While it’s been available in and around the Intraweb, Palm nor AT&T have released the real deal. Thankfully, this could change soon for Palm Treo 750 owners waiting for the official release. Palm has announced the Treo 750 WinMo update is “around the corner”. What that means, we’re not exactly sure. December? 2008? Hopefully, it means sooner than later. Either way, it’s was nice of Palm to provide us with a heads up.
Archive for the 'Treo' Category
According to a report in The Guardian, Palm told them “it will be 12 to 18 months” before a Linux based Treo appears. One can only hope this report is incorrect. Earlier this year, Palm’s CEO Ed Colligan stated that the Linux Treo would debut by the end of 2007. He later pushed back the estimate saying the Linux Treo would ship in 2008. If this latest report is true, this would be devastating news to those clamouring for a next generation Palm OS Treo. There are only so many ways one can repackage Garnet. This would be a great opportunity for someone at Palm to make good use of their blog and say it ain’t so. If left undisputed, one can only guess it to be true.
Palm and Vodafone took the wraps off the new Palm Treo 500v. It will run Windows Mobile 6 Standard, meaning it will be the first to sport a non-touchscreen interface. The GUI looks to be a customized homescreen reportedly designed by Vodafone. The actual release date will be October 1 and no price has been announced yet. You can expect this phone to ship at a lower price than previous Treo smartphones. “The Treo 500v is priced to enable a broader audience to experience the internet and email on the go,” said John Hartnett, Senior Vice President, Global Markets and Windows Business Unit, Palm Inc. The Palm Treo 500v will be available in two colors: glacier white or charcoal gray (as pictured).
Other major changes include a mini USB connector as seen below.
The Palm Treo 500v supports 3G (UTMS), includes a 2 megapixel camera along with a suite of Microsoft apps (Office, Internet Explorer, Outlook). SMS messaging appears to be of the standard variety meaning no threaded SMS messaging (Note to third party developers, there is a major need for this in both the Moto Q and Palm community).
So, there you have it. While the Palm community anxiously waits for a next generation Treo, the company has delivered another “entry-level” device. Given the expected price point and the competitive landscape in the European market, Palm will most likely see moderate success with the Treo 500v. If and when it arrives in the US, the Treo 500 will see stiff competition from the Blackjack and upcoming Moto Q Global.
Is it me or did Palm just tell us the Centro, complete with touchscreen interface, was their entry level smartphone?
For more details, check out Palm’s UK site.
Yes, you read it right. Palm CEO Ed Colligan today announced plans to cancel the Foleo saying, “I have decided to cancel the Foleo mobile companion product in its current configuration and focus all our energies on delivering our next generation platform and the first smartphones that will bring this platform to market.”
In a word, this move is surprising, but a move that should be applauded by the Palm faithful. Whether it was Engadget’s open letter that sent shock waves through the blogosphere or simply the lukewarm reception in the Palm community, the deed has been done. There really is no good time to cancel a product that you’ve spent months hyping, but this marks a turning point of sorts for Palm. The “new” Palm will focus its efforts on their core product lines. “I hope this renewed focus at Palm will allow us to deliver more compelling solutions to our core smartphone market“, said Colligan.
Some will write this off just another misstep of many for Palm this year. The way I see it, Palm needed to take a step backward in order to move forward. The Foleo was a niche product and many struggled to identify that niche. Today’s announcement signals their renewed focus on their core smartphone products and more importantly their core audience. Palm fans have long been waiting for the next generation Treo and today Palm took a step forward in that direction.
You can read Ed Colligan’s full post at Palm’s blog.
Hobbyist Software just launched another new application - Power Hero. An appropriate icon, Power Hero is a superhero whose mission is to save your battery. Power Hero is designed to get the absolute best from your Treo’s battery.
It has a series of features which let you manage your Treo’s power-draining features:
- Console -Instantly see and control the main power drains on your Treo
- Schedule - Set your Treo’s functions to be on only when you need them
- Save - Automatically turn off power draining features after you have finished using them
- Auto Bluetooth - turn your Bluetooth on automatically when your call arrives!
- Shortcuts - use the free shortcut applications to control features from your launcher
Power Hero is compatible with the Treo 650, 680, 700p, and 755 and will set you back $9.95. PowerHero is also available as a free trial allowing you to try before you buy.
An Asian trade journal Digitimes issued a report last week claiming that Palm is readying a a Linux-based smartphone for an October release. This is in sharp contrast to comments made by Palm’s CEO Ed Colligan who said the transition would start in 2008 from Palm OS Garnet. Analysts at the Tech Summit a few weeks back were treated to a preview of the new Palm Centro smartphone. The Palm Centro is due out in October, but it’s highly unlikely that phone will feature Linux, as no information supporting this came out of the Tech Summit. So, what’s the new Linux smartphone? Football season is upon us, so many Palm is running a bit of interference with Centro, while keeping the new Linux Treo under wraps. If this report is to believed, perhaps the next generation Treo that will send everyone in a tizzy proclaiming that Palm is back. One can only hope.
Source: PalmInfoCenter
Kinoma Player EX 4.0 received a major update last week to version 4.3 and today gets a minor update to 4.3.1. Kinoma streams audio and video along with offering support for a multitude of codecs for Palm OS smartphones. If your Palm smartphone or handheld has an internet connection, just choose Check for updates from the Media menu. You can also download the update via your PC.
Someone accidentally leaked the Verizon launch roadmap or did they? If this roadmap is current and real, then it looks like Verizon customers might be seeing the Treo 755p on August 16th. The last few days have been filled with Palm rumors. Even the NY Times got into the fray.
via Bsams by way of BoyGenius Report
Palm has been very secretive about their upcoming 3rd mobile category product that will be unveiled today by Jeff Hawkins. Last night, an apparent leak provided detailed information on the Palm Foleo, a smartphone companion product. That’s right, Foleo is a companion product that works with the existing Treo smartphone line. Over the past year, Palm has released 7 new smartphones on various providers, each with varied features. They all share the similar form factor, one that appears dated when viewed next to the sleek Moto Q or dash. Palm’s latest entry, the Treo 755 is a great smartphone, but again there is nothing exciting about the technology found in that smartphone. This is probably the reason it was panned by some reviewers. The Washington Post called it, “Palm’s Dumber Smartphone“. Personally, I think the Treo 755p is one of the best smartphone products available today, but consumers want new and exciting technology. Hawkins believes the Foleo is that technology saying, “Foleo is the most exciting product I have ever worked on.” That might be true, but is it enough to get Palm enthusiasts excited. It’s too early to tell, but this will essentially be a $500 accessory or “companion” that works with your existing smartphone. So much for convergence. In a few hours, Hawkins will take the stage at D: All Things Digital conference and demonstrate the Palm Foleo. Also in attendance will be Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. If Hawkins really wanted to excite Palm fans, he take a cue from Jobs and pull a “one more thing“. Seeing a thin Palm Treo running Linux would certainly be a product that generate excitement in the Treo community. Full coverage of the event will take place on Everything Treo.
The yet to be unreleased or announced Treo 755p is rumored to hit shelves no later than mid-May (we hear May 4th). That hasn’t stopped a steady stream of leaked photos to peak your interest. As reported here in early May, the Treo 755p will debut in at least two colors; navy blue and maroon.
Thanks Gizmodo!
