New Palm from Sprint

[MoSpur]

http://m1.2mdn.net/1447899/infosyncworld.html?rfp=http://www.infosyncworld.com/news/n/8379.html


Aiming to attract traditional high-end feature phone users; Palm introduces the compact, yet full-featured $100 Palm Centro.

Designed for individuals and traditional mobile users looking for a better way to manage their professional and social lives, Palm and Sprint today introduced the Palm Centro. With voice, text, IM, e-mail, web, contact and calendar capabilities, a full-color touch screen and full QWERTY keyboard, Centro brings Palm simplicity and organization to customers who want to stay connected with co-workers, friends and family.

With a new compact design, Centro is the smallest and lightest Palm phone to date. Centro has a modern, stylish look that feels comfortable in the hand, pocket or evening purse.

"Palm Centro has the power of a broadband smartphone at the price of a standard 12-key phone," said Ed Colligan, CEO of Palm. "People looking to have all their contacts and calendar at the touch of a button, plus YouTube streaming videos and the Internet can now get it in a small, cool design with the trademark Palm ease of use. If you're thinking about stepping up to a smartphone, the Palm Centro should be your choice."

Centro will be exclusive through Sprint in the United States for 90 days and is available in onyx black or ruby red. Sprint services such as Sprint TV, Picture Mail, Mobile e-mail and IM will all be incorporated. The latter gives access to Yahoo! Messenger, AOL's AIM service and MSN Messenger.

Additional features include Microsoft Direct Push Technology for delivery of Outlook e-mail as well as personal e-mail, such as Gmail, AOL and Yahoo. Sporting EV-DO, web browsing should go like a breeze and the built-in Google Maps application offers fast access to directions, traffic updates and local search.

Centro is the first Palm phone to include PocketTunes Deluxe, worth $40, and will also come with Sprint Music Manager. Furthermore, the Palm Centro sports a 65K colors touch screen with a resolution of 320x320 pixels, Palm OS 5.4.9, Bluetooth 1.2, microSD slot and a 1.3-megapixel camera.

We've tested all the handsets the Palm Centro will be competing against in Sprint's portfolio, and we think it may do well. In our recent round-up of QWERTY phones for consumers, we also noted that Sprint still didn't offer their customers such a phone; now they do. As the price point for such phones is crucial, we think the $100 Palm Centro will take one of the top spots of this chart.

Measuring 4.22 by 2.11 by 0.73 inches and weighing 4.2 oz, the Palm Centro will be available in mid-October on Sprint, selling for $100 with a two-year contract.


Your thoughts????

[MoSpur]

Here is a pic


http://gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2007/08/TEMP-Image_3_1.jpg

[Duff McCartney]

It's using the Palm OS right? Damn I may have to get one of those.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Gotdamnit (@ myself).

Yes, it's Palm OS.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Here's the Centro PDF brochure.

http://www.palm.com/us/products/smartphones/centro/pdf/centro_brochure.pdf

[MoSpur]

How much memory can that thing hold? I know it has a micro SD slot.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

It says it will hold a 4GB microSD card.

[degenerate_gambler]

that's not bad..

[MoSpur]

4gb is not bad at all. I get a pretty nice discount because of my job. $100 bucks is not bad for that thing.

[SpursWoman]

Hmmm ... my $150 credit kicks in mid-October, too. Nice. :drunk

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

I normally really love Sprint, but this week has just been hell with me trying to give them more money.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Hmmm ... my $150 credit kicks in mid-October, too. Nice. :drunk

Are you out of contract yet?

[SpursWoman]

No, not until next August....I'll just have had my current Treo for 2 years. I was planning on accidently dropping it in the toilet this weekend and turning it in for the $50 insurance upgrade, since they don't offer the 650 anymore and I can get a 700. :nerd

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

No, not until next August....I'll just have had my current Treo for 2 years. I was planning on accidently dropping it in the toilet this weekend and turning it in for the $50 insurance upgrade, since they don't offer the 650 anymore and I can get a 755. :nerd

What I've been reading is that's hit-and-miss.

Apparently, there were so many 650s sold that a lot of people are getting refurbs.

I'll have had my 650 for two years in November, but I'm trying to sign up with the Employee Referral Offer and I don't think I'll be able to get both, so I'll just sell my phone on Craigslist.

But I'm going to get a 755p and a mobile broadband card. The SERO plan kicks so much ass. If you're out of contract and not on this plan, do it now.

http://delivery.sprint.com/m/p/sprint/epc/epclanding.asp

Unlimited text through tomorrow (but I've got a note on my account to give it to me when I sign up because I couldn't today as they're migrating my account to a new system and there's no access to it).


