Telstra first to get Palm's new Windows Mobile Treo - UPDATE

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 20 August 2008 18:35

Your IT - Entertainment

Palm has unveiled its latest smartphone, the Treo Pro based on Windows Mobile 6.1, and in Australia it will be available exclusively from Telstra for the first three months.

Coming hot on the heels of the launch of the BlackBerry Bold, also presently available only from Telstra in Australia, comparisons will be inevitable. Both devices feature full qwerty keyboards and the ability to support push email. However one of the main advantages being claimed for the Treo Pro, at least in the corporate environment, is the remote management available through Windows Mobile 6.1 via Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008.

According to Microsoft, this enables IT manager to control and configure the phone using the same management tools that they use to manage Windows desktops and laptops and to apply a wider range of policies to the devices. The Treo Pro is one of the first Windows Mobile 6.1 devices on the market, the other major one being the HTC Touch Diamond, but the Treo Pro is positioned more as a business tool than the Diamond.

The Treo Pro comes with a number of useful features: a switch to silence the phone, and dedicated buttons to turn WiFi on and off, and to access email and calendar.

Telstra will sell the Treo Pro for $929 outright from mid September or for $0 up front on a $80 per month plan under a 24 month contract. (The Bold is available on the same rate and stand alone, slightly more, $999). The Telstra version will be customised to provide easy access to Sensis Search, Mobile Foxtel TV, BigPond Music, Whereis Navigator, Whereis Maps and downloads. The Treo Pro supports HSPA at 3.6Mbps.

One significant difference between the BlackBerry Bold and the Treo Pro is the qwerty keyboards: the Bold's is slightly wider and features concave keys. The Treo Pro's keys are convex: Depending on individual preferences users might find one much more to their liking than the other.

In the last day or so prior to launch much information about the phone including high res image has leaked out.  However one feature claimed is missing: there is no slot for a microSD memory card. (This was incorrect: there is a microSD slot, under the battery cover, but no mention of it in the documentation that comes with the Treo Pro).

Immediately after the launch, it is also hard to confirm other details of the Treo Pro, as it ships with minimal information. However, there is a brief user guide to the main controls, complemented by a useful quick tour built into he phone itself.