The Treo™ 650 smartphone from palmOne makes it easier than ever to stay connected. It simplifies your life by combining a compact mobile phone with email, an organizer, messaging, and web access. There’s also Bluetooth® technology so you can connect wirelessly to other Bluetooth devices. Not to mention an MP3 player, a digital camera that captures video, and a vibrant color screen that brings everything to life – all in a device that’s still small enough to fit in your pocket. Seems like Treo smartphones just keep getting smarter.
Every so often I think I should get a PDA to help me organize and keep track of my life. I always wind up deciding that the disadvantage of having another device to synch and carry around with me outweighs the potential advantages of a PDA, and I continue to use the date book on my cell phone instead. For many people, though, PDA’s are invaluable tools.
A new wave of gadgets commonly referred to as "smartphones" combine the features of cell phones and PDA’s into one device. The proliferation of the Internet and new wireless networking technologies including 802.11 (“Wi-Fi”), Bluetooth, and High-Speed cellular networks like EDGE, have made Smartphones full-on personal data and communications powerhouses that keep people connected to voice, email, and data networks even when they’re away from the office.
The Treo series from Palm is the most successful line of smartphones to be released in the United States to date. The Treo 650 combines a cell phone with the flexible power of a Palm-OS PDA, touchscreen navigation with handwriting recognition, and QWERTY thumbboard for advanced email support. The 650 also features a VGA camera, Bluetooth connectivity, stereo audio support with headphone jack, and an expansion card slot capable of everything from additional memory to GPS connectivity.
All of this pocket power does come with a price, but it’s not all that steep when you think about it. The Treo 650 is larger and heavy than today’s average cell phone, but at 59mm W x 113mm H x 23mm and 6.3oz it’s really not all that bad. While the unlocked 650 does sell for $549 direct from Palm, the locked version is commonly available for under $300 when purchased with a service contract; GSM (Cingular, T-Mobile) and CDMA (Sprint, Verizon) versions are available. It should be noted that a new Windows Mobile-based Treo, the CDMA-only 700w, is also now available.
Treos have become so popular because they do what other smartphones until recently couldn’t quite pull off, combining phone, PDA, and email functionality into a device that’s ergonomically comfortable and easy to use. The Treo 650 is no exception – this is an awesome device in many ways, and that was clear from the first few moments I spent with one. Just as quickly, I thought back six years to my aforementioned go-around with PDA’s, and as I set about reviewing the 650, my guiding question quickly turned from, “So how good is the Treo?” to “Is the Treo the right device for me?”
The question is somewhat complicated by the newly emerging breed of smartphones running on Windows Mobile, Symbian, and Linux platforms. While the Treo is certainly the forerunner for most business-centric users, consumers looking for the ultimate in cutting edge and/or powerful design and features might find the 650 a bit dated in look and feel, citing obvious factors such as a lack of included Wi-Fi support with more individual concerns like the outdated VGA camera, or frustrations in running applications designed for Palm touchscreens on a device that begs for its thumbboard to be used as often as possible.
Atlanta, Sunnyvale, CA and Waterloo, ON - Cingular Wireless, Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq: PALM) and Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced availability of BlackBerry® Connect™ for the Palm® Treo™ 650 smart device. With BlackBerry Connect software, Cingular customers now can enjoy the feature-rich Treo 650 with the BlackBerry service for a robust and secure solution on the nationwide...
Every so often I think I should get a PDA to help me organize and keep track of my life. I always wind up deciding that the disadvantage of having another device to synch and carry around with me outweighs the potential advantages of a PDA, and I continue to use the date book on my cell phone instead. For many people, though, PDA’s are invaluable tools.
A new wave of gadgets commonly referred to as "smartphones" combine the...
The GSM and CDMA versions of the Treo 650 are essentially identical save for the cellular radio itself: The GSM model is a quad-band world phone while the CDMS is a 800/1900 Mhz only handset. I tested the GSM version on Cingular’s network in the San Francisco, CA Bay Area.
The Treo 650 shares the same basic design and casing found on the Treo 600, which also somehow manages to combine a touch screen and thumbboard without feeling...
The Treo 650 also has a rear-mounted VGA camera which performs fairly well for still imagery and video capture but, by today’s standards, is a bit outdated. The new Treo 700w packs a 1.3 megapixel camera which, from reports I’ve read, far outshines the 650’s capabilities.
While most potential buyers wouldn’t shy away from a device like the Treo because of an inferior camera, the smartphone market is now competitive enough...
Rather than attempting a laundry list of everything the Treo 650 can do, a sort of open-ended summary might better explain it. First off, it’s a candybar-style phone with a rear-mounted speaker phone and support for Bluetooth headsets. The phone supports MIDI ringtones, vibrating ring, and picture caller ID. My test model worked very well on Cingular’s GSM network, performing similarly to my own Motorola V551 and other Cingular...
The 320x320, 65,000 color display is bright, sharp, and a joy to use for text, images, and even video, though it’s no longer state-of-the-art in cell phone screen technology. The touchscreen works well both for UI navigation and handwriting, though it is smaller than a standard Palm display.
Being that the Treo's functionality depends so much on its touchscreen, the handset is best stored in a protective case or belt holster when not in...
By: Frank Yang on Friday, March 02, 2007 From: Boyds, MD (United States) Experience: 2 Years
Pros: Excellent form factor; Long battery life; Fully sync with MS outlook (calenda, contacts, emails, tasks, etc.) View/Edit MS Word and Excel filesCons: Speakerphone is so so. Microphone -- The other side can barely hear me. This is a known issue with treo 650. I have to use bluetooth headset or earphone to bypass the internal mic issue.Summary: This is my first Palm OS device. I have been a Windows CE fans for many years, and have had multiple IPAQs and Microsoft smartphones. I am a Windows programmer and was hesitating to switch to Palm device (thought Palm OS was not as sophisticated as Windows) at the beginning, but I am very happy with the features of my treo 650. Palm OS consumes much less battery power than Windows OS.
By: mon hans on Friday, August 25, 2006 From: hobe sound, FL (United States) Experience: 8 Months
Pros: internet,pda,easy to useCons: not high speed internet, not water proofSummary: The treo is an outstanding phone that makes all others obsolete. It is like having a pocket computer that is small and easy to use, because that is what it really is you will love it.
By: Pk Francis on Friday, August 18, 2006 From: Dallas, TX (United States) Experience: 1 Years
Pros: It would be great if this phone actually worked and did all that it claims to do but it doesn't!Cons: This phone has too many problems to even list! I was told they were fixing all of the issues with the next newest version 700! Wrong! I was one of the idiots who paid $650.00 for this phone when it was new including getting new service! So if your wondering why they have come down so far in price go search out other reviews and it will be obvious!Summary: I have had this phone for 1 1/2 years and I have had 16 phones replaced by Sprint from the time I bought it. Replacing the phone when it breaks down has become my part time job! (unpaid of course!) There is a class action lawsuit filed for all Treo owners that is much over due! I can't tell you what a nightmare this phone has been for me!
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The Treo series from Palm is the most successful line of smartphones to be released in the United States to date. The Treo 650 combines a cell phone with the flexible power of a Palm-OS PDA, touchscreen navigation with handwriting recognition, and QWERTY thumbboard for advanced email support. The 650 also features a VGA camera, 
4.5 out of 5