This plan includes

* Unlimited Nights & Weekends starting at 7pm!
* Domestic long distance
* Unlimited Mobile to Mobile
* Unlimited Web/Data Access
* Unlimited Picture Mail (with compatible devices)

[Big P]

JB...how can I get a Sprint employee email account to sign up for this? Should I just go to a Sprint store and ask an employee for their email?
Do you know if this offer is going to expire anytime soon?
Thanks for the help.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

JB...how can I get a Sprint employee email account to sign up for this? Should I just go to a Sprint store and ask an employee for their email?
Do you know if this offer is going to expire anytime soon?
Thanks for the help.

AFAIK, the unlimited text expires tomorrow, but the rep told me they've extended it before. I don't know when the SERO plan goes out, but there's a lot better info over at the SprintUsers.com forums.

And as far as employee e-mails go, you can do that or search for one online. And don't be a goober and choose the CEO's e-mail... go lower-level non-corporate.

[Big P]

OK thanks..I'll check it out.

[dougp]

I might be getting my Treo 750WX back ... honestly though, I'd rather attempt to upgrade to the 755p than go with the Centro, but it does look nice. Anything that has SprintMusic on it though will fuck you, meaning, you won't be able to use MP3s as ringtones.

[KEDA]

when is Sprint getting the new Q?

[MoSpur]

I wonder when that HTC Touch is coming out for Sprint

[dougp]

when is Sprint getting the new Q?
Doubtful ... they won't even let people upgrade the current Q to WM6. Honestly, I had the Q and was not satisfied ...

As for the Touch, good question - I had quit tracking when it was coming out for Sprint, but the Mogul was just released so I don't think they'll release the Touch for a few more months or so.

[Barbarian]

I might be getting my Treo 750WX back ... honestly though, I'd rather attempt to upgrade to the 755p than go with the Centro, but it does look nice. Anything that has SprintMusic on it though will fuck you, meaning, you won't be able to use MP3s as ringtones.

This has always pissed me off. I have Treo 600 and razr V3 and Ive been trying to set a mp3 as a ringtone. Is Sprint the only carrier that does this? Does anyone know a way around it?

[MoSpur]

This new Sprint Palm Centro doesn't have wi-fo correct?

[dougp]

This has always pissed me off. I have Treo 600 and razr V3 and Ive been trying to set a mp3 as a ringtone. Is Sprint the only carrier that does this? Does anyone know a way around it?
AFAIK a lot of carriers do. The way around it is to convert to whatever the recorder file extension is - though honestly, not quite sure ... I just never took the time because it wasn't worth it for me to figure out vs. the cost of a ringtone.

[leemajors]

with a razr you can download the motorola phone tools and create your own.

[Barbarian]

with a razr you can download the motorola phone tools and create your own.

Is that directly from motorola website?

[leemajors]

Is that directly from motorola website?
yes, but they make you pay for it. if you can find it somewhere else, it doesn't require registration.

[MoSpur]

Does anyone know if that new Palm Centro has wi-fi? I didn't read it anywhere, but just wondering if anyone else might have caught it and I didn't.

[SpursWoman]

I read a different article that says that is does NOT have wi-fi, because, well ... it's only $100. :lol

[MoSpur]

I must have missed it.

[SpursWoman]

It was in a different article I read ... sorry. But no, it doesn't have wi-fi. :)

[MoSpur]

Its still not bad for $100 though. That's after the mail-in rebate though.

[Barbarian]

yes, but they make you pay for it. if you can find it somewhere else, it doesn't require registration.

I started witha simple google search and I ended up 45 minutes behind on my work. Hate when that happens. Thanks for the info though.

[missmyzte]

I had the Treo 650, loved it but finally gave it up. Was starting to glitch out on me and got tired of how big and bulky it was. Just got the Q, still getting used to it but new phones are always fun to play with. I miss the touchscreen but love how much smaller it is.

[dougp]

I had the Treo 650, loved it but finally gave it up. Was starting to glitch out on me and got tired of how big and bulky it was. Just got the Q, still getting used to it but new phones are always fun to play with. I miss the touchscreen but love how much smaller it is.
If you have the Sprint version - you do know that if you're connected to the internet, a call cannot come through? Sprint refuses to recognize the problem and fix it.

