So you’re in the market for a new smartphone, and the Palm Treo Pro catches your eye. The new player from Palm is shiny and professional, and many Palm fans are looking for the fastest way to cash in on the old player. Featuring a standard thumb pad and a brilliant LCD display, this smartphone is definitely a competitor worth considering.
If you think the new Palm Treo Pro might be the right choice for you, read on. This smartphone offers a little bit of everything, and just so it’s fun for you. Below is a review of the pros and cons of buying this device, as well as any current issues the brand has with the device.
Body
The Palm Treo Pro is a body that no businessman should be ashamed to carry around. Bright and sharp, and in both value and style as the last.
The bottom of the smartphone features the thumb pad that has become Palm’s standard. It is mostly black with a series of small white buttons. The unit itself is thinner than the previous version of the W80, and it doesn’t have the external antenna that the Treo has before.
The pad over the thumb is a silver navigation pad, and it’s easy to press and move. Four short buttons surround the silver ball, and are easy to press while blending in with the design of the craft.
The screen is bright and shiny, and sits well in the top half of the device. The plastic is shiny and reflective, and the unit itself seems strong and durable. I would recommend the case that the drop on the ground is already proven by other users to be fatal.
There are some small ports, including a USB and phone jack, located on the edges. The battery can be removed by the user and is quite expensive to replace.
Features
Treo Palm For features a bright touchscreen that is 16k colors and has a resolution of 320 x 320.
The main features of this device are the wide array of wireless connectivity options, which includes WiFi, Bluetooth, HSDPA, and GPS.
The unit runs Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro, which is marketed to individuals who need on-the-go media. There are computer programs such as Power Point, Excel and Word. It also has Internet Explorer and basics such as alarms, calendars, and contacts. Because the device runs Windows Mobile 6, you can install Pocket PC tablets to it.
The CPU is a 400MHz MSM7201 and it has 128MB of RAM. This means you won’t be able to play any Mario Bros. on it, but it’ll be nice to have a go at Kevtris.
Results
Now the most important factor is the price. Coming in at a whopping $550 new, this player is more expensive than the iPhone, but not for good. The processing speed and features don’t justify this price – I won’t buy until the price drops to $200, but that’s just me.
Conclusion
The Palm Treo Pro smartphone shows that Palm is moving in the right direction with its smartphones, as each one offers something a little better than the previous version. Unfortunately, the CPU in the Treo Pro isn’t as fast as others would like, and the features are pretty standard. The specs of this device are very similar to the HTC Apache, which was released in 2004 and can be purchased for less than $200USD.
