especially considering the 700wx's 3G connectivity. Less reliance on the stylus for advanced applications (such as document viewing) would make for better on-the-go use.
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Full Palm Treo 700wx Review:
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Messaging - Very good
As a Windows-centric phone, the 700wx is completely competent handling all your Windows-related messaging needs. ActiveSync handles push e-mail, synchronizing from either your MS Exchange/Lotus Domino server, or your desktop Outlook client. The device also handles POP and IMAP accounts with aplomb, often requiring little setup on the user's part. You can send images, sound and video using Outlook, which may be cheaper than MMS depending on your plan. A full suite of MSN applications is pre-loaded, including MSN Messenger, but there is no SMS threading option (which makes your SMS exchanges look like IM conversations) as there is on the 700p. (We should note that the new -- and Europe-only -- Treo 750v, which runs Windows Mobile, will come with threaded SMS.)
Productivity - Very good
If the key benefit of owning a Windows mobile device is that it will look and feel like your desktop, the included version of Office Mobile delivers. All told, you get mobile versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (you can view and edit Word and Excel documents, but not PowerPoint presentations). Because the breadth of features available in each application is impressive, the myriad buttons and menus may seem daunting to beginners. Unfortunately, there are many functions that cannot be accessed without a stylus, and navigating submenus often means drilling down to options from the top-level menu. PDF viewing is weaker than traditional office documents, but still usable.
Multimedia - Good
Multimedia is surprisingly weak on the 700wx. Sprint's mobile TV service (which you can access through the Palm OS-based 700p) is not available on the Windows model. Windows Media player, though it looks like the desktop version, is sluggish and unresponsive at times. Web browsing was difficult, with many pages left jumbled and illegible, though the speedy EV-DO connection was hardly to blame. Even the garbled columns of the full New York Times homepage loaded in seconds. Though the mobile Internet Explorer gives you several page-view options (including single-column, desktop mode and full-screen), it was difficult to find one that would reveal every aspect of a page.
Scheduling - Very good
One of the strengths of Windows Mobile is Outlook. The mobile app looks and performs almost exactly like the desktop version. Calendars were easy to read and update from day to week to month. Appointments can be managed by dragging and tapping. One-handed use was difficult: short clicks of the 5-way button produced jumpy reactions on-screen. Otherwise, Outlook's information is easy to transfer between the Palm and your desktop or online Exchange server.
Calling - Very good
Voice quality was clean over the Treo. Reception was usually good, even behind thick walls. The phone dialing screen was easy to navigate and presented quick information like agenda and frequently-used contacts cleanly. Conference calling can be arduous, requiring multiple menus and button depressions. Finding contacts was simple, however, as the 700wx initiates an intuitive search for alphabetical matches as you type. Most unfortunate is the omission of speaker-independent voice dialing, which is near-unforgivable on this pricey, top-of-the-line phone.
Laptop sidekick - Very good
One of the key benefits of Sprint's 700wx over Verizon's 700w variety is the dial-up networking feature. Using USB to connect your computer to the EV-DO network is a snap with Sprint's Connection Manager. Speeds were very quick, usually in the 700kbps range -- not quite wired broadband, but fast enough. The phone also charges via the USB cable, which means one less charger to bring along. Bluetooth synchronizes data with your computer as well as providing an Internet connection, though Bluetooth 1.2 speeds are much lower than what you can expect over USB.
Price and availability
The Palm Treo 700wx is available from Sprint for $300 with a contract. A mail-in rebate of $100 is available, when signing up for a qualifying plan.
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