[missmyzte]

If you have the Sprint version - you do know that if you're connected to the internet, a call cannot come through? Sprint refuses to recognize the problem and fix it.
Good to know, but not that big of a deal for me. Most of my actual phone calls are through my Sprint Blade.

[dougp]

Good to know, but not that big of a deal for me. Most of my actual phone calls are through my Sprint Blade.
Ah ok - there is a work around, but you have to do it everytime you reset the phone. I had to reset the phone constantly because of some shit that was wrong with the phone when it came out.

[jaffies]

with a razr you can download the motorola phone tools and create your own.


As long as I have been with Sprint I have been able to make my own ringtones with this site http://rumkin.com/tools/sprint/ .

I definately know that the razr v3 works with this site, dunno about the treo though. *edit* - the centro and the treo 500, 700p, 750(v) do support mp3 ringtones so there shouldn't be any problems finding a way to use your own rtones. All I know is that there is always a (free) way.



I wonder when that HTC Touch is coming out for Sprint


We'll find out on the 1st of OCT, at which time they will announce a sweet looking Touch with a slide-out qwerty currently dubbed the "nike", although I'm pretty sure it'll be a GSM phone.

[ShoogarBear]

It was in a different article I read ... sorry. But no, it doesn't have wi-fi. :)None of the Treos has WiFi.

[Duff McCartney]

None of the Treos has WiFi.

Yeah but their Sprint service is pretty quick though. Internet wise that is. It's fast because I've used my cousins.

[ShoogarBear]

That's not the point, though. WiFi allows you do do things like connect to your local home network. Other Palm handhelds like the Tungsten could do it. It's consistently cited as one of the major deficiencies of the Treo.

[Beno Udrih]

Would anybody recommend the Q from sprint? I'm thinking about that, or the black berry pearl from at&t. Thoughts?

[KEDA]

DO NOT get a BB, everyone that Megan sold at Sprint would have some sort of problem.

Although I'm on my second Q, I still like it better then the BB.

[dougp]

Would anybody recommend the Q from sprint? I'm thinking about that, or the black berry pearl from at&t. Thoughts?No, I would have to suggest a Treo over the Q - it's honestly not that great.

[Beno Udrih]

Thanks I think I'll go with the Q. I've looked at most carriers. And in my opinion Sprint has the best plans.

[SequSpur]

q is a hitec cellphone. go with treo for great features.

[Beno Udrih]

Well when does this treo come out then?

[dougp]

It comes out October 14th - I'll be getting one as it's a good price for basically the Treo 755p in a smaller case.

[Hook Dem]

The only difference between a man and a boy is the price of his TOY! :rolleyes

[dougp]

The only difference between a man and a boy is the price of his TOY! :rolleyes
And what point are you trying to make? :rolleyes

[SpursWoman]

I don't know where they get $100 for this phone at. I was just at Sprint.com to see what it would be to upgrade, and the phone is $399 - $150 upgrade credit, less a $100 mail in rebate you're supposed to get 6-8 weeks from now. :wtf

[gay abc]

i believe the $99 is for new customers/additional line - $399 minus $200 instant savings, minus $100 mail in rebate

who knows what it will cost existing customers

the email i got from sprint this am read:

*requires new activation or eligible upgrade and a 2 year agreement

so i'm confused too :huh

[SpursWoman]

who knows what it will cost existing customers


I have the full $150 upgrade credit, and if I wanted to buy it today I'd have to pay $274 something (that's w/tax), and then wait for who knows how long for the $100 mail-in rebate.

[dougp]

I've had the Centro since Friday, and I love it ... pictures do not do it justice, this thing is tiny compared to old treos and the Q/Curve, etc. And it's really not that hard to type on ... I qualified for the $75 rebate and got it for $350 after tax out the door. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

[ShoogarBear]

How does the Bluetooth work on the Centro? 'Cause it sucks on the 700p (and, I understand, the 755p too).

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

How does the Bluetooth work on the Centro? 'Cause it sucks on the 700p (and, I understand, the 755p too).

I know Meg and KEDA have told me constantly that the 755 Bluetooth sucks. I've never really been one to use the BT on my 650 and I probably won't use it on my new 755.

[dougp]

How does the Bluetooth work on the Centro? 'Cause it sucks on the 700p (and, I understand, the 755p too).I haven't had a problem yet with it (mostly just hotsyncing with my laptop) and I'll test out a headset when I get home and I'm able to find it.

[gay abc]

got mine last friday - cool phone :smokin

[dougp]

I concur ... but the Touch is so tempting.