Palm Treo 750 with HSDPA launches in Australia

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Thursday, 15 February 2007 12:32

Your IT - Entertainment

The press release says that “The Treo smartphone on Windows Mobile 5.0 provides mobile workers with a unique productivity and multimedia experience whilst away from their PCs. Delivering a suite of software enhancements developed by Palm for the Windows Mobile environment, the Treo 750 provides people with fast access to information, ease of use and simplicity on their mobile device.”

The features they quote include the following:

* Today Screen enhancements, which offer the ability to "dial by name" with a few keystrokes on the keyboard, perform a web search directly from the Today Screen and perform one-touch dialling with personalised photo speed dials;

* Ability to manage a call directly from the Today Screen and stay on top of voicemail with on-screen, VCR-like icons, such as rewind, delete and fast-forward controls for easy navigation;

* Ability to ignore a call and quickly compose a text message, such as "In a meeting" or "Can't talk"; and

* Dedicated messaging application for SMS/MMS that is organised in a "chat thread" so users can reference prior messages and use emoticons for a personal touch.

These are all handy features, and ones that the competition would be smart to copy in some way.

We are also reminded of the benefits of Windows Mobile 5 features, such as the touch screen, copy and paste, built-in viewers and editors, a breadth of applications and multimedia management – all important features, some of which have been improved in Windows Mobile 6.0, and all of which Microsoft needs to continue refining much further in light of the iPhone’s interface, although they work well enough in WM5 for Microsoft and its partners to have sold tens of millions of Windows powered smartphones to date.

Features of the Treo 750 itself are listed as:

* Powerful Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 with Palm enhancements;
* Integrated SMS/MMS with chat view and dedicated inbox;
* Mobile access to multiple business and personal email accounts;
* 3G/UMTS/HSDPA network for fast data access;
* 1.3-megapixel digital camera that also captures video;
* Windows Media(r) Player 10 Mobile for music and video;
* Built-in Bluetooth(r) wireless technology enhanced to support Bluetooth enabled stereo headsets;
* Mini-SD expansion slot; and
* 240x240 transflective (TFT) touch screen.

It’s a shame the camera wasn’t at least 2 megapixels, and there’s still no Wi-Fi, making 3G and HSDPA your more expensive data transfer options. Wi-Fi is an issue as competing phones offer it, but it’s probably not a deal breaker for most people.

So will the Treo 750 sell? Palm, Telstra and Microsoft think so, but what about the competition? Read onto the next page for the conclusion...